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Dharun Ravi

Dharun Ravi has already suffered enough: Parents Details on page 6

VOL 17, No. 924

June 1, 2012

50¢

Periodical Postage

NATO MEET FAILS TO MOVE PAK

Leon Panetta

US Defense Secy going to India early June Details on page 5

First test flight of A-I Dreamliner successful

Gupta was on Rajaratnam's ‘important’ list

Details on page 5

Details on page 6

Anushka Jasraj wins C'wealth Short Story Prize

Big support for 'Chivukula for Congress' Details on page 11

Details on page 6

Ex-Yahoo exec and Indian American guilty

American Sikhs welcome Marriage Act

Details on page 7

Details on page 19

Kati Roll Co. among 50 fastest growing

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 34-35 Classifieds ------------------------- 48

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

US superpower status suffered after NATO summit?

Last week’s result

Should US compensate India for cutting Iran oil?

YES 76%

NO 24%

HARD NUTS: US President Barack Obama speaking with President Hamid Karzai (C) of Afghanistan and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at the McCormick Place Convention Center during the NATO Summit in Chicago on May 21

Community Post -------------- 10-22 Date Book -------------------------- 47 Edit Page --------------------------- 50

CHICAGO: The 60 countries' NATO summit held in Chicago recently ended with platitudes of generalizations with most of the issues that it was supposed to address remaining largely unresolved.

The US could not persuade its allies to pull together on the shape or size of financial and material help that the Free World would give after the troops withdrawal by 2014.

The tottering Karzai government headed by President Hamid Karzai put up a brave show despite the hard time

convincing the Free World friends to extend substantial support.

Fears are expressed that the Karzai government will have hard time facing the onslaught from Taliban, especially when Pakistan is less than lukewarm in extending support expected of it. It appears to many a seasoned observer that the US is slowly losing its grip as a superpower who could get away with its wish one way or the other.

Details on page 5

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

HealthScience Post --------- 39-41 Horoscope ------------------------- 23 Immigration Post ------------- 36-38 Life Style ----------------------- 24-28 Philosophy ------------------------- 49 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 42-43 TechBiz Post ------------------- 44-46 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 29-31

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his kid just can't seem to win with the media - he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. I am talking about Dharun Ravi (I'm sure all of you know about him by now) the former Rutgers student who has been sentenced to 30 days in prison for using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's sexual encounter with another man, in their shared dorm room.

Two years ago when Dharun's roommate Tyler Clementi committed suicide the media portrayed him as a murderer. But when during his trial it was established that he didn't do much of what the prosecution and the media accused him of, they rallied against a harsh punishment after the jury found him guilty.

But now, when the judge sentenced him to just 30 days in a county jail plus 3 years of probation, the same media is riled up because it's not enough. Gay activists too have see-sawed from symbolizing Dharun as a classic gay hater to not wanting to hang him as their poster boy, to now saying he should pay more.

So in the span of 20 months, Dharun has gone in the media's eyes from being a coldhearted gay basher to a harmless, immature kid to a remorseless man who got away too easily.

Like I said, he just can't win with the world - not for a long time to come at least. Like his sobbing mother said in her victim impact statement before his sentencing in the court, he definitely has a lot of burden to carry for the rest of his life.

For me, of the entire cast involved in this sensationalized drama, the only true hero is the honorable judge Glen Berman. His judgment was one of the wisest I have heard of in recent history, especially since he did not seem to particularly like Dharun or have any sympathy for him at any point. It was indeed a punishment that befit the crime, and in my mind, not a degree more, not one less.

As for Dharun, yeah, he has not heard the last of this yet.

BOSTON Gope Gidwani Bureau Chief

Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Shy Sunny Sunny Leone was shy and uncomfortable while filming lovemaking scenes in her Bolywood debut, Jism2.

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Cover Story: NATO failure The 60 countries' NATO summit held in Chicago recently ended without solving issues that it was supposed to address.

Community: Gujarat Day The highlight of grand celebration of Gujarat Day in Chicago was a live televised address by CM Narendra Modi.

Health: Fake drugs Most of malaria drugs tested over the past decade in Southeast Asia and Africa were either fake or of bad quality.

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Life Style: Screenplay award Indian American Amanda Sodhi recently won an Award for 'Best Screenplay' for her film Life! Camera Action...

Techbiz: Fastest growing Payal Saha’s Kati Roll Company has been named one of the 50 Fastest Growing Asian-American Businesses in the US.

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Travel: Mirik The wild flowers, lovely lake and flourishing forests of Cryptomaria Japanica trees make Mirik appear as a tropical paradise.

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June 1, 2012

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NATO meet fails to bring Pak around SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: The 60 countries' NATO summit held in Chicago recently ended with platitudes of generalizations with most of the issues that it was supposed to address remaining largely unresolved.

The US could not persuade its allies to pull together on the shape or size of financial and material help that the Free World would give after the troops withdrawal by 2014. The tottering Karzai government headed by President Hamid Karzai put up a brave show despite the hard time convincing the Free World friends to extend substantial support.

Fears are expressed that the Karzai government will have hard time facing the onslaught from Taliban, especially when Pakistan is less than lukewarm in extending support expected of it. It appears to many a seasoned observer that the US is slowly losing its grip as a superpower who could get away with its wish one way or the other.

Pakistan, whom the NATO powers invited late in the day, rather proved to be a hard nut to crack. All the pressure that US exercised in bamboozling it to reopen its supply route failed for the time being. It would not be surpris-

US President Barack Obama, Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (L-R) talk during a family picture of NATO leaders at the NATO Summit in Chicago on May 21

ing if the pressure would be other way round in that Pakistan would ask for a hefty price to let the Allies resume supplies thru its territory. Pakistan would prove to be ultimate gainer in power politics.

The US could not derive any benefit politically for domestic consumption nor could it better its image internationally in any

way. It may be the beginning of the end of US supremacy in world politics. US tensions with Pakistan complicated the NATO summit, hosted by President Barack Obama in his hometown and where allies gathered to solidify a strategy for ending the war in Afghanistan.

The Obama administration has

so far been unable to reach an agreement with Pakistan to reopen key supply routes into Afghanistan that were closed after a November 26 U.S. strike on two border posts that killed two dozen Pakistani troops.

US and NATO officials intended to use the summit to intensify pressure on Pakistani

President Asif Ali Zardari to cut a deal to reopen the supply routes, though hopes for an immediate breakthrough have faded.

Zardari was invited to attend the two-day summit at the last minute in hopes that would lead to a deal, but the two sides remain at odds over how much the US and its allies should pay Pakistan per container.

The impasse quickly became an undercurrent of the summit, which already was confronting Obama with an election-year balancing act: rallying NATO leaders around a plan to remain engaged in Afghanistan and spotlighting his commitment to withdraw US troops from a war that's grown deeply unpopular at home.

The mood of the public at large was reflected in war protests in the streets of Chicago. The demonstrators wanted the funding for war to be diverted to urgent domestic concerns for health care, education and reviving job market. A largely peaceful anti-war march turned violent at the end when a group of anarchist protesters charged a line of riot police blocking the road. Five suspects were arrested for alleged bomb making activities.

First test flight of Dreamliner US Defense Secy going to India early June for Air India successful WASHINGTON: A new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft - which is to be delivered to Air India - has successfully completed its first test flight in South Carolina, the plane manufacturing company has said.

"The airplane will now be flown to Texas to be painted with Air India's livery before returning to Boeing's South Carolina plant for a mid-2012 delivery," an official statement said.

This is the first Dreamliner built in Boeing's South Carolina plant.

Test pilots Tim Berg and Randy Neville flew the plane successfully during the five-hour test flight.

More than 5,000 Boeing employees watched a live broadcast of the aircraft as it took off from Charleston International Airport.

"This is a proud moment for our Boeing South Carolina team and for Boeing," said Jack Jones, vice president and general manager, Boeing South Carolina.

"In April, we gathered on the flight line to watch this plane roll out of final assembly. Today, we watched as this aircraft success-

fully completed its first production flight - one step closer to delivering our first South Carolinabuilt 787 Dreamliner to our customer," Jones said.

Boeing, in a statement, said the production flight test profile tested the plane's controls and systems in a series of scenarios designed to verify the plane operates as designed.

The tests took place in all stages of flight beginning prior to

taxi, through final landing and taxi.

During the flight, the crew checked the functionality of onboard systems at high and medium altitudes.

They also checked backup and critical safety elements including cabin pressurization, avionics, and navigation and communications systems. In addition, they shut down and re-started each engine during flight, the Boeing statement said. -PTI

WASHINGTON: US Defense "We'll have more details about Secretary Leon Panetta would the Secretary's itinerary in the travel to India in the first week of coming days," Little said.

June, the Pentagon has an"On Wednesday (May 30), benounced. fore departing for Asia, he'll fly to The India trip, the first to the Honolulu. He'll receive briefings country by Panetta in his capac- from PACOM commander Admiity as the Defense Secretary, is ral Sam Locklear and meet with part of his week-long Asia trip service members stationed in Haduring which he will participate in waii. From Hawaii we will head to the Shangri-la Dialogues and Singapore," Little said. travel to Vietnam.

"Developing the USIndia relationship is a ‘Developing the US-India priority for the United relationship is a priority for States government, and our bilateral relation- the United States governship is one of the defin- ment, and our bilateral ing partnerships of the relationship is one of the 21st century for the United States," Penta- defining partnerships’ gon Press Secretary George Little told reporters at a "On Saturday (June 2), Secrenews conference. tary Panetta will deliver remarks Panetta would arrive in New at the opening plenary session of Delhi from Hanoi, the Capital of the Shangri-la Dialogues. While Vietnam, on a two-day visit to In- in Singapore, he is scheduled to dia in the first week of July. While meet with leaders from Singapore, the exact dates were not an- Japan, the Republic of Korea, nounced, it is expected to be Australia and a number of other around June 5 and 6. nations," he said. -PTI

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Dharun Ravi has already suffered enough: Parents

Dharun RaviĂ­s mother and father

NEW YORK: The distraught parents of Dharun Ravi, sentenced for a month in prison for spying on his gay roommate, said he has suffered "enough" while the mother of his roommate who committed suicide said her family has never heard an apology from the Indian-origin young man.

Ravi, 20, was sentenced in a New Brunswick court by Judge Glenn Berman in Superior Court in Middlesex County.

In addition to 30 days in jail, set to begin May 31, Berman also sentenced Ravi to three years of probation, 300 hours of community service, and counseling regarding cyber bullying and alternative lifestyles.

Ravi must also pay a USD 10,000 fine, which will go to a facility dedicated to victims of bias crimes.

"I heard this jury say guilty 288 times - 24 questions, 12 jurors,

that's the multiplication," the judge told Ravi, referring to the questionnaire jurors filled out in arriving at the verdict.

"And I haven't heard you apologies once".

"I do not believe he hated Tyler Clementi," the judge told a courtroom packed with supporters of Ravi as well as with the Clementi family.

"I do believe he acted out of colossal insensitivity".

During the sentencing hearing, Ravi's father Ravi Pazhani said for the past 20 months "we have witnessed several chapters of vengeful, malicious, selective prosecution filled with lies and injustice".

He urged the judge to "show heart" in the sentencing to "make sure the last chapter is all about truth, justice and preserve the sanctity of American judicial system which is widely believed to be the best in the world".

Pazhani said his son was convicted of bias intimidation under a "muddled law". -PTI

Anushka Jasraj wins C'wealth Short Story Prize NEW DELHI: Mumbai-based writer Anushka Jasraj has won the Commonwealth Short Story prize from the Asia region for her short fiction "Radio Story".

Anushka, who writes short stories that often explore questions of identity and inheritance, pipped other Indians Poile Sengupta ("Ammulu") and

Anushka Jasraj

Sreejith Sukumaran ("Another Dull Day") who were on the shortlist.

"Trying to accurately describe what winning this prize means to me would probably take as long as it took to write the story itself.

This is an incredible and overwhelming honor. As a writer, I couldn't ask for more than to have

someone read and appreciate my work," said Anushka in a statement.

With a bachelor's degree in film production from New York University, the author has worked on various independent films and currently lives in Mumbai.

Her influences include Wong Kar Wai and Anna Akhmatova and she is working on a novella based on an apocryphal story about Franz Kafka.

Nigeria's Jekwu Anyaegbuna, Andrea Mullaney from the UK, Diana McCaulay from Jamaica and Emma Martin from New Zealand, have won from the respective regions of Africa, Canada & Europe, Caribbean and Pacific. These writers will now compete for the overall winner which will be announced at Hay Festival on June 8. Regional winners receive 1,000 pounds and the overall winner receives 5,000 pounds.

Bernardine Evaristo, Chair, Commonwealth Short Story Prize, said, "The five regional winning

stories this year rose to the top of a pool of 2200 entries ...We discussed not only the quality of the storytelling but the context of their respective literary cultures including notions of stereotypes and 'the prize-winning formula'.

"Our final choices encompass range, depth, beauty, unpredictability and re-readability. These short stories will take you on a journey that spans cultures, eras, generations, and diverse ways of being and seeing.

To read them is to inhabit other worlds," she said.

Commonwealth Writers has partnered with Granta magazine to give regional winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize the opportunity to be published by Granta online during the week commencing June 4.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka has emerged winner of the Commonwealth Book Prize from the Asia region for his book "Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew."

Karunatilaka's work was chosen from a shortlist of 18 authors including Jahnavi Barua (Rebirth: a novel), Rahul Bhattacharya (The Sly Company of People Who Care) and C Y Gopinath (The Book of Answers).-PTI

Gupta was 'important' on Rajaratnam's list: Witness NEW YORK: Indian-American former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta was on a list of "important people" whose phone calls hedge fund founder Raj

Rajat Gupta

Rajaratnam took at any cost, even during the crucial trading hours, the first witness in the high-profile insider trading trial testified.

Gupta was, however, excluded from a trip the Sri Lankan billionaire took to an Atlantic City casino in early 2008 with other corporate big wigs.

Jurors in 63-year-old Gupta's trial listened to these two different sides of the relationship between him and Rajaratnam at the second day of his hearing in US District Court, Southern District of New York.

The prosecutor tried to show to the jury the close relationship between Rajaratnam and Gupta, who even had an electronic security pass to Galleon's Manhattan offices.

The defense, on its part, presented an itinerary of the helicopter trip Rajaratnam took with a group of six other fund managers for a fantasy football celebration event to a casino in Atlantic City in February 2008 without inviting Gupta.

The defense, which is trying to prove that Gupta and Rajaratnam had differences in 2008, made its case that Gupta was excluded from the one-night helicopter trip from New York to Atlantic City in New Jersey.

fund managers but not Gupta. It remained unclear whether Cohn actually went to the trip.

"It was their fantasy football celebration trip... the proceeds to go to charity," Rajaratnam's former secretary Caryn Eisenberg said.

Eisenberg, the prosecution's first witness, said in court that she had been given strict instructions that he should not be disturbed during the first half-hour and the last half-hour of the trading day except when he got phone calls from five "important people", including Gupta.

However, there were occasions when Eisenberg said Rajaratnam told her to "lie" to Gupta that he was not in the office when the former McKinsey head called.

Eisenberg testified on cross examination that Rajaratnam would sometimes not meet Gupta and direct her to tell Gupta that he was not in his office even when he was present in his corner chambers.

"Lying, as in saying he wasn't in the office," she said, adding,

Raj Rajaratnam

"he may have snuck out of the building to avoid him."

Gupta's lawyers showed jurors excerpts of a February 29, 2008, instant message exchange between Eisenberg and Anita Teglasi, another Rajaratnam assistant.

"Raj made me lie to Rajat," Eisenberg wrote.

"He doesn't want to see him."

Eisenberg testified that the list of five "important people" included Eisenberg testified on cross former Intel Corp. examination that Rajaratnam managing director Rajiv Goel, partner at would sometimes not meet McKinsey Anil Kumar, Gupta and direct her to tell Parag Saxena who runs the India-focused Gupta that he was not in his private equity firm office even when he was New Silk Route and Stanley Druckenmiller, present in his corner who runs Duquesne chambers Capital Management LLC. On that trip, Rajaratnam had inGupta was identified on the vited Goldman Sachs President documents as "a good friend Gary Cohn, then Goldman co-head chairman and CEO of McKinsey of trading David Heller and hedge & Co." -PTI

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Cleaning drive by Swayamsevaks in TN Hospital HEMA TRIVEDI India Post News Service

CHENNAI: RSS, South Chennai coordinator approached the management of the Royapetta Government hospital in Chennai

ciously accepted the request and HS volunteers readily offered their services.

As planned on 13 May, over 180 volunteers of various teams like sports group, IT professionals, auditors, teachers and stu-

Sanghachalak Durai Shankar Ji, famous actor Damu, Hospital Sergeants Thirumal and Khaleelullah Rahman. Shri Durai Shankar said that Sangha inculcates spirit of Sewa through Shakha.

He emphasized the need for taking care of body and mind.

"There are 12 vital organs in the body. I know the importance of them and take adequate care. I appeal to you not to spoil the health by getting into habits

Volunteers cleaning Royapetta Hospital

for taking up a cleaning drive in the premises, in the light of the hospital entering its 100th year of service catering to the poor and needy. The management gra-

dents assembled in the morning at the hospital from different parts of Chennai.

There was a brief inaugural session presided by

Actor Damu delivered a motivating speech. He was highly impressed by the young disciplined crowd assembled there while others of that age are taking it easy.

such as smoking. Do not get carried away by the movie scenes.

Some of the scenes may be good but the majority is bad". He exhorted the volunteers to continue

serving the society.

Six groups were formed to clean a huge sump of 48,000 liters capacity, five Over head tanks, two wards, open space around the hospital and a little temple.

Among the other areas planned for cleaning was abandoned godown in the old hospital premises, area which was filled with food packets probably dumped many weeks was also cleared.

This Sewa activity was covered by leading dailies and media for creating healthier environment and addressing the health issues for patients and attendants. A patient near the tea shop sincerely thanked the swayamsewaks for the service.

At the end of the program Sewa Pramukh Raman briefly spoke appreciating the effort of swayamsewaks and asked them to take the efforts to Shakha level.

Ex-Yahoo exec, Indian-American American psephologist will try predicting Indian polls plead guilty in insider trading WASHINGTON: A former Yahoo executive and an IndianAmerican hedge fund manager have pleaded guilty to insider trading charges that involved exchanging confidential information on a deal between Yahoo and Microsoft for personal gains.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged that Robert W Kwok, who was then a Yahoo's senior director of business management, told IndianAmerican Reema D Shah in July 2009 that a deal between Yahoo and Microsoft would be announced soon.

Based on Kwok's illegal tip, Shah prompted the mutual funds she managed to buy more than 700,000 shares of Yahoo stock that were later sold for profits of approximately USD 389,000, SEC alleged.

The SEC further alleged that a year earlier, the roles were reversed.

Shah, 40, tipped Kwok with material non-public information about an impending acquisition announcement between two other companies.

Kwok traded in a personal account based on the confidential information for profits of USD 4,754.

Kwok and Shah, who live in California, have agreed to settle the SEC's charges.

Shah has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of

securities fraud. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum

Under the settlements, Shah will be permanently barred from the securities industry and Kwok will be permanently barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company. ‘Kwok and Shah played a game of you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours,’ fine of USD 250,000, a statement from the US Attorney's office, Southern district of New York said.

The securities fraud count car-

ries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of USD 5 million.

As part of her plea agreement, Shah has also agreed to forfeit the proceeds she obtained as a result of the offence, it added.

Kwok, 36, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of USD 250,000, the statement said.

As part of his plea agreement, Kwok has agreed to forfeit the proceeds he obtained as a result of the offence, it added.

Shah's sentencing is scheduled for May 24.

Kwok is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18.

Under the settlements, Shah will be permanently barred from the securities industry and Kwok will be permanently barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company.

"Kwok and Shah played a game of you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," Scott W Friestad, Associate Director in the SEC's Division of Enforcement, said.

"When corporate executives and mutual fund professionals misuse their access to confidential information, they undermine the integrity of our markets and

KOLKATA: American political analyst Allan Jay Lichtman, who claims to have correctly predicted result of each US presidential election since 1984, will now try his hand at predicting winners of Indian parliamentary polls.

"I am meeting scholars in Delhi in the next few days to understand

Allan Jay Lichtman

the political system here. We are going to try but there are big challenges," Lichtman told PTI here on the possibility of using his model in India.

Based on the theory of pragmatic voting, the psephologist, who teaches history at American University in Washington, has codeveloped a system for predicting the popular vote result of US presidential elections.

Also published as a book, the model - 'The Keys to the White House' - has correctly forecast the popular vote winner of all seven presidential elections from 1984 to 2008, usually months or even years prior to the date of election.

Asked if the model would work in the Indian context, Lichtman said he was not too confident, as the presence of a multi-party system in India as compared to the two-party system in the USA makes it tough for predicting results.

"The Indian democracy is only a little over 60 years old.

You have a multi-party system and incredibly diverse regional parties. These are very big differences when you compare it with the USA. I don't know whether it is going to work in India," he said.

Currently on a 21-day, five-city tour of India, Lichtman has already discussed his model with scholars and political analysts in Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad.-PTI

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CII meets US Ambassador Nancy Powell India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: "Our main goal will be to strengthen and develop the existing business relationship between India and the United States, and promote trade & investment in both directions" said Ambassador Powell during her meeting with CII here. Responding to the question about the inadequate presence of American Infrastructure companies in India, she said that there is an effort to create awareness of the opportunities in India in this sector.

Ambassador Powell shared that while her focus will be on bolstering trade and investment, she will continue to monitor the progress on nuclear liability issue, FDI in retail, developments in the telecom sector and other bilateral issues. Talking about the Water, Energy and Food Security, she said that all three of them mesh together and give tremendous

scope for partnership between In- for the US companies. She also to reach out to the members of the dian and the United States. She is appreciated the efforts of CII's Congress and Senate to highlight also very keen to encourage State- India Business Forum in the US the contribution of Indian compato-State engagement.

Highlighting the CII - Select USA report " Business Climate in the United States: Local Economy, State Incentives and Growth Prospects" which gives information on investment opportunities and benefits provided by each state in the US, the Ambassador said that a similar report on the various states of US ambassador to India, Nancy J Powell (L) attends a meeting with chief executive officers of India would also The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi on May 22 be very helpful

Indian trader goes missing in Yiwu, China BEIJING: An Indian trader has gone missing in China's commodity market hub of Yiwu, officials said, as Beijing criticized India's second trade advisory warning that it would affect normal bilateral economic exchanges.

Indian embassy officials here told PTI that an Indian trader from Mumbai, who was based in Yiwu for a while, was reported to have been missing by his relatives.

His name has been withheld by the embassy for security reasons.

He was reported to have gone

pany, which was owned by a Yemenese national who reportedly fled from China.

The two complained of torture and were released from the illegal detention in January after India officially took up their case. The two are currently based in Shanghai and fighting their case with the aide of the Indian Consulate there.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei sounded critical of the new advisory issued by Indian embassy here that warned Indian busi-

Indian officials expressed frustration over the way the second case was filed, four months after the original one was slapped against the duo. The new case was filed as the two traders were hoping of a fair judgment from the Jinhua court following a critical view taken by the judge of the local traders' case missing on May 19 and his mother from Mumbai had contacted the Indian mission and complained that he was not seen since then.

This was the second such incident in recent months.

Two Indian traders Deepak Raheja and Shyam Sunder Agrawal, who too had gone missing, were later found to have been abducted by local Chinese traders for non-payment of dues to the supplies bought by their com-

nessmen that they could be drawn into a lengthy and questionable judicial process if they run into problems with traders in Yiwu.

"China always safeguards the legitimate interests of foreign businessmen, including Indians," he told a media briefing here when asked about the advisory as well as the second case filed against the two Indian traders.

"Indian embassy's advisory is not conducive to resolving the

relevant issue but will also affect normal trade and economic exchanges between China and India. We hope that India could view the case in a rational and objective way...," Hong said.

Raheja and Agrawal said they had already paid RMB nine lakh (USD 1.43 lakh) during their illegal detention and had been asked to pay RMB 1.1 million more.

Just as the proceedings of their case were coming to an end in a court in Jinhua, yet another complaint was registered against them stipulating that they should pay RMB 1.8 lakh.

Indian officials expressed frustration over the way the second case was filed, four months after the original one was slapped against the duo.

The new case was filed as the two traders were hoping of a fair judgment from the Jinhua court following a critical view taken by the judge of the local traders' case.

The new case meant that the two traders, against whom a travel ban had been imposed, would have to stay in this country for a longer period.

Raheja told PTI that the Indian mission had expressed its inability to pay for their lawyer as they had no approved funding for the purpose.

They said they were completely broke and their families had sold out properties to mobiles RMB Nine lakh.-PTI

nies in the US to create jobs and economic benefits.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Godrej, President CII, who also chaired the session, stressed on the importance of the Indo-US partnership. He said that US and India should finalize the Bilateral Investment Treaty, engage in the areas of Trade and Investment, address the existing trade and investment issues and promote partnerships in the areas of Education, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and SMES. Thanking the Ambassador for her time, Mr. Banerjee, Director General, CII, said that CII is planning on taking sectoral delegations to the US and would also look at taking Buyers and Investors delegation to the US every year. He also added that CII will look at visits beyond Washington DC and New York to encourage Indian Industry engagements with US States.

Google completes Motorola Mobility acquisition; CEO Jha quits NEW YORK/NEW DELHI: Google has completed the acquisition of cellphone maker Motorola Mobility for USD 12.5 billion in an all-cash deal and appointed Dennis Woodside as the new CEO in place of Sanjay Jha, who has decided to step down.

"I'm happy to announce today that our Motorola Mobility deal has closed...Sanjay Jha, who was responsible for building the company and placing that big bet on Android, has stepped down as

Sanjay Jha

CEO," Google CEO Larry Page said in joint statement of the two companies.

Woodside, who takes over from Jha, was serving as President of Google's Americas region, it added.

Jha, meanwhile, will continue to work with Google to help ensure a smooth transition, the statement said.

This is the biggest deal in Google's 14-year history.

The two companies had announced the deal nine months ago.

Google acquired Motorola Mobility in an all-cash deal for USD 40 per share.

"I've known Dennis for nearly a decade, and he's been phenomenal at building teams and delivering on some of Google's biggest bets. One of his first jobs at Google was to put on his backpack and build our businesses across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia," Page said.

Google has hired a new team for running business at Motorola Mobility, which includes former Director of DARPA Regina Dugan, former supply chain VP at Amazon and previously at Nokia Mark Randall, former CFO of Marsh and McLennan Vanessa Wittman, former head of HR at Visa and NVIDIA Scott Sullivan, and former Google VP of Consumer Marketing Gary Briggs.

Members of Motorola Mobility's team, including Senior Vice-President for Global Product Development Iqbal Arshad, Chief of Staff Marshall Brown, Senior Vice President for Mass Market Products Fei Liu and some others will continue working at the their existing position, the statement said. -PTI

June 1, 2012

Top Stories

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Jindal supports Romney's education reform WASHINGTON: Coming out in Jindal said Romney offers the support of Mitt Romney's educa- new leadership that will be retion policy, Indian-American Loui- quired to turn our schools around. siana Governor Bobby Jindal said "He will reform education in US President Barack Obama has this country by promoting greater failed to deliver better schools to school choice, holding schools American children. accountable, and attracting the "President Obama came into best teachers," he said. office with big promises to bring "At a time when test scores education reform to this country. show our children falling behind Unfortunately, his administration has failed Instead of standing up to to deliver the labor bosses who put better schools that our chil- unions ahead of studren deserve dents, the President and our e c o n o m y continues to cave to needs," Jindal their demands," said said in a statement issued by Jindal, who is considthe Romney ered possible running campaign. mate of Mitt Romney "Instead of standing up to labor bosses who put unions their counterparts around the ahead of students, the President world, we desperately need an continues to cave to their de- education system that adequately mands," said Jindal, who is con- prepares them to compete in the sidered to be one among the pos- global economy. sible running mate of Mitt Rom"Governor Romney has spent ney for the November presiden- his career turning around strugtial elections. gling enterprises and I am confi-

India top defaulter of London congestion charge LONDON: The Indian High Commission here owes London authorities over 2 million pounds towards congestion charge, which is levied on vehicles entering central London during the day on weekdays.

As of May 2, the Indian High Commission owes Transport for London (TfL), the government body responsible for transport in

est figures indicate.

Paul Cowperthwaite, head of TfL's Contracted Services, said that twothirds of foreign missions in London pay the congestion change, but a "stubborn minority" refused to do so, despite representations through diplomatic channels.

The key issue in the row is whether the congestion charge is a charge for a "service" or a "tax".

Several foreign missions believe that it is The key issue in the row is a "tax", and thus they are exempt from paying whether the congestion it under the Vienna charge is a charge for a Convention. "service" or a "tax".

A spokesperson of Several foreign missions the Indian High Combelieve that it is a "tax", and mission said: "The Government of India thus they are exempt from has decided not to pay paying it under the congestion charges on Vienna Convention diplomatic cars as these are in the form of a tax Greater London, 2,405,560 million and Diplomatic Missions are not pounds, official sources told PTI. subject to taxation."

The US embassy is the biggest Cowperthwaite said: "TfL and defaulter with an outstanding the UK Government are clear that amount of 6,532,680 pounds, the Congestion Charge is a charge while Russia (4,734,480 pounds) for a service and not a tax. This and Japan (4,389,300 pounds) means that diplomats are not examong other top defaulters, lat- empt from paying it.-PTI

dent he is up to the task of repairing our broken schools," Jindal said.

Earlier in the day, appearing on the MSNBC said skirted questions related to his vice presidency.

"So if Governor Romney thinks you're the guy to help him do that you will answer the phone?" he

Bobby Jindal

was asked.

"The reality is I'm not going to speculate on hypothetical but I am going to do everything to support Romney and whoever he selects as his vice president because we cannot afford another four years," Jindal said. -PTI

China welcomes proposed accession of India in SCO BEIJING: China, the host of the next Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, has welcomed the proposed accession of India and Pakistan to the security grouping, but said no timetable should be set to grant them full membership.

"We welcome relevant countries to become members of the SCO," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Cheng Guoping told a media briefing on the summit scheduled to be held here on June 6-7.

"The relevant countries should work hard towards political, legal and technical preparations for [the membership]," he said answering a question about elevating India and Pakistan as members as proposed by Russia which is the biggest country in the forum along with China.

He said work about expanding the membership is going on.

"The decision should be made through consensus and consultation and no timetable should be set. That is to say, when the conditions are ripe, the decision should be made through consensus," he said.-PTI

US Senate toughens Iran sanctions WASHINGTON: Seeking to The House of Representatives punish Iran economically, the US passed a similar bill in December, Senate has unanimously ap- but demands for those competing proved tough new sanctions on messages stalled the bill in the Tehran's oil and banking indus- Senate last week. Republicans tries to dissuade the country from blocked passage after complaints its nuclear ambitions. that the language was not tough The measure passed the Sen- enough, CNN reported. ate on a voice vote, two days beSenator Lindsey Graham said fore a new round of talks between the legislation now makes clear Iran and leading UN members in Baghdad, ‘Today the Senate has Iraq.

The new sanctions showed we can still act in a would target Iran's oil and banking industries, bipartisan way on important as well as other sectors. priorities,’ said Senator Tim The bill allows PresiJohnson, the chairman of dent Barack Obama to impose sanctions on the Senate Banking any country or com- Committee pany that enters joint ventures with Iran to develop its oil or uranium re- that "all options" could be consource, or provides technology or sidered, echoing previous stateresources to help Iran with such ments by President Obama. development.

"I hope sanctions will work," "Today the Senate has showed Graham said. "But this is a clear we can still act in a bipartisan way statement by the United States on important priorities," said Sena- Senate, backing up our president, tor Tim Johnson, the chairman of that when it comes to Iran having the Senate Banking Committee. a nuclear capability, there will be Passage of the bill came after more than sanctions on the table senators agreed to add language -- and the Iranians need to know warning that military force would that." be an option available to the Iran has insisted that its proUnited States if Iran seeks to build duction of enriched uranium is a nuclear weapon. But the mea- meant to fuel civilian nuclear sure also states that nothing in power plants. But Tehran has rethe legislation authorizes military fused international demands to action. halt its nuclear fuel program.-PTI

CBI seeks US lawyer's help in Naval War Room leak case NEW DELHI: The CBI has sought documents related to the escrow account of New Yorkbased firm, an alleged front company of naval war room leak case accused Abhishek Verma, from a US-based attorney who had run this account for several years.

The agency has deputed DIG Praveer Ranjan to coordinate with lawyer C Edmond Allen and get details about the account which he used to operate on behalf of Verma.

CBI sources said the agency is trying to decipher the money trail involved in the defense deals in which Verma is said to have given kick-backs to army officials.

The agency sources said that Allen has been asked to submit details of nearly US dollars 83,000 deposited in the escrow account in the form of securities.

An escrow account is a separate bank account for keeping

money that is the property of others. Lawyers keep the escrow account to avoid mingling of client's money with their own funds.

They said some portion of the amount, USD 20,000 was remitted to the company headed by Verma Atlas Telecom Services through a New York bank.

Allen, who was the lawyer of Verma, had provided information about the alleged corruption in defense deals to team Anna member Prashant Bhushan recently.

They said getting details of transaction routed through the escrow account will give the agency a clear picture of money trail in cases involving Verma which included the Naval War Room case.

During the probe of the case, CBI has said that Verma was allegedly representing Atlas group in India.-PTI

Desi News MAFS celebrates Asian Heritage Month HIMALI BHARUCHA

CHICAGO: Over 300 people gathered to celebrate Asian Heritage Month, to pay a tribute to world renowned ghazal singer Jagjit Singh and to support the Metropolitan Asian Family Services for its semi-annual fund raiser on May 12 at Naperville, a south west Chicago suburb.

The celebration started with a traditional lighting of the lamp ceremony by Swami Vidyananda Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram Sangh.

Details on page 12

Benefit concert for Ekal Vidyalaya fundraising India Post News Service

EDISON, N.J: On Sunday, May 13, Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF) hosted a successful annual benefit concert featuring Bollywood Singer 'Samir Date' and 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' contest winner 'Dipalee Somaiya', at 'Performing Arts Theatre' of 'Middlesex County College' in Edison, N.J. The evening started with a short documentary on "EVF" which briefed the gathering about the problem of 'illiteracy' in remote parts of India and the remarkable transformation that "Ekal" has brought about in tribal regions.

Details on page 16

Fifth anniversary of South Asian Spelling Bee India Post News Service

METUCHEN, NJ: Touchdown Media Inc., the leading multicultural advertising firm, has announced the launch of its 2012 season of the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee. MetLife, a leading global provider of life insurance and other financial services, returns as the title sponsor of the contest.

Celebrating its 5th anniversary this year, the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee has received unprecedented support from the community and sponsors alike, year after year.

Organized by Touchdown Media Inc., the 2012 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee will be conducted in 11 locations across the United States starting on June 16.

Details on page 18

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

A3M appreciates life saving volunteers!

Details on page 20

10 India Post

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June 1, 2012

Modi address captivates NRGs and NRIs in Chicago BHAILAL PATEL & HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: A large number of Gujaratis and a good number of well wishers of Gujarat and Chief Minister Narendra Modi flocked to Bartlett Jain Mandir Hall to participate in a grand celebration of Gujarat Day organized here on Friday May 19.

The big attraction of the near three-hour function attended by over 1500 Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) and Non Resident Indians (NRIs) was a live chat with and live televised address by Gujarat Chief Minster Narendra Modi. The attendees were highly impressed with the progress of Gujarat in the past decade under the leadership of Modi and the consensus was that not only Gujarat but India needed a capable leader like Modi to notch big progress and be a force to reckon with in the international community of nations.

Among non-Gujarati and nonIndian dignitaries attending the event was William Joseph Walsh a Republican U.S. Representative for Illinois' northwest suburban 8th congressional district. He has served in Congress since January 2011 after defeating three-term incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean in a surprising upset. Rep. Walsh is one of the top US political leaders who feels that denial of visa to Modi is gross injustice. In his brief address, he praised Modi's leadership and presented congratulations to Gujarat and Gujaratis in USA and across the world on Gujarat Day celebrations The program started with a welcome address for a community activist Dr Bharat Barai followed by singing of Indian and American national anthems by Meena

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi addressing live the Gujarati Day audience in Chicago and twelve other US cities

Purohit, an India TV anchor.

Bharati Desai sang Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat followed by a cultural program by Northwestern University students headed by Hetal Patel.

2012. Gujarati leader Kanti Patel thanked sponsors while Bhailal Patel, former head of National FIA, acknowledged presidents of 50 plus Gujarati associations for their

Modi stated that his Mantra is the development of Gujarat for the development of India and added that whatever Gujarat is today, the credit for it must go to 6 crore people of Gujarat Dr Indrajit Patel briefed about Statue of Unity and Sardar Patel coins.

Youth Yogi Divine Society presented Atmiya Raas and Beena Patel presented Fast Track Gujarat

support and presence. This was followed with Subhash Bhatt organizing live conference call with CM Narendra Modi.

A front ranking Indian community leader Niranjan Shah offered

US Rep. William Joseph "Joe" Walsh, Niranjan Shah, Dr Indrajit Patel, Naren Patel

a well-knit introduction of CM Modi and this was followed with live speech of Modi who dwelt on achievements of the State in the last 10 years during his premiership in Gujarat.

Modi's oration left the audience spell bound. The event was televised live in 12 US cities including Chicago, Florida, Houston, Bay Area and even Canada and all across Gujarat.

Modi stated that his Mantra is the development of Gujarat for the development of India and added that whatever Gujarat is today, the credit for it must go to 6 crore people of Gujarat who have dreamt and worked hard to realize these dreams.

Cont’d on page 12

June 1, 2012

Community Across America

India Post 11

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Big community support for 'Chivukula for Congress'

Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula lighting the lamp to inaugurate the first major gathering of the Indian-American community in support of his bid for Congress.

India Post News Service

FORDS, NJ: Indian-American community leaders pledged to support the 'Upendra Chivukula for Congress' campaign at the Royal Albert Palace in Fords on Sunday, May 20. A second major event is planned for June 3rd at the same location.

Congressional candidate Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula is challenging twoterm incumbent Republican Congressional candidate Leonard Lance from New Jersey's District 7 as the unanimous choice of the Democratic Party. He will be uncontested in the June primary.

"The Indian-American community has made great economic strides but we lack political representation in Washington. We have a historic opportunity to send an Indian-American of the caliber, experience and expertise of Upendra J. Chivukula to Congress," said Hari Eppanapally, in his open-

vide effective representation for the community at the national level.

"I have been gratified to represent the Indian-American community in New Jersey and to rally your increasing engagement in the political process. Today, we are part of the fastest growing racial group in the nation and yet we do not have a single representative in the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives. Political empowerment comes through participation and representation. It is time to send an Indian-American to Congress to address our special needs, issues and concerns," Chivukula said.

A veteran state lawmaker and experienced municipal official, Chivukula has served in the New Jersey General Assembly for 10 years and previously as mayor (2000-2001), deputy mayor (1998-1999) and councilman (1997 to 2005) of Franklin Township, Somerset County.

The only Indian-American lawmaker in

“Today, we are part of the fastest growing racial group in the nation and yet we do not have a single representative in the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives.

Political empowerment comes through participation and representation. It is time to send an Indian-American to Congress to address our special needs, issues and concerns," Chivukula said ing remarks.

Eppanapally serves as chairman & CEO of Concepts in Computing, Inc., and as overseas coordinator of Lead India 2020, an organization promoted by former Indian President Abdul J. Kalam.

Community leaders pledged to rally behind Chivukula with three T's - Time, Talent and Treasure.

Hart Singh, chair of the campaign's IT Committee pointed out that Indian-Americans led the Information Technology boom in the United States and should now leverage their expertise to raise funds on-line for Chivukula.

Representatives of national IndianAmerican organizations attended the first major gathering of the community in support of Chivukula's Congressional bid, in their individual capacity.

Chivukula announced that sending an Indian-American to Congress would pro-

the 120-member New Jersey Legislature, he has been a strong advocate for issues and concerns of the entire community.

"Take immigration for instance‌ When we call the offices of U.S. Senators and members of Congress on immigration matters on behalf of our constituents, we are often told that they cannot do anything and that they are waiting for comprehensive immigration reform. We've been waiting too long. Once I am elected, I will fight to make immigration reform a reality," Chivukula said.

His decision to run for Congress followed a call by the Democratic Party for a viable candidate to challenge Lance, criticized for being clearly out of touch with his constituents. Peg Schaffer, Chairwoman of the Somerset County Democratic Committee approached Chivukula to run and subsequently rallied chairs of all the counties of Congressional District 7 to make him the unanimous candidate.

Upendra J. Chivukula on stage with family, friends, supporters and campaign operatives

"He is going to need a lot of support to campaign across 565 square miles and 95 municipalities in six counties. You should be proud to know that he is held in the highest regard by Democratic leaders across the state. When I shared with the county chairs in CD7 that I thought Chivukula should run for Congress, they were very supportive and unanimous in their view that he is a credible and formidable candidate," Schaffer said.

District 7 comprises municipalities and rural areas in Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren, Union, Essex, and Morris counties.

"The world has been off track for too

long and we have seen the impact and implications of poor decisions," declared Dr. Zenon, Vice Chair of the Somerset County Democratic Committee.

He called on Indian-American community leaders to support positive change.

"We need change in the 7th District. We need a leader who is a proven problem solver.

Tonight, we must resolve ourselves to raise the funds necessary to send Upendra J. Chivukula to Congress so he can work for all of us," he added.

Cont’d on page 14

Community Across America

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June 1, 2012

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MAFS celebrates Asian Heritage Month with fundraiser HIMALI BHARUCHA

CHICAGO: Over 300 people gathered to celebrate Asian Heritage Month, to pay a tribute to world renowned ghazal singer Jagjit Singh and to support the Metropolitan Asian Family Services for its semi-annual fund raiser on May 12 at Naperville, a south west Chicago suburb.

The celebration started with a traditional lighting of the lamp ceremony by Swami Vidyananda Maharaj of Bharat Sevashram Sangh. Dignitaries included Dr. Gopal Lamalani, MD., Village President, Oakbrook, Rodney Craig, Mayor, Hanover Park, A. George Pradel, Mayor, Naperville, and MAFS office bearers.

They joined others in wishing for the well being of the community and prosperity of this notfor-profit Social/Senior Services organization. Fusion dance was performed to invoke the Goddesses Durga, Saraswati and

Dignitaries - Oakbrook President Dr Lalamanl, Mayor Padrel, Mayor Craig, Ms Santosh Kumar, Dr Jafri, Pramod Kuamr and other guests

Lamp lighting at the start of MAFS program

Laxmi by artists of Soorya Academy.

The theme of the night was to continue to serve seniors and to add quality and dignity to their lives during the current hard economic times.

MAFS has been providing comprehensive services to senior

population of India/Pakistan/ Bangladesh and East European countries facing multiple linguistic and cultural barriers for the past two decades. Since the state has not been able to provide the funding entirely in these challenging times, MAFS is required to seek private funding to cover

the cost-related obligation for senior services.

Dr. Firdaus Jafri, President of MAFS Board of Directors, thanked and welcomed the dignitaries and other guests. The Executive Director of MAFS, Mrs. Santosh Kumar welcomed the guests and all members of the

audience. She spoke of providing help to seniors to the best of MAFS' capability. She thanked the dignitaries and everyone present for coming to celebrate Asian Heritage Month and to pay a tribute to late Ghazal King Jagjit Singh.

Cont’d on page 14

Modi address captivates NRGs and NRIs in Chicago

A group of dignitaries at the event (L-R) Niranjan Shah, Mrs.Walsh, B. Patel, AAHOA Chairman Alkesh Patel, Satish Gabhawala, Bhupen Patel. (Pics courtesy Asian Media USA) Cont’d from page 10

He affirmed that Gujarat had contributed in both strands of the freedom struggle. If Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel led the non-violent struggle, Gujarat is also home to Shyamji Krishnavarma who inspired revolutionary nationalists. He also believed that Gujaratis are a global community who imbibe cultures from all over the world.

He dwelt at length about the decade of peace and development in Gujarat. He brought out that in 2001 Gujarat was facing a revenue deficit of Rs 6700 crore but in ten years it has become a surplus state, that too without imposing additional taxes on the people. The Chief Minister shared that Gujarat has achieved balanced growth in all three sectors - Agriculture, Industry and Services.

Talking about agriculture, Shri Modi said that at a time when India's agriculture is not growing beyond 3%, Gujarat's agriculture is growing at 11%. This despite the fact that unlike the rest of the country, Gujarat is not

blessed with perennial rivers and is home to a vast Rann. While agricultural income was Rs. 14,700 crore a decade ago, it is now Rs. 96,000 crore and the money is going in the pockets of the farmers.

Gujarat's milk production rose by 68% and so is cotton production which stands

Students of Yogi Divine Society who performed a folk dance of Gujarat.

that have a dedicated department for climate change and today the water table in Gujarat has risen from 3m to 13m! Villages of Gujarat have 24/7 electricity and 18,000 villages enjoy broadband connectivity.

On tourism front, it has notched handsome gains. Tourism in India is growing at

Shri Modi said that Gujarat is a land of Shanti, Sadbhavana and Vikas. He expressed joy in the fact that people from all states are working in Gujarat and living very happily. He stated that it is our responsibility to make the dreams of our forefathers into a reality at 1 crore 23 lakh bales of cotton, showing a near four time surge. Potatoes from Gujarat are now being exported. Gujarat is surging ahead in the manufacturing sector also and the state is all set to be Asia's auto-hub with all cars across the world having at least one part or another made in the State. Gujarat is among the four governments in the world

10% while Gujarat has gains of 16%. The Government put focus on maternal health through initiatives such as the Chiranjeevi Yojana and today, 98% of deliveries are held in hospitals thus saving so many mothers and babies in Gujarat. The Gujarat Government has given a renewed impetus to education. Drop out rates in Gujarat are now at

2% and there is a cent percent enrolment rate in the state. He spoke about Gujarat's advances in solar energy and how it dedicated 600 MW to the nation while the rest of the country is producing only 120 MW of solar energy. Gujarat has 1600 km coastline where the Government will develop 'New Gujarat within Gujarat'. Projects such as DMIC will change the face of Gujarat too, he said.

While concluding his speech, Shri Modi said that Gujarat is a land of Shanti, Sadbhavana and Vikas. He expressed joy in the fact that people from all states are working in Gujarat and living very happily. He stated that it is our responsibility to make the dreams of our forefathers into a reality The speech was followed with an eloquent tribute to a grean Gujarati poet Jhaverchand Meghai whose most liked poem Kasumbi No Rang had audience nostalgic and emotional. Naen Patel, head of Vishwa Gujarati Parishad, proposed a vote of thanks and the event concluded with the singing of Vande Matram.

June 1, 2012

Community Across America

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CRY transformed half a million lives in 10 years

India Post News Service

NEW YORK, May 19: Child Rights and You America Inc, a 501c3 non-profit organization that works to restore the rights of underprivileged children, especially in India celebrated its 10th anniversary by hosting two benefit dinners in New York and Seattle.

'Uphaar 2012' was held on May 5th, at Seattle's Fairmont Hotel and 'Pledge 2012' was held on May 18th, at New York's Taj, The Pierre.

Speaking at Pledge 2012, Shefali Sunderlal, President of CRY America said, "Today as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of CRY America, we are really celebrating the 411,539 children in 2,254 villages and slums across India, whose lives have been irreversible transformed through our collective efforts.

We thank our 17,000 generous donors, 2,000 committed volun-

teers and 56 dedicated project partners and media supporters without whom, this change would not have been possible."

Pledge 2012 was attended by 110 people from New York and New Jersey, while Uphaar 2012 was attended by 120 members from the western Washington community, who came together to partner CRY America's work to benefit underprivileged children. Over $220,000 was raised across both dinner events, valuable resources that will be directed towards funding several projects to ensure lasting change for children. The events were attended by prominent personalities, Bobby Ghosh, Sree Srinivasan, Maneet Chauhan, Anu and Naveen Jain, Akthar and Alka Badshah, Leena and Sunil Shah.

Painting donated by famous Indian artists M.F. Husain and Murali Nagapuzha, an autographed guitar by Paul

McCartney, baseballs signed by President Obama and Former President Clinton, signed Beatles album along with a private brunch

by Chef Maneet Chauhan were

"Investment in quality education for children is not only essential for a child's development, but also for the growth of society and countries� auctioned by Sotheby's Priyanka Mathew at the New York dinner.

In its 10 years of existence, CRY America's work with projects has resulted in 119,987 children being immunized, 76,821 children pro-

United Sikhs supports Anti Bullying Caucus India Post News Service

NEW YORK: United Sikhs supports and has endorsed the Anti-Bullying Caucus created by Congressman Mike Honda.

The formation of the Anti-Bullying caucus provides a premier forum for parents, advocates, students, teachers, administrators, public servants, and bullies themselves to come together to forge solutions that aim to stop bullying now and forever. This caucus provides a support for the larger anti-bullying and anti-discrimination conversation we are having as a nation.

The bullying statistics of 2010 reveal that bullying is a crime that is not going away anytime soon and also reports an increase in cyber bullying activities. According to bullying statistics 2010,

there are about 2.7 million students being bullied each year by about 2.1 students taking on the role of the bully. New bullying statistics for 2010 revealed about one

"We highly commend this initiative taken by Rep.Honda and are committed to working in partnership till the day bullying is completely eradicated from our school system� in seven students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade is either a bully or has been a victim of bullying. (Source: http://

www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-statistics-2010.html) United Sikhs has undertaken three projects to identify the impact of bullying on Sikh children: 1) Bullying Prevention Survey; 2) Youth Needs Assessment Focus Group; 3) Global Sikh Civil & Human Rights Survey 2012. The goal of these projects is to illuminate the pervasiveness of bullying in the Sikh community and the importance of addressing bullying as a civil rights issue.

In a statement, United Sikhs said, "We highly commend this initiative taken by Rep.Honda and are committed to working in partnership till the day bullying is completely eradicated from our school system. United Sikhs continues to strive to ensure that your voices are advocated and are heard across all sectors."

vided with regular health checkups, and 364 public health care centers activated. Further, 1,089 public schools have been activated and 501 villages in India are free from child labor today.

Bobby Ghosh, Time Magazine's Editor-at-Large, called for the global Indian community to take an active role in addressing issues like health and education for children, especially in a growing world power like India. "Investment in quality education for children is not only essential for a child's development, but also for the growth of society and countries. Economic growth cannot be sustained unless nations and societies invest in social parameters like education and health for their children," he said.

Celebrity Chef Maneet Chauhan said, "There is a saying that it takes an entire village to raise a child. I feel that CRY is that village. Each one of us should do our best possible to support CRY

America to raise these children who are the future of this world."

18 year old Priyanka Jain compared her life to an 18 year old girl living in India who was married at a much younger age and deprived of opportunities. "We have the same dreams," she said. "She just wasn't given the opportunity to fulfill them. But by supporting organizations like CRY America, we have the power to change that."

David Bloss, Knight International Journalism Fellow, called for journalists to play a key role in bringing children's issues to the forefront.

Since its inception a decade ago, CRY America has enabled people to take responsibility for the situation of underprivileged children. Sunderlal concluded, "If we all come together and address children's issues with a sense of urgency, then no child will remain illiterate, malnourished or exploited." She appealed for people to join CRY America as donors, volunteers and supporters.

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June 1, 2012

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MAFS celebrates Asian Heritage Month with fundraiser Cont’d from page 12

She dwelt on the history of the organization. She said what touched her most was the plight of immigrated ethnic seniors living deserted and distressed lives in their own homes. She decided to help them out the best she could by getting them to public aid offices, immigration offices, with translation and interpretation etc. and spent time, effort and money. Yet, it was not possible to reach out to all elderly in the community. She joined hands with her husband Pramod Kumar, a businessman, Ms. Shashi Singh who had much experience in community work, Shankarprasad Bhatt and others in 1992.

With emotions streaming her speech, she asked for support from the children of the seniors who are taking benefits of MAFS's programs and services, not only financially but in any way they could. This is especially so in the light of the fact that social programs are cut by state, federal and county. In this context, she disclosed two of MAFS's health related programs in collaboration with Northwestern University and Asian Health Coalition to lessen heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cholesterol which are usually more prevalent in the South Asian Community by monitoring and teaching about healthy eating habits and exer-

Dr. Manohar Jethani and Ms Padmini Rao enthralled the audience with Ghazals and Bollywood songs.

cise. For seniors' comfort and care, MAFS has opened Metropolitan Home Health Care at Naperville, and MAFS soon will open Assisted Senior Living Facility behind MAFS Chicago site,

and its long track record of social services to elderly immigrants. He was very impressed with the amount of good work MAFS does silently with passion and strong efforts in assisting the im-

Hanover Mayor Park Craig praised Mr. and Mrs. Kumar and Dr. Jafri for their great leadership quality and serving the seniors. "This makes me come back always to MAFS functions," he said beaming with joy Metropolitan Family Clinic at Chicago site and another location of MAFS serving seniors in Orland Park, Illinois.

Oakbrook President Dr. Gopal Lamalani was all praise for MAFS

migrant elderly to adjust and assimilate in America 'their adopted land.

Naperville Mayor Pradel was proud to have 22% of the Naperville population with Asian

Dance performance

origin. He observed there should not be any difference between Asian or Americans since every one of us came from somewhere.

He encouraged people to donate generously since senior centers are at risk now more than ever.

Hanover Mayor Park Craig praised Mr. and Mrs. Kumar and Dr. Jafri for their great leadership quality and serving the seniors.

"This makes me come back always to MAFS functions," he said beaming with joy.

Another highlight of the program was presentation of Awards.

The Appreciation award was presented to Dr. Gopal Lamalani, MD, Village President of Oakbrook.

Leadership Award was presented to A. George Pradel, Mayor, Naperville, and Public Service

Award was presented to Rodney Craig, Mayor, Hanover Park. Token of Appreciation certificates were given to the young dance artists of Soorya Academy for presenting breathtaking Bollywood numbers during this fun-filled celebration.

Ms. Neelam Desai, the MC appealed for support. Dr. Manohar Jethani, Ms. Janu and Ms. Padmini Rao enthralled with songs/ghazals such as 'Hotho se chu lo tum, mera geet amar kar do, ban jao mit mere, meri preet amar kar do. Hitesh Master sang Jhanak Jhanak payal baje in 'Raag Bhopali.' Dr. Jethani and Ms. Rao sang sixties songs toward the end.

During the entertainment, everyone enjoyed a delicious, sumptuous dinner.

Big community support for 'Chivukula for Congress' Cont’d from page 11

An electrical engineer by profession, Chivukula has a track record as a problem solver who has worked successfully on a bipartisan basis to incentivize business, eliminate waste in government spending and reduce costs by promoting municipal shared services in a bid to lower property taxes and generate energy savings for ratepayers.

He holds several leadership positions in the Assembly. He serves as Deputy Speaker and chairs the Assembly Telecom and Utilities Committee, is vice chair of the Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee and a member of the Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee.

Chivukula is running for Congress on the platform of creating jobs and improving the economy.

He has a successful track record of accelerating a clean energy economy in New Jersey.

"It has been my privilege to serve the people of New Jersey by working collaboratively with

stakeholders to steward legislation and initiatives that have helped catapult our state to a national leader in clean energy and delivered thousands of clean jobs," Chivukula (DSomerset\Middlesex) said. "With your support, I can make a difference in Washington - to help end the gridlock, grow jobs and improve the national economy," he added.

Several of Chivukula's campaign staff were on hand at Sunday's event.

"I am a great fan of the New York Yankees, and just like them, I have a great team with a superstar to work with in Upendra," said Joey Novick, campaign manager for 'Upendra Chivukula for Congress.'

"I am looking forward to coaching this team to victory. Rest assured, I plan to be a pit bull and fight the tough fight, so we can win this race, and celebrate right here on election night."

Longtime supporter and campaign manager for Chivukula's early Assembly races, was also present at the event.

"What I love about Upendra is that he has remained as pure today as when he was first elected to the Assembly. We cannot say

Dayci Chivukula, who is a CubanAmerican, told Sunday's crowd that there was no doubt in her mind that her husband of 30 years was going to be a Congressman."Once Upendra decides to do something, success is inevitable. I have never seen my husband fail in any major endeavor� that about too many people. He also understands the needs of business since he has extensive work experience in the private sector," Caldwell said to an audience

that included many small business owners.

Chivukula's training as an engineer and extensive work experience in utilities and telecom prior to being elected to the Assembly has empowered him with valuable insights and expertise on business and industry. He also has emerged as the go-to lawmaker on complex technical issues as one of the few scientists in the 120-member New Jersey Legislature.

Dayci Chivukula, who is a Cuban-American, told Sunday's crowd that there was no doubt in her mind that her husband of 30 years was going to be a Congressman.

"Once Upendra decides to do something, success is inevitable.

I have never seen my husband fail in any major endeavor. I cannot think of a better man or a finer public servant to serve New Jersey in Washington," she said.

Many Indian-Americans leaders including Dr. Sudhir Parikh, expressed their support for Chivukula. "This is a proud moment in which we are poised to send an Indian-American to Con-

gress. When he wins, I hope he will chair the India-America Caucus and help accelerate better relations between the two nations," Parikh said.

At 3.3 percent, Indian-Americans are the largest component of the state's fastest growing AsianAmerican group which accounts for 8.3 percent of New Jersey's nearly nine million population.

Asian Americans are also the fastest growing racial group in the U.S. with a population of 14.7 million or 4.8 percent of the total U.S. population. Another 0.9 percent reported Asian in combination with other races, taking that number up to 17.3 million or 5.6 percent of all people in the United States. "'Seva,' which is Sanskrit for service, of our fellow beings, is the highest calling of all and those of us who are in public office enjoy the rare privilege of being able to fulfill that mission," Chivukula said. "Being able to make a difference in people's lives is what inspires me every day. With your support, I look forward to serving at the national level."

Community Across America

June 1, 2012

India Post 15

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ASF presents unique Dance & Drums program

ASF Chief Dr Birendra Sinha talking to an African dancer as he introduces the artists

Kathak performance at Dance and Drums program

RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO : A unique program of dance and music 'Dance &

applause and hefty compliments offered by those attending it The program started with an invocation item Nirtat Dhun, describing the elements of Kathak.

geometrical design and brilliant footwork. The music and dance composition were done by no other then the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj and choreographed by Ms Kiran

quently, Ms Margaret Rainey a well known African dancer and Ms Laxmi Sarathi presented an African dance with the beat of the African drums. For this item the mu-

The second part of the program was a combination of India drum (tabla) performance with African and Western drums. Subsequently, Ms Margaret Rainey a well known African dancer and Ms Laxmi Sarathi presented an African dance with the beat of the African drums African dancer

Drums', presented by Anila Sinha Foundation (ASF) at the Hindu temple of greater Chicago in Lemont recently met with huge success, judging from the loud

This was followed by a traditional Kathak dance in Teental consisting of 16 beats. This part of the program ended with a Tarana in Raag Kalawati showing exquisite

Chouhan, ASF Artistic Director.

The second part of the program was a combination of India drum (tabla) performance with African and Western drums. Subse-

sic was provided on Guitar by Nicholas Metzger and Vanessa Ayala while Rayan Dwyer played the keyboard. The African drummer, Donald Dorcilus and Thor

Bremer the western drummer, accompanied by Indian drummer (Tabla) Raj Deshmukh a disciple of Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and his student Ms Sonali Srivastava, presented an excellent professional performance.

The program ended with a grand finale consisting of a combination of Indo-African dance supported by different types of drums including Indian, African and western. The Indian dancers presenting Kathak performance included Medha Bhargaw, Laxmi Sarathi, Shivali Varshney and Kamal Gupta. Choreographed and directed by Ms Kiran Chouhan.

The Indian drummers Raj Deshmukh with his disciple Ms Sonali Srivastava supported the entire program.

The next event is a fund raiser with a unique program, "Kathak Odyssey" with silent and live auction and formal dinner on July 22 at the Aashiyana Banquets, Downers Grove.

Food drive, health fair at Hindu Temple CHAYA GOPALAN

ST LOUIS: Hindu Temple Youth Group (HTYG) held its Food Drive in April this year and gathered three blue containers and two boxes of dry food and donated to the Operation Food Search which distributes food to the needy.

HTYG volunteered along with many adult volunteers at the annual Health Fair on Saturday, May 5. This year more than 200 patients were seen by the volunteer physicians.

The school year ended with an Annual Day celebrations for the HTYG. They learned about Ramayana this year and wrote this as a play and performed.

In addition, the youth members participated in a jeopardy game related to all the topics they were introduced and it was lot of fun.

King Dasharatha with his three queens, Sumitra, Kousalya and Kaikeyi

Health fair

Swayamvara scene in the Ramayana play.

Hindu Temple Youth Group Food Drive, 2012

Community Across America

16 India Post

June 1, 2012

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Benefit concert for Ekal Vidyalaya fundraising India Post News Service

EDISON, N.J: On Sunday, May 13, Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF) hosted a successful annual benefit concert featuring Bollywood Singer 'Samir Date' and 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' contest winner 'Dipalee Somaiya', at 'Performing Arts Theatre' of 'Middlesex County College' in Edison, N.J. The evening started with a short documentary on "EVF" which briefed the gathering about the problem of 'illiteracy' in remote parts of India and the remarkable transformation that "Ekal" has brought about in tribal regions. Thereafter, Samir and

Ekal-Plaque recipients - Makarand & Suniti Abhyankar

'five decades of Bollywood milestones' but also kept them spell-

Concert performers

Dipalee, the enchanting duo, not only enthralled the audience by belting out classic melodies of

bound right through the grand finale with emotionally charged rendition of "aye mere vatan ke

logo". They also sang Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi and Sufi songs

At this event, two families, Makarand & Suniti Abhyankar and Dr Shubhagi & Dr. Jagadish Thakur were honored with 'Plaques' for being "Role models for selfless service to Humanitarian causes� to audience's heart's content and mesmerized them with their musical versatility.

Ekal-Plaque recipients - Dr Shubhagi & Dr. Jagadish Thakur & mother

Midway through the concert, the evening's primary objective of fund-raising session was initiated by Prajna Khisti, President of NJ-Ekal Chapter, who gave an informative power-point presentation quantifying illiteracy in modern India and efforts needed to eradicate it.

Jyotindrabhai Patel and Brahm Sharma who followed her, appealed to the audience to open up their hearts and checkbooks as way of gratitude towards their own motherland which had given them 'almost-free' education as foundation for their success in this country. At this event, two families, Makarand & Suniti Abhyankar and Dr Shubhagi & Dr. Jagadish Thakur were honored with 'Plaques' for being "Role models for selfless service to Humani-

tarian causes and their commitment and contribution to Ekal's Literacy cause".

At this event, 'Dr Sudhir Parikh' of "Parikh Worldwide Media" and 'Sunil Nayak' were also specifically recognized for support to "EVF". At the conclusion of this memorable evening, $80,000 were realized for the welfare of tribal area youths in India, bringing total fund-raising amount for New Jersey alone to almost $300,000, counting other couple of concerts in that period.

"Ekal" is not only a recipient of 'Best NGO Organization', but also the largest literacy movement of its kind, globally undertaken by NRIs and Indians. Every year, "Ekal" raises in excess of $2.5 millions in USA.

Asian Pacific American heritage month celebrated

Asian Media USA

CHICAGO, IL: Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Clerk's Office AsianAmerican Employees Social Club (AAESC) hosted its Annual Asian American Heritage Celebration, featuring Indian and Chinese dances, attires, and cultures, on May 16 at the Daley Plaza, in Chicago.

The Luncheon Reception followed the cultural program and

award ceremony in the Clerk's Office, located on the 10th floor, Suite 1001. With over 300 guests, inspiring speeches and great entertainment, this event promoted a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures making it a major success.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is observed nationally to recognize the contributions that people of Asian and Pacific heritage have made to the Ameri-

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is observed nationally to recognize the contributions that people of Asian and Pacific heritage have made to the American culture

can culture. Outstanding members of the Asian Pacific American community of Cook County were honored at Dorothy Brown's event.

The program started with National Anthem recited by Ms. Portia Young followed by welcome speech

by Ms. Hetal Patel. Mistress of Ceremonies was Ms. Nesita Kwan (NBC-5 Chicago). Opening remarks were made by Dorothy Brown who thanked the members of the Asian American Employees' Social Club

for organizing this event.

She also acknowledged the event sponsors - Medstar Laboratory and Entelli Consulting.

Among the special guests, she recognized Chicago-based Consul Generals of several Asian countries. Cook County Associate Judge, Honorable Sanjay Tailor was the Keynote Speaker and Ravi Baichwal of ABC 7- Chicago, was also the Guest Speaker.

Cont’d on page 17

Community Across America

June 1, 2012

India Post 17

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Mother's Day & Hanuman Jayanti celebrated ASHWIN PATEL

Hanuman Jayanti

ST. LOUIS: Mother's Day was celebrated at Hindu Temple of St. Louis on Sunday, May 13 with Sri Kanyaka Parameshwari pooja. Devotees along with their families performed samuhika pooja.

Sundara kanda parayanam started on Sunday to observe Hanuman Jayanti on May 15.

Sundara Kandam was recited by

priests and devotees every few hours for three days and it ended on Hanuman Jayanti. Guru Sankramanam/Peyarchi was celebrated with Dakshinamurthy pooja on May 17. A number of devotees sponsored for pooja to get blessings from Guru.

Vaikasi Vishakam will be celebrated with palkudam and kavadi on Saturday June 2.

Mother's Day decoration

Guru Sankramanam/Peyarchi celebration

Dr Desai travels with Mitt Romney

Asian Pacific American heritage month celebrated

Cont’d from page 16

In the Clerk's Office, there are employees from various Asian cultures, including Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Korean, Pakistani and Japanese, and they celebrate Asian culture with entertaining and enlight-

sion of Professional Regulation for the State of Illinois.

• Mr. Eric Horng, general assignment reporter for ABC7-Chicago.

• Ms. Vandana Jhingan, worked as the Chicago Bureau Chief of TV ASIA USA Inc. • Ms. Nesita Kwan, Emmy-win-

Dance performances were provided by Kalapriya Dance group and Pranita Jain & Group Award presentations were done at the hands of Clerk Dorothy Brown ening programs each May. Dance performances were provided by Kalapriya Dance group and Pranita Jain & Group.

Award presentations were done at the hands of Clerk Dorothy Brown.

The following individuals received awards: • Dr. Yashwant Amin, Director of Drug Compliance for the Divi-

ning anchor and reporter; currently health editor at NBC5 Chicago.

• Mr. Rana Saleem, Vice-President of the Pakistani American Council of North America.

• Dr. Daniel Ing Hsu Wu, MD, professor at Rush University Medical Center, teaching in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department.

Indian American Physician Dr.A.K.Desai had proud moments when Mitt Romney, Republican US Presidential candidate, invited him to travel with him in his private plane to Miami for a fundraiser which raised about $ 2.5 million for the campaign on May 17. The picture shows Governer Mitt Romney, Dr.AK.Desai and other Republican Party officials. Dr. Desai, Chairman of Finance Committee of the Republican Party of Florida, is currently the Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Universal Health Care Group, Inc and serves the health care community through several associations. A member of the Florida State Board of Education since 2007, Dr. Desai previously served as a Member of Florida State Board of Governors from 2005-2007 and as Commissioner and Chairman of the Health Committee on the White House Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders from 2005-2008. (Pic: Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia)

Indian American teacher among awardees KRISHNA RAJDA

CHICAGO: Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White and the Illinois Press Association have announced that five students and two tutors from Chicago are among the winners of the annual Spotlight on Achievement and Spotlight on Service awards recognizing outstanding literacy students and volunteer tutors in Illinois.

Among the winners is Indian American Sheela Jeevanandam, who teaches at De La Salle Tolton.

"I am very proud to recognize the tutors besides the students for

their generosity and encouragement in helping their literacy students achieve their utmost potential," said Jessse White.

Students and tutors are nominated by the local providers who receive literacy grant funding from the Secretary of State/Illinois State Library Literacy Office.

Each year ten students and ten tutors are honored. Students received a $200 check from the Illinois Press Association Foundation, a congratulatory plaque and personalized Illinois Blue Book from Secretary White. Tu-

tors received a congratulatory plaque and personalized Illinois Blue Book from Secretary White, and $200 is being donated to their tutoring organization by the Illinois Press Association Foundation.

Last year adult literacy programs that received grant funding provided educational services to 20,837 adult students. A total of 8,193 volunteer tutors statewide provided instruction to help students develop and enhance their reading, writing, math and language skills.

Community Across America

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June 1, 2012

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Fifth anniversary of South Asian Spelling Bee pronouncers and judges. The top three in the oral round will receive prize money.

The top two spellers of each regional competition will advance to the finals to be held in New Jersey in August. Like last year, MetLife has inducted the $10,000 champion's scholarship that will be awarded to the winner at the finals.

"It continues to be a pleasure to partner with Touchdown Media Inc., and to see the growing

(L to R) John Derbick, AVP, Global Brand, Marketing & Communication, MetLife; Jaideep Janakiram, Head - North America, Sony Entertainment Networks; Rahul Walia, CEO, Touchdown Media Inc. & Founder of 'The South Asian Spelling Bee'; Neeraj Arora, EVP, International Business, Sony Entertainment Networks.

(Pic Masalajunction.com/Gunjesh Desai) India Post News Service

METUCHEN, NJ: Touchdown Media Inc., the leading multicultural advertising firm, has announced the launch of its 2012 season of the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee. MetLife, a leading global provider of life insurance and other financial services, returns as the title sponsor of the contest.

Celebrating its 5th anniversary this year, the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee has received unprecedented support from the community and sponsors alike, year after year.

Organized by Touchdown Media Inc., the 2012 MetLife South

Asian Spelling Bee will be conducted in 11 locations across the United States starting on June 16.

Regional level events will be held in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington DC Metro, New York and Boston. This year Seattle has also been added to the roster. All events will be free to attend and open to the public.

"We are excited about celebrating our 5th anniversary this season. Over these past few years we have seen some amazing talent and lots of new talent develop.

The Bee has become a critical platform for the youth and we aspire to continue this effort year after

year," said Rahul Walia, CEO of Touchdown Media Inc. and founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee. The event is open to children of South Asian descent up to 14 years of age. It will give South Asian children a chance to test their spelling skills in their core peer group. Interested spellers need their parent or guardian to register them online at www.SouthAsianSpellingBee.com.

Each competition will begin with a written test of 25 words. The participants must spell 15 or more words correctly to advance to the afternoon oral round, which will be conducted by experienced

Television, Asia in over 120 countries. Sony Entertainment Television Asia has the broadcast rights and will be showing the contest worldwide (except India and Pakistan) on their channel.

"We are delighted to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the South Asian Spelling Bee on Sony Entertainment Television, Asia. We pride ourselves on quality family based content and consistently delivering innovative programming to our diverse audience, our

The event is open to children of South Asian descent up to 14 years of age. It will give South Asian children a chance to test their spelling skills in their core peer group. Interested spellers need their parent or guardian to register them number of families who participate in the Spelling Bee. We know that education is highly valued in the South Asian community, and this is a great venue for children to compete for scholarships toward higher education," said Laurel Daring, assistant vice president of Diverse Markets at MetLife.

"We look forward to another year of bringing families together for a fun event, and helping them create sound financial strategies."

As always, The 2012 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee will be telecast on Sony Entertainment

passion in partnering with the best events is no exception. “The Spelling Bee is a fantastic platform for youth of all ages to showcase their language skills, dedication and self-motivation. SET Asia is always looking to entertain and to involve our international viewers in shows such as the Spelling Bee. SET Asia plans to considerably enhance international viewer participation in its premium programs," Jaideep Janakiram, Head North America, Sony Entertainment Networks said.

Arizona student's paper on Gandhi chosen for finals India Post News Service

CHANDLER, Arizona: Shakthi Srinivasan, a 5th grader in Basis Chandler School in Chandler, Arizona, who won the regional level contest for her paper on 'Gandhi's Non-Violent Revolution for India's Freedom and Social Reform and Its Relevance to Our World Today' has been selected to participate in the national finals to be held in University of Maryland, College Park in June. Her paper also won a special award as "Best Entry on Ethnic or Family History."

She along with other winners is headed for the University of Maryland to compete in the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest from June 10 through June 14.

With her parents' encouragement, Shakthi decided to participate in the 2012 National History Day (NHD) paper contest. The theme given to all the participants was "Revolution, Reform and Reactions."

Based on what she heard about her grandfather and his role in the freedom movement, she chose the topic "Satyagraha - Gandhi's Nonviolent Revolution for India's Self-Rule and Social Reform: Is it Relevant to Our World Today?"

In addition to reading books, she approached Gandhian scholars, freedom fighters and others who have lived through that

era for her research.

Shakthi's paternal grandfather late L.S.Krishnamurthy was an associate of Mahatma Gandhi during freedom struggle and a veteran freedom fighter from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. He actively par-

worked for the uplift of the under privileged and even after independence was actively involved in many social and trade union activities. So Gandhism is in Shakthi's blood.

Professor Dennis Dalton, who taught for

Born and raised in the US, Shakthi started taking an interest in Gandhi at a young age.

When she started asking questions about applying Gandhian non-violence to address problems she was seeing in her environment such as school bullying Shakthi Srinivasan

ticipated in the Quit India Movement conducted by Gandhi against British rule and was sentenced to nine months of rigorous imprisonment for his participation in the movement. He subsequently spent time in Wardha Ashram founded by Gandhi.

He was a staunch Gandhian and followed his principle of non-violence. He also

more than 40 years at Columbia University's Barnard College provided her not only a lot of input but also has been a great source of encouragement for her. From India, noted Gandhian the octogenarian Padmashri Dr. N. Mahalingam also spared time to tell about his becoming a Gandhian and his views on Gandhi's impact on the political, social and

economic life in India Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi and G. Muthuswamy, a freedom fighter were also kind enough to respond to her questions through emails.

With all their help, Shakthi's paper initially won at the regional level. Then her paper was placed second in the Junior Paper contest in Arizona and was selected to participate in the national finals to be held in University of Maryland, College Park in June. Her paper also won a special award as "Best Entry on Ethnic or Family History."

Shakthi is both excited and a bit anxious about the national finals.

Born and raised in the US, Shakthi started taking an interest in Gandhi at a young age.

When she started asking questions about applying Gandhian non-violence to address problems she was seeing in her environment such as school bullying, her parents encouraged her to read more about Gandhi's views in his autobiography.

Shakthi lives with her parents in Chandler, Arizona. She has been learning piano for almost six years and has been singing with the Phoenix Children's Choir for four years. She learned Tamil for three years in the classes conducted by the Arizona Tamil Sangam. She plays tennis and enjoys travel.

She enjoys visiting her family in India every year.

June 1, 2012

Community Across America

Luncheon reception in honor of Sen Shaheen

www.indiapost.com

American Sikhs welcome passage of Anand Marriage Act India Post News Service

(L-R) Vinesh Virani, Zul Kapadia, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Balwinder Singh.

Ravi Hasoor and Larry Struckman India Post News Service

CHICAGO: A prominent Indian businessman in Oakbrook Ravi Hasoor and a group of other Indian Americans led by Vinesh Virani hosted a luncheon reception in honor of US Senator from New Hampshrie Ms Jeanne Shaheen at Chicago Downtown Hilton hotel recently.

The main purpose was to introduce India friendly Senator to mem-

bers of Indian community .Last year Sen. Shaheen had organized a business delegation to India. Ms Shaheen said she was highly impressed by the contribution made

by Ms Indira Gandhi in making India a front ranking country in the international community of nations. She plans to continue promoting Indo-US ties and with that end in view, she would be inviting the Indian Ambassador to her State, New Hampshire in July.

Communities of Color meet to support legislation India Post News Service

WASHINGTON: Members of the Coalition of Bar Associations of Color (CBAC) from around the country gathered in Washington, DC, for its Annual Meeting to discuss key issues affecting communities of color, including voter suppression efforts, judicial vacancies, and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

CBAC was established in 1992

portant to Asian Pacific Americans and all communities of color," said Nimesh M. Patel, president of NAPABA. "Through CBAC, we can address issues of mutual concern such as pushing for stronger laws to prevent human trafficking and the exploitation of women and persons of color."

"The lack of knowledge about federal Indian law and tribal law affects how Native Americans fare in the federal court system," said

"The lack of knowledge about federal Indian law and tribal law affects how Native Americans fare in the federal court system," said Patty Ferguson-Bohnee and comprises Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), the National Bar Association (NBA), and the National Native American Bar Association (NNABA). CBAC members adopted 19 resolutions on a range of legislative and policy priorities, including opposition to Arizona S.B. 1070, support for antihuman trafficking efforts, increased funding for tribal justice systems, the reauthorization of VAWA, and the DREAM Act. "Our participation in CBAC provides a unique opportunity for NAPABA and all of our bars to collaborate on issues that are im-

Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, president of NNABA and host of this year's Annual CBAC Meeting.

"CBAC provides an important opportunity to help educate decision makers about some of the legal issues that affect our day-today lives."

"While members of CBAC were providing a united voice of support for the strengthened version of VAWA that passed the Senate, the House passed a version that omitted key provisions that would protect tribal communities, women of color, and LGBT individuals," said Peter M. Reyes, Jr., presidentelect of HNBA. Cont’d on page 21

India Post 19

WASHINGTON: American Sikhs have expressed their joy and satisfaction at the passage of Anand Marriage Amendment in the Indian Parliament. Dr. Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Washington based Sikh Council on Religion and Education, said, "This is a historic day for Sikhs in Independent India after a long and hard struggle. Not having a full recognition of their observances and their customs in India had created a sense of lack among Sikhs in India and it questioned their independent identity as a community.

"This thoughtful action by the elected leaders of India honors the Sikh tradition and its validity. It also sends a signal that India welcomes its own vibrant diversity and honors its own minorities.

Comprehensive law recognition of the Sikh marriage is still needed which would require community wide deliberations and we appeal to Sikh leaders to involve various sections of Sikh intelligentsia. " Parliament has passed a Bill to remove doubts on the validity of the 'Anand Karaj' (marriage) among the Sikhs.

Moving the Bill for consideration, Law Minister Salman Khurshid had said the legislation was evidence of the intention of the government to respect the sentiments of people of all religious communities.

The Bill seeks to amend the

Anand Marriage Act, 1909, to provide for compulsory registration of 'Anand Karaj' marriages.

Rajwant Singh added, "We are proud of Sikh parliamentarian Tarlochan Singh for his meticulous legislative work and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his support as the head of Indian political office. Both deserve applause from the entire worldwide Sikh community. We as a commu-

Law Minister Salman Khurshid had said the legislation was evidence of the intention of the government to respect the sentiments of people of all religious communities nity must continue to make full use of the political process to get full rights and this is a prime example."

Dr. I.J. Singh, a New York based Sikh commentator and author of several Sikh books, said, "Passage of Anand Marriage Amendment is obviously important for Sikhs in India and Sikhs across the world.

It is crucial step but it is a pity that it took 60 years. Not that we as a community did not protest or struggle to get this crucial recognition, finally those efforts have

brought this good."

He further stated, "Forming policies around Sikhs customs is an evolving process and we hope as community develops consensus, it should not take another 60 years to make changes in the current law."

Ranjit Singh, Chairman of the Maryland based Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, said, "We are pleased with the outcome of this long standing struggle. Finally Sikhs in India have the chance to feel that they are fully acknowledged. It is important for Sikh leaders to evolve consensus on the next phase of the process. It was great to see Sikh parliamentarians working across party lines to achieve this goal. That is a victory for Sikhs. Indian Parliament leaders also deserve recognition for their unanimous decision."

Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa, Ambassador of Sikh Dharma, said in a statement, "It is a matter of great pride to learn that the Sikh Anand Marriage Act has been passed and made into law in India. This is a historic day for the Sikhs all over the world and I salute respected Sardar Tarlochan Singh Ji for his relentless efforts to get this bill passed in the Parliament. Now the Sikhs all over the world can enjoy a separate identity and raise their profile and honor in high standards. This day will be marked as historic and significant in the annals of Sikh history."

Religious leaders' meet calls to promote shared values India Post News Service

WASHINGTON, DC: On May 17, the Joint Religious Leadership Coordination for the G8 Summit (JRLCS) gathered representative organizations and delegations from G8 and G20 member communities for a closed meeting at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University. The session extended a long history of religious and interreligious organizations using the occasion of global summits to articulate shared moral concerns and policy recommendations.

Following a tradition of religious leaders speaking together during major political summits, the representatives also met to interact with scholars and government officials and to issue a joint statement. The religious leaders made personal and community commitments and offered recommendations to address economic justice,

food, health, human security, and poverty issues.

Coming together in a spirit of

Part of the endeavor was headed up by a coalition of many persons including the Reverend Bud Heckman, Executive Director of Religions for Peace USA. Representing the broader Hindu and Jain traditions were Anuttama Dasa, from International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) pluralism and proclaiming peace and equality, the group acknowledged the tumultuous times of

violence and economic instability seen around the world and offered reflections and recommendations as part of this joint statement to the G8 and G20 leaders.

Part of the endeavor was headed up by a coalition of many persons including the Reverend Bud Heckman, Executive Director of Religions for Peace USA. Representing the broader Hindu and Jain traditions were Anuttama Dasa, from International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and Arvind Vora, from the Federation of Jain Associations in North America.

In addition to helping develop the final document, Dasa and Vora advocated the inclusion of a statement within a section focused on health issues that urged the G8 leaders to promote and educate their citizens about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Cont’d on page 22

Community/California

20 India Post

June 1, 2012

www.indiapost.com

A3M appreciates life saving volunteers!

JS BEDI India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: On Saturday, May 5, A3M planned a 80s party for their dedicated volunteers.

Volunteers, who have been with them since its inception in 1991 and have been supporting the life saving work that takes place in our communities. Patients, donors and volunteers showed up from all over Southern California to take part in the fun filled activity. The room was full of color with people walking in with their 80's garb. It was wonderful to see volunteers from different communities coming together for one cause, one goal‌ that is saving lives by making sure that every searching patient has an opportunity to find a matching marrow donor.

The highlight of the event was an emotional testimony from William Ko, A3M's first focus patient from the Chinese community. A3M conducted bone marrow drives on

Niranjan Bhatt with South Asian task force volunteers

behalf of William in 1993/94. He soon found a donor that was also registered by A3M and was able to have a transplant. Today William is one of the longest survivors, almost 20 years. His children, who were very little at the time of his diagnosis, are now college going adults. What a miracle!

Mushtaque Jiwani's brother

Sam and sister Sakkar also attended the event in spite of their busy schedule. Mushtaque was transplanted along with five other patients 36 years ago at City of Hope. Mushtaque was the only survivor and continued to do well.

He was the reason the transplant program stayed afloat at City of hope‌ they truly saw hope

NetIP to hold bone marrow 'Match' event India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: The Network of Indian Professionals, Los Angeles-Orange County (NetIP LA-OC), is hosting a can't-miss event on Saturday, June 9 for the South Asian community. Appropriately named "Match Made in Heaven," the event is a charity benefit for Cure Sonia, a nonprofit named after Sonia Rai, a 25-year-old who passed away from leukemia in March 2012. Her legacy, Cure Sonia, offers hope to other South Asians with leukemia by increasing awareness and providing support to other victims and their families.

NetIP LA-OC's event will be the first event since Sonia's recent passing two months ago. It will be held at: Naya, 3705 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026 on Saturday, June 9 from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m NetIP encourages the entire South Asian community and friends and family to come out and support this great cause.

Event highlights include: Be the Match: Some people have such a unique tissue type that there might only be one match for that person on the entire planet. YOU might be someone's miracle match. Sign up at "Match Made in Heaven" to join Be the Match, the national bone marrow registry.

It's as easy as a cheek swab.

Find Your Match: NetIP's eligible bachelors and bachelorettes will be auctioned off in a live date auction. Bid on them for a great cause.

Event attendees who already members of the Be the Match registry or who aren't interested in participating in the date auction will still have a great time.

The event will have live performances by:

SATF volunteers

Suvah Entertainment: http:// musafirludhianvi.com/ All profit from the event goes to Cure Sonia, which will help fund future bone marrow drives, support for patients' families, and investments in related medical research.

Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) has become a premier networking brand over the years. It is the unequivocal voice for an emerging group of South Asians, who excel in every aspect of western society, from business to politics to the arts. The rise of NetIP and its affiliated chapters, including the Los Angeles-Orange county chapter, reflects a general "coming of age" by South Asian professionals.

About Curesonia In December 2010, Sonia Rai was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, AML (acute myelogenous leukemia). Sonia required an immediate bone marrow transplant and a nationwide campaign was launched on her behalf to find a South Asian donor, an underrepresented group in Be the Match (the national bone marrow registry). Over 300 drives were organized over a 60 day period resulting in over 10,000 new members.

While a direct match was not found for her, the Cure Sonia efforts meaningfully increased the number of South Asian donors and have resulted in several matches since its inception. Sonia received a double cord transplant, but unfortunately, even after fighting bravely for a year and keeping a positive outlook, Sonia relapsed and passed away. As part of her last wishes, Sonia requested that the fight against leukemia continue with three primary objectives: first, continue hosting drives to help others; second, help patient families in need; third, facilitate research to find an ultimate cure.

through Mushtaque for many others. Today City of Hope has performed over 10,000 bone marrow transplants.

Mark Sarsoza shared his experience as donor. He feels very honored that he was chosen to help save a life.

Many South Asian volunteers, invited by Niranjan Bhatt, also

showed up to participate in this feel-good event.

In 1991 A3M was formed by grassroots movement prompted by serious lack of bone marrow donors in our communities. With the help of dedicated volunteers it continues to give hope to patients by adding more diverse donors in the Be The Match registry.

Top Republican leaders endorse Ricky Gill India Post News Service

LODI, CA: Congressional candidate Ricky Gill has announced the endorsements of two top national Republican leaders, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (RCA) and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX).

Sessions, who campaigned for Gill in Lodi, made the following statement on his endorsement: "Ricky Gill is the kind of conservative we need to fight the status quo in Washington and get this country back on track. From jobs to the national debt, Ricky will bring the right solutions to rejuvenate our economy and protect our taxpayers."

"Simply put," Sessions said, "we need Ricky Gill in Washington, and I'm pleased to endorse him for U.S. Congress."

According to McCarthy, the House Majority Whip and one of the founders of the NRCC's Young Guns program, "Ricky is a solid conservative and a rising star with the right ideas on jobs, education and accountable government. Ricky knows the issues facing his district, our state and our country, and I believe he has a bright future representing the people of the Central Valley in Congress."

Gill also has earned the endorsements of national figures including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Taxpayer advocates endorse Gill Two prominent taxpayer advocates have also announced their endorsements of Ricky Gill.

Gill earned the endorsements of both the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Po-

Ricky Gill with Rep. Pete Sessions

litical Action Committee and Lew Uhler, Founder and President of the National TaxLimitation Committee.

"I'm honored to have earned the support of these grassroots taxpayer organizations," said Gill. "If elected, I will fight to give taxpayers the smaller, smarter, more responsible government they deserve in Washington."

Gill, whom the National Republican Congressional Committee recently named a "Young Gun," is the only candidate in the 9th District to have earned these endorsements. He is also the only candidate in the 9th District to have signed the Americans for Tax Reform "Taxpayer Protection Pledge."

Community/California

June 1, 2012

India Post 21

www.indiapost.com

The Dictator regurgitates anti-Muslim portrayals MUNIRA SYEDA

T

he Dictator is nothing more than silly comedy with crude sexual content and a regurgitation of a century old anti-Muslim depictions.

In my community advocate role of liaising with the entertainment industry, I attended an advanced screening of the new Sasha Baron Cohen film. Afterward, I was glad I saved myself 12 bucks and a trip to the theater.

Following the historic Arab spring, Cohen makes a film about the ever-despised Middle Eastern dictators. But he damages any noble attempt to expose these tyrants by generously incorporating anti-Muslim stereotypes into the script: the Arab culture is presented as uncivilized, violenceprone and denigrating toward women; and the Arab people are portrayed as camel-jockeys and Jew haters.

An opportunist, Cohen also bashes Asians and feminists, and disrespects a dead body in his film. But he largely depends on simplistic and shallow anti-Muslim and antiArab depictions (rivaled only by the crude sexual imagery), to sell his latest entertain-

ment product to audiences.

Prior to the film's release, The Dictator scored a 67 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (The Hunger Games scored 84 percent in comparison).

Now, I understand... some in Hollywood go straight for the shock value. Others rely

South Asian and Arab communities are not above that.

"The media can be an instrument of change: it can maintain the status quo and reflect the views of the society or it can, hopefully, awaken people and change minds," the widely respected Katie Couric

I'm not looking to a Brit to make American Muslims look more attractive on U.S. screens. An emerging crop of Muslim writers, comedians and filmmakers has been tackling that challenge in recent years, and quite impressively on the tired ethnic stereotypes for material.

In The Dictator, Cohen depends on both (one film reviewer called him the "antithesis" of Charlie Chaplin).

But, isn't it possible to be entertaining, humorous and intelligent all at the same time? We appreciate thought-provoking, envelope-pushing entertainment; Muslim,

said. I agree 100 percent.

However, kindly spare us the racist stereotypes and the absurd 9/11 jokes (my community will be quick to point out that we were doubly attacked on 9/11, first as Americans, and second when we suffered considerable backlash as American Muslims).

Akshaya Patra feeds 1.3 mn children daily

I'm not looking to a Brit to make American Muslims look more attractive on U.S. screens. An emerging crop of Muslim writers, comedians and filmmakers has been tackling that challenge in recent years, and quite impressively.

Instead, I aim to challenge any writers and directors dying to incorporate Muslim/ Arab/South Asian images into their material by helping get their creative juices flowing.

True creativity is difficult precisely because it requires discarding the craving for quick box office hits and adding credits to one's name in favor of intelligent, imaginative content.

In the case of two great recent films The Help and Avatar (yes, different genre but the principle applies nonetheless), such conviction paid off with huge dividends.

So, let us collectively advocate for creative entertainment that rises above the cheap shots and crass humor depicted in Cohen's film.

The writer is CAIR-LA Communications Manager

Communities of Color meet to support legislation Cont’d from page 19

India Post News Service

Despite India's booming economic growth, the country is still home to millions of people suffering from the dual tragedies of malnutrition and lack of access to education. It is estimated that over 57 million children in the country are battling silently with hunger on a daily basis.

Hunger impairs both their cognitive and social development and also prevents many of these children from attending school due to economic necessities. The Akshaya Patra Foundation, one of the world's largest NGO-run midday meal programs, believes that no child should be denied equitable access to food and education because of hunger.

Started modestly in Bangalore feeding 1500 children in five schools, Akshaya Patra has grown to become one of the largest, and certainly most innovative, school lunch programs in the world.

Akshaya Patra currently provides freshly prepared, nutritious meals to over 1.3 million underprivileged children daily, in 10 states, from 21 kitchens, in over 9,000 schools in India.

For many children, this is their only complete meal for the day.

This meal gives them an incentive to come to school, stay in school and provides them with the necessary nutrients they need to develop their cognitive abilities and to focus on learning.

Anil, a student of class seven in Puri, Orissa, lives with his parents and an elder brother in a shanty town in the Balia Panda basti area. His father, Gobind, is a vendor who tries to meet the family's needs from a meager daily income of Rs. 30 to Rs. 40. Anil's family was facing an acute shortage of money and his father was unable to bear the expense of his food and education. Anil was on the verge of leaving school.

That was when The Akshaya

child for an entire academic year.

The hallmark of the Akshaya Patra program are the centralized kitchen facilities that have been designed and engineered to optimize quality and minimize cost, time and labor. These fully automated kitchens can prepare 185,000 meals in less than five hours by utilizing gravity flow mechanisms to minimize human handling of food, mechanized high speed cutting of vegetables, and conveyor belts for easy transpor-

Started modestly in Bangalore feeding 1500 children in five schools, Akshaya Patra has grown to become one of the largest, and certainly most innovative, school lunch programs in the world Patra Foundation mid-day meal program was introduced at the school. Anil remarks, "I am now getting one full meal a day. This has lightened my father's burden considerably, which is why now, my father is encouraging me to study and not leave school. My desire is to become a teacher, imparting knowledge to others."

A public-private partnership, Akshaya Patra combines good management, innovative technology and smart engineering to deliver school lunch at a fraction of the cost of similar programs in other parts of the world. It costs Akshaya Patra only $15 to feed a

tation.

Large stainless steel cauldrons with easy tilt mechanisms prepare 1,200 liters of lentils in two hours and a specially designed roti making machine cooks up 40,000 rotis in one hour. Additionally, steam is used as a source of cooking that accelerates the cooking process, retains nutrients, and is cost effective and clean.

By leveraging technology in cooking and delivery, Akshaya Patra has built a scalable mid-day feeding program which has the potential to be replicated outside of India.

Cont’d on page 22

"We hope that members of Congress will demand legislation that will keep all women safe from violence in their homes and workplaces."

Daryl Parks, president of NBA stated, "A key area for all of the bars of color is the inclusion of women and persons of color in the federal judiciary. CBAC looks forward to continuing to work with the Senate and the White House to recommend diverse candidates for the federal judiciary, and urges the speedy confirmation of pend-

ing nominees."

CBAC meets annually every spring so that leaders from its member organizations can discuss issues of mutual concern and advocate in support of their shared interests with the executive branch and with elected officials. This year's Annual CBAC Meeting included visits with the White House and the Department of Justice, and with the offices of Senator Harry Reid (DNV), Senator Chuck Grassley (RIA), Senator Patrick Leahy (DVT), and Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL).

Community/California

22 India Post

June 1, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Schools, Gurudwara host Sikh awareness events India Post News Service

Fifteen Sikh Presenter's Course attendees graduated from the Sikh Presenter's Course last May equipped with the pubic speaking skills and content knowledge to share the basics of Sikhi with non-Sikhs. These pre-

Evergreen Valley High School On April 26, these graduates led seven back to back Sikh Awareness presentations and disseminated information about Sikhs to almost 550 students. These social studies, language, and ethnic studies students were able to learn about Sikh beliefs and his-

The teacher, Mr. Greg Barnett, said that he "liked that the speakers were well prepared and informed. They were very friendly and connected well with the students. I hope you will return next year!" senters are continuing to stay active and host presentations in the Bay Area. In the past few months, many of them partnered together to lead successful presentations at the following venues:

tory. Since Vaisakhi was only 2 weeks prior, it's relevance to both Sikhs and Punjabis was emphasized. Students also watched the award winning documentary, Dastaar, and were also introduced

to cultural elements like Bhangra.

One teacher commented, "I like how [the presenter] made [the presentation] relatable to the students. He clearly explained the important aspects of the faith."

Turlock Gurudwara On April 29, the Coalition was invited to present information at this Central Valley Gurudwara by a member of the local school board, Dr. Harinder Grewal. Dr. Grewal invited several local officials from Turlock including the

Religious leaders' meet calls to promote shared values Cont’d from page 19

It was advocated that this would provide more food for the world's hungry population, minimize the environmental degradation caused by meat-centered diets, and improve the health of people worldwide by reducing heart disease, diabetes, and many forms of cancer. While the proposal was not accepted in its entirety, a reference to the importance of a plant-based diet was contained in the final statement.

"It is important that Hindu and other dharmic communities participate in these interfaith efforts to

call upon the world's political leaders to act in morally responsible ways while addressing the chal-

While the proposal was not accepted in its entirety, a reference to the importance of a plantbased diet was contained lenges of our day," commented Dasa. "It is my hope that core principles including truthfulness, com-

passion, self-discipline and cleanliness, which are vital for the spiritual and secular progress of society, will guide our leaders in all their decision-making processes."

The final statement reflected the shared values of the various religious traditions that were present including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Zoroastrian, Sikh, Baha'i, Shinto, Buddhist, Hindu and Jain. The assembled religious leaders called upon the need to promote these values through education, policy, and practice, while simultaneously promoting respect between, and of, religions and other minorities.

mayor, superintendent, and many educators.

The presentation consisted of a brief overview of the Sikh faith, and teacher resource packets were also distributed. The Modesto Bee covered the successful event in their publication.

James Logan High School On May 2, Sikh Presenter's Course graduates organized an afterschool event for teachers at James Logan High School, with the help of Harpaul Singh Rana, a teacher at the school. Teachers were introduced to the Sikh faith and served traditional Punjabi food for lunch. Since this high school is in the New Haven Unified School District, teachers were also reminded that a Sikh Awareness Resolution was passed in this district in January. Teachers were encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to give lessons on Sikhs, and educational packets were distributed to each educator present.

Oak Grove High School On May 8, Sikh Presenter's Course graduates gave a presen-

tation to several sociology classes at Oak Grove High School.

Manreet Sahota, a student in the class, wanted to have a Sikh presentation since her teacher was covering the religion unit at the time. The teacher, Mr. Greg Barnett, said that he "liked that the speakers were well prepared and informed. They were very friendly and connected well with the students. I hope you will return next year!"

An estimated 750 non-Sikhs were educated on Sikhs and Sikh practices because of these presentations.

The Coalition gave a special "thank you" to Nirvair Singh for both working with the schools to arrange these presentations and for spreading the beauty of Sikhi to these educators. Along with Nirvair, several other Sikh Presenter's Course graduates delivered presentations at these schools. They were Navjeet Singh Maddh, Meeta Kaur, Navjit Singh Basin, Tarandeep Singh Bali, Bhupinder Singh, and Satbir Singh.

Akshaya Patra feeds 1.3 mn children daily Cont’d from page 21

By sourcing its food stocks from local markets, Akshaya Patra is able to reduce costs associated with transportation and food spoilage while supporting the local economy, and insulate the program from price fluctuations. The Akshaya Patra method has been embraced by the local farmers, teachers and the communities surrounding each kitchen.

"Akshaya Patra is a great example of what can be accomplished when public sector, private sector and the civil society collaborate - a cost effective, scalable solution with high quality service delivery," said Madhu Sridhar, President and CEO of Akshaya Patra USA. "A wholesome midday meal, served in schools, helps break the cycle of poverty and aids children to become productive global citizens. India's expanding economy, in this global environ-

ment, presents extraordinary opportunities for large numbers of young people, but those who remain uneducated, unskilled and unhealthy will have poor prospects."

Akshaya Patra's goal is to feed

"Akshaya Patra is a great example of what can be accomplished when public sector, private sector and the civil society collaborate” 5 million children by 2020. Supporting Akshaya Patra benefits humanity through liberating children from hunger and lack of access to education and, ultimately, investing in a better world by protecting our future.

Horoscope

June 1, 2012

India Post 23

www.indiapost.com

Your Weekly Future

by Pandit Parashar

JUNE 01ST - JUNE 7TH (March 21 to April 20)

(November 23 to December 22)

I

Y

ts your turn to take care of people who took good care of you in the past. Money will come in plenty but will just slip out of your hands.

There will be some encouraging changes at work and you will be working with new people for next few months. It will be better to eat food at regular intervals to reduce the problem. An old friend will visit you.

ou will give up and express yourself in very strong language.

Message will go across but may not make much impact on other party. Sacrifices made earlier will not go waste and you will need help of an expert. You will meet all your commitments and s will still have some leftover. Idea of taking a trip overseas will ross your mind.

(April 21 to May 20)

(December 22 to January 19)

N

ew commitments will have long term impact on finances. You may go out of your way to win some one's heart. You will make plans to travel to a nice place coming summer. You may temporarily develop taste for sweets.

I

f you are quick and play your cards right, the dream opportunity is in your pockets. You will become very diplomatic and act little childish at home. New boss will assign additional work, putting you under lots of pressure. Some one close will encourage and inspire you.

Property deal can go through immediately if you offer little more.

(January 20 to February 18)

Y

ou will become health conscious and start with little exercises and change in diet. Gamble will pay off and you will make extra money and sign a long term contract also. You will also win some favors from a government agency making room for big improvements in career.

(May 21 to June 20)

Y

ou will be offered the deal that will be hard to turn down. This is the correct time to make long term commitment. Strong will and determination will help overcome fears. People who hurt you in the past will be in deep trouble. Letter written will get immediate and positive response. You will be in generous mood and ready to celebrate.

(February 19 to March 20)

Have confidence in your self and go for the opportunity thrown at your feet with full blast. Money will go on buying some fine items for personal use. You may make money through stocks also. Check from insurance will also arrive. You may start calling friends for a small get together at your place.

(June 21 to July 22)

Y

ou will come across several new opportunities in life. Grab them but avoid risking something for which you had been having patience for past several years. For others money wise it will be a promising week. Stocks recently purchased will appreciate suddenly and it will be better to dispose them off for the profit and wait few days to buy them back.

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

510-886-4370

(July 23 to August 22)

Easygoing Saif will have smooth sailing this year

T

here will be improvements but not up to expectation, so some thing is better than nothing. You will be more optimistic in life and make all attempts with great confidence. Spouse will be under pressure and need to relax for few days. Buy or make offer on a property after doing thorough investigations. Money wise it will be a better week.

(August 23 to September 22)

B

achelors may face slight opposition from family about a relation ship. You will be doing a lot of soul searching and make some positive changes in your general outlook. Avoid taking any chance with law and drive within speed limits. You may be traveling to coastal areas to meet some one.

(September 23 to October 22)

Y

ou will spend time with prominent people and make good and useful contacts. Property related matters will get resolved suddenly. You will be the one called for another interview among many applicants. You will make final payments on several bills and come out of negative. A child will need your time and support with his education this week.

(October 23 to November 22)

Y

ou will have to deal with some one smart but little cunning person.

Stick to your numbers and the other party will finally agree. Trips taken will not go waste and new associations will be beneficial for you.

You will be able to help several needy people with your expertise. This week is also very favorable all financial decisions.

website: www.parashar.com

S

aif Ali Khan's zodiac sign is Leo and his ruling number is 7. His lucky days are Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. He loves to be the centre of attention at social gatherings. People who are born under the number 7 are highly imaginative and fantasize a lot.

Saif is a Leo who is easygoing by nature and is very generous at heart.

The year 2012 will prove to be an excellent year for Saif and he will be pleased with the work that he will be doing. His personal life and relationship with Kareena will be in the news in 2012 as well. There will be peace and he will be satisfied with his efforts. Mercury will have a positive influence on his professional and personal life.

A smooth sailing year lies ahead of him.

Ever since his Dil Chahta Hai days, the Nawab has really carved a niche for himself in the tinsel town. The way this stylish Leo has reinvented himself from a superstar wannabe to the style icon of Bollywood is stuff dreams are made of. Saif's journey in Bollywood has been full of ups and downs but the talented actor has now firmly cemented his place.

Saif did not just crawl but barged into the A-listers with consistent power-packed performances over a decade in both commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies alike. With a list of movies like Dil Chahta Hai, Kal Ho Na Ho, Ek Hasina Thi, Hum Tum, Parineeta, Being Cyrus, Omkara, Race, Love Aaj Kal, Kurbaan and Aarakshan in the last 10 years, Saif has indeed been on a roll.

24

India Post

India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Screenwriters are the foundation of any film, yet they seldom get noticed for their work. It's even rarer for an Indian living overseas to get recognition as a screenwriter. Amanda Sodhi is one such who recently won her first international Award for the 'Best Screenplay' for the internationally acclaimed, feature-film Life! Camera Action... at the 28th Goldie Film Awards 2012.

Screenwriter, director, lyricist, vocalist, model, journalist, copywriter and PR/marketing/advertising professional, Amanda is a woman of many talents, as is evident in this interview with India Post:

www.indiapost.com 1. What is Life! Camera Action… about?

Life! Camera Action… is a feature-length film directed by Rohit Gupta which I have co-written along with him.

The film tells the inspiring story of a young Indian-American woman who sets off to pursue a career in filmmaking despite all

June 1, 2012 tions, which feels great! Recently, Rohit and I won the Best Screenplay Award at the 28th Goldie Film Awards for this film. I'm excited to have won my first award.

2. And what is the theme of your other two films, Through Bloodshot Eyes and The Dance of Death?

AMANDA'S RARE FEAT Indian-American Screenwriter wins award

odds and lack of parental support. As she progresses in her filmmaking journey she aims to win back her parents' support by making them proud. Our film premiered at MIAAC in NY in 2010 and has been touring around the entire world since then.

In the process, it has been winning tons of awards and nomina-

Both of these short films mark my debut as a director, and I have also written both films. The Dance of Death explores a young Indian woman's awakening when her husband's sudden death brings happiness and freedom into her life. Through Bloodshot Eyes traces the change in dynamics in an abusive father-son relationship spanning

Scene from Life! Camera ActionÖ

The film tells the inspiring story of a young Indian-American woman who sets off to pursue a career in filmmaking despite all odds and lack of parental support. As she progresses in her filmmaking journey she aims to win back her parents' support by making them proud over two decades when the tables suddenly turn. I am also working on another short film titled Stale Vows along with my friend Amber Sandhu-the film is centered around a married Indian couple celebrating their first anniversary when things take a terrible turn toward the end of the night.

Cont’d on page 27

Amanda Sodhi

June 1, 2012

India Post

25

www.indiapost.com

Mrs India International 2012 contestant felicitated able feats.

Born on 1st July 1977 in Moradabad (UP) in the house of Smt Sunita Tyagi & Shri M C Tyagi, she completed her B Sc (BZC) & M Sc (Chemistry) from her home town. She got married to Yogesh Tyagi of Ghaziabad in 1999. She continued pursuing her studies even after an early marriage and with the responsibilities of family. She did B Ed and subsequently acquired her Ph D in Chemistry in 2009 from Ruhellkhand University Bareilly.

India Post News Service

Presently she is a full time social worker and working for the youth education and empowerment under the auspices of her NGO csDishaa Foundation. She has started a social project "My clean Ghaziabad" in order to make Ghaziabad the city of flowers

NEW DELHI: Dr. Udeeta Tyagi of India has been selected as a finalist contestant for Mrs India International 2012 being held in the city of Atlanta, United States on 25 May. On the eve of her departure for USA, Dr. Udeeta Tyagi was felicitated at a special event by designer duo Manu & Mamta who have dressed her for the Mrs. India International pageant 2012.

The event was full of glitz and glamour in the presence of many celebrities.

Dr. Udeeta Tyagi is a doctorate in chemistry, social worker, poetess, stylist, entrepreneur, Mrs. India Worldwide and now Mrs India International Finalist. In the short span of 13 years of her professional career, she has achieved remark-

She taught in various schools and colleges in her teaching career of nine years, including Moradabad Inter College Moradabad, Dehradun Public School Ghaziabad, ABES Engineering College Ghaziabad & HRIT Ghaziabad.

Presently she is a full time social worker and working for the youth education and empowerment under the auspices of her NGO csDishaa Foundation. She has started a social project "My clean Ghaziabad" in order to make Ghaziabad the city of flowers.

She won the Mrs India Worldwide 2011 first runners up title and now she has participating in Mrs India International 2012 in the city of Atlanta.

She is the proud mother of two sons, Srajan, 11 and

Dr Udeeta Tyagi

Manu Rawal, Dr Udeeta Tyagi and Mamta Rawal at the Delhi event

Saksahm, 6. Despite her busy schedule being a socialite and public figure she always finds time to take care of her family.

Veera Mahajan represents India for Mrs Asia, USA JS BEDI India Post News Service

V

eera Mahajan is originally from Jalandhar, Punjab, India. She moved to Michigan with her parents.

That is where she finished her college education, got married, and raised a family.

She has recently moved to Los Angeles County. She is the mother of two grown up sons. She is an active member of the society. She is a media person for local Westside monthly newspaper. She is a writer and an advocate for empowering women and their fight against domestic violence.

She believes that if there is an awareness of abuse, there will be courage to end it. Domestic violence is a disease like cancer that has no boundaries or prejudice; it

She has recently moved to Los Angeles County. She is the mother of two grown up sons. She is an active member of the society. She is a media person for local Westside monthly newspaper. She is a writer and an advocate for empowering women and their fight against domestic violence hits everyone and anyone across all cultures and races.

She urges everyone to look at it as a collective problem that we have to fight it with one collective force. If we can empower women, they will in turn teach their children to be empowered and then we will be able to break the cycle of abuse that has been plaguing our homes and lives for generations.

She is also a certified domestic violence counselor and volunteers at a local shelter.

She writes for nriinternet, an online newspaper.

For fun and fitness, she loves to run, hike, work out, do yoga, dance and Bhangra.

26

India Post

June 1, 2012 www.indiapost.com

Aishwarya Dhanush's 3 screened in NY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Aishwarya Rajnikanth Dhanush's latest directorial venture 3 (Three) that became famous for 'Why this Kolaveri Di' song was screened for the first time in New York metro area at the New York Indian Film Festival at Tribeca Cinema, Manhattan on May 26.

Aishwarya is the elder daughter of Superstar of Indian cinema Rajnikanth and wife of national award winning actor Dhanush

who shot into world fame with his Why this Kolaveri Di song that he composed and sang in the

made her feature film debut with 3 (2012) starring her husband Dhanush. She had worked as a

Aishwarya is the elder daughter of Superstar of Indian cinema Rajnikanth and wife of national award winning actor Dhanush who shot into world fame with his Why this Kolaveri Di song that he composed and sang in the movie 3 movie 3.

Aishwarya is a film director, singer and a classical dancer. She

playback singer too.

She was a judge on Star Vijay's reality dance competition Jodi

Aishwarya Rajnikanth Dhanush

Number One in its third season alongside actors Sangeetha and Jeeva. She became a playback singer after singing a song in the film Whistle alongside Silambarasan, that was then fol-

by her cousin Anirudh Ravichander, went viral and became an internet phenomenon.

She appeared alongside the lead cast and composer in the making of the video.

Scene from ë3í

lowed by another stint in playback singing with the song "Un Mela Aasadhan" in the film Aayirathil Oruvan, for which she also worked as an assistant director.

The film 3 gained high anticipation world wide prior to release after the song "Why This Kolaveri Di" from its soundtrack, composed

Aishwarya received the highest state award of Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamil Nadu. In 2012, she won the Newsmaker of the Year Award at the JFA Women Achievers Awards. She and Dhanush are blessed with two children - Linga Raja, Yatra Raja.

Scene from ë3í

June 1, 2012

India Post

27

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Amanda's rare feat and non-Indians in my very first directorial projects. I feel blessed that most of the cast and crew worked pro bono on these projects-I witnessed so many acts of kindness during the process of making these films. Lots of amazing memories are associated with these films.

4. What are your ties with India?

I am an Indian-American. My parents are from Delhi/Punjab, and I was born and raised in Washington, DC. I moved to Los Angeles last year. I visit India regularly and am fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu. A lot of people have told me they find it hard to believe I was born in the States since I'm so fluent in Hindi (laughs).

Cont’d from page 26

3. Have you had any training in film craft and writing?

Nope, my educational background isn't in film or screenwriting. I learned the craft hands-on by jumping into the water. Life!

Camera Action… was an excellent launch pad for me as a writer, since it's a featurefilm and has received so much recognition.

And, my short films were a great way to

learn the craft of film direction - I was lucky to work with both a professional cast and crew including Puja Mohindra, Shruti Tewari, Samira Saha, Rahul Nath, Thomas Tevana, Gaurav Dayal, Ravi Iyer, Damian Parada, Mark Thomas Lickona and Arani Sen as well as first time artists. It was great to be able to work with professionals, newbies, child artists, elder artists, Indians

‘While I have taken acting and theatre classes in college, it is a conscious decision to not get into acting yet. I want to establish myself as a director’ 5. Do you intend to make a Hindi film, as you say you are learning Hindi?

Oh, I'm not learning Hindi, I have already learned the language (smiles). I can even read and write in Hindi and Punjabi. Life!

Camera Action… consists of some Hindi dialogues, and both of my short films, The Dance of Death and Through Bloodshot Eyes, are entirely in Hindi. All of the other scripts I have ready are also mainly in Hindi since somehow most of the concepts I come up with deal with Indian characters and locations in India.

6. Do you act also?

While I have taken acting and theatre classes in college, it is a conscious decision to not get into acting yet. I want to establish myself as a director and screenwriter, and continue to take on lyrics and singing assignments, as well. I want to be taken seriously as a filmmaker and writer, and sadly in our Indian society actresses have not been able to maintain credibility as filmmakers. I have been branching out into singing and lyrics-writing, though. I recently lent my vocals for the upcoming Hollywood featurefilm 5 Souls' background score, and have written lyrics for Gaurav Dayal's upcoming projects. There are several other singing and lyrics-writing gigs in the works.

7. As a woman of many talents, which particular aspect of film-making would you want to settle down in?

Currently, I work for an ad agency full time and also work as a journalist while juggling films, writing and singing. Eventually, direction, screenwriting, singing, and lyrics-writing are the four key aspects of the entertainment industry I want to settle down in. My friends tell me I'll be the female version of Farhan Akhtar (laughs).

8. Do you feel that as a female writer, you can do a better job of telling a woman's story?

No, I don't think that only women can do a good job of telling a woman's story. There are many male writers and directors in both the US and in India who have made wonderful films with strong female protagonists including Life! Camera Action… and Vishal Bhardwaj, the team of writers from Kahaani, Anurag Kashyap, etc, and when I recently

Amanda Sodhi

saw a few short films at IFFLA in April I realized there are many short filmmakers who are men who have also made excellent films focusing on women.

28

India Post

June 1, 2012 www.indiapost.com

Akshay, the new face of Interfaith art of Salma Arastu in SF Honda bikes

B

ollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has been signed as the new face to front megapopular motoring brand Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI). Star of such huge hits as Housefull 2 and new action blockbuster Rowdy Rathore, Akshay Kumar will be the new brand ambassador for HMSI in a fiveyear deal, which will net him a reported 50 Crores.

Akshay Kumar's signing was announced at a special press meet to launch HMSI's mass-market motorcycle Honda Dream Yuga 110, part of its strategy to harness Akshay's huge appeal with the masses in the country.

India Post News Service

“I am deeply impressed by Honda's vision and proud to associate with this young and vibrant brand that is innovative, technologically advanced and committed to society�

Speaking about his new role, Akshay Kumar said: "Honda is the world's number one motorcycle maker. I am deeply impressed by Honda's vision and proud to associate with this young and vibrant brand that is innovative, technologically advanced and committed to society."

A Honda spokesperson said: "With over 100 films to his credit and a repertoire from action films to family shows, Akshay has amassed a mass following across the length and breadth of India. Honda's association with Akshay Kumar will be symbiotic as both are driven by 'the power of dreams'.

Cannes embraces Gangs of Wasseypur

T

he French Riveira was transformed into rural India on the 21st of May as Gangs Of Wasseypur, the much-anticipated film by acclaimed director Anurag Kashyap, was celebrated at a special star-studded cocktail party, hosted by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, to honour its inclusion in the prestigious 65th Cannes Film Festival's Director's Fortnight - the first time that a mainstream Bollywood film has had this honour.

Hailed as one of the most happening Bollywood parties of Cannes this year, gangs of curious guests at the cocktail party, which was held at the stunning NFDC Indian Pavilion, were given red branded gamchchas (bandanas) which are symbolic to the film. The international media, film executives, and VIPs took to wearing the gamchchas with pride to demonstrate their appreciation for the film. The gamchchas projected an earthy vibe of the film, which deals with 60 years of a feuding

family's life in the coal mining town of Dhanabad in Jarkhand, India.

Attendees were also welcomed by a champagne cocktail reception and treated to mouth-watering Indian delicacies, which brought a taste of India to Cannes.

Anurag Kashyap and the film's actress Huma Qureshi who is a rising Bollywood beauty, experienced Cannes' very own monsoon, greeted the flurry of media who interviewed them about their upcoming Indian blockbuster.

Gangs Of Wasseypur, a mainstream Indian film, combines clever filmmaking with a powerful, high-concept and entertaining plot, with revenge at its core. Accentuated by strong performances by a talented and eclectic cast comprising of Hindi cinemas finest, Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Richa Chadda, the film is cleverly told in two parts. Gangs Of Wasseypur represents the brave new Indian cinema breaking the cliches and conventions, something which Anurag Kashyap has come to be known for. The film is presented by one of India's leading integrated film companies, Viacom18 Motion Pictures and produced

by AKFPL.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Salma Arastu, a Berkeley artist, is exhibiting a large body of her works, "A Visual Interfaith Dialogue" at the Unitarian Universal Church, San Francisco. The show is on from the 24th of May to 24th of July.

The opening reception will be on 17th of June, 2012, from Noon to 2: PM, at the Church.

She has been painting for more than thirty years and her work created with continuous and lyrical lines is influenced by her native culture and her experiences in the Middle East before coming to the US in 1986.

Born into the Hindu tradition in her native land in Rajasthan, India, she later embraced Islam through her marriage.

At birth, Ms. Arastu was given the life-defining challenge of a left hand without fingers. Seeing the unity of an all-encompassing God, she was able to transcend the barriers often set-forth in the traditions of religion, culture and the cultural perceptions of handicaps.

Her personal triumphs have been defined and shaped by the simple principle of faith in The Divine, as the compelling force which has guided her life and work.

As a woman, a Hindu, a Muslim and a multi-cultural artist and a mother, she sees a unique opportunity to create harmony and world transformation through the expression of The Universal in her art. Her paintings and sculptures speak of human universality. Her works are also inspired by the poetry of Mevlana Rumi of love and unity.

Dr. Ghazala Anwar, a professor of Islamic Studies at the Starr King School, GTU, Berkeley, says about these works, "Whereas in classical calligraphy the letters and the text have a strong and distinctive form and emphasize the distance between the majesty of the message

and the one to whom it is addressed, Salma Arastu's non-traditional calligraphy erases this distance between the word and the receiver and affects their union.

She uses the same stroke of the brush for Arabic letters as she does for suggesting human forms.

Both are fluid as if temporary expressions of the eternal universal vibration and energy. This

As a woman, a Hindu, a Muslim and a multi-cultural artist and a mother, she sees a unique opportunity to create harmony and world transformation through the expression of The Universal in her art technique effects the embodiment of the word in the flesh of the listeners/ practitioners of the words while the word and the human form are both seen as expressions of an underlying formless yet form giving reality.

The subtle and layered presentation of color in her paintings draws the viewer in and holds his or her attention long after the actual viewing has ended."

29 India post

W

elcome to a marvelous holiday in the hill resort of Mirik. The magical hill resort lies close to Siliguri in the West Bengal state of India. The peaceful and tranquil hill resort boasts of several nature spots. The wild flowers, lovely lake and flourishing forests of Cryptomaria Japanica trees make Mirik appear as a tropical paradise.

Best time to visit: Mirik is pleasant all through the year. The temperature variations in Mirik range between thirteen and thirty degrees in winters and summers respectively.

Location: It is situated 52 km from Siliguri at an altitude of 1,768m in the Eastern

Himalayas.

Tourist attractions In Mirik there are several spots worth visiting.

You must not miss the Sumendu Lake.

The man made lake attracts several tourists in Mirik. The Sumendu Lake is wrapped in forested ridge and a flower garden and has a floating fountain in its center. It is ideal for boating and fishing but not for swimming.

Nearby on the west bank of the lake is the temple of Singha Devi or the Devi Sthan.

The temple attracts several tourists.

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June 1, 2012

The magical hill resort lies close to Siliguri in the West Bengal state of India. The peaceful and tranquil hill resort boasts of several nature spots. The wild flowers, lovely lake and flourishing forests of Cryptomaria Japanica trees make Mirik appear as a tropical paradise

Cont’d on page 30

Cont’d on page 30

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June 1, 2012

www.indiapost.com

LA Zoo springs to life with new babies India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Visitors to the Los Angeles Zoo have more reasons to smile this spring with the welcome of several babies. Although it may be easy to argue which of the new Zoo additions is the cutest, a highlight is sure to be the Zoo's baby chimpanzee - the first in thirteen years. Visitors can look forward to seeing all of the new additions which are on exhibit.

Just as Zoo visitors can watch these youngsters grow up, parents can look forward to their own child's future with confidence with ScholarShare, California's official 529 college savings plan. When children are at a young age, parents must begin thinking about their children's future.

The ScholarShare plan provides a simple and smart way for families to save for their children's education. Over the course of the next year, ScholarShare will provide opportunities for Zoo visitors to learn more about the 529 college savings plan and how they can begin to save for tomorrow.

The chimpanzee mother and baby went on exhibit on May 18.

Video of the giant otter pups can be viewed on the Los Angeles Zoo's YouTube channel: http:// bit.ly/LbzxVc Chimpanzee Baby (Born March 6) The Zoo's baby chimpanzee is

the first since 1999. The new addition was welcomed to the chimpanzee family on March 6. Her mother, Gracie, has proven to be a wonderful and caring mother.

The Los Angeles Zoo is currently home to fifteen chimpanzees - one of the largest troops in the nation. With such a large chimpanzee family, the primate staff is held in high regards for it's care of chimpanzees and acts as a model for the Species Survival Plan for other zoos. Chimpanzees are currently on the endangered species list.

of five adult females, one adult male, and one male kid. The desert bighorn sheep has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1998 due to loss of habitat, disease brought by introduced domestic sheep and cattle, and predation.

Giant Otter Pups (Born March 21) Last year's pair of giant otter pups was a fan favorite. This time, visitors get three times the cuteness with the welcome of one female pup and two male pups. The

The Zoo's baby chimpanzee is the first since 1999. The new addition was welcomed to the chimpanzee family on March 6. Her mother, Gracie, has proven to be a wonderful and caring mother Wild populations in the African forest have decreased because of foresting, hunting, commercial exportation, and collection for scientific research. Although chimpanzees are protected in 34 national parks and reserves, laws can be difficult to enforce in remote regions.

Desert Bighorn Sheep Lambs (Born April 4 and May 5) The Zoo welcomes bighorn sheep births annually. This spring, the Zoo has welcomed three lively additions - two females and one male. The three lambs join a family

threesome is currently on display in the nursery at the Winnick Family Animal Care Center. Visitors can view various feedings scheduled throughout the day. The giant otter is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Hunting otters for pelts is now illegal, but laws against poaching are difficult to enforce in their wild range within north-central South America. They are also threatened by chemical pollution in the water caused by runoff from farms, oil drilling and mining operations, and

Chimpanzee mom and baby

deforestation.

Coquerel's Sifaka Baby (Born January 15) The newborn had keepers worried during his first few months because he seemed to struggle with nursing from his mother. Keepers kept a close eye on him to make sure he received the proper nutrients. Today, the youngster is showing strong signs of good health. He's also receiving plenty of "oohs and awws." Sifakas are a large, long-legged lemur found in the dwindling forests of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. They

are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Yarrow's Spiny Lizards (Born March 7) At the new LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates and Reptiles) exhibit that opened in March, a triplet of lizards were born. Adult Yarrow's spiny lizards can reach nearly five inches long, but the newly hatched lizards are a mere three inches. Guests of the LAIR can catch a glimpse at these rockdwelling lizards in the exhibit's Arroyo Lagarto habitat.

Mirik: Wild flowers, lovely lake & flourishing forests

Cont’d from page 29

On the other side of the lake one can pray to Hanuman, Shiva and Kalimata in the temples dedicated to them. Bokar Gompa is another spot worth visiting.

Deosi Dara is a vintage point in Mirik that must be visited to catch some vistas of the plains, hills and peaks in and around Mirik. Similarly Rameetay Dara is ideal for watching the spectacular sunset and the sunrise besides the mountains and plains of Mirik. One can check out Kawlay Dara for some more breathtakingly beautiful views of Mirik While in Mirik one can even picnic at

the spot of Rai Dhap. Rai Dhap has a small lake that is the source of potable water in Mirik.

the hill resort. A conducted tour of the tea factory is an interesting option at Mirik Mirik also offers the wondrous vista of

At a distance of 30 km from Mirik is an ideal picnic spot of Dudhia whose beauty attracts several tourists and nature lovers. For the adventure seekers treks from Mirik to Sandakphu, Phalut, Kurseong via Balasan River and Namsu are possible One can take a nature walk or ride a pony at Mirik through the orange orchards, cardamom plantations and tea estates that dot

the Kanchenjungha and the other Himalayan peaks that captures everyone's heart and in turn gets captured in the cameras.

At a distance of 30 km from Mirik is an ideal picnic spot of Dudhia whose beauty attracts several tourists and nature lovers.

For the adventure seekers treks from Mirik to Sandakphu, Phalut, Kurseong via Balasan River and Namsu are possible.

How to reach Air - The airport nearest to Mirik is in Bagdogra at a distance of 55 km Road & rail - The broad gauge railhead at New Jalpiaguri caters to the rail transportation to Mirik but is 60 km away from the hill resort. The excellent road network links Mirik with other important places like Bagdogra, Siliguri, Kurseong and Darjeeling

June 1, 2012

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31

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Fine of Rs 26,000 on hotels, lodges UK expert to study in Jammu slum tourism in India JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department has imposed a fine of Rs 26,000 on hotels and lodges in the city for violation of the tourist trade act.

Ahead of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, 2012, Deputy Director Tourism, the designated enforcement agency for implementation of tourist trade act, along with tourist police conducted on the spot checking of hotels and lodges operating around the Railway Station in Jammu city.

The defaulters who did not display the tariff being charged from the costumers and those having un-registered units under the act were fined, officials said.

Nine hotels and lodges were fined and revenue to the tune of Rs 26,000 was collected and remitted in the government treasury.

Further instructions were given

the concerned authorities.

They were also instructed to keep a complaint box and complaints register so that tourists can record their grievance in writing.

The defaulters who did not display the tariff being charged from the costumers and those having un-registered units under the act were fined, officials said to all owners of hotels and lodges operating around the Railway Station to display the tariff and properly register their lodges under registration of tourist trade act with

They were also instructed to ensure cleanliness and provide proper service to the tourists so that they get satisfactory treatment during their stay in Jammu. -PTI

Gujarat, Thailand mull tourism circuits AHMEDABAD: Gujarat and Thailand are mulling to establish tourism circuits for expanding ties between the two regions.

A delegation from Thailand, led by its envoy to India Pisan Manawapat, met Chief Minister Narendra Modi and had a discussion regarding expanding ties between Gujarat and Thailand for mutually developing tourism and other sectors.

Saying that about 60,000 Thai tourists visit the places of Buddhist relics in India every year, Manawapat expressed keenness in starting a Buddhist tourism circuit between Gujarat and Thailand.

Accepting the suggestion of the Thai envoy, Modi suggested exploring possibility of starting Vishnu circuit between the two places considering the presence of ancient temples of Lord Vishnu in

Thailand.

Both of them agreed to develop mutual ties to develop tourism in Gujarat and Thailand. They also agreed to start air services between Ahmedabad and Bangkok.

Manawapat expressed Thai companies' interest in partnering with the state in its housing and infrastructure projects, including the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project. -PTI

LONDON: The growing phenomenon of rich tourists visiting slums in Mumbai and elsewhere for entertainment - mainly sparked off by movie 'Slumdog Millionaire' - is the subject of a new study at the University of Leicester.

The study is also examining whether slum tourism can help to tackle? global inequalities and injustices, by analyzing the growth in tours of areas of urban poverty, often called slums, favelas or townships.

The project, funded by the European Union, is being conducted

by Dr Fabian Frenzel, a lecturer at the University of Leicester.

"This form of tourism might seem unusual but in recent years more and more visitors have taken tours in slums, predominantly in South Africa, Brazil and India, but increasingly also in other cities across the world", he said.

Frenzel added that curiosity to visit slums is often considered morally problematic, particularly as tourism is associated with fun and entertainment.

"Many people would argue that it is voyeuristic to watch people in their poor living conditions. The

study will examine several case studies, interview participating tourists, locals and tour operators.

"The big question is whether slum tourism is merely some cynical form of entertainment for the rich or a practice that can help tackle the global inequalities and injustices we live with," Frenzel said.

According to him, slum tourism is not a new phenomenon: "What takes place today on a global scale was a fairly common leisure practice for Victorians, known as 'slumming'. "'Slummers' visited the slums of east London, already in organized tours, often guided by police or professionals in the developing charity sector".

He added: "These sites of squalor have long enticed popular imagination. Many people experienced poverty not in literal tours, but in literary ways, for example in the writing of Charles Dickens.

Today this convergence of literal and literary slumming continues." The recent fascination with films like District 9, City of God and Slumdog Millionaire shows that these desires are still with us", he said. -PTI

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States to rationalize tax for tourism growth NEW DELHI: The Tourism Ministry has advised the state governments and Union Territories for rationalization of taxes for the growth of tourism sector in the

creation of land banks, single window approach for promoting hotel projects.

In order to encourage the growth of hotels, government has

An investment linked deduction under Section 35 AD of the Income Tax Act has been extended for new hotels of 2-Star Category and above anywhere in India to facilitate the growth of tourist accommodation in the country, he said country.

The Government has asked the states to follow tourism-friendly policies like allotting land sites on revenue sharing basis, granting extra floor space index (FSI) and floor area ratio (FAR) for hotels,

announced a few incentives like five-year tax holiday for 2, 3 and 4 star category new hotels located in UNESCO declared World Heritage Sites (except Mumbai and Delhi) which start operating between April 2008 and March 2013,

said Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed in the Lok Sabha.

An investment linked deduction under Section 35 AD of the Income Tax Act has been extended for new hotels of 2-Star Category and above anywhere in India to facilitate the growth of tourist accommodation in the country, he said.

The Reserve Bank of India has de-linked credit for hotel projects from commercial real estate, thereby enabling hotel projects to avail credit at relaxed norms and reduced interest rates.

External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) norms have also been relaxed by the Finance Ministry to solve the liquidity crunch being faced by the hotel industry for setting up new hotel projects. -PTI

Rising Indian tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka COLOMBO: The total number of Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka has seen a six per cent increase during January to April this year, the tourism authority here said.

Some 55,780 Indians had arrived this year compared to 52,181 during the same period last year.

The overall growth during this period has been over 18 per cent

-? 330,116 against 278,959 last year. The British tourists with 36,959 was the next highest market which however had seen 0.2 per cent decrease over last year.

The month-on-month cumulative figure had however dropped to 69,591 arrivals in April as against the 91,102 figure of March.

The March figure was boosted

by the arrival of English cricket fans who attended the Sri LankaEngland cricket matches.

Last month the government announced that it was targeting 950,000 arrivals this year. The revenue from tourism expected to over 1 billion dollars.

The island's tourism industry has seen a boom since the military conflict with the LTTE ended in May 2009.

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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

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Dhadhang Dhang : Rowdy Rathore

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9 Duaa: Shanghai 10 Morcha: Shanghai

A

ll that glitters is not gold and all porn stars are not bold," says the inimitable Mahesh Bhatt while revealing that Sunny Leone was shy and uncomfortable while filming lovemaking scenes with co-star Randeep Hooda in her Bolywood debut, Jism2.

"Just because she is a porn star doesn't mean that she has lost her feminine quality of being shy.

During the lovemaking scene with Randeep she was finding it difficult to do it comfortably," says Bhatt, who is producing the film. 'Jo nazar aata hai wo hota nahin hai'. All that glitters is not gold, all soldiers are not brave, all holy men are not holy and all porn stars are not bold. At times reality is different," he adds.

Randeep was also uncomfortable while shooting the scenes. "Even for Randeep it was very challenging although he has shot similar scenes before. One has to understand that it's not a fighting scene," says Bhatt.

Director Pooja Bhatt also admits that it took Leone and Randeep Hooda an entire day to get the perfect shot. Pooja says, "Sunny and Randeep were shy with each other initially, but that worked for me as they're meant to be initially awkward with each other in the film."

PLEASE ASK ME

34

S

hilpa Shetty, the famed actress of Hindi cinema, gave birth to a baby boy at Hinduja Healthcare Surgical Hospital in suburban Khar in Mumbai on May 21.

Raj Kundra, the proud father of the baby, confirmed the birth of the baby's news on Twitter to his and Shilpa Shetty's fans saying "God has blessed the two of us with a cute baby boy." He added that both mother and son are in good health.

Kundra expressed his joy saying he is super thrilled after seeing the baby.

Three years back in 2009, Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra had tied the knot.

This is the first marriage of Shilpa Shetty whereas it is the second marriage of Raj Kundra who divorced first wife prior to tying the knot to Shilpa Shetty. Raj Kundra also thanked his better half Shilpa for producing such a cute baby boy. He thanked God for this classy gift which added to their life and they now became three.

K

atrina Kaif is still waiting for her Mr Right.

At the unveiling of the Nakshatra logo in Mumbai, Kats was questioned about her single status.

"To get married, one has to be asked. When I am asked, I will let you know. I have no idea who I am

waiting for," said Katrina Kaif.

The actress dated Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor in the past. However, neither of them seemed to have worked out for her. Buzz had it that Kats was back with Salman, during the shoot of their film Ek Tha Tiger. However, she rubbished them.

Bollywood

June 1, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Vidya’s wish list!

V

idya Balan is the queen of Bollywood blockbusters. The actress now has a huge list of actors she would love to act with. Abhishek Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Prosenjit Chatterjee, are on her list.

"I would like to work with those who I have already worked with and those who I haven't. I would love to pair with Abhishek (with whom she was seen in 'Paa')‌ It's been long. I am very greedy to work with good actors and directors," Hrithik Roshan is on her list as she hasn't worked with him yet.

And Prosenjit? Well, she said: "We have been wanting to work together for a long time. Every year there has been talks about a Bengali film but we have not been able to work out the dates. So this year, Sujoy has said he will make a film with both of us. We are on a lookout for a good script. If everything happens, we will make it work."

Vidya Balan is keen to do a romantic flick with the King of romance, Shahrukh Khan. "I grew up watching all his films where he plays the ultimate romantic hero.

When you think of romance you think of Rajesh Khanna and Shah Rukh Khan.

"Every woman wants a Raj (SRK's character in 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge').

That's why I have always wanted to work with him. Whenever we work together, I would like it to be a nice relationship story," she said.

Bold actress

A

K

O N ST H RE ER N OW G TH N

diti Rao Hydari is one bold actress. Yeh Saali Zindagi saw her doing a bold scene and also string of kissing scenes. However, the actress says, doing bold scenes is not a big deal, but she will do them on her own terms.

"I'll think carefully before doing a bold scene. I wouldn't do it just like that, it depends on the script, the director," the 33-year-old said.

According to Aditi, one shouldn't worry about the censor board but about the audiences. "Why should somebody decide what we can watch and what we can't? The sense is that they certify which age group can watch a particular film or not," she said.

"A-certified films are for a more mature audience and it makes sense because they are more real. If you show people in love, then obviously you will show them kissing and all," she added.

angana Ranaut is one Bollywood actress who has made it to the top all by herself.

Despite being a complete outsider and having no godfather in the industry, Kangana made it so far and is very proud of herself.

Kangana Ranaut joined the film industry in her teenage days. Her initial days in Bollywood was hell. She essayed dark and shady roles.

Now, Kangana loves the roles that she plays.

She wants to work in good films, without bothering about their number!

Shootout At Wadala and Krrish 3 are Kang's next films to watch out for.

India Post

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In Brief US must compete for immigrants, says Bloomberg NEW YORK: A report from a group co-chaired by Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the United States needs to change its immigration system to attract the immigrants who can contribute the most to the nation's economy or else it risks losing ground to other countries.

The report was issued by the Partnership for a New American Economy, the mayor's group, along with the Partnership for New York City, a coalition of business leaders.

The United States' immigration system doesn't match its economic needs, the report says, and needs to be reformed. It recommended steps including fast-tracking permanent visas for immigrants who have advanced degrees in such areas as science, technology, engineering and mathematics and visas for foreign students who are studying for their advanced degrees in American universities. It also called for allowing regions around the country to determine their own immigration needs and programs. -AP

Britain allays fears of new immigration rules hitting India CHANDIGARH: Allaying fears that its stringent immigration rules will hit skilled Indian workers coming into UK, Britain has said "adjustments" in the rules have been made to reduce the flow of immigrants in times of economic hardship.

UK's High Commissioner James Bevan said he had read a lot about the issue in the media but the fact was that "we remain very much open for all kinds of visitors".

Maintaining that Indians were always welcome to UK, he told a press conference here that to suggest the door is closed was not true.

Bevan said "adjustments" in the rules were made to stop illegal immigrants and reduce the overall number of immigrants by letting in those who Britain thinks can contribute to the economy at the time of economic hardships.

Giving figures, he said last year Britain issued 30,000 visas to the Indian students, with rate of approval being 75 per cent.

Besides, as many as 60,000 Indian business community people were given visas last year, with 95 per cent of such applications being approved. He also informed that 95 per cent of the 2.5 lakh Indian visitors, who applied for it, were issued visas. -PTI

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June 1, 2012

Ala. governor signs immigration law changes MONTGOMERY, Ala.: Gov. Robert Bentley has signed legislation that revises Alabama's immigration law and dropped his effort to get the Legislature to make more revisions in its special session.

Details on page 37

Driver's license campaign for immigrants in peril DENVER: Immigrant advocates seeking a Colorado ballot measure to allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses have said their petition drive is going slowly, and that their effort to seek an end-run around elected officials by asking for direct public approval is in peril. ``It's going slow because we do not have that many resources,'' said Jose Ortiz, spokesman for a group of Colorado immigrants and others seeking the ballot measure. Ortiz said group members have less than 5 percent of the signatures they want to collect by August.

If approved by voters, the ballot measure would change a law that requires proof of legal residency to be issued a Colorado driver's license. Activists say illegal immigrants are driving anyway, and that the public would be safer if those drivers could seek licenses and auto insurance.

Critics say granting driving privileges to illegal immigrants creates an incentive to violate immigration laws. Colorado law was changed in 1999 to require proof of legal residency to obtain a driver's license. Advocates for changing the law back argue that the 1999 change did not deter illegal immigrants.

If approved by voters, the ballot measure would change a law that requires proof of legal residency to be issued a Colorado driver's license. Activists say illegal immigrants are driving anyway ``They said that people would go home. That if we made it hard enough, they would all go away.

We all know that did not happen,'' said Jennifer Piper, one of the campaign organizers.

New Mexico and Washington are the only states that allow illegal immigrants to obtain the same driver's license as a U.S. citizen. Utah grants immigrants a driving permit that can't be

used for identification, unlike a driver's license that helps people open bank accounts or board a commercial flight.

The Colorado proposal would give illegal immigrants regular licenses that could be used as government IDs. Ortiz said supporters are hoping for a direct public-safety appeal to persuade voters to put the driving question on ballots.

State lawmakers, he said, won't change driver's license policy on their own. ``We know politicians right now don't have the will to put this on the table,'' Ortiz said.

A national survey suggests Ortiz's argument is true not just in Colorado but nationwide. The National Conference of State Legislatures detected a dramatic decline in immigration-related bills, including driver's license or other ID proposals.

In 2011, there were 171 ID-related bills in 40 states, according to the organization's survey. This year, there were 83 such bills proposed in 29 states. Only one became law, a Utah measure making clear that firearms cannot be sold or transferred to illegal immigrants.

Colorado law requires some 86,000 signatures to put a measure on ballots, though campaign organizers say they want to turn in 140,000 signatures to account for errors. Complicating matters for the immigrant advocates is the fact that people who would benefit from the proposed change can't sign the petition; only registered voters are counted toward citizen initiatives.

The driver's license measure signatures are due Aug. 6. -AP

Opportunity for States wanting immigrants-II GARY ENDELMAN & CYRUS MEHTA

Continued from last week n the same vein, a state can designate certain occupations as shortage occupations, which may assist the Department of Labor in more easily certifying a labor certification pursuant to INA § 212(a)(5) of an employer filed on behalf of a non-citizen resident in the state.

A state can be a more effective judge of shortage occupations than the federal government, and if a labor certification is filed on behalf of a non-citizen in that particular state designated shortage occupation, the DOL may be more influenced in making a favorable determination on the labor certification.

Similarly, even with regards to an undocumented immigrant, a

I

state may be able to enact criteria for recommending that such a person, who has otherwise not been convicted of serious crimes and is say an essential farm worker, is deserving of prosecutorial discre-

There may already be such authority under INA § 287(g), which authorizes the federal government to enter into a written agreement with a state to perform the function of a qualified immigration of-

A state can assist the federal government in the "investigation," rather than the apprehension or detention, of an individual who may merit such discretion from the federal government tion by the federal government under its new prosecutorial discretion policy and thus be permitted to remain in the state and prevent its farm produce from otherwise rotting away.

ficer in relation to the "investigation, apprehension and detention" of non-citizens. In the era where the government has implemented a broad prosecutorial discretion policy, a state can assist the fed-

eral government in the "investigation," rather than the apprehension or detention, of an individual who may merit such discretion from the federal government.

While Utah has also passed an enforcement oriented immigration law similar to Arizona's, it contains one unique provision quite unlike any other state's law. The Utah provision offers work permits to undocumented immigrants who pass background checks, have paid fines and can demonstrate a work history.

The measure does not offer legal status or citizenship, but would allow unauthorized workers who meet its criteria to continue working in Utah.

Cont’d on page 38

Immigration Post

June 1, 2012

India Post

37

www.indiapost.com

Pope praises US efforts to welcome immigrants VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI has praised the ``great generosity'' of American Catholics in welcoming new immigrants and backed the commitment of bishops in the United States to immigration reform.

Benedict held a series of periodic meetings with American bishops over the past few months, saying the church must embrace ``the rich patrimony of faith'' from newly arrived Hispanic, Asian and African Catholics.

He acknowledged that immigration reform a hot button issue in the election campaign is a complex civil and political issue.

In his earlier meetings with the visiting U.S. bishops, Benedict has touched on other controversial issues that have featured in the presidential campaign, including condemning the gay marriage lobby and stressing the need for the Catholic Church to be free to pursue its religious teaching. ``I would begin by praising your unremitting efforts, in the best traditions of the church in America, to respond to the ongo-

ing phenomenon of immigration in your country,'' the pope said. ``The Catholic community in the United States continues, with great generosity, to welcome waves of new immigrants, to provide them with pastoral care and charitable assistance, and to sup-

He also singled out nuns for praise, saying, “I wish to reaffirm my deep gratitude for the example of fidelity and self-sacrifice given by many consecrated women in your country” port ways of regularizing their situation, especially with regard to the unification of families. A particular sign of this is the long-standing commitment of the American bishops to immigration reform,'' Benedict said. ``This is clearly a difficult and complex issue from the civil and

political, as well as the social and economic, but above all from the human point of view. It is thus of profound concern to the church, since it involves ensuring the just treatment and the defense of the human dignity of immigrants,'' Benedict said.

In more general terms, Benedict spoke of the challenges facing the church, including threats to its unity.

He also singled out nuns for praise, saying, ``I wish to reaffirm my deep gratitude for the example of fidelity and self-sacrifice given by many consecrated women in your country.''

A recent Vatican demand for reform of the largest umbrella group for nuns in the United States has raised eyebrows and anger among some Catholics. The group, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, is accused of taking positions that undermine Roman Catholic teaching on the priesthood and homosexuality while promoting ``certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.'' -AP

Ala. governor signs immigration law changes MONTGOMERY, Ala.: Gov. Robert Bentley has signed legislation that revises Alabama's immigration law and dropped his effort to get the Legislature to make more revisions in its special session.

Bentley said he liked most but not all of the bill the Legislature passed and he had hoped to change two of its features in the special session that he called. ``However, as we worked with legislators during the special session, it became clear that the Legislature did not have the appetite for addressing further revisions at this time,'' Bentley said.

Bentley had said earlier he would not sign the immigration law changes into law until he saw what the Legislature did with his proposed changes in the special session. But he said later he signed the bill because ``there is substantial progress in this bill'' and it keeps Alabama's immigration law strong.

One of the authors of the immigration law, Republican Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale, said the governor saw that ``people are content with what we have in place.''

He predicted the Legislature will wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on a legal challenge to Arizona's immigration law and for the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to rule on Alabama's law before considering

any more changes.

One of the attorneys challenging Alabama's law, Mary Bauer of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said she was disappointed that Bentley had signed the bill and given up on making more changes for now.

Gov. Robert Bentley

``The governor has been struggling to get votes for his amendments, but to give up after one day is dismal,'' she said.

She said some of the revisions passed by the Legislature make the bill worse than the original enacted in 2011. ``Alabama is distinguishing itself as the worst of the worst,'' she said.

The bill written by Beason made several changes in the law, including eliminating the need for people to prove their legal residency when renewing business licenses, driver's licenses, and ve-

hicle tags. Bentley objected to one provision that requires the state Department of Homeland Security to compile a public database of illegal immigrants who end up in Alabama courts.

He also wanted to remove a provision of the original 2011 law that required schools to check the legal status of new students and their parents. That provision has been put on hold by a federal court.

Bentley didn't find any Republican legislators to introduce his proposed changes on the first day of the regular session. Next day he lined up a Democratic senator, Marc Keahey of Grove Hill, to offer the changes as amendments to another bill sponsored by Beason, but Beason blocked the governor by pulling the bill from consideration. A few hours later, Bentley announced his change of position. -AP

Immigrant advocates criticize fundraising effort PHOENIX: Two of Arizona's most prominent advocates for tougher border enforcement are seeking financial contributions to counter potential legislation that would prevent states and cities from enforcing immigration laws.

An email solicitation made by former Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on behalf of the Ban Amnesty Now group seeks donations to oppose legislation that U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York has promised to pursue if Arizona's 2010 immigration law is upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Critics of Pearce and Arpaio say the group is within its rights to seek the contributions but added that they believe the two are using illegal immigration as a fundraising tool and aren't all that interested in lessening the country's immigration woes. ``It seems they haven't heard the political message,'' said Randy Parraz, an organizer of a recall effort that led to Pearce's ouster from the Legislature in November, adding that rank-and-file Arizonans are more concerned about jobs and education than illegal immigration. ``They are still playing that one note.''

Pearce, the chief sponsor of the state's 2010 immigration enforcement law and now president of Ban Amnesty Now, said the fundraising pitch is no different than those made regularly by politicians and that contributions are needed to continue opposing those who seek soft immigration policies.

‘The fundraising pitch is no different than those made regularly by politicians and that contributions are needed to continue opposing those who seek soft immigration policies’ ``Of course, they are going to complain,'' Pearce said. ``And the reason they complain is that they are losing. The public wants the borders secured.''

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in late June on Gov. Jan Brewer's appeal of a ruling that blocked enforcement of the most controversial sections of the immigration law. -AP

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June 1, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Opportunity for States wanting immigrants-II

Cont’d from page 34

Cont’d from page 36

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Former Assistant State s Attorney

Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc.

1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1

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2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659

This provision also requires a federal waiver. If the Utah provision, which is currently enjoined, is allowed to go forward, in the event that the Supreme Court gives a green signal to states in Arizona v. US, we estimate that there will be more states that will enact laws similar to the Utah guest worker provision than Arizona's SB 1070.

There is no reason to think that it will always be punitive. Many of the progressive achievements in modern American history, such as women suffrage, popular election of senators, wage and hour laws, occupational safety, and most recently same sex marriages, to name but a select few, first appeared on the state level.

The many instances where federal intervention has been necessary to protect civil rights against state abuse should not blind us to the possibility that state action can also be a force for good. Long ago, Justice Brandeis recognized that federalism offered a constitutional framework for experimentation and creativity: To stay experimentation in things social and economic is a grave responsibility. Denial of the right to experiment may be fraught with serious consequences to the Nation. It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country…

New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann, 285 U.S. 262, 52 S.Ct. 371, 76 L.Ed. 747 (1932)(Brandeis, J. dissent) Since the New Deal, the operating assumption in American politics has been that reform must come from Washington DC to be imposed upon the states. The growth of the imperial presidency has flowed directly and inevitably from this core conviction. This is certainly the case with immigration

reform given the plenary federal power over this issue as an extension of foreign policy.

The inability or unwillingness of Congress to deal effectively with undocumented migration to this country on an unprecedented level has created the impetus for state action to fill up the vacuum.

We advocate that Congress must deal with this situation by creating more pathways to legal status over an enforcement only approach, which is what states like Arizona have done. Until now, such state action has been deprived of constitutional legitimacy; the Supreme Court may be ready to change that.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vigorously supported a Dream Act for New York State, though Governor Cuomo has yet to declare his position Indeed, the first signs of this came with Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting, 131 S. Ct. 1968, 179 L.Ed.2d 1031 (2011) when a 5-3 ruling upheld the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act thus transforming the power of state regulators to grant or withhold business and professional licenses into tools of immigration enforcement.

Should the High Court sustain SB 1070, for the first time since the 1870's, the states will be able to take advantage of a constitutional regime that not only tolerates but welcomes their presence and invites their participation. Of course, Congress can also deal with states legislating on immigration by expressly preempting such action, but one will need to wait for that day to happen.

Those who think immigration is

Illegal immigrant students want 'tuition equality' NASHVILLE, Tenn.: A group of graduating high school seniors is pledging to carry on with their education despite the challenges of being illegally in the country.

Students and their supporters around the state tied on blue ribbon bracelets symbolizing their commitment to education and what they call ``tuition

equality.''

Students who can't prove citizenship are not eligible for instate tuition. According to the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, which is sponsoring the effort, those students must pay three times as much as their classmates to attend public universities in Tennessee. -AP

good for America will then have to find a way to review and revise their most basic assumptions on the nature of American reform.

There is a way to make lemonade out of lemons. Even now, not all state and local action has been negative.

Utah is but one such example.

Look and you will find others.

Congress may not have passed a federal Dream Act but California and Illinois have done precisely that on the state level. Maryland too adopted its own Dream Act in 2011 and the Maryland Supreme Court will soon decide if this measure must go to a voter referendum this fall.

In his most recent state-of-thecity address, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vigorously supported a Dream Act for New York State, though Governor Cuomo has yet to declare his position.12 states now grant in-state tuition rates to undocumented students.

Texas, California and New Mexico provide financial aid to undocumented students. If we look north to our neighbor, Canada, its provinces have considerable influence in Canada's immigration policy. An intending immigrant to Canada will get a preference if he or she meets certain requirements of Quebec province, for example.

Our position on SB 1070 has not changed. We do not believe it is constitutional. We do not write to endorse a patchwork immigration system of 50 different approaches without unity or definition. The dangers of this are apparent to all and we devoutly wish that our ideas will be made irrelevant when the Supreme Court finds SB 1070 to be constitutionally impermissible.

Yet, candor requires us to admit that the result may not be as we would like. Now is the time to prepare for what may come and think the unthinkable. We owe it to our clients and our country to turn a problem into an opportunity. Until now, both supporters and critics of SB 1070 have assumed that if the Supreme Court were to uphold the law, it will unleash a tsunami of copycat legislation.

This may happen and it may hurt. Yet, the future often has a way of surprising us. More may emerge; the outcome could well be different than what most hope or fear.

This article points a way forward.

What happens next is up to you. * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

Health

Line

Salt Lake health dept gets food safety award SALT LAKE CITY: The Salt Lake Valley Health Department is getting praise from its peers for its programs to keep food safe.

The department announced this week it won the 2012 Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award for Excellence in Food Protection.

A panel of public and environmental health officials chooses the winner of the 56-year-old award each year.

Panel members say the Salt Lake Valley Health Department has an innovative food inspection program and a close relationship with the Utah academic community.

Judges also say the department has reduced the number of serious food safety violations.-AP

Abortion clinic targeted in bombing closed BIRMINGHAM, Ala.: A Birmingham abortion clinic that was targeted in a 1998 bombing has lost its license to operate.

Officials at the Alabama Department of Health said The New Woman All Women Health Clinic was forced to close.

The Birmingham News reports that the clinic's owner agreed to surrender the facility's license after state officials found two cases where patients overdosed on drugs and needed to be taken to a hospital. No other company has successfully applied to run the clinic.

Scott Morro, an attorney for clinic owner Diane Derzis, described the closing as unfortunate and said it had provided services for women for years. -AP

Phoenix Diocese supports birth control lawsuits PHOENIX: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix says it welcomes lawsuits filed by other Catholic dioceses and various Catholic organizations to challenge a federal mandate for health plan coverage for birth control.

Phoenix Diocese officials say they're grateful for the lawsuits but didn't join them because they're confident that their concerns and positions will be adequately represented.

The suits filed in eight other states and the District of Columbia challenge a federal mandate that most employers provide workers free birth control as part of their health insurance. -AP

Health Science 39

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June 1, 2012

Health officials warn of swimming illnesses WHEATON, Ill.: As the weather warms up, local health authorities in the Chicago area have put out some advice to keep swimmers healthy. The DuPage County Health Department warned against illnesses that swimmers can get as a result of germs spread by swallowing water. -AP

Study: Fake malaria drugs common in Asia, Africa HANOI, Vietnam: More than a third of the malaria-fighting drugs tested over the past decade in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa were either fake or bad quality, seriously undermining efforts to combat the disease, a study said here.

With up to 1 million people mostly children in Africa already dying every year from malaria, bogus drugs and those containing the wrong chemical makeup could upend a decade of progress fighting the mosquito-transmitted disease, the U.S.-funded review said.

International efforts to combat drug counterfeiting much of it believed to take place in China are urgently needed.

Fake drugs with no malaria-fighting agents can lead to deaths when patients rely on them, and those containing some active ingredients but not enough to fully kill all parasites are also problematic because they promote resistance that can eventually outsmart medicines and render them useless.

Alarm bells have sounded in recent years over signs of increasing resistance in western Cambodia on Thailand's border with

More than a third of the malaria-fighting drugs tested over the past decade in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa were either fake or of bad quality, seriously undermining efforts to combat the disease, a study said, May 22

"The economic incentives for criminals of drug falsification surpass the risks involved in their production and sale,'' the authors wrote in the article published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal Myanmar among artemisininbased drugs, the only effective medicine now widely used to cure the disease.

Studies show the drugs are taking longer to work there, and experts fear the emerging resistance could eventually spread to Africa

as has occurred previously with other malaria treatments that now are worthless against the disease.

If artemisinin-based drugs stop working, there is no good replacement and many people would ultimately die. Currently, malaria kills an estimated 2,000 children every

day in Africa. Some 3.3 billion people worldwide are at risk of getting infected. ``We feel a sense of emergency considering the impact these medicines can have,'' lead author Gaurvika Nayyar, of the Fogarty International Center at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said in an email.

The study says more labs are needed worldwide to test for fake drugs. Only three out of 47 malaria-plagued countries in Africa are equipped to do so. Nayyar also calls for counterfeiters to be brought to justice, including the creation of a universal way to crack down on those involved in the cross-border trade. Currently, laws only exist within individual countries.

"The economic incentives for criminals of drug falsification surpass the risks involved in their production and sale,'' the authors wrote in the article published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. ``Production and distribution of counterfeit antimalarial drugs should be prosecuted as crimes against humanity,'' they added.

Cont’d on page 41

Half of overweight teens have heart risk ATLANTA: Half the nation's overweight teens have unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels that put them at risk for future heart attacks and other cardiac problems, new federal research says.

And an even larger proportion of obese adolescents have such a risk, according to the alarming new numbers. ``What this is saying, unfortunately, is that we're losing the battle early with many kids,'' said Dr. Stephen Daniels, a University of Colorado School of Medicine expert who was not involved in the study.

People can keep their risk of heart disease very low if they reach age 45 or 50 at normal weight and with normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol and no diabetes. So these results are not good, he said.

The study was released in the journal Pediatrics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research focused on 3,383 adolescents ages 12 through 19. The youths were part of an intensive national study that involves interviewing, weigh-

So there was some good news, Mahle said, that the study found no increase in levels of obesity, high blood pressure or bad cholesterol during the years it covered 1999 through 2008. ``All of us are looking for some sign or signal that we're making

People can keep their risk of heart disease very low if they reach age 45 or 50 at normal weight and with normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol and no diabetes ing, measuring and performing medical tests on people across the country.

The ongoing CDC study is considered a gold standard for looking at national health trends, said Dr. William Mahle, an Emory University pediatric cardiologist.

headway,'' said Mahle, who was not involved with the study. ``So that was reassuring.''

But one measure did get worse: The percentage of adolescents who were diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes rose dramatically, from 9 percent to 21 percent.

Pre-diabetics have higher than normal blood sugar levels, but not high enough to count as diabetes.

It's not clear why the proportion of kids with high blood sugar would increase while the measures for the other heart disease risk factors held steady. It may have something to do with the kind of test used to measure blood sugar, Daniels said.

Adolescents in the study were given a blood test that can give varying results depending on the day or time of day the test is given.

Other tests, though more involved and more expensive, are considered more precise.

Daniels said it's possible another testing method might not have produced a swing so large.

That is possible, said Ashleigh May, the CDC epidemiologist who was the study's lead author. -AP

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June 1, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Aureus School of Medicine opens new campus

TIP OF THE WEEK

their careers. Our new campus will provide our expanding student population with state of the art amenities to help them achieve their personal and academic goals."

Aureus University School of Medicine opened in 2004 as the brainchild of a group

India Post News Service

ORANJESTAD, Aruba: Aureus University School of Medicine (www.aureusuniversity.com), one of the most respected medical universities in the Caribbean, has announced the acquisition of a new campus to accommodate its everexpanding student body.

The new 100,000 square foot facilities will offer state of the art classrooms, laboratories, research facilities and dormitories lo-

cated at close proximity to the existing school.

At the 2012 Aureus University School of Medicine Commencement Ceremonies held in Saddlebrook New Jersey, Executive Dean Dr. Gurmit Chilana reiterated the university's commitment to its student body.

"We are proud to expand Aureus University's campus and to continue our tradition of providing the highest medical education to help students gain the professional skills they need to enter or advance

"We are proud to expand Aureus University's campus and to continue our tradition of providing the highest medical education to help students gain the professional skills they need to enter or advance their careers" of eminent doctoral professors and administrators with more than fifteen years of experience in the international and Central American/Caribbean medical education system.

Aureus University School of Medicine is a recognized and chartered institution of higher learning by the Government of the Island Republic of Aruba, offering internationally recognized, fully accredited degree programs in the medical field.

Give your back some TLC with grapes

G

ot an achy back? Grapes could be the ticket to a speedy recovery. Recent studies at Ohio State University suggest eating a heaping cup of grapes daily can relax tight blood vessels, significantly improving blood flow to damaged back tissues (and often within three hours of enjoying the first bowl). That's great news because your back's vertebrae and shock-absorbing discs are completely dependent on nearby blood vessels to bring them healing nutrients and oxygen, so improving blood flow is essential for healing damaged back tissue, says Stengler.

NC company wants to use art to encourage health WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.: A new company in High Point is hoping to color the world with its art prints that encourage folks to eat smarter, think positively and exercise.

Paradigm Nutrition Inc., formed in late 2011, offers ``nutritional facts in a nonthreatening, easy-to-understand way,'' said Bill McKenzie, who owns the company with his business partner, Ted Johnson. ``It just delivers an easy message to people.'' ``Eat More Colors'' is the simple message on a Paradigm Nutrition print that highlights all types of fruit from apples to watermelons. Another print, ``Food for Thought,'' lists several foods that affect thinking, including fish and leafy green vegetables. ``We know the horrible statistics out there,'' McKenzie said. ``Almost two-thirds of the adult population is seriously overweight, and we have childhood obesity in virtual epidemic proportions.''

The focus of the prints is to subtly create a life-change message in terms of nutrition, especially for young people, to help reverse the rising obesity in the country, Johnson said.

They use real fruits and vegetables and high-end photography from businesses in the Triad to make their products, McKenzie said.

The prints are 24-by-36 inches and 20by-30 inches, but they can be produced in larger custom sizes. They are available on

100-pound paper and foam core.

The business partners hope to grow their business throughout the Triad, including Winston-Salem, and eventually go national. They are expanding their prints to offer other ways to maximize health, including sleep and a positive mind. The prints are available for sale at paradigmnutrition.com.

The focus of the prints is to subtly create a life-change message in terms of nutrition, especially for young people ``We'll keep coming out with more,'' Johnson said. ``I've got 18 more on the drawing board now.''

Schools, universities, fitness centers, medical offices, companies and YMCAs have purchased and displayed Paradigm Nutrition's products, McKenzie said.

Several prints were donated to Guilford County schools. Four are up in high-traffic areas for students, including the cafeteria, at T. Wingate Andrews High School in High Point. Print installations four for each school are planned at Smith High School and Dudley High School in Greensboro. -AP

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Knee surgery stats prompt changes at US hospitals CONCORD, N.H.: Knee replacement surgeries at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center soon could be handled by a specialized operating room team as the result of a data-sharing project among health systems throughout the U.S. aimed at improving health care and lowering costs.

The Lebanon hospital is among the founding members of a collaborative created in 2010 to analyze a range of high-volume, high-cost medical procedures and conditions and quickly spreading the word about which approaches result in the best outcomes and the lowest costs. Its findings on knee replacements were published recently, but several of the health systems already have made changes based on the results, said Dr. Ivan Tomek, a surgeon at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock has been considering a team-based approach for years, but the collaborative has finally given the idea a strong push forward, he said. While it's important that anesthesiologists, nurses and technicians be able to handle all kinds of surgeries, the data-sharing project showed that there are significant benefits to consistently matching knee surgeons with the

same specialized team, he said.

Among the five health systems, the average time spent in surgery ranged from 80 minutes to 105 minutes, with the one health system that has a dedicated team having the shortest time. That is significant because longer time in surgery is associated with higher complication rates for patients.

The average time spent in surgery ranged from 80 minutes to 105 minutes, with the one health system that has a dedicated team having the shortest time And shorter operating times may mean there's time to squeeze in one more surgery per day, Tomek said.

Tomek said he was surprised there was so much variation among the hospitals, given that they are all leading institutions.

For example, the average length of time patients spent in the hospital ranged from three days at one hospital to just over four days at another.

The collaborative's report, published by the journal Health Affairs, does not identify which health system had which results, but Tomek said DartmouthHitchcock was among those with longer hospital stays. But it already has reduced its length of stay by about half a day simply by spending a bit more time explaining to patients what to expect before, during and after surgery, he said. ``We've started conditioning patients to this timeline a little better, saying `This is going to happen on day one, this is going to happen on day two,''' he said.

That's cut down on patients who spend extra time in the hospital because their family members didn't realize when they'd be discharged and thus weren't available to pick them up, he said.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock also will be implementing a model before surgery that's known as co-management, based on the approach taken by the health system with the lowest complication rate. That involves identifying patients with additional medical problems that could affect the surgery early on, and getting other departments involved from the start rather than

waiting and saying, "Oops, something's gone wrong, let's get internal medicine in here,'' later, Tomek said.

The other founding members of the collaborative are: Cleve-

land Clinic in Ohio, Denver Health in Colorado, Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. -AP

Study: Fake malaria drugs common in Asia, Africa Cont’d from page 39

The review analyzes 27 published and unpublished studies dating back to 1999 that look at poor-quality and counterfeit malaria-fighting drugs.

In Southeast Asia, various antimalaria drugs were analyzed from seven countries from 1999 to 2010.

Of 1,437 samples, 35 percent contained the wrong chemical makeup; nearly half of 919 samples were incorrectly packaged; and 36 percent of 1,260 samples were fake.

In Africa, 35 percent of 2,297 samples collected from 21 countries had the wrong amount of chemicals; 36 percent of 77 failed packaging testing, and 20 percent of 389 drugs were fake.

The authors said many cases go unreported. They also point to other issues driving the problem, such as

patients buying drugs over the country without prescriptions and self-medicating along with using drugs that are expired or degraded through improper storage.

Earlier studies found indications that some counterfeits were made in China and smuggled into Southeast Asia, but more research is needed to understand the extent and complexities of the problem. ``Importantly, no large randomized studies of drug quality have been done in either China or India,'' wrote Michael Seear, of British Columbia Children's Hospital in Vancouver, in an accompanying commentary. "Because roughly a third of the world's population lives in these countries, and they are probably the source of many counterfeit drugs, global estimates should be seriously examined.'' -AP

Realty Tidbits

NSG wants ban on high-rises near campus

Real Estate

T

he National Security Guard (NSG) has asked the Haryana government to ban construction of high-rise buildings within 100metre radius of its 1600-acre campus in Manesar. The elite commando force said that buildings within the range of 500-metre radius of the facility should not be more than two-storey.

Anil Kumar, DIG, Administration Station Commander, wrote a letter to state chief secretary PK Chaudhary, saying that the presence of high-rise buildings in the vicinity can be a security threat for the unit.

"Of late, it has been observed that the land adjacent to the NSG campus is being acquired by various builders and they have constructed high-rise buildings on that land. The construction of the high-rise buildings near the NSG campus is a serious security threat as they provide clear view of the day-to-day activities inside the campus," he said in the letter.

According to officials, the threat perception on the NSG's Manesar headquarters has increased after the 'Black Tornado' commando operation during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

No terror funds in realty sector: Govt NEW DELHI: The government has said "no specific instance" of flow of terror funds into the real estate sector has come to its notice.

"As per the current assessment of revenue intelligence agencies...no specific instance of flow of terror funds into the real estate sector has been found," Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

However, he said, "investigations by the Income Tax Department reveal unaccounted or undisclosed income or assets in various sectors of the economy, including real estate."

The intelligence agencies, which carried out the assessment, include Investigation Directorates of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence and Directorate of Enforcement.

To another query, the minister said there no information was available as regards distortion of real estate due to presence of terror-funds or black money in the real estate sector. -PTI

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Crescent seeks damages from Shapoorji Pallonji MUMBAI: Shapoorji Pallonji Company has refuted the allegations levelled against them in a civil suit filed

by Crescent Builders seeking damages of Rs 105 crore for failing to complete construction of a building in south Mumbai within the stipulated time period.

Shapoorji Pallonji group (SPCL) refuted the allegations stating it was imperative and necessary for Crescent builders to pay the Capitalized Value to the civic body.

Govt for TDS on real estate deals NEW DELHI: In order to check generation of black money in the real estate sector, the government's White Paper has suggested introduction of tax deduction at source (TDS) on salepurchase of properties.

"One of the measures for deterring use of the real estate sector for generation and investment of black money could be the provision of deducting tax at source on payments made on real estate transactions and mandating it as a precondition for registering of the transacted property," the White Paper on black money prepared by the Finance Ministry said.

The current provisions of the direct tax legislation provide for mandatory furnishing of the tax identification number by the buyer and seller of an immovable property if the value exceeds Rs 5 lakh, it said.

Also, every registry of property is required to furnish annually information regarding transactions in immovable property if the value exceeds Rs 30 lakh, it said.

However, it said, as many registrar offices still operate on a manual system, there are a number of gaps and lapses in the reporting of such transactions.

Besides, the paper has suggested more effective reforms in the real estate can yield a significant dividend in the form of reducing generation of black money in the long term.

It has also suggested for introduction of the provision of no

objection certificate (NOC) in the income tax law with safeguards to reduce administrative complications and increased ease of compliance, so that an appropriate and uniform database is set up and a proper national-level regulation also put in place.

rising prices of real estate, the tax incidence applicable on real estate transactions in the form of stamp duty and capital gains tax can create incentives for tax evasion through under-reporting of transaction price. This can lead to both generation and investment of

Initial public offers (IPOs) offering equity shares to the public at large are also vulnerable to various manipulations that can generate black money for the promoters or operators The real estate sector in India constitutes about 11 per cent of the GDP, it said, adding, investment in property is a common means of parking unaccounted money and a large number of transactions in real estate are not reported or are under-reported.

The report noted that due to

black money.

The buyer has the option of investing his black money by paying cash in addition to the documented sale consideration.

This also leads to generation of black money in the hands of the recipient, it said.

The other vulnerable sectors of

economy with regard to generation of unaccounted money is gold trading.

The White Paper also said financial market transactions can involve black money in different forms.

Initial public offers (IPOs) offering equity shares to the public at large are also vulnerable to various manipulations that can generate black money for the promoters or operators, it said. Rigging of markets by the market operators is one such means, it said.

This may involve use of shell companies and more sophisticated versions of such manipulation may involve offshore companies or investors in foreign tax jurisdictions who invest in shares offered by the IPO and through manipulated trading escalate their price artificially, only to offload them later at the cost of ordinary investors, it added. -PTI

Yamuna Expressway set to open by June 15 GREATER NOIDA: After missing several deadlines, the Yamuna Expressway is finally set to open around June 15. The state government has asked Jaypee Group to complete work on the e-way by May 31 after which UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav will inaugurate it.

Recently, a meeting was held between the Jaypee group top brass and the UP government in which pending work was discussed and a deadline set to give final touches to the expressway by May 31.

Sources in Jaypee Group, however, claimed that the entire work

on the expressway has been completed and the UP government can open it anytime. "On May 8, a delegation visited the e-way and

found that things were in place," a source said.

"The government needs to fix the speed limit and toll tax rates.

All these things will have to be mentioned in the gazette notification," a senior official at Yamuna Expressway Authority said, adding, if everything goes as planned then the expressway will open by June 15.

The latest report filed by Yamuna Expressway Authority before the state government says the road work is complete on the entire 165km stretch. Even toll plazas have been constructed. Interchange at one location is held up due to non-transferring of land by the railway, however the acquisition process is underway.

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Wadala-Jacob Circle line to be delayed MUMBAI: The ChemburWadala phase of the city's first monorail is expected to be commissioned by December but the second phase - from Wadala to Jacob Circle - still has hurdles to overcome. While the construction of both phases of the 20-km corridor had begun almost simultaneously in 2008, work on the 11.3km Wadala-Jacob Circle line is not even 50 per cent complete.

"Overall, the progress on the second phase is about 40-45 per cent. We hope to complete the second phase a year after the Chembur-Wadala phase is commissioned," said Ashwini Bhide, additional metropolitan commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

In the second phase, the consortium constructing the monorail - L&T and Scomi Engineering has made significant progress from Wadala to Ambedkar Road but some of the difficult sections like taking the line over the Lalbaug flyover and the Currey Road overbridge are yet to be tackled.

The MMRDA is also yet to receive the Central Railway approvals to take the monorail over railway tracks at Wadala and Currey Road, despite having submitted the general arrangement drawings to the latter more than a year ago.

"The railway approvals are at different levels of discussions for both the viaducts. We have been having meetings regularly to incorporate their suggestions,"

Bhide said.

The development authority is also facing resistance from some Currey Road residents over the location of two piers near the

Of the pile foundation, about 90 per cent piles have been erected and 78 per cent pile caps have been placed. The consortium has finished erecting half the number of piers required for the corridor but is yet to launch beams Pimpaleshwar temple there. The residents' grouse is that the current location of the piers infringes on the already narrow road, making it difficult for vehicles to turn.

"We have agreed to shift the location of the piers by taking longer spans. We need to hold discussions with residents about the new position of piers and MLA Bala Nandgaonkar is helping us in the matter," Bhide said, adding that the MMRDA is likely to hold a meeting with residents by Mayend.

The MMRDA is also yet to ascertain if there are any utilities that could be affected during construction of the piers in the new location.

Of the pile foundation, about 90 per cent piles have been erected and 78 per cent pile caps have been placed. The consortium has finished erecting half the number of piers required for the corridor but is yet to launch beams, on which a monorail runs, on the entire stretch.

"The beams can be launched during monsoon. We have started the process of casting beams," Bhide said.

CREDAI and builders' rift over code of conduct Initially, several developers declined to abide by the code of conduct laid down by CREDAI. Following this, the association has expelled several developers, while some have resigned discontinuing their involvement with the organization.

Opposing the self-regulation code, the builders refused to sign

the association's code of conduct.

The bone of contention for builders was the code of conduct that primarily outlines transparency clauses that builders have to follow.

Ultimately, CREDAI expelled some builders, as they did not comply with the directives despite the body having issued several notices to them. DLF, Hirco and

Hiranandani Realtors have been expelled from the Chennai Unit, whereas four builders have resigned from the Bangalore unit.

CREDAI has further decided to expel non-compliant builders in NCR and informed the expelled builders that they can be a part of CREDAI unit only if they sign the code of conduct.

Yamuna Expressway set to open by June 15 Cont’d from page 42

The survey on giving toll-free access to residents along the expressway is under scrutiny by consultants RITES and the proposal of fixing speed limit has been submitted to the government. Roadside facilities being provided on both sides of the six toll plazas, interchanges and underpasses with standby power

supply, pavement markings and road signages also have been completed. Roadside facilities will be provided on the expressway at toll plazas at 38.8km, 95.2km and 150.325 km.

The 165km-long expressway is being constructed between Greater Noida to Agra. Before the Bhatta-Parsaul agitation took place on May 7, the Yamuna Expressway Authority had an-

nounced that its work in Gautam Budh Nagar district would be completed by June end. However, the bloody clash between farmers and police disturbed the process.

"Once the expressway is opened, lakhs of commuters will be able to cut short their journey to Agra and beyond. We are looking forward to cater to the public and get their feedback," said a senior Jaypee official.

Minister arrested in Jalgaon housing scam MUMBAI: Maharashtra Minister of State for Transport and senior NCP leader Gulabrao Deokar has been arrested for alleged involvement in a 1997 housing scam related to construction of 11,000 low-cost houses in Jalgaon, north Maharashtra.

Deokar, who was a member of Jalgaon Municipal Council between 1995 and 2000, was summoned to the Zilla Peth police station at Jalgaon and arrested, police sources said.

Additional SP Ishu Sindhu, who is probing the Rs 46-crore scam,

Khandesh Builders, a front company of Jain, secured the contract.

Of the promised nine plots, five did not belong to the Jalgaon council and the remaining four were reserved for school, public garden or hospitals.

The project never took off, but massive funds were allegedly given to Khandesh Builders and later it was found that a sizable proportion of it was funneled into the accounts of companies controlled by Jain.

After getting specific complaints, the then chief executive

Gulabrao Deokar (L) and Suresh Jain, both accused in the Jalgaon housing scandal.

had earlier summoned 46 former corporators including Deokar.

However, only 25 turned up and were arrested.

As Deokar did not turn up, a fresh notice was served and he was asked to present himself before police.

Of the 25 former corporators arrested, 15 were granted bail, while the rest were remanded in police custody. So far, 38 persons including former housing minister and Shiv Sena MLA Sureshdada Jain have been arrested in this case.

Construction tender was floated by the Jalgaon Municipal Council in 1997 for the housing scheme. It promised to provide nine plots for the project. It was found later that the tender conditions were altered to ensure that

officer of Jalgaon Municipal Council lodged a first information report on February 3, 2006. However, with the leading politicians of the area allegedly involved in the case, the probe made no progress.

The probe gathered momentum after Sindhu took charge last year.

Besides securing crucial documents from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation and the Urban Development Department, Sindhu recorded the statements of all the accused in the case.

Meanwhile, opposition BJP demanded that Deokar be removed from the ministry.

"Deokar should be sacked at once by the Governor, as there is a possibility that he may influence the investigation," state BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar said.

Tech News India-Middle East corridor to grow by 34% DUBAI: India and the Middle East trade corridor is expected to grow by 34 per cent to become one of the world's fastest-growing by next year, UAE's Minister of Foreign Trade has said.

"The India-Middle East corridor is expected to grow by 34 per cent to emerge as one of the world's fastest-growing trade corridors by 2013," said the Minister, Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi.

"Given that it is the secondmost populous country in the world with an enormous consumer base of over 1.2 billion, India is definitely among our priority partners moving forward," she said at the Third Arab-India Partnership Conference which got underway in Abu Dhabi. -PTI

Google Chrome is world's most used Web browser

G

oogle Chrome has beaten Internet Explorer to be the world's most widely used Web browser.

According to a statistic by StatCounter, Google Chrome beat Internet Explorer to the top spot while Firefox is in third place followed by Apple's Safari on fourth position.

YouTube to launch two new channels on July 2

Y

ouTube has announced that it will soon launch two new exclusive original channels on 2 July which will be produced by Electus.

The two new channels to be launched are "LoUD", a pop culture channel, and a food channel called "Hungry".

According to an Electus PR, LoUD will be a hotbed for new, loud creative works that will launch into cultural consciousness.

The channel will include edgy and fresh original content featuring celebrities and current YouTube stars in the shows they wish they could be making for TV. The channel also promises to find new, unique characters with oneof-a-kind personalities and perspectives.

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Lenovo launches 2 new desktop PCs in India NEW DELHI: Lenovo India announced two new additions to its desktop lineup in India - IdeaCentre H430 and IdeaCentre H520s. These desktops are claimed to offer a host of entertainment features at a spacesaving design and an affordable pricing.

The Lenovo H520s desktop PC is said to be 2 times smaller than a standard desktop PC, which combines a slim design with the performance of a 2nd/ 3rd generation Intel Core™ i7 processor. It is priced at Rs 24,990 (taxes extra).

Kati Roll Company named one of 50 fastest growing Asian-American businesses India Post News Service

NEW YORK: When Payal Saha first conceived the idea of The Kati Roll Company ten years ago, she could not guess that her New York-based eatery would garner such a large following of loyal customers that within 10 years, she would boast three NYC locations and one in London.

With plans to open more stores in the near future, The Kati Roll Company has just been named one of the 50 Fastest Growing

June 5 during the USPAACC Annual Business Opportunity Conference, CelebrAsian 2012, being held at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center, Maryland.

The USPAACC chosen Fast 50 represent over $3.8 billion in sales over a wide range of industries including healthcare, IT, energy, media and more spanning an array of Asian ethnic groups ranging from Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese all the way through to Malaysian and Indian. The com-

"We have never cut corners and used premade ingredients. I wouldn't want to eat something like that and I don't expect my customers to," adds Ms Saha. "Even today, we still slice and pickle the onions by hand, knead and roll each paratha, grill all of the fillings and hand blend the chutney used in each roll. Our quality has never changed” Asian-American Businesses in the United States by the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC). The award which recognizes the fastest growing Asian-owned businesses with revenues of $1 million + and with at least three years in business, is awarded annually. Past winners include the likes of Care.com, Vizio, Search Pros and Ameredia.

The award will be presented to Ms. Saha at a Black Tie Gala on

panies chosen for the award have their financials verified and ranked

by Ernst and Young.

"I feel very honored that The Kati Roll Company has been chosen for this award," says Ms Saha.

"When I first started my restaurant 10 years ago, I never expected that one day we would be ranked along side other such prestigious companies."

When Ms Saha first opened her doors in NYC's eclectic Greenwich

Village, it was she and one assistant that cooked and served each kati roll including its proprietary 22-spice blend marinade used for the fillings and the signature flaky, hand-rolled parathas.

Her hard work paid off as more and more New Yorkers became fans of the eatery. The Kati Roll Company was given the World's Best Award by Travel + Leisure's reader's poll and was named Time Out New York's Best New Eatery of 2002 and Best Restaurant of 2004 and 2005.

Today, The Kati Roll Company serves about half a million rolls per year amongst its four locations, and Ms Saha still insists on using the freshest quality ingredients that are all cooked from scratch in her establishments. "We have never cut corners and used pre-made ingredients. I wouldn't want to eat something like that and I don't expect my customers to," adds Ms Saha.

"Even today, we still slice and pickle the onions by hand, knead and roll each paratha, grill all of the fillings and hand blend the chutney used in each roll. Our quality has never changed and our taste is still considered to be the

closest version to the actual rolls in my hometown of Kolkata."

When Ms Saha first started The Kati Roll Company in 2002, not only was she introducing kati rolls to the New York market, she was

Payal Saha

also reinventing the concept of Indian food in a new and portable format, something which had never been done before in the US. As her establishment grew, so did the popularity of kati rolls and today, the fare is an expected option on the menus of most Indian restaurants.

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Turkmenistan signs gas sale pact with India, Pak NEW DELHI: Kicking-off work on the long discussed USbacked Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, India and its new energy partners have signed agreements that will pave way for laying of the 1,680km line.

Turkmenistan - which holds more than 4 per cent of the world's natural gas reserves signed agreements to sell gas to India and Pakistan through the USD 7.6 billion pipeline at the Caspian Sea resort of Avaza.

Describing signing of the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA) as "no-ordinary event", Oil Minister S Jaipal Reddy said the signing was "a triumph of multilateralism, regional cooperation and economic integration".

The 1,680-km TAPI pipeline will have a capacity to carry 90 million cubic meters a day (mmcmd) gas for a 30-

year period and will be operational in 2018.

S Jaipal Reddy

India and Pakistan would get 38 mmcmd each, while the remaining 14 mcmd will be supplied to Afghanistan.

Besides Reddy, the GSPA, signed by national oil companies of the four nations, was witnessed by Turkmenistan Oil Minister B Nedirov, Pakistan's Petroleum Minister Asim Hussain and Afghanistan's Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani.

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Chinese counterfeit parts infiltrating US weapons system WASHINGTON: Over a million Chinese counterfeit electronics parts are being used in American military hardware, a key Senate Committee has warned, raising the possibilities that some of these fake parts may have been used in military jets which have been sold to India.

After a year long probe, the Senate Armed Services Committee said in a report that it had uncov-

ered 1800 cases of fake parts used in military hardware mostly helicopters and aircraft.

The report highlighted that counterfeit parts may have been

used in SH-60B helicopters used

by Navy SEALS, C-130J and C-27J cargo planes and in the navy's P8A Poseidon's'.

The report could be alarming for India as it has purchased C130J transport aircraft for the air force and P8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft for the Navy, in direct military-to-military sales. However, it was not clear from the report whether hardware sold to India had any counterfeit products made in China.

More than 70 per cent of

an estimated one million suspect parts were traced back to China.

"Our report outlines how this flood of counterfeit parts, overwhelmingly from China, threatens national security, the safety of our

troops and American jobs," Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said in a statement as he released the report running into 72 pages.

"Our committee's

report makes it abundantly clear that vulnerabilities throughout the defense supply chain allow counterfeit electronic parts to infiltrate critical US military systems, risking our security and the lives of the men and women who protect it," Ranking Member of the Committee Sen John McCain said.

The Committee criticized China for failing to shut down counterfeit manufacturers.

"Counterfeit electronic parts are sold openly in public markets in China," the report said.

"Rather than acknowledging the problem and moving aggressively to shut down counterfeiters, the Chinese government has tried to avoid scrutiny," it added.

Home market important for Deutsche Bank: Anshu Jain BERLIN: India-born Anshu Jain, designated co-CEO of Deutsche Bank, has underlined the importance of the home market for growing business and said the lender will continue expansion in Germany, in the emerging markets and in the United States.

This is the first time since his nomination in July last year that Jain has given some hint about the strategy the bank will pursue in the coming years.

"There was a time when global banks floated above their countries," said Jain, who until now headed Deutsche Bank's investment banking division based in London.

But that has changed and the "importance of the home market is greater now than ever before".

Therefore, it is a priority for Deutsche Bank "to get into our home market and continuing to expand in the emerging markets and in the US", he said in a CNBC TV interview.

Geographically, these regions will be the main priority for him and his co-CEO Juergen Fitschen in the coming years, Jain said.

Jain, who earned international

repute as a successful investment banker, has been credited with building up Deutsche Bank's investment banking as a profitable business even during the financial crisis, when global investment banking suffered a decline.

Deutsche Bank's out-going chairman Josef Ackermann is scheduled to hand over the reins

Anshu Jain

of the Germany's largest bank to Jain and Fitschen at the annual shareholders' meeting in Frankfurt on May 31.

They will officially take charge on June 1. There has been concern in Germany that the new leadership will give greater importance to the highly profitable investment banking and retail banking will

play only a subordinate role in the future.

Jain said in the interview that Deutsche Bank will focus more strongly on retail business in Germany, where it has been quite successful in the past years.

Its acquisition of the Deutsche Post subsidiary Postbank, was very crucial for the lender.

"It made Deutsche Bank a dominant retail player in our home market," he said.

The bank will continue to focus on those sectors "where we have done well and we think we can do better", he said.

Deutsche Bank is one of the leading banks in the US. With more than 11,000 employees and 20 locations, US business is extremely important for the bank, he said.

Even though the situation in Greece is worrying, Europe has made some "tremendous progress" in the past six months, Jain said, adding, "Away from Greece, we have a pretty encouraging situation."

The governments in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Portugal have made good progress towards implementing significant reforms. -PTI

The affected parts in the C-130J and the Poseidons range from the chips in the display system of the Super Hercules to components of the detection systems in the P8A Poseidons.

The report including conclusions and recommendations were adopted by the Senate Armed Services Committee with unanimous

According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), counterfeits cost US semiconductor companies more than USD 7.5 billion annually in lost revenue, a figure SIA says results in the loss of nearly 11,000 American jobs.

The other two largest source of fake parts were the United Kingdom and Canada. The Committee identified instances in which both countries served as resale points for suspect counterfeit electronic parts from China.

India accounted for about one

According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), counterfeits cost US semiconductor companies more than USD 7.5 billion annually in lost revenue, a figure SIA says results in the loss of nearly 11,000 American jobs. The other two largest source of fake parts were the United Kingdom and Canada voice vote on May 15.

The committee said that China denied visas to its staff to travel to Beijing as part of the investigation.

While the investigation focused on the risk that counterfeit parts pose to US national security and the safety of military personnel, the rampant theft of US intellectual property also severely impacts the US economic security.

per cent of the counterfeit products.

The investigation also uncovered dozens of examples of suspect counterfeit electronic parts in critical military systems, including on thermal weapons sights delivered to the Army, on mission computers for the Missile Defense Agency's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile, and on a large number of military airplanes. -PTI

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Kati Roll Company named one of 50 fastest growing Asian-American businesses

cents of each purchased roll and uses that money to educate her workers, many of whom are unskilled immigrants.

For example, one of her employees, a recent arrival from Bangladesh, is trying to complete his undergraduate degree. For each dollar he pays for tuition, Ms

Saha matches it with one from the fund. She also encourages entrepreneurial efforts from her employees by matching their investment dollars, offering the services of her team (bankers, legal counsel or accountants) and possible TKRC contracts if the proposed business is one that her restaurants would use.

Ms Saha does not look at her employees as workers, but as part of her extended family. Her employees reciprocate that respect by working diligently and being vested in the brand. Hence, Ms Saha maintains a 60% staff retention rate with many of them with her since the early days of The Kati Roll Company.

Ms Saha's progressive entrepreneurial path has made her a role model to all idea-makers out there.

She shows us that a young woman with a concept is a powerful thing, and her history is testament to the fact that hard work and clear vision brings success to any good business idea.

As The Kati Roll Company is named one of the fastest growing Asian-American business, Ms Saha celebrates her 10-years in business in the same fashion in which she started, "Treat your customers and employees with respect and never compromise on quality."

Turkmenistan signs gas sale pact with India, Pak

Haryana to invest Rs 230 cr in 5 biomass power projects

ContĂ­d from page 44

The success of The Kati Roll Company extends beyond just the taste of the rolls. The company is also considered to be the first successful crossover brand within the restaurant industry. With its distinctive orange color, rustic font logo, brown bag packaging and a nod to the kitsch of Bollywood that plasters the original city of Kolkata, The Kati Roll Company is immediately recognizable from a distance.

More so, the brand has incorporated customized music into its locations which features Bollywood, Top 40 as well as wellknown (and sometimes unsigned) South Asian artists. This unique playlist will soon be featured on the company's website which is currently undergoing a redesign, so that customers will be able to tune into The Kati Roll Company experience any time they want.

As the eatery marks its 10-year anniversary in June 2012, The Kati Roll Company is introducing a line of their signature spice blends that will be available for retail purchase at all of its locations as well as fine food stores in New York City. The spice blends will include such varieties as meat and vegetable mari-

ContĂ­d from page 44

"Without a doubt, the economic benefits of the TAPI gas pipeline will be immense for our energystarved economies.

The flow of natural gas will bring in industrial and economic development in our countries," Reddy said.

Stating that in and inter-connected and globalizing world, economics shapes politics, he said: "It is our belief that the TAPI gas pipeline will transform the politics of this region".

"Hopefully, the spin-off benefits of this pipeline will encourage us to emphasize trade and investment issues over contentious political issues and enable us to build trust and confidence among ourselves as neighbors and partners in progress," he said in apparent reference to the frosty ties India has had with its neighbor Pakistan.

The US is backing the TAPI pipeline as an alternative to the Iran-Pakistan-India line in its efforts to choke Tehran financially over its suspected nuclear weapon program.

nades and masalas to sprinkle on top of prepared foods.

Furthermore, Ms Saha encourages internal loyalty amongst her workers through an innovative reward program that helps fund their education and entrepreneurial efforts. Ms Saha sets aside 5

Ms Saha does not look at her employees as workers, but as part of her extended family. Her employees reciprocate that respect by working diligently and being vested in the brand.

Hence, Ms Saha maintains a 60% staff retention rate

While New Delhi had reached agreements on price and transit clauses for the IPI pipeline, TAPI will be the first transnational line for which it will be signing a GSPA. Besides meeting its energy needs, TAPI would be test of peace between India and Pakistan. More importantly, it will test Islamabad's resolve to normalize trade with its neighbor by allowing safe passage of the gas through the 800 km section of the pipeline passing through its territory.

Also, the 735-km leg through the Afghan provinces of Herat and Kandahar would present significant security challenges.

TAPI will carry gas from Turkmenistan's Galkynysh field, better known by its previous name South Yoiotan Osman that holds gas reserves of 16 trillion cubic feet.

From the field, the pipeline will run to Herat and Kandahar province of Afghanistan, before entering Pakistan. In Pakistan, it will reach Multan via Quetta before ending at Fazilka (Punjab) in India.-PTI

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government would set up five biomass projects costing Rs 230 crore to generate about 51 MW of power for which it has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with four companies.

Two of these projects would soon be completed, a spokesman of Renewable Energy Department said here.

He also said that the State Government had set up four MicroHydro power projects which have started generation.

These included a six MW power project in Dadupur, district Yamuna Nagar costing Rs 58 crore, a 2 MW project in Gogripur, Karnal at a cost of Rs 22 crore, a Rs 16 crore project at Musapur, Karnal to generate 1.4 MW power and another project of 1.4 MW at Khukhni in district Karnal.

He said that a total of 164 MW of power is being generated in the State through renewable energy sources and 93.9 MW power generation has been added during the tenure of present government.-PTI

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Sat June 9

Fri June 1

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• Gujarati Play Silver Jubilee: Kajal Oza Vaidya

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But, Gujarat also stands for its literary tradition in the form of folk songs, narratives and theater.

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Philosophy

June 1, 2012

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O

ur subject is the yoga of meditation, which has direct connection with what we call the mind, or the mind-stuff.

We may have a commonplace, layperson's idea that the mind is inside the body, and it is moving within us like a ball of mercury, shifting its position from one place to another place. The mind is neither inside the body, nor is it outside the body; it is just what we are.

The quantum of energy, capacity, and confidence that we have in our own selves is the mind operating. Our value is not in what we possess as an external commodity from the world, but is the manner we are thinking in our mind.

This is not a difficult thing to understand. Whatever may be our quantity of material wealth in this world, if our mind does not agree to accommodate itself with this idea of possession, the possession becomes null and void. It is well said that we are what we think we are.

What do we think we are? What is the opinion that we have about our own selves? The answer would be a bundle of chaos. Our idea of our own selves is nothing but confusion.

It is so because every moment of time we change the idea about GREG GOODE

A

ccording to Buddhist teachings, freedom from suffering dawns when we realize that we ourselves, as well as all things, are empty.

In Buddhism, suffering is said to come from conceiving that we and the world have fixed, independent and unchangeable natures that exist on their own without help from anything else. We expect that there is a true way that self and world truly are and ought to be.

These expectations are unrealistic and prevent us from granting things the freedom to come and go and change. We like pleasant things to abide permanently, and unpleasant things to never occur.

We experience suffering when we actually encounter comings, goings and change. Suffering often takes the form of anger, indignation, existential anxiety, and even a sense that, as they say in TV sitcoms, "something is wrong with this picture."

But when we deeply realize that we and the world are empty, we no longer have unrealistic expectations. We find peace and freedom in the midst of flux.

What are things empty of?

According to the Buddhist teachings, things are empty of inherent existence.

our own selves. Often, we think that we are well off; often, we think that we are miserable. Many a time we think that we have everything that we need; and often we think that we do not have what we actually want.

You must have noticed that even when a person is, for all practical purposes, confident that he or she has everything that one needs, still, there will be a

ergy can be defined as. It is power, rather. Our power is in our mind.

As strong as our mind is, so strong we ourselves also are.

If, for any reason whatsoever, the mind is not strong, and it feels that it is incomplete in some way in comparison with somebody else, then the strength diminishes.

The wrong notion that the quantum of energy called the mind

that a particular pressure point known as the individual thing, object or person feels finite and inadequate while comparing oneself with others who, too, are centers of energy and power.

For instance, we feel small before an elephant. We have energy in ourselves, but the energy of the elephant seems to surpass our own. We feel puerile before it, and

Mind is energy & not a thing or object

Swami Krishnananda

The wrong notion that the quantum of energy called the mind is only inside the body is the cause of our difficulty. We know very well that energy cannot be bottled up in any particular place

persistent lingering thought that something more is there, beyond what one has already, and it is not under one's possession.

Sometimes we look like very adequate people: "I have everything; I am comfortable." But, this is a paltry idea, which does not continue for a long time.

The mind is a quantum of energy that is operating in us. The mind is energy. It is not a thing; it is not an object. It is just what en-

is only inside the body is the cause of our difficulty. We know very well that energy cannot be bottled up in any particular place.

It is a pervasive reality, which gives meaning and value to everything in the world.

This energy is present in everything in the world. Animate, inanimate, or whatever it is, everything is a concentrated form of energy. The word 'concentrated' is used because of the fact

we dare not even go near it. This question of the circumstances of the operation of the mind of a human being is taken up in the psychology of yoga practice.

The whole of yoga is nothing but a drama played by the mind-stuff.

The idea that the mind is inside the body can easily be recognized as erroneous by the fact of the observation that a thing that is limited within the body cannot know that there is anything outside it.

Being empty of inherent existence means that there is no essential, fixed or independent way in which things exist. Things have no essential nature. There is no way things truly are, in and of themselves. We will investigate the notion of inherent existence in more detail below.

Different Buddhist schools or tenet systems have different ways of characterizing emptiness; they have different ways of helping stu-

seen in other Buddhist schools. The term "Prasangika" is Sanskrit for "consequence." The "consequence" designation comes from this school's method of debate and refutation, which follows Nagarjuna's style in his Treatise.

The Consequentialists do not argue for substantive positions, but proceed dialectically. They argue by drawing out the unwanted and unexpected logical consequences entailed by their in-

to be positionless with respect to issues, most notably on questions of existence and non-existence.

Imagine a philosopher coming up to a man who is sitting quietly against a tree, and telling the man that the tree truly exists because it is truly independent of the mind that cognizes it. Our sitting man is a consequentialist.

He doesn't have an opinion

Emptiness teaching leads to freedom from suffering

Greg Goode

dents reduce suffering. My characterization of emptiness adheres somewhat to the Tibetan Gelugba school of Prasangika or "Consequentialist" Madhyamika.

There are other schools with slightly different interpretations of the emptiness teachings. I prefer the Tibetan Prasangika interpretation for pragmatic reasons. It has a greater number of publically available supports for studying and meditating on emptiness than I have

Being empty of inherent existence means that there is no essential, fixed or independent way in which things exist.

Things have no essential nature terlocutors' positions.

The Consequentialist style of refutation is as follows: while in debate over metaphysical issues with an interlocutor, the Consequentialist refutes the interlocutor not by negating the interlocutor's statement with a counter-statement (e.g., that matter exists, not Mind), but by finding an inconsistency or incoherent assumption buried amidst the interlocutor's statements.

This allows Consequentialism

on the existence or non-existence of the tree, and doesn't wish to convince the philosopher of a contrary position; he's just sitting there.

So he won't offer a counterclaim or argue that the tree really doesn't exist independently of cognition. Instead, he will draw out more statements from the philosopher until the philosopher is obviously involved in a contradiction or other difficulty.

From a distance, it is something. From nearby, it is nothing.

-Jean de LaFontaine Nothing can be created out of nothing.

-Lucretius Do not mistake the pointing finger for the moon.

-Wei Wu Wei The way is One and only One. The way is close at hand, but men seek it afar.

-Mencius Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub. It is the center hole that makes it useful. Advantage is had from whatever is there, but usefulness rises from what is not.

-Tao te Ching Ripeness is all.

-William Shakespeare Beyond the belief that something can be lost, there is nothing to lose.

-Ramana Maharshi Why do you weep? The Source is within you and this whole world is springing up from it.

-Rumi Change is an illusion because we're always at the place where any future can take us.

-Alan Watts

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June 1, 2012

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Reopening NATO supply lines will lead to more trouble in Pak D SUBA CHANDRAN

T

he NATO supply line into Afghanistan via Karachi and the rest of Pakistan seems to have already opened with four trucks of the American embassy crossing the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. What did Pakistan achieve by first closing the supply line and then re-opening it without having any of its demands met?

Hussain Haqqani, former Pakistani Ambassador to the US, has already opined in an interview that the advantages that Pakistan is likely to gain from the reopening may not last forever. Why? First, Pakistan was forced to open the supply line as the US and NATO refused to adhere to any of Pakistan's demands, including an American apology for the Salala attack and a halt to drone attacks.

The NATO Secretary General made it clear that unless Pakistan decided to open the supply line, it would not be invited for the NATO summit on Afghanistan in Chicago.

The reasons for the reopening are not difficult to fathom. It was undoubtedly Pakistan's trump card that became a dud upon use.

Islamabad should have threatened with the closure of the supply line and bargained hard, instead of giving in so readily.

The decision to close was a hasty one which Pakistan realized subsequently. The US could not be brought down to its knees and it did not affect the ISAF-led war on terrorism in Afghanistan. Instead, Pakistan had to face the brunt of pressure from not only the US and NATO, but all the countries that have contributed troops to the ISAF. More than this pressure, Pakistan's vulnerability, especially due to its dependence on external funds to sustain and survive, means that it cannot afford even to bargain, let alone bulldozing through to its original demands.

Islamabad made a blunder towards the end of last year by boycotting the Bonn summit on Afghanistan. It was a rash decision, which many within Pakistan questioned.

Now that President Zardari has been able to make a token visit to Chicago summit where Obama refused to meet him, the outcry against the PPP government over the snub will only grow. The scrap against the US is a huge political loss in terms of reshaping Pakistan's neighborhood, especially from the perspective the withdrawal and road map for Afghanistan in the aftermath of 2014.

Though Pakistan has linkages with the Haqqani network, it will

not be able to achieve much in Kabul through terrorism and violence. It has to engage in Afghanistan in constructively, or at least be seen as such by the international community. Besides funding support, Islamabad also needs the international community to achieve its own objectives in Kabul towards and after 2014.

Now that a decision to reopen the route has been taken, what next? The Difa-e-Council Pakistan, an alliance of groups, parties and organizations who are likely to lead Pakistan into an abyss, may launch a movement against the political and military leadership.

Fortunately, the military leadership will hide behind the political leadership - remember, the decision to reopen the route has the sanction of Parliament!

Though the decision was taken by the Defense Committee, which also comprises the three Chiefs, none of them are likely to make a public comment on the need to reopen the route. The reopening ensures not only civilian aid, but also unlocks military wares.

And of course, the Sharifs and the PML-N are not going to let go of this opportunity - in a corner over the issue of new provinces within Punjab, they will seize this

The blocked US trucks

More against the former than the latter. Consisting of all religious parties and radical organizations, this Council is the worst to have happened to Pakistan in the recent past. Though bereft of any sound ideology or political support, they have street power.

Perhaps the political, military and intelligence leadership should now realize that arousing public sentiment and abusing the media in the name of honor and sovereignty to cover their own inaction and failure would invite more harm than good Worse still, there is a strong public sentiment against the US reopening the supply line will not only increase these anti-American sentiments, but also alienate the PPP further from the people. The PPP, especially Zardari, will be at the receiving end of public wrath.

moment to rejuvenate their agenda. Who knows, someone may even be filing a case in the Supreme Court against the reopening of this route.

What would be interesting is the public debate whipped up by a section of the media, referred to as the ghairatmand press by Kamran Shafi in one of his columns. In the name of honor and sovereignty, this section within the print and electronic media is likely to unleash a frenzy that may inflict damage on Pakistan's interests.

Perhaps the political, military and intelligence leadership should now realize that arousing public sentiment and abusing the media in the name of honor and sovereignty to cover their own inaction and failure would invite more harm than good. But the unfortunate truth lessons have not been learnt from past mistakes.

As a result, reopening the route now will pose more problems to the leadership than keeping it closed. That is the situation that Pakistan has led itself into: 'I'll damned if I do anything, I'll be damned if I do nothing'.

The writer is Director, IPCS & Visiting Professor, Pakistan Studies Program, Jamia Millia Islamia

India Post Report card

I

n spite of its tattered reputation of scams and policy paralysis, the UPA 2 government in Delhi looks comfortably ensconced to last out its full term of five years till 2014. On its subdued third anniversary, the Congress went out of its way to pamper Uttar Pradesh strongman Mulayam Singh Yadav by seating him at the high table with Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. Yadav looked suitably impressed and with his Samajwadi Party commanding 224 MLAs in the UP assembly and 30 MPs, he is sure to back the UPA candidate for President, that is whenever that dispensation is able to make up its mind.

Any government faced with charges of corruption as in 2G scam, Commonwealth games and rising prices, falling rupee, stuck defense purchases and throttling of the private sector should be in trouble if not near its fall. But not UPA 2 because it hardly faces any opposition from the Opposition. In fact its own ally the Trinamool Congress of Mamata Banerjee gives it more trouble than the official opposition, the BJP, which is itself in doldrums. That is the reason why the UPA 2 is sleep walking during the latter half of its tenure, knowing well that the BJP can do it no harm.

While its allies will make sure the UPA 2 government is not brought down, they are hardly with the government on issues like the Lokpal Bill, railway budget, National Counter Terrorism Center, Central Sales Tax compensation, Teesta river water sharing, foreign direct investment in retail and so on. The tragedy is the UPA 2 is making no efforts to bring the allies round.

The last time around, in UPA 1 it made many reforms initiatives like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Right to Information Act, Bharat Nirman Program etc. and took the allies, including the Left parties along. This time, it has much more support from smaller parties as no one is enamored of the BJP. Still there is hardly any initiative from the government to coordinate with the allies on important pending issues.

It seems the UPA 2 members are resigned to not returning to power in 2014. But till then they have two years in which their concern is to make the most of power though self-aggrandizement.

Progress of the nation, the condition of the common man, the growing civic problems in cities seem to no longer matter to them. They have larger numbers in support as compared to UPA 1. But UPA 2 seems to have totally abandoned any mechanism to keep talking to the allies so that a common approach could be arrived at on major issues.

As for the opposition BJP, the less said the better. They don't seem to have any credible leaders at the national level nor are they creating conditions to attract the regional parties or groups. After LK Advani there is no BJP leader of stature who can command the respect of the states, or even of the BJP units in the states. A recent analysis says the BJP has five or six state BJP parties with strong leaders who don't listen to the so-called Central leadership. With the RSS imposing its own man as the BJP chief, the ability of the BJP to function as a strong national party has been undermined. The unimpressive BJP chief Nitin Gadkari is neither able to unite the central leaders nor does he command respect in the States. With the UPA government vulnerable on so many issues, the BJP is hardly able to make an impression that it has plans of its own to solve the national problems of economy or corruption.

June 1, 2012

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