IndiaPost_02-10-2012 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Subramanian Swamy

SC cancels 122 2G spectrum licenses Details on page 6

Four Indian Americans win Padma Awards Details on page 8

Pune teacher to join Space Foundation plan

VOL 17, No. 908

February 10, 2012

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Periodical Postage

'PROTECTIONISM WILL HURT U.S., INDIA' Mukherjee confident about Indian economy growth

RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here he was a staunch believer in free global trade as that would help boost production and trigger good economic growth all around. However, if the US stops outsourcing jobs to India, profitability of both the econo-

mies will be hurt. Addressing a group of Indian Americans followed by a meet with the media at Hotel Peninsula in Chicago, Mukherjee said, "Protectionism does not pay in the long run and that is our experience. The US government is a signatory to WTO which seeks to promote freer international trade," he observed. Details on page 5

Aneesh Chopra quits as Chief Tech Officer Details on page 9

India gifts $1.5m for Vivekananda Chair in Chicago Details on page 12

TCS expands US operation with new facility Details on page 41

Details on page 9

USIBC launches Life Sciences Mission to India

Nirupama Rao calls on Hillary Clinton

Details on page 10

Details on page 9

CONTENTS

French company wins bid for IAF's 126 fighters

Bollywood ---------------------- 22-23 Classifieds ------------------------- 46 Community Post -------------- 12-21 Date Book -------------------------- 28

Details on page 8

Edit Page --------------------------- 49 HealthScience Post --------- 34-37

INDIA POST SURVEY

Horoscope ------------------------- 11

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Immigration Post ------------- 38-40

This week’s question

Life Style ----------------------- 24-27

Is Obama's outsourcing threat mere rhetoric? Last week’s result

Can outsourcing be phased out? YES 37%

NO 63%

Perspective ------------------------ 47 Philosophy ------------------------- 48

BULB OF KNOWLEDGE: Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) R. K. Pachauri shows a led bulb to former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger during the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi on February 2. The 12th edition of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit focusing on the theme, 'Protecting the Global Commons: 20 Years Post Rio', was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 44-45 TechBiz Post ------------------- 41-43 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 29-31

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eaders will bear with me for continuing on the subject of religion from last week. The Indian government set up a $1.5million endowment at the University of Chicago in the name of Swami Vivekananda to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary, and I thought it just so apt to mull over his teachings since we do live in a world stricken by a toxic mingling of religion and politics. So, here are some of the most relevant of the spiritual leader's quotes on religion: *Religion is the manifestation of the divinity already in man. *The secret of religion lies not in theories but in practice. To be good and do good - that is the whole of religion. Man is higher than all animals, than all angels; none is greater than man. *Religion has no business to formulate social laws and insist on the difference between beings, because its aim and end is to obliterate all such fictions and monstrosities. *We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither the Vedas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran; yet this has to be done by harmonizing the Vedas, the Bible, and the Koran. *Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose the path that suits him best. *As soon as you make a sect, you protest against universal brotherhood. *No man is born to any religion; he has a religion in his own soul. *Worship of society and popular opinion is idolatry. The soul has no sex, no country, no place, no time. *Sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful Earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. Swami Vivekananda died in 1902. A hundred-and-ten years since, human beings haven't changed much. They still have a long way to go before they realize humanity, let alone divinity.

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Bashing at bash Shah Rukh Khan allegedly assaulted Farah Khan's husband and filmmaker Shirish Kunder at Sanjay Dutt's bash.

Cover Story: Pranab warning Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee says if US stops outsourcing jobs to India, profitability of both the economies will be hurt.

Community: Honoring Mukherjee The Indian Consul General in Chicago hosted a reception in honor of visiting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Health: $5 million donation John A. Sobrato has announced an unprecedented $5 million donation to Santa Clara Medical Center Foundation.

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Travel: Tripura Tripura is the least known, in spite of the state's richness in terms of beautiful scenery, virgin forests and lush valleys.

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'Protectionism will hurt US, India' Mukherjee confident about Indian economy growth RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here he was a staunch believer in free global trade as that would help boost production and trigger

he observed. Replying to a question about US President Barack Obama's outburst against outsourcing, he said the Indian economy could not but have an adverse impact if this gets translated into US policy. However, any national government

Indian Finance Minister Mukherjee addressing the Media at Peninsula hotel L to R Mukherjee, Ambassador Rao and CG Mukta Tomar

good economic growth all around. However, if the US stops outsourcing jobs to India, profitability of both the economies will be hurt. Addressing a group of Indian Americans followed by a meet with the media at Hotel Peninsula in Chicago, Mukherjee said, "Protectionism does not pay in the long run and that is our experience. The US government is a signatory to WTO which seeks to promote freer international trade,"

was well within its right in initiating measures that would help protecting the domestic industries and the US government could not be an exception. "Our only concern could be that this should not lead to protectionism." Mukherjee said that a slowdown of the Indian economy in recent years, triggered to some extent by the global economic crisis, "was not an acceptable proposition to us" and that his government was determined to achieve a

higher growth rate, around nine percent in coming years. He said that the fundamentals of Indian economy are strong with the saving rate running around 33 percent and the investment rate anywhere from 36 to 40 percent. Besides, the government is committed to go along with the economic reforms initiated a decade and half ago, inducing a larger investment from abroad. "The liberalization of the Indian economy has paid rich dividend in as much as that has helped to achieve an average growth rate of 8.5 per cent in the past ten years. That makes us optimistic about improving our growth rate in the coming years too," he said. He pointed out in this respect that the 12th five year plan envisages an investment of one trillion dollars and that the bulk of it would come from the private sector. He urged overseas Indians also to lend their mite in spurring investment in India as they have been doing in recent years. With regard to a move to curb import from Iran, he said a sizeable import for India was that of crude oil and it would be difficult for India to suspend this import without a commensurate assurance of supply from other sources. "The flow of oil from Iran would be continuing," he said. Mukherjee said that the Indian government was seriously concerned about the inflationary pressures in the economy and RBI has no option but make lending dearer by hiking the interest rate. The measures have yielded re-

Mukherjee at Art Institute of Chicago event with dignitaries

Mukherjee at the Meet Indian Americans event at Peninsula Hotel

sults and inflation is down to 7.5 per cent from well over nine and it is expected to decline further to 6.5 per cent," he said. Mukherjee also said the Indian government was aware of the endemic corruption impacting on the economic growth and that it has initiated additional measures

and the US government striking the Nuke deal a couple of years ago. Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao also recognized the role played by Indian American community in forging closer Indo US relations. She talked highly about Indian Consul General Ms Mukta

He said a sizeable import for India was that of crude oil and it would be difficult for India to suspend this import without a commensurate assurance of supply from other sources. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The flow of oil from Iran would be continuing,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he said to combat it. Earlier, he said that the prime purpose of his visit to US this time was to pay respect and recognize the contributions of two great Indians - Swami Vivekananda a Rabindranath Tagore. Both have made their mark not only in India but even globally and the Indian government felt recognizing their contribution this year as it happens to be the 150 birth anniversary of Tagore and his contemporary Swami Vivekananda. He pointed out that the Indian government has set up a committee to oversee the celebration of the 150th anniversary and he was heading one of the sub-committees that touched upon the establishment of Vivekananda Chair and to assist the Art Institute of Chicago to conduct "Vivekananda Memorial Program for Museum Excellence." Mukherjee also paid handsome tribute to Indian Americans and overseas Indians in general for their immense contributions in many a field of human activity science, technology, business and art. He specifically pointed out the role that the Indian Americans played in helping the Indian

Tomar and introduced Mukherjee to the hundred plus elite Indian Americans gathered to greet the minister. Ms Mukta Tomar introduced Ms Nirupama Rao

Meeting with American businessmen On a two-day visit to Chicago, Mukherjee also had an interaction with the American investors and business leaders of the corporate world at a meeting at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs. He told them that the decision on allowing 51 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail has only been put on hold for now. "The Indian Government is making efforts to build consensus among stakeholders to allow foreign investors in the sector, which is estimated to be over $550 billion in size. As Finance Minister I thought it would be useful for me to convey the message of India's economic development and the current situation to them," he said. The Finance Minister's trip to Chicago comes on the heels of the UPA government having to stall FDI in multi-brand retail due to opposition by some of its allies. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 7

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SC cancels 122 2G spectrum licenses, imposes cost on telecos NEW DELHI: In a huge embarrassment to the Government and a jolt to the telecom sector, the Supreme Court has cancelled 122 2G licenses granted during the tenure of former telecom minister A Raja declaring them as "illegal" and blamed the government's flawed first-come-first served policy. Bringing the curtains down on the controversial allocation by Raja in 2008, the court strongly indicted him over the manner in which he manipulated the issue of licenses and ordered that the licenses in 22 circles be sold by auction for which the TRAI will make fresh recommendations. A two-judge bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly allowed the impugned licenses to run for four months after which the cancellation order will become operative. The court imposed heavy costs of Rs five crore on Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt Ltd (Swan Telecom Ltd), Unitech Wireless Group and Tata Teleservices Ltd, who were benefited by a "wholly arbitrary and unconstitutional" action of award of licenses to them

The apex court said the allocation of the 2G spectrum under Raja was "wholly arbitrary, capricious and contrary to public interest apart from being violative of the doctrine of equality" to "favor some companies at the cost of the public exchequer". The bench, while pointing out serious lapses by the DoT slammed the department and Raja for not heeding to the Prime Minister's advise that "transparency" and "fairness" should be adopted in the allocation of scarce spectrum. It also criticized the TRAI's role in the entire episode saying that the regulator's approach was "lopsided" and "contrary to the decision taken by the Council of Ministers" and its recommendations became a "handle" for Raja who "virtually gifted away the important national asset at throw away prices". Rejecting the Attorney General's arguments that the government's policy decision for private sector participation cannot be scrutinized by the court, the bench cited earlier judgments including the Reliance gas dispute and said that it is the solemn duty of the state to protect the national interest. "National resources be always be used in the interest of the country and not private interests," it said. The court said that it cannot be denied that TRAI is an expert body but in view of the facts that have emerged in the case "we have no hesitation to record a finding that the recomLawyer and social activist Prashant Bhushan gestures mendations as he speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court made by TRAI after the verdict on 2G spectrum allocation were flawed in case in New Delhi many respects and for off-loading their stakes for and implementation thereof by many thousand crores in the name the DoT resulted in gross violaof fresh infusion of equity or trans- tion of the objectives of national fer of equity. policy on telecom, 1999." It ordered Loop Telecom Pvt The Centre adopted a wrong Ltd, S-Tel, Allianz Infratech and policy of first-come-first served in Sistema Shyam Tele Services Ltd, allocating the "scarce" resource who were also beneficiary of the at a "throw away price" to "favor" decision, to pay a cost of Rs 50 some corporates, it said. lakhs each.

and those who had applied between August and September 2007 succeeded in getting higher seniority entitling them to allocation of spectrum on priority basis," the bench said. While declaring the allocation of licenses as "illegal", the bench said any allocation of 2G spectrum be carried out by way of "auction" as has been done in the 3G Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy addresses the media outside band. the Supreme Court in New Delhi However, it clarified that its diThe court said that it had no as the last date for receipt of the rection shall become operative after four months during which doubt that if the method of auc- applications. tion had been adopted for grant "This arbitrary action of the Min- TRAI will make a fresh recommenof license, which could be the only ister of C&IT though appears to be dation within two months and rational transparent method for innocuous was actually intended to Government will take a decision a distribution of national wealth, the benefit some of the real estate com- month thereafter. "TRAI shall make fresh recomnation would have been enriched panies who did not have any expeby "many thousand crores". rience in dealing with telecom ser- mendations for grant of license "The exercise undertaken by vices and who had made applica- and allocation of spectrum in 2G the officers of the DoT between tions only on 24.9.2007, i.e. one day band in 22 Service Areas by aucSeptember, 2007 and March 2008, before the cut off date fixed by the tion, as was done for allocation of under the leadership of the then Minister of C&IT on his own," the spectrum in 3G band," the bench said adding that the Centre shall telecom minister A Raja was bench said. wholly arbitrary, capricious and The court dubbed as "stage consider the recommendations of contrary to public interest apart managed" the entire process of TRAI and take appropriate decifrom being violative of the doc- grant of Letters of Intent to the sion within next one month and trine of equality," the court said. Detailing the way Raja issued â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The manner in which the exercise for grant licenses, the court said "Not only this, within few hours of the reof LoIs to the applicants was conducted on ceipt of the suggestion made by the Prime Minister in his NovemJanuary 10, 2008 leaves no room for doubt ber 2, 2007 letter that keeping in that everything was stage managed to favor view the inadequacy of spectrum, transparency and fairness should those who were able to know in advance be maintained in the matter of alchange in the implementation of the location of the spectrum, the Minister rejected the same by saying first-come-first served principleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that it will be unfair, discriminatory, arbitrary and capricious to auction the spectrum to new ap- telecom companies for the 2G li- fresh licenses be granted by aucplicants because it will not give censes by which some of the firms tion. The bench also brushed them level playing field". which had applied prior were aside Attorney General G E It said Raja took an arbitrary "pushed down" in priority list to Vahanvati's contention that judiciary should keep itself away from action of advancing the cut off favor others. date from October 1, 2007 to Sep"The manner in which the ex- policy matters and should not ortember 25, 2007, which was "actu- ercise for grant of LoIs to the ap- dinarily interfere with the policy ally intended to benefit some of plicants was conducted on Janu- decisions of the Government in the real estate companies who did ary 10, 2008 leaves no room for financial matters. "There cannot be any quarrel not have any experience in deal- doubt that everything was stage ing with telecom services". managed to favor those who were with the proposition that the "He (Raja) simultaneously in- able to know in advance change Court cannot substitute its opintroduced cut off date as 25.9.2007 in the implementation of the first- ion for the one formed by the experts in the particular field and for consideration of the applica- come-first served principle. tions received for grant of license "As a result of this, some of due respect should be given to despite the fact that only one day the companies which had submit- the wisdom of those who are enprior to this, press release was is- ted applications in 2004 or 2006 trusted with the task of framing sued by the DoT fixing 1.10.2007 were pushed down in the priority the policies.-PTI

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Severe indictment of Chicago Art Institute Memorial Program for Vivekananda UPA-II govt: Oppn SURENDRA ULLAL

NEW DELHI: Major opposition parties have said the Supreme Court ruling on the 2G scam was a "severe indictment" of the UPAII government and demanded that the Prime Minister own up responsibility but stopped short of demanding his resignation. While the BJP sought resignation of Home Minister P Chidambaram, the CPI (M) demanded that Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal quit as he had "refused to cancel" the 2G spectrum licenses claiming there was no loss to the exchequer. Maintaining that the Supreme Court decision on 2G scam raised

was no wrongdoing," he said. Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said even after CAG pointed to the wrongdoings, government had defended then Telecom Minister A Raja. The CPI (M) said the apex court's order was a "strong indictment" of the government and asked the Prime Minister to take a call on its fallout as it has exposed the "bluff" on the UPA-II's claims. Demanding Sibal's resignation, senior CPI (M) leader Nilotpal Basu said, "The Prime Minister, who is known as a paragon of virtue, will have to take a call on the fallout of the judgment which has Demanding Sibal's resignacalled the bluff on the tion, senior CPI (M) leader government's claims Nilotpal Basu said, ‘The Prime on the 2G scam." The party said that Minister, who is known as a in the light of the judgparagon of virtue, will have to ment, "the Prime Mintake a call on the fallout of the ister is duty bound to break his silence and judgment which has called answer to the country" the bluff on the government's and demanded immediclaims on the 2G scam’ ate implementation of the order by the govserious questions on the credibil- ernment. ity, transparency and integrity of Another party leader Brinda the UPA government, BJP Karat said it was a "strong indictspokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad ment" of the government and of said Prime Minister Manmohan those "who had argued that illeSingh "cannot escape" the politi- gal and unconstitutional steps cal responsibility as he is head of taken by the government be dethe government. fended in the name of increasing "The 2G scam is the biggest scam investments by corporates and since Independence. The entire multinationals in India". country was deeply agitated and CPI General Secretary A B shocked over it. But Prime Minister Bardhan said it was P Manmohan Singh and Union min- Chidambaram's job as the then isters Kapil Sibal and P Finance Minister "to prevent irChidambaram defended the 2G regularities. He has no right to spectrum allocation inside and outlook away. There is criminal culside Parliament and stated there pability." -PTI

Govt studying implication of 2G judgment on banks NEW DELHI: The Finance Ministry is working out the financial implication of the Supreme Court judgment to cancel 122 telecom licenses on the banking sector. "We have to see the implication. Officers are working on the impact of judgment on the banks...we will soon have a clear picture," a senior finance ministry official said. Several lenders including the State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank and IDBI Bank have extended credit to the

telecom companies whose licenses have been cancelled. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said "judgments have come and we will have to examine judgments and its implications. Government will examine it." Banks have varied exposure to the telecom companies involved in the case. Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) said the bank has fund based exposure of Rs 1,100 crore in telecom companies affected by the apex court order.-PTI

CHICAGO: Government of India has signed an MOU with prestigious AIC for "Vivekananda Memorial Program for Museum Excellence" India will give $500,000 to AIC to conduct "Vivekananda Memorial Program for Museum Excellence" under which AIC will work with India Government to impart a broad range of knowledge on modern operations of museums like conservation, planning of exhibitions, etc., for a four year period. Pranab Mukherjee dedicated a plaque of Swami Vivekananda at AIC and inaugurated a Tagore art exhibition here, to mark the 150th birth anniversaries of Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore. "Swami Vivekananda was practically India's first cultural ambassador to United States," he said at Fullerton Hall, where Vivekananda had delivered the famous and historic address at the Parliament of the World Religions in 1893 to tremendous applause. "This plaque fulfills our commitment and executes the long-cherished desire of people of India," he added. Mukherjee thanked AIC president Douglas Druick for his cooperation in setting up the Chair. The minister also cut the ribbon for the opening ceremony of

Swami Vivekananda Plaque launched again

Vivekananda's contribution to the merger. "Swami Vivekananda marked the beginning of EastWest global dialogue," Rao said. AIC is also planning to spend USD 175,000 for India in planning of exhibitions and conservation

AIC, one of the major art museums of the world, has already developed a "lesson plan" for classroom activity in which students of 4-8 grades solve a global issue by taking the role of one of Hindu deity Vishnu's avatars (incarnations) Tagore's paintings called "The Last Harvest". "His (Tagore's) paintings and drawings remain fresh even today," Mukherjee said. Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao also spoke of

techniques. Chicago already has a Swami Vivekananda Way, a 10-feet bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda, and a bronze plaque in AIC to commemorate his historic address in that building. He was

offered chairmanship of Eastern philosophy at famous Harvard University (USA) which he declined. About 16 million Americans practice yoga now and it is about six billion dollars annual industry. AIC, one of the major art museums of the world, has already developed a "lesson plan" for classroom activity in which students of 4-8 grades solve a global issue by taking the role of one of Hindu deity Vishnu's avatars (incarnations).Founded in 1879 as both a museum and school, AIC's collection now encompasses more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world, and the school's graduate program is continually ranked as one of the best in the country. Thomas J. Pritzker is Board of Trustees Chairman while Douglas Druick is President.

'Protectionism will hurt US, India' Cont’d from page 5

He pitched for investments in power, infrastructure, ports and highways in the context of the government decision to invest US $1 trillion in infrastructure for the next five year plan 2012-2017. Seeking foreign investment in infrastructure, which needs $1 trillion in the 12th Five Year Plan, he asked U.S. investors to access the Indian debt market through a

mechanism of regulated entities with a sustained long-term interest rate. Meeting leaders of Fortune 500 companies here, he assured them that India had evolved a transparent and stable regulatory regime in electricity, telecommunications, ports, airports, petroleum and natural gas; a regulator for the coal sector was on the anvil. He told them that India had liberalized foreign participation in the debt-eq-

uity market by allowing foreign investors to invest in the Indian equity directly. Commerce Minister Anand Sharma met top bosses of retail giants Walmart and Metro at the World Economic Forum in Davos to assure them that India is committed to reforms and would move towards achieving political consensus in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail soon.

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Four Indian Americans win Padma Awards India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Four Indian Americans have been conferred the Padma Awards, the most distinguished and coveted honor by the Government of India this Republic Day. While three of them - Prof. Vidya Dehejia, Prof. Arvind Panagaria and Dr. Jose Pereira have received the Padma Bhushan for their contribution in the field of Literature and Education, Dr. Jagadish Shukla has been conferred the Padma Shri for his contribution to Science and Engineering. Acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair has also been conferred the Padma Bhushan for her contribution to Art and Cinema. Prof. Vidya Dehejia Prof. Vidya Dehejia, is the Barbara Stoler Miller Professor of Indian and South Asian Art at Columbia University in New York.

Prof. Vidya Dehejia

Prior to her position at Columbia, Dehejia was the deputy director and chief curator of the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. She also previously taught at Sarah Lawrence College, the University of Chicago, the University of Hong Kong, and the Delhi School of Planning and Architecture. Over the course of her career, Dehejia has focused her research on Indian and South Asian art, specifically Indian sculpture and architecture. Her interests range from Buddhist and colonial India to issues of gender and visual narrative. She has conducted extensive field research in South and Southeast Asia and possesses a background in classical Sanskrit and Tamil. Dehejia is a prolific writer who, in addition to numerous articles, has authored over twenty books. Her works include Indian Art, The Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes from South India, Representing the Body: Gender Issues in Indian Art, and most recently, The Body Adorned: Sacred and Profane in Indian Art. She has been honored with Columbia

University's Hettleman Award for teaching and service, a Guggenheim and an NEH Fellowship. Dehejia received her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Cambridge University. She also holds a B.A. from St. Xavier's College, Bombay University. Prof. Arvind Panagariya Panagaria is the Bhagwati Professor of Economics at Columbia University, an ex-Chief Economist at the Asian Development Bank and former Professor of Economics and Co-director, Center for International Economics, University of Maryland. He has also worked for the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization and the UN Conference on Trade and Development. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University. Panagariya has written/edited ten books. His latest book, 'India: The Emerging Giant' has been described as the 'definitive book on the Indian economy. Panagariya is an editor of the India Policy Forum, a journal modeled on the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity and jointly published by the Brookings Institution, Washington DC and the National Council on Applied Economic Research, New Delhi. Panagariya writes regularly in some of the leading newspapers including The Economic Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, India Today and Outlook. Dr. Jose Pereira Dr. Pereira is a scholar and painter of Goan origin. He is Professor Emeritus at Fordham University, New York. He teaches Sanskrit and lectures on theology of religions - especially Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. He is a

Prof. Arvind Panagariya

lover of Konkani and speaks with pride and authority in Konkani, on Konkani literature and folk art. His book 'Konkanni, a Language,' published by the Karnataka University, laid to rest the controversy about whether Konkani was a separate language or a dialect of Marathi. He has written numerous

speaks and/or reads fifteen classical and modern languages. Prof. Jagadish Shukla Shukla is President of the Institute of Global Environment and Society (IGES) and Professor of Climate Dynamics at George Mason University, Virginia. Shukla was born in 1944 in a small village Mirdha in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, India. This village had no electricity, no roads or transportation, and no primary school building. He passed from the S.R.S. High School, Sheopur, in the first class with distinction in Mathematics and Sanskrit. He was unable to study science in high school because none of the schools near his village included science education. However, thanks to his father's support, he went on to graduate from Banaras Hindu University, earning a PhD in Geophysics from the same university

Padma Awards, the country's highest civilian awards, are conferred in three categories Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in all disciplines/ fields of activities like art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc books on temple and church architecture. He is also an accomplished artist and Goa is fortunate to have his fresco paintings in a chapel in Margao. Born in 1931, Dr. Pereira is a multitalented personality who studied architecture, linguistics and art. A reputed Sanskrit scholar and Indologist, he is a linguist who

and later earning a ScD in Meteorology from MIT, Boston. Among the many prestigious awards that Shukla has been honored with is his being a part of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The 2012 Padma Awards This year the President of In-

Prof. Jagadish Shukla

dia has approved 109 awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 14 in the category of Foreigners/ NRIs/ PIOs/ Posthumous. These comprise five Padma Vibhushan, 27 Padma Bhushan and 77 Padma Shri Awards. There are 19 women among the awardees. Padma Awards, the country's highest civilian awards, are conferred in three categories - Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in all disciplines/ fields of activities like art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. The awards will conferred by the President of India at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in March/April.

French company Dassault wins bid for IAF's 126 fighters NEW DELHI: French firm Dassault Rafale has bagged India's biggest-ever military contract for supplying 126 combat aircraft for the Air Force, edging out European rival EADS in the deal that may be worth about ten billion dollars. The French firm was declared as the lowest bidder, according to which it will get the contract under India's defense procurement procedure, sources said. "The French firm Dassault Rafale has emerged as the L-1 (lowest bidder) and cheaper than its European rival EADS (maker of Eurofighter) in the tender and will be offered to supply the aircraft to the IAF," the source said. They said the representatives

of Dassault here were informed about the development in the morning and further negotiations on price will be held with them in the next 10-15 days. The contract will be signed

According to the Request for Proposal (RFP), the winner of the contract will have to supply 18 of the 126 aircraft to the IAF in 36 months from its facilities and the remaining would be produced at

The process was started with the issuing of a global tender in 2007, after which all the six contenders were subjected to extensive field evaluation trials by the Indian Air Force at several locations across the globe only in the next fiscal. Government has in 2007 earmarked Rs 42,000 crore for the deal.

HAL facilities in Bangalore. Six companies, including American F-16 and F-18, Russian MiG 35, Swedish Saab Gripen

along with Eurofighter and Dassault Rafale, were in the race in the beginning. But in April last year, the Defense Ministry shortlisted Dassault and EADS, rejecting the American, Russian and Swedish bids. The process was started with the issuing of a global tender in 2007, after which all the six contenders were subjected to extensive field evaluation trials by the Indian Air Force at several locations across the globe. The bids of the two companies were opened by the IAF on November 4 last year and arrived at the lowest bidder after calculating the life cycle cost of the aircraft. -PTI

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Pune teacher to join Space Foundation's program India Post News Service

NEW YORK: A middle school teacher from Maharashtra, India has been chosen for The Space Foundation's 2012 Flight of Teacher Liaisons program. Vandana Suryawanshi of Vidya Valley School in Pune is the first international

teacher to join the elite program - the first time in the program's 10-year history. Suryawamshi has been teaching biology, earth science and general science for 20 years. Suryawanshi joins the 19 other new Teacher Liaisons who were selected for their active promotion of space and science

Nirupama Rao calls on Hillary Clinton

mbassador Nirupama Rao called on the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Jan 25 for a meeting where the two discussed a broad range of bilateral and regional issues. Both recognized that there has been tremendous progress in strengthening the India-US global strategic partnership and they agreed to continue their efforts to further consolidate

upon the progress made and work towards implementing the initiatives that had been taken in the last few years including in the area of civil nuclear cooperation. Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Rao also exchanged perspectives on regional issues of mutual interest including the situation in Afghanistan, and recent developments with regard to Iran and Myanmar.

Aneesh Chopra quits as Chief Technology Officer India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Two-and-half years into a stellar stint at the White House later whiz kid Indian American Aneesh Chopra quit his position as the country's first White House Chief Technology Officer. Chopra, it is rumored, is considering a future career in politics. The White House announced Jan 27, the departure of Chopra, Assistant to the President and the federal government's first Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Chopra came into office in May 2009 and his last day will be Feb 8. President Obama said, "As the federal government's first Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra did groundbreaking work to bring our government into the 21st century. Aneesh found countless ways to engage the American people using technology, from electronic health records for veterans, to expanding access to broadband for rural communities, to modernizing government records. His legacy of leadership and innovation will benefit Americans for years to come, and I thank him for his outstanding service." As the United States Chief Technology Officer, Chopra served as an Assistant to the President and Associate Director for Technology within the Office of Science & Technology Policy. He worked to advance the President's technology agenda by fostering new ideas and encouraging government-wide coordination to help the country meet its goals from job creation, to reducing health care costs, to protecting the homeland.

Prior to his last appointment, he served as Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia from January 2006 until April 2009. He previously served as Managing Director with the Advisory Board Company, a publicly-traded healthcare think tank. Chopra was named to Government Technology magazine's Top 25 in their Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers issue in 2008. According to Politico, in his role as CTO, Chopra has been an advocate for integrat-

Aneesh Chopra

ing government and technology to create new products and services. He was a frequent visitor to Silicon Valley, where he promoted the Obama administration's tech policies. Most recently, Chopra was one of three authors of the White House blog spot critical of controversial copyright legislation, the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Senate's PROTECT IP Act. He appeared Zelig-like wherever the tech industry gathered, promoting the idea that the federal government is changing and it needs innovators to work on the nation's biggest policy problems, Politico said.

education, from across the United States. The new flight of Teacher Liaisons will serve as advocates for space-themed education across the curriculum and will use

licly recognized at the Space Foundation's 28th National Space Symposium, which is being held April 16-19 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In addition to the recognition activities, the 2012 Teacher Liaisons will participate in workshops and education programs at the 28th National Space Symposium. Following the Symposium, Teacher Liaisons can take advantage of specialized training and instruction at Space Foundation and NASA workshops with optional graduatelevel credit; exclusive science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professional development experiences with optional continuing education credit; and special space-oriNew Space Foundation Teacher Liaison Vandana Suryawanshi (second from left) with her ented student programs created students and Principal just for Teacher Liaisons. The foremost advocate for all Space Foundation-provided training and sectors of the space industry and an expert resources to further integrate space prin- in all aspects of space, the Space Foundaciples into the classroom. tion is a global, nonprofit leader in space The highly regarded Space Foundation awareness activities, educational programs Teacher Liaison program has more than 270 that bring space into the classroom and active participants, including the 2012 flight. major industry events. The teachers are selected by a panel comThrough its Space Certification and prising experienced Teacher Liaisons and Space Technology Hall of Fame programs, representatives from the space industry and the Space Foundation recognizes spacethe military. based technologies and innovations that The 2012 Teacher Liaisons will be pub- have been adapted to improve life on Earth.

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February 10, 2012

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USIBC launches Life Sciences HAF steps in to support Indian couple in Norway Executive Mission to India India Post News Service India Post News Service

The US-India Business Council (USIBC) launched a week long Life Sciences Executive Mission to India to coincide with Bangalore INDIA BIO February 6-8. USIBC President Ron Somers is leading the mission, which will explore ways for US and Indian companies to enhance collaboration in innovation and biotech research and development. The high-level delegation will be comprised of USIBC member companies including Abbott Healthcare, Agilent Technology, Baxter Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Merck, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck, Covidien, Biogen, Riddhi IP, and Cannon Design, among others. The USIBC Life Sciences Executive Mission to India will convene select meetings with key government officials in New Delhi and Bangalore. The mission will participate in tours of medical, biotech, and pharmaceutical facilities in India, and

take part in roundtable discussions on key policy issues with Indian stakeholders, including FICCI and CII. In Bangalore, the delegation will visit with the Chief Minister of Karnataka and with

The mission will participate in tours of medical, biotech, and pharmaceutical facilities in India, and take part in roundtable discussions on key policy issues with Indian stakeholders, including FICCI and CII other senior Government of Karnataka officials. Bangalore INDIA BIO, featuring Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, will deliberate on issues related to the latest innovations in biotech-

nology, focusing on business opportunities that exist for companies in biopharmaceuticals, bio-industrial, bio-services, bio-informatics and agri-biotechnology. The international summit will also address issues pertaining to the regulatory business environment, policies needed to spur innovation and R&D, as well as focus on and identify solutions that will encourage investment in the biotechnology field. USIBC President Ron Somers will deliver keynote remarks at the INDIA BIO conclave, which is expected to draw 1,000 delegates from 350 of the top global biotech companies. According to Somers, "India is rich with bright minds and unparalleled talent in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotech sectors. USIBC companies are eager to invest in India's economy, bringing with them technical expertise, investment tools, and research and development capabilities that will enable India to be the innovation nation of the 21st century."

Tyeb Mehta sells for over Rs 2 core at Osian's auction NEW DELHI: An untitled oil on canvas by modern master Tyeb Mehta fetched over Rs two crore in highest bid at the recent Osian's auction that featured contemporary and modern Indian art as well as rare Pahari miniatures and registered total sales over Rs 14 crores. In the Osian's Connoisseurs of Art auction that concluded on January 27, out of the 123 lots put up for auction 82 (65.6 per cent)

were sold with net sales of Rs 14,14,02,200 and an average lot price of Rs 17,24,415, according to information released by the auction house. The highest bid of Rs 2,28,00,000 went to a 1966 untitled work by Tyeb Mehta followed by a 1969 oil on canvas by Ramkumar valued at Rs 1,44,00,000 in the auction that focused on Punjab and Delhi. Two rare miniatures - Folio leaf

from a Harivamsha Khil Series (Kangra School) and Folio leaf from a Mahabharata Series (Kangra or Guler School) fetched Rs 52,80,000 each. The auction, second in the series of four auctions in the Creative India Series by the auction house manifested an improvement in terms of revenue on the "Bengal" auction held in December 2011 that had realized Rs 7.95 crores in sales.-PTI

indicated that he was encouraged by the open discussions and communication between all parties involved. HAF will continue to monitor the situation and stay in touch with the Embassy." HAF leaders also expressed satisfaction with the results of the Change.org online campaign and petition, which generated over 6,000 signatures, in a matter of days, from around the world. "The online petition, which is now closed, has been a huge success in generating greater awareness about this issue and open-

NEW YORK: The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) says it was encouraged by its Jan 25 meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador to the US, Wegger Chr. Strømmen, regarding the removal of two young children from an Indian family in Norway. After initial media reports indicated that the two children were removed from parents, Sagarika and Anurup Bhattacharya, by Norway's Child Protective Services for purportedly feeding their children with their hands and letting the children sleep in the HAF leaders also expressed same bed as them, HAF satisfaction with the results of wrote directly to the Norwegian Embassy in the Change.org online camWashington, D.C. and paign and petition, which started an online petition to address the is- generated over 6,000 signasue. tures, in a matter of days The Norwegian Embassy subsequently invited HAF's Washington, D.C. ing a constructive dialogue with based Associate Director, Jay the Norwegian Embassy," said Kansara, to meet with Ambassa- Sheetal Shah, HAF's Senior Director. "We remain optimistic that dor Strømmen. "We are grateful to Ambassa- there will be a positive resolution dor Strømmen for taking the time to this case." The latest media reports sugto meet with us and address our concerns and inquiries regarding gest that an agreement has been the status of the Bhattacharya reached between the Indian and children," explained Kansara. "Al- Norwegian governments allowing though the Ambassador was un- the children to return to India and able to reveal the details of the live with their uncle, Arunabhas case while it is still pending, he Bhattacharya.

India's humanitarian aid to Libya India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Government of India has given humanitarian aid worth nearly $1 million to Libya. The humanitarian assistance consisting of life saving medicines and medical equipment worth approximately $1 million was handed over to the National Transitional Council of Libya, in Tripoli, on Jan 30, 2012 by Rajeev Shahare, Joint Secretary (West Asia & North Africa) in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The National Transitional Council had earlier in Benghazi provided a list of life savings drugs to the Government of India and these medicines were selected as per the requirements of Libya. It may be mentioned that Government of India had provided assistance worth US$ 1 million in cash earlier to the National Transitional Council through the United Nation's Office of Commis-

sioner for Humanitarian Aid in New York. The Government of India has been supportive of the people of Libya and has interacted with the National Transitional Council in London, Istanbul and Paris meeting including in the United Nations. The interim Government of National Transitional Council has been considering sending injured Libyan nationals for their medical treatment to India. Indian authorities welcome this and are looking forward to receive injured Libyan patients in India. In this regard a Libyan delegation has already visited India in December 2011 to tie up treatment of injured Libyan patients in reputed hospitals. The Government of India is also arranging to send a team of 'Jaipur Foot' to Tripoli. The team would be providing prostheses (artificial limbs) to the injured Libyans and would set up a centre in Libya and provide readymade artificial limbs to injured Libyan patients.

Horoscope

February 10, 2012

India Post 11

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Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar

FEBRUARY 10TH - FEBRUARY 16TH (November 23 to December 22)

(March 21 to April 20)

unning around will increase but the results will be satisfactory. Do not go out of your way to help others. You may make some money through stock. Mind will be relaxed and you will be planning for the future. An old friend will be in touch and seek your advice. All meetings and business trips will be fruitful.

ife will become slight relaxing as pressure at work will reduce a lot. Though you will still keep looking for another job or business opportunity and may even discuss things with a close friend. Bank balance will creep up slowly and children will do better in schools. You may need to have your eye sight retested.

(April 21 to May 20)

(December 22 to January 19)

our fears and worries are baseless. Things will definitely work out finally, so relax. Another favorable week for brokers. Money will come but will not stay for long. People applying for another position will be called for second interview. You will have a great opportunity to learn some ropes from a successful person.

ou may be writing a small check to a government agency and also send some paper work. Things will get more relaxing at work. Those who are looking to have an addition in the family, planets are very favorable to make it happen. Spouse may end up buying some unnecessary items for the house and for you.

(May 21 to June 20)

(January 20 to February 18)

ou will accomplish a lot with the help of favorable Venus and few other planets. You will be very lucky with money this week. Negotiations will go well and final meeting will take place in few days. Boss will appreciate your quick thinking and intelligence. You may be spending some money towards an upcoming pleasure trip.

long distance journey is in the air. You will be completely focused on important issues. There will be some positive developments in ongoing legal matters but you will need to submit some more paper work. You will be working on a new and fresh idea that can multiply your income. You will shed few pounds this week.

(February 19 to March 20)

(June 21 to July 22)

ommitments you make this week could put you under financial pressure in time to come so be careful. Boss will give additional work and deadline too. You may seek help from a colleague in order to finish work in hands. Do not ignore health issues and seek right help. You will be going on an important trip soon.

roperty related matters will get resolved. You may purchase another luxury model vehicle for personal use. New friend will be useful and give many important leads. Too much hot and spicy food can upset your stomach. Some issue involving a close family member will keep you very busy. New project will continue make progress.

(July 23 to August 22)

egal process can help you recover what was supposed to come months ago. Planets are in perfect order to help you out with almost everything in life. You will finally sign few more contracts this week. Energy level will be on the peak and you will be able to shed few more pounds. You will spend an evening with some important people. (August 23 to September 22)

nvestments made in the past will drain you out and you may use your savings to fulfil your commitments. Exalted Venus in seventh will help bachelors find some one who is not only intelligent but very good looking too. Some one you always considered adversary, will give you some very useful and practical tips. (September 23 to October 22)

eeling tired of stale life, you will make fresh attempts to bring changes in career and will be some what successful. You may dispose off some profit making stocks and wait. People in business will have better sales because of some new clients. Spouse will make some serious changes in diet at home for every one.

(October 23 to November 22)

t is going to be an expensive week. You may need to cut corners here and there in order to make important payments. Some one from overseas will call and deliver the good news. You will have time on hands to clean your table and take care of pending paper work. Good piece of advice coming from another intelligent person.

Teresa Giudice on the verge of a nervous breakdown

eal Housewives of New Jersey star, Teresa Giudice, will make her debut on Celebrity Apprentice. Will she get fired by Donald Trump or will she make it to the show finale? Teresa Giudice, born under the astrology zodiac sign of Taurus can be a stubborn girl. Quite the temper, she's most famous for her table flipping incident on Real Housewives. The dynamics on the show have definitely changed and she recently told WetPaint: "I come on the show for fun. I was with friends and strangers and I was a stay at home mom and thought it would be a fun experience. I didn't sign up on the show to be with my family. That just happened and I'm just kind of dealing with it," she says. Celebrity psychic Barb Powell says, "She scares me - she seriously needs to "clean" up her life in order to get back on track. I feel she is emotionally on the edge and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I do not feel like her energy is stable at all. Teresa Giudice's like the high school girl who hangs out with the wrong crowd and wonders why

Pandit Parashar, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com

Teresa Giudice

all the drama. She has a lot of personal work to do to find happiness. On her celebrity career, she can easily make a huge success of her TV career but I fear she will throw it all away. I just don't se her having an a-ha moment anytime soon. More than likely we will hear her in treatment for exhaustion and we all know what the actually means."

925-833-7170

website: www.parashar.com

Desi News FIA celebrates 63rd Indian Republic Day SURENDRA ULLAL

Seniors celebrate birth anniversary of Vivekananda SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: United Senior Pariwar, one of the largest seniors associations in Chicago area recently celebrated 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, holy festival Mahasakranti, 63rd Republic Day of India as well as death anniversary of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi on a grand scale The Chief Guest of the event was a leading businessman of Chicago area and community activist Mafatbhai Patel and Guest of Honor was Mrs. Usha Kamaria of Skokie. The event started with lamp lighting ceremony by the members of seniors association. Acharya Rohitbhai Joshi performed the religious ceremony. Over 135 members participated in this event. Suresh Shah, Secretary of the association. Details on page 16

NYPD officers shown notorious anti-Muslim film India Post News Service

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

63rd R-Day celebrated with great enthusiasm Details on page 19

12 India Post

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February 10, 2012

Chicago consulate hosts reception for Pranab Mukherjee A.Q. SIDDIQUI India Post News Service

CHICAGO: The Indian Consul General in Chicago, Mrs. Mukta Dutta Tomar, hosted a reception in honor of visiting Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Chi-

Iftekhar Shareef hailed the Chicago Indian Consul General for holding a reception at short notice. Shareef also wished the Finance Minister and his Congress Party back home all success cago on Sunday Jan 29 at Chicago's downtown Peninsula Hotel. Distinguished Chicago Indian American community members, diplomats and local officials joined the lunch reception.

Iftekhar Shareef presenting Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee with Tricolor Khandwa

Niranjan Shah, Iftekhar Shareef, Mafat Patel, Naren Patel, Balvinder Singh, Rajinder Singh Mago and many other Chicago Indian businessmen were among the invitees. ICG Mrs Tomar welcomed all and introduced the Indian business and community leaders to the visiting Minister. Iftekhar Shareef was invited to honor Mr Mukherjee and Indian Ambassador to U.S. Mrs.

Nirupama Rao with a traditional Tricolor Khandwa. Iftekhar Shareef hailed the Chicago Indian Consul General for holding a reception at short notice. Shareef also wished the Finance Minister and his Congress Party back home all success in ongoing assembly elections. The Indian economy has maintained a GDP growth above 6.5% in the face of global recession. The Fi-

nance Minister's strategic financial planning has played a pivotal role in the Indian economy. Mr Mukherjee was on a visit to Washington and Chicago to join the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Later, the Finance Minister shared his views with Chicago business leaders in individual chat. The ICG office thanked all the guests for joining the event.

India gifts $1.5m for Vivekananda Chair at Chicago varsity SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: India will provide a grant of $1.5 million to University of Chicago for the Vivekananda Chair to honor the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda and to facilitate exchange of research scholars from/ to India. University of Chicago will establish a new visiting professorship in Indian studies to perpetuate and promote the legacy of spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda by a US$1.5 million gift from India. The new chair will enrich the University's renowned program for the study of the Indian culture and history and further research and teaching of India's history and culture, a university press re-

lease said. Indian and University officials came together on January 28 to celebrate the new commitment. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in this regard

Mukherjee. The ceremony was addressed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Ambassador Nirupama Rao. "The Ministry's generous support will allow us to

The new chair will enrich the University's renowned program for the study of the Indian culture and history and further research and teaching of India's history and culture between Dean of University of Chicago (UOC) Martha Roth and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture Sanjiv Mittal, in the presence of Finance Minister Pranab

expand on the University's tradition of rigorous scholarship in Indian studies," said University President Robert J Zimmer. The grant is meant to honor

Swami Vivekananda's life and legacy and facilitate exchange of research scholars from/to India. Martha Roth, Dean of the Humanities and the Chauncey S. Boucher Professor of Assyriology and Dipesh Chakrabarty, the Lawrence A. Kimpton Distinguished Service Professor in History and South Asian Languages and Civilizations, also spoke about Swami Vivekananda's contribution to religious freedom, which opened the doors of religious tolerance between the East and the West. Also present was Chicago Consul-General of India Mukta Dutta Tomar. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

Community Across America

February 10, 2012

India Post 13

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Unsung heroes behind Art Institute events

NY Consulate celebrates Republic Day

KRISHNA RAJDA

CHICAGO: The launch of Rabindranath Tagore paintings at the Chicago Art Institute as well as placing a Plaque commemorating Swami Vivekanand's first visit to Chicago to attend the Parliament of World Religions at the Art Institute premise recently was no doubt a great event and it got dignified when the Indian Minister Pranab Mukherjee specially came to attend the inaugurate the event. The Indian government had given a grant of $500,000 for the exhibition and that was one more factor to make the event really memorable. Many an Indian American community member and leader came from far way places to attend the event and lent their support to a continuing effort to project India in right perspective - not only its recent economic gains but its past history of culture and spiritual attainment. All those present applauded the moves from the Indian government and the pleasant manner the Art Institute officials. The credit was not doubt for both these agencies - the government of India and Chicago Art Institute, and their officials. But behind the scene there were unsung heroes who needed to be

recognized for their role in getting the event reached to fruition. And they were forgotten either conveniently or thru oversight. They were real heroes who had worked day and night for weeks, and months and many in the past for years. One of the unsung heroes was Dr Madhumati Ghose, a recent recruit coming in from London. She is Alsdorf Associate Curator of Indian South Asian Himalayan and

of Modern Art in New Delhi. In a talk to this paper, he said that his agency took months to sort out the Tagore paintings numbering about 3000 and selected for exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Toronto in American hemisphere and also for London, Berlin, Rome and Paris in European sector and some for Korea and Malaysia also in the Asian area. He had come to attend the event and would again be coming

"I am not for any personal glorification but the work that was done by our staff at the Gallery went unnoticed in a way. They are among the real heroes,"he said Islamic Art. In a talk to this paper, she said that for her it was the goal that was more important than the names. She worked for months to have this exhibition at its place and also assiduously sought the Indian government's help financially. She is not sorry that her name was not mentioned and felt that she did the part as a duty -Karmaye Wa Adhikarste. Another unsung hero was Prof Rajeev Lochan who happens to be the Director National Art Gallery

to go to Toronto and Paris. All those who come to attend the event are blissfully unaware of the role played by National Gallery of Modern Arts or that of its Director Prof Lochan. "I am not for any personal glorification but the work that was done by our staff at the Gallery went unnoticed in a way. They are among the real heroes,"he said. The exhibition in New York was well received and so also the one in Korea.

India gifts $1.5m for Vivekananda Chair at Chicago varsity Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 12

University students also performed dance and music at the event. The University also did a live webcast of the event that could be viewed from the "UChicago Live" tab in the UChicago Facebook page. Vivekanand rose to prominence in the United States during the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, when he delivered an enormously popular lecture on the teachings of Hinduism. The $1.5 million gift will support the establishment of the Indian Ministry of Culture Vivekananda Visiting Professorship. The one-quarter visiting professorship will be given to distinguished scholars from a variety of disciplines with an interest in the fields of study most relevant to the teachings and philosophies of the Swami, such as Indian philosophy, politics and social movements. University of Chicago, founded in 1890, which

boasts of about 87 Nobel laureates, has a strong global presence with its own facilities in Beijing, London, Paris, and Singapore, and active educational programs in the College in locations throughout the world. Andrew M. Alper is Chair of Board of Trustees while Robert J. Zimmer is President.

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 14

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The 63rd Republic Day of India was celebrated at the Indian Consulate in New York with enthusiasm on Jan 26. Around 250 people, including politicians, legislators, senior officials from New York City, New York and New Jersey States, members of the consular community, prominent members of Indian-American Associations, community leaders, professors, media - both mainstream and ethnic, participated in what turned out to be a memorable program. India's Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi was the chief guest on the occasion. The celebration commenced with the reading out of the speech of Presi-

dent of India, in Hindi by Consul General Prabhu Dayal. In his address, Dayal highlighted the significance of the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas event which has become more encompassing and more interactive between India and Indian community abroad than ever before. He emphasized that it is the endeavor of the Indian American community that has made the Indo- American relations much stronger and vibrant than ever before. Minister Ravi said in his speech that today India was standing out because of its democratic structure and that its economy has survived because of the regulatory control of the country's economic system. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 14

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FIA celebrates 63rd Indian Republic Day SURENDRA ULLAL

FIA office bearers

CHICAGO: Federation of Indian Associations, Chicago, successfully hosted 63rd Indian Republic Day celebration and banquet dinner at Waterford Banquet in Elmhurst, IL on January 29. This colorful event was attended by around 400 people including prominent state representative and community leaders. The prominent personalities who attended the event were Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, State Senator Kirk Dillard, candidate for State Representative Michelle Mussman, Candidate for U.S. Congress Raja Krishnamoorthy, Judge Ketki Steffen, Elmhurst Mayor Peter DiCianni, Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig, Dupage County Circuit Court Clerk Chris Kachiroubas, Candidate for U.S. Congress Farah Baqai, Judge Aurelia Pucinski and Candidate for State Representative William R Adams. Emcee for the gala event was Sanjeev Singh. The evening began with American national anthem sung by one and only American Idol contestant from the community Ashika Sachdev, followed by Indian national anthem by Shreelekha Mohanty. In continuation of long cherished tradition, the program formally began with lamp lighting ceremony. The entire board of FIA was present during the lamp lighting to show solidarity and support for FIA. Among

The lamp lighting ceremony in the presence of FIA Team

the prominent community leaders present on the stage were Narenbhai Patel, President AIA and Vishwa Gujarati Samaj of USA, Suryakant Patel of Gujarati Samaj of Chicago, Dilip Patel of Six Gaam Patidar Samaj, Ram Saini of Rajasthan Association, PCS President Baljit Singh Sidhu, Babu Verma president of Indian Christian federation of Midwest, Ramanbhai Patel president of Se-

of events, celebrated festivals of India and supported several candidates who are now elected officials. Deep gratitude was expressed towards sponsors and media people as they were the true backbone in organizing such an event. He invited the FIA 2012 Executive board members on stage. As per constitution of FIA, office bearers are elected every year for the tenure of

Emcee for the gala event was Sanjeev Singh. The evening began with American national anthem sung by one and only American Idol contestant from the community Ashika Sachdev, followed by Indian national anthem by Shreelekha Mohanty. In continuation of long cherished tradition, the program formally began with lamp lighting ceremony nior Parivar Usha Kumaria President Indian community of Niles Town ship , Brij Sharma President of Hari Om Mandir, Nand Kapoor Past President of AIA , Mr. John Miller attorney representing Indonesian community and Counsel to AACC and Chief Guest Harinder Singh. After lamp lighting ceremony, FIA President Sunil Shah, in his welcome address said that last year FIA had organized a number

one year. Based on the election held in Dec. 2011, new office bearers have been elected by FIA to lead FIA in 2012. To administer the Oath and Pledge of office, Judge Ketki Steffan was formally invited on the stage. Judge Ketki Steffan administered the Oath and Pledge of office to new board including President Onkar Singh Sangha, Executive Vice President Rita Singh, Vice President Monty Syed, Vice President Dhitu

Bhagwakar, Vice President JB Singha, Secretary Shahid Razvi, Jt. Secretary Sam Azeem and Jt. Treasurer Bharti Desai. Rajinderbir S. Mago introduced all the dignitaries and described cultural items. This was followed by speeches from prominent guests. The evening was filled with patriotic songs and colorful dance performances. The patriotic dance "Saare Jahan Se Achha" and Des Rangila was performed by Aunsha Amin, Anisha Bhansi, Shivani Darji, Sonia Gupta, Kruti Kadiwala, Ritaka Rawat which was choreographed by Pika Munshi. After new President of FIA Onkar Singh Sangha's welcome speech, a scintillating kids' dance was performed on Badrinath. The evening program also included Bhangra dance: "Sardar Amrit Saab", Garba by Bharti Desai Team, Tina Jacob and Mira Patel. Prominent singers of Chicago Shreelekha Mohanty, Rinki Talati and Bhupender Singh, mesmerized the audience with their melodious voice and popular sound tracks. Executive Vice President Rita Singh proposed a vote by thanks followed by dinner. With vast experience in entertainment and show business both Rita Singh and Monty Syed, who are the pillars of FIA, have shown that when it comes to organizing events, FIA, Chicago is second to none.

Unsung heroes behind Art Institute events NY Consulate celebrates Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 13

"I expect good attendance at the Paris and Rome Exhibitions. Tagore was not only a great poet but was a great artist too and this is reflected in the theme of the exhibition," he said,

The other unsung heroes are a good umber of Indian Americans who had worked hard in the nineties to have the Vivekanand visit to Chicago immortalized by installing a plaque and a Sign in front of the Art Institute building on Michigan Ave. Vandals took away

the sign and it is not there now. The original plaque is replaced by a new and bigger plaque. The old plaque was placed during a glittering ceremony that was also attended by a large number of Indian Americans and the then Indian Ambassador Siddharth Shanker Ray. It would have been in the fitness of things if the role played by these community activists was recognized as it is with their efforts with the Institute and the City officials that Swami Vivekanand was remembered hundred years after his visit and his name engraved one more time in the memory of Chicagoans. Credit should be shared and given to all those deserving it rightly, and not stolen by a few, many felt.

Republic Day

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And, despite the fact that there is a coalition Government at the Center, it has fared well because of the adaptability of the parties and their willingness to compromise to reach a common goal. Also present on the occasion was Lalit Mansingh, former Indian Ambassador to US and Ambassador O. M. Nambiar, Special Envoy of UN Security Council to Myanmar. While Mansingh highlighted the significance of the strategic relationship of India with US and other countries, Nambiar pointed out to the 'Globalization of India', which characterizes the nature of society in

India and all over the world. Other prominent personalities who graced the occasion were Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam, Consul General of Trinidad and Tobago to the US, Philip Scanlan, Consul General of Australia, David Weprin, Assemblyman from Queens, NY and Prasad Srinivasan, Assemblyman from Connecticut. Ramgoolam attributed the closeness of Trinidad and Tobago to India to the cultural factors and wished India well. Last but not the least, Indian army men, represented on the occasion by Col. Virendra Tavathia were honored by Minister Ravi.

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R-Day celebrations in Washington Embassy Republic Day celebrations were held at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC on January 26

Ambassador Rao paying floral tribute at Mahatma Gandhi's statue in front of the Embassy

Guests in attendance

Ambassador Nirupama Rao unfurling the National Flag.

Community pays tribute to Mahatma's legacy HAIRSH RAO

CHICAGO: The Gandhi Memorial Trust organized a brief prayer service in Skokie, a north side suburb of Chicago, to remember Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian nation, on January 30. The community gathered at

sacrifices should not go waste. Let the world adopt some of his ideology to solve the current problems. It is important to teach our future generation to do the right thing and think about action we take, how it affects the

Usha Kamaria, one of the organizers, said his sacrifices should not go waste. Let the world adopt some of his ideology to solve the current problems the statue of the Mahatma in Skokie and remembered him, his teachings and his sacrifices for his fellow Indians. Usha Kamaria, one of the organizers, said his

overall image of the whole Indian community. "Gandhi Ji said change must begin with you. In this small sentence there is so much meaning. Let us stop judg-

ing people and start doing something meaningful and positive in our own life," she added. Gandhiji's favorite bhajans were sung by the people present. Those present applauded Anna Hazzare's courage in launching the movement to remove corruption from India. The prayer concluded with offering of flowers at Gandhi Ji's statue.

Community members gather to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi

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Seniors celebrate birth anniversary of Vivekananda SURESH SHAH

Lamp lighting ceremony at Seniors event

and members and submitted a detailed report of the activities being carried out by the seniors association. Rohit Bhai Joshi explained the purpose behind celebrating the event of Makarsakranti (kite festival). He also spoke about the Martyrs' Day of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi and requested the members of senior association to follow his principles in daily life. Mrs. Usha Kamaria spoke about celebration of 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. She said the Government of India had already decided to celebrate this year as a birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda from January 12, and the celebration has already started. She also congratulated organizers of seniors' association

for celebrating this event in Chicago area too. She said that Swami Vivekananda came to Chicago in

Rohit Bhai Joshi explained the purpose behind celebrating the event of Makarsakranti (kite festival). He also spoke about the Martyrs' Day of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi the year 1893 to address an assembly of Parliament of World Religions and he delivered a magnifi-

cent lecture on September 11,1893. One of the members of the seniors association Ajitbhai Majmudar read a Gujarati version of the lecture given by Swami Vivekananda in the assembly of Parliament of World Religion in the year 1893. Ramanbhai Patel, president of senior association, also spoke about celebration of 63rd Republic Day of India. He paid tributes to the leaders of India who fought for freedom and told the members to root out corruption and fight for that. He thanked the members for giving their full support in all the activities of the association. He declared that seniors association will celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda for the whole year and different activities will be carried out during this pe-

riod. Chairman of Board of Trustees of Seniors Association and chief guest of the event Mafatbhai Patel thanked all the members for giving their support to the association and welcomed the decision taken by the authorities to celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda for an entire year. He suggested that learned dignitaries may be invited to speak on him. Thereafter members of senior association celebrated birthdays for the month of January 2012 and a birthday card was presented to the members by Mafatbhai Patel. A delicious dinner was served and all the members enjoyed it. It was announced that the next meeting will be held on Sunday February 19 in Kathy Hall as usual. Only members were requested to attend.

Community reception for Indian minister Kharge India Post News Service

DALLAS, TX: "India is poised to transition from a third world country to the third largest economy" was the theme at the FunAsiA Richardson, TX community reception to Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister of Labor & Employment, India" on Sunday, Jan 29. The event was jointly hosted by the Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC) and India Association of North Texas (IANT) under the leadership of Prasad Thotakura, Texas State Coordinator of IAFC and Dr. Sridhar Reddy Korsapati, President of IANT. A host of other local business entities and community organizations based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area supported the event. Thotakura extended a warm welcome to Minister Kharge and his delegation and over 300 Indian American community leaders and professionals representing various organizations. He recalled the recent accomplishments of IAFC and requested every citizen to become a registered voter to make

an impact to the growing interest in US politics. He introduced Kharge as a "competent leader with a clean public image and skilled in the dynamics of politics, legislation and administration" Dr. Korsapati, President of IANT extended a special welcome to Kharge in his native Kannada and observed, "History has shown that great nations have in-

has done extremely well and we should leverage the lessons learned from this experience". Kharge addressed the gathering and provided an update on various bilateral memoranda on items of mutual interest, such as, mining safety, employment, social security and said that India's GDP is poised to grow at a faster pace than most of the nations. He reit-

Thotakura extended a warm welcome to Minister Kharge and his delegation and over 300 Indian American community leaders and professionals representing various organizations fluenced the world with their economic, diplomatic and cultural strength. I say with utmost pride that India and United States of America are examples of such great nations. We are blessed to be living in a democratic system and the Indian community with strong education and work ethic

erated his commitment to improve child education especially to strengthen the rural communities. On behalf of IAFC and IANT Prasad Thotakura and Sridhar Korsapati jointly felicitated Mr Kharge with "Pride of India" award for his over four decades of public service at both regional and national levels.

India's Labor Minister Mallikarjun Kharge (center) being honored with Pride of India Award, flanked by Prasad Thotakura (left) and Dr. Sridhar Reddy Korsapati

Consul General of India Sanjiv Arora, who attended as a special guest listed the progress of India in different sectors like industries, agriculture, service etc., is very satisfactory. He specially thanked the Dallas community for being brand ambassadors of India representing

their motherland well in USA. Prasad Thotakura and Sridhar Korsapati presented a token of appreciation to Arora thanking him for his continued and timely delivery of critical immigration services to the Indian community. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 17

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C.K. Patel re-appointed to Vishwa Hindi Divas celebrated in New York U.S. Tourism Board India Post News Service

Atlanta hotelier and immediate past chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) Chandrakant "C.K." Patel has been reappointed for a two-year term to the prestigious U.S. Travel and Tourism Board, which consists of 32 leading travel and tourism business leaders who are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce to advise on industry-related programs and policies. A topic of special interest for Patel, who was originally appointed in January of 2011 to serve a one-year term, has been streamlining the visa application process so foreign

C.K. Patel.

"The Advisory Board represents the eyes and ears of our nation's travel and tourism," said Secretary of Commerce John Bryson in announcing Patel's appointment. "I am committed to working with C.K. and all the members to bring more visitors to the United States and to put ideas into action to bolster job creation in this critical economic sector." A hotelier since 1982, Patel is president of Atlanta-based BVM Holdings, which owns and operates hotels as well as certain commercial real estate investments in Georgia. He was a founder of two community banks in Georgia - Quantum National Bank in 1996, the first bank owned by Indian

A hotelier since 1982, Patel is president of Atlanta-based BVM Holdings, which owns and operates hotels as well as certain commercial real estate investments in Georgia. He was a founder of two community banks in Georgia - Quantum National Bank in 1996, the first bank owned by Indian Americans in the southeast, and Home Town Community Bank in 2005

travelers can more easily visit the United States. Underscoring the importance of this issue is that on January 19, President Obama signed an Executive Order which supports improved visa processing and promotes the U.S. as a tourism destination. "Travel and tourism is a vital segment of our country's economy, so this position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the financial well-being of our country," explains Patel. "More tourists means more spending, which contributes to more jobs and a faster economic recovery." In 2010, the travel and tourism industry employed 7.5 million people and generated $1.3 trillion in annual spending, or nearly 3% of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).

Americans in the southeast, and Home Town Community Bank in 2005. During his term as chairman of AAHOA, Patel launched several programs which were industry "firsts" including an online purchasing cooperative, an online travel portal, a return on investment (ROI) study of hotel franchise brands, and a Bill of Rights for franchisees in conjunction with the Coalition of Franchisee Associations. Founded in 1989, AAHOA is one of the hospitality industry's most respected and most influential groups, with almost 11,000 members who together own more than 20,000 hotels with a combined property value of almost $130 billion.

Community reception for Indian minister Kharge Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 16

Ms. Shabnam Modgil, IANT Trustee Board Chairman also spoke on the occasion appreciating the community support to great events like these. Dr. Keith Goddard, US Department of Labor International Manager, Ms. Lisa London, Director of the University of Arlington also attended the event. IANT officials Swathi Shah, Loknath Patro, NMS Reddy, Indu Reddy and IAFC officials Rao Kalvala, Sushmi Kosuri, John Hamid, Murali Vennam

and C.R. Rao and Mallega Kannada Sangha of North Texas felicitated several Government of India delegates who attend the event. The thought provoking, informative and educational community reception came to an end with vote of thanks by Taiyab Kundawala, Vice President of IAFC the audience for their attendance, volunteers who spent countless hours of valuable time, to media partners TV9, Sakshi TV and FunAsiA for providing excellent meeting facilities and tasty food.

Prof. Surendra Gambhir India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Consulate General of India, New York celebrated Vishwa Hindi Divas on Jan 20, which was held at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan New York. About 150 people including Hindi poets, academics working in the field of promoting Hindi, members of the mainstream and ethnic media and people interested in Hindi language from the Tri-State area attended the function. Consul General of India Prabhu Dayal acknowledged the efforts of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and its contribution in promoting Hindi language and Indian culture abroad. He highlighted the contributions of the

Bhavan in jointly organizing the 8th World Hindi Conference in New York with the Government of India in 2007. Dayal suggested the use of Hindi as a medium of communication at home and at community gatherings, which would in turn encourage the younger generation to speak in Hindi. He then read out a special message to the country from the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh on the occasion of Hindi Divas. H. R. Shah, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and the chief of TV Asia spoke about the various activities undertaken by the organization. He announced a program to be funded by TV Asia to sponsor 7-10 children to undertake "Bhavan Darshan" annually to learn about Indian culture and language. The Hindi Divas program commenced with a presentation by Prof. Surendra Gambhir on the activities undertaken to promote Hindi language in the US, followed by recitation of Hindi poems by young students of the Bhavan. An entertaining dialogue on the usage of Hindi was performed by Ashok Vyas and Gita Setia, both presenters on the New Yorkbased ethnic channel ITV. Lastly, Dr. Susham Bedi and Anoop Bhargava enthralled the audience with readings from her work and select poems of eminent authors respectively.

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TANA global online science fair for Telugu youth SURENDRA ULLAL

DALLAS: TANA has announced the launch of TANA Global Science Fair for Telugu youth who are between the ages of 10 and 18, in collaboration with EENADU and ETV. The goal of the fair is to discover, empower and encourage science and technology talent in Telugu students around the World. TANA believes Telugu young minds with the talent in science can change the world - and one way to encourage that is to celebrate and felicitate scientific talent as we do for athletes and pop idols. TANA is providing an opportunity to all Telugu students with an idea to participate from anywhere in the world, and share their inventions and ideas with the world. Students can build and submit their projects either as a solo or in a team of up to three students entirely online, hence making it easy and affordable for all to participate in this Global competition. Telugu students from a remote

Zilla Parishad High School in Andhra Pradesh will be able to compete with students from an elite private school in Albany, New York for awards and prizes, including once-in-a-lifetime experiences, scholarships and much more. From the list of semi-finalists, a number of finalists will be selected to bring their projects to Dallas, Texas in July, 2013 to TANA Convention where the awards will be presented to winners on a grand stage with an international coverage of the event. Prasad Thotakura, TANA President said it is TANA's mission to encourage and provide a platform for Telugu youth to participate and excel in their chosen filed. Rajesh Veerapaneni, Chairman, TANA Global Science Fair said that a state of the art Science Fair portal would be launched exclusively for this event on Ugadi Day, 2012 along with communication centers in USA and India to coordinate this event.

Lunar New Year celebration on Feb 25 India Post News Service

CHICAGO, IL: The Asian American Coalition of Chicago will hold its 27th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration, "Bridging Generations and Cultures for Progress," on Saturday, February 25 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, Illinois. Every year a different Asian community takes turn playing host of the New Year gala. This year it is the Thai American Community, which has thrice before (in 1986, 1994, and 2002) held the gavel for the community's most important event of the year.

The following popular TV broadcast personalities are scheduled to appear as Celebrity Presenters at its 29th Annual New Year Celebration, on Saturday, February 26, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont: Jan Jeffcoat, Mrning Anchor/Reporter, FOX Chicago TV News; Nancy Loo, Morning and Noon Anchor/Reporter, FOX Chicago TV News; Nesita Kwan, HealthWatch Reporter and Anchor, NBC 5 Chicago TV News; Joanie Lum, Broadcast Journalist; Mai Martinez, Weekend Anchor/Reporter, CBS 2 Chicago News; and* Judy Wang, Weekend Morning Anchor/Reporter, CLTV News and WGN-TV News.

NYPD officers shown notorious anti-Muslim film India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) has called on the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to offer a concrete plan to help counter the misinformation about Islam and Muslims provided to almost 1500 officers through the screening of "The Third Jihad," a notorious anti-Muslim propaganda film. CAIR-NY is also asking for a review of all NYDP training on Islam and for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly to meet with Muslim community leaders and representatives of other minority and civil liberties groups to discuss allegations of anti-Muslim bias in the department. The New York Times reported that, despite NYPD denials last year, the propaganda film "was shown to more than a thousand officers as part of training in the New York Police Department." According to the film's narrator, the "true agenda of much of Islam in America" is to "infiltrate and dominate America ... This is the war you don't know about." As the Times article states: "In January 2011, when news broke that the department had used the film in training, a top police official denied it, then said it had been mistakenly screened 'a couple of times' for a few officers. A year later, police documents obtained under the state's Freedom of Information Law reveal a different reality: 'The Third Jihad,' ... was shown, according to internal police reports, 'on a continuous loop' for between three months and one year of training. During that time, at least 1,489 police officers, from lieutenants to detectives to patrol officers, saw the film."

When the issue first came to light last year, CAIR-NY called on the NYPD to investigate how the propaganda film came to be used in mandatory counterterrorism training. CAIR-NY also called for new NYPD guidelines to ensure that officer training materials offer only unbiased information about any religious or minority community. Along with the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC), CAIR-NY sent several letters to Commissioner Kelly, but received little or no response.

According to the film's narrator, the "true agenda of much of Islam in America" is to "infiltrate and dominate America ... This is the war you don't know about" "The NYPD must come up with a concrete plan that will correct the misinformation that has been offered to so many officers. Only transparent accountability can begin to rebuild the Muslim community's trust in the department following this admission and other recent revelations of warrantless spying on innocent Muslims," said CAIR-NY Civil Rights Manager Cyrus McGoldrick. "This example is just part of a pattern of training that gives inaccurate and inflammatory information to law enforcement and security personnel nationwide." He noted that the Obama administration said it would review

and reform government training on Islam after CAIR and the other civil rights groups expressed concerns about persistent reports that FBI agents and other government and military officials are trained to view mainstream American Muslims with suspicion and to view the faith of Islam as the source of terrorism and extremism. McGoldrick added that a recent series of investigative reports by The Associated Press revealed that undercover NYPD officers in a so-called "Demographics Unit" spied on Muslim communities and houses of worship with the assistance of individuals linked to the CIA. NYPD officials initially denied the Demographics Unit existed, despite the AP's publication of an NYPD presentation that described the mission and makeup of the unit. Additionally, according to AP, a CIA lawyer who should have authorized the agency's involvement in NYPD's spying programs, never issued such authorization, as required under the 1981 presidential order to prevent the CIA from domestic spying. Reports indicate that the NYPD even spied on Muslim leaders who figured prominently in community outreach efforts, and infiltrated Muslim student groups not suspected of committing any crime. "The Third Jihad" was produced by the shadowy non-profit group the Clarion Fund. A previous anti-Muslim propaganda film produced by the group and distributed to millions of voters in swing states just prior to the 2008 election was apparently backed by a $17 million donation from a "longtime contributor" to neoconservatives and militant Israeli groups. The Clarion Fund also has links to the right-wing Israeli group Aish HaTorah.

Sikh Women’s Day in memory of Mata Gujri India Post News Service

WASHINGTON: Last month, Guru Gobind Singh Foundation in Washington celebrated Sikh Women’s Day while paying tributes to Mata Gujri, the mother of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The entire program was conducted by ladies of the community. They took turns to recite Sikh hymns and many spoke to highlight the positive role played by the women in history and evolution of the Sikh community in the last 500 years. Rani Kaur Sawhney, a board member of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation and who conducted the stage, said. “The divaan that GGSF held in honor of Mata Gujri Ji was a tribute not only to her,

Mandeep Kaur reciting a shabad is accompanied by her two sisters, Jasdeep Kaur and Jasjit Kaur. Bhai Sucha Singh playing tabla.

but to all women; I felt honored to take part in it. It forced me to remember our unique history as Sikhs, and the ways in which we

Kawal Kaur leads in ardas and Perveen Kaur Sidhu reads the hukumnama from Guru Granth Sahib.

as Sikh women have come to be who we are. As Singhnis, we hold a unique place in today’s society as women who belong to a

faith that places unequivocal importance on the role of a female. “ Cont’d on page 20

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63rd R-Day celebrated with great enthusiasm

India Post News Service

HAYWARD, CA: The 63rd Republic Day of India was celebrated with great enthusiasm at an event organized by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) at Chabot College auditorium here. The colorful event was attended by prominent state representatives and community leaders. Among those present were Senator Ellen Corbett, Fremont Vice Mayor Anu Natrajan, Bill Harrison; Suzanne Lee Chan and Dominic Dutra from the Fremont City Council, Ash (Pics: Mohan Sabnani)

Kalra from San Jose City Council, Assembly Member Bob Wieckowski, Milpitas Mayor Joe Esteves and Teresa Cox, member of Ohlone's College Board The welcome speech was delivered by FIA Chairman Dr. Romesh Japra. He congratulated all fellow Indians and Americans and local officials for making this event possible which he had dreamt for more then two decades ago, when FIA had just started. Senator Ellen Corbett shared the information with all those gathered that for the first time the Indian flag was hoisted in the California state capital, Sacramento City, on Republic Day, January 26th. She applauded the Indian community for this contribution and congratulated Indians for the Republic Day celebration. Consul General of India

N.Parthasarathi read from Indian President Pratibha Patil's speech and congratulated everyone for their contribution. He also shared that he has been in the US for only three months but felt he had seen so much of the contribution made

by the Indian community. All the local officials were called on stage and were recognized. This was followed by prize distribution. Senator Corbett gave a plaque to Dr. Japra. Bob Wieckowski gave an award to Dr

Japra for all the youths of FIA and young Indians. The kids competition was held from 2.00 pm to 7.30 pm. The event was sponsored by Wells Fargo bank representative Micky Randhawa The FIA Team behind the event

included Rajesh Verma, Dharminder Dewan, Deepak Chhabra, Manorama Kumar, Kamal Nair, Sudesh Saini, Rakesh Kapoor and Madhu Sahani, Yogi, Vijaya and others. They were all thanked profusely by Dr Japra.

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Children big hit at Vasant Panchami program VICTORIA TRUVER

RIVERSIDE: It seemed like springtime in Riverside's Shri Lakshmi Narayan Sunday Jan 29, when 100 devotees celebrated Vasant Panchami, a festival that celebrates the beginning of spring. The Mandir was a sea of yellow since many came dressed in the traditional yellow color worn on this day. The program began with Saraswati Puja because it is believed that Goddess Saraswati was born on Vasant Panchami. Afterwards, the children were asked to come forward and participate in Saraswati aarti. The main feature was the children's Indian costume show and the youngsters came

dressed in a diversity of costumes including a rishi, prince, and Baby Krishna. The cameras flashed as the following children participated:

Chinta, Jyothi Kulasingam, Aarushi Manikandan, Alena Talreja, Kristine Cabrera, Varsha, Shaarya and Jahnvi. Shreya and Kriti Kumar Jalota

The program began with Saraswati Puja because it is believed that Goddess Saraswati was born on Vasant Panchami. Afterwards, the children were asked to come forward and participate in Saraswati aarti Ishaan Gupta, Rithvik Gupta, Anisha Prasad, Suryansh Kumar Jalota, Anushka Shukla, Sameer Shah, Saanvi Chinta, Swarith

were the MCs. After Mandir President Lakshman Koka made announcements the final aarti was held and maha Prasad was served.

Sikh Women’s Day in memory of Mata Gujri

Gagan Kaur Narang wrote a poem paying tributes to Mata Gujri ji and recited it with passion. Cont’d from page 18

Speeches and poems by female sangat members highlighted each of the many roles played by Mata Gujri Ji - that of daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, leader, role model, and martyr - and compelled us to think about the extent to which we as women fulfill these roles in our own lives today. We were inspired to seek guidance from her legacy in history as a ‘puran istree’. Jaspreet Kaur Ahuja spoke on the occasion and said, “It was Mata Gujriji who supported Guru Tegh Bahadur when he was deep in meditation for 20 years, when

he was on missionary tour for 5 years, and finally, when Guruji left for Delhi to make the supreme sacrifice. Ladies look at this from a wife’s point of view. It was Mata Gujri who raised Guru Gobind Singh single handedly when Guru Tegh Bahadur was on missionary tours and then after his martyrdom. She molded and raised the Guru as a model human, who was perfect in all aspects of life - compassionate, kind, courageous, fearless and a Sant Sipahi. Guru Gobind Singh was only 9 at the time of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji’s martyrdom. She had the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Panth. She organized

Kawal Kaur leading the Ardas.

Dr. Natasha Kaur singing shabad.

the langar and played an important role as the administrator of the army.” She added, “It was Mata Gujri who supported her grandsons, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, 9 and 6 years old to stand up to the Mughal empire and not budge from their beliefs. They gave up their precious lives but did not give up their Sikhi - a lot of the credit for bringing up such outstanding children goes to Mata ji. If the Sahibzadas had accepted Islam on that winter day, Sikhi probably wouldn’t exist as it does today. Again it was Mataji who attained shaheedi the same day as

her grandsons. While imprisoned on top of an open tower or Thanda Burj during the cold month of December, Mata Gujri continually did simran with no complaints about her physical being. Her mission had been fulfilled. She was complete. Let us today remember this amazing and powerful women and pray that Waheguru gives us the women some of that zeal and spirit in raising our children and grandchildren.” Amrit Pal Kaur recited the shabad ‘Dhan Jio Teh Ko Jag Maih’ and exhorted the youth to keep their identity if they really feel connected with Mata Gujri ji. Dr.

Natasha Kaur recited the shabad ‘Se Gursikh dhan dhan hai” and Dr. Gunpreet Kaur also recited a shabd. Dr. Natasha Kaur, a second generation young Sikh doctor, said, “Celebrating the life of Mata Gujri Ji was a memorable divan at GGSF. Through kirtan, kavita and katha, we reflected on her devotion, leadership and unwavering faith in God. We know her through her relationship to the Gurus, but her virtues are what have brought her timeless honor. Her life was surrounded by the Guru’s wisdom and she demonstrated the life of an exemplary Gursikh. She is an inspiration for all of us.”

Community/California

February 10, 2012

India Post 21

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Indians urge firm to withdraw Ganesha mats India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Upset Indians have urged immediate recalling of yoga mats carrying images of Lord Ganesha sold by a California (USA) based firm Yogamatic on its website, calling it inappropriate. Rajan Zed, a Hindu community activist, in a statement in Nevada said that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be trampled under one's feet while doing yoga. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. Rajan Zed who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that such trivialization of Lord Ganesha was disturbing and offensive to the Hindus world over. Yoga mats Hindu devotees are finding objectionable include two carrying images of Lord Ganesha

Rajan Zed who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that such trivialization of Lord Ganesha was disturbing and offensive to the Hindus world over (ym_0248 and ym_0190). Both are priced at $89, excluding tax & shipping. Each mat measures 72" x 24" with a depth of 1/4" and weight of about seven pounds. Company itself explains Ganesha on its website as: "Ganesha is widely reveredâ&#x20AC;Ś as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles..." Yogamatic.com labels itself as "the custom yoga mat company" asking customers to "Choose from 100's of mats in our exclusive Galleries". Entrepreneur magazine listed it under "100 Brilliant Companies" with comments: "A favorite of Oprah and Jennifer Aniston". For $79 plus tax and shipping, one can order a Yoga Mat with her/his own image at Yogamatic, which claims to operate a fully functional design service from its studio/gallery in Santa Monica (California). Besides Yoga Mat, it also sells Travel Mat/ Yoga Towel. In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

Readers Write... www.indiapost.com

Strong political machine needed for good of community

t's time we look into building a strong, organized, effec tive, political machine for our community. We have many good associations and leaders who have contributed significantly for past many years. They have spent lot of their personal time to keep the Indian community visible. But we have not done much to help effectively our people and those who are running for political offices. Can we come together to build an army of volunteers from the entire community in an organized manner so that whenever our candidates are running for offices, they can just approach this group to seek their help to work for them. I have some ideas and I am sure if we can have meetings with leaders of the community, we can truly accomplish this goal. Let us all put our differences aside and build some-

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thing solid for the future generation. Survey shows that only a few hundred out of thousands of registered Indian voters go and vote. A pathetic show from a community which claims progressive views and better educational and vocational accomplishment. When we came to this country we were busy raising family and supporting families and relatives back home. We did not have much time and experience to run for offices in this country. But I am sure we all had dreamed about our kids running for big government offices one day and hoped one day they will look after all of us. Well friends, the time has come. We are proud to say that many in our second generation is about to convert that dream into reality. They have shown the courage to take that step forward in the fast changing American politics. But without support from everyone their

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chances of winning are dismal. Yes, they are educated, and qualified just like many other groups to run for offices. They will need our votes and our financial support. Raja Krishnamurthy is one of our own and so is Vivek Bavda. They are running for very important positions. They are running for US Congress. It's is my sincere appeal to every Indian citizen to vote for these two very outstanding young men on March 20 in the primary election. We also need lots of volunteers to make calls and for canvassing among voters. You can either go to their headquarters or make calls from your home. We can provide you the list of registered voters from their district. I will be volunteering for them and I will be happy to get you any information you want. You can visit their web sites. www.rajaforcogress.com and www.bavdaforcongress.com

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Please sign up for volunteers even if it is for few hours or a few days. I will also be going to their head offices to help them. I will be extremely happy to give ride to people who want to come and help for a few hours. Most importantly, don't forget to tell your friends and family who live in their district to take 15 minutes of their time and vote for them in the March primary. Let our dreams be our reality. Usha Kamaria Niles Illinois (Ms Usha Kamaria is a very active Indian community activist in Skokie and Niles area associating herself with a host of community oriented projects including raising awareness about Mahatma Gandhi and Indian culture in the north suburbs of Chicago.)

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Caste system finds new ways of prospering in India

aste, the omnipresent ghost in India is a projection of the stereotyped, much aspired for successful Indian family of always. But this time it is modern, internationally savvy, free of the oppression of looming want, rather triumphant in its western like comfort - the new India. But then we notice the insidious caveat just right there as if those have-nots, are needed by the upper classes to feel superior. Those lower classes must always be there, in absolute destitution, even if absurd and defies reason. Basic public work such as keeping roads clear is, in most of the world's countries, done by the state and not by the lower classes. But India cannot do away with it for any reason, logic and even already established human progress. Rather it only keeps its caste system rolling strong. Indeed the homeless families gaze at the car and its owners with utter ado-

ration and willingness to just serve. The confusion as to the cause and solutions to the problem seems to be a dilemma equally shared by all born in India. If you are a member of the upper caste, would you want to artificially, that is, by a secular political decision, be forced to a less privileged socio-economic position? And if you are of lower castes by birth, given the opportunity by political/economic arrangements to go higher, would you not begin behaving like the upper classes, that is, look for inferiors to contrast your own newly acquired status? Status seems to be what is craved, and a mutual system of measure of that status, not necessarily just a comfortable material life. Will such psychology go away with education, with access to material means such as that achieved in the West? It doesn't seem so. On the contrary opportunities, education, development and even inter-caste marriages in India seem

to operate over and over again by the rules of the caste system. One other curious example is what transpired in the communist and Maoist ideologies penetrating Indian culture recently. Both movements, precisely to do away with class differences to introduce a more even distribution of wealth in the country, had to allow its members, the poorest of the poor, to bring with them their rituals of higher or lower positions even within the very structure supposedly to do away with the very sense of higher or lower which had oppressed them outside in wider proportions. Without this adjustment those movements simply would not garner the level of adherence needed so to build the momentum it aimed to achieve. A new circle was restarted within the old circle. Rather than diminishing with education and economic emergency, caste system is finding, it seems, newer and stronger ways of remaining.

Western approval has always been a great concern in the minds of Indian society. Acceptance at international level has become a measure of status itself. If Westerners themselves offer their very status in the sacrificial altar of lower birth, who is to argue against the concept? Europeans, Americans, Australians and other such non-Indian converts to Sanatana Hindu traditions are happy to accept their own lower birth as automatic ineligibility to spiritual privileges inside their new faiths. In their original societies these devotees can reason about the absurdity of discrimination on the basis of body and birth. But once here they offer themselves blindly to the very same principle and practice. Their reasoning now is that it is so dictated in ancient scriptures and it must therefore be followed, no questions asked. Surendra Ullal

Disclaimer :- India Post does not endorse opinions expressed in the letters.

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

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February 10, 2012

hah Rukh Khan allegedly assaulted Farah Khan's husband and filmmaker Shirish Kunder at Sanjay Dutt's bash. According to reports, Shirish was drunk and followed Shah Rukh everywhere and even entered the loo with him. Irritated SRK then pinned him to a sofa and allegedly punched him. Farah Khan confirmed the incident. "Shirish, my husband, was beaten up by Shah Rukh and his three bodyguards in Sanjay Dutt's party. Shah Rukh asked Shirish why he had tweeted against him... There was no provocation from our side. He had screamed at Shirish telling him that he would destroy me as well," the choreographer-director said. Farah Khan also SMSed reporters: "Shahrukh has always told me that physical abuse is the worst way 2 sort out a problem, n that its means the person who's hitting has either a personal or professional crisis going on, n it saddens me 2 see him doing the same (sic)." When things got out of hand, Sanjay Dutt had to intervene to stop the brawl. But apparently he too slapped Kunder for sending lewd messages to his wife Maanyata and for misbehaving with a girl at the same party. According to latest reports, Shirish and Farah patched up with King Khan at a meeting at his residence, Mannat, arranged by peacemakers Sajid Khan and producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Sajid says "There were hugs and tears. Neither Shirish and Farah nor King Khan had any issues".

areena Kapoor doesn't get jealous easily. The actress says she is happy and content in her relationship with beau Saif Ali Khan. Kareena shared her sentiments in a casual tete-atete with her friend and "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu" producer Karan Johar for "A date with Ek Main aur Ekk Tu" on TV. Johar asked Kareena - "How do you feel when you see Saif in an intimate scene with another hot actress? Say in 'Race 2', Saif has a bare-body scene with a Deepika in bikini, what would be your first thought?" To which, Kareena replied: "I'd be like 'Wow! How hot Saif looks'," and added: "I know how he looks bare bodied!" On a serious note, she said: "I am quite secure in my relationship with Saif and though I don't want to say too much too soon, I am quite content!" Recently Saif admitted how he thinks Kareena looks best only with him, and not with any of the other Khans of Bollywood that she has worked with

Happy

& content

1 Chikni Chameli: Agneepath 2 Hosanna: Ek Deewana Tha 3 Jhoom Jhoomta Hun Main : Players 4 O Saiyyan: Agneepath 5 Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu : Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu 6 Aromale: Ek Deewana Tha 7 Kal Chalna Shuru Tu : Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu 8 Zara Dil Ko Thaam Lo: Don 2 9 Dil Yeh Bekarar Kyu Hai : Players 10 Sharminda Hoon : Ek Deewana Tha

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February 10, 2012

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Musical high! S

he is over the moon with the success of her latest flick Agneepath, and now actor Priyanka Chopra is keeping her fingers crossed so that her debut album follows suit. "I am working on my album but there is a lot of time that I need to balance between my movies and music. I hope by summer this year, I am able to come out with a single. I will work on international lines, I'll drop a single and then if it picks up, another single until the album comes out," the 29-year-old says. "There is so much talent in the country and I hope I can pave the way for artists so the world opens up for them," she adds. Ask her about her reported collaborations with artists Lady Gaga and Jay Sean and she says, "There will be collaborations, but it's too early to speak about them right now." A former Miss World, Priyanka also spoke about Indian beauties participating in international pageants. "Indian women are so beautiful, not just in the way they look, but in the way they are. We have a lot within ourselves in terms of personalities and so much potential. I hope a lot more girls will come forward and take part in Miss India," says Priyanka.

Singing actor Hindi debut

outh actor Dhanush is all set to make his Bollywood debut through Aanand L. Rai's upcoming directorial venture 'Raanjhnaa'. Confirming the news, Rai said it was the Tamil film 'Aadukalam' which led him to approach Dhanush for his film, as the film had earned Dhanush a national award. Asked why he chose Rai's film, Dhanush replied that the unique script of 'Raanjhnaa' attracted him. Dhanush also admitted that Rai approached him for the film even before his hit track sensation 'Kolaveri Di' made Dhanush a star overnight. Dhanush who is not fluent in Hindi now wishes to learn the language for his upcoming film. He is also awaiting his forthcoming Tamil flick '3' directed by his wife Aishwarya Dhanush that also features Shruti Haasan. The Tamil film would also have a Hindi version.

ondon, Paris, New York' is my first outing as a music composer and lyricist for a Bollywood film. I hope people like my acting and music," says Pakistani actor-singer Ali Zafar, who is open to more projects as a composer and lyricist. But there is a condition "Right now, I only want to sing for my own films where I play the lead. At a later stage, I may consider composing and singing for films where I'm not on screen. " The 31-year-old, after London Paris New York, will next be seen and heard in David Dhawan's remake of the 1981-movie, Chashme Buddoor, where he's likely to croon three or four songs. A couple of months ago, it was rumored that Katrina Kaif, Ali's co-star from Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, will be singing alongside him for his forthcoming album. "I wont start recording for my album for at least two years," he says, adding, "As for Katrina's involvement, I don't know where that news came from. We jammed together during our last film. We love music and discussed a possibility of recording together but there is nothing planned."

India Post

reacted, "I've evolved wanting a Best Actor Award, as this is my fourth award. Every dream seems to turn into a reality and I feel great. Thank you Imtiaz. I love you and thank you sir for giving me hope and motivation. All thanks for giving me Rockstar." Sridevi and Boney Kapoor gave away the Best Actress Award to Vidya Balan, as she re-

he Idea 57th Filmfare Awards at the Film City studio, Mumbai, saw a few rising stars of the Bollywood industry on Sunday 29 Jan. The event was hosted by the Badshah 'Shah Rukh Khan and handsome Ranbir Kapoor'. The stars and celebrities walked down the red carpet, dressed in their classy gorgeous best to celebrate the biggest of Hindi Cinema 'Filmfare awards show'. Gen next superstar Ranbir Kapoor bagged the best actor award for his film 'Rockstar' and bold and beautiful Vidya Balan won the best actress award for her performance in 'The Dirty Picture'. Rekha and Yash Chopra presented the Best Actor Award to Ranbir Kapoor as he

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Movie (Critics), Best Cinematography and Best Choreography. Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar' snapped five Filmfare awards- Best Actor, Best Actor (critics), Best Music Director, Best Lyrics Award and Best Playback (Male). The best music director award was won by Oscar winner AR Rahman for 'Rockstar',

The best music director award was won by Oscar winner AR Rahman for 'Rockstar', Priyanka Chopra and actor-musician Ali Zafar performed at their best on this event, with other celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza. Shah Rukh and Ranbir's crackling comedies while hosting the show added more color and fun to the show sponded, "It has been a night where women have out-shone and this award goes out to the women in my lifeâ&#x20AC;Ś it goes out to every woman. Not to forget every individual in the team of The Dirty Picture, mainly Milan Lutharia." The evening saw Zoya Akhtar's 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' grab 7 most popular awards - Best Film, Best Director, Best Dialogue, Best Supporting Actor (Male), Best

and he was honored with 2500th diamondstudded Filmfare trophy. Priyanka Chopra and actor-musicianAli Zafar performed at their best on this event, with other celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza. Shah Rukh and Ranbir's crackling comedies while hosting the show added more color and fun to the show.

February 10, 2012

India Post

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Filmmaker Shonali Bose wins at Sundance Mahindra Film Festival Shonali Bose India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Indian filmmaker Shonali Bose and her venture 'Margarita-With a Straw from India' is among the four winning directors and projects at the Sundance Film Festival held in picturesque Park City, Utah Jan 19-29. Sundance Institute and Mahindra announced the winners of the 2012 Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world. The other winning directors and projects are: Etienne Kallos, Vrystaat (Free State) from South Africa; Ariel Kleiman, Partisan from Australia; and Dominga Sotomayor, Late To Die Young from Chile. The Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award is part of a multifaceted collaboration that exemplifies a commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in India known throughout the world for its dedication to excellence and to social responsibility, and the nonprofit Sundance Institute, one of the world's leading cultural organizations. The partnership, which also includes the

establishment of the Mumbai Mantra | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India, extends over a three-year period. The Lab will provide an opportunity for eight screenwriters from India to develop their works under the guidance of accomplished international screenwriters in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level. "We are grateful to the Mahindra Group for building with us, this multifaceted program, which embraces our joint global commitment to nurturing new storytellers and getting their voices out to the widest pos-

the world - to enable them to rise," said Vice Chairman & Managing Director of the Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra. "The Global Filmmaking Award fits perfectly with this intent. We are delighted to assist Sundance Institute in its mission of finding new voices in independent filmmaking from around the world." Each of the four winning filmmakers will receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for targeted industry and creative meetings, year-round mentoring from Institute staff and creative

Each of the four winning filmmakers will receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for targeted industry and creative meetings, year-round mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors, participation in a Feature Film Program Lab, and ongoing creative and strategic support sible audiences," said Sundance Institute President and Founder and Hollywood veteran Robert Redford. "It is particularly exciting to join with Anand Mahindra and his Group to expand this collaboration by bringing Sundance Institute's renowned Screenwriters Lab program to India in March, to support one of the most extraordinary cultures on the globe," he added. "Our core purpose is to use all our resources to drive positive change in the lives of our stakeholders and communities across

advisors, participation in a Feature Film Program Lab, and ongoing creative and strategic support. Alesia Weston, Associate Director, Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, International said "We're thrilled to be working with Mahindra to embrace and support the next scripts of such an exciting group of emerging filmmakers who are telling stories that will resonate for audiences worldwide. The Award and year-round support from the Feature Film Program will go a long way to

help these artists find the creative and business resources to get their films made with quality and singular vision." Said Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, "We are at an exciting storytelling stage in the history of Independent Cinema in India. With the help of Sundance Institute, we are keen to recognize, nurture and hone extraordinary talent in India and across the world. We congratulate the four incredible filmmakers who have won the awards this year and look forward to their next films with great anticipation." Shonali Bose has been an activist all her life. She received an MA in Political Science at Columbia University followed by an MFA in Directing from the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television. As a student at UCLA she received a number of awards: Ely Award for Best Documentary, Wasserman Award, Jack Sauter Award, Hollywood Radio and Television Society International Broadcasting Award, Motion Picture Association of America Award. Bose's first feature, Amu, based on the 1984 genocide against Sikhs, won two National Awards (Best Film, Best Director), the FIPRESCI Critics Award amongst ten international awards. Bose converted the screenplay into a novel which was published by Penguin. Bose co-wrote and co-produced the feature film Chittagong, directed by her husband Bedo. The film is slated to release in 2012. She currently lives in Delhi.

Gingger Shankar debuts Himalaya Song at Sundance Fest India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Making waves at the Sundance Film Festival this year in Park City, Utah was renowned composer Gingger Shankar, who debuted her latest film project Himalaya Song. Rated one of the 10 Best Music Films at Sundance 2012 by Rolling Stone magazine, Shankar's Himalaya Song is a musically infused cinematic performance that explores this majestic mountain range and its interconnecting cultures as the region undergoes major environmental and ecological change. Featuring live narration by filmmaker Mridu Chandra and musical performances by musicians Gingger Shankar (vocals/double violin) and Dave Liang (piano/electronics), this live multimedia presentation combines modern sounds and ancient instruments with a cinematic journey through the Himalayan past and present, exploring folktales, mythological narratives, contemporary ways of survival, and tomorrow's inevitable changes in the great melting glaciers. A classically trained violinist and re-

Shankar is the daughter of internationally renowned violinist L. Subramaniam and niece of double-violinist L. Shankar

nowned composer in her own right, Shankar is the daughter of internationally renowned violinist L. Subramaniam and niece of double-violinist L. Shankar. Collaborating with Chinese musician David Liang and filmmaker Mridu Chandra, Shankar infused modern electro-sounds and ancient instruments to tell the story of the geographic region that is currently burdened by melt-

Gingger Shankar

ing glaciers and major ecological changes. Gingger was also on the roster of the 2012 Sundance Alumni Advisory Board. Shankar has earlier worked with artists like the Smashing Pumpkins, Cheap Trick and scored the critically acclaimed Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ. She is the only female and one of two doubleviolinists in the world.

February 10, 2012

India Post www.indiapost.com

Star One to reinvent itself as Life OK India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Star One is announcing a new name, logo and brand image for their channel: Life OK. The channel will now be known as Life OK, complete with channel rebranding and philosophy, and a logo that will be unveiled shortly. This channel is still part of the Star Network, and hopes to bring to its viewers fun, family general entertainment. Life OK was introduced to the South Asian media and marketing fraternity at the famed Russian Tea Room, in New York recently by Star TV's Executive Vice President for International Business Rajan Singh, as an entertainment channel that turns up the volume on the things that really matter, through its unique and poignant stories. Singh spoke about Star TV's vision in the US, including all of the upcoming highlights of 2012. The new channel logo and refreshed brand reflect the idea that "Life is OK", reminding everyone to value family ties, relationships, traditions and peace of mind, while on their quest for success in life. The Life OK icon stands for everyone who is positive, full of energy and optimism, and perceives the good in life. Programming on Life OK is completely different from Star One, since it encompasses the new "Life

Agneepath's Rs. 16 crore opening in overseas markets India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Eros International, the leading Indian film entertainment company has announced a smash hit opening for Agneepath overseas. In its opening weekend, the film has shown collections of Rs. 16 crore in the international markets. Eros released Agneepath internationally on 337 screens, the highest ever for any Hrithik Roshan film.

Commenting on the film's overseas performance, Pranab Kapadia, President - Marketing & Distribution - Eros International plc said, "Agneepath has done extremely well in all the overseas markets making it the first blockbuster of the New Year. The tremendous response has been very encouraging with all major markets indicating remarkable box office results". Producer Karan Johar added, "All of us at Dharma are ecstatic

Agneepath grossed ÂŁ347,000 in UK in its first weekend (4 days). This is the highest opening weekend collections for any '15' rated Indian film. Agneepath is also ranked No. 10 on UK Top 10 Box Office. In the United States, the four day first weekend collections are $1.3 million, reflecting a healthy average of $10,000 plus per theatre. In UAE too, Agneepath has grossed over $800,000 in four days, indicating the enormous support consumers have shown for this film. Other strong performing territories are Australia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Mauritius and Kenya.

at the historic opening day collections. It truly is the director Karan Malhotra's vision that has made it all possible. Revisiting a cult classic is a daunting task and he along with his brilliant cast and crew helped create box office magic!" Produced by Dharma Productions, Agneepath has been directed by Karan Malhotra and released across cinemas worldwide on Jan 26. Along with the fantastic box office collections, the film opened to very positive reviews appreciating the stellar performances of its leading cast including Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra and Rishi Kapoor.

Star TV's EVP Rajan Singh with Main Bhi Star contest winners Maya Desai and Saurabh Arora

The new channel logo and refreshed brand reflect the idea that "Life is OK", reminding everyone to value family ties, relationships, traditions and peace of mind is Good" philosophy. On the occasion, Singh also announced the two winners of the Western Union Main Bhi Star contest - Maya Desai and Saurabh Arora - both of who will be flown to India for an opportunity to appear on one of the channel's primetime shows. Auditions for the contest were held at the AIA Diwali festival at South Street Seaport in New York City in October.

Also in attendance at the event were two US contestants from the last season of Just Dance - Anjuli Bhattacharyya and Kruti Shah. Star India, the leading Media and Entertainment conglomerate, has the highest reach amongst the country's broadcasters, beaming to over 400 million people, every week across India and over 65 countries across the globe. Its portfolio includes 33 channels in eight languages. News Corp Star US LLC is one of the largest distribution network and leading choice for South Asian channels available in Hindi in the US. The channel portfolio in the US includes Star India Plus, Star India Gold, Star One and Star News available through both satellite and cable platforms. News Corp Star US LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation.

February 10, 2012

India Post www.indiapost.com

Bollywood Beats set for Valentines's release

Our expertise of three decades has made us to innovate the planet

India Post News Service

Beats is a feel-good comedy about an unlikely group of friends all looking to dance NEW YORK: Breaking Glass Pictures has to the beat of their own drum. Bollywood Beats was featured in numerannounced the 'February 14' DVD of the rhythmic and inspiring "Bollywood Beats" ous festivals across the globe, including AFI starring Lilette Dubey (Monsoon Wedding, Dallas, St. Louis International Film Festival, Heroine), Sachin Bhatt (Bombay Dreams, Mumbai International Film Festival, and the The Ode, NBC's "Outsourced"), Sarita Joshi New York Indian Film Festival. Mehul Shah began his love for film as an (Guru, TV's "Baa Bahu aur Baby") and Pooja actor in numerous plays and commercials. Kumar (Bollywood Hero, Man on a Ledge). He then decided to study Bollywood Beats film at Southern Methodtakes audiences on a Bollywood Beats was ist University, graduattouching journey as ing first in his class with dreams are realized and featured in numerous a major in Cinema. family is shown to be festivals across the Being impatient and more than just blood ties. wanting to direct his first Aspiring hip hop globe, including AFI dancer Raj is having Dallas, St. Louis Interna- film right after film school, Mehul wrote, produced, trouble getting back on and directed a film called his feet after his girl- tional Film Festival "Diwali," a feature film friend dumps him, a major audition ends in failure, and his parents dealing with the struggle of three Indian chilthreaten to kick him out of their home. That's dren growing up in the United States. The when fate brings him Jyoti, an attractive film sold to Netflix and Blockbuster immediolder woman who spots Raj practicing his ately, a huge feat for a budding young writer/ dance moves and suggests he start his own director. He then went on to write and direct dance class for Indian women. As the class Bollywood Beats, working with an award grows, Raj and his students end up finding winning international cast and crew. His other film credits include, "Tha love, friendship and acceptance where they Bridge" (Producer), "Ticked Off Trannies never thought to look. In the vein of films like Bend it Like with Knives" (Assistant Director), and Beckham and Strictly Ballroom, Bollywood "Hold Your Peace" (Producer).

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Datebook

28 India Post

February 10, 2012

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NEW YORK

ILLINOIS

Upcoming

Sat Feb 18

Wed March 7

• Thyagaraja Aradhana

• Loves Got a hold on me

Venue: PS 115, 80-51, 261st Street, Glen Oaks, New York Time: 3pm Contact: 631-462-2814

Venue: Freedom Hall, 410 Lakewood Boulevard, Park Forest, IL Time: 7pm Contact: 312-572-9373

Sun April 22

Sat March 17

• Pandit Jasraj: Masters of Indian Music

• Tufaan 2012

Venue: Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway@95th street, New York Time: 7pm Contact: 212-545-7536

Sat April 7 • Best of the Best 2012 Venue: Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, New York Time: 6:30pm

Venue: Cahn Auditorium, Northwestern University, 600 Emerson Street, Evanston, IL Time: 6pm Contact: 617-827-5581

Sat March 10 • FAM Entertainment Theater Company Presents ìChicagoís 2012 Breaking the Cycle Da Venue: Ford City Mall, 7601 S. Cicero, Chicago Time: 8:30am Contact: 312-572-9373

NEW JERSEY

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Upcoming

Sun Feb 12 • Arya International-FIRST Miss India/ Miss Teen India DFW Pareant 2012

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming Fri Feb 3 to Sat Feb 25

Fri Feb 10 ï 10th Annual Valentine Bash 2012

• Buddha: Triumph & Tragedy in The Life of the Great Sage

Venue: Arya Dance Academy, 90 Crown Point Road, Parsippany, New Jersey Time: 6pm Contact: 917-403-7989

Venue: Chandni Restaurant, 5746, Mowry School Road, Newark, CA Time: 7pm Contact: 510-673-0153

Sat Feb 18

Sat Feb 11

Venue: Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 Time: 7:30pm Contact: 800-838-3006 Highlights: Written & Performed by Evan Brenner, Directed by John C. Reilly, Presented by the Bootleg Theater

• Celebrate Valentineís Party at Chand Palace

• Valentine Masti- A Family Celebration of Love

Sun Feb 11

Venue: Chand Palace Banquet Hall, 269, Littleton Road, Parsippany, New Jersey Time: 7pm Contact: 973-334-5444

Venue: Mehran Restaurant, 5774 Mowry School Road, Newark, CA Time: 7pm Contact: 510-449-8530

• Passage Meditation Retreat in Encino

Sat Feb 18

Sat March 31 • Arif Lohar/Sanam Marvi Ensemble Venue: Pollak Theater, 400 Cedar Ave, West Long Branch, New Jersey Time: 8pm Contact: 732-263-6889

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming Sun March 11 • Rang De Mujhe Rang De (Holi) Venue: MANTRA Restaurant, 52 Temple Place, Boston, MA Time: 11am Contact: 617-935-9193

Sat April 7 • Swar Bahaar Venue: Littleton High School Auditorium, 56 King Street, Littleton, MA Time: 4pm Contact: 617-905-4305

Sat April 21 • Yamandu Costa, Classical Guitarist Venue: 8000 York Road, Towson MD, Baltimore, WDC Time: 8pm Contact: 443-296-2247

ï Faag Pratiyo Gita 2012 Venue: Shree Sanatan Dharma Shiv Mandir, 803 Blaine Ave, Sacramento, CA Time: 4pm Contact: 916-410-0667

SunFeb 19 • Shivratri Venue: Anubhuti Meditation & Retreat Center 820, Bel Marin Keys Blvd, Novato, CA Time: 12am Contact: 415-884-2314

Sun March 4

Venue: Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino, CA Time: 9am Contact: 800-475-2369

• Mehfil Entertainment Presents Valentine 2012 Bollywood Musical Eve Venue: Royal Delhi Palace, 22323 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA Time: 6pm Contact: 805-404-9836

Fri March 2 • Art of Living Course Venue: Art of Living Center Los Angeles, 948 W. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA Time: 7pm Contact: 310-820-9429

ï Kids Art Contest 2012

Mon, March 19

Venue: 525, Los Coches St. Milpitas, CA Time: 3pm Contact: 408-934-1130

• The wedding Salon

Mon May 14

Venue: SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, 465 South La Ciengega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA Time: 4pm Contact: 212-631-7777

ï Amjad Sabriís Qawwali Program

Sat March 31

Venue: India Community Center, ICC, 525 Los Coches St. Milpitas, CA Time: 9pm Contact: 510-754-0129

Venue: Pearson Park Amphitheater, 401 North Lemon Street, Anaheim, CA Time: 5pm Contact: 714-368-3424

• Jashan A celebration

29 India

f all the places of interest around the country, the Northeast is perhaps the least publicized. And among the Seven Sisters of this regionAssam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Tripura - the last is the least known, in spite of the state's richness in terms of beautiful scenery, virgin forests and lush valleys, exquisite craft traditions and a colorful cultural-historical heritage. Part of the reason for the obscurity of the state of Tripura lies in its being a "corner within a corner," tucked away behind the borders of Bangladesh. The other contributing factor has been that Tripura was always a princely state ruled by a Maharaja until the time of independence and never

came under British supervision. This meant that it did not become 'fashionable' as a winter resort like Shillong (in Meghalaya) and

Part of the reason for the obscurity of the state of Tripura lies in its being a "corner within a corner," tucked away behind the borders of Bangladesh

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Shimla (in Himachal Pradesh). Yet, this tiny state - the smallest in terms of area, among the seven sisters - can lay claim to a variety of attractions in terms of archeological importance, religious significance, folk and tribal culture and ethnic artifacts. Best time to visit: September to March. Location: Situated on the extreme corner of the Indian subcontinent, Tripura has Bangladesh as its border on its north, west and south. Assam and Mizoram border the eastern part of the state. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 30

February 10, 2012

Travel & Hospitality Post

30 India Post

February 10, 2012

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US Embassy expects 14 pc rise in visa applications NEW DELHI: The US is expecting nearly 14 per cent annual increase in visa applications from the country following implementation of streamlining of the application process as part of President Barack Obama's strategy to boost tourism from emerging countries like India and China. "We expect 14 per cent yearon-year growth in visa processed between now and 2020. We expect visa application process to reach 2.1 million by year 2020," Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs in the US Embassy, James W Herman told reporters here. He said the rise will particularly come in tourist visas.

Obama has signed an Executive Order to make it easier for foreign travelers to visit the US and directed agencies throughout the US government to design a program to make it easier for tourists to visit America. "President Obama's executive order is quite exciting for us. It's a challenge to us to continue to innovate and find creative solutions. We have been very successful over the past five years in keeping visa waiting time down. We also minimize the time people spend in the counselor. We want to make it easier for travelers to apply for a visa to visit the United States," Herman added. According to US Embassy

Noting the importance of Indian travelers to the US, Herman said Indians represent the highest volume of work visa travelers and the second highest number of foreign students there

Consular fact sheet of the last five years, the US mission increased staffing by over sixty per cent and opened two new consulates in Hyderabad (in 2009) and Mumbai (in 2011). Noting the importance of Indian travelers to the US, Herman said Indians represent the highest volume of work visa travelers and the second highest number of foreign students there. He said 2011 was a record year for H1B work visas as over 68,000 applications were processed by Consular Team India alone. "We continue to support the people-to-people ties which define the growing partnership between our nations," the US offi-

cial said. In 2011, close to 700,000 visa applications across the nation were processed, he said. Herman also talked about centralization for processing of L-1 blanket visas. The US visa for intra-company transfers, known as 'blanket' L visa, are now issued only from Chennai and not from four other places - New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The US Embassy said the change was to streamline the blanket L visa issuance process and is part of the US government's ongoing effort to provide efficient visa services throughout India PTI. -PTI

Tripura: Virgin forests, lush valleys, exquisite crafts Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 29

Tripura's physical feature differs from the north to south. It is a land of high hills, hillocks interspersed with river valleys. On its north, it has four valleys that have been separated by hills with heights of about 1,000 meters. On its south, it has open forested land spread over a wide range of area. The climate of the state is hot in summers and cold in winters with the temperatures ranging from 35Â°C to 10Â°C. Tripura receives an average rainfall of 2,100 mm. Flora & Fauna: Due to the sufficient and well-distributed rainfall, the state has an ideal composition of land mass and water that houses a large variety of flora and fauna here. A wide variety of plant and orchid species are found in the forests of Tripura. Sal (Shorea robusta) is an important product of the forests here. History: The history of the place starts

Kharchi pooja.

The rulers of the state had good relations with the British and this helped Tripura to protect itself from the Nawabs of Bengal who wanted to take over the state. After the independence of India, an agreement to

Cheraw dance.

got its statehood. Accessing Tripura was difficult until Maharaja Bir Bikram made an airport in Agartala. Rabindranath Tagore is said to have had a very deep link with this state. The two famous novels by the Nobel

Due to the sufficient and well-distributed rainfall, the state has an ideal composition of land mass and water that houses a large variety of flora and fauna here. A wide variety of plant and orchid species are found in the forests of Tripura. Sal (Shorea robusta) is an important product of the forests here from the days of the great epic Mahabharata. It was ruled by the Manikya dynasty from the 14th century. The Manikyas, who supposedly belonged to the Indo-Mongolian group, ruled over this area independently even at the time when most parts of the Indian subcontinent were under British rule.

merge Tripura with the Indian Union was signed by the Regent Maharani on September 9, 1947. This state became a union territory of the country without legislature from November 1, 1956 and a ministry was formed on July 1, 1963. On January 21, 1972, Tripura

laureate, namely, Visarjan and Rajasri were based on the legends of the Manikyas. Tourist attractions: The state government has given tourism the status of an industry. The state has several places of tourist importance like Agartala, Unakoti, Pilak, Udaipur,

Tripurasundari Temple, Ujjayanta Palace, Neermahal, Jampui Hill, Bhavaneswari Temple, Sepahijala, Kamalasagar, Deotamura, and Dumboor Lake. Moreover, there are the Buddhist monasteries in Agartala, Pecharthal, Kanchanpur, Manu Bakul, Pilak and Boxnagar. Fairs & festivals: There are communityspecific festivals in Tripura observed with the related rituals and festivities. The Mog community observes the Way (Lamp) Festival from the full moon of Ashad to the full moon of Ashwin. The Ashokastami, Garia and Gajan festivals are celebrated in April. Moreover, there are the Rabindra and Nazrul Jayanti, Boat Race festival, Kharchi, Manasa Mangal, Durga Puja, Diwali, Ras, Poush Sankranti Mela and Orange and Tourism Festival that are celebrated throughout the state with great fervor. How to reach Air - Tripura has only one airport at Agartala that connects the place with Guwahati and Calcutta. Rail - Tripura has no railheads inside the state. The nearest railheads are at Kumarghat (140 km from Agartala) and Silchar (180 km) in Assam. Road - The National Highway 44 connects most of the places of Tripura via Shillong. The state transport corporation and private tour operators run regular buses that connect the state with nearby towns and cities both within and outside the state.

February 10, 2012

Travel & Hospitality Post

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Surajkund Crafts Mela gets off to impressive start India Post News Service

SURAJKUND, Haryana: The much anticipated 26th Surajkund Crafts Mela was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on February 1 in the presence of Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, Tajikistan Ambassador Saidbeg Saidov, Kyrgyzstan Ambassador Irina Orolbaeva, Thailand Embassy Minister Counsellor Jain Liamminful; Counsellors from Embassy of Democratic Republic of Congo Me Zozo Binti and Kasongo Musenga. The guests were formally received by the dignitaries of Theme State- Assam and Surajkund Mela Authority at Dhanteshwari Gate where they witnessed a mini 'tea garden' created by the Theme State. The guests were then escorted to Assam Gate which radiated the cultural beauty of the State. This was followed by the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Assam Gate to declare the Mela open. The drumbeats and foot tapping music gave the guests a special welcome with much pomp and show from the participating cultural troupes of various countries and the States of India. They visited 'Rang Ghar', a replica of the Assamese heritage. The monument was decorated to reflect the

historic grandeur of Assam. They then visited the Theme State Crafts Huts and were amazed to witness such a wide and exquisite display of arts and crafts. Meira Kumar interacted with many craftspersons. She was impressed by a live display of silk being weaved at Stall no. 106 and 107 which belonged to the 'Sericulture Department of Assam'. She took time out to learn about the intricacies of their craft and how

different kinds of silk were produced over there. She stated that it was heartening to see the involvement of various Self Help Groups and NGO's and desired that there should be more such collaborative measures to assimilate the marginalised sections in the mainstream. The guests were then taken to 'Naam Ghar' a 'prayer hall' created by Assam. The structure was especially designed to reflect the spiritual side of the Assamese culture.

They were welcomed at 'Naam Ghar' Sattriya dance performance. The guests also visited the 'Apna Ghar' of Assam which has been crafted of bamboo, cane and palm leaves. The place was a habitat for a traditional family from Assam and also had special shelter for animals. The 'Apna Ghar' gave a glimpse of Assamese culture and their traditional way of living. The guests found the entire structure very unique, traditional

and earthy. They then visited the Theme State Pavilion of Tourism, Handlooms & Textiles where Assamese textile and tourism related publicity material were showcased. The guests then visited the section displaying the crafts from Partner Nation Thailand and other SAARC nations. Meira Kumar applauded the efforts of Surajkund Crafts Mela Authority for bringing together various crafts from all over the world on a common platform. She also commended that the Mela had become a cultural symbol of Indian heritage which reflects its various colours. She appreciated that various countries had come forward, in addition, to provide an array of arts and crafts for the Mela. It was also stated that this endeavour will give Indian art and crafts a global recognition and will boost trade and tourism for our country and even for the participating nations The guests were then escorted to the 'Apna Ghar' of Haryana which radiated the magnificence of their culture. The decor and ambience were created to reflect the rich heritage of Haryana and showcased the culture and their everyday living. The visit of the guests culminated at `Choupal' where Meira Kumar enkindled the lamp. The guests were then facilitated by

Theme State. Addressing to the press and a multitude of crowd present at the 'Choupal', Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda stated that with the soaring popularity and participation of 12 countries this year, the Mela would be known as 'International Surajkund Crafts Mela' from next year. He also added it was hearten-

ing to see that all the SAARC countries were participating together for the first time besides craftspersons and cultural troupes from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Congo also representing their respective countries. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that Assam has one of the most growing tourism industries in India and stands a huge potential in future. He said Assam was privileged to participate as the Theme State of Surajkund Crafts Mela this year and added that this opportunity will give a further boost to their tourism industry. He thanked the Government of Haryana for providing them with a national platform to display their cultural heritage. He commended the efforts of Surajkund Mela Authority for extending their warmth and hospitality. The visitors witnessed some of the most scintillating performances from Assam and Haryana. Cultural performances from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Congo were also hugely applauded by the guests and visitors alike. The culmination of different cultures added to the versatility of the event. The Mela had identified, introduced and nurtured various art forms of the country and trend grows this year to preserve the arts and crafts which are the hallmark of our traditions.

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ALS researcher succumbs to disease he studied

SAN FRANCISCO: Dr. Richard Olney, an internationally renowned researcher who dedicated his life to finding a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease, has died after his own eightyear battle with the disease. He was 64. The University of California, San Francisco announced that Olney died at his Marin County home surrounded by his family. He had spent nearly his entire 25-year research career at UCSF, the last 18 investigating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS. Olney launched the UCSF ALS Center in 1993 to pursue treatments for the disease, which causes patients to gradually lose control of their muscles. It now serves 375 patients. Olney resigned from the center in 2004 to attend to his own health. -AP

Pets can help with cancer research HOUSTON: Leading Texas veterinarians are mobilizing to enlist pets in the testing of experimental cancer therapies, a potential benefit to not just dogs and cats but people. The veterinarians recently set up a registry they hope will connect pet owners and cancer researchers and show that diseased pets dogs in particular are better predictors of the efficacy of new cancer drugs and devices in people than mice, oncologists' favorite test subject historically. -AP

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February 10, 2012

Sobrato's $5 million grant for Santa Clara medical center India Post News Service

SAN JOSE, CA: The Valley Medical Center Foundation and the leadership of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) have announced an unprecedented $5 million donation from Silicon Valley developer John A. and Susan Sobrato to help furnish and equip the 370,000-squarefoot SCVMC building currently under construction on the medical center's main campus on Bascom Avenue in San Jose. The 168-bed hospital wing at VMC will house the hospital's renown rehabilitation center as well as acute care and intensive care centers, among other facilities. "We are really proud to have our name associated with this new building,'' Sobrato told a group of about 75 people, including hospital workers and VMC Foundation board members gathered at a late morning news conference at the hospital. "It will serve all people, regardless of their race or ability to pay,'' said Sobrato, a VMC Foundation board member for 20 years. Sobrato's donation also is the largest gift to VMC since the hospital was founded in 1876, said VMC Foundation Executive Director Chris Wilder. Santa Clara County voters in 2008 approved Measure A, an $840 million bond measure to help VMC upgrade its buildings to meet state

mandated seismic safety requirements. The new 370,000-squarefoot Sobrato Pavilion will become the flagship of the VMC campus. At a time when hospital funding is becoming increasingly scarce, Wilder said he hopes Sobrato's donation - which will pay for such equipment as rehab training systems, patient lifts, and remote patient monitors - will attract others to help VMC secure $10 million more of equipment still needed.

cancer research. Fleming was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 1998. "I'm proud of what has been accomplished at VMC, and very happy about the Sobrato family's donation,'' said Jenkins, who added that he looks forward to "other people contributing and becoming aware of what is being done right here on South Bascom Avenue.'' 'Sobrato Pavilion' features The Sobrato Pavilion will be a

The Rehabilitation Center in the Sobrato Pavilion will include a new Independence Plaza, an outdoor park designed specifically to help patients learn to walk, use a wheelchair and navigate the world on their own again Wilder said the Sobrato family also has donated up to $3 million for other VMC projects, including $1 million to fund a linear accelerator to treat cancer patients at VMC's Sobrato Cancer Center. Among those on hand for the announcement was Dr. Greg Jenkins, a retired dermatologist and husband of Olympic skating legend Peggy Fleming. The Los Gatos couple were board members of the VMC Foundation, and over the years donated about $57,000 worth of proceeds from their now-closed winery to VMC and other organizations to help fund breast

state-of-the-art medical facility with 168 inpatient, single-occupancy rooms and specialty services. Combined with SCVMC's existing 406 seismically compliant beds, this new building ensures that this public hospital is ready to meet the growing health care needs of the community. The Rehabilitation Center in the Sobrato Pavilion will include a new Independence Plaza, an outdoor park designed specifically to help patients learn to walk, use a wheelchair and navigate the world on their own again. Screened by foliage for privacy, it will feature gardening areas for patients, a court-

yard for family gatherings and a variety of challenging walking surfaces such as cobblestones, grass, curbs and curb cuts. It will also feature a new Aquatic Therapy Center with a spacious pool overlooking the Independence Plaza gardens. The feeling of weightlessness in a pool helps patients with certain kinds of spinal cord and brain injuries with their rehabilitation exercises. The Sobrato Pavilion will be the Bay Area's first LEED Gold certified hospital, with environmental principles built in to every phase of the design. Green roofs, energy efficient windows and fixtures and numerous other features will enhance the operational efficiency of the building, while providing patients, visitors and staff with a clean and comfortable hospital environment. Building Information Modeling technology greatly increases the efficiency of construction. Planners of the Sobrato Pavilion sought to create a less stressful environment for patients, staff and visitors, incorporating innovative designs like the Meditation Room on the 1st floor to promote serenity and human dignity. The new Lobby Link between the lobby of the current Main Hospital and the Sobrato Pavilion will feature lush plantings, secluded seating areas, and soft natural light. This area grants visitors, staff and patients a quiet and peaceful respite.

Most Mississippi residents with HIV skip treatment JACKSON, Miss.: More than two-thirds of the Mississippi residents who test positive for the AIDS virus don't get medical treatment, state health officials say. Those people not only shorten their own lives but increase the risk of spreading the virus, State health officer Mary Currier told The Clarion-Ledger. Statewide, more than 9,500 Mississippi residents are known to have human immunodeficiency virus. Nearly one-quarter of them are in Hinds County. Reasons people with HIV don't get the care they need in-

clude cost, fear that others would look down on them, lack of access to doctors, and denial, since many people with HIV feel relatively well

rector for Mississippi in Action and an advocate for those living with HIV. Besides not wanting others to

"People feel relatively well for many years,'' he said, so they don't take the drugs that can stave off AIDS and let them live relatively normal lives for years, doctors said. ``Some people in the Delta drive here to Jackson because they don't want the stigma,'' said Valencia Robinson, executive di-

know they're infected, people with HIV sometimes deny it to themselves, said Dr. Leandro Mena, associate professor of medicine for the Division of Infectious Dis-

eases at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. ``People feel relatively well for many years,'' he said, so they don't take the drugs that can stave off AIDS and let them live relatively normal lives. Without reliable public transportation, he said, many patients rely on getting rides to appointments, and don't want to tell it's for HIV. The daily medication also makes it hard to hide the disease, he said. ``If you have to hide your medicine, you may forget to take it.'' -AP

February 10, 2012

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Age-related illness catching up with death row EDDYVILLE, Ky.: Randy Haight wakes every morning to sore hands and a creaking body. The 59-year-old blames the pain on arthritis something that he describes as rampant at his home for the last 17 years Kentucky's death row. ``It gets a lot of these guys,'' Haight told The Associated Press in an interview at the prison in Eddyville. Other than the recreation time, Haight and the 33 other men housed in the Kentucky State Penitentiary's unit for condemned inmates spend their days in cells that are 6 1/ 2-feet wide, 13-feet long, and 12-feet high. It's a forced lifestyle that, inmates and experts say, has accelerated age-related health problems for the condemned population causing hands to ache, knees to pop and hips to degenerate. Kentucky's 35 death row inmates (including one woman held in a different prison) are an average age of just more than 50 years old - an average of 14 years older than the 23,000 inmates in the Kentucky prison system. Condemned inmates have waited more than 16 years for execution, three years longer than the average prison sentence in the state, and 15 have been on death row for two decades or more. All that time has been spent living a sedentary life in close quarters in a setting that doesn't change much. ``They don't get any kind of stimulus,'' said Ronald Aday, a sociology professor at Middle Tennessee State University who has studied death row inmates. ``They're aging in place with very little interaction.''

Some states are using hospices or medical parole to tackle the aging inmate population. Across the country, Human Rights Watch found, 8 percent of the prison population in 2010 was 55 or older, compared to 3 percent in 1995. That's not an option for inmate sentenced to die in Kentucky, so the state is left housing them and paying increasing medical expenses. While the state doesn't keep separate statistics for the death row population, medical expenses for the Department of Correc-

Kentucky has executed three people since 1976, with the most recent taking place in 2008. In that time, seven death row inmates have died of health-related causes ranging from cancer to kidney failure tions have risen each year since 2008, from $49.1 million that year to $54.8 million in fiscal year 2011. Corrections Department spokeswoman Lisa Lamb said death row inmates get the same level of care as the other 23,000 inmates in state custody - regular access to doctors and medications when necessary. Aday said death row inmates tend to age quicker than those in general population, with a 50-year-old showing signs of chronic illnesses normally seen in a 65-year-old on the outside. Fifty-six-year-old Robert Foley arrived on death row as a relatively healthy 38-year-old. These days, Foley, a large, muscular man

Lake Co. public defender fights bid to cut benefit CROWN POINT, Ind.: Lake County's chief public defender says a plan to eliminate health benefits for some public defenders might drive some veteran attorneys away from the work, but one of the proposal's authors believes it might prevent layoffs in other departments in the northwestern Indiana County. Chief Public Defender David Schneider said the county's program approved by the Indiana Public Defender Commission more than a decade ago called for providing health insurance. The county spends about $410,400 to cover the insurance premiums for the felony division's 27 public defenders, in addition to claims. ``We would be losing veteran attorneys. The ones hurt in the end are the clients,'' Schneider told The Times of Munster for a story. The office also is required to maintain certain staffing requirements to receive state reimbursements, currently $1.3 million, Schneider said. The reimbursements account for about 40 percent of the program's costs. ``The county gets the money back, and they don't have to do a thing,'' Schneider said. ``It's like that old (television) program where a millionaire gives a stranger $1 million. Are you going to refuse it?'' The plan authored by two of the County Council's newest members, Republicans Rick Niemeyer of Lowell and Dan Dernulc

awaiting execution after being convicted of killing six people in Laurel County, gets around with the assistance of a walker, a wheelchair and his death-row friends. Foley's hip has deteriorated, he said, to the point that even sleeping has become excruciating. ``It's painful, believe me, very painful,'' Foley said. ``I sleep next to nothing, maybe an hour or two a night.'' The prison makes efforts to accommodate the aging population by responding to complaints. Prison officials and Foley

of Highland, would retain insurance benefits for attorneys under Schneider's supervision, but eliminate the benefit for about 25 public defenders who work directly for judges. The savings are estimated at $380,000 in premiums, plus medical claims. Uncertainty over whether all public defenders might lose health insurance is prompting some veteran defenders to consider retirement in the hope they'll retain insurance as a retirement benefit.

Uncertainty over whether all public defenders might lose health insurance is prompting some veteran defenders to consider retirement ``They may retire and take benefits this year as opposed to going through this every year,'' Schneider said. Niemeyer questioned whether the council should lay off workers in other departments to retain insurance for the defenders. ``What do we do?'' Niemeyer asked. Dernulc said council members are considering all options to resolve the dilemma. -AP

recently settled a grievance over access to religious services by allowing other death row inmates to carry his wheelchair or walker while Foley goes up several steps into the chapel. Kentucky public defender Jamesa Drake, who once worked with the Project for Older Prisoners at George Washington University and now represents Foley, said prisons are not equipped to house geriatric inmates. ``Prison is no place to grow old,'' Drake said. ``We are failing in that regard with respect to the growing number of elderly and infirm inmates.''

Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders, a vocal proponent of the death penalty, said the state should find a way to accelerate the pace of executions so aging condemned inmates aren't an issue. ``When voters start making timely executions a priority, the legislature will take steps to speed up the process,'' Sanders said. Kentucky has executed three people since 1976, with the most recent taking place in 2008. In that time, seven death row inmates have died of health-related causes ranging from cancer to kidney failure. Currently, Kentucky is under a judge's order barring executions because of issues with the lethal injection procedures. The order stopped the last scheduled execution in 2010 and the case is pending. Some inmates, such as 55-year-old Michael Dale St. Clair, condemned to death for kidnapping and killing a man in 1991 in Hardin and Bullitt counties, figure the life on death row will kill him before an execution does. ``Mother Nature has first mortgage on my death,'' St. Clair told the AP. The long stretch on death row and health issues sometimes pushes an inmate to consider beating the state to his death by committing suicide, said Haight, sent to death row for killing two people in Garrard County after escaping from custody in 1985. ``It's crossed my mind a few times,'' Haight said. ``It's truly a fine line ... being able to live in this kind of environment.'' -AP

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February 10, 2012

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Neb. bill would halt planned cuts to Medicaid LINCOLN, Neb.: The State of Nebraska should reinstate planned cuts to the Medicaid program to better serve children and low income families, several health care groups have said. Bolstered by more than 175 Medicaid recipients and their families crowded into two meeting rooms, members of several groups spoke at the Capitol in favor of a bill that would prohibit the implementation of $21 million in planned cuts to the Medicaid program. Officials from the Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Building Bright Futures and the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations said the cuts hurt people that need help the most. The director of the state's Medicaid and long-term care division, however, said the Department of Health and Human Services is doing what is necessary to serve Nebraskans. John Cavanaugh, executive director of Building Bright Futures, a group that started in 2006 to assess the needs of youth in Douglas and Sarpy Counties, said properly funding Medicaid is a

state responsibility. ``Restoring that funding is critical to our ability to improving the lives of low income Nebraskans,'' he said. Gary Perkins, president & CEO of Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, said any cuts to Medicaid funding would result in

Vivianne Chaumont, director of the HHS Division of Medicaid and Long-term Care, said the state has a duty to keep the program sustainable higher medical costs for families and the state of Nebraska. ``We have seen the percentage of Medicaid patients increase over the years. The cuts will impact Children's ability to serve those low income patients who need it the most.'' At issue were the Department of Health and Human Services budget, a bill dealing with funds for

people with disabilities and another bill that put proposed Medicaid cuts back into the budget. The measure to replace the funds, LB 952, was introduced by Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha. He said the cuts would significantly weaken health services for Nebraska's most vulnerable populations. Nursing and home health services are among the Medicaid cuts proposed by HHS. Vivianne Chaumont, director of the HHS Division of Medicaid and Long-term Care, said the state has a duty to keep the program sustainable. ``Managing the growth of the Medicaid program requires difficult decisions and impacts real people,'' she said. ``However, the program must be sustainable for the 237,000 plus individuals that rely on the program every day.'' The proposed cuts include limiting home health services to 240 hours per year, eliminating oral nutritional supplements such as formula and nutritional drinks like Ensure and limiting behavioral health therapy visits to 60 per year. -AP

No dental coverage, patients seek ER pain relief SHREVEPORT, La.: State health department data show that, for the past two fiscal years, Louisiana has spent about $1.7 million a year on emergency room treatment and pain relief for Medicaid patients who had dental problems. The patients got pain relief only no cure because Medicaid pays for ER visits for adult dental emergencies but doesn't cover dental care for most adults, or the cost of an extraction, The Times reported. ``It is a very rare event when I do not see one dental complaint during a (12-hour) shift,'' said Dr. Alan Sorkey, a local ER physician. He said 226 of the 6,336 patients he treated last year suffered from toothaches, and many had been in before because of the same problem. ``The vast majority, greater than 99 percent, are toothaches almost always due to decay,'' he said. Most federally required dental coverage under Medicaid ends when recipients turn 18. In Louisiana, dental care for Medicaid enrollees ends at 21. A federal report last year found Louisiana among 10 states that don't offer dental benefits to adults

under Medicaid. And Medicare doesn't cover routine dental care or most dental procedures such as cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions or dentures, Medicare spokeswoman Ellen Griffith said. After days of suffering from a pounding toothache and without money to see a dentist, Rhonda

He said 226 of the 6,336 patients he treated last year suffered from toothaches, and many had been in before because of the same problem Dyson recently sought treatment in the emergency room of a Shreveport hospital. ``I can't get any relief,'' said Dyson, who is on Medicare. The 46-year-old Shreveport resident is homeless and disabled from a July 2007 heart attack. ``Medicare will only pay for dentures; they will not pay for any dental work.'' -AP

Health issues hit Wisconsin Legislature MADISON, Wis.: Wisconsin Republicans say they're focusing squarely on jobs this year, but numerous proposals that advocates say are part of an anti-reproductive rights agenda are working their way through the Legislature and could soon head to Gov. Scott Walker for approval. Those measures range from changes in the state's sex education curriculum to weighing in on the national debate over when life begins. Democratic opponents and others say the bills speak to an antiwoman agenda that will only sidetrack lawmakers at a time when they're trying to improve an economy where jobs have been lost for six straight months. Walker, who faces a possible recall election later this year, has urged lawmakers to focus on the economy. He didn't mention any women's health issues in his State of the State speech and none of the pending health bills has any real jobs impact. But support is strong among Republicans who have the votes to pass many of the bills. Nicole Safar, policy director at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, said she's disappointed with lawmakers, especially after a bill re-

stricting insurance coverage for abortions passed in the Senate last fall during a special jobs session. ``Every time the Republican leadership says they'll be focusing on job creation, they do get very distracted on women's health,'' she said. ``I think we saw that in the special jobs session. They certainly haven't given us any indication that they're done. They might just run out of time.'' Rep. Andre Jacque, R-Bellevue, a co-author on many women's health bills, said lawmakers can tackle other issues besides those that create jobs. The Assembly did, for instance, approve a mining bill that is being touted as a job creator, but even that faces an uncertain future in the Senate. ``The broad range of issues is up there every session,'' Jacque said. ``These aren't new areas in the policy arena. Elected representatives are expected to deal with the whole policy palate. We can chew gum and walk at the same time.'' The health bill likely up first would make teaching about contraception optional in sex education curriculum, while stressing abstinence. Supporters say it gives school districts control over how they teach children in their communities. Opponents say it

challenges medically approved information and is an attempt to force conservative ideology into the state's schools. The bill passed in the Senate last year, and is waiting an Assembly vote. Assembly Democrats criticized the bill's last-minute addition to a recent Education Committee

Democratic opponents and others say the bills speak to an anti-woman agenda that will only sidetrack lawmakers at a time when they're trying to improve the economy agenda. Rep. Sondy Pope-Roberts, D-Middleton, voiced disappointment the bill was added just in time to meet a 24-hour notification rule. ``I'm very disturbed we have this bill before us,'' she said at the meeting. ``There's no real rush to get this done.'' Bill proponent Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison, said she expects the bill to be approved be-

fore the legislative session adjourns in March. `Ì'm about 90 percent confident this will pass,'' she said. `Ìt's truly a return to local control, and our hope is that it advances true women's health.'' Pro-choice groups say another bill that prohibits certain abortion coverage hurts women using private insurance plans. State law prohibits qualified health plans from offering coverage through federally funded health exchanges. This bill would change it to include private insurance plans, something critics say makes abortion more costly. Republicans say it adds clarification to Wisconsin's law. The bill passed in the Senate, and now awaits a public hearing in the Assembly. Rep. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said Republicans try to pass this kind of legislation to appease a small group of conservative organizations. `Ìt gives Republicans another platform,'' said the former executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin. `Ìt's totally meaningless for them to be doing this.'' Another bill would specify what physicians can legally say to women seeking abortions. Supporters of the bill say it tightens language so

women are not coerced into getting an abortion by a partner or family member. Opponents like Roys say it mandates what a medical professional says to a patient. ``It's the kind of legislation that looks like it's not a big deal, but it really is insidious,'' she said. Jacque has introduced other abortion-related legislation, including a proposal that would prohibit abortion tissue from being used for stem cell research and the ``personhood'' bill, which would define human life as beginning with fertilization. That bill has been introduced in several states, but received a major blow when Mississippi voted it down last year. Safar said she's not sure whether those bills will pass, though Roys is more critical. ``Everything has a chance because the margins are so lopsided,'' she said. Republicans hold a 59-38-1 majority in the Assembly but just a 17-16 edge in the Senate. Appling of Wisconsin Family Action said it's rare when a governor and both houses lean toward her group's more conservative policies. She understands the jobs push, but she said now is the time for her group and others with similar goals to act. -AP

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State officials say mental health overhaul likely DES MOINES, Iowa: After years of debate, state officials are moving ahead with the most fundamental change in the state's mental health system in more than a century. Department of Human Services director Chuck Palmer said in an interview with The Associated Press that he expects legislators to approve the change, which will lead to a uniform system rather than services that now vary from county to county. ``I think you'll have a much better set of services, a fuller set of services, and they'll be available across the state,'' Palmer said. ``Right now what you get depends on where you live and the capacity of the county, in terms of organizational capacity or financial capacity.'' Lawmakers and state officials have discussed an overhaul for four years, and last year they took a giant stop forward when they voted to end the current system within a year. Officials said the current county-based system worked relatively well in large counties, but

some small-population counties had trouble meeting the demand for mental health. ``The question becomes shouldn't every Iowan have a right to a certain core set of services? And that not be dependent on where they live?'' The proposal before the Legislature would set out a five-year

Lawmakers and state officials have discussed an overhaul for four years, and last year they took a giant stop forward when they voted to end the current system within a year path to a system with statewide standards for mental care to be administered by regional organizations. The five-year cost of the effort is projected to be about $133 million, with a big first-year bill of $47 million.

Sen. Jack Hatch, a Des Moines Democrat who helped devise the new system, said funding should be available, even at a time when lawmakers are face with a tight overall state budget. ``Budgets are all about priorities, and this is the highest priority of the Legislature, the House and the Senate and the governor,'' Hatch said. ``We shouldn't be manufacturing a budget squeeze on a project that affects people dramatically.'' Rep. Dave Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant, noted the proposal followed a series of meetings held by lawmakers across the state. ``We've heard from all the groups. We've had input from hundreds of people,'' Heaton said. Some issues still must be resolved; including how counties will be represented in the new system and specifically how funding will be handled. But Heaton said he's confident the bulk of the plan will be approved this session. ``I have confidence that about 90 percent of it probably will pass and the other 10 percent is up for discussion,'' said Heaton. -AP

Online program aimed at making kids healthier WASHINGTON, Mo.: An online program provided at no cost by a church-run health care system in four states is helping school districts promote health education. The program called HealthTeacher is being provided to districts in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma - the four states in which the St. Louisbased Sisters of Mercy Health System operates. The Washington Missourian reports that 214 schools have already signed up to use the program. The partnership with an entire health system is a first for HealthTeacher. Its curriculum focuses on physical and mental health, nutrition, injury prevention, anatomy and the dangers of tobacco, alcohol and drug use. Educators decide which lessons to use, and how to use them. Providing the program is part of a $5 million, five-year commitment by Sisters of Mercy for health education. ``While our children must have a knowledge of the basics, it's critical we also educate them on how to lead healthy lives,'' said Lynn Britton, Mercy presi-

dent and chief executive officer. At Fifth Street Elementary School in Washington, Mo., firstgraders in Erin Bauer's class came back in from morning recess. Rather than immediately starting a lesson plan, their next assignment was a minute of deep breathing.

"While our children must have a knowledge of the basics, it's critical we also educate them on how to lead healthy lives,'' said Lynn Britton, Mercy president and chief executive officer The image of a blue ball was projected on the classroom's White Board. As the ball grew larger, the children inhaled; as it grew smaller, they let the air out. Bauer said the HealthTeacher deep breathing app seemed to be paying off. ``They do seem calmer, and they like it,'' she said. -AP

In Brief Immigrant license repeal falls short in first vote SANTA FE, N.M.: Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has suffered a temporary political setback in a bid to stop New Mexico from granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. A legislative committee shelved her proposal and approved a Democratic-backed alternative. It allows illegal immigrants to continue getting licenses but for only two years before needing renewal. Currently, licenses can last four or eight years. The measure also increases penalties on license fraud. The Labor and Human Resources Committee voted 5-4 on a party-line split for what Democrats described as a compromise proposal. Republicans opposed it. -AP

Immigrant advocates target Rubio DORAL, Fla.: Grassroots advocates are targeting Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio over his support for Arizona's immigration law and other policies. The nonprofit group Presente is leading the ``No Somos Rubios'' (We are not Rubios) campaign. It plans to protest and fly an airplane over the Hispanic Leadership Network's conference at the Doral Country Club near Miami. Rubio and the top GOP presidential candidates are speaking there. The campaign is a play on Rubio's name. Rubio means blond in Spanish. Presente says it's a reference to the rising GOP star's association with the mostly white tea party, which tends to oppose any path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. -AP

Report says new immigration law will cost Alabama MONTGOMERY, Ala.: A study by a longstanding economic research center at the University of Alabama says that Alabama's new immigration law will cost the state billions of dollars because of income lost by illegal immigrants who will have to leave the state, lost tax income and related costs. The report by the Center for Business and Economic Research at UA would cause 70,000 to 140,000 illegal immigrants to lose jobs and would cost about $1.2 to $.5.8 billion in the earnings of those immigrants as well as $56.7 to $264.5 million in lost state income taxes and sales taxes. -AP

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February 10, 2012

Attorneys argue in illegal immigrant tuition suit ANNAPOLIS, Md.: Attorneys have given arguments about whether a Maryland bill to allow in-state tuition for illegal immigrants under certain circumstances should be put to voters in November. -AP

Kansas plan to allow illegal immigrants to stay, work TOPEKA, Kan.: A coalition of business groups will propose Kansas start a new program to help some illegal immigrants remain in the state so they can hold down jobs in agriculture and other industries with labor shortages, coalition representatives disclosed. A spokeswoman for the Washington-based Immigration Policy Council called the proposal ``unprecedented'' and questioned whether the federal government would allow such a program, though she was sympathetic toward supporters' goals. Utah has set up a guest-worker program, but it doesn't take effect until 2013 and was part of a broader package of initiatives on immigration. The Kansas proposal also is notable because it complicates the debate over immigration issues in the home state of Kris Kobach, a former law professor who helped draft tough laws against illegal immigration in Alabama and Arizona. Kobach, known nationally for advising state and local officials across the nation on immigration issues, is secretary of state, the chief elections official in Kansas. The proposal is likely to stir

controversy in the Kansas Legislature and divide the Republican majority, some of whose members are pursuing proposals to crack down on illegal immigration. Representatives of the business coalition, which includes agriculture groups and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, provided a draft copy of their proposed legislation to The Associated Press ahead of

Policy Council's spokeswoman. ``There's immigration legislation moving all the time, everywhere.'' The coalition spelled out details of its proposals only days after state Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman publicly discussed the possibility of getting a waiver from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to allow agriculture businesses to hire illegal immi-

The new program proposed by the groups would create a pool of immigrant workers businesses could tap after the state certifies a labor shortage in their industries its formal introduction in the House and Senate. Supporters of the proposal acknowledge they're trying to protect industries heavily reliant on laborers, particularly agriculture. But state officials and backers don't have any hard numbers for how many jobs are in danger of going unfilled. Kansas has an estimated 45,000 illegal-immigrant workers. ``What it says about the debate is that states are tired of waiting,'' said Wendy Sefsaf, the Immigration

grants in jobs they're having trouble filling. The coalition's representatives said their proposal would make a waiver unnecessary. And Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Chelsea Good said that while Rodman has spoken several times with federal officials about labor problems in agriculture, the agency hasn't submitted a formal waiver request. Backers of the proposal believe their new program would be helpful to commercial dairies and feed-

lots in western Kansas, as well as landscaping, roofing and some construction businesses. In December, unemployment rates in most of the western half of the state were less than 4 percent, well below the state figure of 5.9 percent. ``It's a good starting point,'' said state Senate Agriculture Chairman Mark Taddiken, a Clifton Republican. ``We have a labor shortage in certain industries, agriculture being one of them, and we're turning to solve that shortage problem.'' The new program proposed by the groups would create a pool of immigrant workers businesses could tap after the state certifies a labor shortage in their industries. The state would support individual workers' requests from the federal government for authorization to continue working in the U.S., despite not being able to document that they are in the country legally. ``The key is, these are people that are in Kansas,'' said Allie Devine, a Topeka attorney and former state agriculture secretary who lobbies for business owners on immigration policy. ``We're asking to keep those people here, let them remain and let them work.'' -AP

Broader view of Child Status Protection Act CYRUS D. MEHTA

any cases involving complex interpretations of the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) occur while the applicant is applying for an immigrant visa at an overseas consular post. The CSPA protects a child who may turn 21 or more from "aging out," and thus being eligible for permanent residence as a derivative, when his or her parent is issued permanent residence. Often times, while there is room for interpretations under the CSPA, the consular officer may take a restrictive view of a CSPA provision and refuse the visa. There is no appeal process to review a consular officer's decision at an overseas post, and the refusal may seem to be the

end of the road and separation from the "aged out" child from the parent. Fortunately, despite the absence of an appeal process, one can seek an advisory opinion on a purely legal issue

tion is almost always fact based, and under such circumstances, it may not be possible to seek an advisory opinion from the Visa Office. This author has had success

Often times, while there is room for interpretations under the CSPA, the consular officer may take a restrictive view of a CSPA provision and refuse the visa with the State Department's Visa Office in Washington DC via legalnet@state.gov, and a denial under the CSPA mostly involves a legal issue rather than a factual issue. By contrast, the denial of a tourist visa applica-

in overturning a consular official's denial on at least two occasions in the past. On both these occasions, the State Department's Visa Office agreed that the 45 days provided in section 421(2) of the USA Pa-

triot Act can be subtracted from the age of a child if the age subtraction formula under the CSPA did not bring down the age of the child under 21 years. In other words, the child can use the benefit of both the Patriot Act and the CSPA to lower the age of a child below 21 years. Although this author had previously advocated that there was nothing in the CSPA preventing the use of the 45 days from the Patriot Act, (www.cyrusmeheta.com,) in addition to the age subtraction formula provided in the CSPA, this is now no longer an issue as it has been clearly acknowledged in 9 FAM 42.42 N12.4(e.) and 9 FAM 42.42 N12.8(b.). Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 40

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Archbishop speaks against immigration program SAN FRANCISCO: A federal program that checks the immigration status of people booked into local jails is tearing immigrant families apart, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco said at an interfaith gathering. ``We cannot allow the pain of family separation and the fear amongst our communities to continue,'' Archbishop George Niederauer said in comments directed against the federal Secure Communities program. ``We need to respect the dignity of all our sisters and brothers, undocumented or not.'' Under the program, the fingerprints of individuals who are booked into jails are checked against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's database. Those found to be in the country illegally face deportation. More than 1,700 jurisdictions participate in the program, which has resulted in the deportation of more than 110,000 immigrants convicted of crimes, according to ICE. But critics say the program has also ensnared people with no prior

criminal convictions or those arrested for relatively minor violations. ``This program results in our brothers and sisters being sent to a detention center because they were stopped for as little as a traffic violation,'' said Moises Agudo,

Under the program, the fingerprints of individuals who are booked into jails are checked against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's database a member of the San Francisco Archdiocese who also spoke at the event. The gathering at St. Mary's Cathedral was attended by hundreds of people, many of them Hispanic immigrants. ICE says it prioritizes the removal of illegal immigrants who

pose the greatest threat to public safety and those who have repeatedly violated immigration laws. Of the more than 110,000 immigrants deported under the program, over 39,000 were convicted of aggravated felonies such as murder, rape and the sexual abuse of children, according to ICE. But some local communities and states are not convinced. San Francisco and nearby Santa Clara County have sought permission from the federal government to opt out. And California considered legislation last year that would only let local communities participate in the program if they choose to do so through a resolution. The bill was sponsored by San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, who attended the gathering and said he plans to introduce similar legislation within 30 days. ``I believe my bill will reform the ICE act and the injustices they have perpetrated on all our people,'' Ammiano said. ``Together we can do this, together we are powerful.'' -AP

Immigration bills return in Ariz. Senate PHOENIX: Versions of two bills the Arizona Senate rejected last year as it changed course on illegal immigration issues have been reintroduced for possible consideration this year. One bill would require the state to collect data from school districts showing how many students are illegal immigrants. The other would require hospitals to report to the state the costs of treating uninsured illegal immigrants. Hospitals also would be required to notify immigration authorities if patients without insurance cannot provide proof of legal status. There is no equivalent notification requirement in the school bill, though critics have said such measures would deter illegal immigrants from seeking services. Both bills are sponsored by Sen.

Steve Smith, a Maricopa Republican who said they're intended to collect data on the costs of illegal immigration, ``a major fiscal problem of this state.''

Hospitals also would be required to notify immigration authorities if patients without insurance cannot provide proof of legal status He acknowledged that the hospital bill's notification requirement could lead to deportations. ``But that's not the impetus of the bill,'' he said. Versions of both measures

were among five illegal immigration measures the Senate rejected last March in a dramatic floor session. Business groups had urged state lawmakers to take a timeout on immigration issues amid controversy over the state's 2010 enactment of an enforcement law known as SB1070. A federal judge has blocked enforcement of SB1070's most contentious sections, such as a requirement that police, while enforcing other laws, question people's immigration status if officers suspect they are in the country illegally. Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Smith's new bills would still impose mandates that would be burdensome distractions for schools and hospitals. -AP

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Fla. Senate panel kills immigration tuition bill TALLAHASSEE, Fla.: A bill that would have allowed in-state college and university tuition for certain U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants died on a tie vote in the Senate Higher Education Committee. Opponents were unmoved by emotional testimony from a 20year-old Miami-Dade College student. Instead, Sen. Steve Oelrich, a Gainesville Republican who chairs the committee, interrupted Carla Montes to dispute her contention that having to pay out-ofstate tuition is unjust and unfair. Montes, who was born in Miami and graduated from Ronald Reagan High School in Doral, said she cried for three days after being denied in-state tuition. She said her family could not afford the out-of-state rate because it is three times higher. ``As a U.S.-born American citi-

zen I can vote, I pay taxes, I attended school in Florida,'' Montes told the panel. ``No, no, no, we're talking about your parents,'' Oelrich interjected. ``That's how we establish residency in the state of Florida, by

have made it easier for illegal immigrants to get in-state tuition for their children than for U.S. citizens who move to Florida from other states. They must live in Florida for a year before their children can qualify for in-state rates. They also must buy a home in Florida or file a sworn statement with a county court clerk that they have established legal residency in the state. ``I really didn't want this to turn into an immigration issue, an immigration debate,'' said Sen. Rene Garcia, a Hialeah Republican who sponsored the bill. ``The intent of this bill at the end is always to rectify a wrong.'' The current law, meanwhile, is being challenged in U.S. District Court in Miami by a group of U.S. born children of illegal immigrants who were denied instate tuition.

Oelrich also said the bill would have let children who attended boarding high schools in Florida qualify for in-state tuition even if their parents never lived in the state. Sen. Thad Altman, R-Viera, offered an amendment intended to close that loophole but it failed on a voice vote. The bill then died after a 3-3 roll call. Altman and two Democrats, Sens. Gary Siplin of Orlando and Jeremy Ring of Margate, voted for the bill. It was opposed by three Republicans, Oelrich and Sens. Evelyn Lynn of Ormond Beach and Joe Negron of Stuart. ``This decision is closing the door to thousands of Florida residents that are willing to become skilled professionals and contribute to our economy,'' said Juan Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Florida Immigrant Coalition.'' -AP

Cont’d from page 38

Broader view of Child Status Protection Act

supporting the aforementioned BIA decisions. We also pointed out to Visa Office, as we did with the consulate unsuccessfully, that the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) at 9 FAM 42.42 N12.9 recognizes the complexity of the CSPA, and advises that a Consul may seek an advisory opinion in the following instance: If the officer encounters a case involving a derivative following to join a legally admitted immigrant, or adjusted principal, who has not filed Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application of Petition, on the derivative's behalf within the required time frame, but the consular officer determined that the derivative has taken some other concrete step to obtain LPR status within the required one year time frame. We therefore asked that the Visa Office provide such an advisory opinion under the authority laid out in the FAM, and advise the consular officer that other concrete steps taken to obtain LPR status, such as the payment of immigrant visa fees that occurred here, may be considered. In less than two weeks from seeking the advisory opinion just prior to the New Year (2012), we received the following communication from the Visa Office: Thank you for your inquiry to LegalNet. Since the derivative applicants submitted their IV fee within one year of visa availability, the Consular office will consider CSPA's sought to acquire requirement satisfied. The visa unit in [redacted] will contact the applicants to resume processing.

Our recent success, which we report here for the benefit of others, was regarding the interpretation of "sought to acquire the status of permanent residency" within one year of visa availability. At issue is whether the payment of the visa processing fees with the National Visa Center within the one year period constituted "sought to acquire" permanent residency within the one year period. The actual application for the immigrant visa, DS 230 Part I or II, had not been filed within one year. The applicant was unrepresented at that time and was not aware of the precise requirement to apply for permanent residence within one year of visa availability. As a background, INA §203(h), introduced by Section 3 of the CSPA, provides the formula for determining the age of a derivative child in a preference petition even if the child is older than 21 years. To qualify as a child under INA §101(b) (1), one must be below the age of 21 and unmarried. The age is determined by taking the age of the alien on the date that a visa first became available (i.e. the date on which the priority date became current and the petition was approved, whichever came later) and subtracting the time it took to adjudicate the petition (time from petition filing to petition approval). Based on this formula, if the child's age falls below 21, the child is protected under the CSPA. Specifically, §203(h) (1) (A) also requires the alien to have "sought to acquire" LPR status within one year of visa availability. The CSPA thus artificially freezes the age of a child below 21

mum waiting period to qualify for in-state tuition as an independent adult. The bill (SB 1018) would have let U.S. born children of illegal immigrants pay in-state tuition if they graduated from a Florida

Montes, who was born in Miami and graduated from Ronald Reagan High School in Doral, said she cried for three days after being denied in-state tuition. She said her family could not afford the out-of-state rate because it is three times higher the status of your parents.'' ``With all respect, the person who is sitting in the classroom, the person who's giving back to this economy is me, not my parents,'' Montes replied. She said she worked at a minimum wage job for a year, the mini-

years of age so that he or she is not deprived of permanent residency when the parent is granted the same status. One of the requirements, however, is for the child to seek permanent residency within one year of visa availability. Often times, a CSPA protected child falls through the cracks by failing to meet the prevailing rigid filing requirements within the one-year deadline. Both the Department of Home Security (DHS) and the Department of State (DOS) have interpreted the phrase "sought to acquire" narrowly, although unpublished decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals have taken a broader view. DHS limits this phrase to filing an I-485 application for adjustment of status. See "Revised Guidance for CSPA" (April 30, 2008). The DOS too has interpreted "sought to acquire" narrowly and indicated that in consular processing cases, the date that a child seeks to acquire LPR status is the date Form DS 230, Part I, is submitted by the child, or by the child's parent on the child's behalf to the National Visa Center (NVC). See "Child Status Protection Act: ALDAC 2" (January 17, 2003). If the principal beneficiary parent adjusts status in the US, and the child will be applying for the visa overseas, the DOS requires the principal to file Form I-824 to initiate the child's follow-to-join application. The DOS has also indicated that since Form I-824 is not the only way to initiate the process, posts may seek advisory opinions in cases in which some other "con-

high school after attending it for at least two years. The same criteria would have applied to students whose parents are incarcerated or cannot be found, said Miami-Dade College registrar Dulce Beltran. Oelrich argued the bill would

crete" step has been taken. The US consular post we were dealing with insisted that the applicant did not seek to acquire permanent residence within one year because the applicant only paid the visa processing fees with the National Visa Center, but did not file the DS 230, Part 1, within one year of visa availability. The payment of the visa processing fee was not sufficient to constitute "sought to acquire" permanent residence within the one year time frame.

Often times, a CSPA protected child falls through the cracks by failing to meet the prevailing rigid filing requirements within the one-year deadline Upon receiving official confirmation of the refusal at the US consular post, we sought an advisory opinion from the Visa Office through legalnet@state.gov. Although we acknowledge that they are not binding on the State Department, we pointed to recent unpublished decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), which have interpreted the "sought to acquire" term more broadly, that should still be persuasive. For example, In In re Murillo, 2010 WL 5888675 (BIA Oct. 6, 2010) the BIA reaffirmed its broadened "sought to acquire" to include substantial steps towards the fil-

ing of the relevant application, although these steps may fall short of an actual filing of an application. In this case, the applicant claiming protection under the CSPA hired an attorney to prepare an I-485 adjustment application within the one year time frame, but filed it within a reasonable time thereafter. This decision follows closely on the heels of other unpublished Board decisions that have applied the same "sought to acquire" standard. See In re Kim, 2004 WL 3187209 (BIA Dec. 20, 2004), (the child beneficiary "sought to acquire" LPR status within one year of visa approval because her parents hired an attorney to start preparing the adjustment application within the one-year period); In re Castillo-Bonilla, 2008 WL 4146759 (BIA Aug 20, 2008) (the respondent "sought to acquire" LPR within the one-year period when, during this time, he informed both the Immigration Judge and the Board that he wished to file an adjustment application, even though the application was not actually filed within one year). It is in the same spirit as the unpublished BIA decisions, and consistent with INA §203(h)(1)(A), we requested that the Visa Office advise the Consul to consider the fact that the filing fee paid within the one year time frame constituted a very concrete step towards seeking permanent residency. Indeed, payment of the fees constituted a much more credible step towards seeking permanent residency than making an informal request to the NVC or contacting an attorney, which are the facts

* Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

Tech News IFC invests in Mahindra Solar One in Rajasthan

TechBiz

India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is providing $5 million in debt financing to Mahindra Solar One for a 5-megawatt solar power project in the Indian state of Rajasthan to expand access to clean energy in rural areas and address climate change. The new solar photovoltaic power plant will generate enough electricity to serve about 60,000 rural homes, and is expected to avoid some 8,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Mahindra Solar One, a joint venture between the Mahindra Group and Kiran Energy, planned the project as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, a government initiative to expand solar production in India by 1,100 megawatts over the next two years. The Rajasthan plant is expected to generate about 9 million kilowatt-hours annually to help electrify rural parts of the country. By supporting this project, IFC recognizes the potential of largescale solar-power generation to help meet India's enormous energy needs, agreed both Vish Palekar, Mahindra Cleantech business head, and Ardeshir Contractor, managing director of Kiran Energy.

US, India win WTO case against China WASHINGTON: Led by the US, several countries, including India, Mexico and Brazil, have won their battle against China at the World Trade Organization on export of raw material. In a ruling, the WTO Appellate Body found China's export restraints on several industrial raw materials used as key components in the steel, aluminum, and chemicals industries to be inconsistent with China's WTO obligations. The Appellate Body affirmed a WTO dispute settlement panel's July 2011 finding, therefore agreeing with the US and rejecting China's attempts to portray its export restraints as conservation or environmental protection measures or measures taken to manage critical shortages of supply.-PTI

41 India Post

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February 10, 2012

India targets new overseas markets for coir products THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eco-friendly coir products from south Indian state Kerala are set to make their way to Africa and Latin America as nearly 100 representatives from over 35 countries have confirmed participation at the international Coir festival to be held in Alappuzha from February 4-9. Also, about 120 domestic exhibitors are expected to attend the trade event hosted by Kerala Government. The coastal town Alappuzha has for decades been known as the prime centre of coir production, which is a strong traditional segment of Kerala's economy.-PTI

TCS expands US operation with new facility in Silicon Valley SILICON VALLEY,CA: Expand- the Silicon Valley, TCS Chief Exing its presence in the US, India's ecutive Officer and Managing DiIT major Tata Consultancy Ser- rector N Chandrasekaran said, vices (TCS) has opened a new fa- "Silicon Valley is a perfect place cility here which was welcomed by for this new TCS customer colUS lawmakers and the Californian laboration centre, given the match government. between the innovative and entreJust a few blocks away from the Yahoo's corporate headquarters, the facility, among other things, would serve as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Silicon Valley is a worldwide headquarters of TCS' perfect place for this Mobility Solutions Unit which aims to bring the benefits of new TCS customer emerging technologies like big collaboration centre, data, analytics and mobility to enterprises across all industries. given the match Speaking on the occasion, between the Congressman Mike Honda appreciated the efforts of Indian innovative and companies like TCS in the de- entrepreneurial spirit velopment of Silicon Valley. "The part that we have to do of TCS and that is to provide the change in the of the Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; paperwork that is required by the companies to go through in order to establish themselves -so preneurial spirit of TCS and that lot of necessary paper work, but of the Valley." unnecessary cumbersome," "The convergence of the innoHonda told PTI after inaugurating vation in the Valley with the highly the new TCS facility. scalable, high quality and cost-efOn establishment of facility in fective engineering strength of

TCS will help jumpstart the powerful new phenomenon of the democratization of innovation," he said. This is all about a set of front end applications, which will enable any data that is sitting in the

Congressman Mike Honda

back-end to be analyzed, delivered to any place to any type of mobile device, proactively so that decisions can be made, he said. As of now, the TCS Mobility Solutions has identified banking,

retail and travel as focus areas. The California Government said that the TCS' decision to choose Silicon Valley as the global headquarters for its Mobility Solutions and Next Gen Solutions Unit is a significant contribution to California's innovative economy. "California is the global leader in high-tech employment and our office looks forward to working closely with TCS as they create valuable job opportunities for our citizens," said Deputy Director at the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, Brook Taylor. TCS has been in the US since 1979. Its new facility in the Silicon Valley is the latest addition to its growing operations across North America where it now has more than 20 offices across the region including four development centers and centers of excellence creating winning solutions providing its North-American customers with a competitive edge in the marketplace. -PTI

Subrata Roy bids for London's Marriott hotels LONDON: Indian billionaire entrepreneur and owner of London's prestigious Grosvenor House hotel Subrata Roy has made a bid for Marriott hotels in the city, being sold by Royal Bank of Scotland for about 750 million

pound (Rs 5,808 crore), according to media reports. According to a report in The Sunday Times, the 42 fourand five-star properties have attracted interest from a range of potential buyers. Roy's Sahara Group, which a c -

quired the Grosvenor House a year ago for According to a report in The 470 million pound (Rs 3,275 crore), is vying Sunday Times, the 42 fourwith the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and five-star properties have and another Indian attracted interest from a investor, Blue Post Group, among others. range of potential buyers Jones Lang La Salle, the property agent, and Hawkpoint, a corporate finance vestor. firm, are handling the sale, the reSahara Group, the Lucknowport said. based financial services-to-real RBS took control of the estate conglomerate acquired properties after the failure of the iconic Grosvenor House hotalks to restructure loans it ex- tel from the Royal Bank of Scottended to the previous land. owner, a consortium that inThe 494-room luxury propcluded Quinlan private, the erty on London's Park Lane, was Irish real estate fund, and once home to the Duke of Delek, an Israeli property in- Westminster. -PTI

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February 10, 2012

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Aakash orders pour in from Andhra, Maharashtra T

he Aakash tablet which hit a few hurdles recently, got a boost in its arm after the Andhra Pradesh (AP) government announced that it will order 10,000 pieces for the state's students. The AP government has sent a proposal to the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry regarding its decision of purchasing the 10,000 pieces of the world's cheapest tablet. The Datawind manufactured tablet was launched last year to promote education and bridge the wide gap between the rich and the poor. According to a report in The Economic Times, the Mumbai University has also booked 25,000 pieces of the tablet after it received requests to do so from over 90 colleges and departments under its

jurisdiction. The Aakash tablet has already received over 2 million pre-book-

ing orders. An upgraded version of the tablet is also expected to hit markets soon.

PM opens his account on Twitter T witter listed a new public figure, who will tweet his subjects in a bid to establish a good communication between the government and common people. This time, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has blend his

mind to join the social networking site through his account @PMOIndia, which refers to the prime minister's office. PM's presence on Twitter was officially announced by Mr. Pankaj Pachauri, "The Prime Minister's

office is now on Twitter @PMOIndia. Thank you for your support." This initiative is the result of Pankaj Pachauri's appointment as PM's Communications Adviser. PM aims to catch the nerves of the young generation as social networking space is the place where the young bloods thrive. Within hours of opening the account, Manmohan Singh attracted nearly 7,000 followers and had written three tweets. The first tweet was a remark PM made while meeting young recipients of a bravery award in the capital, Delhi. "You make all of us proud," he tweeted. The next Tweet included his picture with the winners. So far Mr. Singh could amass 13,000 followers on his account. The space already has many heads of several countries including US President Barack Obama who has been the most successful tweet handler amassing around 12,000 followers. Recently, News Corp supreme Rupert Murdoch also joined the tweeting league for erasing the maligned image amongst the public caused due to the phone hacking scandal.

Aakash creates a buzz in Nepal too KATHMANDU: An updated version of Aakash, the world's most affordable tablet computer, is creating a buzz in Nepal. Every day since January 26, thousands of visitors are reaching stall B22 at the ongoing CAN Info-Tech 2012 - the country's biggest technology exhibition to take a look at the device. And they seem impressed. The first four days of the six-day exhibition has witnessed more than 20,000 people booking the Ubislate 7+, which is set to be launched in India next month. "We had a purchase order of around 10,000 units. But bookings at the exhibition and online have been over double that figure," said Vivek Khetan of Gizmos Nepal, the sole distributors for Nepal. Despite a wait period of two months, potential customers are not complaining. At NRs 6,000 (Rs 3,750), the 'tool to bridge the digital divide' costs half than its

nearest competitor. Although the product promoted by the Indian government is aimed mainly at students, demand for the tablet manufactured by Datawind has come from all sections in Nepal. "We have got an order for 1000 units from a restaurant chain. And besides students, professionals and businessmen, many inquiries have come from rural areas and other regions for dealerships," said Khetan. "I have booked one Ubislate 7+ by paying an initial amount of NRs 100. Many of my classmates have also booked it. I hope the distributors deliver it soon," said Sunil Manandhar, 19, a student. Launched in December last year, Aakash tablet had recorded 1.4 million bookings in just two weeks. The subsidized model available through educational institutions is priced at Rs 1,500 while Ubislate 7+ is priced at Rs 2999.

The New York Times and Facebook launch app for Oscars

he New York Times and Facebook have joined hands for a social media project that will allow users to cast and share their interactive ballots for this year's Academy Awards with their Facebook friends. Users can access the Oscar Ballot App on NYTimes.com to view the official nominations and select a winner for each c a t e g o r y. From there they can share their Oscar "picks" and view and comment on their friends' votes, using Facebook's new Timeline app features, which are designed to make it easier for people to share activities and discover new content.

Facebook's celebs page (www.facebook.com/celebs) will also feature a New York Times Oscars ballot module, where users will be able to cast their initial votes on Facebook and immedi-

ately share them with friends, as well as gain access to the latest Times coverage of all the nominees. Times reporters and critics are expected to submit their own predictions, in addition to other notable public figures.

Mercury mTab Neo launched @ Rs 15,999 T he budget tablet market seems to be growing hotter day-by-day. Kobian Group, the maker of Mercury brand of computer components and peripherals, has added the successor to its popular tablet mTab in the In-

dian market. Called mTab Neo, the tablet will come with 1 GHz dual core Cortex A9 processor and will run on Android Froyo (2.2) operating system. Featuring a 7-inch (16:9) capacitive multi-touch screen with HD

resolution, the tablet includes inbuilt 3G and SIM support for voice and video calling. Other features include 2 megapixel camera with a 0.3 megapixel front facing camera and dual speakers. Connectivity options include

Bluetooth 3.0, in-built 3G (GSM/ WCDMA) and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g. The tablet will come equipped with a mini-USB port and HDMI output. For memory, the tablet packs 4GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 32GB.

TechBiz Post

February 10, 2012

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'It would be foolish to restrict Internet' DAVOS: Amid raging controversy over Internet censorship in countries including India, corporate honchos at the World Economic Forum have batted for online freedom saying it would be "foolish" for any government to impose restrictions. Popular social networking site

Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg, during a panel discussion, underscored the need for free and open Internet platform. "It will be foolish for any government to block this platform," said Unilever CEO and WEF CoChair Paul Polman. According to Sandberg,

Internet and the social media have emerged as a major platform for freedom of speech and free exchange of views, providing a great platform to the people. "There has to be free and open Internet platform, but obviously there has to be safety and security for the users," she said.

Retail FDI will create millions of jobs: Timothy Roemer DAVOS: Opening up the retail sector to foreign investment will help create millions of jobs in India and also strengthen its trade ties with America, former American Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer has said.

Timothy Roemer

However, the US understands the compulsions associated with policy decisions in a democracy, Roemer told PTI here on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.

Tim Roemer, who resigned as US Ambassador to India last year, is now an International Advisory Council Member of leading American public affairs company APCO Worldwide. The five-day meeting saw a

‘It's a great time for the US-India partnership. We want to see continuing progress on economic issues. India moved ahead with the FDI in singlebrand and multibrand retail and the process has been complete on half of this,’ Roemer said number of global economic leaders urge India to go ahead with economic reforms, including FDI in retail. In the face of stiff political opposition, India had to put the de-

cision for allowing foreign direct investment in the multi-brand retail business on hold. Asked about the US reaction to the issue, Roemer said the US President (Barack Obama) is a real believer in the democratic process and knows that everyone cannot agree on every single issue, especially strategic issues. "It's a great time for the US-India partnership. We want to see continuing progress on economic issues. India moved ahead with the FDI in single-brand and multibrand retail and the process has been complete on half of this," Roemer said. "This is good for India, millions of jobs would be created for Indians, cold chain would be improved, maybe food prices would come down and there would be more opportunities for SMEs too," he added. "We think it is good thing for India and good thing for the trade between the two countries," he said, while noting that both countries have a vibrant democratic system that allows the people to vote for making their country economically more successful. -PTI

‘Sky is limit for investor in India’ LONDON: Stating that "sky is the limit for investors" in India, conglomerate Hinduja Group's CoChairman G P Hinduja has said the Western world should get into emerging markets including India and China, which would help both sides to improve their economies. "So, what they should do to improve their economy. The Western world, the EU. They should get into emerging markets. India, Brazil, African countries where the growth is better and it will be two ways. It will help those countries as well as it will help them," Hinduja said. He was speaking to British daily Financial Times on the sidelines of the just concluded World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting.

G P Hinduja

His comments come at a time when the escalating European debt turmoil and sluggish prospects in the Western world threaten to derail overall global

economic growth. A diversified group, Hindujas employs over 40,000 people worldwide and has presence in all the continents. The entity has good presence in diverse sectors in India. On the group's India business, Hinduja said that he does not see "any of our businesses in India are not going forward". "But our plans of investing USD 6 billion in India in infrastructure, we have not been successful. Not that we didn't want to put in the money, we are still optimistic, I am not worried about India," he said. "But I think the authorities in India are not ready yet to welcome an investor and clear up all the barriers if we have to go into green projects.-PTI

Google and Facebook are among 21 companies whose executives have been summoned to appear in person in a lower court in Delhi in March for allegedly hosting obscene and objectionable content. Sandberg further noted that democratic countries would need to work together on how to keep the Internet free, and still a safe and secure platform. "Right to privacy is certainly very important. We need to have checks and balances in place on whether and what data the users want to share. We need to get the right regulations, but not those that are not practical or not of any use," she pointed out at the WEF.

On the issue of Internet freedom, Citigroup chief Vikram Pandit said that right to privacy and security of data is certainly very important. The issues like cyber security need to be taken seriously and we need to do a lot better on these fronts, he noted. "When we talk about free Internet and restrained Internet, the names like Arab Spring indeed come to the mind and the authoritarian regimes and democratic regimes," Sandberg said. Participating in the discussion, Mexico-based Cinepolis CEO Alejandro Ramirez said that social media is indeed a powerful tool. PTI

Realty Tidbits

DLF & Hines’ commercial bldg in Gurgaon

NEW DELHI: India's largest realty firm DLF has announced the start of construction of its commercial project at Gurgaon in joint venture with leading global real estate developer Hines. In 2007, DLF and US-based realty firm Hines had announced signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a 15-acre business centre located on Golf Course Road, Gurgaon. In the project 'One Horizon Center', DLF and Hines would develop a 25-storey commercial building having 8,00,000 square feet of office space and 65,000 square feet of retail space. The completion of the project is scheduled for 2013. "DLF and Hines have announced their project 'One Horizon Center', which is set to redefine the existing cityscape of Gurgaon, and is designed to be an international-quality office tower with accompanying retail spaces," the company said in a statement. The construction of One Horizon Center, the first joint venture project by the two companies in India, has reached ground level and is rapidly moving upwards, it added. The office tower has been designed by award-winning American architect Robert A.M Stern. "One Horizon Center will be Robert A.M. Stern Architects? first development in India". -PTI

Meinhardt to invest R100 cr in 2012

lobal engineering, infra-struc ture and project management consultancy firm, Meinhardt plans to invest over Rs 100 crore this year to increase its footprint in India. Meinhardt will be increasing its presence in Kolkata, Mumbai and in a Southern city within a year. It has initiated talks to acquire a couple of consultancy firms engaged in water supply and sewerage space. Talking about the firm's plans for India Rajesh Srivastava, MDMeinhardt India, said, "The growth curve of Indian economy is at an all-time high and contributing to the upswing is the Infrastructure sector in particular. Growth in this sector is driven primarily by globalization of Indian corporates, growing presence of foreign businesses in India and rapidly increasing consumer class. "With major national and global players making large-scale investments, we have to play a major role to boost the development of infrastructure and thus construct a developed nation.

Real Estate 44

India Post

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February 10, 2012

India's SBI to sell UK home loans

BI came under scrutiny for offering "teaser" home loan rates, which are initially low but then escalate, to domestic customers in 2011, leading the Indian regulator to fear the country might experience a repeat of the US subprime loan crisis. The bank said that it planned to take a conservative approach to lending overseas. After nearly 90 years in the UK, SBI increased it range of services last year, growing its branch network from seven to ten.

Choices available for home buyers!

ome buyers are always looking for the best home they can buy with the resources and time available with them. Now, more than ever, real estate prices are subdued and buyers are again active in the market. Buying a home is the most exciting and at the same time, tedious task for people. While the excitement of owning your own home pushes you harder to expedite the process, the tedious task of going through enormous amount of details frustrates you. Going through the process is a necessity. Though the process is tedious and demanding, any negligence on the due diligence can cost us big in the future. In this article, we will take a look at some options that home buyers have and how they can choose the best one based on their requirement. Buying an under-construction home This is the most popular way of buying a home. A builder announces a new housing complex through newspapers, TV, or any other media. Agents start going around the market, companies, malls, and even homes of people to advertise the same. The goal of the builder is to sell as many as possible before the housing complex is built. In fact more than 75% of the flats of known builders are booked even before a brick is laid. The advantage Cheaper - Buying an underconstruction home is cheaper compared to buying the one that is already built or about to be built. The cost difference is significant. In the Delhi and NCR region, a ready to move flat with 2 bedrooms that costs home buyers about 40-50 lakhs can be bought anywhere in the range of 30-40 lakhs while under-construction, depending on the location. On an average, the difference is anywhere between 20% and 40%. This is a big difference for majority of the home buyers. Low EMI - The EMI is paid as the work progresses hence the initial EMIs are low in the case of an under construction home. Win-win situation for buyers and sellers - Buying an under construction home is a win-win situation for both buyer and seller. The

seller gets a ready set of customers even before he starts laying the foundation while buyers get the cost benefit. High returns - Since the prices are lower, you may get higher returns on the under-construction home. This kind of return is not possible in a ready to move home. However, high returns come with high risks. To give an example, people who invested in Noida authority plots earned high returns while people who invested in Samshabaad in Hyderabad are still

Many times, you don't get what you are promised - This is another common complaint the home buyers have. They usually do not get what was promised in the documents. What is distressing is the carpet area that buyers get once the home is constructed. The carpet area is usually 70% of the super built area. The illusory swimming pool may never come up. Important points for buyers of under construction homes: Buyers should also check the past history of the builder. If the

The biggest negative of ready to move home is that you will have no idea of what went on behind the scenes, i.e. in terms of materials used, in terms of strength of the foundation etc. If the maintenance is shabby, the house can start to look old in no time! waiting for the area to pick up. Caution Points Risk is high - All is not so well in under construction home buying though. There have been cases where builders could not complete the housing complex and buyers lost the money. Real estate sector is full of such stories where the builders could not complete the property because of cash crunch, high interest rate, and high raw material costs. On the other hand, the market outlook may also change like how it happened in Samshabaad in Hyderabad. Samshabaad was supposed to host the largest Infosys campus, a chip factory, few engineering and medical colleges, banks etc. but none of it happened due to the 2008 crisis.

builder has done great in the past, chances are very high that he will repeat the same. However, if the past is checkered, rest assured history will repeat itself. Hence the track record of the builder is of paramount importance. Buyers should clarify loan tenure and how the money will be released to the builder. Typically it is completion based. Buying a ready to move home A new trend is observed in home buying since the last couple of months. A good number of home buyers are slowly shifting towards moving to `ready to move' homes than buy an under construction home and wait for a couple of years to get the possession. The reason is not hard to guess. Since the economic slowdown in 2008, there

have been many cases where builders could not complete the housing complex and buyers had to wait helplessly. There have been many such cases. The advantage Immediately Available - Investors do not have to wait to move to their new home as it is ready and all buyers have to do is to pay the money, sign necessary documents, get all titles and required documents and transport their baggage to the new home. Either EMI or Rent but not both - In the case of ready to move, you just pay the EMI. In case of buying under construction home, you have to pay the EMI and live in rented apartment till you get the possession. You get what you see - In the ready to move home, you get what you see. Since the housing complex is ready and there are people living there, getting feedback about the area, maintenance, locality, shopping centers, and utility centers become easy. Caution Points The biggest negative of ready to move home is that you will have no idea of what went on behind the scenes, i.e. in terms of materials used, in terms of strength of the foundation etc. If the maintenance is shabby, the house can start to look old in no time! Also, the price of ready to move home is about 25% higher than the price of under-construction home. Important Points Ready to move homes are generally more expensive but do not take this as gospel. Do your research; speak with a few people in the locality to find out the fair value of the home. Group Buying Since the last couple of months, many new companies such as www.groupbookings.in have encouraged home buyers to form a group and thus increase their bargaining power. Once the group is fairly big, the group buying companies will negotiate with builders on their behalf and get extra discounts. Essentially these companies act as a mediator between the builders and home buyers. For builders, giving extra discounts is not a problem because they are saving big in advertisement and sales force. Cont’d on page 45

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February 10, 2012

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Eager response to Chhaya's 3rd Home buyer Fair India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Chhaya CDC's Third Annual Home Buyer Fair on Jan 28 was attended by close to 200 interested residents eager to hear about affordable housing opportunities. Residents from Queens, New York met with lenders, talked to industry experts and found out about down payment assistance at the Fair. Panelists include representatives from Astoria Federal Savings, Citi, JP Morgan Chase, M&T Bank, HSBC and Wells Fargo who shared information on loan products, the application process as well as grant assistance for qualified buyers. International non-profit developer Habitat for Humanity shared information on affordable apartments and broke down their model for prospective homebuyers. Jason Grant, Restored Homes shared information on opportunities in purchasing renovated homes, many of which are located in Queens. Vincent Noto, New York City's Housing and Preservation Development (HPD) provided a step by step guide to Home First, HPD's grant assistance program

for first time home buyers. "We are really pleased with the turn out which shows the strong interest in home ownership despite the grim economy," said Yangchen Chadotsang,

"We are really pleased with the turn out which shows the strong interest in home ownership despite the grim economy," said Yangchen Chadotsang, Homebuyer Counselor with Chhaya CDC Homebuyer Counselor with Chhaya CDC. "I encourage prospective homebuyers to attend Chhaya's free First time

Homebuyer workshops which will not only help them in the process but also help them keep their homes safe." Based in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, Chhaya CDC offers pre-purchase homeownership counseling services including budget counseling, purchasing procedures, mortgage financing, down payment/ closing cost savings plans, and credit counseling. Services are available in more than five languages. Chhaya CDC was founded in 2000 to create more stable and sustainable communities by increasing civic participation, advocating for housing justice and the community development needs of New York's South Asians, new immigrants and their neighbors. The only HUD-approved South Asian-led housing organization in the country, Chhaya's (meaning shelter or shade) services include community organizing, counseling, education, and advocacy in efforts to bring housing, and homeownership resources to New York City's South Asian and immigrant community.

Choices available for home buyers! Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 44

The Advantage Group buying empowers home buyers to negotiate better with the builder. The group home buyers usually get a better discount than what they can get individually. Caution Points In group buying, an individual buyer doesn't make much difference and hence group's interest takes priority over individual's choice. The down payment usually is higher. Important Points The buyers should study the documents carefully. Don't assume that someone is reading these documents. You will be surprised to know that everyone has the same assumptions. Group buying of homes take time and hence you have to be patient about it. The group buying company has to build the group, and negotiate the price with the builder for additional discounts. These activities take time. Buying run-down homes This option is not yet popular in India but slowly picking up. Essentially buyers choose to buy a rundown home at dirt cheap prices. Once the house is yours,

you can fix it and spend some money to get it up to date. This can fetch a better value in the market and the investor can make a killing in profit.

If you are ready to wait, can take medium to high risk, and do not care much for location (in terms of being near to the market etc.), you can go for booking an under-construction home. You can even go for group booking if your requirement is to stay with people of your social standing The Advantage The houses are much cheaper even when you add the cost of repairing the house. Run-down houses are generally row houses and hence

you get the land with it too. Caution Points The look of run down houses can be deceptive. You may have thought how must it should cost to renew but when you start to repair it, it may exceed your cost estimation. Important Points Unless you have experience about this field, do not venture into it. You may end up buying a worthless property in an area where people are migrating from. What should you choose? Your choice should depend upon your financial condition, timing, and your choice of location. Location is the most important factor in real estate. If you are ready to wait, can take medium to high risk, and do not care much for location (in terms of being near to the market etc.), you can go for booking an underconstruction home. You can even go for group booking if your requirement is to stay with people of your social standing. If you cannot wait and cannot take high risks associated with under-construction homes and need to be near amenities of your choice, try to find a ready to move home or go for a group buy.

Credit outlook for realty remains negative NEW DELHI: Rating agency CARE has said the credit outlook for the real estate sector remains negative till the developers' cash flow improves and expects property prices to correct mainly due to lower demand. "The credit outlook for the industry remains negative until the cash flows are streamlined," Credit Analysis & Research (CARE) said in its report on the realty sector. However, the agency gave stable credit outlook for certain completed rent yielding projects mainly due to the sustained cash flow visibility through firm lease tie-ups. "The prices are expected to correct mainly due to sustained low sale transactions, high inventory levels (excluding few pockets like Mumbai where the ready inventory is low) and the funding shortfall with the developers," it said. CARE noted that improvement in demand would be the major catalyst for the real estate industry. "Though the RBI has faintly hinted at reduction in the interest rates with the cut in the CRR by 50 basis points, the affordability is

not expected to improve immediately. As a result, the correction in the prices is viewed as the major factor which can drive in the volumes," it said. The correction in the asset

"The prices are expected to correct mainly due to sustained low sale transactions, high inventory levels (excluding few pockets like Mumbai where the ready inventory is low) and the funding shortfall with the developers," it said prices, which are sustained at a higher level, would provide much needed relief to the sector by driving in the required volumes and easing out the cash flow pressure, the report said.

Monorail project to cover Trans-Yamuna NEW DELHI: In order to provide public transport service in all parts of the Trans-Yamuna area, the city government has decided to chalk out a plan to extend the Monorail services in congested localities. The government has given its in-principal approval for commissioning of a Monorail route connecting Shastri Park to Trilokpuri. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said this at an inauguration function of a community centre in the Ghonda area of north-east Delhi. Speaking at the function, the Chief Minister said that the new small taxis being developed by certain manufacturers would be first introduced in the TransYamuna area to facilitate availabil-

ity of public transport in localities situated around narrow lanes and bazaars as it is not possible and even feasible to extend the Delhi Metro services at the doorstep of each and every citizen. Low-floor buses can also not be plied in these localities. She reminded that the Delhi Metro service was also first introduced in the Trans-Yamuna area. The Metro is plying on three routes in the Trans-Yamuna area to connect Shahdara, Anand Vihar and Mayur Vihar-Ashok Nagar to other parts of the city. With the completion of the third phase of the Delhi Metro, a number of routes and stations will be commissioned in Trans-Yamuna.

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February 10, 2012

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February 10, 2012

Perspective

India Post

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Lessons on Reconciliation for Sri Lanka & the World PROF RAJIVA WIJESINHA Adviser on Reconciliation to President Mahinda Rajapaksa

the CFA to build up its own military capacity, was obvious to all except the different In addition to the endemic components of the strange coalition that tussle between foreign affairs and supported Sarath Fonseka in the Presidential election of 2010. defence perspectives, America But again, given their influence, that also suffers from a strange aspect was focused upon, and little attention was paid subsequently to the enorcombination of ruthless self mous amount of work the Commission did interest, as their performances in amongst the people who were affected by the conflict and need support through recIraq and Pakistan over the years onciliatory efforts, as opposed to the backhave shown, and a desire to be ward looking theoreticians in Colombo and other capitals. seen as decent guys Prof Rajiva Wijesinha It is on what the affected people said, and what they need now, that the CommisIndia's longstanding interest in a peace- War was seen as irritating, if not quite sion has rightly concentrated. In this regard too, I should note, the measures that ful and politically stable Sri Lanka is best threatening. But India too would do well to assess need to be taken are fairly obvious. More served by strong messages to Colombo, says Alan Keenan, Crisis Group Senior more carefully the additional motives of recently, discussions in District Reconcilithose who promoted Sarath Fonseka whilst ation Committees that we have set up, idenAnalyst and Sri Lanka Project Director Instructively, and I believe this is where suggesting that this would serve Indian tified several problems which the CommisIndia must be careful not to allow itself to interests. Efforts to present Sri Lanka as a sion has now highlighted, with suggestions be used, I have heard some Western ob- bone of contention between India and for remedial action. To mention just a few of these, servers claiming that the policy of perse- China are largely self-serving, though they • we need very practical measures to cuting Sri Lanka is also in India's interests, may not be entirely hypocritical, given the since otherwise our government tendency of the West to function in terms protect the vulnerable in conflict affected areas, in particular women and children (as is not likely to move on the politi- of binary opposites. This is also understandable given the to whom more effective measures are cal settlement that was anticipated. If so, the adoption of Sarath manner in which they fought the Cold War, needed in the rest of the country too); • we need to ensure better training and Fonseka as the preferred candidate but China has made it clear to Sri Lanka for the Presidency was a very that the primacy of our relationship with support for productive employment, in the India is understood. If rivalries on the lines North, with effective micro-credit facilities strange way of showing it. Instead of recognizing that the of those that dogged all of us during the and incentives for small and medium size President had to repudiate the Cold War are to develop, they will be pri- business enterprises (which should also be Fonseka philosophy of post-war- marily economic in character, and be played done elsewhere in the country); • we need to modernize our education arrangements so as to be able to out in Africa, and similar fields for large move on with reconciliation, a scale investment, without any need for hos- system, with greater stress on skills development and in particustrange combination of social but- tilities in South Asia. It lar communications terflies in Colombo and perverse would be a pity if eiskills, in two if not three diplomats decided to espouse the ther India or Sri Lanka David Miliband with Hillary Clinton languages; Fonseka cause. Sadly they man- allowed themselves to • we need to encouraged to convince the Tamil Na- be used as tools in "Worried about the electoral power of age religious and social tional Alliance to follow suit, and such developments. the Tamil diaspora" and cultural activities I have dwelt at it seems to be no coincidence that to bring people tothe principal Sri Lankan criticism some length on these gether. the Sri Lankan state. The recent efforts of of the LLRC report came from the TNA, as factors because they In short, we need to its political affairs officer to pressurize gov- though to reinforce the otherwise isolated could adversely affect do what the Liberal the very positive meaernment with regard to Sarath Fonseka, American perspective. Party recommended in whom earlier the Americans had fingered All this has done untold damage to one sures both taken and its program formulated as a possible war crimes suspect, is only of the main areas in which action is needed recommended with rein 1987. Most imporexplicable in terms of a sense of guilt about to achieve reconciliation, namely constitu- gard to reconciliation. tantly perhaps, as we the garden path up which he was led. tional reforms to promote the empowerment I am sorry that analysts have noted over the I should note that one should not of of the Tamil people. I myself believe that have not noted that years, is the need for course generalize about the Americans. the leadership of the TNA is sincere about this forms the bulk of upgrading the public Even more than other countries, they seem seeking a solution within the framework of the Report, rather than service, to make it more to suffer from schizophrenia with regard to a unified Sri Lanka, but their unremitting what was feared at the responsive to the needs foreign policy, as was exemplified by the persecution of the government with regard time the Commission of the people whom it positive approach of their Defence Atta- to what they suggest are war crimes does was set up and began serves. An attitudinal che in Colombo, who was promptly rebuked not help to create the confidence that is operating, namely endchange is vital, as the less navel-gazing India should pressure Sri for his pains. needed if power is to be shared further. But, in addition to the endemic tussle The argument that applying pressure on about what went Lanka to kick out the Chinese Commission stresses, which also promotes between foreign affairs and defence per- the grounds of war crimes will lead to a wrong with regard to and become a kind of vassal consultation. The revispectives, America also suffers from a political solution is a pernicious one, and the Ceasefire Agreestate .... William H. Avery sion of Administrative strange combination of ruthless self inter- counter-productive. Sadly, I have even ment. and Financial RegulaThe reasons for former U.S. diplomat est, as their performances in Iraq and Paki- heard this suggestion advanced by an Intions, which the Parliastan over the years have shown, and a de- dian general who, with active experience of that going up in smoke, as it were, were fairly obvious, and mentary Committee on Public Enterprises sire to be seen as decent guys. Sri Lanka, should have known better. For Sri Lanka this has led to astonishing That was not however an Indian gov- it was a pity that there was much stress on has also recommended, is long overdue, levels of persecution since, as one forth- ernment view, and I believe India, whilst this in early days since it gave the impres- and should be undertaken in a manner that right Republican observer put it, the bleed- anxious for a political solution, will work sion that the Commission was concerned promotes public accountability as well as ing hearts had to keep quiet about towards this in a manner that develops con- primarily with justifying the military ap- flexibility based on close attention to people's needs, grievances and aspirations. Guantanamo and everything else they had fidence, as it has done in the past, except proach that had to be adopted. Excerpted from a presentation at the That such an approach was essential, shouted about before, so they transferred of course when the adventurism of the their attention to Sri Lanka. Jayewardene government during the Cold given the manner in which the LTTE used Observer Research Foundation - Delhi he report of the Commission of Inquiry on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation is now public. It has been generally welcomed, and the exceptions that prove the rule sadly confirm the distinction between those who seek reconciliation and those who have other motives in the extraordinary campaign that has been conducted against Sri Lanka over the last two years. What is the reason for this? On the one hand there were countries such as Britain and other European states that were worried about the electoral power of the Tamil diaspora, and assumed that its more vociferous members were decisive factors. Fortunately that populist perspective has now diminished, and perhaps one of the most heartening developments in recent months has been the impression Britain has given of wanting to move on, instead of dwelling in the unprincipled wickedness of the Miliband years. But, conversely, the United States of America seems to have got more intense, as was exemplified by its efforts to suborn military personnel to give evidence against

Philosophy

India Post

February 10, 2012

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis DAWID DAHL

few days ago I was walking with a friend around the city. It was late in the evening, and he had asked me to elaborate on "emptiness." Also taking an interest in what might be called spirituality, my friend had read a little about it, as well as having heard me mention the notion on more than one occasion. What followed as we walked through a rain-soaked Stockholm was a lighthearted and funny - but also an unusually thorough and intense - analysis regarding whether or not a car existed inherently. We chose a car because it's regarded as a great object to begin the analysis with. Pointing at one of the cars passing by, I queried, "If someone asked you, 'What is that?' what would you say?" "I would say that it is a car." After discussing for well over half an hour about how utterly obvious it seemed to us that what I had pointed to was a car, as if the car had announced its very self-existence to us in that moment, we proceeded to the actual emptiness analysis. Eventually we stopped, amazed and confused by the oftentimes bizarre consequences generated by the emptiness analysis. And as it happened, parked there was a beautiful

CHUANG TZU

s there such a thing as supreme happiness in the world or isn't there? Is there some way to keep yourself alive or isn't there? What to do, what to rely on, what to avoid, what to stick by, what to follow, what to leave alone, what to find happiness in, what to hate? This is what the world honors: wealth, eminence, long life, a good name. This is what the world finds happiness in: a life of ease, rich food, fine clothes, beautiful sights, sweet sounds. This is what it looks down on: poverty, meanness, early death, a bad name. This is what it finds bitter: a life that knows no rest, a mouth that gets no rich food, no fine clothes for the body, no beautiful sights for the eye, no sweet sounds for the ear. People who can't get these things fret a great deal and are afraid - this is a stupid way to treat the body. People who are rich wear themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could ever use- this is a superficial way to treat the body. People who are

BMW, wet in the light drizzle. "Okay, let's do this again now, all the way to the end, and no chickening out!" I said with a grin. "You'd say this is a car?" "Um, I..." "Say an alien were to come along and ask, 'Hey, what's this?' what would you tell it?" "I would say that it was a car." "Okay. Let's remove all the parts of the car, one by one, slowly, and

think the car is like a configuration of these parts, nor something apart from them," he said looking at all the imaginary parts we had strewn over the sidewalk. "Rather, what a car is must be a shape. If something has a carlike shape, then that is a car." We talked about this for a couple of minutes. "And what if you found an enormous cheese lying on the

We stood there in silence for a while, looking at the car. Then, as my friend reported finding himself unable to see or grasp the car which he just the other moment had seen so clearly, we started laughing. "Awesome - that's the emptiness of the car right there!" I said, thrilled. "It's like the car has disappeared."

Investigating a car in a night of emptiness "And what if you found an enormous cheese lying on the road here, that was shaped exactly like a car," I said, trying to evoke the picture

Dawid Dahl

you will announce when it disappears." "All right, let's do this," he said, resolutely. So we pretended that we were slowly carrying away part after part with our hands, putting them on the sidewalk. Doors, radio, wheels, wires, seats, dashboard, windows, etc. Eventually we were left with nothing but the painted body of the car, and my friend still thought, be it with some hesitation, that this was a car. "Hmh. Actually, I no longer

road here, that was shaped exactly like a car," I said, trying to evoke the picture. "Would it then follow that this cheese was a car?" My friend agreed that would be absurd. He'd not call that a car: "I'd call that a cheese, shaped like a car." "...so if we can't find the car in the shape, where then is it? We have looked everywhere you suspected it might be." After a contemplative pause, he replied, "No idea."

"Yeah, right? Now you can also see how this can be used to relieve stress and suffering, which is actually precisely what it is designed to do. Say someone really, really desires a fancy new car, but can't have it, for whatever reason. If he, like us right now, honestly feels that he can't even know what a car is as he can't find any, what would there be to desire?" We hugged goodbye and agreed that on our next "spiritual walk," we'd investigate the self.

eminent spend night and day scheming and wondering if they are doing right - this is a shoddy way to treat the body. Man lives his life in company with worry, and if he lives a long while, till he's dull and doddering, then he has spent that much time worrying instead of dying, a bitter lot indeed! This is a callous

save the lives of others. So I say, if your loyal advice isn't heeded, give way, and do not wrangle. Tzu-hsu wrangled and lost his body. But if he hadn't wrangled, be wouldn't have made a name. Is there really such a thing as goodness or isn't there? What ordinary people do and what they find happiness in - I

really happiness or isn't there? I take inaction to be true happiness, but ordinary people think it is a bitter thing. I say: the highest happiness has no happiness, the highest praise has no praise. The world can't decide what is right and what is wrong. And yet inaction can decide this. The highest happi-

Inaction of Heaven is purity, inaction of earth is peace Chuang Tzu

The highest happiness has no happiness, the highest praise has no praise. The world can't decide what is right and what is wrong. And yet inaction can decide this

way to treat the body. Men of ardor are regarded by the world as good, but their goodness doesn't succeed in keeping them alive. So I don't know whether their goodness is really good or not. Perhaps I think it's good - but not good enough to save their lives. Perhaps I think it's no good - but still good enough to

don't know whether such happiness is in the end really happiness or not. I look at what ordinary people find happiness in, what they all make a mad dash for, racing around as though they couldn't stop-they all say they're happy with it. I'm not happy with it and I'm not unhappy with it. In the end is there

ness, keeping alive only inaction gets you close to this! Let me try putting it this way. The inaction of Heaven is its purity, the inaction of earth is its peace. So the two inactions combine and all things are transformed and brought to birth. Wonderfully, mysteriously, there is no place they come out of.

When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything. - Shunryu Suzuki To remember what needs to be remembered is the secret of success. You come to it through earnestness -Nisargadatta Maharaj Sagehood has nothing to do with governing others but is a matter of ordering oneself. -Lao-tze The real glory of meditation lies not in any method but in its continual living experience of presence, in its bliss, clarity, peace, and most important of all, complete absence of grasping. -Sogyal Rinpoche For life in the present there is no death. Death is not an event in life. It is not a fact in the world. -Wittgenstein Duality is an illusion. Consciousness is not private and personal, but impersonal, universal, and eternal. -Francis Lucille What is sometimes called the ultimate subject is nothing other than silence, sunyata, emptiness of images. -Jean Klein

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February 10, 2012

India Post

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Why does India need an aerospace command? RADHAKRISHNA RAO

he early 2007 anti-satellite test carried out by China, besides sending shock waves across the world, seriously jolted the Indian defense establishment into thinking about strategies required to blunt the edge of Chinese space war endeavors. The protection of Indian space assets from rogue satellites and space-based killer devices deployed by adversaries have become the most serious issue for both the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). As it is, both ISRO and DRDO have made it clear that it is well within India's capability to engineer anti-satellite systems and related destructive devices for deployment in space even while pointing out that India is committed to the peaceful use of outer space. As things stand, the biggest challenge for India is to integrate its space assets into the defense architecture in a seamless fashion, to prepare for a space war if India is pushed to exercise the option. Against this backdrop, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has identified outer space as an area of intense focus to sustain India's strategic lead and to counter the possibility of a surprise attack from space. The clamor for the setting up of a tri-service aerospace command articulated by IAF is for India to exploit the 'final frontiers' and sharpen the country's combat edge. Incidentally, IAF's 'Defense Space Vision 2020' outlines the need to harness satellite resources in a big way to buttress Indian defense preparedness. Sensing the mood of the Indian defense forces, Defense Minister AK Antony announced the formation of an Integrated Space Cell under the aegis of the Integrated Defense Services Headquarters, presumably as a first step towards the setting up of a full fledged triservice aerospace command. What would be the shape of the proposed Indian aerospace command and what would be its objectives? What are the impediments in the way of setting up the Indian aerospace command? There is no standard formula or definition for the structure of an aerospace command even as it is widely recognized that enhancing situational awareness is one of the key goals of an aerospace command. Moreover, an aerospace command is a dynamic entity that needs to be regularly strengthened by the induction of 'advanced technology elements' on a sus-

tained basis. Of course, IAF has already made a study of the issues related to the structure and functions of aerospace commands as existing in other countries. However, the kind of aerospace command that India would put in place -after getting the green signal from the po-

cost. This may be the reason why the Indian Government is taking time to give the green signal to the proposal. Moreover India is a long way off from realizing an infrastructure sturdy enough to build and launch a large number of satellites - meant for a variety of uses - at frequent intervals to support

India Post Silence is political

T litical leadership of the country would reflect the needs specific to the Indian situation, extent of funds available, as well as technology and expertise within the country and abroad. The objectives, however, of the Indian aerospace command will be similar to

The fact that India's solitary spaceport at Sriharikota island on India's eastern coast could hardly handle around four to five space missions a year can come in the way of supporting the Indian aerospace command aerospace commands in other countries: ensuring free access to space while denying the adversary the advantage of using space platforms in the event of a war. Other well identified goals of the proposed Indian aerospace command could include giving out missile launch warnings and monitoring the launch of enemy satellites. Perhaps the biggest impediment in the way of an Indian aerospace command is its enormous

the aerospace command. The fact that India's solitary spaceport at Sriharikota island on India's eastern coast could hardly handle around four to five space missions a year can come in the way of supporting the Indian aerospace command. This implies that India would need to build not only new launch centers but also bolster its industrial capability to build and deliver satellites and launch vehicles in a ready-to-use condition. Yet another major challenge would be involving ISRO, a civilian space agency committed to the 'peaceful uses of outer space' in the exercise of setting up the aerospace command. The involvement of ISRO could easily attract international censure. As it is, ISRO had come under US sanctions and technology embargos on more than one occasion for its alleged role in the perfection of dual-use technology. In fact, in the late 1990s, the US had exerted pressure on India to drop its Agni ballistic missile development program which was part of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). US think-tanks had alleged that the solid fuel technology developed for India's first civilian space vehicle SLV-3 was exploited to speed up the development of the Agni series of missiles. The writer is Freelancer, Bangalore. Courtesy IPCS

he Supreme Court has been kind to the Prime Minister. While indicting the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for delaying decision on sanctioning the prosecution of A. Raja on the petition of Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy, it has absolved Manmohan Singh of all blame on the ground that "the PM is not expected to personally look into the minute details of each and every case placed before him and has to depend on his advisors and other officers." An image has been built around Manmohan Singh that he may be surrounded by a sea of corruption, but he is an oasis of integrity within it. What help is your probity if those under you indulge in all kinds of mischief? And if that mischief is pointed out, you allow your staff to obfuscate the need for action. Are you not then culpable? You select your staff and it functions at your command. Would they be innocent of your wishes, even if these are not stated? In the battlefield, it is said, the soldier is not responsible for what he does but his officer is. Because the soldier is only carrying out orders. Suppose someone were to defy the mood of the Prime Minister. Would he last in the PMO? Much has been made of the discreet silences of the Prime Minister designed to keep him away from owning responsibility and controversy. A former Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao, also of the Congress made a virtue of silence. He once confessed that silence is also strategy. Not taking a decision is also decision. So delay is inbuilt in the Congress system, aimed at confounding the opponents. It is ably supported by the bureaucracy whose favorite pastime is "sitting over it." Do the officers in the PMO not know that sanctioning the prosecution of a DMK minister would jeopardize the government of their boss and by implication, their future also? If the DMK with 18 MPs withdraws support to the UPA, the government might collapse. So what does the leader of such a coalition do? Sanction prosecution? Sign his and the government's death warrant? He himself works under a boss whose nod is not available. So the best course of action is, sit over it. When the bureaucrats made the plea that the issue is being investigated by the CBI, he went along with that view. It is quite well known that CBI is handmaiden of the government and it will never recommend sanction for prosecution unless the government itself directs it to do so. Silently acquiescing to the suggestion of his PMO the Prime Minister believes he remains above water. The Supreme Court in its wisdom dealt with the strictly legal aspects of the issue. It did not enter into the moral responsibility of the leader in not taking a decision or stonewalling it. But it is obvious to all those concerned with the widespread corruption that keeping quiet while knowing about the loot is complicity. The Prime Minister is fully responsible for all that goes on under his watch or under the watch of officials selected by him. The new revamped PMO may have introduced him to the Twitter but he is hardly going to reveal that survival is what occupies his mind and the best strategy for that, as shown by his former boss Narasimha Rao, an astute politician, is silence. There is the famous adage that silence is golden. In the present context however, silence has proved to a very effective political weapon. But only so far.

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