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FOG rocks Mumbai and Delhi Details on page 50
NJ Indian’s house runs on sun & earth Details on page 12
Indian named to key World Bank position Details on page 5
Japan offers plant in India for US-2 aircraft Details on page 6
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Priyanka Chopra should have worn salwar-kameez? Last week’s result
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VOL 21, No. 1115
February 5, 2016
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Periodical Postage
SHUN J&K MILITANTS, SAYS PAK PANEL
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani parliamentary panel has asked the government to avoid "encouraging" support to militant groups in Kashmir and take action against outfits involved in attacks there to dispel international concerns. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs issued a four-page policy paper linked to Kashmir, the Express Tribune reported. "Pakistan should not encourage calls for active support to armed, banned, militant groups in Kashmir," the paper, that has a series of policy recommendations on Indo-Pak ties, said. India has been demanding that Pakistan act against militant groups operating from its soil. The committee, headed by ruling Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Awais Ahmad Leghari, proposed the government should take action against "violent armed outfits" to dispel international concerns that Pakistan was not doing enough against groups involved in attacks in Kashmir.
Councilmember Savita Vaidhyanathan
‘Don't let naysayers hold you back’ Details on page 30
Kher denied Pak visa for literary festival Details on page 8
Nevada to open tourism office in India Details on page 8
Pak Pathankot probe hits dead end Details on page 5
CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 48 Community Post -------------- 16-25 Date Book -------------------------- 47 Edit Page --------------------------- 39 HealthScience Post --------- 32-35 Horoscope ------------------------- 26 Immigration Post ------------- 44-47 Life Style ----------------------- 50-52
STAR AMONG STARS: Priyanka Chopra, left, and Pedro Pascal while presenting the award for outstanding male actor in a drama series at the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall on Saturday, January 30. Priyanka, who has been going places ever since her American TV debut 'Quantico', will be one of the presenters at this year's Oscars also, which are to be held on February 28. (Details on page 8)
Details on page 5
Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”
Philosophy ------------------------- 53 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 30-31 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43
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he excitement in the media these days is all about the Presidential elections, especially since the caucuses and primaries have got underway. But, I'll just take a little break to remind you all that there's more stuff happening in the country than the shenanigans of the presidential candidates. I know election fever is rising, but I'll get back on that bandwagon later. Last week, there was this rather innocuous gathering at the White House wherein President Obama dropped in to lend his intent and action to support working women who, in 2016 America, are still struggling for equal status with their male colleagues at the workplace. The event itself may not have made it to the headlines, but the issue is not new for the women in this country who have been lobbying against wage discrimination for decades. But taking the issue one step forward towards bridging the wage gap between male and female workers, the Obama Administration has proposed to collect and report pay data by race, ethnicity and general from businesses with 100 or more employees. A pretty small step, I must say, because it's not like this particular move is going to dramatically elevate women worker's compensation levels overnight. But hey, to cite a cliché, something is better than nothing. This women-centric move holds a lot of significance in America today as this closet-patriarchy is as yet unsure of the idea of having a woman president despite the availability of an able candidate. And so it is for women across the world who continue to fight social prejudices to find their rightful place in society. Like, this past week in India, this fiery brigade of women protestors was arrested for trying to storm into a temple where women are considered pariahs and therefore not allowed to enter the sanctum. Americans should realize that their prejudice against having women in positions of power is as ridiculous as the insecurity of the priests of those ancient Indian temples who don't allow women to step inside. C'mon America, it's 2016, let's elect a woman to the White House already. Remember, Trump is just another man.
Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com
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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Found someone? Though Priyanka Chopra has maintained a strict silence about her personal life, it seems she is finally dating someone in US
Cover Story: Shun J&K militants A Pakistani parliamentary panel has asked the government to avoid "encouraging" militant groups in Kashmir
Community: R-Day in Bay Area Bay Areans came in large numbers to celebrate India's Republic Day at the India Community Center, Milpitas
Heading home Homesick and tired of waiting for Germany’s backlogged bureaucracy, a steady stream of Iraqis are heading home
Life style: Dr Japra in India FOGSV Convenor Dr. Romesh Japra descended on Mumbai & Delhi to throw a pre-festival bash & mingle with investors
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Shun J&K militants, says Pak panel ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani parliamentary panel has asked the government to avoid "encouraging" support to militant groups in Kashmir and take action against outfits involved in attacks there to dispel international concerns. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs issued a four-page policy paper linked to Kashmir, the Express Tribune reported. "Pakistan should not encourage calls for active support to armed, banned, militant groups in Kashmir," the paper, that has a series of policy recommendations on Indo-Pak ties, said.
India has been demanding that Pakistan act against militant groups operating from its soil. The committee, headed by ruling Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Awais Ahmad Leghari, proposed the government should take action against "violent armed outfits" to dispel international concerns that Pakistan was not doing enough against groups involved in attacks in Kashmir. The panel suggested that Pakistan's policy towards India should be based on four key principles - reciprocity, reduction, resumption and result.
"Pakistan should continue seeking comprehensive engage-
"A key component of Pakistan's proactive involvement on the Kashmir issue should be lending solid diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris," it said
ment with India on all outstanding issues," it said. In the absence of this scenario, however, the committee recommended that the government engage with India on four key issues - Kashmir, water, trade, and culture and communication. On Kashmir, the panel recommended that Pakistan continue calling for resolution of the dispute as the core issue between the two countries. "A key component of Pakistan's proactive involvement on the Kashmir issue should be lending solid diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris," it said.
On the water issue, the panel said the issues should be discussed holistically rather than focusing on particular projects. It called for highlighting issues related to the Indus Water Treaty in international forums. On trade, the committee said Pakistan should focus more on reducing and controlling informal trade with India. "This can be done through enhancing the capacity of the customs department and the border forces. Furthermore, by relaxing the process to acquire visa, informal trade can be controlled," it said. -PTI
Indian appointed to key World Pak Pathankot probe Bank position hits dead end
Saroj Kumar Jha
WASHINGTON: An Indian has been appointed to a key position in the World Bank with President Jim Young Kim assigning him a
role to provide strategic leadership to address the challenge of fragility, conflict and violence. Saroj Kumar Jha is an alumnus
of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Jha was earlier World Bank's Regional Director for Central Asia based in Almaty since February 2012. Jha assumed the position of Senior Director for the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group at the World Bank. Jha has been tasked by World Bank President Jim Young Kim to provide strategic leadership to address the challenge of fragility, conflict and violence, working across the Bank Group and in close collaboration with partners. An Indian national, Jha joined the World Bank in 2005 as a Senior Infrastructure Specialist in the Sustainable Development Network, after significant experience with the Indian Government and the United Nation's Development Program (UNDP) as a senior executive in the field of public sector management, infrastructure financing, natural resources management, natural disaster prevention and environmental sustainability. He supported transformative innovations in regional cooperation; water and energy security, social safety nets, inclusive governance and grievance redress mechanisms in various regions of the world. Earlier, Jha worked as the World Bank's Global Manager for Disaster Risk Management Practice. He also served as head of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, now the world's largest global fund for disaster prevention and post-disaster recovery operations. In addition, he has led international response efforts to many global catastrophic disasters, the bank said. -PTI
LAHORE: Pakistan's investiga- mand more evidence to move fortion into the Pathankot terror at- ward in the investigation here," tack has made "no headway" and he said. it will seek more evidence from India had given "specific and India to move forward, a source actionable information" to Pakiprivy to the developments has stan soon after the January 2 atsaid, days after Prime Minister tack. Asked about the fate of the Nawaz Sharif promised to make the “No further leads were found probe's findings public soon. from these numbers because "No headway has been made in they were unregistered and the investigation had fake identities," the source of (the) Pathankot attack so far. The said, adding that the probe is ball is back in India's court again not heading further as we need more evidence to move forward in the probe," the source told PTI. The six-member P a k i s t a n government's team investigating the Pathankot airbase attack has written to the foreign ministry to seek more "leads" from India. Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar "The team has almost completed its investigation into the five terror attack suspects, including cellphone numbers (allegedly banned Jaish-e-Mohammad used for making calls from Paki- (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, the stan to India) provided by the In- source said, "let first more evidian government. dence come from India". No further leads were found Law-enforcement agencies from these numbers because they have so far not produced any of were unregistered and had fake the "suspects" arrested in conidentities," the source said, add- nection with the Pathankot attack ing that the probe is not heading before a court. further. The government has not dis"The team needs more evi- closed the number of suspects dence. We have written to the detained. However, reports said government to speak to India and 31 JeM suspects have been taken apprise it of the situation and de- into custody.-PTI
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Japan offers plant in India for US-2 aircraft NEW DELHI: Japan's ShinMaywa Industries, the manufacturer of US-2 amphibious aircraft, is betting big on the 'Make in India' initiative and has offered to set up a plant here to cater to
international demands. The move comes as the Navy plans to procure six such aircraft, under a government to govern-
ment deal, between 2017 and 2022. Six are proposed to be bought in the next phase. "The deal when inked will have a 30 per cent offset clause. Under this offset clause, ShinMaywa
wants to set up a plant in India to cater to the global market since the demand for the aircraft is high," defense sources said.
Cruz hands shock defeat to Trump WASHINGTON: Texas Senator Ted Cruz handed a shock defeat to controversial presidential contender Donald Trump in the Iowa Republican caucuses as the race for the White House began. As the results of the Iowa Caucuses came in, the crowded Republican presidential race appeared to be narrowing down to a three-cornered contest with Marco Rubio coming a close third behind Cruz and Trump.
In his first reaction after coming second in Iowa, Trump said, "We finished second. I am just honored. I want to congratulate Ted (Cruz)." The 69-year-old real estate tycoon said he never expected such a second place finish in Iowa when he started his campaign on June 16, 2015. Referring to the next primary destinations of New Hampshire and South Carolina, Trump ex-
Donald Trump with Ted Cruz
45-year-old Cruz bagged 28 per cent of the total votes with a lead of over 5,500 votes against Trump's 24 per cent. Rubio was third with 23 per cent. Neurosurgeon-turned-politician Ben Carson was a distant fourth with nine per cent.
uded confidence over winning the party's nomination. "We will go on to win the Republican nomination," Trump said and claimed that he will beat either of the potential Democratic nominee -Clinton or Sanders. Cont’d on page 8
The project has been in the works since 2011 but got a renewed push following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan in 2014 and a return trip by Japanese PM Shinzo Abe here last December. Sources said the deal could be a "government to government" exercise with the initial purchase being off the shelf. "It is not simple to start manufacturing here. There has to be the necessary infrastructure and expertise," sources said. If the deal goes through, it would be the first major export of Japanese defense item after it lifted decades-long self-imposed embargo on export of weapons. The aircraft, which can land on choppy waters and have longrange civilian and military applications, are being sought by the Navy to monitor India's vast coastline, islands and for use is
disaster relief. Sources said that for the Indian Navy, the next priority project is the P-75 India, under which it plans to build six more conventional submarines. Also on priority are six nuclearpowered submarines for which the
said. Amphibian aircraft can take off and land on both land and water. Seven of these aircraft are operated as Search and Rescue Amphibians by Japanese military. Including its predecessor US1, the amphibians have been dis-
"It is not simple to start manufacturing here. There has to be the necessary infrastructure and expertise," sources said. If the deal goes through, it would be the first major export of Japanese defense item Cabinet Committee on Security had given the go ahead last February. "P75I and nuclear submarines are the main focus right now besides the development of next indigenous aircraft carrier," sources
patched over 900 times to rescue victims of maritime accidents. A ShinMaywa representative said it has not tied up with any Indian firm for the project but has been in talks with several of them since 2011. -PTI
Hillary Clinton ekes out narrow win DES MOINES, Iowa: It took could change the results and no der her belt, a potential loss in New seven and a half hours, but way that Senator Sanders can Hampshire won't be quite as painHillary Clinton just barely held off overcome Secretary Clinton's ad- ful. a challenge by Bernie Sanders in vantage." As results rolled in, news broke the Iowa caucuses. But for a candidate plagued by that third-place candidate Martin In the end, the Vermont high expectations as a near-pre- O'Malley will suspend his presisenator's groundswell of excite- sumptive nominee, Monday's re- dential campaign. ment and youth support proved sults were worse than the Clinton Clinton's campaign strategy unable to match the former secre- campaign had hoped. reportedly included bolstering tary of state's organizational strucSanders, a Democratic social- O'Malley so that his supporters ture in a state where turnout of supporters is key. The Iowa Democratic Party gave the win to Clinton with 49.9 percent of the vote. Sanders ended the night with 49.6 percent. Ninety precincts' results were missing in the hours following the caucuses, delaying the results The race was incredibly close - at least three precincts were reportedly decided by coin toss. In each reported instance, Clinton won the toss. More than 171,000 voters participated in the closest Iowa Democratic caucus in history, according to the Iowa DemoDemocratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, accompanied by her husband, crats. former President Bill Clinton and their daughter Chelsea Clinton, waves as she One county remained arrives to speak at a rally at Abraham Lincoln High School in Des Moines, Iowa, outstanding, but it was January 31 worth too few delegates to make up the difference. ist who's mounting a long-shot wouldn't go to Sanders. But it was "Hillary Clinton has won the bid against the former First Lady, either not followed or unsuccessIowa Caucus," Hillary for America finish in Iowa adds more energy ful - O'Malley needed 15 percent Iowa state director Matt Paul said to his campaign heading into New support in each caucus location in a statement. "After thorough Hampshire, where he has an 18- to reach "viability," or else his reporting - and analysis - of re- point lead in the Real Clear Poli- supporters had to move to their sults, there is no uncertainty and tics polling average. second-choice candidate. Secretary Clinton has clearly won Clinton's victory in Iowa But O'Malley ended up pulling the most national and state del- shores up her footing somewhat less than 1 percent of the vote, egates. Statistically, there is no heading into the next contest - which means that his campaign outstanding information that with even a narrow Iowa win un- was viable almost nowhere.-AP
February 5, 2016
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Priyanka at Screen awards; Kher denied Pak visa for literary festival to present Oscar too LOS ANGELES: Bollywood acHer teardrop earrings perfectly Her name comes in the second tress Priyanka Chopra stunned matched her hair up do with pink slate of presenters which includes everyone with her designer mer- lipstick completing her look. Hollywood biggies such as Steve maid gown at the 2016 Screen The unflattering part was the Carell, Quincy Jones, Byung-hun Actors Guild Awards. lace hem and subdued make-up. Lee, Jared Leto Julianne Moore, The National Award winning After the perfect look on the Olivia Munn, Margot Robbie, Jaactor completed her look with her People's Choice Awards red car- son Segel Andy Serkis, JK hair in an amazing up do along with pet in Vera Wang, we expected the Simmons, Kerry Washington and long teardrop earrings, and a simple bracelet. During the award show, Priyanka was joined by Game of Thrones and Narcos fame actor Pedro Pascal. The duo presented the trophy for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series to actor Kevin Spacey for his role in TV series House of Cards. The 33-year-old actress shared her before-the-show Priyanka Chopra arrives at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, look on Instagram California January 30 which was a closet full of heels and was captioned, "Red carpet prep!! My Quantico girl to only up her fash- Reese Witherspoon. fave part.. @sagawards looking ion game with each appearance. Reacting to the news, the 33forward." The 2016 Screen Actors Guild year-old Bajirao Mastani actor The 'Bajirao Mastani' star also Awards were held on January 30 tweeted, "Looking forward posted her on-the-way aviator in California. @TheAcademy!! This will be an look selfie which she captioned, To present Oscar awards too insaaaane night!" "Red carpet ready! C u there Priyanka Chopra, who has She has been getting con@sagawards." made a successful international gratulatory messages on Twitter Donning a Monique Lhuillier debut with American show from her fans, colleagues from gown for the event, her strapless Quantico on ABC is all set to Bollywood and critics since the mermaid dress showed off her present awards at the upcoming announcement. Replying to one perfect curves as the form fitting 88th Academy Awards. She will be such post, the actress wrote, beige gown was covered with pink the sole representative of India at "Now the hunt for the perfect and white lace designs. this year's Oscars ceremony. dress begins!!! #oscars2016."
Cruz hands shock defeat to Trump Cont’d from page 6
Cruz, in his Iowa victory speech, said, "Tonight is the victory for courageous conservative. Iowa has send notice that the next Republican nominee or the president would not be chosen by the media, would not be chosen by the lobbyist, or by the Washingtonians...would be chosen by the American people." "Tonight Iowa has proclaimed to the world that morning is coming," he said amidst cheer from his supporters. From Iowa, the race to the White House now moves to New Hampshire where the primaries are scheduled for February 9 and then to South Carolina. In both the states, Trump is leading by a huge margin, according to latest opinion polls.
On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee announced to suspend his campaign. Both Rubio and Trump praised him with the objective of gaining his support.
selves into groups based on their preferred candidate, but the Republican caucus process is more like a traditional ballot. Over the coming months, the
Iowa has send notice that the next Republican nominee or the president would not be chosen by the media, would not be chosen by the lobbyist, or by the Washingtonians... would be chosen by the American people." The first primary in Iowa attracted a record number of people for the caucuses. Iowa has an unusual election system based on caucuses, which involve people gathering at private homes, schools and other public buildings across the state. Democratic voters divide them-
other 49 states as well as US territories will vote for the party nominees. Each states' delegates will be tallied and a nominee will become apparent towards the middle of the year. In November, the US will pick the next president who will assume office in January 2017.-PTI
NEW DELHI: Non-issuance of a visa by the Pakistani government has led to the cancellation of actor Anupam Kher's participation in the Karachi literary festival. Kher was one of the 18 Indians invited to the four-day festival by the organizers but he is the only one whose visa has not been cleared. The other 17 Indian participants have been given visas. Kher, who has just been honored with Padma Bhushan by the Indian government, was to participate in at least two sessions and his name figured prominently in the festival schedule. Confirming that he has not been issued a visa, Kher told PTI that he was very saddened by the development as he was looking forward to participate in the festival and use the platform to dispel misunderstandings in the minds of people there. "We welcome their artistes in India. If there are objections to their performance at one place in India they are welcome at other places. But there is no reciprocity," he said. As to why his visa has not been issued, Kher said, "I wish I knew. I am wondering if it is because I am a Kashmiri Pandit or
because of my views on the tolerance debate in India." Kher said the visa denial has left the festival organizers embarrassed and they have apologized to him. Festival co-founder Ameena Saiyed said they were not given any reason behind the visa denial. "He has not been issued a visa. Well, I haven't been given the reasons. My own thinking is,
Anupam Kher
it's probably because of the statements he has been making in India for past couple of weeks," SaIyed said. While accepting that literature and politics cannot be separated, SaIyed felt the Bollywood star's presence would have given the Karachi audience a different perspective. "WE had organized an exclusive session of him with Ashok Chopra with a very large audience. People would have asked him questions about his views. -PTI
Nevada to open tourism office in India WASHINGTON: The US state of Nevada will open a new tourism office in New Delhi to promote its travel and tourism sector in India, an official said. Nevada Lt Governor Thomas Hutchinson before embarking on an India trip for its launch said: "Opening an office in India will provide Nevada with greater opportunities to promote international travel and tourism to our state". He said the state has 6.5 per cent share of the Indian travel market and the research indicates that the top reasons for travel from India is to visit family living the US, an area where we actively market the state. "We currently enjoy 6.5 per cent of the India travel market
share here in Nevada. With a new office in New Delhi, I am confident that our increased presence will encourage even more tourists from India to visit the Silver State," Hutchinson said.
He said the maximum annual budget for an international travel to an Indian is USD 5,451 and they prefers staying in mid-priced hotels and want to experience duty free shipping.-PTI
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Liberia bids farewell to Indian women peacekeepers MONROVIA: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has thanked India's first-ever allwoman UN peacekeeping unit that was deployed in the war-torn African nation as it prepared to depart the country after a nine-year tour of duty. The Indian Formed Police Unit (FPU) which is also the first-ever all-woman police unit in UN peacekeeping history, has served the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) since 2007. It will depart the country on February 14, as Liberia gets ready to assume full responsibility for national security amid the ongoing UNMIL drawdown. "The contribution you have made in inspiring Liberian women, imparting in them the spirit of professionalism and encouraging them to join operations that protect the nation; for that we will always be grateful," Sirleaf said. "Our security service now has 17 per cent women - we owe all that to you, because it was not even one per cent a few years ago. And these women want to emulate you in the way you've served this country," she said. Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Farid Zarif said the Indian unit leaves behind a legacy of true and dedicated service in support of Liberia and the Liberia National Police and in service to the Liberian people.
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf greeting female Indian Peacekeepers of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) during their farewell ceremony in Monrovia, ahead of their return to India
"You should be proud that by your presence, you have made tremendous contribution by bringing greater stability, confidence and assisting in the strengthening of the capacities of the Liberia National Police," Zarif said, at a farewell program held in honor of the contingent by UNMIL at the Headquarters of the Indian Formed Police Unit in Congo Town, outside Monrovia. "If I had my will, I would have recommended for another unit of the United Nations Mission in Liberia to leave, so that the Indian
'Extremists countering Gandhi with hate, violence' WASHINGTON: Radical extremists today are countering Mahatma Gandhi's teachings with "hate, violence and war", an eminent Indian-American entrepreneur said as he cautioned community members that such ideology could make democracy a distant memory. "Without Mahatma Gandhi, there would have been no Republic Day for India and without his influence on others, the United States and the world would be a far different place," said entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam in his key-note address to the India Republic Day celebrations here as community members gathered in large numbers. "As you know, Gandhi's teachings centered on love, non- violence and peace. In 2016, radical extremists are countering Gandhi with preachings of hate, violence and war. If they are successful, Republic Day in India and in places around the world that celebrate democracy will become a
distant memory," Islam said. 63-year-old Azamgarh-born Islam was awarded the Uttar Pradesh Ratna Award earlier this month to recognize his achieve-
He has donated USD 2 million to alma mater Aligarh Muslim University for construction of a new school of management, and currently heads the FI Investment Group, a private investment holding company ments and outstanding contributions in a foreign country. Indian-Americans, with their connections to both India and the US, should try to understand that values of a free society can prevent that apocalyptic vision, said
Islam. "This is our responsibility as concerned citizens. It is my responsibility. It is your responsibility. It is our responsibility as citizens with connections to two great nations and republics India and the United States," he said. Islam founded IT firm QSS in 1994 with him as the sole employee and expanded it to over 2,000 employees and sales of USD 300 million before selling it in 2007. He has donated USD 2 million to alma mater Aligarh Muslim University for construction of a new school of management, and currently heads the FI Investment Group, a private investment holding company that he established in 2007. The event was organized by National Council of Asian Indian Associations in partnership with over 15 community organizations representing a cross-section of the Indian-American Community. -PTI
Formed Police Unit would continue its stay in the country for the time being," Sirleaf told the contingent. The Indian contingent's service to the country was vital in restoring peace and serves as an encouragement to Liberian women who are now contributing
17 per cent to the security sector of their own country, she noted. She said, though members of the Indian Formed Police Unit have been in Liberia since 2007, she said time has moved fast. Sirleaf noted that it became shocking to many Liberians after they learned that members of the female Indian Police Unit was finally leaving for home, although many Liberians thought that they would stay a bit longer. She said during their stay in Liberia, they demonstrated courage, commitment, discipline and professionalism, which were the hallmark of their service to Liberians, during their nine-year tour of duty in Liberia. Sirleaf said she was impressed by the alertness of the Indian Formed Police Unit on many occasions especially during late working hours when they were seen performing their duties.-PTI
Indian-origin UK family invests in tidal power LONDON: A UK-based Indianorigin family with business interests across metals and renewable energy has invested in a multi-billion-pound tidal lagoon power project. The Gupta family's SIMEC division has acquired a substantial stake in the UK's Tidal Lagoon Plc, a holding company established by Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd, to finance the development of full-scale tidal lagoons in the UK and India. "We are very pleased to invest in this ambitious and innovative enterprise that promises to provide low-carbon, baseload energy and drive economic renewal through the development of a high-value supply chain that will
create thousands of new jobs. As a group we are expanding internationally on several fronts and renewable energy is right at the heart of that expansion," said Sanjeev Gupta, chief executive of SIMEC's sister group firm Liberty House. Liberty House had last year stepped in to acquire units of Caparo Group, Lord Swraj Paul's steel company that went into administration. The latest investment leads to the creation of a joint venture between the Guptas' global energy and commodities company, SIMEC, and Tidal Lagoon Power to develop large-scale tidal lagoons for power generation in India.-PTI
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Indian-origin child dies after No confirmation of Indians killed by ISIS delayed diagnosis LONDON: A 20-month-old Indian-origin toddler died in the UK as a result of delayed cancer diagnosis, an investigation has concluded. Ryan Bhogal died at Birmingham Children's Hospital of leukemia in September last year and a coroner conducting an inquest
"I have concerns about lack of access to GP medical records for patients, which was certainly so in Ryan's case. I want improvements to be made," Siddique said. GP Indira Wariyar, who saw Ryan four times, admitted there were "missed opportunities" to help the toddler.
"Seeing him lying there attached to a machine was heartbreaking. I walked away from the ward with tears in my eyes. He was my world. Time after time when we took him to seek medical help we were told 'Don't worry there is nothing to worry about'," into his death said he would write to his local general practitioner (GP) seeking answers on the delay in his diagnosis. "I will write to the GP practice to discuss the care of Ryan and, in particular continuity, as he was seen by a number of different doctors," coroner Zafar Siddique said as he recorded a 'death from natural causes' verdict.
Birmingham Children s Hospital consultant paediatric haematologist Prashant Hiwarkar said he believed leukemia would have been detected if blood tests had been taken on a number of medical visits. "If Ryan's gums were bleeding on August 9 and still red and bleeding on August 18 this would be a red flag for me. I would have
asked for a blood test. I believe you would have seen signs of an abnormal blood count in August," Hiwarkar told the inquest. He said the children diagnosed early with Ryan's form of aggressive leukemia had a 40 to 60 per cent chance of survival. "Seeing him lying there attached to a machine was heartbreaking. I walked away from the ward with tears in my eyes. He was my world. Time after time when we took him to seek medical help we were told 'Don't worry there is nothing to worry about'," Kulvinder Bhogal, father of the child, told the inquest. "A simple blood test should have been carried out and there were many missed opportunities to do this. But this was never done," said Gurpal Bhogal, Ryan's aunt. The family said they would discuss whether to take further action against the Ryan Road GP practice and New Cross Hospital in the city of Wolverhampton, where as many as 35 medical visits failed to produce a correct diagnosis. -PTI
60-year old temple desecrated in Karachi KARACHI: Three pistol-waving bearded men stormed a 60year-old temple in Pakistan's largest city and desecrated the idol of a Hindu deity, leading to fear among the minority community here, a media report said. The incident happened on January 21 when the three men clad in shalwar and kameez stormed the temple waving pistols and ordered everyone inside the premises to step out. The panic and scuffle that followed resulted in desecration of one of the three beautifullydecorated idols at the temple near the Karachi Zoological Gardens, Dawn reported. "The people are afraid of coming here for puja now after the attack," said Maharaj Hira Lal. Other than the Maharaj and his family, the caretakers of this temple, nobody else was present
when the scuffle broke. "We don't know who those men were. We have never seen them before," Maharaj said.
"We are very saddened by the incident. It has really terrorized the neighborhood," he said. The temple has three idols of deities Shitala Mata, Santoshi Mata and Bhavani Mata.
Maharaj said the temple was built as a place for worship by his grandfather soon after he moved to Pakistan from India some 60 years ago. "He was childless but adopted a 14year-old boy, Mohan, who he brought up as his son. The young boy was soon married to a suitable Hindu girl, Champa Bai, who lived nearby in Soldier Bazaar. And I am Mohan and Champa's son. "The private temple soon became known when several women considered unable to give birth to children came to perform puja here following which they were able to conceive. "Then some eight years ago, during regular puja here, devotees witnessed another miracle when Kali Mata's footprints made from red holy powder abir suddenly appeared beside the mantel," the Maharaj said. -PTI
NEW DELHI: Security agen- at a checkpoint in the vicinity of cies are examining reports that Mosul. After being identified as four Indians could be among the fighters who have left their posi20 ISIS fighters who were report- tions at the fighting front in westedly beheaded in full public view ern Mosul, they were transferred for trying to flee a war zone in to the Sharia Court for prosecuIraq's Mosul city. tion," the Ara News said. However, there is no confirma"Subsequent to a brief interrotion yet about the killing of four gation, the Sharia Court decided Indians, official sources said here. to behead the dissidents on According to Indian intelli- charges of treason," it said. gence agencies, a total of 23 IndiObservers said the beheadings ans have so far joined the ISIS of whom six were killed in different Agencies were verifying the incidents in Iraq-Syria. reports through different As many as 17 Indians are believed to be in dif- sources and trying to ascerferent conflict zones of tain where there were Indithe ISIS-held areas. Agencies were veri- ans among those beheaded fying the reports through different sources and trying to ascertain were made in a bid to terrorize ISIS where there were Indians among members who may leave their those beheaded, the sources said. posts in the war-torn region. Sending out a chilling warning The jihadis were beheaded in to others in the terror group central Mosul in front of hunagainst desertion, the Islamic dreds of people, mostly ISIS memState in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) cap- bers and commanders, the report tured a group of its own militants said. "Witnessing the brutal punwho tried to escape the battle- ishment has caused a state of front in Mosul city of Nineveh panic among the members of the province, and executed them in group," the Ara News said. public, Ara News reported quotISIS considers jihadis who ing a local source citing an ISIS leave their posts without permis"official" as saying. sion as traitors and enemies of its "The dissidents were arrested so-called Caliphate. -PTI
Gurdwara kitchen closed over mice infestation LONDON: One of the two kitchens at a Gurdwara in the UK has been closed by the health officers after it was found to be infested with mice. Environment Health Officers from Birmingham City Council have closed one of the two kitchens at the Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Handsworth Wood, after an inspection on January 22. A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice has been issued and the premises were partly closed after the officers found "an active infestation of mice and a lack of effective cleaning", Birmingham Mail reported. The Gurdwara on Somerset Road provides daily meals for the local community, a common practice in Sikh temples all over the world. "Environmental health officers visited Singh Sabha Gurdwara, at
80 Somerset Road, Handsworth Wood and found there was an imminent risk to public health present in one of the two available kitchens and a stock room," a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said. As a result the affected parts
of the premises were formally closed. "The closure was ratified and a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order granted at Birmingham Magistrates Court on January 26 to extend the closure," spokesperson added. -PTI
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MGNREGA spending at record high: Jaitley NEW DELHI: The BJP-led government has boosted spending under the UPA's flagship rural jobs scheme MGNREGA to a record high and will for the first time ever provide funds over and above the budgeted amount, Finance Minister of India Arun
growth. Addressing a MGNREGA Sammelan organized to mark the completion of 10 years of the scheme, Jaitley said there were apprehensions that the NDA government would end or replace the scheme with a new program.
Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Arun Jaitley lighting the lamp at the MGNREGA Sammelan-2016, in New Delhi on February 2
Jaitley said here. Dispelling doubts over the fate of the scheme floated by the previous Congress-led government, he said that while in previous years there has always been lower spending as compared to the Budgeted amount, this fiscal the government has not cut Plan Expenditure as it wants to boost
"But the new government has not only taken the scheme forward, but also hiked the fund allocation under the scheme," he said. "This government has not followed the practice of just making higher provisions and later cutting it. I think this would be the first year when the Rs 34,00035,000 crore which was allocated
has not only been spent fully, but also some more resources could be given to MGNREGA". The Finance Minister said the actual spending under the scheme in the fiscal year ending March 31 "would be highest". "This country's financial system had a practice that when a Budget is presented, people discuss how much money has been allocated. But in full year, how much money is spent and by how much the allocation is cut, that doesn't attract attention," he said. There was not a single year in recent past when Budget allocations were not cut, he said, adding that it was a practice to reduce allocations every November-December. "And the effect of this was that there was less spending and when there is less expenditure on economic development (and) cut in plan expenditure, it impacted economic growth," he said. Jaitley said 2015-16 "will be the first year when there would be no cut in funds allocated for development works. Actual spending would be more than the provisions made in the Budget." Opposition Congress had dubbed as "better late than never" the Narendra Modi government's praise of MGNREGA saying "it shows how the landmark legislation has changed the lives of the rural poor". -PTI
WhatsApp now has a billion users NEW YORK: Mobile messaging app WhatsApp has said it has crossed the one billion user milestone globally with the addition of 100 million users in last five months. "As of today, one billion people are using WhatsApp. That's nearly one in seven people on Earth who use WhatsApp each month to stay in touch with their loved ones, their friends and their family," WhatsApp said in a blogpost. In February 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by social networking site Facebook, its biggest buyout till date, for a whopping USD 19 billion. In a post on Facebook, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum said 42 billion messages were sent, 1.6 billion photos and 250 million videos shared everyday on the
platform. Also, there are one billion groups on WhatsApp, he said. Previously, WhatsApp has said its service has seen strong uptake, specially across develop-
ing nations such as Brazil, India and Russia. "In India, more photos are sent using WhatsApp than in any other country in the world. As one of WhatsApp's largest countries,
it's not surprising that the second highest number of groups are here," the company said. WhatsApp competes with messaging apps like LINE, Viber and Hike in India. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg also congratulated Koum and his team. "WhatsApp's community has more than doubled since joining Facebook. We've added the ability for you to call loved ones far away. We've dropped the subscription fee and made WhatsApp completely free. Next, we're going to work to connect more people around the world and make it easier to communicate with businesses," he said. Zuckerberg added that there are only a few services that connect more than a billion people and this milestone is an important step towards connecting the entire world. -PTI
16-yr-old held for murder of UK Indian LONDON: A 16-year-old boy has been arrested by Scotland Yard in connection with the killing of an Indian-origin man who was found stabbed near a tennis court in west London, taking the total number of suspects nabbed in the case to five. Harjit Singh Dulai was found bleeding by Rosdale Park tennis court in Hayes area of the city by paramedics and rushed to hospital where he died soon after. A post-mortem found that a stab wound had caused the 44year-old's death and a murder investigation was launched. The teenager is the latest suspect in the murder. Four other men have also been arrested as part of the investigation on suspicion of murder. All suspects have been bailed pending further enquiries and
will appear in court later this month. One of the men was arrested at the scene while the other three were arrested shortly after. A sixth man, aged 39, who was also arrested on suspicion of murder, has been released with no further action. "Our investigation into Harjit's murder continues at pace and I would reiterate my appeal to anyone with information to contact my officers," said Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, of the Metropolitan Police Homicide and Major Crime Command. "There are people who will know exactly what happened to Harjit and I would urge those who have information to come forward. Any information provided will be dealt with discretely and sensitively," he said. -PTI
No Zika virus case in India: Nadda NEW DELHI: Stating that there is not a single case of Zika virus, suspected of causing serious birth defects, in India, the Centre has said it will come out with guidelines to prevent the disease within the next 48 hours. Union Health Minister J P Nadda, who chaired a high-level meeting on the issue, said that detailed discussions were held on the proposed guidelines for the Zika virus and based on the outcome of the emergency meet called by the World Health Organization (WHO), India will issue the guidelines. "Discussed guidelines for Zika virus, assessed preparedness, no case reported in India yet. Based
on outcome of WHO meet on Zika virus, we will issue detailed guidelines in next 48 hrs," Nadda said in a series of tweets. "The guidelines will be for managing situation arising out of the Zika virus, tackling it and preventive measures. Travel advisory will also be issued for the affected countries," a senior official told PTI. Senior officials of the Health Ministry, including the Union Health secretary B P Sharma, Director General Health Services Jagdish Prasad, officials from Indian Council of Medical Research and National Centre for Disease Control were present during the meeting.-PTI
Tech News 'Start Up India' launched in Thane THANE: Deepak Ghaisas, the first Indian to receive the CFO Asia Award in 2001, has launched the 'Start Up India, Stand Up India' program in Thane. The Thane arm of the ambitious flagship program, which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day last year, was inaugurated at the campus of Vidya Prasarak Mandal, an eminent city-based educational institution. On the occasion, Ghaisas, who is the Chairman of Gencoval Strategic Services, guided the students on a number of aspects of entrepreneurship. He said that an entrepreneur must ask himself questions like whether his idea is noble, how it is better than those of others, if it is going to be of any use to society, and whether there is a difference in his approach. He also shared his views on disruptive innovation and delved in the meaning of 'going global', besides highlighting the need of introspection, saying it should not be an imposed quality.-PTI
Spicejet raises ticket cancellation charges NEW DELHI: Budget carrier SpiceJet has revised upward its ticket cancellation charges by almost Rs 100 which will be applicable from next month. The Gurgaon-based airline at present charges Rs 1,800 as cancellation fee for a domestic ticket and Rs 2,250 for an international
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7% of Florida's workforce is in a union ORLANDO, Fla.: A little less than 7 percent of Florida's workforce is in a labor union. That's about 546,000 wage-earners who were union members in the Sunshine State last year. The numbers were released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau also says that almost 8.5 percent of Florida's workforce was covered by unions. That figure includes both union members and nonmembers whose jobs are covered by a union contract. The national rate of union membership was 11.1 percent last year. -AP
Indian-American's house is heated & cooled by sun & earth NEW YORK: An Indian-American engineer along with his son has developed a unique system which automatically cools the air as well as melts the snow using sun light and natural air, a media report says. Raj Parikh, who has been living at his radically redesigned house in Paramus city in the US state of New Jersey since 1980, has no furnace in his home, no air conditioner and no hot water heater but the home has the ability to melt the snow right off the driveway. "There's no combustion in this system. It's just the earth and the sun," Raj's son Asit was quoted as saying by nj.com news site. Raj, CEO and chairman of the Metropolitan Building and Consulting Group of New York, and Asit, a New York City real estate broker, undertook a massive redesign of their Henry Street home in 2011 to create the greenest house in town, heated and cooled entirely by the sun and the earth. The house is nearly complete, and the systems used to warm the driveway and walkways are clearly up and running. The Parikhs have designed a system that warms water to about 100 degrees using solar collectors and geothermal pumps.
That water is piped underneath the driveway and walkways. They use the sun and the ground to heat and cool the house as well. During the winter, the house intakes air warmed by the sun and carries it 12 feet underground to be heated by the ground before piping it inside. The incoming air is also heated by exhaust air coming from the kitchen and bathroom. To cool the house, the air takes the same route, only it skips the solar collectors. The house also has systems to collect rainwater and the very snow it melts during winter storms. Raj Parikh standing on his heated driveway. Pics Asit Parikh
The Parikh house in Paramus uses geothermal technology to melt the snow in their driveway and walkway
Asit said he's often asked if the various systems in the house are expensive but in reality, they save money. "I don't know if you've met my folks but they don't waste money. We're sitting on the same couches and dining table we had 20 years ago," Asit said. The Parikhs hope to finish construction on the house by Earth Day on April 22 and plan to invite students to tour the house as an example of green building. -PTI
3 Indian firms join Obama's computer plan booking. The revised cancellation charges would be Rs 1,899 and Rs 2,349, respectively, from February 1, a SpiceJet official said. AirAsia India, another budget airline, has so far the lowest ticket cancellation charges among the peer airlines. IndiGo, which has a low-cost business model and was recently listed on the bourses, charges up to Rs 2,500 for cancelling an international ticket and up to Rs 2,250 for a domestic ticket. GoAir and AirAsia India charge up to Rs 2,249 and Rs 1,502, respectively, for cancelling the tickets of their air services. -PTI
WASHINGTON: Three major Indian IT companies - Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro - have joined US President Barack Obama's ambitious computer science for all initiative as part of a public-private collaboration, pledging thousands of dollars in grants. Obama announced his 'Computer Sciences for All' plan in his weekly address as he emphasized on the need for teaching the subject as a "basic skill" to all children across schools in the country in a changing economy. While Infosys has pledged a
USD 1 million in donation, Tata Consultancy Services is providing support in the form of grants to teachers in 27 US cities, the White House said in a fact sheet. Wipro announced a USD 2.8 million grant for multi-year project in partnership with the Michigan University to involve over a hundred school teachers, with the aim of nurturing excellence in science and mathematics. This would start with the public school systems of Chicago, Obama's hometown. According to White House, the TCS and
Infosys pledge is part of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) effort to collaborate with the private sector to support highschool CS teachers. "Infosys Foundation USA will be a founding member of this public-private collaboration with a USD 1 million philanthropic donation, and, as an initial participant, Tata Consultancy Services is providing additional support in the form of grants to teachers in 27 US cities. "This collaboration will ultimately provide opportunities for as many as
2,000 middle- and high-school teachers to deepen their understanding of CS," said the White House. A joint Wipro and Michigan University statement said the Wipro STEM Fellowship Program will focus on building leadership in these disciplines in urban schools by leveraging on research validated expertise of the College of Education at the university in designing transformative and innovative instructional experiences. Cont’d on page 13
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Jaitley for reforms, not populism, to push growth NEW DELHI: Making a case for 8-9 per cent growth rate, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has indicated that his upcoming Budget will not resort to "sheer populism" for good ratings and will focus on structural reforms. Addressing the ET Global Business Summit here, he also expressed the hope that the Congress will "see reason" and help the government pass the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the Budget Session of Parliament beginning next month. "Indian economy has to be out on sounder platform. Don't forget India is one of the few economies of the world that survived 2001, 2008 and 2015 (global crises)," he said. Stating that fundamentals have to be strong, the finance minister said, "The Budget has to weigh the areas of weaknesses where investments are required. Therefore, I have to pitch in that direc-
would support GST that aims to create a unified market across India, he said, "It (GST) is the important reform of the UPA. If I have to credit the authorship of it, I have to give credit to them. Now, if the author turns against his own script, what do I make? "I have reached out (to the Congress), I have spoken to them. I have explained to them and I hope they will see reason... see the rationale behind passing GST." "The UPA allies like RJD, NCP
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
tion. If a Budget for the cause of ratings goes in for sheer populism, it's not necessary that the cause of economics or even sounder politics that we are aiming at (is served)." Jaitley said the government would not pursue retrospective tax claims and added that he would
like the remaining two or three disputes to get resolved "as expeditiously as possible". Taxes which are payable must be collected but "there must not be unfair taxes" as unfair assessments bring "bad name" and no revenue, he said. Hoping that the Congress
Subsidies for needy, not wealthy: Jaitley NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the government per se is not against subsidies, but maintained that these are meant for the needy and not the wealthy; remarks that come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of rationalizing and targeting of such benefits. "Prime Minister had a valid point and the valid point is at the end of the day, the government per se is not against the concept of subsidies," he said while speaking at The Economic Times Global Business Summit here. With 25 per cent of the people below poverty line, a very large section of population is entitled to cheap food while the farm sector stress too has to be supported. "If you look at the whole structure of the Indian economy, its agriculture sector, particularly in the last two years due to the poor monsoon, has been stressed. Therefore, you need to put funds in that particular sector. Therefore, there would be targeted subsidy," he said. Jaitley said the prime minister had stated that subsidies are being rationalized and not abolished. "I think that is the correct statement. They must be targeted to people who are entitled to it, not for the wealthier people," he made it clear. Modi, he said, was correcting the "imbalance in the discourse"
where rationalization of subsidies is often construed as abolition of subsidy. "He said, therefore, there are segments which are entitled to it. Therefore, there would be a target," Jaitley said, adding people don't use the same context while giving some kind of tax breaks to
other sections of the economy. India needs a strong powerful corporate sector as well as strong powerful agriculture sector, he said. "I don't think we can put these two sectors in conflict with each other. You need to make sure every sector of the economy grows," the minister added. -PTI
and JD-U are openly supporting it," Jaitley said, adding that even the Congress-ruled states are for the uniform tax regime. "I don't see a reason why they (the Congress) should have a rethink on the Bill. If there is a discussion on a particular idea in the Bill, I am willing to discuss with them. But anything that makes it a flawed legislation...certainly, we can't bind future generations to a flawed legislation," the minister clarified. -PTI
Three Indian firms join Obama's computer plan Cont’d from page 12
Wipro's initiative is aligned with the US national goal to significantly improve the quality of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), it said. "Wipro is committed to being an involved participant in its communities. This initiative seeks to develop and inspire young people to contribute to excellence in STEM education," said T K Kurien, chief executive officer and Member of the Board, Wipro
Ltd. "There is a critical shortage of excellent math and science teachers nationwide and even more so in urban school districts," said project co-leader Sonya Gunnings-Moton, assistant dean in the College of Education, Michigan State University. Aarti Dhupelia, Chief Officer of College and Career Success at Chicago Public Schools said this partnership with Wipro and Michigan State University will have a transformational impact in classrooms and communities. -PTI
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PM wants 50 % farmers to join crop insurance NEW DELHI: Highlighting benefits of the just-announced Crop Insurance Scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said awareness about it should be spread across the country so that at least 50 per cent of the farmers join it within two years. In his monthly radio program 'Mann Ki Baat', he also pitched for continued efforts to popularize Khadi and awareness to save girl child, mentioned about the re-
waste. To give him security, only one thing comes to mind and that is crop insurance," he said in this year's first edition of the monthly radio program. "In (the New Year) 2016, the central government has given a big gift to the farmers - Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme. This scheme has been brought not for the purpose that it should be praised or the Prime Minister should be hailed," he said.
The biggest thing is that the rate of premium has been kept so low which nobody would have imagined. The rate of premium for Kharif crop has been kept 2 per cent while for Rabi crop it is one-and-a-half per cent. cently launched 'Start-Up India' program and talked about the upcoming International Fleet Review to be held in Visakhapatnam. Modi said he needs the "maximum help" from people about spreading awareness regarding the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme which was launched earlier this month. "In our country, a lot is said in the name of farmers. I don't want to get involved in that debate. But farmers face a major crisis. In natural calamity, their entire effort goes waste. His one year goes
The Prime Minister said that for so many years, there has been a talk regarding crop insurance but "not more than 20-25 per cent" of the country's farmers had been able to benefit from such schemes. "Can we take a pledge that we should connect at least 50 per cent of the farmers to this scheme in two years? I need this help from you. Because if a farmer joins the scheme, he will get huge help during a natural calamity," he said. Modi said this time, the scheme has got "wide acceptability be-
cause it has been made quite extensive and easy and involves use of technology. Not only this. If something happens to the crop within 15 days after harvest, even then help is assured." Usage of technology will ensure speedy assessment and disbursement of compensation, he said. "The biggest thing is that the rate of premium has been kept so low which nobody would have imagined. The rate of premium for Kharif crop has been kept 2 per cent while for Rabi crop it is oneand-a-half per cent. "Now tell me, if any farmer is deprived of the benefits of this scheme, will he not suffer loss? I want the awareness about this scheme to spread," he said. The Prime Minister also referred to the 'Start-Up India' scheme rolled out on January 16 and said it had infused new energy among the youth. He said there was a wrong notion earlier that the initiative is limited to the sophisticated area of Information Technology and now it has become clear that there are enormous opportunities under this program in all kinds of sectors and areas, including farming. In this regard, he gave some examples of StartUp in farming sector in Sikkim which was recently declared an Organic State. He invited more examples of
Bengal industrialists keen to invest in Haryana KOLKATA: Industrialists in West Bengal have expressed their desire to invest around Rs 5,000 crore in Haryana, state Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said here. He told a press conference that he met a number of industrialists in West Bengal and they expressed their intention during these meetings. "Nothing is finalized as of now. But we had a meeting with a host of investors. Food processing, polymers, IT, solar, infrastructure are some of the sectors where investors have expressed their desire to invest. There may be many more such proposals," he said. The Chief Minister, who was here to launch the second road show in the run up to "Happening Haryana-Global Investors Summit 2016" in Gurgaon, said that his government has eased various norms in a bid to attract investments and has come
up with single window clearance system for setting up of industries in the state. "We are here to attract investments in Haryana. We are going to organize an
Manohar Lal Khattar
investors' summit in our state on March 7-8. We have introduced single window clearance system with time bound perspective so that the investors can have a
hassle free system for investments," Khattar told a press conference here. Khattar said the state government has set up 31 administrative blocks where the investors won't need Change of Land Use (CLU) clearance to set up industries while there are 75 more blocks where CLUs will be given in a time bound manner," he said. "If someone is investing something below Rs 10 crore, there is no need for the entrepreneur to come to the state government; he can get all clearances locally under the deputy commissioner. Stating that the automobile sector holds a special position in Haryana, he said there are lot of scope for investors to invest in dairy, food processing, steel, IT and automobile sector. He also said that the state government has zero-tolerance on the issue of corruption. -PTI
StartUp initiatives. In his nearly 30-minute radio broadcast, Modi also talked about cleanliness and beautification efforts being made in the country as also the upcoming South Asian
stands, temples, mosques, churches, besides keeping them clean, he asked people to send photos to him displaying this Endeavour. He also appealed to the people
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
games to be held in Guwahati and board examinations for Class X and XII. Referring to efforts to beautify places like railway stations, bus
to keep statues clean as a mark of respect to departed leaders. Modi also underlined the importance of duty of citizens along with their rights.-PTI
Rs one lakh cr loans for small businesses NEW DELHI: The Narendra courage self employment, there Modi government has ensured cannot be anything better that that more than Rs one lakh crore this.... in loans is disbursed to micro "In just one financial year, the units and enterprises in just one Narendra Modi government has financial year, BJP president Amit disbursed around Rs one lakh Shah has said as he termed it as a crore loan to small scale enterbig "success" in providing self prises and units. And the numemployment to people. ber of people who have taken Addressing a gathering after loan has gone up to 45 lakh. This distributing small loans to poor is a major success for self emand landless people at an event here, Shah rued that around 60 If every poor person has to crore people did not be connected with the dehave bank accounts even six decades af- velopment of the country, ter independence. "60 crore people then he has to be helped in were without bank ac- becoming self employed counts. They had no connect with the economy. BJP government under ployment and making a new beNarendra Modi came out with Jan ginning. This is a big achieveDhan scheme and made a suc- ment," he said. cessful attempt of opening 20 He said that if every poor percrore accounts and helped them son has to be connected with connect with the economy. the development of the country, "The government did not stop then he has to be helped in bethere. Those families who got coming self employed so as to connected through this, their se- contribute in the development of curity was also taken care of and the country. a Rs two-lakh accident insurance Shah said that the concept of was given to them with Rs 12 per micro finance is being taken forannum. ward through 'Chaupal', or gath"After that, the Modi govern- ering of stakeholders organized ment brought Mudra Bank. To en- by Swadeshi Jagran Manch.-PTI
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BMW brings 'Rolling sculpture' car to India NEW DELHI: One of the major head turners at the ongoing 8th edition of the India Art Fair is a colorfully gorgeous Art Car by BMW, which has come on board as the official partner for the event this year. Spanish artist and architect Cesar Manrique in the year 1990 created a beautiful riot of colors on the BMW 730i, as part of the automobile giant's Art Car Project collection that till date features 17 such cars. Manrique, architect, graphic designer, sculptor and landscape designer, painted eyes on the 730i's rear view mirrors to give an impression of the car watching you. The car is the 10th of the company's Art Car Project Collection of 17 such "rolling sculptures" painted by iconic artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons. "The BMW Art Cars are an indispensable component and a core platform of our cultural engagement. They are unique creations combining automobiles, technology, design and art," Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW India, said. The international auto giant which has moved into a three year agreement with the IAF as official
partners, has also tied up with DLF for a two month public initiative of engagement with art. Manrique's execution of the artwork on the 730i involves a riot of colors in graceful motions of rolling and sweeping lines. Dynamic forms along with glowing red, green, blue and violet tones convey the impression of supple movement. The idea, according to the artist, was one of a bird in flight. The conservationist in Manrique inspired him to design the Art Car that "embodied a harmonious combination of technology and nature." "That's why I thought of de-
signing the car in such a way as to give the impression of being able to glide through the air without any resistance," the artist who passed away in a road accident two years after he designed the car said in a statement. Several of the BMW Art Cars are usually on display at the BMW Museum in Munich as part of its permanent collection. The remaining Art Cars travel the globe to art fairs and exhibitions. In 2007, the BMW Art Car Project brought to Mumbai's Jehangir Art Gallery two cars painted by the iconic Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein for an exhibition. -PTI
Zee Gold DMCC joins Dubai's DGCX DUBAI: The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX), a leading derivatives exchange in the Middle East, has welcomed Zee Gold DMCC as a broker member which is a subsidiary of India's first and largest gold refinery. Zee Gold DMCC, a subsidiary of Shirpur Gold Refinery Limited and part of Essel Group, will play an active role in developing Dubai
Spot Gold Contract. "We are pleased to welcome Zee Gold DMCC to the DGCX community. As a key bullion industry participant, we look forward to working closely to build our recently launched Dubai Spot Gold Contract that promotes transparent Loco Dubai price discovery and facilitates physical delivery of 1 kg gold bars on a safe and well regulated,
government owned exchange platform," Gaurang Desai, Chief Executive Officer DGCX, said. "This alliance with DGCX will help create a paradigm shift for the UAE bullion industry and the gold souk participants by providing them access to Loco Dubai gold prices on a federally regulated trading platform," Jeff Rhodes, CEO, Zee Gold DMCC said.
Dubai Spot Gold Contract, launched in December last year, is the first of its kind in the Middle East. It is aimed at taking the Emirate from being a regional to a more international trading center for the precious metal. The Shirpur Gold Refinery is India's first and largest gold refinery with an installed refining capacity of 217 Metric Ton per annum of gold and silver. -PTI
Desi News St Louis Bal Vihar celebrates Republic Day ASHWIN PATEL
ST LOUIS: The Center for Indian Cultural Education- Bal Vihar of St. Louis celebrated India's 67th Republic Day on January 24 in the presence of 600+ participants that included leaders such as Missouri Senator Maria Chappelle Nadal, Freelancer for news magazine Mary Shapiro and Cecilia Nadal, Founder and Executive Director of St. Louis Gitana Production, a leading diversity group of St. Louis. A large number of local Indian community leaders of the school children ages 5 through 17 years of age and their parents were also present. The event was held at Ladue Middle school in Ladue, MO. Details on page 21
Valentine Bash 2016 for a romantic evening India Post News Service
MILPITAS, CA: Peter Sahjani and Dahya Mistry of Star Entertainment are bringing Valentine Bash 2016, their signature event at ICC on Friday February 12. A promise of a truly romantic singing, ravishing dinner, full of entertaining Bollywood dances, fashion show and DJ. The program will start at 8:00 pm with a mini fashion show coordinated by designer Jyotica Bhatia of Malabis Couture, live singing of Indian Idol 5 participant.
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Bay Areans celebrate Republic Day led by San Francisco CG Ashok India Post News Service
MILPITAS: While India celebrated its 67th Republic Day at Rajpath in New Delhi with ĂŠlan and in tight security with French President Francois Holland as the Chief Guest, Bay Areans too came in large numbers to celebrate India's Republic at the India Community Center, Milpitas organized by Indian Consulate General in San Francisco. At a function held at India Community Center on January 26, Consul General Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok led celebrations of India's 67th Republic Day that included dance and musical performances and remarks from elected officials and community leaders on the strength of the bond between our two countries. Earlier in the day, Consul General Ashok hoisted the Indian Na-
Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok with elected officials
visit to Bay area and stated that it was a historic beginning. He also spoke on the successful Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas which was held in Los Angeles last month.
with over 300 Bay Area's elite, businessmen and community members attending the nearly three-hour event followed by a scrumptious dinner catered by Jalsa Catering. The Republic Day in India is celebrated every year with great pomp on 26th of January to honor the Constitution of India as it
tution was sketched and approved by the Indian Constituent Assembly. It decided to celebrate the event on 26th of January every year as India became a republic. Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok graduated in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and
San Francisco CG Ashok spoke on recent PM Narendra Modi's visit to Bay area and stated that it was a historic beginning. He also spoke on the successful Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas which was held in Los Angeles last month.
Seattle Tabla institute awarded $ 10,000 India Post News Service
Details on page 25
Details on page 22
February 5, 2016
Details on page 24
SEATTLE, WA: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced a $10,000 Art Works award to the Anindo Chatterjee Institute of Tabla Seattle (ACIT Seattle), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting tabla drumming and Hindustani music through educational programs, concerts and classes. The funding will help to support ACIT's 2016 Access to Ustads Project, an effort to bring four Indian maestros to western Washington for public performances and to provide accompanying educational workshops and lectures.
Air India hosts free screening of movie 'Airlift'
Rishi Kumar makes a point
tional flag at 9.00 at Gadhar Memorial (5 Wood Street, San Francisco). CG Ashok extended his warmest greetings to all across the country and also to those living abroad, saluting the Indian Flag. This was followed by singing of Indian National Anthem. He read out the speech of Indian President Pranab Kumar Mukherji. The President's message stressed India's support for peace, stability and development in its neighborhood. San Francisco CG Ashok spoke on recent PM Narendra Modi's
Joining the Consul General were Jerry Thorne, Mayor of Pleasanton; Jose Esteves, Mayor of Milpitas; Manny Cappello , Mayor of Saratoga; Emily Lo, ViceMayor of Saratoga; Ash Kalra, Councilmember of San Jose; Savita Vaidhyanathan, ViceMayor of Cupertino; Jim Davis, Councilmember of Sunnyvale; Rishikumar, Cuncilmember of Saratoga; Mary-Lynne Bernald, Councilmember of Saratoga and many other elected officials from all over Bay area. It was a nice and lavish event
came into force on the same day in the year 1950. It had replaced the Government of India Act, 1935 as the governing document of India. On this day, a national holiday is declared by the Indian Government. The new Indian Consti-
joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982. Ambassador Ashok has held diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, Austria and Sri Lanka, apart from postings in the Ministry of External Affairs in different capacities.
Dance performance
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Festive atmosphere at Consulate R-Day in Chicago India Post News Service
Unfurling of Indian national Tri-ranga at Consulate office in Chicago
CHICAGO: The Consulate General of India in Chicago organized the 67th Republic Day Celebration at its premises on Tuesday 26 January at 10 am with traditional enthusiasm and patriotic fervor. The venue was decorated with Indian flags, flowers and Indian cultural symbols to reflect the festive atmosphere of this important occasion. Indian nationals, persons of Indian origin and friends of India attended the festivities in large numbers braving the freezing cold and the working weekday, notwithstanding. Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General, unfurled the National Flag which was followed by singing of the National Anthem of India by all. Thereafter, the Consul General read out President's Message, both in Hindi and English, addressed to the Nation on the eve of 67th Republic Day of India. During his address on the occasion, Consul General said that such flagship programs as "Make
Guests with CG and Consulate officials
in India", "Skills India", "Swatch Bharat Abhiyan", "Digital India", "Startup India", and "Green India" would give a big boost to the
ambitious development-centric initiatives of the Government of India. O P Meena, Consul (Commu-
A group of attendees young, old and middle-aged
growth trajectory of India. He called upon Indian-Americans to proactively participate in all the
nity Welfare), welcomed the gathering and proposed a vote of thanks.
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A 'united' R-Day celebration by FIA, Chicago HARISH RAO & ASIAN MEDIA USA
Lamp Lighting Ceremony at FIA Chicago celebrations
CHICAGO: The Federation of the Indian Associations Chicago that espoused the maxim for over three decades - 'United We Stand', sought to get that translated in practice last week when it held its Indian Republic Day banquet at Shalimar Banquet in Addison (a northwest Chicago suburb). The FIA, now headed by young Minhaj Akhtar, took the first step in getting the community united by inviting top brass of rival FIA to come to this Indian national event. The happier turn of events was that the rival FIA, now headed by Dhitu Bhagwakar and tended by founder President Sunil Shah, readily obliged by attend-
ing the celebrations which turned out to be grand with the presence of 750 plus guests and members.
FIA newly elected team sworn in
The presence of over 750 persons at the celebrations, despite the freezing cold, was a testimony of not only their sense of pa-
them along and making a collective effort for bringing about peace, progress, and prosperity, across the globe. "His recent
Speakers FIA President Minhaj Akhtar, FIA Trustee Iftekhar Shareef, former FIA President Dr Bharat Barai and Air India Chief Nakul Chand
triotism but also a subtle desire to have a unified approach to national causes and celebrating national festival. "The Republic Day event inspired me to create unity within the community during my tenure as President of FIA," Minhaj Akhtar observed The singing of the National Anthem of India was followed by the traditional lighting of lamp by the FIA Executive Committee, Trustees, and the dignitaries.
historic stop over at Lahore was a big leap forward in achieving this cherished goal which received huge admiration by world leaders and statesmen alike", he added. Dr Sayeed said that the 3.2 million-strong Indian-Americans, who are one of the wealthiest and best-educated communities in the US, have made a phenomenal contribution to the economy of the US. Debra's husband, Ira Silverstein, Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 8th district, thanked the Indian-Americans for their wholehearted support. Minhaj Akhtar, President, said that the top priority of the newlyelected Executive Committee of the FIA, Dr Sayeed with rival FIA Presidents Minhaj Akhtar and Dhitu Bhagwakar Chicago would be to achieve Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General of In- the twin-objectives of not only empowerdia in Chicago, who was the Chief Guest, ing the Indian-Americans to realize their said that India has emerged as the country American dream but also to preserve their with the fastest economic growth and, about unique culture and heritage. two decades later, it will have the world's Akhtar said that the event had a human largest economy. He added that India's tri- dimension too in the way the donations umphs will bring in their wake multiple ben- made by people will be used to support the efits not only for India but also for the en- victims of the recent torrential rains and tire world. massive flooding which devastated Dr Sayeed stated that Prime Minister Chennai and surrounding areas in the State Narendra Modi's visits to different coun- of Tamil Nadu. Cont’d on page 23 tries will be greatly instrumental in taking
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Dallas Indians celebrate R-Day at Gandhi Memorial BABU TANGEWALA
Prasad Thotakura paying homage to Gandhiji
DALLAS, TX: Indian community members of Dallas / Fort Worth from all age groups along with Board of Director members of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas (MGMNT) participated actively in India's 67th Republic Day celebrations at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza in Irving on January 26. Welcoming participants, Rao Kalvala, Secretary, MGMNT, said that Gandhi Memorial became the landmark for the Indian-American community to celebrate annual events like India's Republic Day, India's Independence Day, Mahatma Gandhi Birthday, International Day of Yoga etc and it was important to spread Gandhi's message of peace and non violence across the globe. Dr. Prasad Thotakura, Chairman MGMNT, hoisted the tricolor flag in the midst of applause and jubilant mood of the gathering. He emphasized Gandhi's value foundations of society - Truth, Nonviolence, Love, Compassion and Equality and requested all to strive for a better society where everyone is treated equally and respected mutually. He mentioned that Republic Day honors the date on which the Constitution of India came into force. Though India obtained its independence through tireless efforts of our Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on August 15, 1947, it took more than two and
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Young kid participating
He emphasized Gandhi's value foundations of society - Truth, Nonviolence, Love, Compassion and Equality and requested all to strive for a better society where everyone is treated equally and respected mutually. half years to have a permanent constitution. "After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document one each in Hindi and English on January 24, 1950. Two
days later, on January 26, it came into effect throughout India completing the country's transition towards becoming an independent republic." Mrs. Indu Reddy Mandadi, India Association of North Texas (IANT) President, in her remarks
Group of Indians during the celebration
stated that IANT has been serving the community for decades. She appreciated the efforts of MGMNT team for having the remarkable Gandhi Memorial in the heart of the city. Taiyab Kundawala, Co-chairman of the MGMNT, said that this Mahatma Gandhi memorial, the largest Gandhi memorial in the US, has a greater significance to the current and future generations. John Hammond, MGMNT Board
of Director, conveyed his Republic Day greetings and thanked the volunteers for their help and support in making the event successful. MGMNT leaders Dr Prasad Thotakura, Rao Kalvala, Taiyab Kundawala, Mrs Indu Mandadi, Mrs Shabnam Modgil, Jack Godhwani, Kuntesh Chokshi, Kamal Kaushal and John Hammond participated in the celebrations.
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FIA Republic Day event promotes patriotism MOON KHAN
CHICAGO: In the presence of about two dozen elected officials, dozens of heads of community organizations, a large number of sponsors, scores of artists, and 500 attendees, Federation of Indian Associations celebrated the biggest festivity of the Midwest to mark the 67th Indian Republic Day at Ashton Place in Willowbrook, a Chicago suburb. The singing of the National Anthem of USA by Ashley Singh, Indian Anthem by the entire FIA team, and later the recitation of Vanda Matram by Nisha Sarswat spiked the patriotic atmosphere of the evening. The traditional ceremony of the lamp lighting augmented the nostalgic value a notch up. Sunil Shah, FIA's Founder President, aptly summed up the positive spirit. "We truly represent the heightened aspirations of Indian Americans and we are amplifying our efforts to reach out to the 200,000 and growing population of our folks," he said. Dhitu Bhagwakar, the newly elected president, expressed his happiness on witnessing the huge crowd and dignitaries. "FIA is growing exponentially, and its best days are ahead," he declared. He announced that FIA would be organizing a mega Holi Mela on March 27 (Sunday) at DuPage Fairgrounds. "We want to bring whole community at a larger stage so that we can create a bolder image of our community," the president said. Consul General Dr Ausaf Sayeed commended the FIA leadership for hosting such a magnificent event that will project the growing strength of the Indian community. It makes, he added, the job of the Consul General easier and "I can focus on other impending issues." Consul OP Meena also expressed satisfaction at the successful organizing of the event by FIA leaders Guest of Honor and Vice President of Wintrust Community Bank, Syed Hussaini, reiterated his finan-
FIA Lamp Lighting ceremony
cial support to FIA after seeing the community's overwhelming response. His bank, he said, is encouraging entrepreneurs to
who attended the event included Congressional Candidate Raja Krishnamoorthy, State Senator Michael Noland, State Senator
sentative Stephanie Kifowit, State Representative Deb Conroy, Mayor of Villa Park, Deborah Bullwinkel, a representative from
Association; Tomy Mathews, President of Chicago Malayalee Association; Ajit Chaudhary, President of Bihar Cultural Association, Keyur Ghayal and Ashwin Bodalia; current President and Past President of Gandhi Samaj of Chicago; and Hina Trivedi, Trustee of FIA; Niranjan Nathwani, President of Lohana Samaj, a representative of Chicago Darzi Samaj. The presence of Suhanee Patel, one of the top 10 contestants at the National American Miss Nationals 2015, brought further grandeur to the event. Another talented star of the Indian diaspora, Ashley Singh, stole the hearts of the audience.The four emcees. Gaurav Arora, Jassi Parmar, Mona Bhalla, and Shalini Saxena were simply superb. Dancers from Junoon Dance Academy, which is managed by Sweta Bhagwakar, increased the entertainment temperature of the hall by their thrilling performance of the Welcome Dance. Ganesh Vandan Dancers from Shingari School captivated the audience. More than three dozen dances from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana magically projected India's diversity.
FIA speakers Dhitu Bhagwakar, Sunil Shah and CG Dr Ausaf Sayeed
launch new companies and help out the community. Among the elected officials
Patti Bellock, State Senator Laura Murphy, State Representative Michelle Mussman, State Repre-
Cultural performances by local artists
Attorney General Lisa Madigan's Office, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President, Mariyana Spyropoulos, DuPage County Board Member, Liz Chaplin, DuPage County Board Member, Tony Michelassi, Darien Village President, Kathleen Weaver, and Oak Brook Village President, Dr Gopal Lalmalani. Various community organizations were represented by Suryakant Patel, President, of Gujarati Samaj of Chicago; Gladson Varghese President of GOPIO; Ram Saini, President of Rajasthani Association; Gurmit Singh Dhillon, President of PCS; Socrates Ponnusamy, President of Chicago Tamil Sangam; Kaushik Bhupendra, President of Kannada
About half a dozen singers mesmerized the audience - Mahijit Virdi, Sheen Trivedi, Ishan Ahmed, Pratibha Jairath, Nipa Shah, and Mona Bhalla. Songs that were rendered were "mere desh ki dharte," "ye desh hai veer jawaano kaa," "saare jehaan se achchaa," "aye mere watanke logon," "prem rattan dhanpayo," "chittiyaa kalaiyaan," "mere dholna," and "damaa dam mast qalandar." The mimicry of Bollywood stars was another entertaining item performed by Pankaj (Paul) Chopra and Mohammad Samdani. Proposing a vote of thanks, FIA President Dhitu Bhagwakar thanked the generous support of the sponsors, members and the immense contributions of his team
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St Louis Bal Vihar celebrates Republic Day ASHWIN PATEL
ST LOUIS: The Center for Indian Cultural Education- Bal Vihar of St. Louis celebrated India's 67th Republic Day on January 24 in the presence of 600+ participants that included leaders such as Missouri Senator Maria Chappelle Nadal, Freelancer for Missouri Senator Maria addressing the gathering
news magazine Mary Shapiro and Cecilia Nadal, Founder and Executive Director of St. Louis Gitana Production, a leading diversity group of St. Louis. A large number of local Indian community leaders of the school children ages 5 through 17 years of age and their parents were also present. The event was held at Ladue Middle school in Ladue, MO. It is true that India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947 but the Constitution of India came into force only on January 26, 1950. The Constitution of India was formally adopted by the Parliament of India and India declared itself as a 'Republic Country' on January 26, 1950. Thereafter this day is celebrated as Republic Day in India every year. India is a country having people of different cultures, societies, religions and languages who interplay with each other har-
Children unfurling flag
moniously. Independence for India was a great pride as it was obtained over years after facing a variety of obstacles and hurdles. Bal Vihar school children did exactly the same by displaying different cultures, languages and more of the United States of India. Students and parents together exhibited booths of different states of India such as Karnataka, Hyderabad, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal and more where they displayed culture, food, history, and clothing of these states. Children's enthusiasm was outstanding when Bal Vihar ensemble performed the Indian national anthem, patriotic songs and the flag hoisting ceremony in the presence of the dignitaries. There was excitement among parents and children alike to display their states and be proud of United States of India. Bal Vihar of St. Louis school is a unique organization in USA where it is independent of any religions organization and is focused on its vision of instilling Asian Indian culture in children and has been serving the St. Louis community for the last 24 years. Cont’d on page 22
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Air India hosts free Heartfelt homage to Mahatma screening of movie 'Airlift' Gandhi in Dallas A.Q. SIDDIQUI
A group of invited guests and community leaders and Consul General staff attending the screening of movie Airlift. Pics Asian Media USA
Gathering of Indian Americans to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi in Dallas India Post News Service
DALLAS, TX: Members of Indian community in Dallas gathered to pay rich tribute to Gandhiji on January 30 at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza, Irving, TX, the largest Gandhi memorial in USA. Rao Kalvala, Secretary, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas (MGMNT) stated that this Mahatma Gandhi Memorial has become the landmark for the Dallas / Fort Worth Indian-American community. The idea of this landmark is to memorialize Mahatma Gandhi's struggle for India's Independence, his teachings and methods to bring peace and harmony.
Dr. Prasad Thotakura, Chairman, MGMNT, appreciated the community for their participation to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. He emphasized that this is the day to recollect and remember the hard work of Gandhiji to free India from the colonial British rule and rededicate ourselves in serving our motherland, India. Gandhiji's foundational values for society Truth, Nonviolence, Love, Compassion, Respect and Equality are ever applicable anywhere. Taiyab Kundawala, Co-chairman of the MGMNTstated that Gandhiji's efforts, the peaceful methods used to attain India's Independence and the support that
he received from people across the country were unparalleled. Mrs. Shabnam Modgil, Director of MGMNT Board, said Mahatma Gandhi was an inspiration to many world leaders to start civil rights movements in many continents and he belongs to the whole world, not only to India. MGMNT leaders including Dr. Prasad Thotakura, Rao Kalvala, Taiyab Kundawala, Shabnam Modgil, and Community leaders Dr. Viswanadham Puligandla, Gopala Pillai, Rahul, John Sherry, Alex Alexander, Aleyakutti Francis, Satyan Kalyandurg and many members paid floral tributes at the feet of Mahatma Gandhi's statue.
St Louis Bal Vihar celebrates Republic Day
CHICAGO: It was Emirates Chicago that first hosted free screening of Mission Impossible Ghost
free show of Airlift at Big Cinema in Des Plaines on Sunday Jan 31 evening. All Indian travel agents
Protocol as it was shot in Dubai, followed by Etihad Airways Chicago screening of Fast & Furious 7 as it was partly shot in Abu Dhabhi. Now was the turn of Air India USA to proudly present
and prominent Indian community leaders were invited for the show. Air India Chicago Manager Nakul Chand, Airport Manager Rajeev Batish and District Sales Manager Katherine Thorat wel-
Akshay Kumar starrer, "Airlift", the movie that has already attracted worldwide attention. Air India Chicago city and airport team members sponsored a
comed the guests for the show. Air India city and airport team members also brought their families.
A section of the audience Cont’d from page 21
The voluntary non-profit organization, has graduated more than 1000 students over period and its enrollment is growing in the community. Focused on diversity and com-
munity service under the leadership of professional volunteers, Bal Vihar has earned significant respect in St. Louis where it holds programs in collaboration with the St. Louis Arts Center and St. Louis Science Center, Interfaith commu-
nity and more every year. The school has been a role model for other Bal Vihar schools in US states such as Ohio, South Carolina where it provides guidance and support organizations where focus is our culture.
A scene from the movie Airlift
Cont’d on page 23
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A 'united' R-Day celebration by FIA, Chicago Cont’d from page 18
Syed Hussaini, Vice President, Wintrust Community Bank, who was the Chair of the Gala Banquet, said that his Bank has been sponsoring the events of the FIA, considering the fact that it represents the true face of Indian-Americans. An award was presented to Wintrust Community Bank as the Best Financial Institution, which was received by Syed Hussaini. An award was presented to Gulam Mustafa known as Faheem for being one of the best community supporters. He is the owner of Shalimar Banquet, Hollywood Trendz and Eyebrows Designer 21. He took care of the cost for banquet. Nakul Chand of Air India, one of the sponsors of the event, said that in 1990 the Indian Government airlifted over 1,70,000 Indians from Kuwait with help of 488 flights in just 59 days, which is considered to be the largest air evacuation in the history of mankind. "Air India, thus, entered into Guinness Book of World Records for the civil
emerging as one of the world super powers. FIA Trustee Iftekhar Shareef in his short speech congratulated the newly elected team and pitched for carrying out the FIA unity motto. He then introduced Raja Krishnamurthy who is seeking Congressional Seat from 8th Congressional district in Illinois. He said that Raja enlisted support of 150 powerful Democrats including Nancy Pelosi and Sen Dic Durbin. Shareef said that he has the best chance to get elected and represent interests of Indian Americans and mainstream Americans at large. A multifaceted entertainment program, presented by trained professionals, was one of the highlights of the event. Mudra Dance Academy presented two dance items, "Pushpanjali" by Suzan Abraham and "Thilana" by Pooja Thakkar. The dancers and their mentor, Krishnama Shah, were given a huge round of applause by the audience. Sunny Gabhawala proposed a vote of thanks. He specially
A section of the audience
airline that had evacuated the most people till date. This daredevil mission has been effectively showcased in the recently-released Bollywood blockbuster, Airlif," he added. Judge Anthony E. Simpkins said that India's unity in diversity should be a source of inspiration for different countries, across the globe, in their search for the ways and means for peaceful coexistence. Niranjan Shah, an FIA Trustee and the Guest of Honor, called upon people to shun their pessimistic and negative attitude and advised them, instead, to look at the skyrocketing growth made by India since gaining independence in 1947. Bharat Barai, Trustee and Past FIA President said that under the enlightened stewardship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is
thanked Vinod Patel for his services as the banquet co-chair, Moneydart for their generous donation for Chennai, and representatives of the media. The vote of thanks was followed by sumptuous dinner. FIA Executive Committee: Minhaj Akhtar-President, Kantibhai N. Patel-Executive Vice President, Sanhita Agnihotri- Secretary, Girish Patel, Sathisan Nair, and Sher Muhammad Rajput-Vice Presidents, Vijay Ranjan-Joint Secretary, Ajit Singh-Treasurer, and Hemant Trivedi- Joint Treasurer. FIA Trustees: Iftekhar Shareef, Niranjan Shah, Dr Bharat Barai, Kanti S. Patel, Babu Patel, Sohan Joshi, Satish Gabhawala, Harish Bhatt, Bhailal Patel, Anil Pillai, Sitaram Patel, Ajay Agnihotri, HinaTrivedi, Keerthi Ravoori, Hyder Mohammed and Hetal Patel.
Ladies guests and invitees with Dr Ausaf Sayeed
AAM party disappoints its followers abroad SURENDRA ULLAL
CHICAGO: Dr Munish Raizada, a former protagonist of Aam Adami Party (AAP) and now a suspended leader of AAP, has announced launching of a shadow cabinet for the state of Delhi. A formal launch will happen through a press conference in the month of February. Raizada said that the shadow cabinet will be an effective means of keeping an eye on the functions of the government. For this purpose, a shadow minister will be announced for each Delhi Minister. He said the current AAP government would be completing one year of its term next month. There is growing frustration in the public as the government is more interested in playing politics rather
ministers will start soon. The shadow cabinet will be a political front and it will channelize the aspirations of the public in an effec-
Air India hosts free screening of movie 'Airlift'
Cont’d from page 22
Dr Munish Raizada
than serving the people. Hence he was compelled creating a public watch dog. Giving details, Jai Nath Misra of London said that the shadow cabinet will scrutinize the work of Delhi government and act as an effective opposition. He added that this group will give constructive opposition. Dr Raizada explained that the process of selecting the shadow
tive way. The group has also launched a website for called: http:// shadowcabinet.org/
The entire show was booked by Air India for the Indian community. A similar event was also initiated simultaneously by Air India San Francisco. Nakul Chand thanked all for joining the show and reminded that the Air India Kuwait operation was a matter of pride for all Indians and it proved to the world that Air India is always there for Indians abroad. Airlift is based on true story of August 1990 Kuwait attack by Iraq when hundreds of Indians were stranded. It was then in a historic aviation operation, Air India car-
ried 111,711 Indians back home from the war zone. It created a Guinness world record as the world's first civil airliner for the largest aerial evacuation operating 488 flights for over 59 days to rescue stranded Indians in Kuwait. Rakesh Asthana, an Indian community activist in Chicago was among the invited guests. He happened to be actually present in Kuwait through the entire ordeal of Indians. He recalled few tragic events to media persons and praised Akshay Kumar for doing a real life role. He also appreciated Air India Manager Nakul Chand and his team members for screening the movie.
24 India Post
Community Across America
February 5, 2016
www.indiapost.com
Valentine Bash 2016 for a romantic evening India Post News Service
MILPITAS, CA: Peter Sahjani and Dahya Mistry of Star Entertainment are bringing Valentine
Versatile Lead Singer Vikas Singh
Bash 2016, their signature event at ICC on Friday February 12. A promise of a truly romantic singing, ravishing dinner, full of entertaining Bollywood dances, fashion show and DJ. The program will start at 8:00 pm with a mini fashion show coordinated by designer Jyotica Bhatia of Malabis Couture, live singing of Indian Idol 5 participant and also voice of Tamil Nadu Geetesh Iyer, and versatile Bay area singer Vikas Singh, supported by popular singers Ria Nilawar, Deepti Venkat and Deeprekha Hazarika. Professional dances will be performed by Bay Area versatile and recognized artist Elena
Elsoukov with Mastani theme, along with special Belly dances by popular Natika of Natika Dance. The event's Mallavi Hall of ICC is decorated by the Platinum sponsor Pamila Sahu of Eve DĂŠcor. The sound system and DJ has been provided by DJ Edwin. The Lead Emcee of the evening will be Priya AG with her Co-emcee Rav Sastre. Bal Sindal is the Event coordinator. The ticket price includes mouthwatering lavish dinner which will be provided by event Grand Sponsor Park Balluchi of Mountain View along the Veg & Non-Veg appetizers. The 'No-
Bollywood & Belly Dancers Elena Elsoukouv and Natika
Host' bar service will be provided by Park Balluchi The Platinum Sponsor of the event is Charanjit Uppal of Uppal Dental. The Gold sponsor is Mohammed Israr of Pioneer Diagnostics & Research; Mohamad (PDR) and Master Deepak Ji of Kismat Konnection. The other
Sponsors include Rajwant Abedi of Mountain Mike's, Taj Randhawa of RE/MAX, Mo Pollani of Kukkie's Restaurant along with Ray & Kay Walia. The event Media Partners are 1550 AM Radio Zindagi, U.S.Urdu News, India Post and IND TV USA.
Performers group (from left) Organizer Dahya Mistry, Emcee Priya AG, Singer Deepti Venkat, Event Planner Bal Sindal, Lead Singer Geetesh Iyer, Singer Deeprekha Hazarika event coordinator Jayashree Krishnamurthi, Singer Ria Nilwar, Organizer Peter Sahjani
(From left) Fashion show organizer Jyotica Bhatia, lead singer Geetesh Iyer, Emcee Priya AG, singer Deepti Venkat , Singer Ria Nilawar, model Ezri Ortiz
Community Across America
February 5, 2016
India Post 25
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Seattle Tabla institute awarded $ 10,000 India Post News Service
boundaries across diverse sectors of society," commented NEA
SEATTLE, WA: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced a $10,000 Art Works award to the Anindo Chatterjee Institute of Tabla Seattle (ACIT Seattle), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting tabla drumming and Hindustani music through educational programs, concerts and classes. The funding will help to support ACIT's 2016 Access to Ustads Project, an effort to bring four Indian maestros to western Washington for public performances and to provide accompanying educational workshops and lectures. "This means more music education, especially for kids, young people and local musicians in King County," said ACIT Seattle Board President Priya Marita Diaz. "It's a chance for performing artists and the public to study one of the world's greatest musical traditions, and offers opportunities to learn that are rarely seen in the United States, thanks to the support of the NEA." ACIT Seattle is one of a 64 recipients nationwide who were awarded $1.3 million in Art Works grants in the Folk and Traditional category by the NEA. These
Chairman Jane Chu. "Supporting projects like the one from ACIT Seattle offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day." The Access to Ustads Project will take place in between April and November 2016, in King County. Four master guest musicians - including ACIT Seattle and master tabla player Anindo Chatterjee -
awards were part of $27.7 million awarded by the NEA in its first 2016 funding round. The Challenge America category supports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics or disability. Challenge America grants are comparatively small investments that have a big impact in their communities. "The arts are part of our everyday lives - no matter who you are or where you live - they have the power to transform individuals, spark economic vibrancy in communities, and transcend the
will demonstrate, engage and share techniques of their art form in the oral tradition with the public, including student and professional musicians of all ages. Each performance will feature one of the artists on a traditional Southeast Asian instrument: bansuri, sarod, sitar and tabla. In addition, each master will also give a lecture and interactive workshop to engage children, musicians and the general public. "It is a significant opportunity to have musicians of this caliber presenting and teaching in this area," said ACIT Executive Director and Co-founder Ravi Albright, who is also a professional tabla
Pics ACIT Seattle
player and percussionist. "In presenting these community pro-
grams, there is value both for those familiar with, and new to, the me-
lodic beauty and rhythm of Hindustani music. "ACIT will collaborate with many local community organizations and partners to promote and produce the concerts," he added. "Each of these talented musicians will engage in lecture demonstrations and performance workshops. In the demonstrations, music students, professional musicians and the general public will have a chance to observe and learn about the history and evolution of the music from the master musicians. Subjects will include the tala (rhythmic) and the raga (melodic) systems. The workshops and master classes will include student performances with a live public audience, including discussion and feedback sessions with the master musician, assisted by a panel of volunteer professional music instructors and academics."
Horoscope
26 India Post
February 5, 2016
www.indiapost.com
February 5th - February 11 th 2016
ransiting Mars in first can cause lots of irritation in the mind and if you are not careful you may start to have high blood pressure problem. You will be on the move most of the week and a little restless too. Business meetings will go well but the results will come at a later date. A child will need your extra help.
T
ransiting Mars in house of career is little tricky. Do not make any impulsive move in career and stay away from any argument with a colleague. You will enjoy a day with close relatives or friends this week. Money wise you will stay in comfortable zone. You may start putting together some papers before submitting to Government.
T
Y
Y
ou will gather yourself once more and make a brave attempt. Success will kiss your feet. Jupiter's presence in fifth will give you some concerns about a child. Money wise you will continue to do fine and may make some money through sale or purchase of Gold. You may have some friends come over this weekend.
J
upiter's aspect on seventh is favorable for starting any new venture in partnership or make life long commitment with other half. Let the past go if you wish to move on in life. Hold on to the stocks purchased last month for some more time. There will be some more interesting developments in legal matters to your benefit.
B
e more aggressive and take offensive measure against opponents if you desire to find the right resolution. Seek outside help if you fail to make up your mind. Little money will go towards minor repairs to your car. Money wise you will do better from now on. People in business will experience sudden surge in the sales.
T
hings may start shaking up at work because of new policy being implemented by administration. There is no need to panic except the pressure will increase. You may take a short trip with family to meet an old friend this weekend. Government agency will give you much awaited clearance. Try some relaxing techniques.
ou may hit some severe road blocks this week. It will be difficult to focus and achieve goals in first shot. There is no harm in seeking outside and expert opinion. Expenses towards a child will escalate. You may dispose off some stocks and put the money in savings. Someone close will send some nice and valuable gifts for you this week.
S
M
ou will enjoy the company of some successful people and feel motivated yourself. Your attempt will not go waste and the results will encourage you to go further. Some of you may replace one of your ailing vehicle with a newer model. You may visit a nice place with family and enjoy some nice food this weekend.
Y
ou will put everything aside and enjoy life with close relatives and friends this weekend. Speculations and stocks will be profitable. Right eye may start to give little trouble and you may have to focus more when driving after sunset. You may be working on a new idea to launch a project with some close friends.
Y
ou will enjoy the company of some colleagues from work this weekend. An old payment will also show up in mail. Some of you will start looking for another job closer to home. Refund from government agency will come quicker this time. You may also visit a holy place with family. You may also make an appointment with doctor to resolve health issue.
oon you will start your search for an ideal property to move in. You may also travel with family long distance to attend an important event. People who deserted you in the past will try to come back in your life. Bachelors will come across a real nice person connected with high tech industry. Bank balance will grow.
oney will keep slipping out of your hands. You will need to do some juggling in order to meet your financial commitments. Do not miss to eat on time. You may enjoy few hours with successful and famous people this weekend. You will overcome some obstacles in career. Answer you had been seeking for years, will be disclosed.
Y
February 5, 2016
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India Post 27
TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Soch na Sake: Airlift 2 Gerua: Dilwale 3 Sanam Re: Sanam Re 4 Deewani Mastani: Bajirao Mastani 28 India Post
www.indiapost.com
February 5, 2016
5 Yeh Fitoor Mera : Fitoor 6 Agar Tum Saath Ho : Tamasha 7 Janam Janam : Dilwale 8 Hua Hai Aaj Pehli Baar : Sanam Re 9 Aayat : Bajirao Mastani 10 Rom Rom Romantic : Mastizaade
F
rom American TV series 'Quantico' to Bollywood blockbuster 'Bajirao Mastani' to being cast in 'Baywatch' movie, Priyanka Chopra seems to be in the best phase of her career. Though she has always maintained a strict silence about her personal life, it seems that she has finally found someone and is dating him. Sometime back, there were reports that Priyanka was dating an America-based NRI and now a close friend of the actress has confirmed the news to SKJ Bollywood. "PeeCee is definitely seeing someone new. We are relieved, because her last relationship wasn't going anywhere. The new man is everything that she always wanted in a man. He is a combination of Shahid Kapoor and Gerard Butler," her friend was quoted as saying. "Earlier it was just work in America and then she would rush back to be with her mom. That has changed now. She likes being in the US to spend time with the new man with whom she is planning a future ahead," her friend added. In a recent interview with Filmfare magazine, Priyanka revealed that she is in a relationship, but she slyly avoided speaking about the lucky man. "Who says I don't have a partner? I might not be with him because I am travelling," she told the magazine.
D
eepika Padukone is undergoing extensive train ing for her Hollywood venture, 'xXx'. A photo was doing the round which shows the 'Bajirao Mastani' actress gyming hard to get her body into shape. The actress's trainer Yasmin Karachiwala is with her in her fitness journey. Yasmin is the one who trained Katrina Kaif for 'Tees Maar Khan' and Deepika for 'Ram Leela'. She shared a video of Deepika on Instagram. In the video, Deepika was seen dressed in a tee and pants and working out. On January 21, Deepika admitted that she was nervous before filming the xXx sequel. "I am excited, but very nervous. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. I'm moving out of my country working with a new set of people so am very nervous," Deepika told NDTV.
The actress's trainer Yasmin Karachiwala is with her in her fitness journey. Yasmin is the one who trained Katrina Kaif for 'Tees Maar Khan' and Deepika for 'Ram Leela'
As rent, the couple reportedly used to pay Rs 15 lakh for their penthouse in Silver Sands and RK had paid Rs 21 crore as the security deposit
R
anbir Kapoor has to pay a very high price for breaking-up with his long time girlfriend Katrina Kaif. The break-up not only gave the Kapoor lad a heart break but financially also he had to suffer. Ranbir lost Rs 21 crore security money which he has paid for his love nest. As rent, the couple reportedly used to pay Rs 15 lakh for their penthouse in Silver Sands and RK had paid Rs 21 crore as the security deposit. The two had vested a lot of time, money and efforts in making their love nest truly lovely for over a year. From their foreign trips, they used to pick up souvenirs and artifacts to decorate their house. What went wrong between them is hard to predict but Deepika Padukone and Ranbir's closeness during 'Tamasha' promotion is cited one of the reasons.
Bollywood
February 5, 2016
India Post 29
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A
ctor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, whose last big screen outing was Bejoy Nambiar's 'Wazir', says he feels the variety of roles that come his way "motivates" him to stay fit. "I think we (actors) are kind of fortunate that we have a reason apart from just staying fit... that you can do something about it (fitness) and bring it into performance. So, there's even more motivation to keep doing it (staying fit)," Farhan says. The 42-year-old actor had worked out for 13 months for 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. Also, his character in Nambiar's directorial required him to be lean and muscular. The actor had gone through months of training to get the right look.
I was an average student. But I knew business and I was fond of marketing, and all kind of geeky stuff. I was a nerd in my teenage years and didn't have a lot of friends
S
unny Leone says in real life she is a shy person. The 'Ek Paheli Leela' actress also revealed that she was a 'geek' while growing up and boys weren't really attracted to her until she was 18 years old. "I was a very academic student in college, but until college, I was an average student. But I knew business and I was fond of marketing, and all kind of geeky stuff. I was a nerd in my teenage years and didn't have a lot of friends." "I also knew how to edit videos, do photoshop and lot of other things that a lot of 18 or 19-year olds don't do. No boy was interested in me until I was 18," Sunny was quoted in an agency report.
“Love stories and human drama, I think these are the most beautiful genres as they make for engaging films. It can be uplifting, sad or inspiring... but love stories connect with you. I connect really well with love stories�
K
atrina Kaif, who will next be seen on screen in 'Fitoor', says love story is her favorite genre. "In films, love story is my favorite genre... Love stories and human drama, I think these are the most beautiful genres as they make for engaging films. It can be uplifting, sad or inspiring... but love stories connect with you. I connect really well with love stories," Katrina says. 'Fitoor' is an adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel 'Great Expectations' and will have Katrina playing Firdaus, while Aditya Roy Kapur will portray the character of Noor. The actress, whose first language is English, says she works really hard on her Hindi speaking skills each time she signs a film."Every time, in each film, I have to work harder on my Hindi. In life, we have to accept our weaknesses and accept our strengths," she said.
30
India Post
SATYAGRAH SOULS Indian Americans Making A Difference
February 5, 2016
www.indiapost.com
S
ATYAGRAH SOULS is a monthly column highlighting the community involvement and success of role-model Indian Americans, providing an inspiration for each of us to strive for similar uplifting purposes, while giving back to our local community. Indian Americans are going through a transitional evolution while getting entrenched in a new world, exerting zealous work ethics, supporting the American economy as entrepreneurs, high tech geeks, doctors, lawyers and more. We are definitely imposing the positive in-
tentions and good citizen values upon this fantastic country. But can our involvement run a bit deeper with issues near and dear to our hearts, within our local city with the local public school that our child attends? Do you sometimes hear your conscience asking you, "Am I doing enough?" with a pinch of guilt? Yes we can get involved a bit more, push our comfort zone and enhance the learning and involvement. Our involvement can simply start with developing a healthy curiosity in our local community, instead
of being 'busy' bystanders. Once we get involved, we will quickly discover how easy it is for us to make change happen and how receptive everyone around is to leverage our skills for the good. More importantly, how freeing and energizing the experience is; personally rewarding and transformative at the same time. There are many who have made their mark in doing just that. With this monthly series, we want to highlight these SatyAgrah souls who are showing us the path. Here is a satyaGrah soul, who has found her calling:
A MONTHLY SERIES - BY
RISHI KUMAR
Savita: Don't S let naysayers hold you back
C
ongratulations on the recent Vice Mayorship on the Cupertino City Council. What was going through your mind as your were sworn in on December 1st - to be a trail blazer Indian American, and a woman and getting the recognition? Thank you very much! It was a surreal moment being sworn in as Vice Mayor of Cupertino by Jeff Rosen, the District Attorney of Santa Clara County. I felt very honored and humbled by the faith of the Cupertino citizens who first elected me to the City Council and now the trust of my fellow Council Members who voted me to this position. While I was being sworn in, I was only conscious of the weight of the office that I was entering and the supportive presence of my family, friends and well-wishers watching the event locally and live streaming. Being the first Indo American to have this role just speaks to the maturing of the Indo American community in Cupertino. As immigrants, each community seeks to first establish itself and then turn around and offer community and public service to the place we now call home. You have been a Cupertino resident for 20+ years and have seen Cupertino evolve into a heavy Asian community with ~16,000 Chinese Americans and ~13,000 Indian Americans out of the ~60,000. Was race much of an issue when you ran? How did you deal with it? The Cupertino community puts capability before color and reliability before race that's why I believe they voted me in as a Council member last year. It certainly was a matter of pride for the Indo-Americans to see one of their own kind
running for office. I believe that contributed to more of them exercising their right to vote. In the meet-and-greet events, everyone - including Indo-Americans - was keen to talk about policies and key issues. I did not feel that I was automatically going to get a vote or be denied a vote based on ethnicity. Race has perhaps played a part in being seen as more approachable. More Indo-Americans, especially the youth, have connected with me to discuss general issues about the city or specific issues they face. The wonderful part of having this position is when I get to explain city politics and the role of a city council member to our Indo American residents; many did not grow up within this system and carry impressions
avita Vaidhyanathan is currently the Vice Mayor of the City of Cupertino. She was elected to the Cupertino City Council in 2014 - the first Indo-American to be elected to that office. Previously she served as Presi- tributor to the Lunar Day Parade. She dent of the Rotary Club of Cupertino - a was presented the Silicon Valley Comvery active, dimunity Leader verse club of over award by DECA. 200 members. Prior to her serSavita has also vices in the comserved on the munity and in nonBoard of West profits, she Valley Commuworked as a high nity Services and school math is a Member of teacher, an industhe De Anza Coltrial credit officer lege commission. in a bank and at a Savita is an avid center to develop organizer of women entreprecommunity neurs. events and has Savita holds a served as Chair B.A. Math (Hons) of the Cupertino degree from St. Rotary Global ElStephens Colegance, as Colege, Delhi; a Councilmember Savita Vaidhyanathan Chair of B.Ed. from Cupertino Diwali, as Co-Chair of Lucknow University and an MBA from Cupertino Fall Festival and a key con- San Jose State University.
and experiences from the homeland about local politics there.
Swearing in Ceremony. Oath given by Jeff Rosen, District Attorney of Santa Clara
What was the city council campaign experience like? We had Ro Khanna running for Congress and had his campaign team focus heavily upon Cupertino as the focus for his run. Did the collaboration with Ro help? How important is it for Indian Americans to be united for a common purpose, channeling their energy for the success of our community? Like a rising tide that lifts all boats, the Ro Khanna campaign had an impact on all local races. More people were having conversations about the elections and more people participated in the elections - even though it was a non-Presidential year. I came into the race pretty late in the campaign season. We had a limited campaign fund and a small home-based campaign committee, headed by my husband and supported by several friends. So, getting advice and tips from Ro and his team definitely helped. But, while running a city council campaign, it was important for me to distinguish myself from a congressional race that has national import, and keep the focus on local issues. Cont’ d on page 31
February 5, 2016
SATYAGRAH SOULS Indian Americans Making A Difference
India Post
31
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Don't let naysayers hold you back
With Mayor and Council Members
Cont’ d from page 30
Despite wearing a "Vote for Savita" tshirt while walking precincts, I had a tough time getting the attention of voters and explaining that I was running as a candidate myself and was not one of Ro's volunteers. The youth volunteers that helped me during the campaign also faced similar questions. But we transformed every such challenge into an opportunity to clarify the difference in national and local elections. You were the President of the Cupertino Rotary. How did you end up at such a great spot and did it help towards your political success for your city council run? I go by these verses from the Gita "karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana" You have the right to perform only your due actions, but never be entitled to the fruits thereof. "ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango 'stv akarmani." Never consider yourself to be the cause of the fruits of your actions. But let that not lead you to be attached to not doing your duty. I have been volunteering in and around my city for several years and have been part of several non-profit organizations. When I got involved, I did so because I had the opportunity to make a difference and did not see each of those as progression towards a larger goal. The Rotary Club of Cupertino is an amazing group of individuals who put their heart and soul in all that they do and follow the motto "Service above Self." I consider it a blessing to be part of this Club and the Rotary family. It was an honor to be nominated President of this prestigious club. Again, being the first Indo American woman to hold this position across several hundred clubs in Northern California speaks to the prescience of Cupertino Rotary to identify and nurture people across all ethnicities and gender. It was an important milestone, but totally a team effort. I learnt a lot during my year as President of this large, diverse, and active club. My club members acknowledged my year of service as President and encouraged me to run for the post of city council. Their backing in conjunction with the support of leaders from several local organizations was instrumental in my winning the election. Who are your role models that you seek to emulate as a community leader in
Cupertino, beliefs that you hold true as a guiding force for your operating principles? I constantly learn from others and continue to shape myself. There are many individuals globally and in our own community who have influenced me. Some of these individuals are not necessarily in political office, but have demonstrated life lessons that are valuable in any endeavor. I refrain from naming them for the sheer apprehension of missing someone! I can only wish to emulate them and strive to be the best version of myself. Some of the key quotes that influenced me include: "Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will
Then you need to be willing to add people to your team that complement your strength. You should not be afraid of failure. Instead be willing to learn from each experience and do your very best the next time. I realize that I started on this path by first getting involved. Now I take every opportunity to encourage others to do the same. Once involved, people will find their unique way to lead. I attend several youth forums and take meetings with youth and seniors that have a lot to offer. The youth need a little help and direction and the seniors need an ear. I am happy to see more people becoming interested in Rotary, the city commissions and the working of the City Council itself. What advice would you offer to steer In-
With husband R Vaidhyanathan, daughter Anagha and son-in-law Akshay
never forget how you made them feel" Maya Angelou "Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny" Margaret Thatcher What are some key traits that you identify in a great leader? What are you doing to seed new leadership in your community? Leadership is about bringing together a set of people such that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They aim to achieve something more through collective effort than by what each could do individually. Based on my experience, I think it very important for a leader to first know your own strengths and limits.
dian Americans to political success in America, and more importantly for that little girl who watches you on the city council meeting, finding in you a role model, herself dreaming of running for higher office some day. My sincere advice to our youth, especially girls, is very simple: Take a little time to find your passion. Make that your one and only goal. Let that lead your actions and you will find success and happiness. Do not let naysayers hold you back from achieving your potential. Service to the community has to be the primary goal for anyone who chooses to enter politics. As a political leader, you have to look beyond serving one single subgroup defined by of race, gender, religion, or even special interest. You are elected to serve the community as a whole. Separated by race, religion, or
gender we will be weak and dysfunctional. Standing together as a cohesive community, we will be united, strong, and successful. Indian Americans in the US need to come together and collaborate on a number of issues. We are a very successful minority group in this country and we should parlay that for the betterment of our local communities. Just as we come together to help nonprofit organizations in India, we must make more investments in local endeavors. It will be good to see more local art houses, hospitals, educational buildings and homeless shelters funded and supported by successful Indo Americans. We were welcomed into this country and given an opportunity to be successful. We owe it to ourselves and our future generations to make sure everyone in our local communities gets the same opportunity to excel in their own dreams. Successful communities make a nation strong. Savita thank you! We wish you the best for all future endeavors. **** Dear Readers Do you have a story to share? We invite you to introduce us to folks in your community who are making a difference - we would love to profile them. Are there similar stories you are familiar with locally. The ones who helped address a simple issue in the community to make life a bit better. Perhaps someone you know decided to make a run for school board, was appointed to the planning commission. Provide us your insights on Indian Americans locally and nationally who are making things happen. These perspectives will help construct roadmaps for our community to empower ourselves, to hopefully ignite a desire in all of us to represent our local communities as doers, leaders, establish and entrench ourselves in this glorious country of America and help make it a better place
********* ABOUT RISHI: Rishi is Silicon Valley's community worker seeking to make a difference in his local community. As an elected city councilmember in Saratoga, CA he continues to follow his passion for community service. As city councilmember Rishi seeks to provide services to the citizens of Saratoga cheaper, faster and better; community outreach and engagement is a focus for him on the council. As Saratoga's community organizer, Rishi is host of many community events in Saratoga, many of which are free and always inclusive usually addressing a need or a cause. Rishi's day job is as a Silicon Valley hitech executive but his zeal for community service effervescent. Rishi is also the President of the Bay Area Indian American Democratic Club (www.baiadc.org) whose charter is to further the interests and values of Indian Americans, work towards political empowerment and advance ethical standards in the political system. You can reach him via his website www.RishiKumar.com.
„ Health
Line
IMA docs to adopt girls, sponsor education JAIPUR: Under the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign in Rajasthan, doctors associated with Indian Medical Association would adopt a girl and sponsor her education till graduation. The decision was taken after Health Minister Rajendra Rathore urged the IMA office bearers to associate with the campaign and to make all possible efforts to improve the sex ratio in the state. "A detailed discussion on sponsoring girls' education by doctors was held with IMA President Dr S S Agrawal. IMA members would voluntarily adopt a girl and sponsor her education till the level of graduation," Additional Director, National Health Mission, Neeraj K Pawan, said. The members will have to submit the details of the girls to the health department. He said that meritorious girls from underprivileged and poor families living in slum areas are being identified and the doctors or anyone else can sponsor their education. -PTI
„ Kejriwal undergoes yoga, naturopathy sessions BENGALURU: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal underwent yoga and naturopathy sessions at the Jindal Nature Cure Institute on city outskirts. Kejriwal also underwent blood test, doctors said. "He has undergone blood test; once we get the report, we will be deciding on the treatment," Chief Medical Officer at Jindal Nature Cure Institute Babina Nandakumar told PTI. Asked about the ailments, Nandakumar said he has developed cough for the last two months due to work pressure and cold in Delhi but it was not severe. Also, diabetes is comparatively not to the level last time, she said. She said Kejriwal's wife will also be undergoing treatment for cough and cold. Kejriwal, along with his wife, got admitted at the institute where he is staying in an accommodation called "Nest". The 47-year-old AAP National Convener had undergone 12 days of naturopathy treatment at the same institute for chronic cough and diabetes in March last year.-PTI
Health Science
New push to curb campus sexual violence
32 India Post
www.indiapost.com
February 5, 2016
Details on Page 35
WHO warns pregnant women against traveling to Zika-hit nations GENEVA: The Zika virus is "spreading explosively" in the Americas and can infect up to four million people, the WHO has warned as it issued a warning to all countries, including India, who have the vector of Aedes mosquito that also causes Dengue and Chikungunya. The Zika virus is caused by the aggressive Aedes Aegypti mosquito that also causes Dengue and Chikungunya. Both the viral diseases are of great public health concern to tropical countries like India. The outbreak began in Brazil last year and has now spread to 24 countries in the Americas, causing serious birth defects and other neurological problems like microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with an abnormally small head. Dr Marcos Espinal, Director of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis at WHO, warned that Zika "will go everywhere the mosquito is. We should assume that. We should not wait for it to spread." Zika originated in Africa and also exists in Asia. Meanwhile, WHO chief Margaret Chan warned that the virus "is now spreading explosively," and the global health body ex-
pected up to four million cases of the disease. She also expressed concern over the potential of global spread of the disease, owing to the large geographical spread of the Aedes mosquito.
we are trying to get the information out to countries that have got the vector but may not yet have the virus - look now for the virus," he added. Such is the level of alarm that many American countries like El
Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General, WHO, also warned that the virus could spread to other places wherever there are Aedes mosquitoes. "What we have to assume is anywhere where they have the Aedes (mosquitoes), they could have the Zika virus and they should have the tools to be able to look for it," he said. "So, that's part of the reason
Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador have urged women to postpone pregnancy till 2018. Complicating matters further, the Olympics in 2016 is to be held in Rio, the epicenter of the virus outbreak. The concern is also related to lack of immunity of the population that are unexposed to the Zika virus. Additionally, there are no vac-
cines, specific treatments, and rapid diagnostic tests, available to combat the virus. However, many countries that have had the outbreak of a Zika virus, like Colombia, have not yet reported cases of microcephalis and Guillain-Barre syndrome. There are currently four categories of countries globally: one, countries who have the virus as well as the birth malformations, like Brazil, two, countries only with the virus, like Colombia, three, countries, like India, who have the vector, and four, countries like Chile and Canada who do not have the vector. Though, Chikungunya and Dengue are much more rampant in many parts of the world than the Zika virus, the possible association between the Aedes mosquito and neurological impairments could bring the spotlight on mosquito-borne diseases globally. "We must use the dengue dynamics as the reference point where you have the dengue outbreaks in the previous years, where the mosquito Aedes is present, you have a risk of Zika transmission," said Dr Sylvain Aldighieri, WHO. The Zika virus was first detected in 1947 from a monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda.-PTI
PIO doc leads kidney transplant thru 3D printing LONDON: An Indian-origin surgeon in the UK has pulled off a complex kidney transplant on a three-year-old girl using 3D printing, believed to be among the world's first such operations. Dr Pankaj Chandal came up with the idea of using 3D printouts to help with the highly complex transplant on Lucy Boucher, who received a kidney from her father. "Our exciting new use of 3D printed models to help plan highly complex kidney transplant surgery in children brings all sorts of important advantages for our patients and the surgical team," Chandal said.
"The most important benefit is to patient safety. The 3D printed models allow informative, handson planning, ahead of the surgery with replicas that are the next best thing to the actual organs themselves. "This means surgeons are better placed than before to prepare for the operation and to assess what surgical approach will offer the greatest chance of a safe and successful transplant," Chandal said. Three dimensional replicas of Lucy's abdomen and her father Chris' kidney were made before surgery. The printed models helped surgeons at Guys and St. Thomas'
Hospital in London plan how to put an adult-sized kidney into the
"Considering all the potential complications, it's fantastic that everything has gone so well. It's a massive relief. The transplant is life-changing for Lucy" body of a toddler during the procedure, carried out in November last year.
"We found it amazing that we could see these incredibly detailed models of Chris' kidney and Lucy's abdomen. Considering all the potential complications, it's fantastic that everything has gone so well. It's a massive relief. The transplant is life-changing for Lucy," Lucy's mother Ciara, a teacher said. Lucy had suffered heart failure at four weeks old and her kidneys subsequently failed after being starved of oxygen. She was put on kidney dialysis until she was old enough to go through with a transplant. Lucy is now an active and healthy young girl.-PTI
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Health warnings on junk food demanded NEW DELHI: After tobacco products, even junk food products may have pictorial warnings, if a proposal by health experts is accepted by the government. Health experts have demanded pictorial and health warnings on junk food and detailed information for consumers about what goes into the food they buy and the effect it can have on their health. A panel of experts formed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), comprising doctors from AIIMS, experts from Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and dieticians from National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad have proposed pictorial warnings on fast and junk food. The panel was constituted six months ago to look at the prevalence and data on consumption of high fat, sugar and salt and make recommendations. The final report will be out in February. "We have recommended pictorial warnings on junk foods like chips, colas, pizzas, burgers or health warnings saying that this product contain fat and salt in excess of what is recommended or even a picture of liver may be on pack indicating that consuming them may led to fatty liver in children and adults," said Dr Vandana Jain, Additional Professor in the Department of Pae-
diatrics at AIIMS, who is also a member of the panel. According to World Health Organization (WHO), effective population-based childhood obesity prevention strategies include restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food (biscuits and potato chips, for instance) and non-alcoholic beverages (soft/carbonated drinks) to children. Children having fatty liver are at risk of liver cirrhosis and end stage liver disease and may require liver transplantation later in their life. Obese children also experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, insulin resistance and low self esteem. AIIMS in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have also conducted a study to look at the prevalence of fatty liver in overweight adolescents aged 10 to 15 years. The study included 220 overweight children, who visited AIIMS' Paediatric Department with obesity and other related problems. Their parents were also enrolled in the study.
US envoy backs odd-even scheme NEW DELHI: Strongly backing the 'oddeven' vehicle rationing scheme in the capital, US Ambassador Richard Verma has said the US would share the "sacrifice" that others have to endure to tackle pollution, asserting "we will be a good neighbor" here. Verma said the scheme reflected the willingness on people's part to "do something" towards tackling air pollution and climate change, which is a "pressing issue" that could "stifle" India's growth.
He said the US wants to be part of "solutions" and would share "sacrifice" that would have to be endured by the society at large to tackle the challenge of pollution. "It's such a pressing issue. It really could stifle India's growth not only in Delhi but in other parts as well. Cooperation on climate change and clean energy perhaps are the biggest path-
way of cooperation for the future. "We are going to share in whatever sacrifice that others have to endure as well. That is part and parcel of being a good neighbor here in Delhi," he told NDTV. Verma said US would do its part in this regard "whether through technology or though assistance", adding the climate change agreement would be an important part in combating pollution. "We think that some of the things that happened like odd-even formula ...I think the citizens want to do something. The consciousness over this issue is very strong. This is the challenge of a true megacity," Verma said. The US Embassy had supported the first phase implementation of the odd-even scheme from January 1-15 under which private vehicles with odd last digit registration numbers were allowed on odd dates and even last digit vehicles were allowed to ply on even dates. "Delhi in few years will be the second most populous city in the world so we got to work together to come up with solutions. This is a health problem, a security problem and people of Delhi want to be part of the solution," Verma said.-PTI
"We conducted blood tests, ultrasounds and other tests and 62.5 per cent of the children were found to have fatty liver and 65 per cent of the mothers had fatty liver while among the fathers, 69 per cent have fatty liver.
"62.5 per cent is a very big number which we never expected. When we began the study we thought may be 40 per cent will have fatty liver because even if we go by adult data, it shows that only 60-65 per cent overweight adults develop fatty liver. "So we thought children would not have that much, they are at risk and may develop sometime later, but we were surprised to
see that many of them already have fatty livers," Jain said. She said it was not only because of genetics. As a part of the study, they tested blood samples of 100 more healthy lean adults aged between 40 and 60 years to study the gene connection. "Parents and child do not just share the genes, they also share the environment, they also share the same lifestyle, same food habits and that is more responsible. So both genes and environment are responsible," she said. Fifty per cent of the children had mild fatty liver while the parents had moderate to severe fatty liver. Twenty per cent children had hypertension and 60 per cent suffered from deranged lipid profile. 10 per cent children also had impaired fasting glucose and insulin resistance was prevalent in 33 per cent which means their chances of developing Type II diabetes are high. According to experts, those who eat fast food consume more fats, sugars and carbohydrates and fewer fruits and nonstarchy vegetables and thus end up consuming high calories. Junk food is also linked to depression, obesity, the early onset of diabetes and heart disease etc.-PTI
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CIC asks if subsidy was given to Medanta NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has directed the Centre and Haryana government to inform it if private hospital Medanta Medicity was given any subsidy or concession in allotment of land. The case relates to the death of former Chief Justice of India J S Verma who was undergoing treatment at the hospital in Gurgaon. Activist Subhash Agrawal has
filed a plea wanting to know if former CJI M N Ventakachaliah, along with 34 eminent citizens, had sought an inquiry into his death allegedly due to medical lapses. "Earlier, the wife of the former
CJI had also written a similar letter to the Prime Minister. Such letters from eminent citizens from all walks of life on death of a devoted and honest jurist who spent postretirement life in a rented house is indeed a matter of serious concern," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in his recent order. Agrawal has asked about the cost of treatment of Verma and as
to who had made the payment. He has also put a query if any subsidy or concession was received by the hospital from the central or state government. The state Health Department
has conveyed that no bills were received by it from the hospital. The Haryana government had provided circle rate of sector 30, 31, 32, 39 and 40 but the circle rate of sector 38 where hospital is located in Gurgaon was not provided. Acharyulu said it can be understood that Director General, Health Services, Haryana is cognizant of the fact that Medanta Medcity Hospital is a private hospital and whether any concession was granted to that hospital. Such information has to be furnished and the reply 'no control of the private hospital' is incomplete and misleading information and it is contrary to the provisions of the Act for bringing about transparency in the working of the government. The CPIO should act reasonably and diligently, he said. Acharyulu directed the central government and Health Department of Haryana government "to explain whether any concession/ subsidy/or any other facility was given to this private hospital". "The Commission...directs HUDA to inform (it about) the circle rate of sector 38, at the time of allotment of the land to Medanta Medicity in that circle," he said.-PTI
Andhra offers medical manufacturing sites DUBAI: In its effort to attract global investments in medical device manufacturing faculties, Andhra Pradesh is showcasing an exclusive project in this sector at a major exhibition here. The 3-day Arab Health Exhibition 2016 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre was inaugurated by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Ruler of Dubai. "There is a congenial environment prevailing in Andhra including best industrial policy, 24x7 power supply and 10 lakh acres of land dedicated to industrial purposes," said Andhra Pradesh's Health Commissioner KV Satyanarayana, who is leading the delegation. Gopinath MG, Director of AP Medical Infrastructure Corporation, said that Andhra being the biggest market for medical devices
and having large number of medical colleges and super specialty hospitals is on its way to become the biggest medical hub in Asia. "To achieve this objective we have planned dedicated infrastructure for medical device manu-
"There is a congenial environment prevailing in Andhra including best industrial policy, 24x7 power supply and 10 lakh acres of land dedicated to industrial purposes" facturing faculties," he said. "The recent Central Government announcement of withdrawal of duty concession on import of medical devices and the conces-
sion duty on raw materials is very timely for success of our project. "This along with the National Medical Devices Policy on anvil will be complemented with our State led incentives to help make AP and India become a medical devices hub in the world," Satyanrayana said. "We are pleased to be associated with the country's first medical device park. Arab Health Exhibition is a great platform to launch this project. It will assure global attention and interest and will go a long way in making this unique project a huge success," said Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Manufacturers (AIMED). Over 4000 pharma and medical device companies besides are taking part in the Dubai exhibition. Andhra government has earmarked 200 acres near Vishakhapatnam to build
Muslims to spread Clean Ganga awareness NEW DELHI: At a time when the Centre is seeking public participation for its clean Ganga campaign, an RSS-linked Muslim outfit has decided to spread awareness about it amongst community members on checking pollution of the river. 150 members of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), at a
meeting held in Varanasi recently took a vow for a Swachh Ganga and Swachh Bharat. "We decided that we must work towards stopping pollution of Ganga," MRM national convener Mohammad Afzal said. As part of their efforts, MRM workers will reach out to community members and erect hoardings urging against polluting the river, Afzal said.
"It is the government which will clean the river. But to ensure the river remains clean in a sustainable manner, public participation is required. Therefore, our people will put up banners in areas through which the river flows. We will also see that measures taken by Centre are followed," he said. The 2,525-km river flows t h r o u g h Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. During the meeting held between January 20 and 21, the Manch also appealed to members of Hindu and Muslim communities to "sit together" to find a solution to the vexed Ayodhya's Ram temple construction issue. "(Mughal emperor) Babur was a foreign invader. Lord Ram is ours and we are his. Hence, members of both Hindu and Muslim communities should sit together and find out a solution to this (temple issue)," Afzal said. The MRM also held a 'milk party' during the Varanasi meeting to send out a message that its consumption is "healthy", while that of beef was "unhealthy".-PTI
Rs 5,000 fine planned for polluting trucks NEW DELHI: Delhi government is planning to impose a fine of Rs 5,000 on any polluting trucks entering the national capital. Health Minister Satyendar Jain held a review of the steps being taken by various agencies to bring down air pollution in the national capital. "At the meeting, traffic police informed the minister that orders of the National Green Tribunal to impose a challan of Rs 5,000 each on polluting trucks entering Delhi can be enforced when these are notified by Delhi government," the government said in a statement. A senior official said that the gov-
ernment may approach NGT regarding the imposition of a stiff penalty on polluting trucks entering Delhi. The official said that Rs 2,000 is presently imposed on such errant vehicles. "The environment department was directed to take up the matter with DDA and traffic police and bring the contentions of both DDA as well as traffic police to the notice of NGT for taking a final view in the matter," the government said. -PTI
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Impact of potential budget cuts in Louisiana BATON ROUGE, LA.: Louisiana's health department has offered two scenarios for slashing $131 million in spending over the remaining five months of the budget year, if lawmakers refuse to raise taxes. The state health secretary described either option as ``catastrophic.'' Nearly all the cuts would be levied on the privatized LSU hospitals that care for the poor and uninsured, under the first scenario. With lost federal matching dollars, the reduction would reach $315 million, a 24 percent cut to spending on the hospital contracts, but with less than half a year to spread out the hit. Under the other proposal, all optional Medicaid programs would be eliminated. That would include getting rid of hospice services for terminally ill patients and ending a program that provides health care services to more than 600 ``medically fragile'' children. A wide array of home- and community-based programs that serve the elderly and people with developmental disabilities would be shuttered. Stricter limits also would be placed on prescription drugs for Medicaid patients under the second scenario. ``The reality is both plans will have a catastrophic impact to those served by Medicaid,'' Health and Hospitals Secretary Rebekah Gee said in a statement. Gov. John Bel Edwards is asking lawmakers to pass tax hikes in a mid-February special legislative session to rebalance the budget without deep cuts. Gee, an Edwards appointee, said she hoped the ``worst-case scenarios'' could be avoided. ``If this reduction plan becomes a reality, its impact will be felt by almost all residents,'' she said. ``Vital health care services across Louisiana will be completely eliminated or diminished if additional revenue is not identified in the upcoming spe-
cial session.'' Louisiana's budget has a gap estimated at more than $700 million that must be closed before the financial year ends June 30. The $131 million cut to health care services assumes lawmakers will agree to tap into Louisiana's ``rainy day'' fund, redirect some oil spill settlement money and make across-the-board cuts to protected budget areas.
Edwards has offered a list of tax proposals he has asked lawmakers to consider, such as boosting sales taxes, raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol That would still leave a gap the Edwards administration said would be split largely between health care and public colleges, unless lawmakers agree to raise revenue. Edwards has offered a list of tax proposals he has asked lawmakers to consider, such as boosting sales taxes, raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, cutting tax-break programs for business and increasing the income taxes charged on middle- and upper-income taxpayers. Higher education leaders released their budget-cutting scenarios saying reductions of such magnitude would force widespread layoffs, summer school cancellations, class eliminations and degree-program closures across campuses. The special legislative session is scheduled to begin Feb. 14.-AP
Medicaid drug costs cut plan criticized TOPEKA, KAN.: Health care advocates in Kansas are strongly criticizing a proposal from Republican Gov. Sam Brownback for decreasing prescription drug costs for the state's Medicaid program. They told the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee that the governor's proposal could deny needed medications to people with chronic conditions and severe mental illnesses. The committee took testimony on a bill eliminating the state's ban on so-called step
therapy with prescriptions in the Medicaid program. In step therapy, patients are required to try less-expensive drugs first and have the treatment fail before obtaining more expensive prescriptions. Supporters say allowing Medicaid to use step therapy makes sense. Brownback's administration projects savings of nearly $11 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The state must close a projected $190 million budget shortfall.-AP
Norovirus outbreak linked to dinner theater OVERLAND PARK, KAN.: Health officials are investigating after a norovirus outbreak sickened more than 100 suburban Kansas City dinner theater audience members. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said in a news release that the people who contracted the gastrointestinal illness attended one of the two Jan. 17 performances at the New Theater Restaurant in Overland Park. Four have labora-
tory specimens to confirm norovirus. Symptoms of norovirus include vomiting, diarrhea, fever and body aches. People who attended a Jan. 17 theater performance are asked to take part in a confidential online survey from the KDHE, even if they didn't become ill. The agency says it hasn't had reports of illnesses from people who attended the theater on other days. -AP
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed "Enough is Enough" Legislation to combat sexual assault on college and university campuses into law in New York City. Left to right: State Police Supt. Joseph D'Amico, Senate Leader John Flanagan, unidentified woman, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick.
New push to curb campus sexual violence ALBANY, N.Y.: Public health officials are teaming up with the State University of New York system for a training program designed to curb sexual assault, stalking and relationship violence on campus. As part of the initiative, faculty and staff at state colleges will be taught how to recognize signs of abusive relationships or sexual violence and how to intervene to protect vulnerable students. Once they complete the program, the
faculty and staff members will be certified to train students. The training announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be funded by a $500,000 federal grant. It's part of a larger state effort to reduce campus sexual violence that includes a new ``yes means yes'' definition of sexual consent requiring clear agreement by students before engaging in sexual activity.AP
Realty Tidbits
PNB Housing to raise $300 mln in foreign debt NEW DELHI: PNB Housing Finance plans to raise USD 300 million (about Rs 2,000 crore) through external commercial borrowing (ECB) to fund affordable housing segment. "We have got approval for National Housing Bank for ECB. We are awaiting clearance from RBI for USD 300 million ECB," PNB Housing Finance Managing Director Sanjaya Gupta told PTI. The fund raised would be utilized to finance affordable housing segment, he said, adding ADB has already agreed to provide USD 150 million under the ECB route. PNB Housing Finance is a subsidiary of Punjab National Bank (PNB), which holds 51 per cent stake while remaining is owned by Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. In the last fiscal, the housing finance company had raised USD 100 million through ECB. Of this, USD 50 million came in from International Finance Corporation and remaining from ANZ Bank for affordable housing finance segments with additional focus on the low income states of India, women borrowers and for green residential units. That USD 100 million fund has been completely exhausted, he added. As per the RBI norms, low cost affordable housing units have been defined as units where the property cost is up to Rs 30 lakh where carpet area unit does not exceed 60 square meters and loan amount is capped at Rs 25 lakh. -PTI
Help sought for threatened clifftop homes
PACIFICA, Calif.: Officials are seeking assistance for a community near San Francisco where crashing waves and heavy rains have eaten away coastal cliffs, putting homes in danger. U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier and local and federal officials visited the clifftop apartments in Pacifica and talked to residents who are being forced to move out. Speier's district includes the small coastal city. She pledged to seek state and federal assistance to repair the crumbling cliffs. Officials tagged an apartment complex of about 20 units as unsafe, ordering people to pack their things and be out by sunset. Residents scrambled to find someplace to go. Pacifica officials declared a local state of emergency, prompted by storm damage to the community about 10 miles south of San Francisco. -AP
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Property owner fighting to get to own land GREENSBORO, N.C.: John W. Jeffries has had a ringside seat for some pivotal moments in black history. Now, it's his turn for a little civil disobedience. Jeffries and his sister, Barbara, own 9.3 acres near Horse Pen Creek Road, the last piece of 86 acres owned by these direct descendants of Daniel Jeffries, who was a slave born in Caswell County but earned enough money after emancipation to buy land in Guilford County.
February 5, 2016
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Indians 3rd biggest investors in US realty market at $8 bn NEW DELHI: Indians are the third biggest international investor community with USD 8 billion investment in the US realty market after Canadians and Chinese, brokerage firm Sotheby's International Realty has said. Besides, 25 per cent of the international real estate market in London also belongs to Indians with investments around 1 billion pounds while they also invested more than USD 2 billion in the Dubai real estate market in the first half of 2015 only. "I think and I believe Indians that live in the US are one of the largest group of millionaires in the America... they are already there and therefore they are investing in real estate," US-based Sotheby's International Realty President and CEO Philip A White told PTI. Sotheby's International Realty in August 2014 had signed an agreement with Indian firm RealPro Infra Pvt Ltd and established its Indian arm under the name North India Sotheby's Inter-
national Realty, which caters to the luxury real estate demands of resident and global Indians. Sharing the details of Indians investment in the US, North India
in terms of real estate investment and had invested around USD 8 billion last year." Talking about the Indian market for the global brokerage firm,
Sotheby's International Realty Founder and President Ashwin Chadha said: "After Canadians and Chinese, Indians are third largest international community in US
White said they are optimistic about Indian luxury real estate market and have huge expectations.
Gurgaon most attractive property destination NEW DELHI: Gurgaon has emerged as the most attractive destination for real estate investment in the national capital region, according to a survey by industry body PHDCCI. Gurgaon is followed by Delhi, Noida, Faridabad and Alwar, according to a recent study on 'Determinants of real estate: A survey of Delhi NCR' conducted by PHDCCI. In the list of top 10 real estate investment destinations, Ghaziabad is at sixth position followed by Panipat, Meerut, Sonepat and Rewari. "Good transport connectivity, existence of employment opportunities and availability of social infrastructure including schools, colleges, hospitals, etc have made these destinations attractive for real estate investments," the chamber said in a
statement. Metro construction has not only boosted investment sentiments but also resulted in increase in nearby property prices, it
added. According to the survey, price is the most important factor while considering investment in real estate. The main reason for buying
properties in the Delhi NCR is for residential purpose, followed by investment purpose. The survey found out that the key factors affecting real estate investment sentiments include high rate of interest on loan followed by inflationary pressures, lack of demand and economic uncertainties. PHDCCI President Mahesh Gupta has demanded to raise a deduction of up to Rs 5 lakh from the current level of Rs 2 lakhs for interest paid on a home loan on a self-occupied house to boost demand in housing sector. -PTI
India as a country has huge potential to be the top nation in terms of business for us. It may take few years to get there, he added. "Indians searching property globally, I think we all know Indians put big premium on real estate as a tangible asset to protect from inflation or number of things so I think they keep on looking at the opportunities," White added. Further elaborating about the brokerage firm's domestic operations so far, North India Sotheby's International Realty Founder and CEO Amit Goyal said they have already tied up with some established players in the sector including Tata Housing, Sobha and Max Group's Antara Housing. According to US-based National Association of Realtors data Indians had spent USD 5.8 billion in fiscal 2014 to purchase real estate in that country. China topped the list of foreign nationals with USD 22 billion in realty for the one year period ended March 2014. PTI
Make housing help permanent: NJ senator TRENTON, N.J.: New Jersey's state Senate president wants to make temporary housing assistance for some vulnerable people permanent. Democrat Steve Sweeney announced his plan in reaction to a policy change from Gov. Chris Christie's administration that advocates say has caused some people to lose their homes. The Republican governor's spokesman, Brian Murray, called Sweeney's announcement ``alarmism and politics of the worse sort,'' saying the changes will not cause homelessness. In the past, the state has extended temporary housing assistance for individuals, sometimes indefinitely. The programs are run by county governments. Cont’d on page 37
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10,000 TN houses to have solar panels NEW DELHI: Promoting clean and green energy, the Centre has approved fitting of roof top solar energy panels on 10,000 houses belonging to economically weaker sections in Tamil Nadu at an estimated cost of Rs 253 crore under Prime Minister's Awas Yojana (Urban). This proposal of the state gov-
tiative to promote clean energy and use of solar power under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Unit cost of 'greening' these 10,000 EWS houses in 157 town panchayats is estimated to be Rs 2.53 lakh per house. Of this, the HUPA Ministry will provide an assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh per house while the state government
ernment was approved by an Inter-Ministerial Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) chaired by Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry (HUPA) Secretary Nandita Chatterjee. It is a first of its kind green ini-
will contribute Rs.0.60 lakh and the beneficiary's contribution will be Rs 43,000, according to a release. The committee also approved construction of 7,204 houses under Affordable Housing in Partnerhsip (AHP) component of PMAY (Urban) in 9 cities and
towns at a total cost of Rs 572 crore with cost of construction ranging from Rs 7.22 lakh to Rs 8.46 lakh per house. Of this, the central assistance will be Rs 1.50 lakh per house and the rest will be borne by the state government and beneficiaries. As per the committee s approval, another 6,272 houses of economically weaker sections will be improved with required additional construction at a total cost of Rs 188 crore under the 'Beneficiary led Construction' component of urban housing mission in 9 cities. For this, the central government will provide an assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh per each beneficiary while the state government and beneficiary will contribute Rs 60,000 and Rs 90,000 per house respectively. Of the total cost of construction/improvement of 23,476 houses in Tamil Nadu approved, the central government will provide a total assistance of Rs 352.14 crore. Affordable houses approved for construction/improvement are: Chennai - 4,635, Pudukkottai - 1,920, Namakkal - 1,392, Madurai - 1,362, Ranipet -- 1,086, Tiruchirapalli - 896, Vellore - 521, Erode - 448, Coimbatore - 356, Nagapattinam 336, Thanjavur - 256, Hosur - 190 and Viruddhnagar - 78. -PTI
Housing sale down 4% in 8 cities in '15; 6.9L unsold NEW DELHI: Housing sales fell by 4 per cent to 2,63,720 units last year, lowest since 2010, in the eight major cities of the country on account of demand slowdown in the real estate market despite interest rate cut by the RBI. The National Capital Region (NCR) continued to be the worst performing market in India with sales and launches at six year low, property consultant Knight Frank said in its report. Launches of new homes fell by 21 per cent in 2015 at 2,44,944 units in the primary market of eight major cities - NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
Baijal said: "2015 for Indian real estate had both the good and bad news. While the office market grew from strength to strength, residential did not perform as expected." Residential segment continued to face slowdown with launches at a five year low, despite the festive season. "Sales in 2015 were lower than 2014 levels. Despite the 125 bps rate cut by RBI, demand did not see an uptake. Our outlook for 2016 remains muted. To further revive the demand, it is important to transmit the benefits of the rate cuts to consumers," Baijal said. In the Delhi-NCR market, hous-
The unsold inventories have declined marginally to 6.91 lakh units from nearly 7.15 lakh units in 2014. Developers would take more than 2.5 years to exhaust this unsold stock. Commenting on the report, Knight Frank India CMD Shishir
ing sales fell marginally to 48,503 units in 2015 from 48,630 units in the previous year. However, launches of new homes fell by 20 per cent to 63,458 units in NCR. The unsold inventory in NCR stands at 2.06 lakh units at the end of 2015. -PTI
Make housing help permanent: Property owner fighting to NJ senator Cont’d from page 36
But now, the state says it wants to assign nonprofit groups to act as case managers for those residents and try to foster them into permanent housing options. A state Department of Human Services spokeswoman said this week that because the change kicked in only this month there's no data yet on exactly what it has meant for residents. Sweeney and anti-poverty advocates say the new approach is not fully running and some people have lost their subsidies, rendering them homeless. It's not clear how many people may have been affected so far. But Melissa DeBartolo, director of the Bergen County Community Mental Health Law Project, said she has had clients lose their homes already. One, she
said, has children and could lose them as a result. Sweeney said that apart from causing a humanitarian problem, homelessness hurts taxpayers
Democrat Steve Sweeney
because chronically homeless people often run up big bills for hospitalizations and other costs ultimately paid with public money. The Republican governor's office has been heralding its commitment to reducing
homelessness, including by forming a group to address the issue. The administration noted that homelessness in the state has dropped by more than one-fourth since he took office in 2010. Murray said in an email that the administration is making sure that people who need housing will get it, saying that more than 1,000 vouchers are being granted for permanent housing for people with special needs. Christie took office just as the Great Recession was ending, and since then the state's economy has grown, though more slowly than most states. -AP
get to own land Cont’d from page 36
John Jeffries, 74, knew Daniel, his great- grandfather, who died at nearly 100 in 1956. Jeffries said he doesn't want to develop the land. He might sell it. Or just enjoy it for his memories of tramping around, fishing and hunting there as a child. But right now he can't even get to the property because he doesn't own any access through the property that surrounds his parcel. Because of that, Jeffries hasn't seen the land in decades. ``It's like a mist out there somewhere,'' he said. To Guilford County tax collectors, however, the land is very real, and every year they send Jeffries a bill for about $500. So after more than 50 years of
paying tax on this land, the siblings have stopped writing checks. Before then, Jeffries, retired from the U.S. Postal Service, said he hired lawyers, real-estate agents and spent his own time trying to find somebody at the city or county who could help him gain access. Any access. He doesn't want a big paved road, he said, just something like a small driveway. But nothing ever was accomplished. Something happened in early January, however. That's when he got a notice from Guilford County to pay $1,508 or face the possibility of foreclosure. That hangs over Jeffries even as he found out that Greensboro's Engineering & Inspections Department wants to talk to him about possible ways to get to his property. -AP
February 5, 2016
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Datebook
February 5, 2016
NEW JERSEY Upcoming Sat, Feb 13 • Ishqwala Love Valentines Day Grand Gala Dinner Venue: RASOI III, 620 Geoges Road, Manmouth JN, NJ 08852 Time: 6:00 pm
Sun, Feb 14 • BYOB Valentines Day Party & Couple Pageant Venue: Fame Bolloywood Studio (Next to Krauser's Food Store), 488 Oak Tree Ave, South Plainfield, NJ 07080 Time: 5:00 pm
Sun, Feb 28 • NJTS 2016 Annual Membership Venue: New jersey Tamil Sangam, 30 Ginger Dr, NJ 08837 Time : 9:00 pm
NEW YORK
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Upcoming
Upcoming
Wed, Feb 10 • Papa CJ Naked at Carolines Venue: Carolines on Broadway, 1626 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 Time : 7:00 pm Contact: 646-481-1687
Fri, Feb 12 • “Valentine Bash 2016” with “Mastani” Venue: India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 7:00 pm
Sat, Feb 13 • Harry Malhotras Valentines Party Venue: Antun's by Minar, 244 W Old Country Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801 Time : 8:00 pm Contact: 917-325-4903
Contact: 510-673-0153
Sat, Feb 13 • “Surati Ponk – Undhiyu” Ujjani 2016 Venue: Shreemaya Krishnadham, 25, Corning Ave, Milpitas, CA 95035
Mon, Feb 29
Time: 05:30 pm
• Sulekha Seating
Contact: 408-586-0006
Venue: Tester Venue, 123 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036 Time : 1:00 pm
Sun, Feb 14 • Valentine Party 2016 with Evelyn Sharma in Milpitas Venue: India Community Center,, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 7:30 pm
Sun, Feb 28 • 2016 Annual passes
India Post 39
CHICAGO
Upcoming
ILLINOIS Upcoming
Sat, Feb 13 • Valentine, Candle Light Dinner, DJ, Couple Photo Shoot and Games.
1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's
Venue: Dosa bawarchi, 1380 South Main
Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807
Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 650 669 0281
Sun, Feb 14 • Valentine’s Night Venue: Center At Twenty Three Hundred, 2300 Sierra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95825 Time: 05:00 pm Contact: 4087186678
ATLANTA Upcoming Sat, Feb 13 • Big Valentines Extravaganza Venue: Atlanta Event Hall, 3750 Venture Drive, Duluth, GA 30096 Time: 9:00 pm
Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes
Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105
Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105
Swami Ishatmananda
Street, San Jose, CA 95110
Sun, Feb 14 • Gujarati Samaj of Atlanta Valentine Party
Time: 4:00 pm
Venue: Sardar Patel Bhavan, 5331 Royal
Contact: 408-252-1359
Woods Pkwy, Tucker, GA 30084
Venue: Public Library-95th Street 3015 Cedar Glade Rd Naperville IL 60564 Time: 1st friday of every month 7-8 pm Contact: 630-637-0662
Venue: CET Anthony Soto Theater, 701,Vine
Time: 3:00 pm
Fri, Mar 4 • Pankaj Udhas Live In Concert - Bay Area Venue: India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA 9503 Time: 8:30 pm
Fri, Mar 11 • Purani Yaadein Bollywood Musical Journey Venue: Atlanta Event Hall, 3750 Venture Dr, Duluth, GA 30096 Time: 08:30 pm
• Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life
• India Eternal: From the Vedic Age to the Present Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago 10915 N. Main Street Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 630-655-8822
40 India Post
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ulmarg means "the meadow of flowers" and the place is indeed a picturesque lo cation. Known for its unparalleled beauty, Gulmarg's virgin forests are a welcoming sight for tourists. The lush green slopes, their silence broken by the occasional tinkling of cowbells, have been the locale for several films. The rich verdure with the snow-capped tips provides an ideal ambience for the skiing and winter sports. Located in the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir, Gulmarg is in the Baramulla district, 57 km southwest
February 5, 2016
from the capital city of Srinagar. It is perched at an altitude of 2730 meters above sea level and is not very far from the Indo-Pakistan border. It has a gently sloping topography generally identified with European skiing of the 1940s and 1950s. Adventure Sports: For the adventure seekers Gulmarg is the ultimate destination for skiing. You may easily hire the skis and sticks, snow boots, woolen socks, mufflers, windproof jackets, goggles, and caps. With all the equipment and the Ski in-
structors at hand it is the best bet to enjoy the holidays at Gulmarg. The skiing season at Gulmarg is from November to February. The slopes in Gulmarg varying between 8,700 and 10,500 feet make the ski runs the highest in India. It is noteworthy that Gulmarg is the only heli-skiing resort in Asia. Even the amateurs can enjoy with the ski lifts and the chair lifts. Gulmarg also boasts of a gorgeous green golf course that happens to be the world's highest too. You may even hire the golf sets from Gulmarg. The Golf Club offers shortterm memberships to the players. Cont’d on page 42
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Police verification after issue of passport NEW DELHI: Aiming for faster delivery of passports, the government has said that police verification will take place after the travel document is issued, provided certain identity documents are submitted at the time of filing application. It is part of government's efforts to improve and liberalize police verification procedure for passport issuance. "...henceforth normal passport applications of all first time applicants furnishing Aadhaar, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), Permanent Account Number (PAN) and an affidavit will be processed on post-police verification basis, enabling faster issue of passport, without payment of any additional fees," a statement issued by the MEA said. It said the passport will be issued subject to successful online validation of Aadhaar number. EPIC and PAN card may also be validated, if required, from the respective databases.
In August last year, government had already said that no police verification was required for reissue of passports. The External Affairs Ministry has also launched an 'mPassport Police Application' for speedy sub-
system digitally. "With the launch of this App, the need to download and print the physical personal particulars form and questionnaire would no longer be required resulting in paperless end-to-end digital flow
mission of police verification report. The App would facilitate the field level verification officers to directly capture the report into the
of the process, further reducing the time required for completion of verification, within the desired time limit of 21 days," the release said.PTI
E-tickets booking only six times a month NEW DELHI: Come February 15, passengers can book train tickets online only six times a month instead of existing 10 on Indian Railways' e-ticketing website. Under the existing system of online booking, one can book tickets on Indian Railway Cater-
ing and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website 10 times a month but from February 15, it will be reduced to six times, a senior Railway Ministry official said. This has been done to prevent any possible misuse of online booking facility as it has been felt that a genuine passenger does not require to book tickets online for more than six times in a month, he said. According to an analysis of usage of quota of booking 10 tick-
ets in a month, it indicated that 90 per cent of users were booking up to six tickets in a given month and only 10 per cent were booking more than six, he said, adding that it is suspected that the 10 per cent users might be involved in touting activities. Therefore, to deter such touts and to facilitate genuine users, it has been decided that a maximum of six tickets can be booked by an individual user in a month, said the official. The IRCTC has already put in place various checks for the online booking on its website like only two tickets can be booked by an individual using his or her user-id in a day for advance reservation booking from 8 AM to
10 AM. Individuals are allowed to book only two tickets per user-id in a day for Tatkal booking from 10 AM to 12 noon. Quick Book option also remains disabled from 8 AM to 12 noon. All ticketing agents have been barred from booking tickets from 8 AM to 8.30 AM for general bookings, from 10 AM to 10.30 AM and 11 AM to 11.30 AM for Tatkal booking in AC and non-AC classes respectively. Booking is not allowed through e-wallet and cash cards from 8 AM to 12 noon. There is only one booking in one user login session except for return/onward journey between 8 AM to 12 noon.-PTI
Niagara dewatering on US side planned NIAGARA FALLS, NY: State officials are holding a public hearing to discuss plans for replacing 115-year-old bridges linking the mainland to islands near the brink of Niagara Falls. Those plans could include dewatering the American side of the falls by building a cofferdam to redirect the flow of the Niagara River to the Canadian side of the falls. A report issued in October by
the state parks and transportation departments said the two concrete arch bridges need to be replaced. The bridges are within Niagara Falls State Park. They provide pedestrian access to Goat Island for millions of visitors each year. The replacement project could include reducing the water flow on the American side of the falls to a trickle while construction is underway.-AP
GoAir first to operate night flight to Port Blair MUMBAI: The Wadia grouppromoted GoAir has become the first domestic airline to operate night flights to Port Blair's Veer Savarkar International Airport with the roll out of a commercial charter flight from Bengaluru. GoAir's maiden commercial charter flight G8 1291 took off from Bengaluru at around 2315 hours on January 20 and landed at Port Blair airport at 0150 hours the next day, the airline said in a release. As part of its charter operations, GoAir will operate a total of 14
"We are pleased to be the first airline to commence night operations to Port Blair apart from being the first airline to offer non-stop daily flights connecting Bengaluru-Port Blair in the wake of growing demand on these sectors. We hope holiday travelers would find the new flights attractive and convenient," GoAir Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang ProckSchauer said. According to the airline, effective March 27 and as per its new summer schedule, GoAir will also
night flights on the sector till March, it said. Of these, three night flights will be operated this month, five in February and six in March, it said, adding that all flights will arrive at Port Blair from Bengaluru at 0150 hours (past midnight) and depart for Bengaluru from Port at 2.20 am.
start operating its first ever daily direct flights to Port Blair from Bengaluru. Additionally, GoAir will also connect Port Blair to key domestic markets through various morning/ night flights and viable transfer options from different locations, the airline said.-PTI
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Gulmarg also offers some excellent opportunities for long walks. In case you take up the outer circle walk you can enjoy the pine forests and wonderful vistas. The beauty of the Kashmir valley will not fail to mesmerize you. Then there are the Nanga Parbat and the Haramukh that you may explore. Past: The British discovered the hill resort of Gulmarg in 1927 during their colonial rule in India. Tourist attractions: From Gulmarg, a pony track leads upwards to Khilanmarg, Kongdori and Seven Springs. It takes a couple of hours by pony, and slightly longer on foot. Khilanmarg offers an unparalleled view of the great Himalayan range. From here, across the Apharwat - the peak that looks up from this point - is Alpather Lake, a picturesque alpine lake that
remains frozen until late June. It is located at a distance of about 13 km from Gulmarg. For horse riding freaks, Alpather Lake makes an exciting day's excursion, and one has to start early morning and return by late evening. Slightly lower than Gulmarg is the shrine of Baba Reshi (a Muslim mystic saint), which is visited by people of all faiths. Best time to visit: Throughout the year (November-February for skiing). The hill resort of Gulmarg is a gorgeous place to be at throughout the year. There are winter months from November to February that are ideal for skiing. The adventurers are known to throng the hill resort as soon as the snow falls. As it is, the summer months from May to September offer pleasant weather to the tourists. The sun scorched souls from the plains flock to the hill resort as a summer retreat. How to reach Air - The nearest airport is in Srinagar. This airport is connected with major cities of the country. The nearest railhead is at Jammu.
EU passport free travel dream running out BRUSSELS: Passport-free travel and hassle-free business in Europe has never been in more danger. With more than 1 million people streaming into the European Union hoping for sanctuary or jobs, nations have erected fences, deployed troops and tightened border controls. ``What we have worked for, for so many years, we are seeing it crumbling now in front of us,'' Roberta Metsola, a leading EU lawmaker on migration, told The
Associated Press. As draconian as they might seem, most attempts to stem the migrant flow have been within the letter, if not the spirit, of the rules governing the European travel haven known as the Schengen area, a jewel in the EU's integration crown But as of mid-May, the EU is in uncharted waters. The legal options for countries like Germany, Austria and Sweden to impose ID checks on everyone who enters, including Europeans, begin to run out.
Refugees leave the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce, as they continue their journey to Serbia
``Our citizens have a right to feel safe,'' Metsola said. ``If that means that we will need to keep stock of who is crossing our borders for a specific amount of time, then we will have to do it.'' The German government has signaled it's unlikely to ease border controls on May 13, when its temporary border measures legally expire. If no other mechanism is in place by then, the Schengen rule book could effectively be suspended. Cont’d on page 43
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Arizona ski areas deep in snow from storms FLAGSTAFF, Ariz: Arizona is known for being hot in the summer, mild in the winter, for cactus and the desert, and outdoor activities like hiking and golf. Here's one that tends to go under the radar: Skiing. That's right, skiing. And not just a rope tow for kids to take a five-second ride down to the family land. Massive mountains that appear to be plucked out of the Colorado Rockies. Multiple chair lifts, even a quad or two. Runs ranging from conveyor-belt beginners to tree skiing and hike-and-ski bowls above the tree line. ``People come to Arizona and they're shocked; they're surprised that we even have skiing,'' Arizona Snowbowl general manager J.R. Murray said. ``Then when they come and see the mountain and how great it is, they really are pleasantly surprised.'' What Arizona doesn't have is a lot of choices. The Grand Canyon State has four downhill skiing areas: Snowbowl and Elk Ridge in northern Arizona, Sunrise Park near the New Mexico state line and Mount Lemmon above Tucson. Snowbowl is the only ski area with snowmaking capabilities - it was added in 2012 - but snow
hasn't been a problem this season. After years of drought and hit or miss snow on the mountains, Arizona ski areas have reaped the benefits of El Nino as one storm
conditions with all that fresh snow,'' Murray said. ``The skiing in Arizona right now is as good as it gets.'' An added benefit is the deals that can be had.
A skier makes his way down a hill at the resort near Flagstaff, Ariz. It’s one of a few downhill ski areas in Arizona, which is better known for deserts, golf and the Grand Canyon than for snowy winter activities.
after another has moved across the state. Snowbowl was 100 percent open around the Christmas holiday and had 58 inches of snow from a series of storms the second week in January, creating some ``rad'' conditions across the mountain. ``We elevated to almost epic
High season in towns like Flagstaff and Greer, where Sunrise Park is located, is in the summer, when people in the southern part of the state head north to cool off. So while hotel rates can be exorbitant down in the Valley of the Sun and Tucson, deals are there to be had in the mountains, leaving extra
International travel photo exhibition in Jaipur NEW DELHI: Larger-than-life photographs at various landmark public locales across Jaipur, such as the Hawa Mahal and Albert Hall Museum, are set to be a part of a new international travel photography exhibition beginning in the Pink City next month. The inaugural edition of the nine-day 'Travel Photo Jaipur' beginning February 5, will host exhibitions by 14 Indian and international photographers from countries including Guatemala, Japan, US, UK, Germany, Spain and Italy among others. "The festival will showcase photography related to the idea of travel a pertinent theme, in particular if we take into account that Jaipur has come to epitomize the voyage to India," Lola Mac Dougall, Artistic Director, Travel Photo Jaipur says. Mac Dougall added that the event is a "radically public way of displaying photographs." The curated selection includes photo essays that have multiple interpretations and are in essence popular.
So there are larger-than-life prints hanging from the ceilings of a train station to an abandoned art school being transformed into a site for an installation with postcards. "Visitors will not have to enter a gallery, which can be intimidating for some. We also want to show that the heritage sites are not just about the past but are relevant to contemporary culture as well and can be reinterpreted in a con-
porary context. "The residents of Jaipur, who live in one of the most visited and celebrated Indian cities, are used to being photographed. With Travel Photo Jaipur, the gaze is now reversed, and it is their turn to observe the photographic wonders of the world," says Lola. . The festival, she hopes will not only celebrate good photography but also serve as a platform for debate on the subject.
temporary context," says Lola. Organizers say they want to show that heritage sites are not just about the past but are relevant to contemporary culture as well and can be reinterpreted in a contem-
Film screenings and talks nine internationally recognized photography specialists (curators, academic, book-makers, photo-editors and photographers) are part of the festival line-up. -PTI
money to ski multiple days or dinner. ``You really can get some great deals,'' Murray said. A quick rundown of the downhill ski areas in Arizona:
Vertical drop: 1,800 feet (550 meters) Lift tickets: $66 adult, $56 child. Half day $52/$44. Season: November-April. Snowmaking: No.
ARIZONA SNOWBOWL Location: Flagstaff, about two hours north of Phoenix. Size: five lifts (a high-speed lift will be added for next season) and two conveyors, 32 trails. Terrain: 37 percent beginner, 42 intermediate, 21 advanced, including a hike-to-ski-bowl above the tree line. Base elevation: 9,200 feet (2,800 meters) Vertical drop: 2,300 feet (700 meters) Lift tickets: $69 adult, $59 teen, $39 child. Half day, $55/$45/$39. Season: November-April. Snowmaking: Yes.
MOUNT LEMMON SKI VALLEY Location: Just east of Tucson. Size: Three lifts, 22 trails. Terrain: 23 percent beginner, 41 intermediate, 36 advanced. Base elevation: 8,200 feet (2,500 meters). Vertical drop: 950 feet (289 meters). Lift tickets: $40 adult, $20 child. Half day $35/$15. Season: December-April. Snowmaking: No.
SUNRISE PARK RESORT Location: Greer, near the Arizona/New Mexico state line; about four hours from Phoenix, just under four from Albuquerque. Size: 10 lifts, 65 trails. Terrain: 40 percent beginner, 40 intermediate, 20 advanced. Base elevation: 9,200 feet (2,800 meters)
ELK RIDGE Location: Williams, about 30 minutes west of Flagstaff. Size: Two lifts, 12 trails. Terrain: 30 percent beginner, 50 intermediate, 20 advanced. Base elevation: 7,500 feet (2,286 meters). Vertical drop: 600 feet (183 meters) Lift tickets: $30 adult, $25 kids. Half day $25/$20. Season: December-March. Snowmaking: No.-AP
EU passport free travel dream running out Cont’d from page 42
Most EU nations blame Greece for this. Some 850,000 people arrived there last year, many to the Greek islands after a short but often treacherous sea journey in smugglers' boats from Turkey. Aid groups estimate that Greece has shelter for barely 10,000 people; a little over one percent of those who need it. The Greek coastguard is totally overwhelmed. Managing the country's vast maritime border would challenge even an experienced government with a fully equipped public service. Greece, at the moment, is also consumed with a crippling economic crisis. But, Metsola said, ``there is a lack of knowledge as to who is coming in and who is going out, and that automatically increases fear and increases the security concerns.'' Most migrants don't want to stay in Greece. Many hope to find sanctuary in Germany or Sweden, and these countries and their neighbors say they will have to impose border controls if Greece can't or won't.
``It's clear that if we can't secure the European borders - that means the Greek-Turkish border then the Schengen border will move to central Europe,'' Austrian Interior Minister Johanna MiklLeitner said. With Schengen under threat, few palatable options are available and time is running out. The EU's executive Commission is preparing a plan that could allow border checks in some countries to be extended for up to two years. But the plan might take three months to introduce, which effectively means the Commission has about two weeks to get its work done, according to EU officials. EU leaders would debate the plan at a summit starting on Feb. 18. The move involves establishing that there is ``a serious and persistent deficiency'' at one or more of Europe's borders to the outside world. A status report on Greece is being drafted. If a large majority of the EU's 28 nations support it, border controls could be introduced for all people entering the rest of the Schengen zone from Greece, including Greek citizens.-AP
In Brief Immigrant business community is growing NEW BEDFORD, Mass.: Wessam Mohamed said that last June, he decided within a day to leave his life behind in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the shores of the Red Sea, and move to America permanently. ``I decided to leave everything there in 24 hours,'' Mohamed said last week. ``My food is still in the refrigerator there.'' Mohamed, now co-owner of Wessam Variety Store on Acushnet Avenue in the North End, said at the time, he was a financial manager for an international electronics corporation. His boss offered to leave Mohamed's position open for several weeks, in case he changed his mind and wanted to return. But Mohamed, standing behind his convenience store's counter with his wife, Safaa Mahmoud, and recalling that time just seven months ago, said his mind was made up immediately, and his decision was firm. ``No,'' Mohamed told his boss. ``I will not come back again.'' That statement is proving true, at least so far. Wessam, 40, and Safaa, 39 - opened their variety store in late November, on Acushnet Avenue near Shaw Street. Although Wessam's former job took him across the Middle East, he and Safaa are natives of Cairo, Egypt. Safaa was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer last June, sparking Wessam's sudden, permanent move to the U.S. She has family in New Bedford and has lived here for seven or eight years, raising their four children: three boys, 13, 10 and 5, and one girl, 7.
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700 immigrant children staying at Holloman base ALAMOGORDO, N.M.: About 700 immigrant children from Central America are now staying at Holloman Air Force Base. KOAT-TV reports that the children arrived in Alamogordo last Sunday. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter directed Holloman Air Force Base to be the first of three temporary shelters to open in New Mexico, Colorado and Florida. The children are being housed in a vacant building on base previously used by the 4th Space Surveillance Squadron. The children are between the ages of 14 and 17 and are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Officials say they will likely not stay on the base more than a month. -AP
Immigration
Immigration is high-priority issue for NH voters
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Details on page 46
Homesick & fed up, Iraqi refugees in Germany head home BERLIN: It's a change of heart that Iraqi immigrant Sekvan Agho never saw coming. Agho was among the wave of nearly 1.1 million asylum-seekers who came to Germany last year seeking a new life, making his way from his native Iraq to Turkey, then across the seas to Greece before tramping north and eventually making it to Berlin. The thousandmile journey is grueling - borders to cross, smugglers to pay, trains and buses to scramble for a seat on and miles in-between to trudge on foot in all sorts of weather. Yet only three months later, the 26-year-old stood in line at the German capital's Tegel Airport, his newly-issued, yellow one-timeuse Iraqi passport in hand, getting ready to head home to Kurdistan on an Iraqi Airlines flight. Agho said Germans treated him well, but the country just wasn't what he expected. The daily drudgery and boredom as he waited for his asylum request to be processed also didn't help. ``I'm not saying that Germany is not nice. It is nice, but it's for European people,'' he told The Associated Press before getting on board his flight.
Agho is one of a small but steady stream of asylum-seekers who are voluntarily returning home. As Germany struggles to cope with the sheer number of wouldbe refugees who entered last year, the government has been encouraging people to return home on
asylum cases due to conflict in their homelands. Nearly 122,000 Iraqis arrived in 2015 and only 724 went home. Similarly, 309 Afghans voluntarily went home, as did 148 Pakistanis, though only seven Somalis and 13 Syrians chose to return to their restive nations.
Hussein Hotuman from Iraq, holds his travel documents at the 'Golf Reisen' (Gulf Travels) travel agency of Alaa Hadrous in Berlin, Germany. Homesick and tired of waiting for Germany’s backlogged bureaucracy, a steady stream of Iraqis are heading home on their own.
their own, and 37,220 did so last year. All but about 5,000 of those, however, were from Balkan nations with little hope that their asylum request would be granted. Others have much stronger
Iraqi Airlines spokeswoman Andesha Karim said about 40 of the 180 passengers on the weekly Wednesday flight from Berlin to the Iraqi city of Erbil were asylumseekers who had decided to head
home. She said the airline sees about the same numbers each week, and also on flights from Duesseldorf to Erbil and from Frankfurt to Baghdad. Hameed Majeed, who sells tickets to the flights directly at the airport and also from his travel agency in Berlin, said asylum-seekers typically pick up temporary travel papers from the Iraqi Embassy, then head directly to the flight home. ``If they wait, then that means that they have to live another week in an asylum home and they have no patience,'' he said. Majeed said he hadn't heard of asylum-seekers returning home because they felt treated badly or feared attacks by the far-right, more that their expectations were so high that many grew quickly disillusioned as they found themselves dealing with backlogged bureaucracy with hundreds of thousands of others, put up in temporary housing and unable to work or go to school. Germany has been working to streamline those processes, although is still struggling to deal with the unexpectedly vast number of people who arrived last year. Cont'd on Page 45
Indian-Americans' committee to support Trump WASHINGTON: Hailing Donald Trump as US' "best hope", a group of Indian-Americans has formed a political action committee to campaign for the Republican presidential frontrunner and asserted that the community would benefit the most from his policies. 'Indian-Americans for Trump 2016', which was registered as a political action committee (PAC) on January 21 with the federal election commission, is aimed at garnering support of IndianAmericans to have Trump become the next US President. "On realizing that the agenda of Donald J Trump for President 2016 is focused on reviving the American economy, rightly bringing America on the world stage, defeating terrorism and estab-
lishing peace through strength; many Indian-Americans believe that he is the best hope for America
Donald Trump
and the right candidate to be the next president of the United States," the PAC said in a statement. "The officers of the Indian-
Americans for Trump 2016 urge all Americans to join in the effort and support Donald Trump in his Endeavour to make America great again by electing him the next President of the USA," it said. The PAC said A D Amar, a business professor with Seton Hall University in New Jersey has been elected as its president while New York-based attorney Anand Ahuja will be its vice president. The Trump Campaign, which so far has been vocal against PAC culture in the country and has said that he is self-funding the election, did not comment immediately on
the formation of the 'Indian American for Donald Trump 2016'. "This is only the first step. We are on the side of Trump for this election," Amar told PTI after the announcement. "We believe that Trump would be the nominee of the Republican party and he would be the president on the United States," he said. Amar said at this moment Trump is the best for the United States and Indian-Americans. He cited Trump's policies on illegal immigration and economy in particular as the main reasons for the Indian Americans to support him. "Indian Americans would benefit the most from his policies," Amar said. -PTI
Immigration Post
February 5, 2016
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Marco Rubio urges against Etihad Airways offers special fares mass deportation MUSCATINE, Iowa: Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio has said that if he is elected president, he will not look to deport 12 million people in the U.S. illegally, and will instead propose solutions to accommodate those who have no criminal record. In an interview with The Associated Press, Rubio, campaigning in Iowa ahead of the state's leadoff presidential caucuses, said that the realistic approach to America's problems with illegal immigration is to round up only criminals, while finding ways to accommodate the rest. "We're not going to round up and deport 12 million people,"
who have lived in the U.S. "for a defined period of time." If passed, provide authorization for anyone in the U.S. illegally to get a 10-year work permit. "We're not going to force it down their throat," he said in the interview, later remarking to journalists: "You have to learn English. You have to pay a huge fine. You have to start paying taxes. You get a work permit. And that's what you'll have for at least 10 years. That's my idea." Immigration has become a critical issue for Florida's freshman senator, who co-wrote a lengthy 2013 immigration bill that detailed a path to citizenship for many of
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Burlington, Iowa.
Rubio said, speaking on his campaign bus from eastern Iowa. "Criminals can't stay. Felons, people who are dangerous - they are not staying." "But we're going to deal with the people that are here," he added. Addressing reporters later, Rubio noted that the approach he sees as feasible is to administer a background check for individuals
the 11 million immigrants in the country illegally. The legislation passed in the Senate on a bipartisan vote but ended up dying in the House. Rubio has since distanced himself from the sweeping bill, saying he wants to secure the border before dealing with the millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. At the Fox News GOP debate, Rubio and former Florida Gov. Jeb
Bush squared off over immigration policy. Rubio said he never supported a pathway to citizenship for people in the country illegally. Former Gov. Jeb Bush asserted that Rubio did. Rubio was challenged to defend his past statements as a candidate for Senate where he opposed "blanket amnesty," but then went on to lead a bipartisan Senate group that would have allowed people to seek citizenship after a series of other requirements. Speaking to reporters, Rubio explained that "blanket amnesty" means "anyone here would be granted legalization or citizenship" and that the American people should decide what criteria should determine who can and cannot stay. Accusations of flip-flopping ensued throughout the debate. In his closing argument to Iowa voters, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz cast himself as the only true conservative who can be trusted to keep his word, especially on immigration. At a restaurant in Ringsted, Iowa, Cruz drew sharp contrasts between Rubio and national frontrunner Donald Trump. Cruz, fighting to retake his December lead in Iowa, took a swipe at Rubio, saying he campaigned for the U.S. Senate in 2010 by opposing amnesty for immigrants living in the country illegally, but then flipped his position after being elected. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose presidential campaign rests largely on how well he does in the Feb. 9 New Hampshire primary, charged both Rubio and Cruz with both changing their positions on immigration. "Neither of them will admit it," Christie said during an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe. -AP
Homesick & fed up, Iraqi refugees in Germany head home Cont'd from Page 44
``They came here with a big dream, and then go to an asylum home and see it's a gym with 300 people,'' Majeed said. ``They're disappointed.'' That disappointment is keenly felt. Hussein Hotuman, 27, lost his job as a tailor in Iraq after his company shut down and said he came to Germany hoping to start over. He had plans to go to school,
work, and eventually start his own business. Yet only one month in, however, he decided to head home on the same flight as Agho. ``A lot of people I met have been here for more than a year and haven't had any opportunity,'' he said. ``I couldn't wait that long.'' Agho said his epic journey across the continent was worth it even though it didn't work out. ``It was my heart's desire to come to Europe. I've seen it, and that's it,''
he said, adding that he planned to go back to serving in the Kurdish government's Peshmerga militia forces when he returns. Agho said his parents had to wire him 370 euros ($404) to purchase his one-way ticket home as he'd been unable to earn any money while in Germany. Still he considered the money well spent. ``As soon as I'm back on Kurdish soil, I'll kiss the ground,'' he said. -AP
MUMBAI: Gulf carrier Etihad Airways in association with partner airline Jet Airways has offered special business and economy class all-inclusive return fares for international travel across its global network from India via its Abu Dhabi hub. The tickets under the low-fare offer can be booked till January 31 for travel from February 1 to December 31, Etihad said in a release. From 14 gateway cities in India, passengers travelling with Etihad Airways and Jet Airways in business and economy class can choose from a wide choice of
Etihad Airways' extensive network, enabling them to take advantage of great fares and enjoy a world-class travel experience on board our modern fleet of aircraft," Etihad Airways' Vice President for India and Sub-Continent Neerja Bhatia said. According to release, while the minimum economy class fares of Rs 40,289 offered by Etihad Airways are for Frankfurt, the maximum fares Rs 66,037 are for the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. Similarly, the minimum fares offered for business class stands at Rs 90,576 for Rome while the
While the minimum economy class fares of Rs 40,289 offered by Etihad Airways are for Frankfurt, the maximum fares Rs 66,037 are for the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, North and South America, it said. The airline has offered these low-fares for global destinations such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Sao Paulo, Frankfurt, London, Rome, Nairobi, Johannesburg, among others. "This is an exciting opportunity for guests from our gateway cities in India looking to travel to destinations around the world on
maximum fares, Rs 1,67,785, are for the airline's San Francisco flight. Travelers to the US have the additional benefit of clearing US Immigration and Customs at the US Pre-Clearance facilities at Abu Dhabi International Airport during their transit, the airline said. This ensures they arrive in the United States as domestic passengers and avoid the need to complete immigration formalities upon arrival, it added. -PTI
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Immigration is high-priority issue for NH voters BROOKLINE, N.H.: People in New Hampshire live nearly 2,400 miles from El Paso, Texas, one of the busiest crossings on America's Southern border. And it's only home to about 10,000 people living illegally in the U.S. - a far cry from states like California, Texas or Florida. Yet, illegal immigration is a paramount concern to New Hampshire voters, and Republican presidential candidates are being faced with tough questions from voters in this small, mostly white, state on how they will handle the issue if elected. While GOP front-runner Donald Trump has called for a wall across the Southern border, many voters in this early voting state are searching for more in-depth solutions to the country's immigration shortfalls. They characterize their concerns with illegal immigration as a case of fundamental fairness combined with national security or economic concerns. Of the 1.3 million people living in New Hampshire, roughly 94 percent of them are white, according to 2014 census data. Just 3.3 percent of the state's population is Hispanic or Latino, compared to 17 percent nationwide, while about 5 percent is foreign-born, compared to 13 percent nationally. New Hampshire voters will head to the polls Feb. 9 for the country's second primary season contest.
But Bob Belanger, a voter from Brookline who recently challenged Marco Rubio on the subject during a campaign stop, said immigration concerns among New Hampshire residents do not equate to xenophobia. ``People tend to think that we are anti-immigrant, but we're not,'' he said. ``We are all immigrants, for crying out loud. We just want to know who's coming in the front door of our country. That's all.'' Belanger, 57, said he's proud of his immigrant family's heritage. He carries around his grandfather's green card. His grandfather was Canadian; his grandmother was originally from Ireland. He works for a New Hampshire-based manufacturing firm that builds piping for companies all over the region and the world, and says immigration personally affects him from an economic perspective. He believes those working here illegally drive down wages and benefits. ``Whether it's roofers or whether it's welders, it affects me even when they are in Texas or California,'' he said. ``We are in a global economy.'' Belanger, like many voters here, said he's looking for a more substantial solution than building a wall and deporting everyone who lives here illegally, as Trump proposes. Speaking with Rubi, Belanger
sition to granting legal status to people already in the U.S. before securing the border. ``Until you prove to people that illegal immigration is under control, not just pass a law, until they actually see it's working, they are not going to support doing anything for the people here illegally,'' he said. Rubio has made immigration a central part of his stump speech, but other candidates including Jeb Bush and Chris Christie are frequently asked about border security and immigration reform in town hall Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, Rmeetings. Fla., talks with Bob Belanger, from Brookline, N.H., after a John Kasich campaign stop at a welding company in Brookline. was recently hired illegals or to secure the bor- asked by a voter in Concord what he would do to ``deport'' everyder. ``We were sold a bill of goods one living here illegally. His anwhere we allowed amnesty for mil- swer: ``I wouldn't.'' Cindy Coutu, a Bedford voter, lions of people and then we secured the border,'' he told Rubio. said immigration is one of her top ``The Congress never secured the three concerns, partly for security reasons, partly due to fairness. borders.'' ``We have people that are Rubio, Florida's junior senator, agreed and emphasized his oppo- leaching off of our system,'' she said. ``People that are here illegally are receiving benefits without having worked for it, that's bothersome to me.'' Regardless of voters' reasons said he's concerned about any immigration reform that looks similar to a plan passed in 1986 under Ronald Reagan. Back then, nearly 3 million people were granted legal status, but the federal government failed, as promised in the law, to crack down on employers who
3 Indian-Americans sentenced for visa fraud NEW YORK: Three IndianAmericans have been sentenced by a US court to terms ranging from six months of home confinement to a year in jail for involvement in a USD 7-million student visa fraud scheme. The Manhattan court sentenced Suresh Hiranandaney, Lalit Chabria and Anita Chabria - all relatives - in the over USD 7.4-million fraud. US District Judge Paul Oetken sentenced Hiranandaney and Chabria to one year and a day in prison, while Anita was sentenced to six months of home confinement. The three were also found guilty of having roles in a student financial-aid fraud scheme in which they defrauded the Department of Education of USD 1 million in grant funds. "Suresh Hiranandaney, Lalit Chabria, and Anita Chabria exploited our nation's financial aid and foreign student visa pro-
grams, engaging in a long-running fraud scheme that generated millions of dollars," US Attorney Preet Bharara said. "The defendants greedily took advantage of programs meant to help people get a higher education, and in the process, commit-
"The defendants greedily took advantage of programs meant to help people get a higher education, and in the process, committed federal crimes," the Indianorigin attorney said. ted federal crimes," the Indian-origin attorney said. In addition to the prison and home confinement sentences, the
three were ordered to forfeit USD 7,440,000 to the US from the proceeds of their student visa fraud, and pay USD 1 million in restitution to Department of Education for losses from their student financial aid fraud. According to court documents, the three were associated with the Micropower Career Institute (MCI), or the Institute for Health Education (IHE), both of which offered vocational, language, and other classes to domestic students whose tuition was partially covered by Department of Education, and foreign students who were allowed to stay in the US on student visas. Hiranandaney was MCI's president; his brother-in-law Lalit was MCI's chief executive officer and IHE's president; and Anita, the sister of Hiranandaney and wife of Lalit, was MCI's vice president and the director of MCI's Mineola Campus in Mineola, New York. PTI
for seeing immigration as a top concern, former state Republican Party chairman Fergus Cullen said the state's low level of diversity makes it an ``abstract'' issue for many voters here. Because voters here don't confront immigration on a daily basis, Cullen said their views on the issue may run along ideological or theoretical lines. Cullen now leads a non-profit that promotes immigration reform, called Americans by Choice. ``The fact is, in New Hampshire you don't see large Spanishspeaking populations,'' he said. ``And I think that matters.'' But that doesn't prevent some New Hampshire voters from expressing concerns. Kathy and Brian Hybsch, of Auburn, said immigration has become their ``number 1'' issue, primarily for national security reasons. After terrorist attacks last year in Paris and San Bernardino, California, many of the Republican candidates began framing immigration as, first and foremost, an issue of security. Most of the Republican candidates support a temporary halt on refugees coming into the country from Syria, and Trump took the calls further, saying the country should stop letting in Muslims. Kathy, who said she is a Trump supporter, said she doesn't consider herself anti-immigrant but agrees with the proposals. ``It might not have made sense 20 years ago,'' she said, ``but it's not 20 years ago.'' -AP
Immigrant business community is growing Cont'd from Page 44
Wessam said when he was working in the Middle East, he would visit Safaa and the children every three or four months, for about 10 days each time. Safaa's diagnosis changed that pattern. ``I came here to be with her,'' Wessam said. Corinn Williams, executive director of the Community Economic Development Center (CEDC), said Wessam and Safaa are part of a growing, diverse community of immigrant business owners along Acushnet Avenue, which is home to a commercial corridor known as the ``international marketplace.'' Driving up The Avenue, Williams and CEDC small business specialist Ken Rapoza pointed out
numerous new or expanding businesses: a sneaker store opened by Dominican men; a Guatemalan bakery that makes bread for Market Basket; a Puerto Rican bakery, ``Lorenzo's,'' slated to open in a long-vacant spot; and more. Williams said the city's infrastructure improvements and beautification projects, progressing north up Acushnet, are helping spur the growth. ``I don't know if it's quantifiable - it's more about quality of life,'' Williams said. ``I think it's really making a difference. People are finding that the mood is changing. There's more pride in the neighborhood.'' Rapoza said navigating city permitting processes and opening a new business can be daunting for anyone, and especially for immigrants. -AP
Immigration Post
February 5, 2016
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Immigration at center of Pope's visit to border REYNOSA, Mexico: The young Salvadoran woman was robbed and forced to dodge kidnappers working for a drug cartel during her four-month odyssey to this border city of belching factories and swirling dust across the Rio Grande from Texas. She hoped to be on the other side long before Pope Francis visits the region next month and delivers what promises to be a highly symbolic homily addressing immigration. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims will flock to the border to hear him speak, and America's political class will likely be listening as well. Francis' Feb. 17 Mass in Ciudad Juarez comes just eight days after the New Hampshire primaries, and three before contests in South Carolina and Nevada. Immigration has been a hotbutton campaign issue particularly among Republican hopefuls such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, who have taken an increasingly hard line with Trump vowing to deport the more than 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally and Cruz aiming to end birthright citizenship for their U.S.born children. It is also an issue close to Francis' heart, and while analysts doubt he will wade too blatantly into the political thicket, his very presence along the border speaking on the issue will turn heads. ``Migration is a complicated situation and he's not going to ignore the demands of national sovereignty ... (but) he's calling for a more open and generous approach,'' said Tom Quigley, former Latin America policy adviser for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. ``You can't assume that he's going to say `You all come,' but he will clearly be urging the
United States government, implicitly at least, to find ways of addressing the reasons why people are leaving El Salvador and Honduras and other countries.'' For the Salvadoran woman, who gave only her last name, Miranda, all the talk makes little difference to her plans. She said she was not even aware the Pope was coming, and nothing Trump or the other candidates say can dissuade her from seeking a better life. Back home in El Salvador which last year recorded a homicide rate of 103 per 100,000 inhab-
tal in recent years. Gangs in all three countries kill with impunity, extort broad swaths of the population and recruit young people so aggressively that some stop attending school or even leaving home. Living in many parts of those countries ``is like living in a dark, dangerous, dead-end alley, and migration is a dark, dangerous tunnel - but it's a tunnel,'' said Kay Andrade Eekhoff, who works for Catholic Relief Services in El Salvador overseeing programs for atrisk Central American youth. Statistics show that many con-
Migrants wait in line to take a shower, as they sit by a U.S. map at a center that provides assistance to newly-arrived migrant families with children, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas.
itants, believed to be the highest of any country not in open war she faced death threats from hyper-violent gangs that rule entire neighborhoods largely unchallenged. ``It does not make you want to go less,'' Miranda said of the rhetoric, ``because you know that immigration is never going to stop.'' Violence is also rampant in neighboring Guatemala and Honduras, the latter of which had been the world's reigning murder capi-
tinue to risk the tunnel, despite a surge in enforcement by the U.S. and by Mexico along its own southern frontier. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says apprehensions of unaccompanied children mostly from Central America totaled 17,370 in October-December. That was up 117 percent from the same period a year earlier, while apprehensions of families rose 187 percent. Still, total detentions remain well below historic highs. Immigration and Customs En-
forcement agents on Jan. 2 began rounding up Central American immigrants who entered without permission since May 2014. Earlier this month Secretary of State John Kerry announced an expansion of a program letting Central Americans apply for refugee status before traveling north. But some say they may not qualify, or it's simply too dangerous to wait. Those in a hurry include a 20year-old man in San Salvador who was deported from the U.S. just months ago. On his last trip north, last summer, the Gulf drug cartel kidnapped and held him in Reynosa for five weeks until his family scraped together ransom. U.S. border agents later captured and sent him home. A police officer's son, he's now planning to try again after getting gang threats. ``They told me if I did not join them, something was going to happen to me or my dad,'' the man said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of gang reprisals. Francis has made the plight of migrants one of the hallmarks of his papacy, denouncing what he called the ``globalization of indifference'' toward people desperate to flee poverty and persecution. He has taken his message of compassion to Lampedusa, Italy, destination for many African migrants, and to the European Union and the United Nations. Last fall in the U.S. Congress, Francis lectured lawmakers that ``we must not be taken aback by (migrants') numbers but rather view them as persons.'' He reminded them that they, too, descended from immigrants drawn by the dream of a new future.
In Ciudad Juarez, the Argentine-born Francis plans to celebrate Mass in a huge open field on the border and then walk to the Rio Grande to salute people on the other side in a powerful show of solidarity with his Latin American compatriots. Vatican officials say he intends to address violence and drug trafficking as well. Francis will also come close to fulfilling his wish to cross the border during the U.S. visit, something that was ultimately scrapped for logistical reasons. It's a message that resonates with Sister Norma Pimentel, director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. ``They are people and we need to treat them that way,'' said Pimentel, whose work Francis has praised and who was invited to meet him in New York last year. ``They need our help, and so we welcome them to restore their dignity.'' Pimentel's center at the Sacred Heart church in McAllen receives about 100 migrants a day who have been detained, processed and released by the Border Patrol. Each adult gets an electronic monitoring anklet to ensure they make court appearances. On a recent morning, Erica Johana Garcia was breakfasting with her two children at the center before catching a bus for the final leg of their journey to Los Angeles. They left Guatemala after thugs told her 15-year-old son they would rape his 8-year-old sister if he didn't join their gang. Fingering her ankle bracelet, Garcia, 34, vowed to fight to be able to stay. ``I can't go back because I risk my children,'' she said, ``especially my son.'' -AP
Texas law on harboring immigrants challenged SAN ANTONIO: Immigrant rights attorneys filed a federal lawsuit challenging part of a Texas border security bill they say could allow state authorities to target shelters and landlords for harboring immigrants who are in the country illegally. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund is asking a judge to find unconstitutional part of the far-reaching security bill the state passed in 2015. The group suing includes two landlords who say they could be hurt by the law because they don't ask the immigration status of their tenants. Also suing is Jonathan Ryan, director of a San Antonio-based immigration legal
services center that also runs a shelter for migrants whose staff and volunteers, he says, could be subject to prosecution. Republican state Rep. Dennis Bonnen, who authored the bill in question, called the lawsuit ``frivolous'' and said the legislation was never intended to target shelters, aid workers or landlords and could not be used to do so. But Nina Perales, the lead lawyer with MALDEF, said the law is intended to target people who do business with immigrants, such as landlords, or people carrying out humanitarian work in shelters. ``There can be no explanation
for this harboring statute than to intimidate people,'' she said. ``There is no public safety function.'' Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill, known as HB 11, into law by
last year as part of an $800 million border security effort undertaken by the Legislature. Under one provision of HB 11, people who profit from, encourage or in-
duce a person to enter or stay in the country illegally ``by concealing, harboring, or shielding that person from detection'' can be charged with various felony degrees. The charges depend on the age of the immigrant and whether he or she becomes victim of sexual assault or other crimes. The bill also creates the new crime of ``continuous harboring'' of immigrants for 10 days or more. David Cruz, a San Antonio landlord who is one of the plaintiffs, called the law ``pretty broad and vague.'' The law ``could affect me if I have to be determining the residency status of my tenants,'' he said. ``I feel it's not my role.'' -AP
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Philosophy
February 5, 2016
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here is no need to drop any relationship to progress. You just need to understand your present situation - not the way the world or the other person sees it, but the way it actually is within yourself. The pains and struggles are individual, so each individual has to look at it for themselves. What type of relationship you hold with someone is your personal choice and depends on your needs. It is not because of something spiritual that you have done or someone else has done. Let's not mix up spirituality and relationships because you cannot mix them - one is inside, the other is outside. Demands & Expectations Many people in the world who went on a spiritual process shed their relationships - not because the spiritual path demands it but because they were not able to bear the demands of the relationship. The spiritual path does not demand that you shed your relationships, but relationships often demand that you shed the spiritual path. People choose to shed either this or that. Unfortunately, more people have shed their spiritual path for a relationship rather than shedding the relationship for the spiritual path. But at no time are these two in conflict with each other. Your relationship with someone or something is not in conflict with NIRMALA (DANIEL ERWAY)
Q: I am having a fear of dying. I am not so much in terror, but there seems to be many aspects to this unwinding. This facing of death I see as a significant step...possibly even the biggest step in moving beyond acting from my ego. Do you have any advice for a person facing this level of unwinding? What happened for you? How did you face this? Nirmala: As for death, I will share an anecdote. When I was about 20 (40 years ago!), I went into a deep depression and wanted to escape life by dying. Then I started having a series of out of body experiences that were quite vivid and powerful. At one point I suddenly and deeply realized that essentially nothing would actually change if I died. Whatever difficulties or problems I was experiencing would still be there wherever I landed after dying. Paradoxically, instead of overwhelming me, this realization freed me. I figured if there truly was no escape, I might as well enjoy myself. And that is what I did. Within just a few months, I went on a skiing vacation to Colo-
what you do within yourself. Only when a relationship demands that you have to be in a particular way, it becomes an obstacle. We see this happening sometimes. When someone starts meditating, initially the family is happy because the person's demands have declined, he or she seems to be peaceful and able to do things better. But as this person goes deeper into it, when he or she can just close their eyes and sit hap-
things that do not cause harm to anyone, after some time you will wonder why. From Vested Interests to Love I hold intense and involved relationships with thousands of people - various levels and dimensions of relationships. My spiritual process and my relationships do not clash in any way because they are two separate areas of life. Your relationships are on the outside. You need to manage them to
ter of the other one's life. That is why they feel threatened. People claim they believe in God. If you do, should he not always be the center? The issue is insecurity, not relationships. If the relationship is based on love, there is no issue. If the relationship is based on vested interest, when you hold people to extract certain things from them and suddenly you are not able to extract those things from them anymore, then
You cannot mix up spirituality & relationships The spiritual path does not demand that you shed your relationships, but relationships often demand that you shed the spiritual path. People choose to shed either this or that. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Spiritual relationship is far more precious than physical. Physical relationship divorced from spiritual is body without soul. -Mahatma Gandh Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life. -Buddha
pily, that's when people start having problems. If this person was going after something or someone, the spouse would know how to handle it. But now when you are just happy by yourself, people become insecure. This is the danger. So they say, "No more meditation in this house." "Okay, I will just sit quietly." "No. You must do something or talk to me or whatever. No sitting quietly." When you face restrictions about simple
the best of your ability. Your spiritual process is inward. Whether your partner is becoming spiritual or you are becoming spiritual, either way it should not clash with the relationship. The thing with the spiritual process is, once you start tasting something within yourself, that something becomes the center of your life. But most relationships are such that both people expect that he or she should be the cen-
you feel upset. Otherwise, once you are on a spiritual process, your relationship can become so much more mature and beautiful. You will not have stupid expectations about the other person. You can just treat and revere the other person as life. The most reverential aspect here is just life. So why not revere another person as life? Excerpted from Isha Forest Flower December 2015
The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises. -Leo Buscaglia
rado, went back to school to study alternative energy, and got a great job as a solar energy system designer and installer. That deep sense that death does not really matter one way or the other has stayed with me ever since. Death, whether of the body or of the ego is not very real or important. Even when the ego dissolves, life is still pretty much the
minute or move onto another thought stream, the old ego that was there a minute ago is gone. The fear of death, like most fears, is based on a misconception that there is something lost when we die. What can be lost was never real to start with, including the self of past lives, and the ego you had this morning before breakfast, and the ego after that, and so on.
tremely transient nature of our ego identities and fears, they may still arise, but they are simply seen to not be important or meaningful. You can just wave the ego flies away and bite into the fruit of life itself. Or you can be curious about the flies if you find them interesting. What a mystery it all is, including the most temporary and brief experiences in life.
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. -Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Our Generation has had no Great war, no Great Depression. Our war is spiritual. Our depression is our lives. -Chuck Palahniuk
Nothing would actually change if I died The fear of death, like most fears, is based on a misconception that there is something lost when we die. What can be lost was never real to start with, including the self of past lives same. And just as we can easily form a new body (either physical or subtle), we can reform a new ego in a heartbeat. In fact, everyone's ego actually "dies" several times a day. It is pretty easy to kill a thought stream, and that is all the ego ever really is. When we pause for a
The end of the ego is not a prescription or something we need to accomplish or make happen, it is simply a description of the way our egos have always been dying with each new thought. Egos are like fruit flies that hatch, breed and die in a few moments! When you realize the ex-
Nirmala (Daniel Erway)
Excerpted from Nirmala's Blog on Endless-Satsang.com. Nirmala is a spiritual teacher. After experiencing a profound spiritual awakening in India, he began offering satsang and Nondual Spiritual Mentoring with the blessing of Neelam, his teacher.
The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical. -Julius Erving Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. -Martin Luther King, Jr.
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1234567890123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901 Deepak Dobriyal, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Shreya Narayan, 1234567890123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901 Dr. Romesh Japra and Prashantt Guptha in Mumbai
India Post News Service
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MUMBAI: After the stupendous success of his grand international event in August 2015, Dr. Romesh Japra, Convenor Festival of Globe Silicon Valley (FOGSV), eminent cardiologist and philanthropist, descended upon Mumbai to throw a pre-festival bash and mingle with the stars, investors and media of tinsel town. Actors Deepak Dobriyal, Rajniesh Duggal, Shreya Narayan, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Flora Saini and FOG Indian Ambassador Prashantt Guptha were present along with
Taran Adarsh, Girish Wankhede and many others. One of the hotspots in the city, Lacuna Bar echoed with the sound of music as a party to honor Dr Romesh Japra was organized with much pomp. Dr Japra is known as much for his knack to win over hearts as his quest to save hearts. The evening saw guests, which included names from the film industry and social circuit, digging into scrumptious food and swaying to music, even as they were excitedly discussing the high points of the soon-to-be-held multi-
cultural festival. Earlier, at New Delhi's India Habitat Centre, Dr Romesh Japra made a presentation before a distinguished audience and discussed the opportunities to collaborate, participate, sponsor and having their presence during the FOG Summit & Awards which will be held in San Francisco in August 2016. He said that the FOG Awards have been instituted to appreciate the diversity and richness of cultures around the globe via Film, Dance, Music and Art, as a catalyst promoting global understanding and empathy. Cont'd on Page 53
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February 5, 2016
India Post 51 www.indiapost.com
Raveena's younger daughter ties the knot
R
aveena Tandon's young est adopted daughter Chhaya got married in Goa according to Hindu-Catholic rituals. The wedding took place on January 25 and Raveena with her
entire family headed to Goa for the nuptial. Raveena personally organized all the functions. "The sangeet was hosted by Raveena and family to which only very close rela-
tives and friends were invited. There was a mehendi, besides the chuda ceremony and the ghara ghardoli. These were followed by Catholic rituals. Raveena personally designed each function that was organized by the bride's side of the family", says a source. Raveena Tandon tweeted about the happy moments. She posted a picture with her two adopted daughters and captioned#And happy moments !!!! In 2011, Raveena had got her older adopted daughter Pooja married. In 1990, the 'Mohra' actress adopted two girls, Pooja and Chhaya and raised them as a single mother. Raveena later married film distributor Anil Thadani. The couple together have two children, daughter Rasha and son Ranbir.
Barbie now in three new body types NEW YORK: Poor Barbie. She had plastic surgery to become more socially acceptable. But a lot of her critics still don't like her. Barbie's manufacturer, Mattel, has announced that the doll has three new body types - curvy, tall and petite. Barbie will also now come in seven skin tones, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles. Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni said the product is evolving to ``offer more choices'' to make ``the line more reflective of the world girls see around them.'' But Kris Macomber, who teaches sociology at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, says she's ``reluctant to celebrate Barbie's new strategy because it doesn't change the fact that Barbie dolls and other kinds of fashion dolls still over-emphasize female beauty. Sure, all body types should be valued. And, sure, all skin colors should be valued equally. But why must we keep sending girls the message
that being beautiful is so important?'' Josh Golin, executive director of the Campaign for a CommercialFree Childhood, said Barbie's changes are a testament to activists who for years have challenged
her ``unrealistic and harmful body type.'' But body type ``was only one of the criticisms,'' he said. ``The other was the brand's relentless focus on appearance and fashion.'' Kumea Shorter-Gooden, co-author of ``Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America,'' has said in the past that Barbie has
a bigger impact on black girls struggling with messages about skin color and hair. Shorter-Gooden applauded Mattel ``for diversifying the size and look of Barbie,'' but noted that ``European-American hair still prevails,'' and that the dolls' outfits still ``convey a traditional and constraining gender norm about how girls and women should look.'' Aside from whether Barbie's looks will ever measure up to society's changing expectations, another question worth asking is whether kids still want to play with Barbies. Barbie sales fell 14 percent in the most recently reported quarter, with worldwide sales falling every year since 2012. A study by BAV Consulting found that consumers perceive the Barbie brand as being ``less relevant'' than 80 percent of 3,500 brands in 200 categories BAV studied. -AP
Aishwarya, Hollande talked about films
A
ishwarya Rai Bachchan - a sari from designer duo Swati and French President and Sunaina. Francois Hollande talked Made in Banaras, the six-yard about films and the Cannes Inter- wonder that the actor wore, was national Film Festival during the woven with fine mulberry silk and Republic Day luncheon in Delhi. zari made from pure silver threads Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and dipped in gold. Hollande's conversation ranged Only natural fibers and ecofrom talking about movies to her friendly dyeing was used in the experiences at Cannes, a guest at making of the sari, a source close the lunch revealed, adding that to the designers said. Hollande even made Aishwarya It was only fit that that join him at his table. Aishwarya chose a creation so "The French president was very deeply rooted in Indian technique warm and friendly," the insider said. and craft to meet the president of Aishwarya, who has been in the midst of shooting her new film Sarbjit, took out time from her busy schedule to attend the lunch, which was hosted by French Ambassador Francois Richier in Delhi. The former beauty queen, a past recipient of the prestigious Knight of the Order of Arts and LetAishwarya Rai Bachchan with French ters, a civilian award by the President Francois Hollande French government, was the only Indian actor to be present. France, a country that she's had a Hollande attended the lunch fol- great connect with for long. lowing his appearance at the She's a regular at the Cannes country's colorful Republic Day pa- International Film Festival, where rade on Rajpath as the chief guest. the first look of Jazbaa - her comeOther guests at the lunch in- back film post pregnancy - was cluded designers Ritu Beri, who launched last year. has earlier received the Chevalier An actor who has featured in Des Arts et Des Lettres award, one Bollywood films like Hum Dil De of the highest civilian awards by Chuke Sanam, Dhoom 2, Guru and the French government, for her Devdas, Aishwarya is also an amcontribution to the enrichment of bassador of French cosmetics Indo-French cultural relations; and and beauty company L'Oreal Manish Arora, who shares a deep Paris, for which she recently connect with Paris, the source said. starred in an ad with Eva There were other politicians Longoria. and businessmen at the gala. In fact, she even shot for her For the occasion, Aishwarya international film Pink Panther 2 chose a perfectly suited ensemble in Paris.
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February 5, 2016 www.indiapost.com
Heritage sites under threat around the world
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number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites face major challenges, including the following: MACHU PICCHU, PERU This magnificent ``lost city of the Incas'' is cited by UNESCO as beset by logging, poor waste management and agricultural incursion but hasn't been placed on its list of sites in danger. Peruvian experts are raising other alarm bells, from vehicle fumes to the unceasing tread of footsteps producing a similar effect as a small-scale earthquake that could lead to collapse of the temples and other structures. The number of visitors - nearly 2,500 daily - appears to be overwhelming the site's safe carrying capacity. The 15th century royal retreat was built high up in the Peruvian Andes to accommodate a population estimated at no more than 800. OMORI, JAPAN This sleepy western Japanese town had ``no outstanding univer-
sal value,'' according to the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which makes recommendations on world heritage sites. Its only attraction was a long defunct silver mine and no tourist infrastructure existed aside from one eight-room guesthouse. But
most 1 million tourists poured in, rupturing the quiet lifestyle of the unprepared community. Another controversial site in Japan was added to UNESCO's roster last year: factories and mines of the country's Meiji Industrial Revolution. Tens of thousands of
A high tide submerges a narrow causeway leading to the Mont Saint-Michel, on France's northern coast.
following intense lobbying by Japanese authorities, Omori was inscribed in 2007. A year later, al-
Koreans, Chinese and Allied prisoners of war were forced to work at some of the locations, prompt-
ing Chinese media to charge the listing "helped Japan cover up or glorify some of its past wartime atrocities.'' South Korea demanded that Japan make it clear that South Korean slave labor was used. LIJIANG, CHINA Amid widespread publicity, the 800-year-old town in China's southern province of Yunnan was declared a site in 1997, and is today one of the country's top domestic tourist destinations. Outsiders with more capital and skills moved in, sparking tensions with mostly ethnic minority residents who felt they were ``losing their town.'' Already in the early 2000s, many streets of the old quarter were up to 90 percent in the hands of newcomers profiting by the mass influx. Annual visitors swelled from some 150,000 before the heritage designation to 2.8 million three years later and some 16 million last year. Local culture has been adulterated in a complete tourism-oriented make-over. The charming
houses are reproductions: Virtually the entire old town was razed by a 1996 earthquake. MONT SAINT-MICHEL, FRANCE This offshore islet topped by a stunning 8th century Benedictine abbey was France's first heritage site and among the first ever designated. Already a major pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages, it underwent many transformations but has always drawn romantics and the faithful, even when it served as a prison during the French Revolution. With a resident population of about 50 and only 247 acres (100 hectares) in size, it now attracts up to 2.8 million visitors a year. The Smithsonian Magazine wrote that its narrow, medieval streets are packed with tourists "who shoulder to shoulder, four to five thick, mill about like subway commuters at rush hour along the main street, which is nonstop cafes, hotels, restaurants and shops, selling every kind of souvenir imaginable.'' -AP
Goa govt mulling setting Shah Rukh is his kids' 'best friend' up film city PANAJI: The Goa government is contemplating setting up a film city or film hub in the state, which can create revenue at par with the Tourism or Mining industry, a senior official has said. "The Goa government already
government wants that there should be a film city as it can generate revenue at par with the Tourism and Mining industries." He said many films are shot in Goa and that the state has become the most preferred destination for
Films shot in Goa
has a proposal for film city which is being worked out. The details of the proposal can't be disclosed right now, but for sure the film city will be a reality soon," Damodar Naik, Vice Chairman, Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) told PTI. Refusing to divulge whether the proposal involves public or private funding, he said, "The
shooting. "If we provide facilities in the state, shooting (undertaken here) will increase. Its benefit will percolate to everyone," Naik said. The filmmakers in the state have been lobbying for a film city for a long time now. "Three years back, there were efforts to bring together experts
on this subject. A proposal was also prepared for the same," said Swapnil Shetkar, a Goa-based filmmaker who has directed and produced a series of Konkani films "Home Sweet Home". He said the film industry, which is non-polluting in nature, has the potential to generate whopping revenue for the state. Shetkar further said the film city would also create employment opportunities for youths, who are currently looking at metro cities to earn livelihood. Actor and Radio Jockey Aryan Khedekar, who has ten films under his belt, said, "There are private players who are ready to invest in the film city. Let the projects happen in the mining belt, which has huge tracts of land available." He said the state has abundant natural resources which can be used to create the film city or a hub. "Mumbai film industry is increasingly looking at Goa... We can tap on that aspiration," he added. -PTI
NOIDA: His professional commitments hardly give him family space but Shah Rukh Khan likes to spend whatever time he gets with his three children - Aryan, Suhana and AbRam. The 50-year-old actor, who is married to producer-designer Gauri Khan, said he is the best friend of his kids. "I won't say that I understand everything about my kids. But after shooting for 10-12 hours, I make it a point that I go back home and spend time with my kids‌ I know that I am their best friend, with whom they can share anything. I also behave like a friend with them. I love being with children," he told reporters here. Shah Rukh said just few days ago he flew to London to have fun time with Aryan and Suhana. "Just two days ago, I went to London to spend an extended weekend with Aryan and Suhana as they had off. We hardly talk anything intelligent. "We just lied down on our sofa, watched movies and ate chips. I
think I was able to give them that confidence to come and share things with me and if they have done anything wrong they would get their share of punishment too." The actor said he was very naughty as a kid and used to blow up his neighbor's letter-box with crackers during Diwali. "We used to stay in apartments and I used
to do many naughty stuff. I was once caught for doing one wrong thing and got scolding too. There was a girl in our building and everybody used to like her. So, when you like somebody, you try to grab her attention like the way I do in my films. I blew up her letterbox. Her mother came to complain about it to my father‌," he said. PTI
February 5, 2016
India Post 53 www.indiapost.com
8th India Art Fair draws to a close NEW DELHI: The India Art Fair, which in its eighth edition was a tightly curated affair, with major focus on art from South Asia and participation by around 70 galleries from across the world, has drawn to a close. For city-based Dhoomimal Gallery, one of the oldest art galleries in the country, which has been participating in the fair ever since it began in 2008, the event served more as a platform to project their works. This time it showcased over 30 works by Indian greats such as Anjolie Ela Menon besides masters like S H Raza, Jamini Roy, Souza among others. "We sold a lot of works over the past four days. However, we don't see the fair as a platform to buy and sell alone but more as a platform to project our works,"
Amrita Ghosh, a researcher manning the gallery's booth at IAF said. Roshni Vadehra from Vadehra Art Gallery said "The fair has been great." "We have shown fresh works
had made new works just before the exhibition. So both contemporary and old artists have done really well," she said. Representatives at Bengaluru and Delhi based GallerySKE talked about a "fantastic re-
by the artists that we represent. Artists like Atul and Anju Dodiya, Ghulam Sheikh and Shilpa Gupta
sponse" "We sold nearly 70 per cent of the works we had brought.
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 Cont'd from Page 50 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234 cisco Bay Area's premiere multi- powerment of women. 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There was a lot interest in the work by Navin Thomas besides which we have sold works by better known artists like Bharti Kher and Sudarshan Shetty," she said. Other artists displayed by the gallery included Abir Karmakar, Avinash Veeraraghavan and David Alesworth. A representative at the Chemould Prescott gallery seemed to opine differently "There have been potential interests and we have made new contacts but it is mostly the general public that is visiting. I think it should be understood that the purpose is to sell and when we have the top most artists exhibited and they receive no appreciation, it feels that there is something out of order." The Mumbai-based gallery owned by Shireen Gandhy, sported latest works by Hema
Upadhyay, the artist who was found dead last year, Desmond Lazario, Gigi Scaria, Atul Dodiya, Jitish Kalat besides a few sculptures by Ritesh Meshram. On the inaugural day of the Fair, on January 28 several galleries were sporting the Red Dot signs, signifying sold works. Art Houz gallery from Chennai sold a work by Vijay Pichumani. Harry Hutchison of New York based Aicon gallery, which has participated in previous editions of the fair called it "a great experience." "We have sold quite a lot of paintings particularly by artists like G R Irana, Salman Toor, Adeel Uz Zafar, Adeela Suleman and Natvar Bhavsar." The booth also had a painting each by M F Husain and Raza. PTI
'Airlift' short on facts, says MEA NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs has termed Bollywood film "Airlift", which portrays the Kuwait evacuation of 1990 and its role, as "great entertainment but rather short on facts". "This is a film and films often take liberties with actual events, facts. This particular film has also taken artistic liberties in the depiction of the events as it actually happened in Kuwait in 1990," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. He said those who remember the 1990 evacuation would also know the "very proactive" role that the MEA played. He mentioned that official delegation was sent to Baghdad and Kuwait and that tremendous coordination was put in place with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India and a host of other government departments. "I myself can vouch for this as I myself was on the front-lines of evacuating Indians from Kuwait who were coming into Turkey via Syria," Swarup said. In the film, the MEA has been shown as lacking a proactive approach. He said that those who may not remember the 1990 evacuation,
would certainly remember the more recent evacuations that the MEA had coordinated from Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Ukraine. "We do hope that the film will inspire people to read more about the actual events that took place and the very proactive role that MEA has always played in safeguarding the interest, concerns
and security of Indian citizens who live and work abroad," he said. Swarup pointed out that the fact that such a theme has been selected for a film shows how important this is. "We in the MEA consider the protection of Indian citizens abroad as among our foremost responsibilities. We have proved this in the past and shall continue to do so in the future as well," he said. -PTI
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Telangana lessons in countering IS influence
India Post
HUSANJOT CHAHAL
G
iven the Islamic State's (IS) interest in expand ing into South Asia, and the worrisome interest generated in sections of the Indian citizenry, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has rightly termed this threat as a significant "long-term national security concern." So far, India has managed to restrict IS recruits from the country to only a handful. To that end, the 9 February 2015 Indian Express report, which stated that the Telangana Police "is dipping into its Naxalite-era experience in surveillance and methods of deterrence to keep a watch on youths who are susceptible to online radicalization and recruitment by the Iraqi militant group Islamic State," is noteworthy. Under this strategy, arrest is not employed as the first option. Instead, measures such as increased vigilance and counseling are used for deterrence; and help is enlisted from parents, relatives, and community elders. This is key, because of Telangana's track record - ac-
instances where security officials, for 'Winning Hearts and Minds', adopted several 'population centric' measures that included infrastructure-development schemes and civic action programs. This commentary compares and analyses two measures - a) involving parents and community members, and b) counseling - of the many that have reportedly been implemented to counter the IS's influence in India, and proposes solutions to address shortcomings. Involving Parents and Community Members One of the first few reported instances on involving parents to counter LWE influence took place in Karimnagar on 28 July 2000, where a counseling session of parents and their subsequent appeal published in the local newspaper, lead to four dalam members deciding to quit underground activity. Several similar initiatives followed, such as prodding the families of the cadres to go on hunger strikes; visits by elected represen-
An important aspect vis-Ă -vis preferring counseling instead of arrests as a strategy is ensuring prevention of recidivism (counseled individuals returning to extremism). Critics of similar models of counter-radicalism have called such approaches 'soft' and 'dangerous' cording to reports, it is one of the first states to set a model for dealing with IS related cases; and 21 youth - the highest number in any state - have been prevented from leaving for Syria in 2015. Can the lessons from the Telangana Police's experience in countering Left Wing Extremism (LWE) - which is considered relatively successful - be harnessed to counter the IS threat? To examine this, it would be important to look at the strategy adopted in Telangana (formerly part of Andhra Pradesh) to counter LWE. Andhra's strategy in reducing LWE influence is attributed to military tactics and the success of the Greyhounds commandos. Ancillary developmental measures are often overlooked by most scholars. In fact, by a large measure, and like any other state affected by sub-national conflicts, the strategy it employed to handle LWE cadres, is considered relatively harsh. However, there are several
tatives of local parties, revenue officials, civilians and police officials to houses of Maoist cadres, urging the parents to play a part in their surrenders. In comparison, parents and community elders of youth being radicalized by the IS are involved mostly to keep a watch on suspicious activities and to ensure that the latter do not get brainwashed. While involving families, it is important to prevent any propensity of isolation from developing, especially amongst women and children. Essentially, families should be able to share their concerns and experiences outside their homes, freely and without fear. Building a community-centric or collaborative approach to policing that truly generates a sentiment of police meekosam (police for you) will be the way forward. Counseling Telangana Police officials have echoed New Delhi's views on the approach to countering the influ-
ence of the IS. Reportedly, counseling is being preferred over knee-jerk arrests of radicalized individuals, and also as a deterrent. This is reminiscent of a decade old strategy of advising, organizing 'counseling melas', and street plays for rural youth and militant cadres to wrest them away from LWE fold. However, it is important to note that it is not counseling alone that has insulated those susceptible to LWE influence. A combination of counseling and pressure tactics produced results. In the case of IS influence, counseling appears to have played a significant role. Available data reveals that nearly 80 per cent of those reportedly planning to leave for Syria were counseled, and the remainder, arrested. An important aspect vis-Ă -vis preferring counseling instead of arrests as a strategy is ensuring prevention of recidivism (counseled individuals returning to extremism). Critics of similar models of counter-radicalism have called such approaches 'soft' and 'dangerous' due to the probability of recidivism. In fact, some officials have expressed fears of recidivism in surrendered LWE cadres if there is poor implementation, monitoring, and distribution of benefits under the surrender and rehabilitation policy. Therefore, ensuring that the counseling process fully amends the behavior of the detainee - via discussion, debate, and correction of misconceived notions of religion that justify radicalism - is required to make this approach effective. Strengthening probation and aftercare services, providing sufficient opportunities to reintegrate, and ensuring support in finding employment etc. are some initiatives that could reduce chances of recidivism. The population-centric approach implemented during counter-LWE operations in Telangana may provide an effective way to deal with IS-related radicalization. Simultaneously, however, it illustrates the imperfect nature of such a complex effort. Its pitfalls namely fear of isolation, and recidivism - should be borne in mind, for that would help us go a long way in updating our overall approach to counter-radicalization. The writer is Research Officer, IReS, IPCS
Changing scenario
I
ndia is watching with great interest the unfolding of the Presidential election scenario in the US. Whatever the final outcome, it is going to have a considerable impact on India's relations with the US. So far India has enjoyed strong bipartisan support in Washington. But the present turmoil in US politics may force New Delhi to become more alert to the changing scenario. As of now, no one can be called a safe bet to claim nomination of either party. At first, it seemed it would be a straight contest between the legacy of the Bushes and Clintons in the shape of a fight between Jeb Bush and Hillary. However, even before the Primaries, Donald Trump had established a hefty lead over rest of the claimants and Hillary was hopeful of a sweep. Both were disappointed though Hillary scraped through with a wafer thin margin. Trump was humbled by Ted Cruz, but it is not yet certain he will be able to maintain this lead over the next few primaries. Whoever wins, Indo-US relations are not going to remain on an even keel. Already there are reports that even under Obama, State Department which had separate desks for dealing with India and Pakistan, is considering to bring both under a common desk, a move not liked by India. The re-merger proposal is ostensibly timed with the international troops pullout from Afghanistan. Hillary has a soft corner for India and is known for having drawn her husband's attention to this country although during the later years of his presidency. She has made a few visits to India and is known to appreciate India's views on Pakistan. Bernie Sanders is an unknown quantity even among New Delhi's policy makers. A self-proclaimed "socialist" he is a product of the extremism now plaguing both the Left and Right in US politics. But he has thoroughly shaken up the so far confident Hillary camp. When eight months ago he launched his White House bid, polls showed Hillary Clinton as the presumptive nominee, with 60% in May and Sanders with just 10% support. But an angry electorate, fed up with establishment politics, has tossed away many of the conventional rules of presidential politics. "There is profound anger at a campaign finance system which allows billionaires to buy elections, nobody wants that," Sanders has said. It is being claimed that a victory for Hillary would be victory for feminism - first ever woman President of the most powerful country in the world. However, Susan Abulhawa, a best-selling American author who attended the Jaipur festival of Literature told Times of India in an interview that she doesn't believe her victory would be a "feminist moment." In fact she lashed out at her for being a "purveyor of patriarchy, chauvinism, war and western hegemony." She accused her of being a powerful voice to destroy Iraq and dismemberment of Libya. "Bernie Sanders is more feminine than her," she proclaimed. Although Ted Cruz beat Trump in Iowa, his politics is no less racist than that of Trump. In the 2016 campaign, he is also responsible for embracing fear, especially by exaggerating a threat posed by Muslims or by immigrants from Latin America. His audience of course is the white skinned who are beginning to wonder about their security. Security expert C Raja Mohan feels whether Trump, Cruz or Sanders survive the primaries or not, they "reflect the growing American unease with the post-war consensus in Washington on the terms of US engagement with the world. Even a limited American retrenchment from that consensus will pose extraordinary challenges to the world, especially for emerging powers like India that must now take up the slack in shaping and managing the global order." He says although Narendra Modi's idea of India as a leading power has generated widespread interest, but it is "yet to be fleshed out by Delhi's permanent establishment."
February 5, 2016
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