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Sanjay Puri
'An NRI should be made Overseas Minister' Details on page 6
India-born Rajeev Suri to head Nokia Details on page 12
Hagel urged to allow Sikhs to serve in US army
VOL 19, No. 1024
May 2, 2014
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Periodical Postage
INDIAN ACTIVIST WINS 'GREEN NOBEL' SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Six enviThe award was given to D'Sa for ronmental advocates from India, his work that led to the shutting Peru, Russia and South Africa have down the Bulbul Drive landfill in won this year's Goldman Prize, 2011, one of the largest hazardous which is awarded annually for waste sites in South Africa. grass-roots activism. The winners received $175 000 at a ceremony on Other winners April 29 at the San Francisco Opera Peru's Ruth Buendia was House. recognised for helping to prevent India's Ramesh Agrawal received construction of two large dams that the prize for helping villagers fight a would have displaced nearly 10,000 large coal mine in Chhattisgarh state, indigenous people in the Peruvian the San Francisco-based Goldman Amazon, and Russian zoologist Environmental Foundation said. Suren Gazaryan won for defendRamesh Agrawal South Africa's Desmond D'Sa ing protected areas around Sochi won the award for helping to close down one of the SA's from illegal land seizures for Olympic construction largest toxic waste dumps in Kwa Zulu Natal. projects, it said. Details on page 5
Nisha Desai Biswal
Bilateral treaty critical for IndoUS economic ties Details on page 12
EU bans Indian Alphonso mangoes Details on page 13
NRI to undertake walk from Tamil Nadu to Delhi Details on page 8
US court dismisses lawsuit against Congress
Details on page 6 Details on page 8
Priyanka dubs Modi's attacks 'childish'
Vinod Khosla family blackmailed
Details on page 9 Details on page 6
Two Indian American docs charged
CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 48
Details on page 8
Community Post -------------- 16-25 Date Book -------------------------- 50 Edit Page --------------------------- 54
INDIA POST SURVEY
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Horoscope ------------------------- 26
This week’s question
Immigration Post ------------- 44-46
Will Priyanka entry make a difference to Congress fortunes?
Life Style ----------------------- 51-53 Philosophy ------------------------- 49
Last week’s result
Will the insurance pool on n-liability satisfy US? YES 87%
NO 13%
Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4
BYE HOLLYWOOD, HAIL BOLLYWOOD: Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey performs the Lungi dance with actress Deepika Padukone and actor Shahid Kapoor at IIFA 2014 Awards in Tampa bay, Florida on April 26. (Details on page 51)
Real Estate -------------------- 38-39 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43
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he Indian election is still not over and the results are going to take some more time but some commentators are so certain of Narendra Modi coming to power as Prime Minister that they have started speculating on a possible Obama-Modi summit. And this when the US has not been particularly enthusiastic about India relations and issues like the nuclear liability law, trade disputes and the Devyani episode have taken centerstage. Modi also has shown little inclination towards the US, apart from addressing occasionally via video link his numerous Indian American supporters. Meanwhile, in his capacity as chief minister of Gujarat, Modi has looked eastwards towards Asia and has already visited China and Japan. Their officials have also been visiting Gujarat and these governments have encouraged state-supported investments in Gujarat. There have been American investments also in Gujarat, but there has been no American political support for these private investments. To complicate matters even further, the recent hearing on human rights at the US Congress drew sharp criticism from several Congressmen for its blatant attempt to vilify Modi. According to those who attended, the testimony made it clear that the selected witnesses simply had an axe to grind with the BJP's prime ministerial candidate. Can Obama mend fences at this stage? The earliest opportunity may arise this September which is the month when the United Nations at New York holds a general assembly of all its members. If Modi comes and goes after attending the UN Assembly, it would be an opportunity lost for Obama to mend relations with India. His initiative to invite him to White House for a special one-to-one could be a nice gesture and win over many in India. Many influential people are advocating just such a course. Dr. Stephen Cohen a senior analyst on South Asia affairs says, "If President Obama has any concerns he can have a private conversation with Mr Modi and set the future tone of US-India relations". USINPAC chief Sanjay Puri has also advocated such a course.
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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Playing safe The professional relationship of Katrina and Hrithik was very much talked about, but now the scenario has changed.
Cover Story: Green Nobel India's Ramesh Agrawal received the Goldman prize for helping villagers fight a large coal mine in Chhattisgarh state
Community: Dance Festival The three-days Indian Dance Festival hosted by Soorya Performing Arts turned out to be a grand success.
Visa-free travel A campaign to allow Israelis to enter the United States without a visa is gaining steam in Congress but still faces test
Life Style: IIFA awards Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a biopic on legendary athlete Milkha Singh, won the top award at the IIFA awards in Tampa Bay
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Investment treaty Nisha Biswal says a bilateral investment treaty, currently being negotiated, is critical for deepening Indo-US economic ties
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Indian activist wins 'Green Nobel' SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Six environmental advocates from India, Peru, Russia and South Africa have won this year's Goldman Prize, which is awarded annually for grass-roots activism. The winners received $175 000 at a ceremony on April 29 at the San Francisco Opera House. India's Ramesh Agrawal received the prize for helping villagers fight a large coal mine in Chhattisgarh state, the San Francisco-based Goldman Environmental Foundation said. South Africa's Desmond D'Sa won the award for helping to close down one of the SA's largest toxic waste dumps in Kwa Zulu Natal. The award was given to D'Sa for his work that led to the shutting down the Bulbul Drive landfill in 2011, one of the largest hazardous waste sites in South Africa. Other winners Peru's Ruth Buendia was recognised for helping to prevent construction of two large dams that would have displaced nearly
Ramesh Agrawal speaks during an interview at his house in Raigarh in Chhattisgarh, (India)
10,000 indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon, and Russian
zoologist Suren Gazaryan won for defending protected areas
around Sochi from illegal land seizures for Olympic construc-
tion projects, it said. American lawyer Helen Slottje received the award for helping communities fight fracking in New York State by discovering a legal loophole that allows individual towns to ban the oil extraction method under zoning laws. Indonesian biologist Rudi Putra helped shutter 26 illegal palm oil plantations that were causing deforestation in northern Sumatra. "From fracking to palm oil development, the 2014 Goldman Prize recipients are not only tackling some of the world's most pressing environmental problems; they are also achieving impressive environmental victories and inspiring others to do the same", foundation executive director David Gordon said in a statement. The award was launched in 1990 with a grant from philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman to honour grass-roots environmental activists in the six regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, Island Nations, North America and Latin America.-AP
Agrawal got 2 bullets for opposing coal magnate
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he man walked into Ramesh Agrawal's tiny Internet cafe, pulled out a pistol and hissed, "You talk too much." Then he fired two bullets into Agrawal's left leg and fled on a motorcycle. The 2012 attack came three months after Agrawal won a court case that blocked a major Indian company, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd., from opening a second coal mine near the village of Gare in the mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh. For a decade, Agrawal, who has no formal legal training, has been waging a one-man campaign to educate illiterate villagers about their rights in fighting pollution and landgrabbing by powerful mining and electricity companies. He's won three lawsuits against major corporations and has spearheaded seven more pending in courts. "When I started this fight, I knew I'd be a target. It will happen again. Let it happen. I'm not going anywhere," the soft-spoken yoga enthusiast said in an interview this month in the city of Raigarh, where he hobbled around his modest home with a cane and a metal brace screwed into his shattered femur.
"This is the biggest milestone in my life," Agrawal said of the award, which he flew to California to receive. "But it also makes me sad, that someone in a foreign country who I don't even know is willing to do so much for us, while so many people here don't even know us or want to help." Activists, lawyers and analysts in India say that's changing as hundreds if not thousands of small,
For a decade, Agrawal, who has no formal legal training, has been waging a one-man campaign to educate illiterate villagers about their rights in fighting pollution and land-grabbing by powerful mining and electricity companies scrappy movements are challenging building and mining projects that local residents believe will damage the environment, undermine their livelihoods or even uproot them from their homes. "People are gaining confidence
and losing patience," environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta said in New Delhi. "These are not established activist groups or nonprofits like Greenpeace campaigning on global issues like climate change. These are regular, everyday people worried about their survival, and their voices of dissent are forcing India to change." Villagers in the central state of Madhya Pradesh have won national TV coverage for their cause by standing neck-deep in water for days to protest large hydropower dam projects that would flood their farms and homes. Apple growers in northeast Himachal Pradesh are suing dam builders who they say have tunneling plans that will damage their orchards. "People used to say, 'You can't fight with the big guys.' But once we started winning a few cases, people started believing in themselves and believing in this country again," Agrawal said. India's rapid economic growth over the past decade has boosted the incomes and living standards of millions, mostly city-dwellers. But the environmental impact has often been ignored, and the rural poor largely left behind. The 400 million Indians who live on
less than Rs 75 a day are dubious about their economic prospects, particularly those who have lost their land or been forced to live with poisoned groundwater, dirty air and fetid rivers. "Why should these villagers pay for development that is defined by shopping malls and luxury items?" Agrawal asked. "We have to redefine what development means, and decide if it's
In the village of Gare, where Agrawal has helped villagers voice their objections to Jindal's plans for more mining operations, the earth shakes violently for a half-hour each morning as workmen blast for the few or the many." Environmental activists are also increasingly facing violence, at least 908 have been killed in 35 countries over the past decade, including six in India, according to a report this month by the London-based Global Witness group.
After he was shot, Agrawal's attackers turned themselves in, revealing themselves to be Jindal Steel & Power's security guards. But police never linked the attack with the Indian company. He also has been jailed for 72 days on what he said were false charges of extortion and defamation that were later dismissed. In the village of Gare, where Agrawal has helped villagers voice their objections to Jindal's plans for more mining operations, the earth shakes violently for a half-hour each morning as workmen blast a gaping coal pit with dynamite, sending clouds of black dust billowing up. The acrid smell of smoke hangs in the air, already hazy yellow from the nearby power plant pollution. The company has been mining coal in the area for several years, but Gare and the neighboring villages of Sarasmal and Kosampali have seen little economic benefit. No new schools or hospital clinics have been built, and only a few dozen menial labor jobs were offered after protests by residents, who were once self-sufficient growing rice and vegetables, villagers said.-AP
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'An NRI should be made Overseas Affairs Minister' NEW DELHI: An NRI should be made the Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs in the next government, a leading organization of Indian-Americans has said here. Chairman of the United States India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) Sanjay Puri said that this would help the government connect with the 29-million strong Indian Diaspora better. The convention of appointing someone from Kerala or Gujarat as the Overseas Indian Affairs Minister should be stopped and instead an NRI should be given the chance, he said. "...in India you appoint somebody (as Overseas Indian Affairs Minister) from Kerala, they focus on Middle-East. You appoint somebody from Gujarat, they will focus on the United States. Appoint somebody who has got a broader perspective of NRIs. "Appoint somebody from the Diaspora who can be an NRI minister. Somebody who understands their problems. Somebody who really knows what an NRI needs
and wants...," he said. Puri, a recognized authority on US-India relations, said this when he was asked what is the expectation of Non-Resident Indians from the new government to be formed at the Centre in May after the on-
He said a large number of Indian doctors are working abroad and they are ready to come and do service at least once or twice a month in the country's poor tribal villages which lack basic health infrastructure going elections. "You bring an NRI and give him award. Why don't you give him a Rajya Sabha seat? There are so many qualified people," he said,
adding just bringing the NRIs to Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas and giving them awards is not enough and the government should look into their problems. "They sit in consulates for days with frustration, trying to understand the crazy rules. You have a 29 million-strong Diaspora. 29 million assets you have around the world," Puri said. He said a large number of Indian doctors are working abroad and they are ready to come and do service at least once or twice a month in the country's poor tribal villages which lack basic health infrastructure, but bureaucracy is an obstruction that stands in the way. "For outsiders, the hardest thing to do in this country is to do charity. Because it gets stuck in the bureaucracy. You cannot do charity," he said. USINPAC is an independent, bipartisan political action committee representing over 2.7 million Indian-Americans. -PTI
Vinod Khosla family blackmailed over nude pics NEW YORK: Indian-American billionaire Vinod Khosla's family was allegedly victim of an extortion plot in which the former boyfriend of Khosla's daughter threatened to distribute her purported nude photos if he was not paid money. According to a report on the Smoking Gun website, Stanford University graduate Douglas Tarlow, 27, was arrested by the FBI in connection with the alleged extortion plot. Khosla, 59, is a prominent venture capitalist who co-founded Sun Microsystems. According to Forbes, his net worth is about USD 1.5 billion. Tarlow, who had dated Khosla's daughter Nina for about two years, has been released from police custody and is awaiting a preliminary court hearing. The report said Tarlow allegedly threatened to distribute purported naked images of Nina online, warning in one e-mail that, "Everything is going to reddit. From there, it will be impossible to remove from the internet forever." In another text message to her mother, Tarlow said, "it seems you're going to be the mother of the next Paris Hilton," according
to investigators. The FBI's investigation of Tarlow is detailed in a court affidavit, which has not named the Khoslas. However, the Smoking Gun said it has confirmed that the Khoslas are the victims referred
Nina Khosla
to in the document. In a brief interview, Nina Khosla, 26, declined to answer questions about the case. "I'd prefer that you didn't write about that," she said, adding that her family contacted law enforcement authorities soon after receiving threatening communications. Tarlow and Nina met in 2007
and dated for about two years. The couple, who studied in Stanford's Product Design program, started a design firm for which Khosla registered a website in mid-2009. During their relationship, Khosla allegedly "voluntarily took nude photos and video," which she shared with Tarlow, according to FBI Special Agent Glenn Solomon-Hill. After their relationship, Khosla recommended Tarlow for a job with a nonprofit education foundation run by her mother Neeru. Neeru has told investigators that she "wanted to help Tarlow because he had been close to their family," according to the FBI affidavit, which noted that Tarlow had been promised a USD 125,000 salary. Tarlow was fired after a few months and he "talked about guns to other employees who expressed that they did not feel safe." Over the next several months, Tarlow allegedly sent text and email messages to Neeru Khosla complaining that he had been unfairly treated, and that she "owed him money from his tenure at the company," according to the FBI affidavit.-PTI
Hagel urged to allow Sikhs to serve in US army WASHINGTON: Sixteen in- Mahinder Tak, Sunita Leeds, fluential Indian-Americans from Aneesh Chopra, Vinod K Shah across the country have asked and Parag V Mehta. US Secretary of Defense Chuck "We wanted our Sikh-AmeriHagel to allow Sikhs to serve in can brothers and sisters to the armed forces with their reli- know that, at the very least, the gious faith intact. "As entrepreneurs and community members dedicated to advancing issues important to the Indian-American community and strengthening ties between the US and India, we respectfully request that the US Department of Defense modernize its apSecretary of Defense Chuck Hagel pearance regulations so that SikhAmericans can presumptively Indian-American community serve in our nation's military stands with them and while it while maintaining their articles may be seen as symbolic, their of faith," 16 Indian-Americans cause is our cause," Narasimhan wrote in a letter to Hagel. said. According to the copy of the In the letter, the Indianletter dated April 25, the Indian Americans said for more than a Americans - all of whom are century, immigrants from India major fund raisers and wield have strengthened and enriched considerable influence in the America, even after overcoming nation's political circle - praised obstacles. the recent efforts of 105 biparti"As Americans, we must colsan members of the US House lectively ensure that our instiof Representatives, who re- tutions uphold the values on cently had also sent a letter to which our great nation was Hagel expressing their support founded," the letter said. for Sikh-Americans in the US "In 1948, President Harry Armed Forces. Truman declared "that there That letter was led by Con- shall be equality of treatment gressman, Joseph Crowley, and opportunity for all persons who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, and R o d n e y Frelinghuysen, who chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. "The importance of this issue to the Indian-American community is in the armed services without underscored by the fact that the regard to race, color, religion, or government of India issued a national origin. statement supporting the effort. "On behalf of the underAs you know, our NATO allies signed 16 Indian-Americans already permit Sikhs to serve," from all over the country, we the letter said, which was strongly urge you to make this signed by Shekhar Narasimhan, promise real for Sikh-Americans Ranvir Trehan, Shefali Razdan who wish to serve in the US Duggal, Rajeev Sharma, Parag Armed Forces," the letter said. and Usha Saxena, Reshma Earlier, 15 influential SenaSaujani, Frank Ismail, Raj Goyle, tors have asked Hagel to allow Anju Bhargava. Sikhs to serve in the armed Among other signatories to forces with their religious faith the letter are M R Rangaswami, intact. -PTI
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US court dismisses lawsuit against Congress NEW YORK: An American court has dismissed a human rights violation lawsuit against Congress party filed by a Sikh group in the anti-Sikh riots case, saying the group has no legal standing to file such a suit and events that do not "touch and concern" the US will not be heard in a US court. Judge Robert Sweet granted a motion by the Congress party to dismiss the 1984-lawsuit filed by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), ruling that the rights group cannot be a plaintiff and individual plaintiffs are not "legal representatives". "No further amendment is permitted and case is dismissed," Sweet said in his order, ruling that SFJ failed to show sufficient "touch and concern" to the US. SFJ said it would challenge the order in an appeals court on the grounds that the case sufficiently "touches and concerns" the US and SFJ has "institutional standing" to seek "declaratory judgment" for the 1984 violence against Sikhs. It has time till May 23 to file its appeal. Congress party's attorney Ravi Batra said the judge has ruled that SFJ and other named plaintiffs in the case lack legal standing to file such a case. The court dismissed the case also for lack of subject matter juris-
diction and barred SFJ from filing any additional amendment of the complaint, as it would be futile. Batra said the rule of law has reigned supreme with the dismissal of the case. The US Supreme Court established the precedent that events occurring entirely on foreign soil by and between foreigners, without touch-
The US Supreme Court established the precedent that events occurring entirely on foreign soil by and between foreigners, without touching or concerning the US, would not be heard in US courts, Batra told PTI ing or concerning the US, would not be heard in US courts, Batra told PTI. The judge has "put SFJ out of business of filing meritless lawsuits that only seek publicity and have no chance of getting meritbased justice, he said, adding SFJ's polygamous lawsuits cannot win in court given its faulty recipe.
Batra said in legal terms, SFJ is an American corporation and not an alien and US federal law Alien Torts Statute only permits aliens to sue. Other individual plaintiffs are also not permitted to file a lawsuit as they are not recognized by New York law or by Indian Law to be "legal representatives." "Federal Judge Robert W. Sweet's Order and Judgment dismissing SFJ's case against INC must be music to every law abiding citizen in the world who value's their own nation's sovereignty," he said, adding Sweet acknowledged in a footnote in his ruling, "contrary to SFJ's false assertions, that India has acted to address the hurt caused by the 1984 events." SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said that SFJ would provide documentary evidence and testimony before the appeals court that the Congress party allegedly "commands, controls and directs" the functioning of New York based entity INOC (Indian National Overseas Congress), satisfying the requirement of "touch and concern". The group would also challenge the ruling that it lacks legal standing on the grounds that federal law grants "institutional standing" to human rights groups to seek "declaratory judgments" by the US Courts. -PTI
Not Gujarat's, country will have different model: Sinha LUCKNOW: Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has said the "Gujarat model" of development was for Gujarat only and the country would have a different model if the NDA was voted to power though some provisions of the western state model would be replicated at the national-level. "The Gujarat model is for Gujarat. The development model for the country will be different. Of course, some parts of the Gujarat model like 24-hour power supply will be incorporated at the national-level," he told reporters in Lucknow, in northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Asked how the BJP-led government would tackle the economic situation if it was voted to power, the former Union Finance Minister said "the economic situation is so bad that it will take six months to one year to bring it back on the track."
Yashwant Sinha
When the Atal Bihari Vajpayeeled NDA government took over in 1998, the country's economic health was worse, he said. Sinha accused Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram of resorting to "jugglery of figures" to show less deficit in the economy. "Through jugglery of figures, the
Finance Minister has shown fiscal deficit at 4.5 per cent which in reality is not less than 6 per cent," he said. "When the BJP forms the government, my suggestion will be that before presenting the budget, a white paper should be issued on the economic condition of the country," Sinha said. -PTI
NRI to undertake walk from Kanyakumari to Delhi LONDON: A 79-year-old UKbased Indian plans to undertake a challenging task of walking 4,160-km from Kanyakumari to Delhi to raise 1.5 million pounds for charity. Bobby Grewal, chairman of the India Association since 2001, would commence the fivemonth long walk on December 1 from Kanyakumari and reach Delhi on April 30 next year. " T h e amount raised will be donated to the charity Save Children International," he said at the Bobby a n n u a l Baisakhi dinner of the India Association here last night. Grewal had in the past undertaken a charity walk from Amritsar to Kanyakumari and raised over 100,000 pounds for charity.
"With this walk I will be completing the full circle (of India)," he said. He will be accompanied by a single support vehicle and a team of four, consisting of a Walk Manager, a driver, a physiotherapist and a chef. Earlier, he had walked from Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to Parliament in London in 2008 and raised 250,000 pounds for charity. S S Sidhu, Minister Coordination in the Indian High Commission here, appreciGrewal ated NRIs celebrating Indian festivals and combining their efforts to raise funds for charity. Surjit Sandhu of the India Association said he would accompany Grewal during the marathon walk in India. -PTI
2 Indian-American docs charged for insider trading NEW YORK: Two Indian- ment interest of USD 1,007 and a American doctors among six per- penalty of USD 64,965 for a total sons have been charged by fed- of USD 76,418. Shah's penalty is eral regulator in an insider trading three times the amount of his and scheme where they reaped nearly his tippees' trading profits. USD 300,000 from confidential inIn a separate settled adminisformation. trative proceeding, the SEC Suken Shah and his brother charged Shimul Shah, a doctor Shimul Shah received confidential who now resides in Cincinnati, tips from Christopher Saridakis, with insider trading on the the CEO of the e-commerce com- nonpublic information he received pany about its proposed acquisi- from his brother. Besides trading tion by eBay in March 2011. The federal regula- Suken Shah and his brother tor Securities and Ex- Shimul Shah received confichange Commission aldential tips from Christopher leges that Saridakis tipped his friend Suken Saridakis, the CEO of the eShah, a Delaware-based commerce company about doctor with nonpublic information about the its proposed acquisition by deal following a meeting eBay in March 2011 with eBay executives. Shah earned insider trading prof- himself, Shah tipped others with its of USD 9,838 and provided the the nonpublic information during nonpublic information to his a group dinner he attended with brother and another individual. several friends from his medical Shah agreed to settle the SEC's residency. charges in an administrative proTo settle the SEC's charges, ceeding by paying disgorgement Shah agreed to disgorge his tradof USD 10,446, which includes 609 ing profit of USD 11,209 and pay dollars in trading profits made by prejudgment interest of USD 1,022 the other individual he tipped. and a penalty of USD 22,418 for a He also agreed to pay prejudg- total of USD 34,650. .-PTI
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Priyanka dubs Modi's attacks Arvind Kejriwal slams both Congress and BJP 'childish': Modi retorts AMETHI (UP)/PALAMPUR (HP): In a no-holds barred attack on Narendra Modi, a combative Priyanka Gandhi has dubbed as "childish" his "namuna" (specimen) and other barbs against Rahul Gandhi and the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate too raised his pitch, accusing Congress of being a "dhokebaaz"(fraud) party. Batting for her brother in Amethi from where he is contesting for Lok Sabha, Priyanka said BJP leaders used to make fun of her father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi when he introduced computers in the country and they are now "mocking" Rahul. "They call him (Rahul) 'namuna' (specimen). Sometime they compare him to a stand up comedian and sometime they call him shehzada. I think you (Modi) aspire to be Prime Minister, then why do you indulge in such childish behaviour? He (Modi) should maintain dignity," she said at an election meeting at Deeh in Salon assembly area. Priyanka, whose attack on BJP and its prime ministerial candidate over their targeting her husband Robert Vadra has invited sharp reaction from them, intensified her criticism of the opposition party for its "destructive" policies which, she said, pitted one brother against another.
Amid the escalating war of words, Modi branded Congress a "dhokebaaz" (fraud) party and described its manifesto as "dhokapatra". "I do not like saying it but Con-
Raising the issue of price rise, Modi said, "Congress had promised in its 2009 manifesto that it will bring down prices within 100 days. This was not done. So is it not a 'dhokapatra' ?"
Priyanka Gandhi
gress is a party that betrays people. It is a "dhokebaaz" party. See their 2009 manifesto. It is not a manifesto but a 'dhokapatra'," he said at an election rally in Palampur in Himachal Pradesh.
Modi said the people may forgive a mistake but they do not spare a cheat. "If you cheat people, they will not forgive you. They may forgive a mistake but not a cheat."-PTI
Modi rejects charges of favoring Adanis, Tatas AHMEDABAD: Rejecting Congress charges of favoring big business as "another canard", Narendra Modi has said that the incentives given by his government were policy-driven rather than discretion-based. "I do believe in the importance of Corporate India and how it can help in wealth creation for the nation. I believe that in the last 60 years, the Congress party has indulged in rent seeking behavior by encouraging red tape," the Gujarat Chief Minister told PTI. He maintained that he sincerely believed in cutting down on the red tape. "While I have never been in favor of giving concessions to big businesses, I certainly believe in creating the right kind of atmosphere for investments by expediting procedures, reducing bottlenecks and encouraging transparency. "Even when incentives have to be given to certain sectors, they have to be sector-specific and
policy-driven rather than casespecific and discretion-based." Modi was responding to persistent charges by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who had ac-
its fall", Modi said that in an important judgment last week in the Tata Nano case, the Gujarat High Court had upheld the Gujarat government's stand and vindi-
Narendra Modi
cused him of favoring industrial houses such as Adanis and Tatas. Dismissing the charges as "another canard being spread by a desperate Congress tottering to
cated it. "The judgment has comprehensively debunked the allegations made in the petition. Now there is no justification for such propaganda," he said.-PTI
VARANASI: Raking up the snoopgate scandal and Robert Vadra controversy, Arvind Kejriwal has accused both the Congress and BJP of having a tacit pre-poll understanding and not taking any action against each other on the two issues. He also asked why Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had not campaigned in each other's constituencies. Targeting the Gujarat Chief Minister, Kejriwal said, "Narendra M o d i s h o u l d clarify his stand on Vadra issue. If BJP is really serious on this issue, why BJP-led Rajasthan government doesn't register an FIR against him. "BJP and Congress have joined h a n d s . They just pass comments against each other, but their party-led governments don't take action against their 'men'," he told reporters here. "If I could register an FIR against Sheila Dikshit and Mukesh Ambani, why BJP-led government cannot register an FIR against Vadra in the last four months in Rajasthan," he asked. Going on to target Congress, Kejriwal said, "If Congress-led
UPA Government is really serious on Adani issue, so why doesn't it ask CBI to probe his role. They (BJP and Congress) don't do nothing, but only pass comments against each other." The AAP leader accused both the parties of having an understanding. "It has been four months since probe in the snoopgate scandal was handed over to CBI. If CBI wanted, Modi would have been arrested. BJP and Congress have their deals," he charged. Referring to Modi's remarks
Priyanka Gandhi
on the issue of taking action against Vadra, he charged, "There is an internal setting between Congress and BJP". Modi had recently said there will be no witch-hunt against Vadra Condemning the attack on his party volunteers here, he alleged that BJP "goons" were trying to create an environment of fear among the people of Varanasi and also among AAP supporters. -PTI
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India, China hold 6th round of border talks Indian-origin BEIJING: India and China have held the sixth round of working mechanism border talks amid reports that Beijing has proposed a code of conduct between armies in border areas in addition to the boundary pact signed last year. An Indian delegation headed by Gautam Bambawale, Joint Secretary East Asia, External Affairs Ministry, held talks with the Chinese side in the sixth round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border formed in 2012. The mechanism came in handy to deal with the crisis arising out of Chinese incursions in the Depsang valley in Ladakh in
April last year near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops pitched tents. The standoff was eventually resolved with the withdrawal of the Chinese contingent followed by the landmark Border Defense Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to China last year. In order to avert incidents like the one in Depsang Valley along the 4,000 km long boundary, BDCA mentioned several procedures in the event of face-offs between the two militaries in areas where there is no common understanding of the LAC. The meeting took place in the backdrop
of media reports that said China has proposed a code of conduct in the last round of Special Representatives talks on border dispute. The meeting came after China's deputy army chief Lt Gen Qi Jianguo recently visited India. A visit by Chinese Defense Minister Cheng Wanquang to India has been planned later this year while the two countries have also planned to hold their annual military exercises in India. Indian naval vessel INS Shivalik took part in recent 65th celebrations of Chinese People's liberation Navy (PLAN) held at Qingdao port in China. -PTI
tech mogul beats girlfriend NEW YORK: Indian-origin internet advertising mogul Gurbaksh Chahal, who escaped jail despite beating his girlfriend 117 times, has been fired from his post of CEO and chairman by his company. The board of directors at RadiumOne, a Silicon Valley company that focuses on realtime advertising across web, mobile and Facebook, met over the weekend and "voted to terminate the employment of Gurbaksh Chahal as CEO and Chairman of the company," the company said in a statement. Chahal, 31, dodged the 45 felony charges and instead pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor courts - one for domestic violence battery and one for battery. He was sentenced to three years of pro-
Gurbaksh Chahal
bation, 52 weeks of participation in a domestic violence program and 25 hours of community service but got no jail time. Chahal has termed the allegations against him as "grossly exaggerated" and said he is being attacked because of his ethnicity. In a lengthy blog post titled 'The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth', Chahal apologized to his family, friends, employees, customers and investors for having had to suffer from "this bad publicity related to my personal matter". In the post, which was apparently written before he was fired, Chahal said as RadiumOne CEO, he vows to make it a hugely successful company, a great place to work, and a wonderful partner in the community. The hype generated by the case has led to him receiving death threats and he said he is being targeted not just because of the case but also his ethnicity. He added that people's hate towards him is due to "misrepresentations" of facts. "Right now there are many people calling for my head. I am the recipient of death threats and hateful language aimed not just at what I was accused of, but attacking me for my ethnicity, my social class, and even my gender. Many would gladly lynch me based because of my origin and not the facts of my case," he said in the blog. -PTI
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Murderer compensated for damaged clippers LONDON: A 26-year-old Indian-origin murderer serving a triple life sentence in a UK prison has won 800 pounds in compensation after his nose hair clippers and alarm clock were damaged and some of his belongings went missing. Kevan Thakrar was convicted for three killings and faces a minimum term of 35 years in a jail near London. District Judge Neil Hickman ruled that there had been a "somewhat cavalier disregard for Thakrar's rights and for his property". In March 2010, Thakrar attacked three guards at Frankland Prison in County Durham after stabbing them with a broken bottle, but was cleared of two counts of attempted murder and three of wounding with intent.
Following the attack, Thakrar was moved from Frankland to Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes and it was during this move that some of his possessions went
Kevan Thakrar
missing. According to the court judgment, detailed on Thakrar's
Pak couple gets visa for son born in India BARMER: The Pakistani couple who was denied permission to board the Thar Express at Rajasthan's Munabao railway station four days ago, finally got a visa for their 15-day-old son from the Pakistan High Commission in
Fatima, who was pregnant, had come with her husband to Jaisalmer on February 22 to meet her mother after her father's death. She delivered a baby boy on April 14 at a private hospital. But when the parents tried to
Mai Fatima and her son
Delhi, the family sources said here. Mai Fatima and her husband Meer Mohammed, after meeting the Pakistan High Commission officials, received the visa for their baby boy born in Jaisalmer on April 14, their relative Rasool Khan told PTI over phone.
return to Pakistan, the authorities reportedly refused to allow the family to cross the border as the child's name does not figure on the parents' passport. However the local municipal council issued a birth certificate to the newborn on April 21.-PTI
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Facebook page set up by campaigners protesting his innocence, he was awarded 224.97 pounds for damage to his stereo, alarm clock and nasal clippers. He was also awarded 90 pounds after items including a carton of cranberry juice, protein powder and toiletries were lost, which he claimed left him "stressed". Judge Hickman awarded him a further 500 pounds to compensate him for lost photographs and personal items, adding up to 814.97 pounds in total. A prison ombudsman had originally offered Thakrar 10 pounds in compensation, but he took the case to court last year. "We robustly defend all cases as far as the evidence allows," a prison spokesperson said. -PTI
Pak concerned with Indian navy development BEIJING: Pakistan is "very concerned" with the development of the Indian navy which has emerged as "very powerful", Pakistan naval chief Admiral Asif Sandila said here. "The Indian navy is very strong I must say," Sandila, who is in China for the 65th anniversary celebrations of the Chinese navy, told China's state-run Global Times. "India is a big nation which has over one billion people. It has made a very powerful navy and continues to develop the navy forces," he said in reply to a question about his assessment of the Indian navy. "On the other hand, Pakistan and India do not have very friendly relations at the moment, which makes people in Pakistan very concerned about the development of the Indian navy," he said. "At the same time, we would like to do what we want to do if there's any threat to us. I don't want to say the threat can only come from one place, it can come from anywhere, but we want to be ready for that," Sandila said. He stressed that the Chinese navy should play a bigger global role including in the Indian Ocean. "The Chinese navy in my assessment has a very important role to play all over the world, not only in the South China Sea, or the Pacific and the India Ocean. China is a big power now and China has powerful navy forces," he said.-PTI
Labor party suspends Indian-origin candidate LONDON: Britain's Labor Party has suspended an Indian-origin candidate from representing the party in local elections over allegations of indecent assault. Gurpal Virdi was a Labor candidate for the Cranford ward in west London and has now been suspended pending the outcome
Gurpal Virdi
of a court case next month. The former Scotland Yard police officer is accused of indecently assaulting a boy nearly three decades ago and has been summoned to appear before Westminster Magistrates Court on May 30. Despite the fact he will no longer be supported by the Labor party, the 55-year-old said he will still stand in the upcoming local elections.
According to local media reports, the allegation came to light after the close of nominations for candidates standing in next month's council elections. A spokesperson from the London region Labor party, said: "The action has been taken following disclosure that Mr Virdi has been summoned to appear in court on a matter on which we understand he believes he will be cleared of any wrong-doing. "However, given the circumstances, the Labor Party can no longer support Mr Virdi as a Labor candidate for Cranford ward in next month's elections." The official charge against him was released by the Scotland Yard last week. "Between September 30 1986 and December 31 1986 within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, Mr Gurpal Virdi, being a public officer, namely a Metropolitan Police Officer, and acting as such, without reasonable excuses or justification, willfully misconducted himself to such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the public's trust in that office," the charge reads. -PTI
6 crore worth fake Indian currency seized in Bangla DHAKA: A huge consignment of fake Indian currency with a face value of rupees six crores and banned drugs from Pakistan were seized in Bangladesh at the airport here. Customs officials at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport recovered the fake Indian notes with a face value of Rs 6 crores and banned drugs. The huge consignment of fake Indian Rupee notes, contained in a large carton, was seized from the cargo lounge around noon, Deputy Director of the Customs Intelligence Department Mustafizur Rahman was quoted as saying by the BD
news portal. The official said the fake money and drugs arrived from Pakistan. The officials seized the carton arriving with the Qatar Airways cargo and recovered the fake In-
dian money and banned drugs. No person was arrested in connection with the large haul. "We are investigating the matter," Rahman said. -PTI
Tech News Nearly one lakh new cos registered in India NEW DELHI: Nearly one lakh new companies were registered in the country last fiscal, with a substantial chunk set up in the business services sector. Interestingly, just 216 foreign companies were set up during 2013-14 period. Latest data from the Corporate Affairs Ministry show that 98,473 companies together having an authorized capital of nearly Rs 39,000 crore were registered in different parts of the country in the last financial year. "... predominant share of companies were in business services (32,254) followed by manufacturing (14,996), real estate and renting (10,752), trading (10,646) and construction (10,335)," as per a Ministry report for the month of March 2014.-PTI
Air India to put overseas assets on the block NEW DELHI: Air India is considering selling off its properties in foreign destinations like Hong Kong, Nairobi and Mauritius as part of asset monetization to garner resources. The national carrier has started approaching Indian banks and public sector undertakings for disposal of these properties including floor space in prime locations, airline officials said. They said the Indian High Commissions at these places have also been approached to help the airline find suitable buyers for the assets.-PTI
California key to raising graduation rate SAN FRANCISCO: The high school graduation rate in the United States will not increase as quickly as experts think it can without more improvement in California, which educates one-fifth of the nation's low-income school children and more Hispanic students than any other state, a report concludes. The ``Building a Grad Nation'' report, produced by a coalition of advocacy groups and researchers at Johns Hopkins University, credits the nation's most populous and diverse state with developing effective strategies that helped push its 2012 graduation rate to 79 percent, an increase of five percentage points from two years earlier and one point below the national average.-AP
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Flipkart launches same day guarantee delivery BANGALORE: Flipkart has launched its "Same Day Guarantee Delivery" in 10 cities, Customers can place their orders by 12 noon on a business day to have their orders delivered to them by 9 pm on the same day, Flipkart said. The service is available in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Manesar, Navi Mumbai and Thane and will be scaled up to other cities soon, it said in a release here. -PTI
Bilateral treaty critical for deepening Indo-US economic ties WASHINGTON: A top US diplomat has said a bilateral investment treaty, currently being negotiated, is critical for deepening Indo-US economic ties, and asserted that the US is committed to work with India to fully unlock the true potential of the businesses. "The US is committed to working with India to fully unlock the true potential of our economic ties," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal said in her keynote address to the "FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum" being held in Tampa on the sidelines of the IFFA Awards. While the bilateral trade between the two countries has now reached USD 100 billion, Biswal said she believes that a target of USD 500 billion in bilateral trade is entirely possible. "Currently, the US and India are
negotiating a BIT which will be critical to deepening our economic relationship, improving investor
confidence, and supporting economic growth in both countries," Biswal said.
Nisha Desai Biswal
"A BIT will go a long way toward bringing our economies closer and reducing the friction that's only natural with two complex free-market systems such as ours. It will help us move past the choppiness that comes from not having an over-arching investment framework," she said. "It will open up even more opportunities for American and Indian firms," said the top American diplomat. She is the first Indian American to be made in charge of the South and Central Asia. Bilateral investment flows have grown immensely with FDI into India from the US reaching USD 28.2 billion last year, she said. Cumulative Indian FDI into the US has also grown remarkably, from a negligible USD 96 mln in 2000 to USD 5.2 bl by 2012. -PTI
India-born Rajeev Suri to head Nokia NEW DELHI: Finnish telecommunications equipment maker Nokia has appointed India-born Rajeev Suri as its President and CEO. Earlier, the 46-year old was leading Nokia Solutions and Networks, the smaller network equipment unit of Nokia before the company sold its handset business to software giant Microsoft in a USD 7.2 billion deal. He replaces Stephen Elop, who has returned to Microsoft as the executive vice president of its devices group. Besides, Risto Siilasmaa, who was serving as an interim CEO, will return to focusing exclusively on his role as Chairman of Nokia's Board of Directors from May 1. "As Nokia opens this new chapter, the Nokia Board and I are confident that Rajeev is the right person to lead the company forward. He has a proven ability
to create strategic clarity, drive innovation and growth, ensure disciplined execution, and deliver results," Nokia Board of Directors Chairman Risto Siilasmaa said. "Nokia, with its deep experi-
Rajeev Suri
ence in connecting people and its three strong businesses, is wellpositioned to tap new opportunities during this time of technological change. I look forward to working with the entire Nokia team as
we embark on this exciting journey," Suri said. Like the newly appointed Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Suri is also a Mangalore University graduate. He joins the elite club of
Anshu Jain of Deutsche Bank. Suri, who has headed NSN since October 2009, has been credited for "presiding over consistently improving results leading to the successful turnaround and restructuring of the company." According to his According to his offiofficial profile, Suri cial profile, Suri has a Bachelor of Engineering has a Bachelor of degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering defrom Mangalore Univergree in Electronics sity. He is based in Espoo, and Telecommu- Finland. With more than 23 nications from years of international exMangalore Univer- perience, Suri has worked strategy and mergers sity. He is based in in & acquisitions, product Espoo, Finland. marketing, sales, major account leadership, reIndians heading global firms, gional and business unit leaderwhich includes PepsiCo Chairman ship and has lived in the Middle Indra Nooyi, Reckitt Benckiser East, Asia, Africa and Europe. Chief Executive Rakesh Kapoor, Suri joined Nokia in 1995 and President and Chief Executive of headed the Asia Pacific region MasterCard Ajay Banga and for NSN in 2007.-PTI
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EU bans Indian Alphonso mangoes, veggies LONDON: The 28-member European Union has temporarily banned the import of Alphonso mangoes, the king of fruits, and four vegetables from India from May 1, sparking protests from the Indian community, lawmakers and traders. The recent decision by the grouping's Standing Committee on Plant Health came after 207 consignments of fruits and vegetables from India imported into the EU in 2013 were found to be contaminated by pests such as fruit flies and other quarantine pests. The temporary ban - proposed by the European Commission and endorsed by the Committee - includes mangoes, eggplant, the taro plant, bitter gourd and snake gourd, and prohibits the import to tackle the "significant shortcomings in the phytosanitary certification system of such products exported to the EU". Though the prohibited commodities represent less than 5 per
cent of the total fresh fruits and vegetables imported into the EU from India, the potential introduction of new pests could pose a threat to EU agriculture and production, the committee
noted. UK's Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) that is backing the ban said it was necessary due to pests which could threaten the country's 321 million
pound salad crop industry of tomato and cucumber. The UK imports nearly 16 million mangoes from India and the market for the fruit is worth nearly 6 million pounds a year. A revision of the ban will take place before December 31, 2015. Businesses claimed they will lose hundreds of thousands of pounds due to the ban. Wholesalers and retailers in Indian-dominated regions of the UK have opposed the ban, which comes into effect on May 1, saying it will hit them hard. "This is Euro-nonsense and bureaucracy gone mad. Indian mangoes have been imported to Britain for centuries. I am furious with the lack of consultation with those who will be affected by the ban," said Indianorigin MP Keith Vaz, who has written to the European Commission president after his constituents in the city of Leicester made a plea. He has also written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ascertain if the Indian government was consulted on the matter.-PTI
Amazon steps up US lobbying for Indian FDI WASHINGTON: After supermarket giant Walmart, it is online retail major Amazon which appears to be lobbying hard with the US lawmakers to seek their support for facilitating its "foreign direct investment in India". According to the latest lobbying disclosure reports filed with the US Senate, Amazon lobbied for the second straight quarter during JanuaryMarch period of 2014 on issues related to FDI rules in India. On the other hand, Walmart has halted its India-specific lobbying for the second consecutive quarter during the same period, although it continues to lobby on issues related to "Walmart operations in international markets". According to the Amazon's lobbying disclosure report for the first quarter of 2014, matters related
to "foreign direct investment in India" figure among numerous specific lobbying issues discussed by Amazon Corporate LLC and its registered lobbyists with the US lawmakers. Amazon, which is aggressively expanding its presence in the Indian online retail market, lobbied on issues related to Indian FDI
during the October-December quarter of 2013 also, shows the Congressional records of lobby disclosure reports. The other matters on which Amazon lobbied during the last quarter include issues related to mobile payments, unmanned aerial vehicles,
free trade agreements, high-skilled immigration, online wine sales, taxes and cyber security. Amazon is discussing issues related to Indian FDI, among other matters, with the members of the US Senate, the US Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State and the US House of Representatives. According to the lobby disclosure reports filed with the US Senate, Amazon.com and its group entities including Amazon Corporate LLC have been lobbying on various issues since 2000, but it was only in the quarter ended December 31, 2013, when its lobbying issues included "foreign direct investment in India". Earlier, Walmart had been lobbying very hard among the US lawmakers for their support on its FDI plans for India. However, a number of roadblocks including probes ordered by the Indian government seem to have tempered its ambitions for India, which has been projected as one of the biggest growth markets for the retail sector across the world.-PTI
Indian app mkt may touch Rs 3,800 cr PANAJI: Led by a surge in smartphone sales, the application or app market in the country is likely to grow by more than four times to USD 626.23 million (around Rs 3,800 crore) by 2016, with paid apps contributing Rs 2,065 crore. The Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) said that the total worth of Indian app economy is worth USD 150 million currently (about Rs 900 crore) but it has immense potential to grow. "India is on the cusp of a data revolution that will be led by mobile as has been the case with voice," ICRIER Director and Chief Executive Rajat Kathuria said here at a broadband conference organized by Sri Lanka-based think tank Lirne Asia. "A number of factors favor an app revolution in India -the existence of developers, a billion con-
nections, a deficit in service delivery through conventional means, a competitive mobile market combined with a serious attempt to address regulatory constraints,? he said. He said there are around 3 lakh app developers in the country with about 100 million app down-
loads every month. There are, however, many developers who are building apps for the global market and not necessarily for India. Kathuria said application stores such as Goggle's pay higher revenue share to the developers as compared to the Indian mobile operators. -PTI
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17 biz groups join trillionrupee stock club MUMBAI: As the stock market benchmark Sensex races towards its 23,000-points milestone, at least 17 business houses have attained a market cap of Rs 1 trillion or more, led by Tatas with a massive group valuation of over Rs 7 lakh crore. These 17 business houses to-
gether command a cumulative valuation of close to Rs 35 lakh crore - almost half of overall investor wealth of nearly Rs 75 lakh crore in the Indian markets, shows an analysis of latest valuation of all listed companies in the country. Interestingly, Tata group com-
mands a valuation that is greater than the combined market cap of its two nearest rivals - HDFC group and Mukesh Ambani-led RIL group on the valuation charts. Tata group has more than 30 listed companies, while its most valued firm TCS also happens to be the country's most valued firm with a
market value of over Rs 4.3 lakh crore. The markets' 30-share benchmark index, Sensex, is currently trading near 22,700 points and has gained more than 10 per cent or over 2,500 points in the past three months, which traders largely at-
tribute to expectations for a reforms-friendly and a stable government after the ongoing general elections. The election results will be announced on May 16 and there are widespread expectations about Sensex achieving 23,000-point level by that time. The ongoing rally has seen at least 17 business houses attaining a market value of Rs 1 lakh crore and more. On this list, Tatas are followed by HDFC Group (Rs 3.2 lakh crore), RIL group (Rs 3.07 lakh crore), ITC (Rs 2.7 lakh crore) and Infosys (Rs 1.8 lakh crore). Others include Vedanta, Bharti, Aditya Birla, Sun Pharma, ICICI, L&T, Mahindra, Wipro, HUL, Adani, HCL and Bajaj groups. Among these, Adani group has witnessed a sharp rally in the past three months and the shares of its three listed companies (Adani Enterprises, Adani Power and Adani Ports) have soared ahead by 40-101 per cent. Their collective market value has grown by more than Rs 40,000 crore in this period to close to Rs 1.03 lakh crore now.-PTI
Android phone users warned against virus activity NEW DELHI: Cyber security agencies have alerted Indian Android phone users against a potential vulnerability in certain versions of their 'Adobe Reader' program which could compromise their personal data. Categorizing the activity of the virus as "high", the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said the malfunction affects the Adobe Reader mobile version of "11.1.3 and prior" installed in Android phones. The CERT-In is the nodal
user's system leading to compromise of the documents in the reader (Adobe Reader) and SD (secure digital) card files. "This vulnerability exists in Adobe Reader due to improper restrictions to certain JavaScript interfaces from ARJavaScript, A R C l o u d P r i n t A c t i v i t y, ARCreatePDFWebView classes," the agency said in its latest advisory to users. The Adobe Reader software is used for reading and editing tasks on PDF files while the SD
agency to combat hacking, phishing and to fortify securityrelated defenses of the country's Internet domain. "A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a specially-crafted content which, when executed by the target user, would lead to execution of arbitrary code on the target
card is used to store pictures and video files on a mobile phone device. The agency has asked the users of this series of Adobe Reader to upgrade their respective softwares to the "11.2" version and deploy proper security patches on their devices to thwart virus attacks. -PTI
4-5 lakh job opportunities projected in big cities NEW DELHI: About 4-5 lakh job opportunities are expected to be generated within the next two years in the major cities taking into account likely absorption of upcoming office space, according to global property consultant CBRE. Bangalore and the national capital region are expected to contribute more than half of this total expected employment op-
portunity by the end of 2015. "Employment opportunities to the tune of approximately 4-5 lakh are expected to be generated within the next two years across the country's leading cities. In case India's economic growth accelerates to above 6 per cent in 2015, more such opportunities may be expected," CBRE South Asia Chairman and Managing Director Anshuman Magazine said.
Quoting CBRE Research, he said over 70-80 million sq ft of new office space is anticipated to be ready for possession by 2015 in the top seven cities - Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata. "Assuming about 60-65 per cent absorption levels for this upcoming office space, approximately four to five lakh employment opportunities may be realistically anticipated within the next two years," Magazine said. IT/ITeS and allied services sectors are likely to account for a substantial chunk of this opportunity, followed by the banking, financial, services and insurance (BFSI) sectors; and distantly followed by research and consulting, pharmaceutical, engineering and manufacturing, and telecommunications. Bangalore, Delhi-NCR and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) are slated to account for nearly 75 per cent of this planned office space supply.
"With major corporate decision makers across Europe having indicated an increased appetite for global expansion into Indian markets, this expansion of modern, investment-grade office stock in the main cities of India will go a
The major reasons behind such positive sentiments would appear to be rapid population growth and gradually recovering economic prospects, coupled with increasing transparency and improving infra-
Quoting CBRE Research, he said over 70-80 million sq ft of new office space is anticipated to be ready for possession by 2015 in the top seven cities - Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata. long way in meeting upcoming opportunities," Magazine said. According to CBRE's European Occupier Survey 2013-2014, nearly 50 per cent of corporate occupiers, responding to the survey, named India (double the figure from 2012-13 at 24%) as their destination of choice, beating China as a preferred destination (42% in 2013-14, down from 60% in 201213).
structure. These factors seem to be removing many of the traditional barriers to entry into Indian markets. "The opportunities presented by economic growth in India may now be sufficient to overcome some of the longstanding barriers - governance, infrastructure, bureaucracy, and lack of transparency - that have inhibited inward investment," he added. -PTI
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Lenovo launches highend smartphone in India BANGALORE: Chinese tech giant Lenovo has launched in India its high-end S-series smartphone 'S860', priced at Rs 21,500. The S860 combines sleek design elements with quad-core performance and features such as longer battery life for an overall impressive mobile user experience, Lenovo said in a release. "The new range of S series smartphones complements the users' aspirations. Bundled with stylish design, blazing fast processing speeds, and integrated Lenovo proprietary apps, these phones provide customers a great
user experience without sacrificing performance," said Sudhin Mathur, Director-Smartphones,
Lenovo India. The company said S860 is a powerful and responsive smartphone that offers battery life of up to 43 hours. The device is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, running on Android Jelly Bean and 2 GB RAM, the release said. The handset also boasts of sharp image capture functions equipped with a flashequipped 8 MP rear camera to snap a n d share amazing photos. It has an integrated 16 GB storage and comes with a dual SIM capability. -PTI
GM names union leader to board, in first NEW YORK: General Motors (GM) has named a union leader to its board of directors, a first for the US automaker and a rarity in American business. GM, which is paying a heavy price for the delayed recall of vehicles linked to 13 deaths, just published its worst quarterly results since emerging from bankruptcy just over three years ago. In a statement, it had said it was nominating United Auto Workers Vice President Joe Ashton to its 12-member board of directors. Ashton, who will represent GM's employee pension fund (VEBA), was expected to resign from his union position in June. If his nomination is approved by shareholders, he will begin his board term in August. "Joe brings a wealth of knowledge from his work across many industries, especially his deep understanding how labor strategy can contribute to a company's success," GM Chairman Tim Solso said. VEBA has been represented on the GM board since 2009 by Steve Girsky, a former GM vice chairman who will remain on the panel. -AFP
Gamesa bags another 100 MW project from Greenko CHENNAI: Technology provider and wind farm developer Gamesa Wind Turbines has bagged another 100 MW project, out of the total 300 MW agreement signed with owner and operator of clean energy projects Greenko, for an undisclosed sum. "With the latest project, Gamesa has secured 250 MW of projects which are currently under various stages of implementation", Chennaib a s e d Gamesa said in a statement. In the 100 MW project, Gamesa would supply and commission 50 units of G97-2.0 MW turbines at various sites in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. "Gamesa values the close col-
laboration we have with Greenko. This project once again reinforces our execution capabilities in India..", the Co-Chairman and Managing Director, Ramesh Kymal, said. Gamesa would start delivering the turbines from May 2014 and
commissioning has been planned in phases, beginning September. The operations and maintenance services would be provided by Gamesa for a five year period, it said. -PTI
Desi News A unique & entertaining musical evening ARCHANA ASTHANA
A
n evening that was promised to be an ex-perience of folk and Sufi music with a contemporary flavor started off with a whimper at the Cubberly Theater, as the relatively new home grown band, Easter Brew began their act. The technical difficulties of the loud guitars, which all but drowned out the lyrics, the discordant assembly of the vocalists, guitarists, drums, keyboard and violin appeared doomed. The acoustics of the small theater seemed ill suited to support a musical soiree. The highlight of the first number, Lazarus + Dur was the haunting violin manned by the ever smiling free lancer, Radhika Iyer, who remained unfazed, and in a subsequent number, Sadhe Ro, delivered a memorable jugalbandi with the vocalists. Details on page 21
Poets from India regale with wit & satire Asian Media USA
CHICAGO: Uttar Pradesh Association (UPA) of Greater Chicago hosted its annual grand Hasya-Ras Kavi Sammelan featuring leading poets from India on Sunday, April 2 at the Hinsdale Community Center in Hinsdale, a south west suburb of Chicago. The poets Pradeep Chaubey, Alok Srivastava and Sarvesh Asthana were in great form. More than 370 lovers of Hindi poetry, eager to hear the stalwarts of verse, were amply rewarded because the three hours was enthralling stuffed with humor satire and lucid poetry Details on page 18
Muslims lobby Lawmakers in Sacramento
COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA
16 India Post
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May 2, 2014
Details on page 25
Soorya's dance fest dedicated to the 'gurus' a big success India Post News Service
ST LOUIS: The three days Indian Dance Festival - the sixth in row - hosted by Soorya Performing Arts at the Clayton High School Auditorium during the weekend of April 11-13th turned out to be a grand success. It was dedicated to the 'gurus' (teachers) of these art forms. Some of the gurus that were highlighted during the festival were: Guru Narmada, Guru Vempati Chinna Sathyam, Guru Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Guru Kalyani Kutti Amma. The festival began with the traditional invocation which included sacred chants from the treatise, SoundaryaLahari, composed by Adi Shankaracharya, and songs on Lord Ganesha. Major classical Indian dance styles of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohini Attam and Kathak were showcased by both professional and the younger, upcoming artistes. One of the recurring aspects that Guru Prasanna focuses on each year is to invite second generation Indian American groups that have learnt the art forms and seek to bring up to a wider audience the relevant modern day issues such as environment, population explosion, women's issues and other social topics. One such invited group was Indique Dance Company. JIVASynergy in Nature was the special
show that emphasized the role of Nature and its impact on life. The young, energetic dancers combined Eastern and Western classical dance forms, yoga and theatrical movements in their repertoire. The first day of the festival brought productions such as Nireekasha, from Soorya Dance Company which had a good balance of melodious music from Guru Seema Kasthuri and dance rhythms from Guru Prasanna Kasthuri. Nireeksha presented a new way of Bharathanatyam and Kathak dances. The theme was on modern poetry written by Vasantha Murthy. Young Samanvita Kasthuri and Shree Nivedita performed with ultimate grace and poise. Both of them were flawless and
perfectly graceful. Seema's interpretation of mother watching child growing was very touching. Mounica acted as a small kid and
SACRAMENTO, CA: This April 22, over 200 Muslims from across California held more than 70 advocacy meetings with elected officials and their staff in Sacramento as part of the third annual Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC) organized by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Participants engaged their legislators on three critical issues in efforts to promote just, equitable and progressive policies within the state: Indique Dance company presentation JIVA-Synergy in Nature
The evening concluded with 'Kathak se Kathak' - an ensemble of pieces such as from Ram Charita Manas, Geetanjali and Bhagavad
Young Samanvita Kasthuri and Shree Nivedita of Nireeksha
impressed everyone with an amazing abhinaya
It was dedicated to the 'gurus' (teachers) of these art forms. Some of the gurus that were highlighted during the festival were: Guru Narmada, Guru Vempati Chinna Sathyam, Guru Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Guru Kalyani Kutti Amma.
India Post News service
Details on page 23
Surrender means complete dependence on God's grace
Anuradha Naimpally, from Austin, Texas, a Bharathanatyam soloist performed with crispness and very graceful movements which came through Alaripu, songs on Lord Krishna from the Jayadeva Ashtapadi and a song praising Lord Shiva, concluding with a Tillana in Raga Hindolam. Dr Saraswathi Rajathesh from India, a Kuchipudi exponent, performed the Simhanandini nrithyam, which was in praise of the Goddess Kathyayini. Mrs Lakshmi Sanjay, a Bharatanatyam student of Guru Narmada had her daughter perform a jathiswaram. She then performed an abhinaya piece.
Geeta. Sheela Mehta, the Kathak exponent from India enthralled the audience as she has continued doing so every time she has performed here in St. Louis. On the second day, Soorya Dance company students performed Vandana Trayee, comprising a dance on Lord Ganesha followed by a composition of Purandas. Siva Kuttumba, a series of dances describing the power of Lord Shiva by the dance group led by Kaushi Subramanyam of San Antonio, Texas, captivated the audience. The Ardhanareeshwara was very well performed as also the Tillana where the troupe brought out some fast paced unique formations on stage that kept the audience mesmerized. Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam was well remembered by Sri Krishna Parijatham, a magnificent production by his senior students. In the role of Rukmini was Dr Kamala Reddy, from Pittsburgh, who is also a practicing physician, and a dancer par excellence! Cont’d on page 19
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May 2, 2014
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Jalaram Mandir Health Fair a big success YOGESH THAKKAR
Participants started coming early for the Fair
Needy Bhutanese patients
CHICAGO: It was the fourth Health Fair in as many years that was successfully hosted and organized by Hoffman Estate based Shree Jalaram Mandir recently with over 300 needy and somewhat under insured or uninsured participants taking advantage of the facility available. Volunteers at work
Testing blood pressure
Sewa International, yet another no profit service organization, had enrolled 40 participants for testing and checking their problems. They were largely from the Bhutan refugees group. The entire affair was carried out with utmost precision right from the morning to late noon with the help of Mandir volunteers and medical personnel who rendered their help ex-gracias or pro bono. Broadly the services included blood work, EKG, bone density, dental check up. An enlightening talk on breast cancer was also held. Among the physicians who rendered their services were Dr Ashis Patel, Dr Ashok Shah, Dr Jayshree Raju, Dr Parag Thakkar and Dr Yogesh Parikh The Mandir is now set for entering the second phase of its expansion with a plan to construct an altogether new facility nearby to accommodate more devotees and with facilities to organize more events and functions. The Bhoomi Pujan is slated for Friday May 9 at the Mandir premises.
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Poets from India regale with wit & satire Asian Media USA
CHICAGO: Uttar Pradesh Association (UPA) of Greater Chicago hosted its annual grand Hasya-Ras Kavi Sammelan featuring leading poets from India on Sunday, April 2 at the Hinsdale Community Center in Hinsdale, a south west suburb of Chicago. The poets Pradeep Chaubey, Alok Srivastava and Sarvesh Asthana were in great form. More
than 370 lovers of Hindi poetry, eager to hear the stalwarts of verse, were amply rewarded because the three hours was enthralling stuffed with humor satire and lucid poetry President Rani Trivedi and Dr Subhash Pandey, Chairman of the Board of Trustees welcomed the gathering and visiting poets from India. Dr Pandey then introduced the poets Pradeep Chaubey, Alok Srivastava and Sarvesh Asthana
one by one. Pradeep Choubey is a celebrated maestro of humor in KaviSammelans in India. Alok Shrivastava is a renowned geet and gazalkar besides being a TV journalist working as a senior producer at Aaj Tak news channel in Delhi. Vyangkar Sarvesh Asthana is a senior journalist whose hobby is presenting sarcastic comedies. He has been in this profession for more than 25 years.
(Standing) Hasya poet Pradeep Choubey; (Sitting) Sarvesh Asthana & Geetkar Alok Srivastava
Pradeep Chaubey regaled and delighted the audience with personal experiences including marriage related jokes. Shayar Alok Srivastav expressed his thoughts and Shayari in a musical way by rendering his Shayaris related to
objectives and activities of UPA. He then recognized the outgoing President Ravi Arora for his two year untiring services and welcomed the incoming President Rani Trivedi. The new Committee was introduced by Dr Saryu Dixit.
Dr Rameshwar Prasad, Dr Saryu Dixit, Dr Ghanshyam Pandey, Dr Subhash Pandey- Chairman, Board of Trustees, Mrs Rani Trivedi- President, CS Trivedi, Ravi Arora (behind) Ajit Pant & Smt. Sujata Sharma
marriage and love, and to add more fun to the show, Vyangkar Sarvesh Asthana joined in and recited hilarious and intelligent comments. Dr Ghanshyam Pandey addressed the meet and dwelled on over two decades history of the organization. Dr Subhash Pandey briefed those present about the
The members are: Executive Committee: President- Rani Trivedi; Vice President- Vivek Verma; Secretary- Vibha Sharma; Treasurer: Tarun Gupta; Members: Gauri Srivastava, Dipesh Aggarwal, Neeru Kothari, Uma Aggarwal and Poonam Pandey.
Members of the audience
Cont’d on page 20
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May 2, 2014
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Mahavir Jayanti celebrated at Lake County Mandir
Soorya's dance fest dedicated to the 'gurus' a big success
GEETHA PATEL
CHICAGO: Mahavira Jayanti also known as Mahavir Janma Kalyanak is the most auspicious and an annually celebrated event among Jains across the world and hence, the Jain Community of Lake
Mandir of Lake County. Beautifully decked, devotees flocked the temple to offer their reverential prayers. The Mahavir Mahila Mandal of Bartlett, Illinois lead by Mrs Rashmi Shah and Mrs
Abhishek of Lord Mahavir
County cannot be an exception Members of the community came together with devotional fervor to celebrate the 2613th birth
Sudha Shah started Bhagvan Mahavir's birthday celebration at 2 pm with Maha Abhishekam. The sponsor families joined in melodi-
Honoring Shri Manubhai
anniversary of Lord Mahavir who was the 24th Tirthankar from the line of Lord Adinath in Jainism - on Saturday, 26 April at the Hindu
ous chanting of mantras and stavans. Mahila Mandal ladies sang many devotional, ceremonial, pleasant Bhajans and filled the
temple shrine with spirituality. Some of the devotees who were so much immersed in the Bhajans got up and danced in front of Bhagvan. More than 150 devotees attended the program with religious zeal. A 93 years old Jain scholar and publisher of Jain monthly newsletter Jain Darshan, Manu Bhai Doshi was honored during the celebrations. Pandit Anil Joshi and Pt. Ganesh offered Tilakam, Uttariya and Phalpushpma to Shri Doshi. All devotees sang 'Dhanyavad' song in honor of Shri Doshi for keeping them enlightened and up-to-dated with all the religious preaching of Jainism. Shri Doshi also chanted hymns melodiously and made everyone feel proud at his spiritual spirit and divine attachment to Lord Mahavir. Maha Mangalarati was followed by mouthwatering Maha Prasadam sponsored by Parikh and Taswala families. All devotees enjoyed Prasadam prepared by Jain Temple of Bartlett, Illinois. Mahavir Jayanti reminded and inspired all those present and others too about the principles of non-violence and right to live for all living creatures. Mandir's dedicated devotee and celebrated singer Mrs. Vasu Choksi anchored the program meticulously. The whole event was brilliantly organized by Umesh and Vasu Choksi and the dedicated Nitish Shah. Temple president Harsh Kumar alongwith the priests gave vote of thanks to all the Jain devotees for making this event a grand success and greeted them on this occasion. Mahavir Aarti
Sheela Mehta, the Kathak exponent from India Cont’d from page 16
it with Yamuna related stories, on Krishna, Shahjahan's love for his beloved, and a patriotic story based on Jhansi ki Rani. The second half of the evening was a session of folk dances. The St Louis Raas Garba Team held the attention of their audience with a wonderful choice of music and energy. Other folk dances included a scintillating Bhangra by Washington University students, thundering percussion by Tamil Sangham members led Porchezhian and friends, Kolata from Karnataka led by Annapoorna and friends; Garba by Neelima Ghosh, Hema Patel, Tejal Patel and their friends. There was a unique dance cre-
The eyes of the rasikas were captivated by her fluid movements and graceful execution of the abhinaya. Shobha Natarajan from Chicago, Sasikala Penumarthi and Revathi Komanduri from Atlanta, were the other stars of the show, in the roles of Satyabhama, Krishna and Narada. On the final day of the festival, the students of Guru Seema Kasthuri sang the invocation followed by Guru Prasanna Kasthuri's students performing a Kathak dance on Goddess Saraswati and a Tarana. The next program was Para Brahma Shivam by Aananda Dance Theater. The spell bound performance of Janaki Nair's troupe had dance pieces The St Louis Raas Garba such as Ardhanareeshwara, Team held the attention of S h a m b h u n a t h a m , their audience with a Shivastuthi and finally the Kshampana Shloka wonderful choice of music by Adi Shankaracharya. and energy. The next performance was by Guru Smitha Rajan accompanied by ated and choreographed by young other talented dancers in the kids. This second generation InMohiniAttam style. The elaborate dian Americans, presented a song piece chosen was Swati Tirunal's created by them in a St. Louis composition, "Bhavayami Music studio on Ugadhi, the Raghuramam", which is based on South Indian new year. The audiRamayana. The production ence kept calling out for an encore Saakshi by Maitrii of Detroit for these feet tapping, rhythmic brought in four dance styles by folk dances. four exponents in their stylesGuru Prasanna Kasthuri of Bharatanatyam (Radhika Soorya Dance Company thanked Acharya), Kuchipudi (Sandhya the festival committee, the board Sree Athmakuri), Manisha Dongre members, the sponsors, hundreds (Kathak) and MohiniAttam (Asha of volunteers, US Wide Financials, Subramanian). They came to- local grocery stores, local restaugether and brought Yugma-the rants, Missouri Arts Council dance confluence, by showcasing (MAC) and Regional Arts Comall the dance styles and also tying mission (RAC) for their support.
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Dr Paul celebrates birth & marriage anniversary MADHU PATEL
CHICAGO: Though family members deemed it to be a private affair, it was not so as the octogenarian Indian physician Dr Dharam Paul celebrated his 86th birth anniversary and 60th marriage anniversary here. Dr Paul can easily boast of huge circles of friends and well wishers because of his helping nature and social activism. They gathered in numbers at Arya Samaj Center in West Chicago to be part of the celebrations and to wish the couple happy and healthy marriage life.
gracefully performed the Yagya. The event concluded after the lunch. Dr Dhararm Paul got his MBBS degree from Lucknow University in India in early sixties. After marriage to Premlata Paul, he came to Chicago 50 years ago and got MD here after easily sailing thru a few examinations deemed must for getting medical license. He practiced medicine and had his own clinic too on the south side of Chicago. More importantly, he was actively involved in social affairs and
Dr Dharam Paul performing Puja at Arya Samaj Center
Dr Dharam Paul and Mrs Premlata Paul
The event was highlighted with Havan and rituals with mantras recitals followed by Katha about Shri Hanumanji's importance in Lord Rama's search for Sati Sita Mata and destroying evil powers and Asuras including Ravan. A scholarly priest Acharya Omprkash Samvedi, originally from India but migrating to Holland, had come for the Havan and had
was instrumental in establishing Indian Medical Association three decades ago. IMA, his brain child, has blossomed into a very powerful organization voicing the problems and grievances of Indian and American physicians alike. It has got re-christened as Indian American Medical Association serving even mainstream society through a free clinic on Peterson Avenue.
Poets from India regale with wit & satire Cont’d from page 18
Dr Subhash Pandey then called on various dignitaries, past presidents in recognition of their services and presented a plaque to Dr Ghanshyam Pandey, Founding President and Chairman of Board of Trustees for his unforgettable services to foster activities of UPA and his exemplary leadership. He also thanked the International Hindi Association (IHA) for their collaboration with UPA in promoting the national Hindi language. The poets elicited huge applause and the hall resonated with laugher and Wah Wah which induced them to take their recitals
and renderings many notches higher. The poets took digs at leaders, social taboos, gender biased society with loads of humor and sarcasm blending with poetic punch. It was a treat for the Hindi lovers of the city attending the Hasya Kavi Sammelan organized by UPA bringing poets from different parts of the country together. The program ran for over three hours nonstop with a short 10 min break. The audience enjoyed every moment of poetry and geet. The program ended at 8:30 pm with a vote of thanks given by Ravi Arora, Immediate Past President UPA.
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Eastern Brews with Boys from Barmer in unique show ARCHANA ASTHANA India Post News Service
PALO ALTO, CA : An evening that was promised to be an ex-perience of folk and Sufi music with a contemporary flavor started off with a whimper at the Cubberly Theater, as the relatively new home grown band, Easter Brew began their act. The technical difficulties of the loud guitars, which all but drowned out the lyrics, the discordant assembly of the vocalists, guitarists, drums, keyboard and violin appeared doomed. The acoustics of the small theater seemed ill suited to support a musical soiree. The highlight of the first number, Lazarus + Dur was the haunting violin manned by the ever smiling free lancer, Radhika Iyer, who remained unfazed, and in a subsequent number, Sadhe Ro, delivered a memorable jugalbandi with the vocalists. Loud inputs from audience members prompted some tweaking in the modulations of on stage sounds and brought some relief from the technical difficulties. The much awaited Barmer Boys who have traveled from Rajasthan, India, played alongside the Eastern
Brew crew in a number labeled Alla Hoo, which represented a devotional Sufi offering praising the Almighty. The Barmer Boys were a three person group, with a dholak, Mangey Khan, the vocalist on the harmonium, and the lively Rais Khan playing the Kartaal. As the up tempo number kicked off , the vocal power house
of Ishmeet Narula and Mangey Khan blended jubilantly and set the audience tapping their feet, forgetting about the earlier woes of technical setbacks. The first half of the show ended on a high note with a popular song, "Jugni", which has also made it to the Indian cinema, and had the audience clapping the whole way. At that point, the au-
dience was assured that the new show, "In search of Mirage" presented by Mausaki, has arrived, and will deliver on its promise of a unique, entertaining musical evening. Pure magic of music The founder of Mausaki, Shekhar Hemnani expounded on his mission to bring excellence in all forms of music to the apprecia-
tive and savvy Bay Area audience, and provide a sorely needed pause in the chaos of our lives to immerse in the pure magic of music. He further explained the choice of the title of the show, which seemed a misconception at first, as common knowledge would have us think that oasis is what is sought, not the mirage. Cont’d on page 22
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Eastern Brews with Boys from Barmer in unique show Cont’d from page 21
However, even as our dreams and wishes get fulfilled, we continue seeking other dreams and wishes, just as seeking a mirage beyond the oasis. Likewise, the Sufi saints continue to seek the Holy mirage, even after finding God. Mausaki is supported by part-
ners such as AID (Association for India's Development), Asha for Education, South Asian Arts at Stanford and RANA (Rajasthani Association of North America) in this venture. This effort was also, in large part, a contribution of Ankur Malhotra, founder of AmarRaas Records, who has tasked himself with recording music from all over the Indian continent, and to bring forth the hidden and hugely talented local artists rendering folk music. Ankur and his team chanced upon the music of Mangey Khan
during a recording session with another musician in Rajasthan, and when Mangey Khan sang for them, they described feeling goosebumps, and determined to introduce him to the world. This team has kept its promise as the Barmer Boys embark on their maiden international journey, ending up as openers for Rolling Stones in Denmark in June. It does take a village to bring the villagers to the cities in the world stage! In a conversation, Ishmeet Narula, the female lead of Eastern Brew, explained how the musicians are diverse in their training and b a c k ground. While she has a strong base in folk music, and renders the Sufi elements with great perfection, her band mates are trained in Indian classical, and western music. Together their blend represents a unique meld of genres and nuances that are an absolute delight to the senses. She further elaborated that she includes original verses in the midst of the songs they sing that are someone else's composition, and enhances their interpretations. The highlight of the post intermission segment was the Barmer Boys getting center stage and the opportunity to impress
nying instrument, the "morchang", which is a mouth instrument much like whistling through a reed. He then transitioned to a "bhapang", played like a one stringed ukulele. Several more compositions including a love story, a number memorializing the reign of Raja Raichand, and a sweet, light hearted banter celebrating the mischievous and endearing bond between a "Jeeja-saali" (sister and brother in law) followed. Cont’d on page 25
with their captivating repertoire. The Barmer Boys belong to the Manganiyar people, and residents of a small town in Rajasthan, Barmer, where music is in their blood, and generations pass down the oral tradition of life in the Thar Desert. Several of their compositions are praises of various Sufi saints, while some celebrate life lessons. On stage, the musicians began this journey with a tribute to Pir Murshid, the patron saint of the Manganiyars, seeking his blessings. Rais Khan enthralled the audience with his accompa-
Ram Navmi Arati at Vedic Day Care Center
T
he Vedic Day Care Center, a pre-school and kinder garten educational facility, hosted its annual Ram Navmi function on Sunday April 20. Over 100 people attended the program. The children of the Center recited Bhagavad Gita slokas, sang nursery songs and performed folk
dances. The children also did a play based on Lord Ram’s pastime. The Day Care Center is really appreciative of the generous donations made by the parents of the children, who were honored, to show the gratitude of the Day Care.
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Muslims lobby Lawmakers in Sacramento India Post News service
SACRAMENTO, CA: This April 22, over 200 Muslims from across California held more than 70 advocacy meetings with elected officials and their staff in Sacramento as part of the third annual Muslim Day at the Capitol (MDAC) organized by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Participants engaged their legislators on three critical issues in efforts to promote just, equitable and progressive policies within the state: • AB 1976 and AB 330, which are two bills that seek to make college more affordable for incoming students • AB 241 a bill that aims to expand access to health care coverage for all Californians, regardless of immigration status • SB 828, which would ban state agencies, officials, employees and corporations that provide services to the state from supporting federal government agencies including the NSA in collecting electronic data from Californians without a warrant The highlight of the day for
many participants was an opening reception on the Senate floor, where they were welcomed by State Senator Ricardo Lara (CA33), Assembly Members Ed Chau (CA-49) and Sharon Quirk-Silva (CA-65). After conducting their legislative visits, the attendees heard from Assembly Members Christina Garcia (CA-58), Roger Dickinson (CA-7), Betty Yee of the
State Board of Equalization, and Deputy Attorney General Maggy Krell. "For many participants, Muslim Day at the Capitol is the first time they engaged their local lawmakers," said CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo. "By equipping participants with hands-on experience and knowledge of the legislative process, we
hope to galvanize Muslims to play a role in advocating for policies that positively impact California." "A face-to-face meeting is the most effective way to communicate and build a relationship with our legislators," said CAIR-Sacramento Valley Executive Director Basim Elkarra. "Muslim Day at the Capitol aims to facilitate that relationship-building process in order
to make our voices heard on critical issues." CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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Hindu mantras open Reedley City Council India Post News Service
REEDLEY, CA: City of Reedley Council in California celebrated its 100th anniversary of incorporation in 2013 with its first historic Hindu invocation on April 22 evening, containing verses from world's oldest existing scripture. Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, delivered the opening prayer from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the City Council. After Sanskrit delivery, he then read the English translation of the prayer. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of IndoEuropean languages. Zed sprinkled few drops of water from river Ganga of India and recited from Rig-Veda, the oldest
scripture of the world still in common use, besides lines from Upanishads a n d BhagavadGita . A copy of BhagavadGita was presented to Mayor Robert O. Beck, who introduced and thanked Just before the Reedley City Council Hindu invocation, from left to right, are Mayor Pro Tempore Zed to the Ray Soleno, Mayor Robert O. Beck, Hindu leader Rajan Zed, Councilmember Anita Betancourt, Council memCouncilmember Henry (Rick) Rodriguez and Councilmember Mary Fast bers. Hinduism, oldest and third about one billion adherents and largest religion of the world, has moksh (liberation) is its ultimate
goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA. Reedley, whose tagline is "The World's Fruit Basket", is a multicultural and friendly town along the Kings River. It hosts annual Reedley Fiesta, Electrical Christmas Parade and Street Faire. Ray Soleno and Nicole R. Zieba are Mayor Pro Tempore and City Manager respectively of Reedley, claimed to be located in the richest intensive agricultural production area in the world. Its notable residents include author Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Olympian Lacy Barnes Mileham and baseball player Vic Lombardi.
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We are all Intersex!
left the performance of Brahman/i, which was followed by a panel discussion, with a sense of release only in part due to being let out undamaged (though not unchanged) from a challenging and at times threatening erotic and verbal assault on gender presumptions. The wo/man works out - but never masters - his/ her rage and confusion through interaction with an audience assigned the role of imagined Other, a manageable microcosm of the society into which Brahman/i could never quite fit but attempts to wow and win over through force of personality and erotic juices. Brahman/i is largely successful in transforming into a fuller human being capable of loving and being loved by an implied rainbow coalition embodying every shade of the gender/sexuality spectrum. We learn to love the prickly but compassionate Brahman/i, and it is a credit both to Mirza's acting chops and the writer's vision that we respond equally to the early adolescent male and later womanly incarnation: s/he's a knockout, and our response is part of the message of this hard-working play. In the end, the drama refuses to let us slip the blade that it thrusts into our gut: we are all intersex, and this is our, as well as Brahman/i's glory. The play between protagonist and audience (which is why the standup comic setting is perfect) is mirrored and deflected by his/ her interaction with the bass player whose riffs give Brahman/i moments to quaff a bottle of water and to radiate excess heat built up over the past few minutes of standup mania. The bassist is a stolid, long-suffering straight man whom Brahman/i abuses but has wrapped around his/her pretty finger. His role as audience surrogate, merely sketched, is a brilliant and essential element that could have been given a little more scope. A great moment is when Brahman/i (or Fawzia Mirza, at this moment they are indistinguishable) strips off his punk teenager imago to reveal the full bodied woman under the leather jacket. Standing in front of a back-lit frame, s/he shadow-dances to the bass accompaniment, revealing as she reappears not only a woman but an Indian woman. At this point the play perhaps becomes too ambitious, taking on not only gender but postcolonial and Desi Indian-American issues. It doesn't matter. The lesson has been learned: gender, like ethnicity, is just another guise the ego takes on in its endless quest to prop up a hopeless identity. The self is flux, never fixity, and the intersex, like the culturally hybrid, show us this priceless truth. We owe them, big time, and as the panel pointed out, we need to give back to them in empathy and gratitude. Alfred Collins, PhD Indologist and Psychiatrist, Chicago Disclaimer :- India Post does not endorse opinions expressed in the letters.
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Surrender means complete dependence on God's grace
I
t is so wonderful to recall that when we were newly born, we could do nothing and our mother did everything for us. When we grew into small children, we did some tasks on our own, and so our mother lessened her responsibilities. And today as grownups we do everything on our own. We are also very proud of the things we do: run businesses, create houses, and earn money. It is because we possess this pride of performing our actions that we are responsible as the doer, and we have to suffer the consequences of our actions good or bad according to the Law of Karma. As long as we are bound by the Law of Karma we will not get liberated from this material bondage. Then how can we perform our actions in daily life, so that we may attain liberation and consequently the divine bliss? To attain divine bliss we will have to simply surrender this pride of doer-ship to God just as we surrendered to our mothers as newly born children, by doing so we will become non-doers and God will become the performer of our every action. God states in the Bhagavat Geeta (Chapter 18, Verse 66) sarva-dharman parityajya‌ "O Arjun! Abandoning all concerns of religiosity and irreligiosity, simply surrender to Me. Then I, who dispense justice to all, will cease to be a mere judge. Bestowing My Grace, I will pardon all the sins of your innumerable past lives, and grant you liberation." This is the immense Grace of God. Question: What does it mean to 'surrender to God'? Swami Mukundananda: Just as devotion the term surrender has also been defined from varied perspectives by Saints. Surrender means to give up our independent desire, and to desire in accordance with the Will of the Supreme. A natural corollary of this is to utilize our body, mind and possessions in the service of God. Further, surrender is characterized by complete dependence on the grace of God. This involves dissolution of the ego that depends upon crutches such as wealth, position, family, etc., and the development of faith that God alone is my shelter. Some scriptures have explained surrender by enumerating six points:
SWAMI MUKUNDANANDA
1. To desire in accordance with the Will of God. 2. Not to desire against the Will of God. 3. To have firm faith that He is protecting us. 4. To always realize His Grace in all things. 5. To feel that all we have belongs to God and our Guru. 6. To give up the ego of having surrendered. Q: What stops one from complete surrender? How can one over-
Swami Mukundananda
As long as a bird holds a piece of flesh in its beak, other birds chase it and do not allow it to rest in peace. The moment the bird gives up this piece of meat, i.e. surrenders everything, it attains peace. In the same way, surrender involves no effort at all. come one's inherent negativities and make progress towards selfsurrender faster? SM: Surrender is not a one-time procedure rather we have to keep surrendering at every moment. Our mind is made of Maya (material energy) and it naturally runs towards the world but we need to beat this mind with the intellect. First, we must illumine our intellect with the spiritual knowledge given to us by our Guru. Then, with this purified intellect we must work on the mind, to detach it from the world and attach it to Names, Forms, Pastimes, Virtues, Abodes and Saints of God. To speed up the process of surrender, we should strengthen the sentiment, "God and Guru alone are mine." When we develop love for
God and Guru, surrender becomes natural and automatic. If we can keep increasing our desire to serve, that is also a very potent tool for progress. Q: How can we inflame our aspiration to traverse the path to Godrealization? SM: To inflame your aspiration for God requires chintan, or contemplation. Repeatedly contemplate upon the Divine knowledge of the scriptures, and the knowledge you have heard from your Guru and the Saints. Usually seekers feel great inspiration when they attend the lecture series, but once it is over, they find their enthusiasm waning. The reason for this is that while hearing the lectures, the knowledge remains fresh in their intellect. But then, due to lack of revision, the knowledge starts evaporating, causing a dip in their enthusiasm. Contemplation about what you have heard and read is the antidote for this, which will strengthen your decision that your eternal relationship is with God alone. And a strong decision will be your asset to further steps. Q: If God is causelessly merciful then He should bestow His grace without our doing anything. If we first have to surrender, then how is He causelessly merciful? SM: Surrender itself means to come to a state of doing nothing. As already stated, by simply giving up the pride of doing we are liberated from material bondage and rewarded with Divine Bliss. If we were required to do something to become beneficiaries of God's Grace, then we could have had occasion to complain. However, what effort is involved in surrender? It is the process of giving up everything to attain everything. As long as a bird holds a piece of flesh in its beak, other birds chase it and do not allow it to rest in peace. The moment the bird gives up this piece of meat, i.e. surrenders everything, it attains peace. In the same way, surrender involves no effort at all. Without any effort if we receive Divine Grace, then that Grace is definitely causeless. Q: If God is all powerful and He can do anything, then why does He not simply bestow His grace on everyone without their surrender and liberate all souls from the material realm. Why does He require us to fulfill any conditions for bestowing His Grace? SM: This statement that God can do anything needs to be understood carefully. It means He can
perform feats like the creation of world etc that are absolutely impossible for us. However He also has His own rules of action that He never breaks. For example, He has a rule stated in Ramayan: Karam pradhan vishva kari rakha‌ "The Law of Karma prevails in this world. Whatever you do, you shall reap accordingly." This law has been created by God Himself, and He never breaks it. He says, "The rule is the rule. It is immaterial whether someone is My mother or father. This is not a homely af-
fair that the Judge (God) has become a member of the family, and so there will be some concessions. Everyone will get the results according to their karmas." That is why everyone has faith that they can expect justice from God, although worldly people may cheat them, for there cannot be an unfair God. Similarly, there are innumerable other rules that God never breaks. Swami Mukundananda is a world renowned spiritual teacher from India, and is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and founder of JK Yog. He has received his degrees in engineering from world renowned institutes in India, IIT and IIM. He has inspired people all over the world on the path of spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God realization. For more information visit: http://www.jkyog.org/
Eastern Brews with Boys from Barmer in unique show The audience was thoroughly captivated and delighted with the singing prowess of Mangey Khan, the antics of Rais Khan, and the synergy of the trio. The remainder of the performance was a complete fusion between the East and West bands unified by the common Sufi and folk themes. A particularly memorable "Chhoti si umar + O Chiriya" related the poignant tale of a young girl's plea to her father, begging him not to get her married at her tender age, and asking what did she do wrong to deserve this. Radhika rose to the
a more contemporary flair to the arrangement, while the morchang was the soul of the folk. The grand finale was the peppy "Dum a Dum Mast Kalander" number, which is already very familiar to all music lovers, and sung by the likes of Runa Laila in years past, and is a prayer to Jhulelal, the Lord of Sindh. The variations in this arrangement by the vocalists, percussionists and bass guitar, along with audience participation rocked the house in a foot stomping blast of symphony. It was a treat for the senses to be presented with the acoustics of the guitar, violin, keyboard,
occasion once again and her violin strings emoted the young girl's plight. Rais Khan entertained in the next few numbers with his beat boxing and kartal, while the guitars and violin came together in yet another form of jugalbandi. The guitar renditions subsequently, in a number, "Pir Jalani" which sings the praises of the founder of the Sufi Quadr added
the percussions of the drums and dholak, and the spellbinding vocals of Ishmeet and Mangey in a final rapturous crescendo. It left no doubt in anyone's mind that folk and Sufi music can hold a candle on their own. And indeed provide the pause, a moment, of reflection and enjoyment in the sheer beauty of music which speaks from the heart, and touches the soul.
Cont’d from page 22
Horoscope
26 India Post
May 2, 2014
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Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar
MAY 2 ND - MAY 8 TH , 2014 (March 21 to April 20)
T
ake it easy and try to relax in spare time. Watch out for people trying to take undue advantage of your generosity. Some of you will be traveling away from home for business purpose. You will be spending money towards children. People in business will make new clients. A sibling may need your advice and help.
(September 23 to October 22)
S
eek Outside help if you can not decide an important issue in volving a relationship or partnership. New expenses could shake your budget. If you maintain patience you will soon overcome your opponents. Some of you may decide to go ahead with the law suit to prove your point. Promising week for people looking for a job.
(October 23 to November 22)
(April 21 to May 20)
T
here will be some interesting and positive developments in career. The seat you were trying will be assigned to you will added benefits and authority. Every body at home will enjoy the new gadget you purchased. You may visit an interesting place with some very close friend. You will meet an famous dignitary this week.
M
oney wise you will do better this week. You will have more than one chance to make fast money. Speculation or lottery could be profitable too. Try not to take some one's words for granted and use your intellect. You may play some trick on a friend or a colleague. Spouse will be full of some bright and non failing ideas.
(November 23 to December 22)
(May 21 to June 20)
P
resence of strong Sun in house of gains will help you achieve goals easily. Rewards will start pouring in for the work done in the past and you will have several good size contracts in your hands. Some of you will be adjusting in new home this week. You will take family to a social event and meet old friends also.
C
olleague may try to involve you into unnecessary argument by putting the blame on you. You may finally get some kind of clearance from a government agency. Be little careful when it comes to matter of heart and try to understand other person's emotions. You may also give final shape to a very short please trip with family.
(June 21 to July 22)
Y
ou have some easy money coming this week. Email you write will get the job done quickly. Money will go towards children and making final payment on an old debt. You will hear some very good news from far off place. An old family member will need extra medical care. You may postpone or cancel a trip completely.
(December 22 to January 19)
Y
ou may hit some kind of financial jackpot. Money may come through stocks or lottery. Bold actions will take you close to your goals quick causing lots of excitement in the family. A female from another nationality will be really helpful. You will be travelling to a coastal area to meet an important person and seek advice.
(July 23 to August 22)
A
surgery may be the sure way out to tackle the problem that keep coming back. You will need to take an important business decision, you will have couple of choices but you will adopt the little longer but the right path only. Some of you will be getting ready to make a smooth switch to another job close by.
(January 20 to February 18)
Y
ou will regain confidence as the ideas will start working and you will be able to see things more clearly. Presence of Sun in your sign will make you more popular. You will receive many valuable gifts from people you like. Financial juggling will reduce the pressure immediately. You will benefit from a tall and fair skin person.
(August 23 to September 22)
D
iplomacy will help you overcome a tricky situation in career. Spouse may feel exhausted and need extra rest. You will be spending money on children. You will hear from an old friend after long time. You will make good use of time on hand and clean up the things gathering dust in the house. You will participate in a social event.
PANDIT PARASHAR, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com
(February 19 to March 20)
S
tress could take a toll and you may be advised to relax and take it easy for few days. Presence of Mars in first will make you impulsive and as a result you can end up making some decisions that will put you under lots of financial pressure in near future. A close relative will call to invite you to a big party.
510-886-4370 www.parashar.com
May 2, 2014
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India Post 27
TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Offo: 2 States 2 Baby Doll: Ragini MMS 2 3 Locha-E-Ulfat: 2 States 4 Chaar Botal Vodka: 2 States 5 London Thumakda: Queen 6 Mast Magan: 2 States 28
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"In Shimla, they spent a lot of time discussing life and cinema after pack up. They were very chilled out, chatting with the hotel staff and would even pose for pictures with them"
7 Party Toh Banti Hai: Bhootnath Returns 8 Tu Hi Hai Aashiqui: Dishkiyaaon 9 Palat (Tera Hero Idhar Hai): Main Tera Hero 10 Dard Dilo Ke: The Xpose
K
atrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan worked earlier in Zoya Akhtar's 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' and their professional relationship on and off the sets was very much talked about, but now the scenario has changed. They have been again cast in Siddharth Malhotra's 'Bang Bang' but the friendship is missing. When Hrithik broke-up with Suzanne, Katrina's name was also heard as one of the reasons. It was said that Hrithik's growing closeness with Kat disrupted the couple's relationship. Few months back, when Hrithik and Katrina were shooting in Shimla and Manali for 'Bang Bang', they got along like a house on fire. "In Shimla, they spent a lot of time discussing life and cinema after pack up. They were very chilled out, chatting with the hotel staff and would even pose for pictures with them," a source told a leading daily. Another reason cited for Kat and Hrithik's growing distance is Ranbir Kapoor. Katrina and Ranbir recently mended their difference and got along together and hence the actress does not want to make any further blunder which might again spoil her relationship with Ranbir.
S
onakshi Sinha's look as a boxer in 'Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty' is inspired by Laila Ali, daughter of the sports legend, Muhammad Ali. But it is our own Olympic winner and boxing champ Vijender Singh who helped Sona play the part convincingly. All thanks to Akshay Kumar, who's launching him as an actor in his upcoming production, 'Fugly'. Vipul Shah, the producer of 'Holiday'... says the actress wanted to be authentic in her portrayal of the character. "Akshay got Vijender to train her. The result is so good that we have incorporated one of her sparring sequences in the promos," he enthuses. Vijender says, "At Akshayji's behest, I trained Sonakshi for some days at his gym. I also shared some diet tips with her. She was advised to have only ghar ka khana, that too properly - with roti, sabzi and dal. I also asked her to drink lots of water and avoid highcalorie food." What does he think of his star student? "Sonakshi has performed the boxing scenes convincingly. She's simply fabulous," says the boxer.
May 2, 2014
Bollywood
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R
anbir Kapoor's new bachelor pad on Hill Road has been the talk of the town ever since Mirror broke the story. Where is the flat? How big is it? Will Katrina move in with him? The questions and the rumors have been coming thick and fast. Mirror has now tracked down the actor's new abode. The building in question is a 10-storey construction and the actor will occupy three inter-connected flats on three floors - fourth, fifth and sixth. "Work has been on for the last two years. Neetu Singh visits at least once in two weeks and supervises everything. She wants the best for her son. He's expected to move in soon," informed a source in the building. Rumors have been doing the rounds that Ranbir's father Rishi Kapoor doesn't approve of Katrina Kaif's frequent visits to their Pali Hill bungalow Krishna Raj and this flat will be their love nest.
Work has been on for the last two years. Neetu Singh visits at least once in two weeks and supervises everything. She wants the best for her son
PAOLI BOLD
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ubhash Ghai launched Mahima Choudhry in 'Pardes' opposite Shahrukh Khan which went on to be come a blockbuster and now after 17 years, he has launched another new face Mishti in his upcoming film 'Kaanchi'. The filmmaker during the launch of the film confessed that he was advised by his team to cast an established and successful actress like Katrina Kaif or Priyanka Chopra for 'Kaanchi' but he chose Misthi. The filmmaker has a great obsession for the 'M' word, he renamed Mahima Choudhry when he launched her in 'Pardes' and now he has renamed the female lead of 'Kaanchi' Indrani Chakraborty as 'Misthi'. Speaking about this name change, Ghai said, "M factor is the mother. A woman is a mother. For me M doesn't connote money or movie. During the screen test she told me her nickname is 'Misti' and it clicked. Even the actress is quite impressed by her new name. "I would not be known by any other name any more. I will be known as Misti only," Indrani said.
A woman is a mother. For me M doesn't connote money or movie. During the screen test she told me her nickname is 'Misti' and it clicked - SBHASH GHAI
F
or someone whose posters and bold scenes from films like 'Hate Story' and 'Ankur Arora Murder case' have been flashed all over, it comes as an appreciation when actress Paoli Dam's work in the National Award winning Konkani film Baga Beach gets noticed. The film is based in Goa and Paoli plays a beach side girl who sells accessories. She says, "This is not the first time that my film got a national award. My Bengali film 'Moner Manosh' also received a national award. But unfortunately, the reach of regional films is not that great and so people remember my bold scenes in Bollywood films. For that matter, even Baga Beach is a bold film and bold films do get national awards." When a Konkani film gets a National Award you realize that your work is appreciated by the masses. I have done a lot of serious work in Bengal b u t guess people still like to associate the 'actress who does nude scenes' tag whenever they talk about me. I don't see my work as doing nude scenes or bold scenes. I just see it as my work and that I have to do it."
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„ Health
Line
Sandia scientists create fertility test for men ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: Two former Sandia National Laboratories scientists say they have come up with a take-home fertility test for men. The Albuquerque Journal reported that researchers Greg Sommer and Ulrich Schaff have created a portable test kit for gauging a man's sperm quality that could be available to consumers as early as 2015. Sommer says the device allows men to test and track their fertility from the comfort and privacy of their own homes. The scientists say the test would give results within a few minutes. Both men licensed technology they helped create for detecting toxins in emergency first responders and applied it to the idea of a fertility test. -AP
„
Proposed tattoo waiting period dropped
WASHINGTON: District of Columbia officials have dropped a proposed 24-hour waiting period for people who want to get a tattoo or a body piercing. The city's Department of Health proposed regulations for tattoo parlors in September. Those included a rule that a tattoo artist could not apply a tattoo until at least 24 hours after a customer requested it. A body piercing rule was similar. But the department said it has abandoned those proposals because of strong public opposition. The regulations would have made Washington one of just a few places in the country with a tattoo waiting period. -AP
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Mercy Health to receive $23 million FEMA grant JOPLIN, Mo.: Mercy Health System of Joplin will receive $23 million in federal grants for rebuilding connected to the May 2011 tornado. Sen. Claire McCaskill announced the grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Joplin Globe reports the assistance will be offered to Mercy Health of Joplin for the demolition and rebuilding of four sites, including St. John's Regional Medical Center, that were damaged by the tornado. Shelly Hunter, chief financial officer says Mercy Hospital Joplin, says the system expects to receive the funds between August and December. -AP
Health Science
Optimistic spouse better for partner's health Details on Page 34
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Michigan Democrats should tout health law, says Clinton DETROIT: Michigan Democrats should tout the federal health care law and campaign on it this fall, former President Bill Clinton told a fundraising crowd here. In a 50-minute speech, he also stressed the importance of getting voters to turn out at the polls and applauded leaders in Detroit for their efforts to improve the city. Clinton told the audience of about 2,000 at a Michigan Democratic Party fundraiser in Detroit that the Affordable Care Act is a ``working people's bill'' that is helping drive down the cost of health care. ``One of the reasons no one in America has gotten a pay raise in a decade is we're spending so much more on health care than our competitors,'' he said at the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner at Cobo Center. Clinton also urged Democrats to push for more voter participation this fall. He said Democrats will be successful at the polls if
they get voters to show up at the rate they did in the presidential elections. ``Shame on us if we can't convince the people who vote for us in presidential elections to show
we expect to have anything but a profoundly divided country?'' The Michigan Democratic Party raised more than $500,000 to use in the November election. Its chairman, Lon Johnson, called
Former President Bill Clinton delivers the keynote at the annual JeffersonJackson Dinner at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Mich.
up in midterm elections,'' he said. ``If we don't show up, how can
the dinner a ``rousing success.'' ``I'm looking forward to wel-
coming thousands of Democratic activists back to Detroit in six months to celebrate Democratic victories up and down the ticket,'' Johnson said. Clinton's Detroit visit did not change the ``lackluster candidates'' from the Democratic Party who are running in the state, said Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak. ``President Clinton is welcome to come to Michigan and see leaders with a plan - leaders who have moved us forward past the lost decade of failed Democrat policies,'' Schostak said. Vice President Joe Biden spoke at last year's dinner. Earlier, Clinton met with workers while touring a popular Detroit watchmaker. Clinton said it was ``exciting'' to see how the Shinola brand ``is playing its part in the economic revitalization'' in Detroit. Shinola presented him with a new watch featuring the presidential seal. -AP
UK to recruit Indian doctors through Skype LONDON: The UK is mulling recruiting around 50 doctors from India to tackle a staffing crisis, days after a court ruled against Indian-origin doctors, who alleged bias in Britain's medical examination system. Health officials here will interview dozens of overseas medics over Skype to tackle a National Health Service (NHS) staffing crisis in its Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, which has left almost half of specialist training places for casualty doctors unfilled for the past three years. NHS officials have set up an assessment centre in New Delhi and are currently considering 150 applications from Indian doctors, who are due to undergo interviews via video-link, The Telegraph reported. Health Education England said the program hopes to recruit at least 50 trainee doctors, who will continue their specialist train-
ing in the UK before returning to India in four years' time. The latest news of the NHS recruitment drive came amid increasing concern about the standards required for overseas doctors to work in the UK.
dard as UK colleagues. The study was part of evidence that the jury went through before it ruled against Indian-origin doctors, who alleged bias in Britain's medical examination system. It triggered anger among In-
The UK is mulling recruiting around 50 doctors from India to tackle a staffing crisis.
Recently, a study by University College London had claimed that half of all foreign doctors practicing in Britain would fail international competency tests if they were held to the same stan-
dian-origin doctors, with the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) saying the UK government has failed to support hardworking doctors. "On the one hand, the govern-
ment has approached BAPIO to help with recruitment of Indian doctors to plug the shortage in their emergency departments and on the other, they refused to step in when such unfair claims were made on their competency," said BAPIO president Ramesh Mehta. The group has approached British Prime Minister David Cameron to set up a meeting to discuss their concerns. To work in the UK, doctors from outside the EU are normally required to undertake exams set by the Professional and Linguistics Assessments Board. However, health officials running the program said that as medical training in India follows the same curriculum as in the UK, successful candidates in the video-link interviews will not have to undergo the exams, though they will be required to take language tests. -PTI
May 2, 2014
Health Science Post
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Nurse practitioners take issue with Nebraska rules LINCOLN, Neb.: The governor's veto of a bill that would have allowed less oversight by physicians of nurse practitioners could limit efforts to attract more of the health care professionals to Nebraska and lessen a shortage of medical services in the state, according to nurse practitioners. Gov. Dave Heineman vetoed the bill citing concerns for patient safety. Lawmakers had unanimously approved the bill on the last day of the legislative session. The bill would have removed a requirement that nurse practitioners have an agreement with a physician, who would be available for collaboration or referral if a patient's condition doesn't respond to treatment and requires more of a team-approach. LaDonna Hart, president of Nebraska Nurse Practitioners, said in some cases, there may not be a physician in the area to sign the agreement. Some physicians are barred in their contracts from signing agreements with someone outside of their organization, and some might feel the agree-
ments increase their liability. The two health care professionals have to be in the same geographic area, according to law. Supporters of the bill argued the socalled integrated practice agreement makes it harder to recruit and retain nurse practitioners, who could be a key part of efforts to address health care shortages in rural areas of Nebraska. ``The integrated practice agreement is a barrier to those residing in Nebraska from being able to access health care and the care provided by nurse practitioners, and it is a barrier for the nurse practitioners to provide that care,'' Hart said. A study by the University of Nebraska Medical Center found an increase in the number of primary care nurse practitioners in Nebraska between 2007 and 2011, but the growth wasn't fast enough to meet an increasing demand. Growth was also slower in rural counties than in urban counties, said Jim
Court finds tobacco ban violates inmates' rights SIOUX FALLS, S.D.: An appellate court has ruled that a tobacco ban in South Dakota prisons violates the constitutional rights of Native American inmates, affirming the 2012 ruling of District Judge Karen Schreier that was appealed by the state's Department of Corrections last year. The ruling means the Department of Corrections cannot ban tobacco altogether in state prisons. The department could ap-
peal the decision. Under a plan, which was approved by Schreier and opposed by the Department of Corrections last fall, inmates may use a mixture of red willow bark and 1 percent tobacco in sweat lodge ceremonies. Lawyers for the Native American Council of Tribes, an inmate advocacy group, praised the ruling, the Argus Leader said. ``This is an important victory for religious freedom,'' said Pamela Bollweg, who represented the inmates who filed the original lawsuit against the Department of Corrections in 2009. ``As the Court of Appeals recognized, the ceremonial use of tobacco has been central to the Lakota people and many other Native American tribes for thou-
sands of years.'' The court found in the ruling that the across-the-board ban on all tobacco use constituted a violation of religious liberty not outweighed by the state's interest in maintaining order and security within the prison. Lakota spiritual leaders testified during the district court trial in Sioux Falls that tobacco has been smoked for generations in sweat lodge ceremonies, the Argus Leader said. Richard Bernard Moves Camp testified that the smoke from burned tobacco represents the spirit, and that tobacco represents the highest offering available. Depriving tobacco from a Lakota person would be ``like taking a Bible away from the church.'' The South Dakota prison system went tobacco-free in 2000 but made an exception for tobacco used in Native American ceremonies. Officials eliminated that exemption in October 2009. In their 2009 federal lawsuit against the South Dakota Department of Corrections, inmates Blaine Brings Plenty and Clayton Creek contended that the policy was discriminatory. The state said ceremonial tobacco inside the state penitentiary was becoming increasingly abused, and the policy was not overly restrictive because it allowed other botanicals such as red willow bark to be burned. Native Americans comprise 27 percent of all prisoners in the state's six correctional facilities, the highest concentration of Native American prisoners of any state prison population, according to documents.-AP
Stimpson, director of the Center for Health Policy at UNMC. A separate study found there were fewer primary care physicians in the state than previously reported. In his veto letter, Heineman and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Acierno ex-
Gov. Dave Heineman
pressed concern about patient safety, writing that ``adequate clinical experience is necessary for patient safety.'' However, the agreement required between nurse practitioners and doctors in
Nebraska isn't demanded in the District of Columbia or 17 states, including neighboring Colorado, Iowa and Wyoming, said Tay Kopanos, vice president of State Government Affairs for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Kopanos said decades of study indicate it's safe for nurse practitioners to practice without such agreements. Many nurse practitioners haven't been able to move to rural areas because they can't find a physician, Kopanos said. ``It restricts where people can go,'' she said. As health care needs grow amid federal-mandated health care insurance expansion, an aging population and more people with chronic diseases, the nation's primary care shortage will only get worse, Kopanos said. States are becoming more aggressive in recruiting health care providers, and it's going to become more competitive for states to recruit and retain nurse practitioners, she said. Because the bill was passed on the last day of the session, lawmakers cannot try to override the governor's veto. But Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue, the bill's sponsor, said she will address the issue again next session. ``We were disappointed in the veto but we are really excited and we are looking forward to a successful 2015 session,'' Hart said. -AP
Health Science Post
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Optimistic spouse better for partner's health WASHINGTON: Having an optimistic spouse is better when it comes to your health, a new research suggests. An optimistic spouse predicted better mobility and fewer chronic illnesses over time, even above and beyond a person's own level of optimism, according to a new University of Michigan study. Researchers used data from the Health and Retirement Study, a national study of American adults over age 50. The study's 3,940 adults (1,970 heterosexual couples) were tracked for four years and reported on their physical functioning (mobility, motor skills), health and number of chronic illnesses. Past research found that social support may partly explain the link between optimism and enhanced health. Optimists are more likely to seek social support when facing difficult situations and have a larger network of friends who provide that support.
In addition, optimists engage in healthier lifestyles that simultaneously minimize health risk factors for illness, said Eric Kim, the study's lead author.
"A growing body of research shows that the people in our social networks can have a profound influence on our health and wellbeing," he said. "This is the first study to show that someone's else optimism
could be impacting your own health," said Kim. In close relationships, optimism predicts enhanced satisfaction and better cooperative problem-solving. "So practically speaking, I can imagine an optimistic spouse encouraging his or her partner to go to the gym or eat a healthier meal because the spouse genuinely believes the behavior will make a difference in health," Kim said. "Identifying factors that protect against declining health is important for the increasing number of older adults who face the dual threat of declining health and rising health care costs," he said. The findings appear in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research. -PTI
Marital stress can give you depression WASHINGTON: Marital stress may make people more vulnerable to depression, a new study has warned. The study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers and their colleagues found that people who experience chronic marital stress are less able to savor positive experiences, a hallmark of depression. They are also more likely to report other depressive symptoms, according to study leader Richard Davidson, UW-Madison William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry. Married people are, in general, happier and healthier than single people, according to numerous studies. But marriage can also be one of the most significant sources of long-lasting social stress, researchers said. For the longitudinal study part of the National Institute on Aging-funded Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study directed by Carol Ryff, director of the Institute on Aging at UWMadison - researchers recruited
married adult participants to complete questionnaires rating their stress on a six-point scale. They were asked questions like how often they felt let down by their partner or how frequently their spouse criticized them. They were also evaluated for depression. Roughly nine years later, the questionnaire and depression
assessments were repeated. In year 11, the participants were invited to the laboratory to undergo emotional response testing, a means of measuring their resilience. Resilience, from an emotional perspective, reflects how quickly a person can recover from a negative experience. The participants were shown 90 images, a mix of negative, neutral and positive photographs
such as a smiling mother-daughter pair. The electrical activity of the corrugator supercilii, also known as the frowning muscle, was measured to assess the intensity and duration of their response. The frowning muscle activates more strongly during a negative response. At rest, the muscle has a basal level of tension but during a positive emotional response, the muscle becomes more relaxed. Prior studies have shown that depressed individuals have a fleeting response following positive emotional triggers. Davidson was interested in not just how much a muscle relaxes or tenses when a person looks at an image but also in how long it takes the response to subside. Study participants who reported higher marital stress had shorter-lived responses to positive images than those reporting more satisfaction in their unions. There was no significant difference in the timing of negative responses. The study was published in the Journal of Psychophysiology. -PTI
University considers carbon monoxide monitors OXFORD, Miss.: The University of Mississippi will consider installing carbon monoxide monitors in dormitories after a student's monitor detected high levels of the harmful gas, the school's spokesman says. Firefighters evacuated dozens of students from a women's dorm, Hefley Hall, for about an hour recently. No one was injured. The Clarion-Ledger reports that a parent of a dorm resident called campus authorities after the student's carbon monoxide detector sounded. ``If she had not heard it, it could have been bad, especially overnight when people are sleeping,'' said Oxford Fire Chief Cary Sallis. Campus housing workers checked carbon monoxide levels in the dorm before calling the Oxford Fire Department. Sallis said the source of the carbon monoxide was a malfunctioning boiler. Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas produced by combustible engines, appliances and heating systems, and is poisonous to humans. It's unclear how long the gas had been leaking at Hefley before the detector caught it, but freshman Kenya Wheeler said she started feeling dizzy minutes after entering her room. Along with
headaches, dizziness is one of the first symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Wheeler said she saw firefighters walking from room to room with hand-held devices that emit beeps before finally ordering the evacuation, but she didn't learn the reason until later she was already safely out of her room. University spokesman Danny
Wheeler said she saw firefighters walking from room to room with hand-held devices that emit beeps before finally ordering the evacuation, but she didn't learn the reason until later Blanton said the dorm's carbon monoxide level was high but not dangerous. He said the university will consider installing monitors. The International Building Code of 2012 requires carbon monoxide monitors for newly constructed residential facilities but not for older structures. -AP
Love hormone functions in dogs too NEW YORK: Dogs release the love hormone oxytocin following social interactions, just as humans do, a new study claims. Scientists took blood samples
from a mixed-breed terrier and a goat, who often played together at an animal refuge in Arkansas. Cont'd on Page 35
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Plan approved to restore land damaged by oil BISMARCK, N.D.: The North Dakota Department of Health has approved plans to restore land damaged last fall by a pipeline break that spilled more than 20,000 barrels of crude oil across a northwestern wheat field. The soil remediation work by Tesoro Corp. is expected to begin by early June and take at least two years to complete, according to the plans.
The Department of Health will have staff members at the site on a weekly basis to make sure it goes as planned. The state might still look at possible enforcement action against Tesoro, and Glatt said the company could possibly be required to pay for staff time spent at the site, but that hasn't been decided yet. The massive spill was discovered by a Tioga farmer in September and turned out to be one of the largest onshore spills in U.S. history, covering 7.3 acres of land, or about the size of seven football fields. Glatt said Tesoro will be restoring about 350,000 square feet of surface and will excavate as deep as 30 feet below the surface in some areas. ``It's a big piece of A cleanup worker moves an extraction hose Oct. 17, 2013, land,'' he said. near the portion of the Tesoro pipeline that spilled 20,600 When the barrels of oil north of Tioga, N.D. remediation is finished, Glatt said the land State Environmental Health Chief Dave should be back to normal and able to grow Glatt said that the San Diego-based Tesoro, crops. In the meantime, he said the affected whose pipeline caused the spill, is respon- farmers were being compensated for their sible for the cleanup and will cover all costs. losses. -AP
Mercy Health to receive $23 million FEMA grant JOPLIN, Mo.: Mercy Health System of Joplin will receive $23 million in federal grants for rebuilding connected to the May 2011 tornado. Sen. Claire McCaskill announced the grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Joplin Globe reports the assistance will be offered to Mercy Health of Joplin
for the demolition and rebuilding of four sites, including St. John's Regional Medical Center, that were damaged by the tornado. Shelly Hunter, chief financial officer says Mercy Hospital Joplin, says the system expects to receive the funds between August and December. Hunter says the $23 million is only for demolition and emergency costs. -AP
Love hormone functions in dogs too Cont'd from Page 34
They tested the animals' oxytocin levels separately, and then put them in a pen to interact for 15 minutes, 'New York Post' reported. The dog's oxytocin levels spiked 48 per cent, comparable to a human who is excited about a new friendship, researchers found. "This shows that the dog was quite attached to the goat. The moderate change in oxytocin suggests the dog viewed the goat as a 'friend'," said head researcher Paul Zak from Claremont Graduate University. The goat was even more smitten, said
the researchers. "More striking was the goat's reaction to the dog: It had a 210 per cent increase in oxytocin. We essentially found that the goat might have been in love with the dog," said Zak. "The only time I have seen such a surge in oxytocin in humans is when someone sees their loved one, is romantically attracted to someone, or is shown an enormous kindness," Zak added. The study concluded that domesticated pets release the hormone when interacting with other animals and humans, the report said. -PTI
Prosecutors: Religion central to girl's death CORVALLIS, Ore.: A Linn County judge will soon decide whether a family's religious beliefs are relevant to the death of their daughter. Twelve-year-old Syble Rossiter died of complications from diabetes, and endured such a dramatic weight loss in the month before she died that a teacher confronted her mother about the issue. The Albany Democrat-Herald reports the family is part of the Church of the First Born, a fundamentalist sect that be-
lieves traditional medical treatment is sinful, and instead trust in God to heal them through faith. Syble's parents, Travis and Wenona Rossiter, face manslaughter charges. Their attorneys want to exclude evidence of the couple's beliefs from the trial, arguing that such evidence would be prejudicial. Prosecutors say the family's beliefs are the reason they failed to seek medical care. -AP
Cancer-stricken mom sees daughter graduate NEWARK, Ohio: An Ohio mother who has late-stage, inoperable cancer got to see her 17-year-old daughter's graduation in a special ceremony held in her hospital room. Seventeen-year-old Evie Shumaker was supposed to graduate from Newark Digital Academy in central Ohio on May 31. But when she told her teachers that her mom, 57-year-old Melissa Shumaker, had advanced pancreatic cancer, they decided to organize an impromptu graduation cel-
ebration. The teen dressed in a cap and gown, ``Pomp and Circumstance'' was played on a cell phone and Shumaker saw school officials hand her daughter a diploma. She tells The (Newark) Advocate that God has blessed her because she didn't think her mom would see her graduate. Melissa Shumaker is being treated at a hospice at Licking Memorial Hospital. -AP
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MCD to upgrade list of heritage buildings NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has set the ball rolling to upgrade its list of heritage buildings, including ageold havelis, and is "in the process" of working out incentives like house tax exemption so that owners don't view their property as an "economic burden". The civic body wants to identify such structures falling under its ambit so that it can work on their preservation. "We have initiated the process of upgrading our list of heritage buildings, so that we can identify and assess the status of such structures and work on their preservation plans as soon as possible," member Heritage Committee, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Vartika Sharma told PTI. PTI
Godrej to invest Rs 150cr on Gurgaon project NEW DELHI: Godrej Properties Ltd has said it will invest Rs 150 crore to develop a new housing project in Gurgaon. Part of the Godrej Group, the realty firm has formed a joint venture with Oasis Buildhome Pvt Ltd that owns the land. The company would develop 306 apartments in this project, which is spread over 4.5 acre and has a saleable area of 5 lakh sq ft. "This is our third project in Gurgaon. First two projects have done well. This is going to be high quality premium development," Godrej Properties Managing Director and CEO Pirojsha Godrej told reporters here. He said the company expects the project to do well even as it has been launched in tough market conditions. "The total investment in the project will be Rs 150 crore," Godrej said. Cont’d on page 39
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Godrej looking to enter Noida market
May 2, 2014
Details on Page 39
DLF holds real estate investment show in Milpitas India Post News Service
MILPITAS, CA: If you're thinking of an investment property in India, commercial, retail or residential, then the Delhi Land and Finance company, a reputed real estate builder and developer in business for over 60 years, has a variety of offers with its pan-Indian development plans. On April 13 at the India Community Center here, Sanjay Pandey and J. S. Virk, representing DLF, and Nisha Smith and Shital Chokker representing LiveNRI group, talked to interested and potential clients about their current and proposed projects in 16 cities nationwide. DLF India investment show was organized by LiveNRI group and marketed by Ultimate Media. Some cities like New Delhi, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Shimla, Kasauli, Lucknow, New Indore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai,
Bengaluru, and Kochi offer both under-construction and ready-foroccupation residential spaces. For those seeking residential investments, there is a choice of plots, villas, value homes, premium and super luxury apartments. Samatara in Shimla offers con-
temporary villas nestled in hilly folds of cedar forests just three kilometers from Shimla, while Samavana in Kasauli offers prospective buyers a true hill-station experience with scenic views and pine forest surroundings spread over 24 acres.
J.S Virk (left) and Sanjay Pandey (right) representing DLF at DLF-Real Estate Investments in India, April 13 at ICC - Milpitas.
For those seeking luxury living within the national capital, penthouses are available in Queen's Court in Greater Kailash II E-block for immediate possession. Apartments at this location are sold out. In the W-block of Greater Kailash II, another prime location, construction is underway for villas and apartments overlooking Jahanpanah forest. Affordable value homes with 23-4 bedrooms are available at New Town Heights in Rajarhat, Kolkata spread over 15 acres. A self-contained complex, this mini-township features 11 towers with amenities such as power back-up, water storage and fire safety sprinklers both within apartments and fire-fighting equipment on each floor. South Bengaluru offers additional value homes starting at Rs. 55 lakhs in My Town spread over 75 acres at Rajapura. Cont’d on page 39
Ashiana Housing to expand senior citizen project MUMBAI: Riding high on the growing demand of housing for senior citizens, realty player Ashiana Housing plans to expand its retirement housing segment in three more cities in the next three years, a senior company official said. The New Delhi-based firm already has three senior citizen living projects in its portfolio in
three cities including Jaipur, Bhiwadi (Delhi NCR) and Lavasa in Pune, under the brand Ashiana Utsav, and now plans to set up one more in Bhiwadi and one each in Kolkata and Chennai, its joint managing director Ankur Gupta told PTI here. "The concept of retirement homes is evolving in India, but not
around 25 lakh sqft of area. Over the next three years, by when these projects are expected to come on stream, we expect to sell nearly 30-35 per cent of the total area in this segment," Gupta said. According to property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle, the number of elderly population is expected to grow to 173 million by
at a similar pace as it is in other countries. But as the demand is growing here, we plan to expand our presence in this space," he said. The company expects to have a significant share of sales in terms of area from this segment, he said. "This year we plan to sell
2025, which is now being looked at as a potential real estate market. "Given the scope of growing number of senior citizens who wish to spend a luxurious retirement life, this segment itself is lucrative business opportunity," Gupta said. "We try to cater to the special
requirements of senior citizens, including wheelchair-friendly campus, social, medical and spiritual needs, recreation etc. They are also provided with facilities like restaurant, convenience store, library, TV hall, Internet cafe, auditorium, rooms to play cards and table tennis and follow hobbies," he said. The BSE-listed firm will be launching the Chennai and Kolkata projects next year and later in Bhiwadi. "We have a land bank in Bhiwadi where we already have one senior citizen living project and the new project will come in the same vicinity. In case of Kolkata and Chennai, we plan to do it on joint development basis," he said. The company, which is also present in the middle income segment, has so far delivered 118 lakh sqft and nearly 97.3 lakh sqft is under development. -PTI
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Godrej looking to enter Noida market NEW DELHI: Godrej Properties Ltd is keen on entering the Noida real estate market and is looking for a partner to develop a housing project, according to a top official at the company. The real estate arm of the Godrej group is developing 3 premium housing projects in Gurgaon in joint venture with land owners and has already tied up for a residential project in Okhla, Delhi. Godrej Properties has a strategy to develop real estate projects through joint ventures with land owners. "Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Bangalore are our major markets. We are looking at more projects in DelhiNCR," Godrej Properties Managing Direc-
tor and CEO Pirojsha Godrej told PTI when asked about expansion plan in the national capital region. On plans to enter Noida market, he said: "We do not have presence in Noida which is a key market in Delhi-NCR. We are looking to add projects in this market as well." The company is in talks with a few potential partners for developing a housing project in Noida, he said, adding "it is a good time to add new projects as real estate market is facing slowdown". Asked as to when the company would launch Delhi project, Godrej said: "It will be in next fiscal. We are waiting for the approvals to start the project." In June 2013, Godrej Properties had an-
Godrej to invest Rs 150cr on Gurgaon project Cont’d from page 38
Godrej Properties has entered into profit share agreement with Oasis Buildhome. "Our share will be 38 per cent of the total profit," Godrej said. He said the rates of flats start from Rs 85 lakh. Mumbai-based Godrej Properties is developing housing, commercial and township projects spread across 100 million sq ft in 12 cities. As a strategy, Godrej Properties has been adding projects to its portfolio through joint ventures with land owners. Earlier this month, it has entered into a partnership to develop a 100-acre township in Bangalore. Last month it had entered into a joint venture with two local firms to de-
velop a premium housing project in Pune spread over 43 acres. It signed an agreement with group firm
He said the rates of flats start from Rs 85 lakh. Mumbai-based Godrej Properties is developing housing, commercial and township projects spread across 100 million sq ft in 12 cities. Godrej & Boyce for the development of a housing project on the latter's land parcel at Vikhroli in Mumbai. The company also added a 7-acre project in Chennai.-PTI
DLF holds real estate investment show in Milpitas Cont’d from page 38
If you're looking for luxury villas with a touch of the Mediterranean classic style in Bengaluru, then DLF has a large proposed development site at Bella Greens, a community space close to the famous
Bannerghatta forest. DLF also has opportunities with both plot and constructed towers to cover cineplexes, commercial malls with retail outlets to office suites and independent floors in towers built in Special Economic Zones. Liaising with well-known developers such as DLF and others like Wadhwa, Raheja, ATS, Adani in India, LiveNRI is a full-service India real estate and NRI property management services company based in the U.S. with its sales office in Philadelphia, Pa. LiveNRi is headed by Mr Ramnik Chopra. For detailed information and queries on DLF projects and proposals, visit their website at www.livenri.com or call 1855 444 NRIS (6747)
nounced its foray into the Delhi property market by signing a development agreement with Southend Infrastructure for 5-acre luxury group housing project at Okhla. The company is performing well despite
the slowdown in real estate market, Godrej said, adding that it will launch more projects than last fiscal when it launched 10 new projects or new phase of existing projects. He said the company will continue with the strategy to add projects through JVs
and won't opt for outright land purchase. On the overall realty market, he said: "Residential is bit slow at the moment. NCR in the last six month was the slowest." Last week, Godrej announced an investment of Rs 150 crore to develop a new housing project in Gurgaon. The company would develop 306 apartments in this project, which is spread over 4.5 acre and has a saleable area of 5 lakh sq ft. Mumbai-based Godrej Properties is developing housing, commercial and township projects in 12 cities with 100 million sq ft development potential, of which 20 million sq ft is under construction. In 2012-13 fiscal, the company's net profit stood at Rs 138.4 crore on a revenue of Rs 1,047.6 crore. -PTI
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A
picturesque hill station encircled by snowy moun tains and dense pinewoods with the meandering Beas River, Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh is famed for its aesthetic beauty. Lying at an altitude of 6260 feet, Manali is the premier hill station in the Kullu valley, whose splendor lies in the ever flowing Beas river with conifer gradients and crop orchards hiking up to the snow clad knolls of Himalayas. This awe inspiring hill resort is sandwiched between the imposing peaks of Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar. A land, which is the holy abode of numerous goddesses and gods, this gorgeous hill resort is puffed up with colorful festivals, fairs and pretty shrines. Renowned as the queen of valleys, this beautiful hill station in the lower Himalayas is close knit with the legendary law giver of ancient India, Manu. It is believed that, Manali is the place where the ark of Manu found its resting after a great flood. Manali, which literally means the abode of Manu, has got remarkable significance in the ethnic culture and tradition of India. With skyscraping mountains bounded by blizzards and deep rock spread ravines, Manali presents a distin-
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guished holiday spot for all. The chunky forests with cool gentle winds, vast expansion of meadows, small quaint settlements and lovely orchards, give a majestic look to the serene ambiance of Manali. Besides the splendor of its natural vista, a lot of other interesting activities are in store in Manali. A trendy holi-
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day spot, Manali offers outstanding opportunities in mountaineering, and skiing. The unexplored hilly route to the adjacent valleys is an awe inspiring experience. With scores of artifacts, the malls and other shops of Manali offer a delightful shopping experience. Gifted with breathtaking scenery, Manali serves as a perfect place for those who want to be in the midst of blossoming greens and valley views. ATTRACTIONS The Castle, Naggar: A unique medieval structure, Naggar Castle is a very popular tourist spot located close to Manali in Naggar. Built around 1460 AD by Raja Sidh Singh of Kullu, the castle has a unique architectural blend of western and Himalayan styles. The castle is scenically located near the Beas River and offers panoramic views of the surroundings. The castle houses the Roerich gallery that displays the paintings of the famous Russian painter, Nicholas Roerich. A beautiful blend of stone and wood, the mansion was once the home of the Raja but was converted to a rest house (run by HPTDC) in the year 1978. Cont’d on page 42
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Delhi, Mumbai have best value 5-star hotels MUMBAI: Delhi ranked number one for best deals in five-star hotels in 2013 with average prices of Rs 9,652 per night, followed by Mumbai at the second place with Rs 9,809, according to a report by Hotels.com. "Delhi offered travelers the best deal on five-star accommodation with average prices of Rs 9,652 a night in 2013. Mumbai followed in the second place with Rs 9,809," the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI) said. The Chinese city of Guangzhou was the third best with Rs 9,812 per night, the report revealed. Brussels, the capital city of Bel-
gium, secured the fourth place with Rs 10,144, while Berlin in Germany ranked fifth with Rs 11,386. When it came to deals on fourstar hotels, the prices in Delhi and
Mumbai were relatively competitive, the report said. Delhi ranked fourth with Rs 6,555 per night, while Mumbai was at fifth position with Rs 7,010 in the four-star category. Bangkok (Thailand) offered the best price with Rs 5,933 a night, followed by Budapest in Hungary with Rs 6,375. Guangzhou ranked third with Rs 6,553 the report pointed out. The report further stated that it was still less expensive to stay in a four-star hotel in Delhi than a three-star property in 24 of the
most popular destinations such as Tokyo (Japan), Singapore or Paris (France). It was even lesser than a twostar in London (UK), San Francisco and New York in the US. If location was not a factor when choosing a luxury break, it would have been possible to spend four nights in Delhi for the same price as one in the Big Apple (New York). The Hotel Price Index (HPI) report also revealed the top 10 most expensive cities for five-star hotels in 2013. At the top of the list with Rs 38,904 per night was New York, followed by Singapore with Rs 24,822. London stood third with Rs 24,672 a night, while Paris ranked fourth with Rs 24,250 and with a marginal difference Moscow acquired the fifth position with Rs 23,270. -PTI
Sherpas struggle with climbing season in disarray KATMANDU, Nepal: With Mount Everest's climbing season in disarray, the Sherpa guides who decided to abandon the mountain this year after a deadly avalanche said they would struggle to make ends meet. The avalanche was the deadliest ever recorded on Everest, killing 16 of the guides and exposing long-simmering resentment by Sherpas who say they face disproportionate risks ushering foreign tourists up the highest mountain in the world. While the work on Everest is dangerous, it has also become the most sought-after source of income for many in Nepal's ethnic Sherpa community. A top high-altitude guide can earn $6,000 in a threemonth climbing season - nearly 10 times Nepal's $700 average annual salary. ``I have children and a family to
take care of. I got some money and don't know if I will get the rest or not,'' said Ang Sherpa, who was trekking back to his village. ``Mountain climbing was the main
chunk of our income, but we have a small tea store on the side of the trail near Namche village, where we serve snacks for the trekkers.'' Many of those who left the
mountain said the risks and respect for those killed in the April 18 avalanche outweighed the money they would make. ``I got about half the pay for what I would have earned this season, but that's enough for now,'' said Dawa, who is among those who declared 2014 a ``black year'' on Everest and will be returning home. ``There is always going to be another season. The mountain is always there. There will always be mountaineering and mountaineers,'' said Dawa, who uses one name. Most attempts to reach Everest's summit are made in midMay, when a brief window normally offers better weather. Many Sherpas have other, less lucrative jobs during the off-season, including farming and running hotels and restaurants. Cont’d on page 43
UK firm to set up 100 ecofriendly hotels in India LONDON: An NRI-founded hotels company plans to set up 100 eco-friendly hotels in India in the next eight years, its founder and Chief Executive said here. Noting that the Eco Hotels UK Plc has developed the world's first carbon neutral hotel brand, The Eco and Ecolodge, Suchit Punnose, the CEO of Red Ribbon Asset Management said: "The first market we are targeting is the growth market of India which has one of the largest demands for hotel rooms in the market." "It is the intention of the com-
room hotel completed in 24 weeks on a fixed cost and time guarantee is a powerful tool for Eco Hotels UK Plc to achieve its roll out target," said Punnose. The Eco and Ecolodge will represent premium value budget pricing across all properties. The properties will have solar roof top and wind turbines to generate green energy and the buildings will have high LEEDs rating as it is built on modular technology thereby significantly reducing the carbon footprint, he said. "We are planning to increase
pany to develop an inventory of 10,000 rooms by 2022 which will amount to 100 hotels with 100room average," he said. Red Ribbon Asset Management, the owners of Eco Hotels UK, is setting up India's first steel modular buildings factory in Indapur, Pune, which will commence production in 2015 with an annual capacity to roll out 40 hotels with 100 rooms each per annum. "The ability of the steel modular technology to deliver a hundred
our operating inventory levels to 300 rooms in FY 2014/15 and rapidly scale up the roll out of the franchises across the country this year. "We have identified issues related to Indian hotel sector and have definitive plans to mitigate them to deliver uniform guest experience and value for money in a professional manner across all our properties," said Jay Krishnan, CEO of Eco Hotels UK Plc. Eco Hotels India will create employment for nearly 12,000 people over the coming years.-PTI
Deadwood bringing tourism consultant back DEADWOOD, S.D.: A tourism consultant will be back in Deadwood in May to help the city establish a brand and increase tourism in the Northern Hills community. Mayor Chuck Turbiville signed Deadwood's Branding, Product Development, and Marketing Action Plan, which will bring the consulting firm Roger Brooks International back to the city. Several Deadwood organizations anted up to fund Brooks' additional efforts in the city. Brooks worked with the city earlier this year, point-
ing out issues with parking and the town's unclear identity. Brooks and his team will conduct interviews and hold sessions to develop strategies to increase tourism and business in Deadwood in an effort to rejuvenate the city. Deadwood Marketing Director Lee Harstad told KOTA Radio, ``they may not be big changes, they may not be Earth-shattering changes,'' but said that he hopes that with Brooks' help they can bring Deadwood ``to the next level.'' -AP
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Hill resort with awe-inspiring beauty Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery, Naggar (part of Manali region): Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery is a very popular attraction in Naggar and is located within the Naggar Castle. The museum displays a private collection of paintings of the Russian painter Nikolas Roerich, who lived here and died in the year 1947. The ground floor
Chandrakhani Pass, Kullu: Chandrakhani Pass is located in the Parbati valley that joins Malana Valley to Kullu Valley. An ideal base for trekking, the pass is known for its scenic beauty. Chandrakhani is 3600m above sea level and offers scenic trekking trails. Pandoh Dam, Kullu: Around 10 kms from Manali lies this vast expanse of man-made beauty.
of the gallery is dedicated to the paintings of Kullu, Spiti and Lahaul by the painter. The upper floor preserves the artist's private rooms. Beas Kund (Chandratal Lake): A historic place, where it is believed that Sage Vyas had performed his daily bath, Beas Kund is regarded as sacred by the Hindus. The originating point of the Majestic River Beas, Beas Kund is sheltered by an igloo like stone formation.
Pandoh dam is a power generator hydro-electric dam, built on river Beas. The lake is the reservoir of the dam and has five bays that regulate the water. Rohtang Pass: A lofty mountain pathway that connects Kullu with Spiti and Lahaul. This pass is a popular picnic spot in summer. All tourists going to Manali long to visit this imposing site since one can sense and tap the snow even in the hottest season of the year. At a height of 4111 meter, Rohtang
Cont’d from page 40
Pass, which is 51 km away from Manali, presents a striking sight of glaciers, mountains and the landscape. A gateway to the adjoining tourist destinations, this scenic spot provides excellent opportunities for trekking. Solang Valley (Snow Point): Situated 13 km northwest of Manali, between Beas Kund and Solang village is the gorgeous Solang valley, particularly a pictorial spot presenting awesome scenery of snow clad mountains and glaciers. Solang valley, also known as Snow Point is famous for its 300 m ski lift. Van Vihar: Situated in front of the Tibet market on Mall road, Van Vihar is a famous place to hang out where tourists can enjoy boating in the small pond. The place is a bit messy but the tall deodar trees make the whole place very pretty. BEST TIME TO VISIT The climate of Manali remains pleasant mostly through the year but the month from September to June is the best time to visit Manali. HOW TO REACH By Train: Joginder Nagar is the nearest railway station to Manali, which is nearly 50 km away. Joginder Nagar is a narrow gauge railway station, hence connectivity is not so good. By Air: Bhuntar, which is 50 km away from Manali, is the nearest airport.
By Bus: Manali is well connected to other tourist destinations in Himachal by private deluxe bus services. State owned services are also available connecting Manali to other cities.
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Indian travel agents 'bowled over' by Abu Dhabi India Post News Service
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bu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) in associa tion with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, organised a 'fam' trip for six travel agents from Bangalore and Hyderabad for the opening match of the Indian Premier League 2014, held at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. The agents included Rajat Kohli from Via.com, Sidheeque from Akbar Travel, Ratish Nair from Kuoni India, Eshwar Reddy from Bunny Akaash Travels, Ajay Ramidi from Lorven Travels and Vijay Mohan Raj from Sameera Travels. The guests enjoyed the inaugural match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Night Riders as well as Arabian hospitality while watching their favorite players pump up the heat at the high-spirited T20 match, they also loved the spectacular view of the field from
Travel Agents at IPL 2014's inaugural match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
the VIP boxes. The adrenaline rush at the
match wasn't just the only highpoint of their trip. They also vis-
Carlson Rezidor launches Park Inn by Radisson NEW DELHI: Leading hospitality group Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has launched its first midsegment brand Park Inn by Radisson at Gurgaon. Park Inn by Radisson is a threestar hotel brand by Carlson Rezidor in the mid segment. The Gurgaon property is a 98-room hotel. Commenting on the launch of the hotel, Carlson Rezidor CEOSouth Asia Raj Rana said: "Park
segment." Last year, the hospitality group had singed agreement with Bestech Hospitalities to develop 49 Park Inn by Radisson hotels in North and Central India by 2024. "Of these, eight hotels are in place, built at different places. In couple of months we would have another hotel Park Inn by Radisson at Indraprastha in New Delhi and two hotels at
ing to tap the potential of the Indian market, where the 'middle class population would cross 580 million benchmark by 2025 and most of them would be offering potential for hotels rooms'. On the expansion plans in India, he said: "We are looking for a strategic partner for South, West and East India to grow our footprint." Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has another brand Country Inn in
Inn by Radisson is perfectly positioned to cater to the need of the domestic traveler in the mid-scale
Chandigarh and Gurgaon sector 88," he added. Rana said the company is look-
the middle segment. "Now we have 66 operating hotels and 42 in the pipeline," he said. -PTI
ited the award-winning Yas Waterworld aqua park, Ferrari
World Abu Dhabi - the world's largest indoor theme park, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal, the iconic Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi - the only hotel in the world to straddle an F1 racetrack and the beachfront Shangri-La Hotel, Abu Dhabi. Commenting on his experience, Ratish Nair, Kuoni India, Bangalore said, "This trip to Abu Dhabi was an ecstatic experience which gave us an insight into what all the destination has to offer. I can see it growing as one of the choicest destinations for tourism from India. I extend my gratitude towards TCA Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airways for organizing this wonderful trip". Experiencing a well rounded destination with so much to offer each travel segment, left the agents spellbound. Having firsthand experience of Abu Dhabi and noticing the attention to detail which is paid to make it a true destination of distinction, was much appreciated.
Sherpas struggle with climbing season in disarray Cont’d from page 41
are we going to bear all these losses?'' The Sherpas who stand to lose the most from walking off the job are the ones who take foreign clients up to the summit and carry their gear, although hundreds more who cook and clean at base camp would also be hurt. Trekking officials were more optimistic. Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association acknowledged that it would be tough for many Sherpas and their
While the climbing season has not been officially canceled, guides and Sherpas said it appeared increasingly unlikely that any summit attempts would be made from the Nepal side of the mountain. Several expedition companies have canceled their climbs for the season, although Nepal's Tourism Ministry has announced that those teams can try again over the next five years, without having to pay the permit fees. Teams pay an average of $100,000 for a ``Some of the big compapermit. While the major ex- nies have already said they pedition companies are returning and are can survive a canceled season, smaller groups packing up their camp. But say they will struggle. smaller companies like mine Temba Tsheri, 28, who are still undecided,'' he said. runs the Dreamers Destination Treks and ``We have spent money on Expedition company in food, equipment, oxygen� Katmandu, said he had 20 Chinese climbers at Everest's base camp still deciding families this year, but he noted whether to call off their climb. that most Sherpas had already re``Some of the big companies ceived at least some money for have already said they are return- the season. ing and are packing up their camp. ``There are many more But smaller companies like mine Sherpas, like the porters who are still undecided,'' he said. ``We carry the loads to the base camp have spent money on food, equip- and bring it back to the airport, ment, oxygen, paying porters to who will be paid in full,'' he said.get all that to base camp. ... How AP
In Brief Brewer OKs bill letting AG defend subpoenas PHOENIX: The Arizona Attorney General can fight subpoenas issued in a civil case seeking to get the remainder of the state's 2010 immigration law thrown out under a bill signed by Gov. Jan Brewer. The Senate Bill signed by Brewer allows the attorney general to defend state employees if they are not a party to a lawsuit but served with a civil subpoena. The bill sponsored by Senate President Andy Biggs was prompted by subpoenas issued by the American Civil Liberties Union in a case seeking to overturn SB1070.-AP
„ Mexican national gets 9 years for meth trafficking ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: Prosecutors say a Mexican national has been sentenced to nine years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine in northwestern New Mexico. Pricilo Garcia-Jimenez of Oaxaca, Mexico, was sentenced in federal court in Albuquerque. Since he was in the country illegally, federal officials say he will be deported after completing his prison sentence. The 41-year-old Garcia-Jimenez was arrested in May 2012. He was accused of distributing meth to an undercover agent on five occasions between November 2011 and April 2012. -AP
„ Mont. discrimination case should go ahead HELENA, Mont.: A federal magistrate judge says a lawsuit accusing the Montana Highway Patrol of detaining Hispanic drivers to check their immigration status should be allowed to proceed. Four Hispanic men claim they were held during routine traffic stops while officers called immigration officials to determine whether they were in the U.S. illegally. They say the patrol has a policy of discrimination and racial profiling. U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby this month recommended dismissing two of the five counts of state and federal violations by Attorney General Tim Fox and Highway Patrol Col. Tom Butler, but says the rest of the lawsuit should go ahead. -AP
Immigration
Obama`s paradoxical deportation policies
44 India Post
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Details on page 45
Israeli push for visa-free travel to US faces test WASHINGTON: A campaign to allow Israelis to enter the United States without a visa is gaining steam in Congress, but is still running into a brick wall with the Obama administration over the U.S. government's most elementary demand: that the Jewish state provide the same treatment at its borders to all Americans, even if they are Arab or Muslim. Objections from U.S. officials and some lawmakers blocked a congressional effort over the last year that could have allowed Israel to maintain discriminatory entry policies for certain groups of Americans, which no other country can do if its citizens are able to visit the U.S. without visas. However, a new version of proposed legislation could offer Israel greater flexibility in the Visa Waiver Program, and the administration has pledged to work with Israel to help it move closer to qualifying for the program. Israel's push to join the prestigious club of 38 mainly European and Asian nations is a top priority for Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's government, the proIsrael lobby AIPAC and pro-Israel lawmakers. And because Israel currently meets few of the criteria for membership, the issue has be-
cally before boarding a flight. ``Reciprocity is the most basic condition of the Visa Waiver Program,'' State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said recently.
An aerial view of the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv's Sde-Dov airport.
come a sensitive diplomatic and legislative one in Washington, where officials and lawmakers don't want to offend a close friend and ally. Citizens of member countries can visit the United States for up to 90 days without a visa, provided they register electroni-
Asked if the U.S. might soften that demand for Israel, she said: ``No. The requirements have not changed. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State both remain concerned with reciprocal travel privileges for U.S. citizens due to the
unequal treatment that Palestinian Americans and other Arab Americans receive at Israel's borders and checkpoints.'' Up to now, many PalestinianAmericans have been barred from entering Israel. If they are allowed into Palestinian territories, they cannot arrive at Tel Aviv's international airport and must instead travel overland from Jordan or Egypt. Other Americans of Arab origin or Muslim faith say they've suffered similar restrictions, as well as U.S. citizens with political views Israel finds objectionable. Israel has long defended its measures as a security issue and says Americans on a Palestinian population registry aren't necessarily entitled to enter Israel as a condition of the Oslo Peace Accords. The Israeli government applies the rules to ``anyone who has parents or grandparents who were born or lived in the West Bank or Gaza,'' even if they are U.S. citizens and don't claim Palestinian nationality, according to the State Department. Cont'd on Page 46
Boehner comments on immigration draw fire WASHINGTON: House Speaker John Boehner drew criticism from left and right over comments mocking his own Republican lawmakers for their reluctance to take up immigration legislation, rekindling election-year debate on the contentious issue even as President Barack Obama weighs acting on his own. Boehner said at a Rotary Club lunch at home in Ohio that House Republicans don't have the appetite to deal with immigration because it's too tough. He imitated them whining in protest, ``'Ohh don't make me do this, ohh this is too hard.''' Latino advocates and Capitol Hill Democrats responded with derision, saying it's Boehner's job as leader of the House to bring the issue to a vote, not to
blame others. ``He's acting like he's not the speaker of the House,'' said Lynn Tramonte, deputy director of America's Voice, an immigra-
issue, he needs to stand up for House Republicans, instead of catering to the media and special interest groups,'' said Rep. Raul La-
House Speaker John Boehner
tion advocacy group. Some conservatives also were not amused. ``If he wants the Republican Conference to follow him on this
brador, R-Idaho, who's been a leading voice in the House on immigration. ``The problem is Obama, not House Republicans.'' Boehner's comments come as
comprehensive immigration legislation remains stalled in the House 10 months after Senate passage and election-year pressure grows on Obama to take steps on his own to stem deportations and address the estimated 11 million immigrants living in this country illegally. Even while ordering up a review by his Homeland Security secretary on how to improve the nation's deportations policy, Obama has sought to keep the pressure on the House for at least awhile longer. Boehner has previously cautioned that any executive action by Obama would poison whatever chances remain for bipartisan cooperation on immigration. Cont'd on Page 46
Immigration Post
May 2, 2014
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Obama`s paradoxical deportation policies
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resident Obama has been called the Deporter in Chief as he has presided over nearly 2 million deportations during his presidency - higher than that of any other President. On the other hand, President Obama has also rolled out some of the most innovative prosecutorial discretion policies, which include granting deferred action to hundreds of thousand immigrants who came to the United States when they were young. A revealing article in the Los Angeles Times shows that the high number of deportations is largely misleading. The likelihood of an undocumented individual already in the United States who has developed ties being deported has lessened considerably under President Obama. Even people with removal orders can seek a stay of removal if they establish that they are deserving of prosecutorial discretion under the Morton June 17, 2011 Memo. Young immigrants who arrived in the United States prior to the age of 16 and who meet other conditions can apply for deferred action, along with work authorization, under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
CYRUS D. MEHTA
dited removal to persons who are present in the United States without having been admitted or paroled and who are apprehended within 100 miles from the southern border and who also cannot prove that they were physically present in the country continuously for the preceding 14 days. This rule was expanded to all borders on January 30, 2006. This is not to suggest that the increased use of expedited removal to recent border crossers does not have devastating effects and should not be remedied through immigration reform measures, since many of these crossers are entering the United States to join family members. Still, it is the expanded use of expedited removal that has resulted in an increase of deportations, when under prior administrations, such persons were informally returned from the United States without terming them as deportations. Once a recent border crosser is expeditiously removed, a reentry into the United States also carries severe criminal penalties unlike a 'voluntary return." On the other hand, a person who has been in the United States for a longer period is less likely be placed in the
The people who are being deported, and are part of the increased statistics, are those who recently crossed the border without inspection and are apprehended within 100 miles from the border. Under previous administrations, such people were informally bused back outside the United States The people who are being deported, and are part of the increased statistics, are those who recently crossed the border without inspection and are apprehended within 100 miles from the border. Under previous administrations, such people were informally bused back outside the United States in what was known as "voluntary returns." Under the Obama administration, these people are fingerprinted and issued formal deportation orders. INA section 235(b)(1), which was enacted by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, granted authority to expeditiously remove persons at the border who are deemed inadmissible under INA sections 212(a)(6)(C) for making a material misrepresentation or 212(a)(7) for not possessing valid visa documents. On August 11, 2004, DHS promulgated a rule to expand expe-
removal proceedings, and even if this person is issued a Notice to Appear before an Immigration Judge, he or she can have a shot at requesting prosecutorial discretion under President Obama's administration than before, which will result in either administrative closure or termination of the case. Unfortunately, the majority of people who came to the attention of the immigration enforcement authorities within the interior, resulting in deportation proceedings, are those who got arrested for minor offenses. As an aside and consistent with the topic of this article, there are instances when it can be more beneficial for a person to be placed in removal proceedings than not. Pursuant to INA section 240A(b), an individual who meets 10 years of physical presence, good moral character for this entire period and can demonstrate exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to
qualifying relatives who are either citizens or permanent residents can obtain cancellation of removal, leading to lawful permanent resident status. The hardship standard is extremely high and needs to be sub-
Immigration advocates and allies have criticized President Obama for increasing deportations without truly bringing about genuine immigration reform. stantially beyond the hardship that would ordinarily be expected to result from the alien's deportation, as demonstrated in cases such as Matter of Monreal, 23 I&N Dec. 53 (BIA 2001); Matter of Andazola, 23 I&N Dec. 319 (BIA 2002) where cancellation was denied; and Matter of Recinas, 23 I&N Dec. 467 (BIA 2002) where it was granted. Another advantage of being in removal proceedings is to escape the 3 year bar based on unlawful presence of more than 180 days but less than 1 year pursuant to INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I). Departing the United States under a grant of voluntary departure, which is issued prior to the alien accruing 1 year of unlawful presence, and after the commencement of proceedings, may allow this alien to reenter the United States without being subject to the 3-year bar. Finally, another tactical advantage to being placed in removal proceedings is when an application for adjustment of status is denied, and the best way to get a second chance is to have an Immigration Judge review the adjustment application de novo in proceedings. The irony is that ICE is often reluctant to put a person under these circumstances in removal proceedings because it is does not have the resources, and is also of the view that as an enforcement agency, it is contrary to the agency's mission to place someone in removal so that he or she can ultimately secure an immigration benefit. One note of caution is that those who came into the United States on a visa waiver should not consider requesting a removal proceeding as they have waived their right to a removal hearing under INA section 217(b). President Obama used the in-
creased deportation statistics to show that he was enforcing the law, but this has backfired among his critics. Those who favor stricter enforcement are not satisfied with the record increase in deportations by pointing to the Administration's expanded prosecutorial discretion policies that has resulted in the deferring of thousands of deportations. Enforcement advocates in Congress use the President's expanded prosecutorial discretion policies, while conveniently ignoring the spike in deportations, as an excuse to delay immigration reform and cooperating with the President. At the same time, immigration advocates and allies have criticized President Obama for increasing deportations without truly bringing about genuine immigration reform. After the passage of the S. 744, the Senate's immigration reform bill last year, there is now a stalemate where the prospects of immigration reform in the House have almost evaporated despite unanimous agreement that the immigration system is broken. If President Obama desires to cement his legacy with respect to immigration reform, he may not be
of employment and family immigrant visa petitions. In an eloquent New York Times editorial entitled Yes He Can, On Immigration, the following is worth extracting: "Mr. Obama may argue that he can't be too aggressive in halting deportations because that will make the Republicans go crazy, and there's always hope for a legislative solution. He has often seemed like a bystander to the immigration stalemate, watching the wheels spin, giving speeches and hoping for the best. It's hard to know when he will finally stir himself to do something big and consequential." The President must no longer fear doing something big and consequential on the immigration front. Some may justifiably fear that if the President ameliorates the plight of undocumented people through administrative reform measures, another President can quickly undo them; and therefore it is best for Congress to enact immigration reform. Administrative remedies are clearly no substitute for comprehensive immigration reform passed through Congress, but it would be hard for a future President to undo wise administrative
It would be hard for a future President to undo wise administrative reform measures that provide a fix to a broken immigration system. For example, DACA benefits have already been granted to hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who have been able to graduate from college and find jobs. able to achieve it through this Congress. In the past, President Obama has indicated that he does not have the authority to further expand prosecutorial discretion, but this may have to change. The only way for the President to fulfill the promise he has made to so many who voted for him is to go about it on his own through administrative policy changes. The Executive branch can expand deferred action to a broader group of people, which could include family members of DACA recipients and those who have US citizen children. The prosecutorial discretion guidelines under the Morton Memo ought to be further strengthened to ensure that they are not ignored by ICE officials, as many are wont to do. The parole in place policy for relatives of military personnel can be expanded to benefit those who are on the pathway to permanent residency if they are beneficiaries
reform measures that provide a fix to a broken immigration system. For example, DACA benefits have already been granted to hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who have been able to graduate from college and find jobs. It would be politically imprudent for a future President to undo DACA. Indeed, S. 744, the bipartisan reform bill that was passed by the Senate, incorporates DACA and places DACA recipients on a faster track to permanent residency. If President Obama implements bold administrative measures, it would be difficult for a future administration to undo them, and it is likely that a future Congress will have no choice but to readily adopt them into law. * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com
Immigration Post
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Illegal immigrant could get Boehner comments on immigration draw fire law license under bill TALLAHASSEE, Fla.: The Florida Senate passed a bill that would allow the Supreme Court to issue law licenses to immigrants in the country unlawfully. The bill passed on a 25-12 vote. It's a response to a Supreme Court decision last month that said people in the country illegally can't be issued law licenses. The case involved Jose Godinez-Samperio, who is seeking his license after passing the bar in
Jose Godinez-Samperio
2011. Godinez-Samperio came to the United States with his parents on tourist visas when he was 9. They remained in the country after the visas expired. The court said GodinezSamperio is an excellent candidate to become a lawyer, but the immigration status made him unqualified. It suggested the Legislature could pass a law to allow someone in his position to get a license. -AP
Israeli push for visa-free travel to US faces test Cont'd from Page 44
But there are signs Israel may be moving closer to its goal. The State Department recently told Congress it would work with Israel to help it meet the program's requirement that members approve 97 percent of U.S. visa applications. A bill that gives the president the authority to waive that condition for Israel appears to be gaining momentum. And a senior Israeli official suggested his government could provide greater travel rights to Palestinian-Americans. In an interview last month, Zeev Elkin, Israel's deputy foreign minister, said his country will now allow Palestinian-Americans to begin entering the country through Tel Aviv's David Ben Gurion Airport. But it's unclear when that might happen. The Israeli Embassy
in Washington declined to comment; the Israeli Foreign ministry wouldn't elaborate on Elkin's claims but pledged to cooperate with U.S. officials. ``This topic is very important to us,'' spokeswoman Nolga Katz said.
Zeev Elkin, Israel's deputy foreign minister, said his country will now allow Palestinian-Americans to begin entering the country through Tel Aviv's David Ben Gurion Airport. Regardless, U.S. officials are likely to demand more changes from Israel to ensure full reciprocity. These include allowing Pales-
tinian-American tourists permission to enter and exit using their U.S. passports instead of Palestinian identification documents and granting them access to any border crossing available to other Americans. The other criteria for Israel's entry into the program should be easier to meet. About one in three Israelis between 21 and 26 who applied for U.S. visas last year were rejected, with the U.S. government deciding they either couldn't support themselves or were likely to remain in the country illegally after their 90-day visas expired. The spike in rejections has angered Israel and its champions in Washington, who've accused U.S. consular authorities of acting arbitrarily and, by raising the overall refusal rate, making it harder for Israel to qualify for visa-free travel. -AP
Obama praises restaurant owner for wage bump NEW YORK: A New York City restaurant owner who is raising her workers' pay to $10 an hour was praised by President Barack Obama during his weekly national address. Egyptian immigrant Yasmin Ibrahim told the Daily News she was thrilled and honored after hearing her story re-
counted by the commander in chief. She employs 10 workers at her Manhattan restaurant Desi Shack and some make $8 an hour. Ibrahim says she wrote to Obama after hearing about a Minneapolis pizzeria owner who decided to raise his work-
ers' pay during Obama's January State of the Union address. She says the story inspired her because she knows just how expensive New York can be. During his address, Obama says Ibrahim's decision makes good business sense because it will help retain talented workers. -AP
Cont'd from Page 44
But Boehner's staff downplayed the speaker's comments, saying they were not meant to send a signal and that the speaker has said similar things before in private settings. ``As the speaker often says to his colleagues, you only tease the ones you love,'' said spokesman Brendan Buck. In fact, Boehner has repeatedly blamed Obama for inaction on immigration reform, saying he's destroyed trust with Republicans through executive action on other fronts. That made Boehner's comments blaming the House GOP more notable. Under fire, Boehner's office once again retrained the focus on Obama. ``As the speaker has said
many times, he believes step-bystep reform is important, but it won't happen until the president builds trust and demonstrates a commitment to the rule of law,'' said Buck. There were fresh signs it might
``As the speaker often says to his colleagues, you only tease the ones you love,'' said spokesman Brendan Buck. not happen at all this year. Majority Leader Eric Cantor issued a memo on the legislative agenda for spring that made no mention of immigration. -AP
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Philosophy
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Page Sponsored by Sahanis Yogi Srikrishna Prem (Ronald Nixon)
A
ll know Sri Krishna's state ment that he comes for the salvation of the good and for the destruction of the wicked, but, if this is a mere historical fact, if this destruction of the wicked merely took place at the end of Dwapara Yuga, then it will be but small consolation to those who seek salvation now, or are oppressed by the wicked in this twentieth century. If on the other hand, it is said that He saves the good and destroys the wicked at all times, then it will not be clear what is the necessity of Avatars at all. In the first place, who are these wicked ones who are destroyed by the Lord? We all like to flatter ourselves that we are the good, and that those who oppose us are the wicked. Did not both parties in the late war pray to God utterly to destroy their wicked enemies and to save their righteous selves? It pleases us to think that all our misfortunes are the result of the wickedness of our oppressors and that, if they were destroyed or converted, we should be perfectly all right. But this is an entire delusion. It is not external enemies who oppress us, but we ourselves who oppress ourselves. "The self, verily, is the friend of
V
allabhacharya strongly believed that Brahm means personal God - the Supreme Being and he could not accept the nirgun and nirakar nature of Brahm. He firmly believed that God is in the personal form only so as to accept his devotion and services (seva bhakti). The difference in Vallabhacharya's tradition and other Vaishnav Acharyas' tradition is in the style of worship or devotion and in the use of specific terminologies. In Vallabhacharya's tradition, also known as Pushti Marg, the initiation to the tradition means "brahmsambandh." The word "pushti" literary means "the grace of God" and "brahmsambandh," literary, means the relationship (sambandh) or union of the soul with Brahm (the supreme entity or God). Brahmsambandh is needed to transform the ordinary jiv (soul) to Pushti jiv (pure or graced soul). "Pushti Marg" means the path of spiritual nourishment and of the grace of God. The one who is admitted to the Pushti Marg gets the kind of purity of one's soul, which is needed to be eligible to pursue bhakti (meaning, the daily worshiping or services called seva of the murti (as if it is living deity) which is known as Pushti Swaroop) and relationship with God (Brahm). The pure love for God (Shri
the self; and the self also is the enemy of the self." (Gita.) He who appears to oppress me from without is but the instrument of my own karma; his destruction would in no way lessen my sufferings. It is my own evil desires and tendencies that are my oppressors; it is they who cause me to suffer; and it is they who are the wicked who must be destroyed. But how is the fact that an
In reality, the actions of an Avatara are all symbolic, and were performed in order to teach desireblind mortals those inner truths which they are not able to perceive with their own unaided vision. That the Supreme Reality is One, but yet exists in many forms; that all this vast universe exists within that one Reality; that all powers, 'bad' as well as 'good', issue forth from Him and in the end return to
benefit by these acts are always operating in our hearts and in the world, now just as much as five thousand years ago. Now, as then the people are oppressed by evil rulers, but those rulers are not any material kings. It is kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed) and moha (delusion), who are the true rulers of this world; our so-called kings are merely puppets in their hands. It is
Will Krishna be born again to destroy present evil?
Yogi Srikrishna Prem (Ronald Nixon)
Now, as then the people are oppressed by evil rulers, but those rulers are not any material kings. It is kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed) and moha (delusion), who are the true rulers of this world; our so-called kings are merely puppets in their hands.
Avatara took place in Dwapara Yuga, or at any other time, going to effect the destruction of the six enemies so firmly established in my heart? In fact it is not going to do so if my idea of an Avatara is merely one of some wondrous Divine hero who descended on this earth long ago, performed His marvelous feats and then vanished once more.
Him; that He is the inner Self of all beings; and that no bonds can bind the man who attains to Him. It is for this reason that the Lilas of Krishna are said to be nitya (eternal). It is not that Sri Krishna is forever beheading an eternally terrified Kansa in an eternal Muttra (Mathura), but that the spiritual laws which are symbolized for our
they who oppress us with their tyranny and shut us up in the prison of the body. There, in the darkness of our hearts, the birth of Sri Krishna has to take place or else there can be no salvation for us. Excerpted from the essay 'The Birth of Sri Krishna' in the 1938 book 'The Search for Truth' published by Book Land, Calcutta
Krishna in His child manifestation) is shown through seva (services to God) and smaran (remembering God). In Pushti Marg the exclusive rights to grant brahmsambandh are only given to the descendants of Shri Vallabhacharya. In Pushti Marg, the enjoyment of God's bliss and God's grace are considered as the primary goals of the devotee, seeking the liberation
tradition of Vallabhacharya and the tradition of Chaitanya are almost similar except some minor differences in worshiping. Vallabhacharya's tradition is known as the path of grace of God or "Pushti Marg." According to Vallabhacharya's philosophy, as with other Vaishnav philosophy, there are also three basic realities: soul, universe, and
universe and souls) itself. Brahm desired to become many so He became individual souls and the universe. It is the pure Brahm that is the effect (karya) and cause (karan) of this world. According to this philosophy, though the knowledge (gnan) of God is needed, it is the devotion to God or bhakti which is considered as the means of lib-
Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts. - Paramahansa Yogananda God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. - Reinhold Niebuhr If you don't like something, change it. If you
'Pushti Marg' means the path of spiritual nourishment Maya is not regarded as unreal but as real and the power of Ishwar. Ishwar is both the creator and the creation (which includes universe and souls) itself. Brahm desired to become many so He became individual souls and the universe. is secondary to it. Achieving the knowledge (gnan) - brahmgnan or atmagnan is not considered as important as the personal services (seva) to God for the liberation. Vallabhacharya was a contemporary of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Just as Chaitanya's tradition is known by the Kirtan Bhakti of adult Krishna, Vallabhacharya's tradition is known by the Seva Bhakti of child Krishna (Lalji). Philosophy wise both traditions - the
God. Soul is characteristically not much different than God. However, God or the Supreme Being is believed to be the whole (purna), whereas, individual soul is a part (ansh) of it. Soul, itself, is Brahm with one attribute bliss or happiness (Anand). It is considered both doer (kartr) and enjoyer (bhoktr). Maya is not regarded as unreal but as real and the power of Ishwar. Ishwar is both the creator and the creation (which includes
can't change it, change your attitude. - Maya Angelou You must be the change you wish to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher's help. - Bodhidharma All action results from
Vallabhacharya
eration. The philosophy stresses utmost love, devotion (bhakti), activities related to personified God and complete servitude to God rather than aiming the goal for the liberation called "Mukti". Excerpted from TRUTH - True Understanding of the Hinduism at justforkidsonly.com The 535th birth anniversary of Vallabhacharya was observed on April 25
thought, so it is thoughts that matter. - Sai Baba Divine desperateness is the beginning of spiritual awakening because it gives rise to the aspiration for God-realisation. - Meher Baba
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NEW JERSEY Upcoming
NEW YORK Upcoming
• Ek Shaam Desh Ke Naam
Sun, May 4 • Cinco De Mayo Brunch Party
Venue: Crown of India, 660 Plainsboro Rd, Plainsboro Township, NJ 08536 Time: 4:30pm Contact: 609-339-9959
Venue: Hudson Terrace, 621 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036 Time: 12:30 pm Contact: 908-403-7045
Sat, May 10
Fri, May 9 • The Gundecha Brothers
Sun, May 4
• Sonu Nigam Close To My Soul - NJ Venue:Sun National Bank Center, 81 Hamilton Ave. at Rt. 129, Trenton, NJ 08611 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 718-639-9200
Sun, May 11 • Karthikudan Oru maalai ilaveyil Neram Venue: Montgomery High School, 1016 Route 601,, Skillman, NJ 08558 Time: 3: 00 pm
May 2, 2014
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Upcoming
Upcoming
Fri, May 2 • Smith Center Presents! ComedySportz Comedy
-
Improv
Venue: Smith Center at Ohlone College 43600 Mission Blvd, Fremont CA Time : 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
ILLINOIS Upcoming
Sat, May 3 • Udit Narayan - Alka Yagnik Live In Concert
Mukund Hindi Classes are held
Venue: Jordan High School Auditorium,
Month
6500 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90805
Chicago Satsang Information:
Time: 6:00 pm
J K Yog, Chicago - Swami Mukundananda Venue: Clarion Inn/Waterford Banquets,
• J K Yog Satsang and Bal every 2nd and 4rth Sunday of
Venue: Helen Mills Theater, 137-139 West 26th Street,Between 6th & 7th Avenues, New York, NY 10001 Time : 7:00 pm Contact : 718-246-2493
Contact: (510) 659-6031
Contact: 310-715-3030
Sat, May 3 • Udit Narayan - Alka Yagnik
Sun, May 18 • IFDA Spring Fest
Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126 Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok
Sat, May 17
Venue: Jordan High School Auditorium,
Venue: Silver Creek High Auditorium, 3434 Silver Creek Rd, San Jose, CA 95121
@ 630-561-4807
Time: 3:30 pm
Website: www.jkyog.org
Board Room, 933 South Riverside
Live In Concert
• A Bollywood Summer Cruise 2014
6500 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach,
Venue: New York Sky Port and Aviation Marina, 2430 FDR Dr, New York, NY 10010 Time: 06:15 pm Contact : 917-771-9030
Time: 6 pm
CA 90805 Contact: 310-715-3030
Contact: 408-238-4034
ATLANTA Upcoming
Sun, May 4 • Shakti 2014- Discover the beauty of Indian Folk
Sun, May 3 • EGO Atlanta Exhibition
Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple,
Venue: Boutique, 166 East Crogan Street,
420-450 Persian Drive, Sunnyvale, CA
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
94089
Time: 1:00 pm Contact: 415-260-7441
Time: 11:30 am
Prana Prathishta Mahotsavam of Anjaneya Swami, Ayyappa Swami, Durga Matha, Nava Graha's and Sri Kanyaka Parameswari (Vasavi Matha)
1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @
Contact: 408-687-5823
June 5th to 8th • Ugadi Celebrations
Time: 3:30pm-5:30pm
Sat, May 10 • Shilanyas Pooja
630-561-4807 Website: www.jkyog.org/bal-mukund
Venue: Shiv Mandir of Atlanta, 890 Peachtree Blvd, Sugar Hill, GA 30518 Time: 10:00 am Contact: 408-840-0214
Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family
Venue: Hindu Temple of St Louis, 725
Fri, May 23 • An Evening Of Global Music
Weidman Road, St. Louis, MO 63011
Venue: Berkmar High School, 405
Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL,
Time: 6 pm
Pleasant Hill Road, Lilburn, GA 30047
Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm
Contact: (636) - 230-3300
Time: 7:30pm
Services
Contact: 773-465-3105
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51 India Post
May 2, 2014
TAMPA BAY, FL: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a biopic on legendary athlete Milkha Singh, has become the top prize winner at the 15th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, taking home five major honors including best actor, best director and best picture. Farhan Akhtar, 40, who hosted the ceremony with Shahid Kapoor, bagged the best actor trophy for his powerful portrayal of Singh in the sports drama. Deepika Padukone, 28, nominated in the best actress category for three of her films, won the award for Chennai Express. The Flying Sikh, who attended the awards gala, got a standing ovation as the biopic on his life received the best picture honor.
Director Mehra handed him the award, saying, "I don't deserve this." Milkha, who was actively involved during the filming of the biopic, got emotional and said, "I am thankful to IIFA for bringing me here and giving me respect. I have cried three-four times in my life. Whenever I see the film I cry. When I was sitting here now I was in tears seeing the love and recognition the film got." Bhaag Milkha Bhaag also won in the best story category along with best supporting actress for Divya Dutta, who played the role of Milkha's sister. Shatrughan honored Shatrughan Sinha was honored with the Lifetime achievement award for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema and the Bollywood veteran dedicated the recognition to the people of his hometown Patna. His daughter and actress Sonakshi Sinha and actor Anil
The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag team with India’s star athlete Milkha Singh(R) at the IIFA awards
Kapoor jointly presented the award to Shatrughan, who has acted in more than 200 Hindi mov-
ies besides Punjabi and Bangla cinema. Mayor of Tampa Bay Bob
Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan and singer Mika Singh performing during the IIFA Technical Awards in Tampa, Florida
Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey presents IIFA 2014 Best Actress Award to Deepika Padukone
Buckhorm joined them in bestowing award to the 67-year-old actor, who is also known as "Shotgun Sinha". While introducing her father, Sonakshi said, "I am introducing someone who is a special person in my life and he will always remain so. He is powerful, loving, honest, strong, caring and genuine. Shatrughan started the speech with his trademark dialogue 'Khamosh'.
"I am thankful to IIFA and the audience for their love and appreciation. With all humility I accept this award. I feel the lifetime achievement award means there are still miles for me to go ahead. I am grateful to my wife for her continuous support, Sonakshi is the daughter of the family and pride of the masses. I dedicate this award to the people of Patna, Bihar my hometown," Shatrughan said. Cont'd on Page 54
52 India Post
May 2, 2014 www.indiapost.com
Jaipur Literature Festival to travel to London NEW DELHI: The vibrant energies of the annual Jaipur Literature Festival, which attracts over 250,000 visitors annually in India, are set to travel to London this May for a day-long edition of the
literary extravaganza. Partnering with South Bank Centre for their annual festival of South Asian culture 'Alchemy', Jaipur Lit Fest will bring a creative group of writers and
thinkers, poets and balladeers to UK on May 18. Alchemy, which will run from May 15-26, celebrates art and culture of countries of the Indian subcontinent and their relationship with the United Kingdom. In true Jaipur Literature Festival fashion, the day will begin with music and finish with a debate. A day ticket will be available to allow visitors to sample an incredible range of talks in the Queen Elizabeth Hall. With a range of talks scheduled on topics including 'The Great Indian Metropolis', 'Myth and Memory',' Bollywood via London', 'Sunset on Empire' and 'Who will rule the World?', the intellectual and creative flavors of the literary jamboree are set to be witnessed in London. "We can't wait to show London
No secret - it was all planned!
I
t's official. Rani Mukerji is now Mrs Rani Chopra. The actress tied the knot with her long-time partner, Aditya Chopra, on April 21 and going by her statement, "it was a beautiful wedding in the Italian countryside with just a few of our close relatives and friends with us". Though it's being made out that the wedding was a spur of the moment decision taken while on an Italian holiday, a visit to the (late) Yash Chopra's house revealed that Aditya's mother Pamela had left for Italy around April 10. "Madam left with a lot of bag and baggage," the watchman on duty told Mirror. Meanwhile, Rani's staff at Juhu's Theosophical Society said that her bungalow was under renovation, possibly prepping for the newly weds. "Shabnam Gupta is doing the interiors and our guess is that madam has been staying at Vikas Park (Aditya Chora's residence) since the renovation began," they informed. Buzz is, Rani has been shopping for her trousseau for the past several weeks and
picked up around 12-13 designer outfits from a Juhu boutique outside her mother's home in Janki Kutir. Rani and Aditya left with his brother Uday, her parents, Ram and Krishna Mukerji, brother Raja and sister-in-law Jyoti on April 18 for Italy. The couple's best friend Karan Johar flew out a day later. Rani's bosom pal, choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant also joined the group. Another friend of the bride (name withheld on request) revealed that she had kept the wed-
ding a closely-guarded secret from almost everybody. "When we asked her what she was getting ready for, she simply said that she was going for a holiday," said the friend. Uday was keen that his ladylove Nargis Fakhri be present at the shaadi. But the actress was shooting for her international film, Spy, at Budapest and couldn't make it. Rani's cousin Ayan and her uncle Deb Mukerji were conspicuous by their absence.
Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra
a little taste of the energy, color and literary brilliance, which has brought this about. At the Southbank Centre, some of our greatest contemporary writers and thinkers will bridge cultural, geographical and historical divides, taking our audiences on a
tors annually. Previous participants include Dalai Lama, Amartya Sen, Oprah Winfrey, Vikram Seth, Jhumpa Lahiri, Tash Aw, VS Naipaul, Taiye Selasi, Reza Aslan, Orhan Pamuk, Jung Chang, Jonathan Franzen and JM Coetzee.
journey right across the globe," said Festival Co-Director William Dalrymple. "For the fifth anniversary year of Alchemy, we are hosting the Jaipur Literature Festival as it visits the UK for the first time. The Jaipur Literature Festival is one of the largest, greatest and most innovative literature festivals in the world and to welcome it to the Southbank Centre as part of Alchemy is a real privilege," Jude Kelly, Artistic Director, Southbank Centre said in a statement here. Started in 2006 with only 18 authors, the Jaipur Literature Festival has grown to become the largest free literary festival in the world, with close to 250,000 visi-
"Within India, Jaipur Literature Festival has grown to become a cultural catalyst, a colorful carnival of books, ideas and music. We are excited to be bringing this energy and some of our region's finest writers to London audiences this May, extending the reach of the Jaipur Literature Festival across the globe," Festival co-director Namita Gokhale said. With a range of both ticketed and free events - from concerts by music stars to a food market in Southbank Centre Square, free fashion shows in the foyers to DJs spinning their discs alongside the River Thames - the site will come alive with the energy and vividness of work from and inspired by South Asia. -PTI
India Post 53
May 2, 2014 www.indiapost.com
London stage hit 'Privacy' turns data into drama LONDON: ``Privacy,'' a new drama that has London buzzing, is probably the first play to open with a request that the audience keep their smartphones switched on. It's certainly the first to have theatergoers snapping selfies before the intermission. By the end, they may be tempted to throw those phones out the window. James Graham's exciting, interactive and alarming drama suggests that our smartphones and computers know us better than we know ourselves. The play asks whether privacy is dead in an era when millions share their innermost thoughts on social media, mobile phones act as electronic trackers and government snoops hoover up vast amounts of data on their citizens. Graham insists the play is not arguing ``that we should all dump our iPhones in the dustbin.'' Despite months of eye-opening research, he still has a smartphone and a Twitter account. ``We wanted to say, look, a lot of this stuff is amazing, but we have to keep constantly checking in and going, is the balance right?'' he said. ``The amount we share ... has changed radically in the past five years in a way I think it hasn't in the past 500 years.'' The play, which opened at
pectedly thrilling conducted 60 hours of interviews with dozens of researchers, politicians, civil liberties activists and spies. A cast of six plays everyone
entation from an individual's Facebook ``likes.'' Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden appears, too, as do the Guardian newspaper journalists who published his leaked documents revealing details of U.S. spies' ability to snoop on vast amounts of electronic communications. But what could have been just an illustrated lecture is elevated by Rourke's snappy staging, deft performances and innovative use of audience participation. Before long, members of the audience are taking selfies and emailing them in. Soon theatergoers' home addresses, occupations and much more Joshua McGuire performs during the play 'Privacy' by James Graham in London. "Privacy," a new drama that has London buzzing, is probably the first play to open with a request are being beamed on that audience members keep their smartphones switched on, rather than off. It's certainly big screens to the authe first to have theatergoers snapping selfies midway through the first act. dience. Fittingly enough, Internet and the meaning of iden- from the former head of British spy Graham and Rourke hope viewers agency GCHQ to the inventor of will keep the details of the show's tity in an online age. Graham - a 31-year-old the supermarket loyalty card and more dramatic revelations private. wunderkind whose last play, Cambridge University academics But on opening night, some audi``This House,'' made backroom who say they can infer everything ence members audibly gasped at British politics in the 1970s unex- from political views to sexual ori- how much their electronic devices London's Donmar Warehouse, follows a fictional writer and a director - ``better-looking, thinner, younger versions of us,'' quips the play's real director, Josie Rourke as they explore the power of the
disclosed. During intermission, the theater was full of people hastily changing the privacy settings on their phones. That's music to the ears of the writer and the director. ``Part of the ambition of the show is to have people understand what the relationship is between them and their data ... be that Facebook, Google or the security services,'' Rourke said. ``What are they taking, what am I giving, what do I want, what am I happy with?'' ``Privacy'' is the latest hit for the Donmar, which has an influence far bigger than its 270 seats and a strong record of attracting younger theatergoers. The company recently had fans lining up around the block to see ``Thor'' star Tom Hiddleston in Shakespeare's grueling tragedy ``Coriolanus.'' Graham said his goal with ``Privacy'' was to make a complex issue feel urgent by making it ``about people's shopping and about people's relationships and about people's love life and about people's feelings, about people's sexuality, about people's politics.'' ``If we can do that and also have people leave at 10 o'clock at night going `I really enjoyed myself at the theater,' then that for me is the pure reason why I became a writer,'' he said. -AP
Milkha wins again -Bollywood/ Hollywood stars mingle in Tampa Bay Cont'd from Page 52
The actor-turned-politician is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for BJP from Patna Sahib seat in Bihar. Deepika's lucky year Deepika's 'Ram-Leela' co-star Ranveer Singh handed her the best actress award for her performance in Rohit Shetty's blockbuster.
Madhuri Dixit dances at the IIFA awards
"2013 was a lucky year for me and I think I have proved 13 is not an unlucky number. I thank my parents as they allowed me to pursue my dream. I left home with one suitcase when I was 18-yearold. I think I have a long way to go but I do feel I am on the right path," Deepika said after receiving
the award. Deepika was also honored with the best entertainer of the
Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Sonakshi Sinha at International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) function in Florida, US
Sonakshi Sinha performs during the IIFA Technical Awards at Union Amphitheatre
year award, which was handed to her by Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey.
I love Deepika: Travolta TAMPA BAY, FL: Hollywood actor John Travolta was all praise for Ram-Leela star Deepika Padukone as he attended IIFA gala in US. "I recently saw the Romeo and Juliet film, Ram-Leela. In that the first musical number was wow. I love the actress in Ram-Leela, (Deepika Padukone) she is amazing," he said. Travolta was honored with the most popular International star of all time award at IIFA."I think awards like IIFA has a lot of credibility. I am happy to be a part of the grand celebration this year. There are so many awards (in the west) that the
charm of the Oscars have diminished. No one can see the difference between the Golden Globes or the Oscars, I think in yours this (IIFA) is the big one and your country and people approve that," he said. The Oscar winner said he is currently considering a role in a Bollywood movie. He is likely to star in director Shekhar Kapur's highly anticipated film Paani. ``I cannot deny music and dance in my life,'' he told reporters. ``It is part of my soul. This is part of most of Bollywood's films and I agree with it.''
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May 2, 2014
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Civil-Military equations growing tense in Pak
R
Under Kayani's leadership, the military did not want to overtly interfere. It was not his style either. It kept a distance from the trial. Only during the last one month, developments in the hospital, statements from the learned court and the political leadership had started affecting the morale of the military. No professional force would like to see its former leader being dragged by the court and on cases linked with treason. This Prime Minister, or his two PPP predecessors made serious attempts to strengthen the institutions that would act as a bulwark against any military intervention in the future. Unless the above two happens - that the Prime Minister enjoys unrestricted support by the people of Pakistan, and there are strong institutions with grass root support, civilian supremacy over military will remain a distant dream. The only difference in the last fifteen years - have been the growth of media and asserPakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Raheel Sharif tion of the judiciary. Never before the deal with maturity along with un- then. The hostility, in fact today military and its ISI have been quesderstanding the current situation. is so strong, that even after the tioned, as it is being done today It appears the Prime Minister retirement of Iftikhar Chaudhry, it in the media. The reports and decannot be faulted totally on Gen- continues, as one could observe bate in print and electronic media eral Musharraf's treason case. True, from the harsh statements made over the attack on Hamid Mir Nawaz Sharif has an issue with him, by the learned judges in the Court. would highlight this fact. Same is for deposing him as the Prime Min- Nor did the counsel of Musharraf the case with the judiciary; never ister, jailing and subsequently exil- make the situation better for him. before in the history of Pakistan ing him. Sharif will always nurse Does the above mean, Sharif had there been a more assertive that grudge against Musharraf. is innocent vis-a-vis the ongoing and independent judiciary. However, the primary question But is the treason case, how treason case against Musharraf? much ever it appear as politically Hardly. Sharif understood the remains the same. The strength of not expedient, to be blamed only underlying currents in the judi- political parties, civilian instituon Nawaz Sharif? When Musharraf ciary and the lack of popular sup- tions, inclusive governance and decided to return to Pakistan, he port for the former dictator, and support for a democratic process was well aware what he was get- used it to his advantage as he let - all four are closely interlinked; unless there are considerable tranting into. the trial continue. In fact, if the news reports and Keeping in mind the larger in- sitions and positive outputs on other stories are to be believed, the terests of the country, Sharif could these four, the military will remain former chief of army staff and have avoided the trial, or reached as the most dominant institution. Musharraf's successor - General an understanding and let Not because it is cohesive and Kayani did advice him not to return. Musharraf leave for Dubai si- unified, but because the other inFor want of any other phrase to ex- lently under one pretext or the stitutions are divided and weak. If Sharif attempts to assert himplain his decision, caught by the other. "Musharraf syndrome" of things Though Musharraf was ada- self against the military, he has to that none can explain, he had de- mant during the initial phase of strengthen the institutions and the cided to come back to Pakistan. his return for any such plan, he process of governance. Else, What did Musharraf have in should have understood later, things will remain the same, how mind when he landed in Karachi? that there was not much of a sup- much ever they appear to be Did he think that the entire Paki- port either at the popular level, or changing. The writer is Director, IPCS stan would come down to Airport within the military. ecently, there were a series of statements and meetings highlighting a possible divide between the civilian leadership and the General Head Quarters (GHQ ). While the relationship between the two have never been cordial historically, the current round of tensions emanate from two ongoing political developments - the talks with the Taliban and the "treason" case against Gen Musharraf. Though two meetings between the civilian and military leadership seem to have defused the present tension, this is an issue that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Army Chief Raheel Sharif have to
India Post
D SUBA CHANDRAN
and receive him as a new messiah and saviour who had come to rescue the people? Didn't he realise there were enough cases against him, and that it would be a long drawn battle? Why did Musharraf decide to return, even against the advice of his own military? Obviously, he was not on a State visit. And he was returning more as a leader of a political party than the former military chief. Those who are today talking about the civil-military divide based on Musharraf's treason case ignore the above inherent hatred in the judicial system visa-vis Musharraf for what he did
Vicious campaign
E
lection time is nasty time. The worst about the opponent is dug up and put out for public view while your own alleged virtues are presented polished and pedestalled. While there has been no let up in the attacks on Modi from the "secularist" brigade, the latest salvo has been fired by BJP releasing a video about Robert Vadra's land deals called 'Damaadshri.' It claims that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law had violated several laws to acquire substantial land holdings in Haryana and Rajasthan under Congress regimes. To counter this, wife Priyanka says it is all lies and a host of Congress leaders have come to the defense of the party leader's son-in-law. To add to the fun, Aam Admi Party is asking the BJP why now? It had not supported the AAP when Arvind Kejriwal had exposed the land deals. This is an extreme of partisanship with AAP sounding the B-team of the Congress. If indeed there is merit in the charge of Robert Vadra making use of his family ties to the Congress chief to make a fortune, how has it lost its validity now? How is it unfair to expose this at election time? Why doesn't Robert Vadra reveal his assets, his bank accounts etc to prove that he has not done anything illegal? Why does Priyanka say merely, "Truth will come out." Why doesn't truth come out now? If indeed the courts have upheld that Vadra used fair means to acquire this fortune, how come he acquired this fortune only after marriage in the first family? The courts have also not indicted Narendra Modi. Does that absolve him from attacks on the issue of 2002 riots? The Congress has also launched return fire by intensifying attack on the 'Adani-Modi' nexus alleging that Gujarat industrialist Gautam Adani has thrived because Modi has granted him undue favors which the Congress calls "crony capitalism." Rahul Gandhi refers to it as "toffee model." He alleges that land of 45,000 acres has been given to Adani for Rs 300 crore. "This is a toffee model, not a Gujarat model. For Rs 1 you get a toffee. There land was sold at Rs 1 per sq meter." He also likes to say how "Advani is out and Adani is in" to highlight how Modi has ignored senior leaders in the BJP. In this abusive and low level campaign nothing is sacrosanct. If BJP candidate in Bihar says those not voting for Modi can go to Pakistan, our worthy minister from Kashmir Farooq Abdullah, also a former chief minister, has said those who vote for Modi should drown themselves. He also warned that if India becomes a "communal country, Jammu & Kashmir won't be part of it." Yoga guru Ramdev is unnecessarily delving into political matters of which he doesn't have much knowledge. His language doesn't entitle him to be called a guru. If he is angling for political position he needs to give up his yogi garb. There is need to caution him to confine himself to curing bodily ills. After his silly comment of Rahul Gandhi "honeymooning" in the jhuggis of the poor, he has been rightly banned by Election Commission from campaigning in Uttar Pradesh. In fact the Election Commission is at a loss how to contain the flood of hate speeches. It needs to be remembered that politicians are not shy of saying something and doing something else. Farooq Abdullah was once a minister in the NDA government of Atal Behari Vajpayee, and so was his son Omar Abdullah, the present chief minister. And not many eyebrows would be raised if some of the present critics quietly accept posts in a future Modi government. Those condemning the vituperative nature of the present campaign should remember all this is rhetoric to win votes. Once the results are in and governments are formed, the country would settle down to doing business.
May 2, 2014
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