IndiaPost_06-03-2011 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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KRITTIKA JAILED FOR NO OFFENCE

NEW YORK • WASHINGTON D.C. • CHICAGO • ATLANTA • CALIFORNIA

Ruchira honored for fight against sex trafficking Details on page 9

INOC protests insult to poor villagers

VOL 16, No. 873

June 3, 2011

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Periodical Postage

Indian diplomat's daughter sues NYC

SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY

Jesse Jackson Jr for rethinking on US-Pak relations Details on page 8

Krishnamoorthi might run for Congress Details on page 13

India Post News Service Details on page 7

NEW YORK: Eighteenyear old Krittika Biswas, daughter of an Indian diplomat in New York was recently asked by a friend if she was not "shameful that she got arrested". "No," Krittika told the friend. "I didn't do anything." And therein lies the story of innocence of Krittika, a 12th grade hon-

Rana wanted Pak honors for 26/11 attackers Details on page 10

US to reduce troops from Pakistan

Details on page 13

India conveys concern to US

Details on page 11

Page 6

FIA discusses visa problems with Prabhu Dayal Details on page 34

Ghosh takes over as VP at Virginia Tech

Ramdev fast stirs Indian Americans

FACE OF INNOCENCE: Krittika Biswas breaks down while recounting her ordeal at the hands of New York Police and school authorities. Pic Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

ors student at the John Bowne School in Flushing, Queens, who is suing New York City and the School for $1.5 million in damages for wrongfully having her arrested, handcuffed, jailed for 24 hours for allegedly sending obscene emails to two teachers; and later suspended from school despite proving her innocence. Details on page 6

Manmohan Singh with Meles Zenaw of Ethiopia

India offers $ 5 billion credit line to Africa Details on page 10

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 22-23 Classifieds ------------------------- 47 Community Post -------------- 12-20

Details on page 40

Date Book -------------------------- 21

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

Is New York police biased against Indians? Last week’s result

Are women as jurors more reliable? YES 47%

NO 53%

Napolitano pays tribute to 26/11 victims

Edit Page --------------------------- 49 HealthScience Post --------- 37-39 Horoscope ------------------------- 28

MUMBAI: US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano paid tribute to the martyrs and victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack by laying a wreath at a police memorial in south Mumbai. After laying the wreath, she observed silence for a brief period at the memorial, built in memory of the 16 policemen, who laid down their lives during the three-day siege

at the Police Gymkhana here. This is Napolitano's first visit to India since the 2008 terror attacks, in which 166 people were killed. She met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and other senior government and police officials, civil society organizations and business persons.

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

Details on page 7

Immigration Post ------------- 34-36 Life Style ----------------------- 24-27 Philosophy ------------------------- 48 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 43-45 TechBiz Post ------------------- 40-42 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 29-31

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his will be no lame 'Gandhigiri. Perhaps the largest satyagraha movement after Mahatma Gandhi's during India's Independence movement, nationalist leader Swami Ramdev is all set to launch an anti-corruption satyagraha (a fast unto death) in India from June 4. And this promises to be some really serious business aimed at using, in this century of warped moral and ethical values, the greatest weapon of non violence that Gandhiji used against the British rule - only this time, to break the vicious chains of corruption that have enslaved modern India. Coming on the heels of the success of social activist Anna Hazare's recent flash-mob style nationwide mobilization of people for his anti-corruption movement, Swami Ramdev's satyagraha appears to have been more strategically planned to encompass a deeper 'cleansing' of the social moors of Indian society and its political leadership. What is significant is the support that Swami Ramdev has in India and abroad. In sheer numbers, when his volunteers launched a toll free number asking people to simply leave missed calls to be registered for campaign updates, more than one crore people called within a week. Even more, at least a 150,000 people have pledged to fast along with Swami Ramdev in Delhi. Also significant is the massive support Ramdev's proposed fast is gathering among Indian Americans across the US. Already there are planned token fasts, protest demonstrations and other related activities to be held on June 4, coinciding with Ramdev's fast in Delhi, in 13 cities in the US. Despite the mass movement that this satyagraha is turning into, I am not sure how Ramdev's demands will be dealt with by the Indian government; he wants that the government recover all the black money stashed away in foreign countries by politicians and declare it as public property; put a ban on high denomination currency notes (which he says is the reason for rampant corruption); and a death sentence for the corrupt. Huge, those demands are huge. Doable? I don't know. I don't want to be cynical. Because I am in on this fight.

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Lucky Brazilian Brazilian Giselle Monteiro of new movie "Always Kabhie Kabhie" says she got into Bollywood by sheer accident.

Cover Story: Wrongful arrest Krittika Biswas is suing New York City and her school for $1.5 million in damages for wrongfully having her arrested.

Community: Five honored

Joining the distinguished Ellis Island Medal honorees on May 7 this year were five outstanding Indian Americans.

Health: Women’s healthcare NJ Senate restores $7.5 million to 52 health clinics that treat mostly poor, young and uninsured women.

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Travel: Dudh Sagar The Dudh Sagar waterfall is situated in the Indian state of Goa around 60 km off Panaji, the capital of the state.

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Krittika jailed for no offence Indian diplomat's daughter sues NYC SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Eighteen-year old Krittika Biswas, daughter of an Indian diplomat in New York was recently asked by a friend if she was not "shameful that she got arrested". "No," Krittika told the friend. "I didn't do anything." And therein lies the story of innocence of Krittika, a 12th grade honors student at the John Bowne School in Flushing, Queens, who is suing New York City and the School for $1.5 million in damages for wrongfully having her arrested, handcuffed, jailed for 24 hours for allegedly sending obscene emails to two teachers; and later suspended from school despite proving her innocence. The School had apparently consigned Krittika to a "reformatory" suspension center for a month even after the District Attorney dismissed and expunged the criminal charges against her (so she can legally say she was never arrested). Krittika is the daughter of Debashish Biswas, Vice Consul at the Indian Consulate in New York and holds a diplomatic passport as does her father. Represented by New York attorney Ravi Batra, Biswas filed a Notice of Claim against New York City; NYC Dept of Education (DoE); Chancellor of Schools Dennis Walcott; John Bowne High School principal Howard Kwait; math teacher Jamie Kim Ross; CEO of NYC DoE's Office of School and Youth Develop-

KrittikaĂ

down into sobs as she tried to narrate her story, later composed herself to describe her ordeal which began the morning of Feb 8 and ended the following afternoon, stating that the police officers who arrested her did not allow her even the use of the bathroom during her interrogation. Attorney Batra said that by not allowing Krittika to contact either her parents or the Indian Consulate despite being told of her dip-

Attorney Batra said that by not allowing Krittika to contact either her parents or the Indian Consulate despite being told of her diplomatic status, the two police officers had violated her diplomatic immunity and the Vienna Convention on Consulate Relations whereby if a foreign national is detained, upon request, should be allowed access to that national's consulate ment Elyana Konstan; Police Commissioner Ray Kelly; and police officers from 107 Precinct, Maldanado and Larry Granshaw. At a press conference held on the steps of the NY City Hall, May 24, Batra told reporters that the 12th grade honors student also wants the termination of the School's Principal Kwait and math teacher Kim Ross for the hell they put her through. Krittika who initially broke

lomatic status, the two police officers had violated her diplomatic immunity and the Vienna Convention on Consulate Relations whereby if a foreign national is detained, upon request, should be allowed access to that national's consulate. Krittika joined John Bowne School in the second semester of 11th grade in December 2009. In December last year, the School identified Krittika and another stu-

s attorney Ravi Batra makes a point. Pic Srirekha

dent of Indian descent, who lived in the same residential building as her, for inquiry with regard to two threatening emails sent to two teachers - Kim Ross and Ivan Cohill, the gym teacher. They were told the emails originated from an IP address traced to Krittika's building. The same month, parents of the two students were summoned to the School and told that because Krittika knew French, and part of the offensive emails were in French, she was the main target and that the issue had become a police matter. Thereafter, on the morning of Feb 8 this year, Krittika was summoned to the Assistant Principal's office and told that additional emails were sent on Feb 6th and that the police had been called to come and arrest her. Krittika was then arrested and handcuffed because she refused to confess - to a crime she did not commit. She was then taken to the 107 Precinct and placed in a detention cell where she was not permitted to use the bathroom facilities despite repeated requests. She remained in the detention cell for over two hours, whereafter she was fingerprinted and photographed. Later she was again handcuffed and taken to the Queens Central Booking where she remained confined from around 3.45 pm to 2.30 pm the next

day when her attorney secured her freedom. Batra said that prior to being retained by Krittika's parents to represent her, the Indian Consul General in New York Ambassador Prabhu Dayal had apprised him of a 'Note Verbale' that had been issued to the US Department of State asserting diplomatic immunity, which he then presented to District Attorney Brown. DA Brown dismissed the charges by entering a "not guilty", and further ordering the file "sealed".

The school however, despite being on notice of the DA's action to free Krittika, persisted, with constitutional malice, Batra said, in suspending her and initiating school disciplinary hearing on the same dismissed-charges. After preparing a full-fledged defense, including a forensics software engineer's report that established the actual IP address of the obscene emails, and alibi witnesses, to prove Krittika's innocence at the NYC Dept of Education Hearing did the school ultimately withdraw their improper charges. "The forensics was ironclad proof (of Krittika's innocence)," Batra said. "Still, she was sent to a reform school; it's almost like a prison." Finally on March 15, the School principal called Batra to inform him that the charges against Krittika were dropped. Indeed, because the real criminal was identified by the school and though he admitted to his misconduct, in a show of discriminatory favoritism, that student was not charged criminally. Batra said that not charging the actual culprit criminally was the "right thing to do" because he had shown remorse. At the press conference, some Indian community representatives turned up to stand in support of Krittika. Krittika, who meanwhile continues to attend school, is due to graduate in June this year. She has already received letters of confirmation from at least five colleges, but she has not decided if she wants to continue living in this country. "I don't like it here," said the Kolkatta native. "I might go back to India."

India conveys concern to US NEW DELHI: India has conveyed its concern to the United States over the way an Indian diplomat's daughter was arrested in New York. Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar said here the wrongful arrest of Krittika Biswas, daughter of the vice counsel at the Indian Consulate in Manhattan, Debashish Biswas, had been taken up with the US government "very seriously". "It is a case which the Embassy had taken up very seriously with the US government. When she was apprehended, we worked through the night as we got the information in the

night. We woke up the US officials in the night and got her released the next day," she said. Shankar was talking to reporters after a meeting with Home Minister P Chidambaram here. The envoy said there was concern over the way the 18year-old student was apprehended. "Now she has sought permission to file a case against the US authorities and she is fighting it. Subsequent to her release, we have conveyed our concern to the US government about the way she was treated. The case is obviously a matter of concern to all of us," she said.-PTI

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Napolitano pays tribute to 26/11 victims MUMBAI: US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano paid tribute to the martyrs and victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack by laying a wreath at a police memorial in south Mumbai. After laying the wreath, she observed silence for a brief period at the memorial, built in memory of the 16 policemen, who laid down their lives during the three-day siege at the Police Gymkhana here. This is Napolitano's first visit to India since the 2008 terror attacks, in which 166 people were killed. She met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and other senior government and police officials, civil society organizations and business persons. Napolitano arrived in New Delhi later to jointly launch the US-India Homeland Security dialogue with her Indian counterpart P Chidambaram. Action against terror groups, monitoring of illicit financial transactions and cyber security were

US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano lays a ceremonial wreath to commemorate the 19 police victims of the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks at the cityĂs Police Gymkhana Club on May 24

some of the key issues she discussed with Chidambaram. She was also to meet representatives of private industry to share best

practices to promote homeland security and co-ordinate counterterrorism and law enforcement cooperation between the two coun-

tries. Talking to newsmen in Mumbai, Napolitano said, "Osama bin Laden might have been killed but

there are other equally dangerous terror outfits still active and it is in the interest of all countries concerned with terror, including US, India and Pakistan, to continue to remain vigilant." When asked how the US keeps emphasizing how "it could launch a fresh American raid into Pakistani territory if it discovered another leading terrorist figure hiding there," even while it advised India restraint after the Mumbai terror attack, she avoided a direct answer. "Since the US and India are working in a partnership, we appreciate and understand its concerns. We are and will continue to do everything we can to ensure regional stability and peace," she said. She replied in the negative when asked why the geo-strategic narrative of US foreign policy often found itself in variance with the economic narrative. "I do not see such a conflict as we continue to work on both security and economic fronts with all the nations we enjoy a close relationship with," she underlined. -PTI

INOC protests insult to poor villagers Arrested marine commando had warned of attack

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Madhya Pradesh wing of Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC) has strongly protested against the decision of BJP-led government in the State to paint houses in villages with the words "Yeh Pariwaar Garibi Rekha Ke Neeche Hai (this household is below the poverty line). In a communiquĂŠ to the state human rights commission, Juned Qazi, president of the New York based Madhya Pradesh wing of the party has said on his recent visit to his hometown Mungawoli, in district Ashok Nagar, he saw the government's disturbing display of indignity upon people who are surviving below the poverty line by painting such a slogan on the wall of every house. This humiliating act of identifying a section of the population by placing a slogan on their homes blatantly violates human rights of the citizens and discriminates them, he said in the complaint. As a human being and a native of Madhya Pradesh, I condemn this act by the state government that promotes discrimination and making people feel like outcasts. Qazi pleaded with the State Human Rights Commission to immediately intervene and deface the damaging slogans on the walls of villagers, most of whom are illiterate and unable to com-

prehend the potential damage such an act could cause to their reputation. Copies of the complaint have been sent to President of the Con-

gress Party Sonia Gandhi, General Secretaries of All India Congress Committee Rahul Gandhi and Digvijay Singh besides other leaders.

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani taken to avert the attack on the marine commando from the naval airbase, the report said. Waziristan tribal region posted at The Pakistan Navy's Directorthe PNS Mehran naval airbase ate of Public Relations offered no which was attacked by terrorists comment on the matter. this week was arrested in January The arrested commando is a for his links with militants and had member of the Mehsud tribe, warned about an impending at- which has produced Taliban leadtack, a media report said. ers like Baitullah Mehsud, Qari The commando, who belongs Hussain, and Hakimullah Mehsud to South Waziristan Agency, was who have carried out a wave of arrested for his links with the bombings and suicide attacks Taliban and al-Qaeda affiliates, across Pakistan. The News daily quoted its sources as saying. He was posted at Besides disclosing details PNS Mehran, the naval about the impending attack air station in Karachi that was stormed on on the naval airbase, he had Sunday by terrorists warned that oil depots and who killed 10 security personnel and de- power grid stations were on stroyed two maritime the hit list of militants surveillance aircraft. Four of the attackers were killed or blew themselves up The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban while two escaped. Pakistan claimed responsibility Besides disclosing details for the attack on PNS Mehran, about the impending attack on the saying it was carried out to naval airbase, he had warned that avenge the killing of Osama bin oil depots and power grid stations Laden in a US raid on May 2. were on the hit list of militants. Besides the attack on the PNS The commando, who was Mehran, credible intelligence was picked up because of his involve- available on the attack on the ment in suspicious activities, had army's General Headquarters six predicted attacks on other naval months before it was carried out installations, said an unnamed in October 2009 but the army "sat official privy to the details. over the information", The News No serious measures were reported. -PTI

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Jesse Jackson Jr. calls for rethinking on US-Pak relations India Post News Service

NEW YORK: There should be a clear re-focus and rethinking on the relationship between United States and Pakistan following the assassination of dreaded terrorist Osama bin Laden near Islamabad, said Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-Illinois). The ranking senior Congressman for the past 16 years told a gathering of Indian-American physicians at a fundraiser in Manhasset, Long Island, New York, that Pakistan may not be the ally "that they once led us to believe they are." "I am not afraid to say this and so are my dear Indian-Americans. The US has never taken sides on the major issues and disputes between India and Pakistan. But many of my colleagues believe now that the relationship with Pakistan should be re-assessed in the light of the developments (in Abbottabad)," he said. Jesse Jackson Jr., 46, son of Rev. Jesse Jackson, is an active member of the Congressional Caucus on India and IndianAmericans on the Capitol Hill and has been voicing his support in favor of India in the past. He was among those responsible for forming the India Caucus, and is a personal friend of President Barrack Obama for over 20 years. Addressing the gathering, he said a judgment should be made taking into account the present scenario vis a vis Pakistan. Every Congressman elected to office whether member of the US Senate or House of Representatives should go on record on what is their stand on continuing relationship with Pakistan, he said. Though aid to Pakistan has been a part of the Foreign Operations Bill since time immemorial, every member of the Congress should have an opportunity to

Jesse Jackson Jr with Indian-American supporters

vote up or down on Pakistan aid in light of the recent revelations in that country, he said. "It does not mean that it will be an end to what's happening now but it will

arguments for wider relationship with Pakistan be strengthened, or maintain status quo or even dissolve completely if necessary. We should not merely pass the aid

Jesse Jackson Jr and Indian-Americans

help the American people to know where their Congressman stands and come out and explain to their constituency their stand," he said. "This is an important step. It does not mean that we can't make

package but at least have a conversation about it. These are tax payer dollars and need explanation." Critiquing Indian Americans, Jackson Jr. pointed out that when

Kayani opposed Aziz as interlocutor for India: Wiki ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari had wanted to retain military ruler Pervez Musharraf's close aide Tariq Aziz as a key Pakistani interlocutor for India but the move was opposed by army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks has said. During a meeting with then US Ambassador Anne Patterson on October 2, 2008, Zardari "mused about his desire to retain former Musharraf National Security Advisor Tariq Aziz to handle the India account, possibly by appointing him ambassador to India". "But Zardari said he had found (army chief) Kayani resistant to this

Osama bin Laden was killed inside Pakistan, Indian Americans were silent while there were national and international reactions pouring in.

proposal," Patterson said in a cable, she sent four days after the meeting. Patterson expressed surprise at the army chief's stance, noting that "Aziz and Kayani had always seemed to have gotten along well". Zardari told the US envoy that Aziz used to be the "big boss" as the advisor closest to Musharraf but "now Kayani was on top and reluctant to relinquish that position". Patterson suggested that then National Security Advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani would "be an effective player on the India account". Aziz had played a key role in secret negotiations with two Indian National Security Advisors Brajesh Mishra of the BJP-led

government and the late J N Dixit in the Congress-led government. He was closely involved in Musharraf's efforts to find an out of the box solution to the dragging Kashmir dispute. During the October 2008 meeting with the US envoy, Zardari also discussed "Indian activities in Balochistan" province. He alleged that "he knew Indian intelligence was operating in Balochistan, and it had to stop". India has denied Pakistan's repeated charges that it is allegedly fomenting unrest in Balochistan, where several nationalist groups are conducting a violent campaign for greater autonomy. -PTI

"I kind of waited for IndianAmericans to say Pakistan has been harboring terrorists or reiterated that India was the only true ally of America and not Pakistan," he said. "That message was not

loud and clear." "On several occasions in the past, the Indian-Americans said bin Laden was in Pakistan and that the US Government should take action against perpetrators of terrorism in India," Jackson Jr. continued. "They should have raised their voice and supported the assassination of the terrorist when President Obama went all out to kill bin laden." Addressing the issue of engaging Indian-Americans in mainstream politics, he said there are not many Indians in the Congress at present. "I do not know how long Indians have to wait for this historic moment, but it will sure happen," he said referring to the possibility of seeing an Indian American in the White House some day. Indian-Americans cannot be seen as a community that has got mere numbers as voters or as a community with money ready for campaign contributions, he said. "It is going to take a little bit longer because you have not entered the American consciousness yet as someone who could see the whole flag of the US. We should take ownership." While lauding the Indian American physicians for their concern about healthcare, Jackson Jr. said their focus was too narrow. "You may be law abiding citizens and stay in your niche but I need to convince you that America belongs to you. What you are doing and your focus is too narrow. Our two communities (Indian American and African American) can come together and change the definition." Dr. Ajeet Singhvi, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), Dr Ajay Lodha, president of the 2011 New York AAPI Convention Committee, Dr Krishan Kumar and Dr. Shashi Shah, convention cochairs, also spoke on the occasion.

Zardari was ready to take political heat for cross-border raid ISLAMABAD: Over two years before US commandos swooped into the Pakistani city of Abbottabad and killed Osama bin Laden, President Asif Ali Zardari had said he would be willing to "take the political heat" for a cross-border raid against a highvalue target, according to a secret US diplomatic cable. During a meeting with then US Ambassador Anne Patterson on October 2, 2008, Zardari "noted he would be willing to 'take the political heat' of a cross-border raid if a really important high value target was captured", said the cable

sent by the envoy and released by WikiLeaks. He was speaking to Patterson shortly after a visit to New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly session. Zardari, who had attended the UN meet for the first time after becoming President, "was appreciative of his briefings and meetings in New York", the cable said. Patterson did not say whether she and Zardari had discussed the possibility of cross-border raids by the US against terrorist leaders believed to be hiding in Pakistan.-PTI

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Ruchira Gupta honored for fight against sex trafficking India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Ruchira Gupta of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, an India-based group fighting against sex trafficking was honored recently by the United Nations Association's New York chapter. Gupta was recognized for nearly two decades of aiding and fighting for the rights of South Asian women and girls lured or sold into prostitution. Gupta, who in 1994 encountered on trek in Nepal the extent of sex trafficking of poor women from Nepali villages to Indian brothels, single-handedly began a campaign to publicize the trade, which often had criminal or political protectors. She plunged into the slums of Mumbai and other Indian cities where prostitutes lived, to assist them in the form of self-help groups and giving their children a chance to live better lives than their virtually enslaved mothers. Over the years, as Gupta's work achieved international recognition, including a 2009 Clinton Global Citizen award and the British

House of Lords Abolitionist award a year earlier. In 1997, she won an Emmy for her documentary, The Selling of Innocents, made with a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation team. Apne Aap, which publishes a newspaper by and for prostitutes, Red Light Dispatch, has aided

Gupta, encountered on trek in Nepal the extent of sex trafficking of poor women from Nepali villages to Indian brothels, singlehandedly began a campaign to publicize the trade, which often had criminal or political protectors more than 10,000 women and girls in brothels, placing more than 800 children in schools and supporting small business cooperatives formed by women. Gupta founded Apne Aap in

2002 - a grassroots organization working on the issue of human trafficking and women rights. Today Apne Aap impacts the lives and livelihoods of thousands of women and children. Her most significant contribution to civil society, governments and multi-lateral bodies like the United Nations has been to highlight the link between trafficking and prostitution and to lobby with policy makers on shifting the blame from the victim to the perpetrator. She testified in the United States Senate before the passage of Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 2000. Her testimony in the US Senate instilled in the mind of my fellow Senators, the pressing battle to protect the 700,000 women and children worldwide, if not more, who are forced into the sex trade every year. As a result, it introduced legislation that would become the first law in the United States seeking to combat the forcible trafficking of persons" (Senator Brownback). Gupta further lobbied with other activists with the United Nations during the formulations for

the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children resulting in the first UN instrument to address demand in the context of trafficking in Article 9, of the Protocol. She has addressed the Un General Assembly twice on the subject.

Gupta has worked in the United Nations in various capacities for over ten years in Nepal, Thailand, Philippines, Kosovo, USA, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and Iran India is a signatory to the Protocol and currently Gupta is lobbying Indian Parliament for a change in the Indian anti-trafficking law, Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA) for more se-

vere punishment of buyers of prostituted sex and traffickers who profit from it along with removal of clauses that punish women and girls. She has already testified to the Standing Committee of Parliament on the subject and launched a campaign to bring changes in the current ITPA to punish buyers and traffickers. Gupta has also conceptualized and created a manual for law enforcement personnel and prosecutors with UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) that is being used in India right now on confronting the demand. Gupta has worked in the United Nations in various capacities for over ten years in Nepal, Thailand, Philippines, Kosovo, USA, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and Iran. In some of these countries she has helped to develop National Action Plans on women's empowerment and laws against human trafficking. Gupta has also been felicitated at the White House (2000) for her work to combat trafficking after the US Bill became an Act.

Major Iqbal is Chaudhery Khan, 26/11 brain: Headley CHICAGO: The mysterious Major Iqbal, who India suspects is a Pakistani army officer in ISI, has now been identified as 'Chaudhery Khan' by Mumbai terror accused David Headley who said he is the mastermind of the 26/11 attacks plot. 50-year-old Headley also told a Chicago court during the trial of 26/11 co-accused Tahawwur Rana

keeps cropping up in the testimony, used the ID of 'Chaudhery Khan', made key decisions and was indeed the mastermind of the 26/11 plot. The federal prosecutors presented to the court additional evidences linking strong connection between Headley and the ISI officials. Through records of several

During his stay in Mumbai, Headley wanted to make friendship with Rajaram Rege, whom he described as Shiv Sena PRO, so as to gain access to the party.Rege was apparently also looking to gain intimacy with the Mumbai terror accused to bag some contracts for US companies that an attempt to take the attackers to Mumbai in September 2008 failed as a boat in which they were to sail was lost. He said before the jury that according to Major Iqbal, in September they lost the Pakistani boat which was supposed to take the attackers to sea for some distance after which they were to be shifted to an Indian fishing boat. Iqbal also told Headley that they had lost 12 life jackets meant for the attackers. Headley, a Pakistan-American, said that Major Iqbal, whose name

emails exhibited in the court federal prosecutors established beyond doubt that Headley was in constant contact with ISI officials, in particular Major Iqbal, and his handlers in Pakistan. In an email dated April 23, 2008, Headley sends Chaudhery Khan information on commercially available spy cameras and pen spy cameras. . Headley also conceded that he met Major Iqbal several time before the Mumbai attacks during which he issued specific instructions on every step right from establishing an office in

Mumbai, to recruiting retired military personnel, making surveillance, giving list of targets and closing the Mumbai office. "Major Iqbal told me the Chabad House would be added on whatever list (of targets) there was because it was a front office for the Mossad" - Israel's intelligence agency, Headley said, adding that Major Iqbal "seemed upset the (Mumbai) airport was not included" as a target. Headley also testified that New Delhi-based National Defense College is on the hit-list of terrorists as another 26/11 plotter Illiyas Kashmiri believes in this way he can kill more Indian brigadiers than what the Pakistan Army could not do in four wars with India. Within a few months of the Mumbai strikes, Kashmiri, who also has emerged as a mastermind of 26/11, met Headley and asked him to go to India again to do surveillance of the National Defense College in New Delhi and a number of Chhabad Houses in various cities of India. When Headley, accompanied by Major Abdur Rehman Pasha one of his handlers, went to see Kashmiri in Waziristan in February 2009, he among the Lashkare-Taiba circles had emerged as a "surveillance expert" thus a key element of the planning of the ter-

rorist attack. Pasha told him that if "we were able to conduct" attack on NDC then "we will be able to kill more Brigadiers than Pakistan has done in the four wars" with India. Apprehending his arrest after the Mumbai attacks during his India visit, Headley wrote a will and emailed it to Rana, as to what should be done to his wives and children in the event of his death or arrest. . During his stay in Mumbai, Headley wanted to make friendship with Rajaram Rege, whom he described as Shiv Sena PRO, so as to gain access to the party. Rege was apparently also looking to gain intimacy with the Mumbai terror accused to bag some multi-billion Indian contracts for US companies. "If anybody from USA or any country wants a venture or invest in India I am the ideal person for

them. Projects worth Rs 10,000 crores sanctioned by government are with me. Are you getting my

point????" Rege wrote in an email to Headley on May 19, 2008, according to a copy of the email produced in the court by federal prosecutors. Rege went ahead to lure Headley to get him big contacts in India because of his strong political connections.-PTI

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India offers $ 5 billion credit line to Africa

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Ethiopian counterpart Meles Zenawi during delegation level talks at National Palace in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced a mammoth five-billiondollar credit to Africa for various development projects, reflecting India's growing ties with the resource-rich continent. Singh also declared an additional USD 700 million package to establish new institutions and training programs across the continent, besides USD 300 million for a new Ethio-Djibouti railway line in Ethiopia. "We will offer 5 billion US dollars for the next three years under

lines of credit to help Africa achieve its development goals," Singh said addressing the second Africa-India Forum summit here. Offering India's support to Africa to realize its vast potential, Singh said there was a new economic growth story emerging from Africa. "Africa possesses all the prerequisites to become a major growth pole of the world. There is good news in the struggle against HIV and AIDS, as well as in improving literacy, reducing infant mortality and building institutions

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shakes hands with Chad President Idriss Deby during a bilateral meeting

of representative government," he said. Singh noted the success of the Pan-African E-Network project and announced plans to establish an India-Africa Virtual University which could meet the demand among African students for higher studies in Indian institutions. "We further propose that 10,000 new scholarships under this proposed University will be available for African students after its establishment," he said. . Singh said India will help set up a food processing cluster and an integrated textiles cluster to develop local markets. Singh also announced setting up of an India-Africa Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting which will harness satellite technology for the agriculture and fisheries sectors as well as contribute towards disaster preparedness and management of natural resources. "We have received a request to support the establishment of an India-Africa University for Life and Earth Sciences. We would be happy to support this important venture," he said. "As part of our new initiatives in the social and economic sectors we will establish Rural Technology Parks, Food Testing Laboratories, Food Processing Business Incubation Centers and Centers on Geo-Informatics Applications and Rural Development," he said. Favoring better air connectivity with the region, Singh said India would be happy to increase the access of African airlines to Indian cities in a significant manner over the next three years. Singh said India will contribute USD two million for the African

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with his Ethiopia counterpart Meles Zenawi during a meeting at National Palace at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia

Union Mission in Somalia as a token of its commitment to support Africa's endeavors for seeking indigenous solutions to their problems. He also asked the private sector to be fully involved in the efforts to integrate the economies

of India and Africa. "The private sectors should be fully involved in the efforts to integrate our economies. I propose that we establish an India-Africa Business Council which will bring together business leaders from both sides," he said. -PTI

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looks on as External Affairs Minister S M Krishna shakes hands with Ethiopian Finance Minister Sufian Ahmed after signing an MoU

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National Defense College is a target in near future: Headley CHICAGO: Mumbai attacks co-accused David Headley has testified that New Delhi-based National Defense College is on the hit-list of terrorists as 26/11 mastermind Illiyas Kashmiri believes in this way he can kill more Indian brigadiers than what the Pakistan Army could not do in four wars with India. Within a few months of the Mumbai terror attacks, Kashmiri, who has now emerged as mastermind of 26/ 11, met Headley, and asked him to go to India again to do surveillance of the National Defense College in New Delhi and a number of Chhabad Houses in various cities of India. When Headley, accompanied by Major Abdur Rehman Pasha - one of his handlers, went to see Kashmiri in Waziristan in February 2009, he among the Lashkar-e-Taiba circles had emerged as a "surveillance expert" thus a key element of the planning of the terrorist attack. "Kashmiri asked me to return to India. He said that his leadership was very upset about the recent Israeli strike on the Gaza strip and (thus) wanted retaliation," Headley said in response to a question, adding that Kashmiri wanted him to identify the Chhabad houses in India. On the way back he was given a list of Chhabad houses in India by Pasha. Headley said since he was coming to India again, he was asked by Kashmiri to also visit National Defense College, which he described as a prestigious Indian institution that teaches high level army offices, Colonels and above. Pasha told him that if "we were able to conduct" attack on NDC then "we will be able to kill more Brigadiers than Pakistan has done in the four wars" with India. Following the instructions from his handlers, Headley carried out surveillances of Chhabad houses in Delhi, Pushkar and Goa, along

with that of the National Defense College. He again went to Pakistan to hand over to them the surveillance materials including pictures and videos. He shared the NDC videos with Pasha, who was very happy with the materials and told Headley that

David Headley

he would definitely work on this target. When asked how serious Pasha was on this project, Headley said: "What I got from him that it would be a target in the near future." It is important for not only Pasha, but also him, Headley

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I am traveling and things are so bad these days, I would like to leave a few instructions with you in case of my death or if I am anticipated for some reason,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; stressed. When Headley, shared the NDC plan with Rana, he said: "This would be a big deal". However, he did not talk about the Chhabad house attacks. The Mumbai terrorist suspect said that he was afraid of going

back to India at this point of time. Why, he was asked. "Because I have been coming in and out of India before the (Mumbai) attack, conducted the surveillance, (so I was) was concerned about being apprehended in India during the travel," he said. But since this was a mission, he decided to go, not before sending an email to Tahawwur Rana and asking him what needs to be done in the event if his death and how to distribute money or take care the well being of his wives and children. "I am traveling and things are so bad these days, I would like to leave a few instructions with you in case of my death or if I am anticipated for some reason," Headley wrote to Rana on March 3, 2009 in an email. Inquiring about the whereabouts of Pasha, Headley wrote in his email on July 20, 2009, to one Sameer Ali: "I know, he was working with some Colonel from your department. He had some people in Karachi who were Indian citizens and wanted to work for us in their own country." "But few weeks ago I heard Major was picked up by 'Counter' guys of your department in Pindi (Rawalpindi). I just want to know his situation, so I could know if we will be using him anymore or we have to work without him," Headley wrote. On August 4, 2009 Sameer Ali responded by saying that "Your friend that you asked about has reached home yesterday". When questioned by federal prosecutors, Headley said that Sameer Ali was also a Major and an associate of Major Iqbal, thus implying that Major Ali was also an ISI official. Asked about the Karachi-based Indians mentioned in his email, Headley said that they are Indian citizens living in Karachi and want to help the Pakistanis in carrying out the terrorist strike.-PTI

Rana wanted Pak honors for 26/11 attackers CHICAGO: Apparently gloating over the mayhem the Pakistani attackers were creating in Mumbai, Tahawwur Rana, a coaccused had proposed that nine of the ten LeT militants who carried out the carnage should be decorated with Pakistan's highest military award, Nishan-e-Haider. This was stated by David Headley, another prime accused

in the Mumbai case in his testimony before the Chicago district court on the third day of the trial of his childhood friend, Rana, a Pakistani Canadian. Headley said that Rana had told him that nine of the ten Mumbai attackers who died should be given Nishan-e-Haider. The sole exception being Ajmal Kasab, who had been captured by

Indian security forces. Rana, Headley said had also praised Sajid Mir, his Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) handler for the attack on the Chhahbad House calling him Khalid bin Walid, one of the greatest Generals in Islamic history. Nishan-e-Haider, is Pakistan's highest military decoration given to personnel, regardless of rank, for extraordinary bravery in combat. -PTI

US to reduce troops from Pakistan WASHINGTON: US has said it forces comes in the background has begun pulling out American of a mounting crisis in relations troops out of Pakistan, after between the two countries, in the Islamabad officially asked to re- aftermath of the May 2 raid. duce troops from its soil amid tenDays after the raid, Pakistan's sions over American raid that powerful Army Chief warned that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin another similar incursion on the Laden. Pakistani soil would prompt a reThe Pakistan government had view of military cooperation with asked for scale down of US troop contingent of more than 200 men from The Pentagon spokesmen did the country, earlier this month, Pentagon not mention the number of spokesman Col Dave troops to be pulled out. Most of Lapan said. the US forces present on the "We were recently (within past two weeks) Pakistani soil are Special Forces notified in writing that that train and advice the government of Pakistan wished for the US Pakistan's Paramilitary to reduce its footprint in Pakistan. Accordingly, we have US and told him Corp Commandbegun those reductions," he said. ers of a decision to reduce the The Pentagon spokesmen did strength of US military presence not mention the number of troops in Pakistan to what he called "bare to be pulled out. Most of the US minimal". forces present on the Pakistani Even before the raid that killed soil are Special Forces that train bin Laden, Islamabad had told and advice Pakistan's Paramilitary Washington to call back up to 50 Frontier Corp, engaged in fight- military trainers out of 150 Special ing Pakistani Taliban, al-Qaeda Forces personnel after a tiff over and other foreign militants in the a CIA employee who shot and restive tribal region, bordering killed two Pakistan military intelliAfghanistan. . gence men in Lahore, The New The withdrawal of American York Times reported.-PTI

ISI gave training to Headley in Lahore CHICAGO: Dissatisfied with the military and espionage training received by Mumbai attacks accused David Headley from the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Pakistan's spy agency ISI provided him a special course in Lahore for carrying out surveillance ahead of the 26/11 carnage. "ISI did provide me (espionage) training," Headley told a Chicago court as he was grilled by the defense attorney Charles D Swift on the third day of the trial of Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana, another co-accused in the 26/11 attacks. The training by the Pakistan intelligence agency to Headley was provided by Major Iqbal, who was his ISI handler, on the streets and in a two-storey safe house in Lahore near the airport, the 50year-old Mumbai terror accused told jury during the course of questioning by Swift. Headley told the court that when he met Major Iqbal in 2006, he expressed dissatisfaction at the military and espionage training that he

had received from the LeT earlier. Major Iqbal, who was identified by Headley as 'Chaudhery Khan', told him that the training received from LeT was "not very good" and was "very elementary", so he decided to give instructions to him. It was a two-storey house in a residential neighborhood and there was a small compound outside the house, Headley said when pressed by Swift during the closing hours on the third day of the trial. The statements formed part of the testimony of Headley, who has pleaded guilty. These disclosures, which further cements India's charges that elements of ISI were involved in the 26/11, is also corroborated by information given by federal prosecutors in the documents to the court, which have been unsealed. Despite repeated questioning, Headley said that he did not know the full name of Major Iqbal, but was sure that he was from the ISI. He was introduced as Major Iqbal to him.-PTI

Desi News IAMA charitable foundation raises over $100,000 NAND KAPUR

ELMHURST: A semi-annual meeting and fundraising dinner for Indian American Medical Association (Illinois) Charitable Foundation was recently held at Waterford banquet, in Elmhurst, a Chicago suburb. It was attended by over 500 people including prominent doctors, philanthropists, politicians, former US Senator and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun and other members of Indian community. The program started with US national anthem followed by the Indian national anthem. The gathering was welcomed by Dr Annita John, President.

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BAPS Health Fair promotes wellness in Chino Hills Details on page 19

June 3, 2011

Five Indian Americans among Ellis Medal honorees

Details on page 14

Seniors tour Vraj & celebrate Mother's Day JAYANT OZA

CHICAGO: Bhartiya Seniors Citizen Group of Chicago recently organized a tour meeting for seniors besides celebrating Gujarat Day, Mother's Day, birthdays of seniors and Wedding Anniversaries of seniors falling in May. 1 The event started with Deep (lamp) lighting Gujarat Day ceremony by Biren Joshi of Manav Sadhana. Among those present were Paresh Patel of Mega circuit, Narendra Patel presdient Kadava Patidar Samaj Chicago, Amish Patel, Jisit Zaveri Pharmacist, Mansukhbhai Patel, Batukbhai Shukla, President Haribhai Patel and Secretary Parsottambhai Pandya. Details on page 16

CAIR welcomes Obama's 'Arab Spring' address India Post News Service

Dr Nitin Doshi India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Joining the distinguished Ellis Island Medal honorees this year were five outstanding Indian Americans - Dr. Nitin Doshi, Dr. Samin Sharma, Babu Rao Mandava, Tejinder Singh Bindra and Dr. Manu Vora. The Ellis Island Medals of Honor are awarded annually to distinguished American citizens who exemplify a life dedicated to community service; preserve and celebrate the history, traditions and values of his/her ancestry and who dedicate themselves to creating a better world for all. The honorees this year were bestowed the medal at a glittering ceremony held May 7 with all the traditional pomp and pageantry on the historic Ellis Island. Dr. Nitin Doshi, a co-founder of NDC Capital Partners, is an entrepreneur and real estate investor whose family has significant holdings in NDC's investments. Dr. Doshi is also the cofounder and Chairman of DIG Holdings, the 3rd largest US medical imaging company with thirtysix medical centers located in New York, New Jersey and Florida. He is a member of NDC's Investment Committee, which is responsible for overseeing the company's investment strategy. Additionally, the Doshi family also owns a substantial portfolio of medical office properties outside the NDC portfolio. Dr. Doshi

Dr Samin Sharma

Babu Rao Mandava

and Doshi Capital Partners, the investment office for the Doshi family, have considerable experience investing in a diverse range of public and private investments. Dr. Doshi and his wife Dr.

New York City. Under his leadership, the Catheterization Laboratory at Mount Sinai Hospital was incorporated into Mount Sinai Heart as an effort to combine Mount Sinai's cardiac care resources.

The Ellis Island Medals of Honor are awarded annually to distinguished American citizens who exemplify a life dedicated to community service; preserve and celebrate the history, traditions and values of his/her ancestry and who dedicate themselves to creating a better world for all Leena Doshi are also active in a number of philanthropic ventures. Dr. Samin K. Sharma is a US interventional cardiologist, holding the American record for the highest number of complex coronary interventions performed annually, along with the highest angioplasty success rate in New York State. Dr. Sharma is currently Director of Interventional Cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in

Dr Manu Vora

In 1998, Dr. Sharma founded the Live Symposium of Complex Coronary Cases (CCC Symposium), where he remains a course director and which is attended by over 400 delegates annually. He is the Vice-President of the Rajasthan Development Foundation in India and serves on the Cardiac Advisory Board of New York State, which advises the New York Department of Health and the Governor's office on heart care in New York hospitals.

Tejinder Bindra

Babu Rao Mandava is the founder and CEO of Indotronix International Corporation (IIC), and resides in Poughkeepsie, NY. He migrated to the US in 1964, where he completed his Masters in Industrial Engineering at NYU. During this time he was admitted to several honor societies and is currently life member of IEEE. After working nineteen years with IBM in management, he took an early retirement and cofounded an IT company, Indotronix International Corporation (IIC). As president and CEO, Mandava, in the past 24 years, has provided employment to thousands of people, among these, many Indian immigrants. IIC, with over 800 employees, works closely with several Fortune 500 companies in the USA, and has a major presence in both USA and India. Tejinder Singh Bindra, President of the Sikh Art & Film Foundation and also president of Sikh Organization, is a very popular and well respected figure in the Sikh American community. A Co-founder of Jeetish Group of Companies, Bindra is also a Member of Board of Trustees at Hofstra University. He is also the founder and president of the Sikh Organization of New York. Bindra was honored in 2006 at Hofstra University's Saltzman Community Services Center gala fundraiser. ContĂd on page 15

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Raja Krishnamoorthi might run for Congress RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Raja Krishnamoorthi has announced launching of an exploratory committee to seek the 8th Congressional District seat, which includes the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. The seat is currently held by freshman Republican Congressman Joe Walsh. If elected, Krishnamoorthi would be the only Indian American serving as a member of Congress. A resident of Hoffman Estates, Krishnamoorthi is President of Sivananthan Laboratories, a high-tech business that innovates products and services in areas including renewable energy and national security. Prior to joining the company, Krishnamoorthi served as Deputy Treasurer for Illinois. "We must continue to work toward economic recovery and winning the global competition for the businesses and good-paying jobs of tomorrow," said Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat. "A critical part of winning that battle is making our federal government live within its means." "Just as important, Congress must put aside hyper-partisanship and rigid ideologies to seek common-sense solutions to our challenges," Krishnamoorthi added. "The times are too important for political grandstanding or for ideologues who want to impose their narrow thinking at the expense of making progress on our most critical challenges." In endorsing his 2010 candidacy for Illinois State Comptroller, the Chicago Tribune called Krishnamoorthi a "game-changer" for his innovative ideas to make government more transparent, efficient and honest. He also was endorsed by the Chicago SunTimes. Krishnamoorthi missed winning the election by roughly one percent of the statewide vote.

Before his appointment as Deputy Treasurer for Illinois, Krishnamoorthi was named by Attorney General Lisa Madigan as a Special Assistant Attorney General to help her create a Public Integrity Unit. He also served on the Illinois Housing Development Authority, chairing its Audit Committee. "I have

• Abner Mikva, former U.S. Judge, Congressman, and White House Counsel; • Newton Minow, former Chairman of the FCC; • Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President; • Danny Davis, U.S. Congressman, 7th

In endorsing his 2010 candidacy for Illinois State Comptroller, the Chicago Tribune called Krishnamoorthi a "gamechanger" for his innovative ideas to make government more transparent, efficient and honest. He also was endorsed by the Chicago Sun-Times. Krishnamoorthi missed winning the election by roughly one percent of the statewide vote

Raja Krishnamoorthi

the public and private-sector experience to bring real-world solutions to our current challenges, while respecting taxpayers and paying attention to the bottom-line," he said. Incidentally, a good number of local politicians and Democratic organizations have announced their support to Krishnamoorthi's bid for Congressional seat. They include:

District of Illinois; • Debbie Halvorson, former U.S. Congresswoman, 11th District of Illinois; • David Wilhelm, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee; • Fred Crespo, State Representative; • Tom Villanova, President, Chicago and Cook County Bldg. Trades Council; • Bob Peickert, DuPage County Democratic Chairman;

• Rocco Terranova, Schaumburg Township Democratic Committeeman; • Nancy Shepherdson, 8th Congressional District Democratic State Central Committeewoman; • Robert Wagner, 6th Congressional District Democratic State Central Committeeman; • Melinda Bush, Lake County Board member; • Pat Carey, Lake County Board member; • Bill Powers, Barrington Township Democratic Committeeman; • Trudy Zaja, Hanover Park Township Democratic Committeeman; • Sue Walton, Palatine Township Democratic Committeeman; • Sam Yingling, Avon Township Supervisor; • Wendy Warden, First Vice-Chair of the Eighth District Democrats and Independents; • Mike Baun, Addison Township Democratic Chair; • Mark Feldstein, Avon Township Democratic Chair; • Pete Null, Bloomingdale Township Democratic Chair; • Tim Jackson, Ela Township Democratic Chair; • Dave McArtin, Grant Township Democratic Chair; • Ed Erwin, Lake Villa Township Democratic Chair; • Marian Tomlinson, Milton Township Democratic Chair; • Gale Cohen DeMarco, Wauconda Township Democratic Chair; • Ted Lonas, Wayne Township Democratic Chair; • Carol Davis, York Township Democratic Chair; • Asian-American Action Fund of Greater Chicago; • Indo-American Democratic Organization.

Indian Americans to join Ramdev movement SURENDRA ULLAL

Baba Ramdev

CHICAGO: One of the biggest problems facing India is endemic corruption and this has been hurting not only Indian residents in India but also those who have migrated abroad and are now called NRIs. Anna Hazare, a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, recently undertook fast unto death to focus public attention on this subject and now it is the turn of a spiritual Guru Baba Ramdev to bring the bacon home. He has announced a massive indefinite Satyagraha from June 4 at Ramlila Grounds, New Delhi and in other major cities of India. Taking inspiration from Ramdev, Bharat Swabhiman movement (BSO) along with Friends of India Society International has committed to support and promote the Movement in

Community activists Bhailal Patel, Sunny Gabhawla (FIA President) and Iftekhar Shareef

major cities of USA. They call upon every NRI individuals and organizations to join the Movement and help positive forces in India engaged in efforts to save India. This news has reverberated across America and Chicago

cannot be an exception, as put by community activist Bhailal Patel. Gayatri Shaktipeeth in Chicago, the Federation of Indian Associations and many other community activists have de-

cided to join the movement and have announced to hold a meet on June 4,at the corner of Devon Ave and Rockwell Ave, Chicago, IL, from 9.00 am to 7.00pm. Contíd on page 15

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IAMA charitable foundation raises over $100,000 NAND KAPUR

ELMHURST: A semi-annual meeting and fundraising dinner for Indian American Medical Association (Illinois) Charitable Foundation was recently held at Waterford banquet, in Elmhurst, a Chicago suburb.

ering was welcomed by Dr Annita John, President, Indian American Medical Association of Illinois who thanked the audience for generously supporting the charitable cause for humanity. She mentioned that their target for

It was attended by over 500 people including prominent doctors, philanthropists, politicians, former US Senator and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun and other members of Indian community Annita John, MD, president IAMA

It was attended by over 500 people including prominent doctors, philanthropists, politicians, former US Senator and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun and other

Ricardo Estrada, Member board of trustee University of Illinois

members of Indian community. The program started with US national anthem followed by the Indian national anthem. The gath-

fundraising of that event was 200,000 dollars. Dr. Sanjay Amin, chairman IAMACF explained the activities of the charitable foundation in-

tic services like x-ray, medicine etc. He also acknowledged the support of the community and the important role of volunteers including doctors and others in running the clinic. Qoting an anonymous saying, he said "Volunteers are seldom paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless!" Dr. Rajinder Gupta, Adjunct Professor, Kellogg School of Management introduced Ricardo Estrada the guest speaker of the night. Estrada whose accomplishment among others include appointment as member of board of trustee of university of Illinois and member of transition team of Rahm Emanuel, Mayor, City of Chicago. Estrada appreciated the work done by the foundation and the free clinic. He said that he himself when young had used services of clinic's like this one. He said that our society needs more clinics like this. He encouraged the audience to donate generously so that the clinic can provide services to more

dent AAPI, IAMA gave a brief address on accountable care organization to the gathering. ACO is the new initiative of the federal government which is part of the new health care bill passed by President Obama. According to

Senator and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun

Dr. Swaminathan ACO will fundamentally change the way health

Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is a type of payment and delivery reform model that starts to tie provider reimbursements to quality metrics and reductions in the total cost of care for an assigned population of patients

He encouraged the audience to donate generously so that the clinic can provide services to more needy and uninsured people. He also made himself available in future for good cause like this Dr. Swaminathan

cluding outpatient care which included 3,000 patient visits last year, who were provided with medical care, basic labs, diagnos-

needy and uninsured people. He also made himself available in future for good cause like this. Dr. Swaminathan past presi-

care is practiced in America. In brief Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is a type of payment and delivery reform model that starts

to tie provider reimbursements to quality metrics and reductions in the total cost of care for an assigned population of patients. A group of coordinated health care providers form an ACO, which then provides care to a group of

This was followed by a special award ceremony to honor the work done by Dr. Usha Nimmagadda past chairperson of the IAMACF. She thanked the committee for their thoughtfulness and dedicated the award to the volunteer doctors and others at the clinic patients. This was followed by a special award ceremony to honor the work done by Dr. Usha Nimmagadda past chairperson of the IAMACF. She thanked the committee for their thoughtfulness and dedicated the award to the volunteer doctors and others at the clinic. Senator and ambassador to New Zealand Carol Moseley Braun, guest speaker expressed her happiness and thanked the Indian doctors and community at large for their efforts towards humanity and service of less fortunate. She said "I am always available for anything, for a noble cause like this." Earlier in the day the function started with a cocktail reception and sumptuous dinner was catered by Waterford banquet hall of Mr. Dinesh Gandhi. The program concluded with a musical program "Suhana Safar" by orchestra Saregama.

Toni Preckwinkle addresses Democrats in Wheeling India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Toni Preckwinkle, President Cook County, Illinois addressed the Democrats of Wheeling and Palatine Township Democratic Organizations recently at Chevy Chase Golf Club in Wheeling. The group included many Indian and Pakistani Americans led by Thakkar Basati and Raja Krishnamurthy Toni was the Special Guest for Patrick Botterman who was Committeeman for Wheeling Township Democrats. Botterman died in 2008. His family established an annual award in his name to an outstanding Democrat from suburbs.

This year the award went to Brian Koppe who has been associated with Wheeling Township Democrats and came highly recommended by people who worked with him. Due to re-mapping of Districts in Illinois, there was much hyped interest among attendees. Quiet a bit reshuffling is going on in re-mapping and people are concerned. It happens every few years as census comes in and shows changing pattern of communities. All questions can be directed to Sue Walton, Committeeman Palatine Township Democrats 847-278-0910 or to Thakar S Basati 847-736-6092

Toni Preckwincke is 3rd from Left, Thakar S Basati on extreme right. Sue Walton, 2nd from right and Katherine Sanchez (third from right). Others are Committeemen from Palatine and Wheeling Townships

June 3, 2011

Community Across America

India Post 15

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Indian American Coalition meet targets 2nd Gen. RAMESH SOPARAWALA & SURENDRA ULLAL India Post News Service

Shalabi Kumar (second from left) addressing the media meet in Chicago. L-R Bhailal Patel, Kumar, Prem Lavani and Shri Chandak

Indian Americans to join Ramdev movement Contíd from page 13

Bhishma Agnihotri, a former Indian Ambassador at Large of India, observed that Baba Ramdev has been visiting every nook and corner of India, village to village, state to state, for more than five years, and educating the masses about the problems facing India. He believes that the moral struc-

ture in the country is crumbling and the legal system in India requires change. This is not possible unless the grassroot level people pick up courage and unite to uproot the entrenched vested interests and overhaul the current systems, built on corruption and inefficiency or both. For saving India, people have to wake up and work as a united force.

Five Indian Americans among Ellis Medal honorees Contíd from page 12

Dr. Manu Vora of Naperville, Illinois is Chairman and President of Business Excellence, Inc., a global quality management consulting firm. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Northern Illinois University's College of Business. He has served on the board of directors of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), the world's largest network of quality resources and experts. He has been honored with the ASQ's Distinguished Service Medal, Grant Medal and Lancaster Medal. Vora is the founding director and president of the Blind Foundation for India (BFI) which has since 1989 raised over $3.5 million to serve over 15 million blind people in India. BFI has supported 100,000 free Cataract operations, donated 96 mobile vans, distributed 10,000 Braille kits to blind children, performed eye sight checkup for over one million people and completed child sight projects for over 400,000 schoolaged children. For his BFI service, he has received Paul Harris Fel-

low Medal from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. He also served as a chair of "Save The Children Holiday Fund Drive" at AT&T Bell laboratories/

Vora is the founding director and president of the Blind Foundation for India (BFI) which has since 1989 raised over $3.5 million to serve over 15 million blind people in India. BFI has supported 100,000 free Cataract operations, donated 96 mobile vans Lucent Technologies from 1986 through 1999 sponsoring 52 children in 19 countries around the world. He served as a president of the Pratham Chicago chapter in 2009.

CHICAGO: The National Indian American Coalition, a recently formed organization of Indian Americans with political overtones, has announced hosting a meet in Chicago coming July but this meet would be with a big difference. Unlike many usual political gatherings, the meet will have good dose of entertainment from renowned singers and artists. Shalabh Kumar, Chairman and CEO of AVG group of companies, who has taken a lead with a few others in initiating the new move, said that the main aim is to bring second generation Indian Americans into mainstream politics and

this could be done more easily if some fun and entertainment are twined with somewhat serious types of meets. The National Indian American Coalition, Meet and Greet slated for Saturday July 16 at Monty Hall in Bensenville, will have prominent political bigwigs from Republican Party besides top notch entertainers from UK with Bollywood connection. Shalabh Kumar said that multi-platinum chart busting Bollywood singers RDB and Britain Signature are set to rock Chicagoland on the day that should provide an excellent opportunity to second generation Indian Americans to learn the political system, network and have fun at the same time. Contíd on page 17

Community Across America

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Seniors tour Vraj & celebrate Mother's Day

Kerala Center celebrates 21st anniversary India Post News Service

JAYANT OZA

Deep lighting ceremony by Narendra Patel (KPS), Anish Patel

CHICAGO: Bhartiya Seniors Citizen Group of Chicago recently organized a tour meeting for se-

Gujarat Day, Mother's Day and bhajans. Founder of BSCO gave infor-

Sur Milan group artists singing about Gujarat Day and Mother's Day

niors besides celebrating Gujarat Day, Mother's Day, birthdays of seniors and Wedding Anniversaries of seniors falling in May. 1 The event started with Deep (lamp) lighting Gujarat Day ceremony by Biren Joshi of Manav Sadhana. Among those present were Paresh Patel of Mega circuit, Narendra Patel presdient Kadava Patidar Samaj Chicago, Amish Patel, Jisit Zaveri Pharmacist, Mansukhbhai Patel, Batukbhai Shukla, President Haribhai Patel and Secretary Parsottambhai Pandya. Group's Artiben Thakkar, Rohiniben Dektawala, Narharibhai Thakkar, Surendrabhai Thakkar, Vidhi Thakkar sang songs about

mation about Vraj Yatra-Washington Tour. Biren Joshi of Manav

Sadhna talked about his organization and how it serves downtrodden, homeless, orphans and battered women in Ahmedabad. Pareshbhai Patel (Mega Circuit) gave information about future programs of EKTVA. Narendra Patel (KPS) talked about taking care of our parents not only on Mother's Day but always and also keep them happy. Willow Lake Pharmacy's Amish Patel informed of plans to provide free home delivery of medicines, have prescription transfer on the phone and they will try to cut down co-pay charges as much as possible. Secretary Parsottam Pandya of BSCO welcomed and thanked all sponsors of the event. President BSCO Harishbhai congratulated the seniors on their birthday and Wedding Anniversary and welcomed them with flowers. Delicious dinner was served at the end.

Mother's Day celebrated by Seniors

NEW YORK: The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center held its 21st anniversary event May 14, to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Kerala Center over the past two decades. Started on a small scale in 1990 with the initiative of a few far-sighted Indian American leaders, the Center has earned world recognition for its many contributions to the Indian community in the United States. The Center's Chairman of Board of Directors Gopalan Nair paid rich tributes to several individuals who have contributed their time, energy, talents and resources to the growth of the Center. "From a modest beginning 21 years ago, the Center has come to play a vital role in the life of the community," Nair said. Jose Chummar, a past president spoke about the center's contributions to the local community. Founder President E.M. Stephen introduced the new Youth Group set up at the Center. Nassau County Legislator John J. Ciotti and Hempstead Council-

man Edward A. Abrasinao were present on the occasion. The keynote speaker for the evening Captain Stanley George of New York City Police was introduced by Sergeant Thomas Antony also of NYPD. Captain George provided an

The Center's Chairman of Board of Directors Gopalan Nair paid rich tributes to several individuals who have contributed their time, energy, talents and resources to the growth of the Center account of the Indian American contribution to the American society; at the same time he called upon the community to participate in the civic and political affairs of the society. Captain George is the highest ranking Indian American in the NYPD.

NJ Tamil School celebrates anniversary India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: Cultural programs, oratory competition, distribution of prizes and honoring voluntary teachers marked the first anniversary of Thiruvalluvar Tamil School in Edison, New Jersey, held at Shri Krishna Vrundavana Temple in Edison last week. The non-profit school was founded last year to teach Tamil to children born and raised in the US. California Tamil Academy (CTA), a pioneer in teaching Tamil in a structured method, offers curriculum support and the study materials such as text books and CD's for the kids up to grade seven. CTA also provides an on-line application to maintain the kids progress and the school is managed independently by a management team, said Kaarthiga Palanisamy, principal of the school. The school follows the Edison public school calendar. On average it conducts 32 weeks of classes per year and currently the classes are held at Aloha Center in North Edison, NJ on Sundays. There are over 80 students en-

rolled and Tamil is being taught by 12 volunteer teachers and a management team takes care of running the school, said Jayaraman Sadasivam, vice principal. "The school is successful thanks to the dedication of volun-

The school follows the Edison public school calendar. On average it conducts 32 weeks of classes per year and currently the classes are held at Aloha Center in North Edison, NJ on Sundays. There are over 80 students enrolled and Tamil is being taught by 12 volunteer teachers teers who take time to teach the curriculum and there is tremendous response from the parents and children to learn Tamil," Harihara Subramanian a voluntary teacher said.

Community Across America

June 3, 2011

India Post 17

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350 attend Manav Seva Mandir Health Fair SURESH SHAH

BENSENVILLE: The annual Health Fair was organized at Manav Seva Mandir (MSM) on Sunday, May 22 with the help of local volunteers and medical personnel. Over 350 patients had a free medical check up and consultation. The event took place in Mahalakshmi hall. Long lines of participants awaiting their turn queued up from early in the morning. This fair has been a resounding success year after year. This year the patients were given the numbers as they walked in and had seats offered in the temple. They were called by numbers to fill out forms and had their tests without waiting in lines, according to Jayantibhai Thakkar, an MSM activist. He said that this was the 28th Health Fair coordinated by him. The first was held in 1989. Thakkr has been rendering voluntary services at other health fairs too like the ones held at Midwest Swaminarayan temple, Vashnav Samaj temple and Jalaram temple. Over 20 doctors and 100 health professionals provided their volunteer services on this day. Registration and front desk services were provided by Manubhai Shah,

Naliniben Shah, Bhupendra Thakkar and Nareshbhai Dekhtawala. Vital data such as height, weight, was measured by Rachit Parikh, Rishi Patel, Krunal Vyas and Arti Patel, blood pressure,

This year the patients were given the numbers as they walked in and had seats offered in the temple. They were called by numbers to fill out forms and had their tests without waiting in lines, according to Jayantibhai Thakkar, an MSM activist pulse, was measured by Mita Gupta, Hema Shastri, Dakshaben Thakkar, Bhumika Patel, Richa Shah, Kundan Upadhyay and Nisha Patel. The blood sugar testing and consultation were provided by Kishore Chugh, Vivek Patel, Rajesh Chotalia

and Nishant Thakar. Volunteers were seen very busy at the blood draw tables. This service was provided by Bhagvat Thakkar, Bakul Thakkar, Falguni Thakkar, Sushma Bhatt, Hiren Khambhati and team of 12 other medical professional. .Blood samples of 310 patients were collected. These samples were sent to the Genesis Clinical laboratory for testing. The reports will be reviewed by the doctors and will be mailed to each patient in three weeks with follow up instructions. Urine Analysis was performed by Dimple Thakkar, Alkaben Patel, Vaishali Madeha, Falguni Shah, Khambhati and other volunteers. The patients were seen by Triage physicians Dr. Jyotiben Shah who recommended blood, urine and EKG tests as required. This time Diabetic test A1C and Thyroid test TSH also will be performed as recommended by doctor. Physical examination and Physical consultation were provided by Dr V.K.Patel, Dr. Ashok Shah, Dr Praful Gandhi, Dr.Vanita Gupta and Dr Ghanshyam Thakkar. Bone density tests were perfumed for females over the age

Indian American Coalition meet targets 2nd Gen. ContĂd from page 15

Kumar was addressing an ethnic Indian media meet at Viceroy of India Restaurant. He was accompanied by Prem Lalvani, Chairman of the Asian American Coalition, Shrinarayan Chandak of United Enterprises and Bhailal Patel, former president of the National Federation of Indian Associations. He briefed the media about the basic objectives behind the meet and the key issues that would crop up during the discussions at the meet. Among the political bigwigs who are expected to be present will include Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, local Republican leaders and quite possibly a 2012 Presidential hopeful. A number of Indian American community activists and businessmen will be attending. The meet will deliberate upon key issues concerning India, Indo-US relations, Indian American community at large and topics of interest for second generation, he added. Emphasizing on the importance of this show Lalvani said, "This would be houseful show showcasing entertainment hits to political leaders." Sponsored by AVG, the show "National Indian American Coalition, Meet and Greet" will be compered by Pooja Kumar, Miss India 2007.

"The event spans diverse genres of entertainments from Bollywood to Hollywood and a carnival at prominent venue along with presenting a guest appear-

Among the political bigwigs who are expected to be present will include Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, local Republican leaders and quite possibly a 2012 Presidential hopeful. A number of Indian American community activists and businessmen will be attending. The meet will deliberate upon key issues concerning India, Indo-US relations, Indian American community at large and topics of interest for second generation ance of Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina. NAIC Meet and Greet has evidently something for everyone in the family," said Chandak.

of age 45. The bone density testing was performed by Helen Welch, Suichu Gan and Mital Patel Shah. About 140 bone density tests were performed. There were five machines to pro-

Dental examination and consultation were provided by Dr. Amrit Patel and Dr. Dhiren Mistry and Chiropractic consultation was provided by Dr Manish Sojitra. Eye screening was performed by Dr. Parag Majmudar vided EKG tests for Male and female patients over the age of 55. The volunteers include Rita Parikh, Shobha Tevar, Chhaya Marfatia, Kishan Thakkar, Jaya Patel, Naren Barot and Urmila Pandya. EKG results were interpreted by cardiolo-

gist vice chairman of the mandir, Dr Shirish Shah. About 135 EKG tests were performed. Dental examination and consultation were provided by Dr. Amrit Patel and Dr. Dhiren Mistry and Chiropractic consultation was provided by Dr Manish Sojitra. Eye screening was performed by Dr. Parag Majmudar, Dr. Chales Faron, Dr. Saurin Patel and Dr. Anjali Desai and four other eye technicians. Nutritional and diet consultation was provided by Dietitian Sweta Sheth. Mammogram and Peps registration was done by June Yang, Sarah RO and Carla Zang from Xilin Association in Naperville. A number of patients were treated using Acupressure technique by Chimanlal Bheda and Hansaben Soneji. A long queue was seen for these services. The testing was continued well beyond 2pm -the completion time of the fair. This year, hearing testing was also provided by Hashumati Sheth, Chandra Shrinivas, Gopali Sheth, and Karim P. Das. Physical therapy and necessary exercises were taught by Alpan Parikh and Sonal Gandhi.

18 India Post

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June 3, 2011

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CAIR welcomes Obama's 'Arab Spring' address India Post News Service

WASHINGTON: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has said that President Obama's speech on the "Arab Spring" freedom movements in the Middle East and North Africa sets the right tone but needs to be translated into policies and actions. Representatives of the Syrian and Libyan American communities joined other leaders and members of the D.C.-area Muslim community to watch the address live at CAIR's national office on Capitol Hill and share their reactions. Those who watched or spoke following the president's speech included CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad, Naeem Baig of the Islamic Circle of North America, Mahdi Bray of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, Dr. Mohammed Elsanousi of the Islamic Society of North America, Mouaz Moustafa of the Libyan Council of North America, and Dr. Louay Safi of the Syrian American Council. In a statement, CAIR's Awad said: "We appreciate President Obama setting the right tone by applauding the recent freedom movements across the Middle East and North Africa, but the true test of our nation's commitment to freedom and human dignity will be in translating this speech into actions and concrete policies. "It is significant for the president of the United States to support the massive popular demon-

strations for freedom and self-determination in the region, particularly since our country has supported some of the dictators who have been and are oppressing their people. "The president made the important point that all people deserve human dignity and self-determination, and we support his intention

Those who watched or spoke following the president's speech included CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad, Naeem Baig of the Islamic Circle of North America, Mahdi Bray of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, Dr. Mohammed Elsanousi of the Islamic Society of North America

Geetha Mandalam to conduct medical camp SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: Geetha Mandalam, a not-for-profit South Asian community group of Chicago, will be sponsoring an interactive community health fair on June 4 at the Crystal Palace Banquets located

tive health behaviors and the early detections/treatment of health problems. The Indo/Pak Health Fair, scheduled from 10am - 2pm, is open to the general public. The Indo/Pak Health Fair will host a

The main objective of this camp is to raise awareness of preventive health behaviors and the early detections/treatment of health problems. The Indo/Pak Health Fair, scheduled from 10am - 2pm, is open to the general public. The Indo/Pak Health Fair will host a variety of specialists and experts at 1070 South Elmhurst Road, Mt. Prospect. The main objective of this camp is to raise awareness of preven-

variety of specialists and experts who are focused on endorsing and promoting healthy lifestyle choices to the community.

The goal of the health fair is also to spotlight the community's quality of life and ensure that individuals have access to relevant and useful information from healthcare institutions about their programs and services. Healthcare specialists/ contributors that will have exhibits and be available to the public include, but not limited to, the following: internal medicine, home health/skilled nursing, home delivery pharmacy, physical therapy, weight loss/personal training, etc. As an added bonus, Indo/Pak Health Fair attendees will receive free screenings, such as: glucose check, blood pressure check, body mass calculation and body fat analysis. The first 50 guests will also receive a special gift.

President's Award for Niles student SURI ULLAL

to defend those universal rights." CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Shahina Fatima and her awards

MORTON GROVE: Shahina Fatima has received the President's Award in recognition of her outstanding academic achievements during four years of stay in Niles West High School and for scoring high rank in the State Exam. The Accolades Award function was organized by the Niles West High School to commemorate the high ranking senior students. Shahina Fatima received High Honor Award in all four years of her academic studies. In addition, she is the recipient of Principle Medallion Award for exhibiting unique qualities in four dimensions of life, which are character, leadership, services and scholarship. She is also the recipient of Centurion Award with Helmet and the

Medal, Trophy in Tutoring, Athletic Award and a medal for cross country team. She was part of Dance Marathon and received a certificate in raising charity money.

of the school building. Daughter of Ameer Khan, consulting Civil Engineer for IDOT and grand daughter of Nawab Wajid Ali Khan (late) Superinten-

The Accolades Award function was organized by the Niles West High School to commemorate the high ranking senior students. Shahina Fatima received High Honor Award in all four years of her academic studies

She received a certificate in literacy center participations. To honor Shahina Fatima, her portrait is displayed in the Hall of Honors

dent of Police, Andhra Pradesh, she wishes to pursue graduate studies in Harvard University Law School.

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BAPS Health Fair promotes wellness in Chino Hills India Post News Service

CHINO HILLS, CA: The thought of periodic health checkups is daunting for many. However, early detection and prevention is the key to a healthier life. Nonetheless, preventable ailments such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are still largely prevalent across the United States. Recognizing early detection and prevention as being vital for the well-being of communities, BAPS Charities organized a community health fair on Sunday, May 22 in Chino Hills. As a precursor to the Health Fair, BAPS Charities was able to arrange for community members to receive blood tests on May 15. The following week on May 22, a number of volunteers and health care specialists were available for consultation including, physicians, pharmacists, dentists and nurses. Specialties in the fields of cardiology, gynecology, gastroenterologist, psychology, podiatry, dentistry, pharmacy, internal

medicine and endocrinology were also on hand and in total, provided personal consultations to the community. In addition to the health fair, BAPS Charities collaborated with LifeStream, a blood bank for San Bernardino and Riverside counties, to host a blood drive, collecting a total of 75 pints of blood from community members. All participants received pre-

liminary physical examinations and had their blood pressure, blood sugar level, and body mass index measured. Additionally, they received one-on-one consultations with health care specialists, through which they were able to learn ways to improve or

States do not seek healthcare for fear of not being able to afford it. BAPS Charities aims to create a new culture of preventative health care through interactive health fairs and educational seminars, which supplement government healthcare programs by rais-

BAPS Charities' volunteers worked hand in hand with local community organizations such as the Lifestream Blood Bank as well as local high school students, who were able to dedicate their time and effort to participate in this community event maintain their health. In the spirit of the saying, 'an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure', BAPS Charities is educating individuals about potential risk factors and prevention methods to improve their quality of life. Many people in the United

ing awareness and providing information about alternative healthcare options - all free of charge. The BAPS Charities Health Fair in Chino Hills is one of over 40 such fairs which BAPS Charities organizes annually throughout North America. In total, over

2,500 health care professionals from local communities treated nearly 12,500 patients across the nation. The success of such an event is attributed to the collaborative effort amongst medical professionals within the community to volunteer their time and effort towards such a noble cause. BAPS Charities' volunteers worked hand in hand with local community organizations such as the Lifestream Blood Bank as well as local high school students, who were able to dedicate their time and effort to participate in this community event. "It was amazing to see how willing the doctors were to help out the patients. Watching the doctors volunteer their time and effort, gave me the incentive to help out more so that I can make a difference in the community", spoke Ambika Rajyagor, a student volunteer from Chino Hills High School.

Community/California

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Patnaik appointed Chairman Eco Committee India Post News Service

CERRITOS, CA: Pat Patnaik who until recently was the commissioner has now been appointed as the Chairman for the Economic Development Committee, City of Cerritos for a period of two years. The Economic Development Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council on the needs of existing businesses and the availability of economic development opportunities and resources. The Commission is responsible for providing input on business retention, business expansion, business marketing issues and technology related is-

licenses without going through the typical bureaucracy. Patnaik is a long time resident of the City of Cerritos is a business banker and a visiting professor is also involved in several community related programs. He feels that a vibrant city such as Cerritos has lots to offer and feels that he can add value.

Pat Patnaik

sues. The City of Cerritos is a destination for many businesses in relocating from other cities due to the ease of doing business and obtaining the necessary permits and

Dilip Butani new Chairman of Sindhu Center India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Southern California's Sindhu Center elected a new managing committee (SCMC) for the year 2011-12. The committee has Dilip Butani as Chairman, Ramesh Ramnani as Vice-Chairman, Kishan Hingorani as Administrator, Rajesh Chellani as Deputy Administartor, Chandru Shroff as General Secretary, Dilip Mahbubani as Treasurer and Raj Ramchandani as Food and Supplies in-charge. Three members from Sindhi Association Board viz Mohan Dadlani, Ramesh Ramnani and Raju Totlani are also members of the Team. Sindhu Center is the pride of the Sindhi Committee not only in Southern California, but in the entire Unites States. It's a beautiful temple blessed by many saints like Dada Vaswaniji, Acharya Mridul Krishna Goswamiji, Swami Mukundanandaji, Jaya Rowji and others. The center has many regular activities like Mata Ki Chowki, Satsangs, Havan, Yoga and Bal Bhavan. Also, Mata Ka Jagran, Hanuman Jayanti, Maha Shivratri, Janmashtmi and Guru Nanak Jayanti are celebrated every year.

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Encounter with a 5-year-old deja vu

ecently, a five-year-old patient of mine came for a routine follow up appointment. Soon after he settled down in his chair his first question was, "Are you dead?" I was not sure if I heard him correctly, I asked, "What do you mean?" He repeated, "Are ... you ... dead?" I glanced at his parents. They appeared dumbfounded. Taking charge of the situation, with a quick smile on my face and pretending to be confident in my demeanor, I replied, "No I am alive," The young patient asked me a second question, "Why do you wear that?" I knew he was referring to my turban. I replied, "This is my turban, it is part of my religion." At this point his father, who appeared to have gained some composure, said, "This is his religion, he believes in Allah, he is Muslim." I was taken aback. At this point I decided not to say anything further. Clarifying the fact that I was not a Muslim would undermine the child's confidence in his father, I said to myself. I felt that my patient's questions were a reflection of what he may have heard from adults around him, presumably, based on their perception of recent media coverage. I admired the child's openness and in a way felt a sense of pride for the confidence he showed in me. How true is the saying, "God resides in the hearts of children!" We should learn from children to be open and honest. Over the next few moments, many thoughts raced through my mind - the 9/11 tragedy, loss of innocent lives at the hands of terrorists for no reason, a state of shock and disbelief, followed by hundreds, maybe more, incidents of mistaken identity resulting in a constant fear of back-

lash that went on for years. Desperately, we in the Sikh community had initiated an education campaign with newspaper articles, TV coverage, events in our Gurdwara, and made presentations in churches, schools, colleges, university, commissioner's meetings, parks, other social and cultural events and so forth to educate and improve awareness. On May 2, President Obama announced "Osama Bin Laden is dead". Per media reports many celebrated on the streets in Washington, New York and other places. Sikh Community members welcomed the news but expressed caution and apprehension of revival of prejudices, leading to hate crimes that the Sikh community had to face after 9/11 due to mistaken identity. The media continuously showed images of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in flames and Osama Bin Laden with a turban and beard. My concern deepened when I received an email on May 6, about CNN publishing online articles about Osama Bin Laden using images of a Sikh to supplement the news stories. I could not sleep well that night. Many questions passed through my mind. Why are the media doing this? A terrorist leader is dead, buried deep in the sea. Why are the media keeping his ghost alive by showing his face repeatedly (I would rather see pictures of war heroes than a dead terrorist)? Now, I ask myself, are we back to post 9/11 situation? There is no substitute for improving our understanding of the community we live in and strengthen our unity. What can we do about it? I have several thoughts but no clear answers. Do you? Dr Darshan Singh Sehbi, MD Dayton, OH

Datebook

June 3, 2011

India Post 21

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NEW YORK

ILLINOIS

Upcoming

Sun June 5

NEW JERSEY

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Sat June 11

• The Science Of God-Realization • SUR SANDHYA- Musical Night

Sat June 4

Fri June 3

• Raag Rang Presents an evening of Music and Dance

• San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival

Venue: Asa Mai Hindu Temple, 80 E Barclay St, Hicksville, New York Time: 1pm Contact: 323-286-0452

Venue: Metropolitan Asian Family Services, 1032 E. Ogden Avenue, Naperville, Illinois Time: 6pm to 11pm Contact: (630)705-1208

Fri June 10

Sat June 11

• Pune Highway

• Rajatotsava Cultural Programs @HTGC

Venue: Roy Arias Studios and Theatres, 300 W 43rd St # 506, New York Time: 8pm to 5pm Contact: 212-594-3685

Venue: The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, 10915 lemont Road, Lemont, Illinois Time: 3pm to 9pm Contact: 630-972-0300

Sat Oct 8

Sat July 30

• Rhythm For Relief

• Surtarang Music Competition

Sat June 18 to Sat June 25

Venue: Haven NYC, 244 East 51st St, NY Time: 6pm Contact: 347-307-1378

Venue: Naperville Community Concert Center, 104 E. Benton Ave., Naperville,Illinois Time: 11am to 4pm Contact: 630-355-5468

ï YFS Cricket For Charity

Venue: Balaji Temple Auditorium (HTCS), 1075 Route 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ Time: 4pm to 7pm Contact: 908-429-1120

Sat June 11 • BasementBollywood Night Venue: Fire N Ice, 583 Fords Ave, Fords, NJ Time: 9pm to 2am Contact: (732) 734-1364

Venue: Zellerbach Hall, 4800, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, California Contact: 415-474-3914

Fri June 10

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming Fri June 24 • Art of living course Venue: Art of Living Ashburn center,Virginia, 43618,Millay Court, Ashburn, Virginia Time: 6:30pm to 9:30pm Contact: 703-723-8181

Fri June 10 • Upakar Foundation Presents Emerging Artist Series: Aparna Nancherla Comedy Shows Venue: The Heritage Center at the United States Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington Time: 7pm to 11pm

Upcoming Fri June 3 • Beyondancing-dancing for a cause Venue: Thousand Oaks, Thousand Oaks, California Contact: 818-932-9404

• Warrior Formal

Sun June 5

Venue: CSU Stanislaus Main Dining Hall, One University Circle, Turlock, California Time: 6:30pm Contact: 209-535-3468

• SALDEF's 15th Anniversary Celebration

Sat June 18 • Sonu Nigaam Live In Concert

Venue: Lincoln Park, Jersey City, New Jersey Contact: 201-844-8937

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Venue: San Jose State University, Event Center, 290 south 7th street, San Jose, California Time: 8pm Contact: 408-368-6865

Sat Nov 12 • Hello Namaste Salaam Satsriakal Masti Venue: Chandni Restaurant, 5748 Mowry School Rd, Balentine Plaza, across Hilton Hotel, Newark, CA 94560 Time: 7pm Contact: 510-299-1138

Sun June 5 • International Gurukul Cultural Extravaganza 2011 Venue: Woodside High School, Performing Arts Center, 199 Church Hill Avenue, Woodside, California Time: 11am to 5pm Contact: 408-416-7568

Sun June 12

Mon July 4

• Wedding Bells - Bay Area

• Rathyatra, Festival of India

Baraat 2011

Venue: National Mall (in front of Air & Space Museum), Washington, DC Time: 10:30am to 9pm Contact: 301-299-2100

Venue: India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, California Time: 11am to 7pm Contact: 510-894-3047

Venue: Diamond Bar Center, 1600 Grand Avenue, Diamond Bar, CA Time: 5:30pm to 8:30pm Contact: 714-504-5264 & 818-416-2952

Sat June 11 • Meera Jasmin Mega Show 2011 Venue: Excelsior High School Auditorium, 15711 Pioneer Blvd, Norwalk, California Time: 6pm to 10pm Contact: 818-399-0638

Thurs June 16 • Jay Dabhi Venue: The Conga Room at LA LIVE, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles Time: 8pm to 12am Contact: (323) 362-6450

Sun July 17 • Indian Cruise to Mexico from Long Beach Venue: Carnival Splendor, 231 Windsor Way, Long Beach, California Time: 4:30pm Contact: 858-925-7806

Mon Aug 1 • Yogalicious! Venue: Art of Living Center Los Angeles, 948 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, California Time: 6:30pm to 9pm Contact: 310-820-9429

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Mit Jaaye Ghum: Dum Maaro Dum 2 Teri Justaju (Saaware): Shor In The City 3 Awaaz: F.A.L.T.U Shor In The City

India Post

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June 3, 2011

razilian model-actor Giselle Monteiro wants to overturn the Bollywood cliche 'model-turned-actress.' "I never came to Bollywood for movies. In fact, never have I even looked at it as an opportunity. I got into this industry by sheer accident," says the 22-year-old actress, ahead of the release of her mushy school drama "Always Kabhie Kabhie" alongside Zoa Morani and Ali Fazal. The model, whose film career was launched when she played a demure Punjabi kudi in Imtiaz Ali's "Love Aaj Kal", says she has been plain lucky in the industry. "I have been quite lucky getting to act alongside Saif Ali Khan in my first film and to shoot a song with Shah Rukh Khan in my second film. Bollywood is a place with big opportunities and I am really enjoying it," says Giselle. Though she is the target of the industry for her faltering Hindi accent, Giselle says she is getting by easily. "That criticism was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me as it pushed me to work harder. I've been taking Hindi classes and have worked on the language a lot more than my previous film. I've realized I can speak better Hindi now. I rehearsed a lot before delivering my dialogues and Roshan (Abbas) was quite helpful with this exercise," says Giselle. While she failed to stir audiences in her debut, her forthcoming film will see her in a full-fledged role. "It didn't feel much like work as we were having fun on the sets all the time. The film was a breeze," laughs Giselle.

4 Saibo: Shor In The City 5 Jiyein Kyun: Dum Maaro Dum 6 Bhojhal Se: I AM 7 Sau Baras: Haunted 8 Maine Yeh Kab Socha Tha: Game 9 Tum Bin Yeh Dil Ghabraye: Zokkomon 10 Wundoo Yeredoo: I AM

Karan-Sanjay tiff

ilmmaker Karan Johar, 38, is upset with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 48, for going public with his grouse over actor Sonam Kapoor's lighthearted response to one of Johar's questions on his chat show, Koffee With Karan, months after the episode was aired. "If he had issues, he could've spoken privately instead of lashing out in print (the report was published in a daily). What he did was uncalled for, given that I've gone on record on every platform to say he is one of our finest filmmakers," says KJo. On the show, Kapoor was asked what she would do if she woke up as Bhansali one fine day, to which she said, "Get color in my life -apart from blue and black. "Bhansali felt Saawariya (2007), his `work of art', was childishly reduced to a `blue film' by Johar. "Both Karan and Sonam need to have more restraint, dignity and respect for fellow filmmakers," Bhansali said.

Bollywood

June 3, 2011

India Post

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ven though Bollywood has never been awarded in the official sections of the Cannes film festival, our Bollywood celebs have not been deterred in jazzing up the red carpet every year. This year too, many of our Bollywood celebs went to attend the Cannes film festival and made sure that they left a mark in the minds of the audience with their presence. A look at some these Bollywood celebs who were in Cannes this year: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was at the Cannes film festival to promote her upcoming movie 'Heroine'. Aishwarya chose to wear an Elie Saab Couture gown for her first appearance on the Cannes red carpet. She looked really gorgeous with her sun kissed look and accessorized her dress with a Jimmy Choo 'Cosma' clutch. Sonam Kapoor was at Cannes as the brand ambassador for L'Oreal. She wore a long white satin gown. If she would have worn something more fitting, she would have looked much better. Along with the dress she wore red lipstick which was not at all matching. She accessorized the dress with a Judith Lieber clutch and green colored earrings by Chopard. Sonam's dark circles were quite visible which proved that the make up was not at all enough. Mallika Sherawat was making her third appearance at the Cannes film festival to promote her latest film, 'Politics of Love'. The actress chose to don a simple and classy look by wearing a coral colored dress. The color looked really nice on her and there was great detailing done on her dress. She accessorized the dress with a Zagliani clutch. Director Anurag Kashyap and Anusha Rizvi of Peepli Live attended the Eat and Dance Indian Party during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Martinez Hotel on May 16. He is at Cannes as the India Pavilion is showcasing works by young filmmakers and Anurag is one of them.

CELEBS AT

CANNES

PREM KISHORE

cannot wait for the sequel. Having said that, it follows that the book 'Small Acts of Amazing Courage' by Gloria Whelan is something special. It is an evocative, insightful adventure story of a young British girl growing up in India during the pre Independence political stirrings of a nation. This is a treasure of a book which will enchant young readers especially middle graders, and yes, adults. Meet the delightful, resourceful Rosalind James - she is no Disney princess or celebrity icon, instead this is a young girl entranced and moved by India and the people. I read the book at one sitting, admiring the simple honesty and consummate skill in narration. There's emotional detail, and suspense, as an ordinary girl begins to live an extraordinary life. Author Whelan has done intensive research and it is obvious has a deep affection for India as she paints a vivid portrait of a troubled country where British colonists spanned around in clubs, ordered peons, sweepers, and servants , and hosted elegant garden parties. But it is the other India that lures young Rosalind, the rainbow colors of saris, orange marigolds, the mysterious smell of spices, the monkeys, the sweet juice of coconuts, and the openness and touch-

ing friendliness of the poor. At the same time she is repulsed by the poverty and her heart beats with compassion for the pitiful beggars while she is shaken by the evils of the caste system. Although cocooned by British traditions and reserve, Rosalind is eager to explore the compelling world of India surrounding her. So it is a whirlwind of events that thrusts her into an unexpected scenario where she hears Gandhi speaking to multitudes in a maidan, about "non violence being the weapon of the brave" and poet Sarojini Naidu in a townhall in London, who declares that "truth needs to be repeated as long as there is someone who disbelieves it." She also encounters a young, intense

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India Post

June 3, 2011

Author Gloria Whelan

BOOK REVIEW Although cocooned by British traditions and reserve, Rosalind is eager to explore the compelling world of India surrounding her. So it is a whirlwind of events that thrusts her into an unexpected scenario where she hears Gandhi speaking to multitudes in a maidan, about â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;non violence being the weapon of the braveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Englishman holding forth on freeing India. It is all heady stuff. But resourceful Rosalind does not merely hover on the sidelines of these compelling events. She rescues a baby from a slum, sails on a cholera stricken ship and involves herself in the lives of two staid British aunts while confronting her conservative colonial

Small Acts of Amazing Courage Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

father who firmly believes that Indians cherish a misguided idea of independence and sees Gandhiji as an agitator and a revolutionary. Whelan combines elements of visually arresting images, saucy humor and a fast paced narrative that takes us to the heart of India. She sprinkles the pages liberally with Indian names and Hindi words, Nimbu pani, bidi, jelabis, samosas, with easy assured familiarity. What amazed me is that Gloria Whelan is a National Book Award winner and has written many books for children and short stories and poetry for adults. She writes with deep affection for a country that she has never seen. The jacket illustration by Lizzy Bromley is vibrant and sparks off the complexity, energy and vitality of India that touches the life of Rosalind who is spurred to small acts of amazing courage.

June 3, 2011

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Marital abuse: Faultline scores a big point ASHWIN PATEL

ST. LOUIS: With an unflinching and sympathetic eye, playwright Lee Patton Chiles offers us a window into the hidden world of marital abuse. This was the theme of the play Faultline staged by Gitana Productions on May 20 and is slated to continue till June 5. In India, beautiful university educated Niragha (Anita Shastri) dreams of earning a Master's degree in literature. Her father Rishi (Ashok Mallyas) dreams only of finding her a suitable husband. The highest goal for Indian women, we're told, is still marriage. Niragha, with no interest at all in marriage, turns down every suitor father brings her until he convinces her that if she doesn't marry soon, the family will be in disgrace and little sister, Amala (lovely Marium Ahmad) will never find a husband either. In America, ambitious Indian born Daman (Christopher Lyons) decides its time for him to take a wife. Self centered and narcissistic, he has no patience for wooing or choosing a "love match", so he

sends word to his mother in India to begin the process of arranging a marriage for him. He is coming to India for a month and fully expects to be married by the time he returns to the U.S. Although she is

the United States. Daman feels that a well educated wife will be an asset to his own success. Christopher Lyons gives us a frightening look into the mind of Daman, a man who struggles with

to Lyons' acting skills. Daman's physical abuse of his bride begins only two days after the marriage. Daman's younger brother, kind and gentle Sharma, (played by Gregory Cuellar) witnesses the incident and advises Niragha to be "clever" in deal-

Everything about this play is remarkable and touching from the script to the performances to the set design to the costumes to the beautiful traditional dances

Anita Shastri in lead role

not on the "list", Daman sees Niragha in the library and his predatory nature is ignited. He is bent on having her. Niragha relents to his suit because he promises she can continue her studies in

his obsessive need to dominate, his own self hatred, and his craving to have admiration and love from everyone he meets. And yet, somehow, Lyons made me feel a bit sorry for Daman, a testament

ing with her new husband so that she can possibly avoid too many further events. The familiar shifting of blame to the victim, no matter how well meaning, made my skin crawl. Alone and frightened in her new American home, Niragha gains friendship and help from her faculty advisor/neighbor Eric(James Canfield)and a sweet

classmate, Jayna (Janelle Johnson). Indeed, when Daman finally loses control of his temper completely, Eric and Jayna step in to literally save Niragha's life. Everything about this play is remarkable and touching from the script to the performances to the set design to the costumes to the beautiful traditional dances. The use of modern dance to express what Niragha and Daman are truly feeling in their souls but are not allowed to speak was genius. Praise also for two fine young performers, Daniel Johnson and Jackson Denis. The boys play American brothers Dakota and Truman and make for a fine bit of light heartedness. Entirely at ease and natural on the stage, these two have loads of promise as performers for many years to come. Playwright Lee Patton Chiles has already received several Kevin Kline nominations for various plays focusing on the struggles of every day people to make sense of and survive the world around them. I think Faultlines, should surely be a winner.

Jai Ho Girl is still 'Right There'

India Post News service

NEW YORK: As Nicole Scherzinger gears up to release her debut solo album, she'll also be releasing several Indian versions of her hit new single "Right There." Scherzinger worked with Rolling Stone India's top DJ, DJ Lloyd and the popular Desi band Culture shock, originally from Canada, in conjunction with fusion media company Desi Hits.

"To all my fans in India: After working with A.R. Rahman on 'Jai Ho' I couldn't think of a better way to remix my latest single 'Right There' than with Culture Shock and DJ Lloyd for Desi Hits! I hope you enjoy these exclusive remixes and my debut album Killer Love. I have killer love for you guys and hope to see you soon!" said Nicole. DJ Lloyd's version incorporates Sufi singer Raja Hassan, which creates an atmospheric sound that effortlessly blends a contemporary pop beat with a full and undiluted eastern flavor, rarely executed in a sophisticated and seamless manner. Culture Shock's electric remix of "Right There," features strong Punjabi vocals of Sunny Brown and the soulful sound from Lomaticc.

Culture Shock's electric remix of ‘Right There,’ features strong Punjabi vocals of Sunny Brown and the soulful sound from Lomaticc "To create a blend of Kamasutra feel I added sounds of santoor, flute and tabla maintaining the originality of the track. I still felt that it was incomplete without using a Bollywood singer to do a traditional Sufi combined with some Bollywood drama," said DJ Lloyd. Cont’d on page 27

26 India Post

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June 3, 2011

India Post

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Jai Ho Girl is still 'Right There' ‘Nicole has been a long time fan of Desi Culture - from music to film, fashion and beauty. We are excited to reignite her connection with the Indian audience by releasing this new remix,’ says Anjula Acharia-Bath CEO of Desi Hits Cont’d from page 25

Nicole has been an un-official global ambassador of Desi culture, music and fashion for many years. From the iconic pictures of her donning a saree at the Fashion Rocks event in NYC, which kicks off NYC Fashion Week each year, to embracing 'Jai ho' and working in collaboration with AR Rahman, Nicole has pioneered the Bollywood movement bringing Desi flavor to the heart of America. "Nicole has been a long time fan of Desi Culture - from music to film, fashion and beauty. We are excited to reignite her connection with the Indian audience by releasing this new remix," says Anjula AchariaBath CEO of Desi Hits.

Bipasha detained at airport, let off after paying duty

MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu was detained at the international airport here for not declaring goods but let off soon after paying duty, days after a similar incident involving starlet Minissha Lamba. The 'Dhoom 2' actress was intercepted after she had crossed the green channel without making any declaration on her arrival from London. "Actress Bipasha Basu was caught carrying come undeclared items the value of which was not high. She was let off after she paid the duty," Additional Commissioner of Customs Mahender Pal told PTI. P M Govande, Commissioner of Cus-

toms, Airport, however, denied that she was detained. "She was carrying undeclared goods worth over Rs 65,000 and so we asked her to pay the duty of Rs 13,000 which she did," he said, adding "no fine or penalty" was imposed. Customs sources said she was carrying sandals, sunglasses and perfume, which she did not know also needed to be declared. "She was very cooperative and showed all the bills," they said. In a brief statement the 'No Entry' actress said, "It was just a routine check up at the airport and many others were being checked as well. I paid Rs 12,000 as taxes against some personal goods. I think the customs team is doing an excellent job." Another Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba had been detained at the airport on May 18 on her arrival from Cannes, France, for not declaring gold and diamond jewellery worth over Rs 30 lakh. She was let off after two rounds of questioning, one of which lasted for over 16 hours. Lamba had claimed that the ornaments were given by a jewellery brand for purely promotional purpose to be worn at the Cannes film festival, where she had walked the red carpet. Lamba had said that she was not aware of the procedure of declaring high-value jewellery being taken out of the country and brought back. -PTI

Horoscope

India Post

June 3, 2011

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Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar JUNE 3RD - JUNE 9TH ARIES (MARCH 21 TO APRIL 20)

TAURUS (APRIL 21 TO MAY 20)

uidance from a trusted friend will help you overcome many difficulties and see things in a clear way. Things will be little tight on financial front also but you will meet all commitments on time. Some of you will be taking a trip in direction East. Issues involving a child will come to a favorable ending.

ou may ignore the conflicting reports and go ahead with your plans. New friends and contacts will come handy. All presentations will go well and a big contract is within your reach. You will try to help your child with his future plans and maybe move. Long awaited reply will finally come from government agency.

GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20)

CANCER (JUNE 21 TO JULY 22)

ou may loose little money due to a contract recently signed in a hurry. There is a strong chance of money through lottery or stocks. You will be little aggressive on the phone but will get the job done. Just handle all tools and machinery will extra care. You will be working on a travel plan for close family members.

ou may buy some fine quality items for your personal use. You will be double minded about an important issue but ultimately take the right decisions. Projects recently launched will keep moving in right direction at fast pace. You will throw out many fears after consulting a trusted and matured person.

LEO (JULY 23 TO AUGUST 22)

f you do not play your cards right, soon you will be in a financial mess. Do thorough research before you make the commitment. An important meeting will ultimately get finalized and you will start making the preparation. You may be in touch with an expert to seek advice about an issue involving a child.

VIRGO (AUGUST 23 TO SEPTEMBER 22)

here will be lots of confusion in mind and things can become opaque again. Help will come from total unexpected place and person. You will take time out of busy schedule to take kids on a fun trip. Some of you will be getting ready to move to a nice location. Do not rush to conclusion when it comes to relationships.

LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23 TO OCTOBER 22)

SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23 TO NOVEMBER 22)

ou will have chance to learn from someone lot younger in age. News will come but not through proper channel. You may be nominated for some kind of prestigious award also. You may either replace or purchase another car this week. You may cash out some money making stocks and out money aside in savings.

alue of Stocks recently purchased will appreciate considerably. If you are not careful you could get into some trouble with law. Boss will ask you to go on an important trip. Keep an eye on other family members using credit cards. Some of you may make up your mind to get out of a partnership venture soon.

SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 23 TO DECEMBER 22)

CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 TO JANUARY 19)

major break in career just a few days away so stay optimistic. Money wise you will continue to stay in comfortable zone as expenses will come down a lot. You will plan a short trip to another state with family. You may be thinking of getting some work done in or around the house or add another area.

oncentration of planets in house of luck will bring more than one opportunity. You may recover some money from Insurance also. Concerns about an older family member will grow bigger. Keep an eye on your valuable during the course of a trip. You will be invited to a big party by a very close relative.

AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 TO FEBRUARY 18)

PISCES (FEBRUARY 19 TO MARCH 20)

ry to relax as much for next few weeks and postpone all major decisions. Some of you will be traveling far away from home this week. You may find some item and return it to the rightful owner. Money will come but will not stay too long. You will spend a quite evening with people from political background.

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

ou will be paying more attention to spouse. A business partner will try to create some problems. Money wise you will be comfortable. Some one you knew in the past will call to seek your valuable advice. You will be going for an important business trip soon. You will be given a choice to move to another department.

925-833-7170 website: www.parashar.com

29 India Post

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June 3, 2011

One day, while she was sipping at the milk, a prince, who was passing by, stopped on hearing the sound of people nearby. Immediately, the princess poured the milk in the pond to shield her body from the glances of the stranger

he Dudh Sagar waterfall is situated in the Indian state of Goa around 60 km off Panaji, the capital of the state. It is connected to the other places in the state like Panaji and Margao with a road and railway network. Legend has it that in the days gone by, there lived a powerful and rich king on the top of a mountain in the Western Ghats along the Goan frontier. He lived in a lavish palace made of pure ivory and embedded by precious stones. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 31

India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

June 3, 2011

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Gondola Cable Car a hit with tourists SRINAGAR: The famed Gondola Cable Car Corporation in Gulmarg resort of Kashmir has earned big revenue in less than two months of the current fiscal. "The Corporation has earned revenue of Rs 3.82 crore through Gondola rides during last one and a half month this fiscal," Managing Director State Cable Car Corporation Talat Parvaiz said here. Parvaiz was briefing Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora, who visited Gulmarg to take stock of the facilities for tourists in view of huge rush. The Managing Director said the Corporation has fixed a revenue target of Rs 14.82 crore during current financial year by utilizing its assets for tourism activities. Addressing the officials, Jora said that every effort is being made to promote tourism and added that

tourism industry is all set to witness boom this season in Jammu and Kashmir. The Minister said a parallel chair lift from Kongdoori would be made operational from September this year. It would give a fresh im-

petus to tourism activities at the world famous Gulmarg tourist resort. "The adventure lovers will find another fascination," he said. Jora said the Kongdoori chair

More Indonesians availed ‘Visa on Arrival’ NEW DELHI: Indonesians were the largest group of tourists who availed the Visa on Arrival scheme to visit India in April this year. While a total number of 1,234 Visa on Arrivals were issued during April, 255 tourists from Indonesia followed by 241 from New Zealand and 231 from Philippines came here availing the facility, according to Tourism Ministry data. The lowest number of people who availed the facility came from Cambodia (7), Luxembourg (11), Myanmar (12) and Vietnam (13). Number of tourists from Japan and Singapore were 194 and 165 respectively. Government had launched the Visa on Arrival scheme for citizens of 11 countries in January last year as a facilitative measure to attract more foreign tourists to India. In January 2010, the scheme was launched for citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New

Zealand and Singapore, visiting India for tourism purposes. The scheme has been extended for the citizens of six more countries — Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos and Myanmar from January this year. The number of VoAs issued during the month of March 2011 were 1089. During the period January-April 2011, a total number of 4139 VoAs were issued. During January-April this year, maximum tourists came from New Zealand (946) followed by Japan (777), Philippines (623), Singapore (596), Indonesia (551), Finland (516), Cambodia (49), Vietnam (32), Luxembourg (25) Myanmar (23), and Laos (1) availing the VoA scheme. The maximum number of VoAs were issued at Delhi airport (2228), followed by Mumbai (1009), Chennai (684) and Kolkata (218) during the period January-April 2011. -PTI

lift, with a capacity of 1,000 persons per hour, will be constructed at a cost of Rs 18 crore. He asked the concerned authorities to double their efforts for providing improved facilities and hospitality to the visiting tourists. The Minister said after making Kongdoori Chairlift operational, the Corporation is expected to earn Rs 20 crore this year. He said the government is making efforts to provide upgraded tourism infrastructure to the tourists at various resorts to attract more domestic as well as foreign tourists towards Jammu and Kashmir Jora. Besides, laying of ropeways at Jammu and Makhdoom Sahib, Srinagar in stipulated time frame is the top priority of the government. "These ropeways will also promote pilgrim tourism in the twin cities of Srinagar and Jammu," he added. -PTI

US to promote Sikkim as ecotourism destination GANGTOK: The US would promote Sikkim as a popular eco-tourism destination among Americans, Vice-Consul Jack F Pan said. "The USA can help Sikkim in capacity building of tourist guides," Pan told reporters here. He said the US gave great thrust

US gave great thrust on the issue of mutual cooperation with Indian states like Sikkim in the field of tourism on the issue of mutual cooperation with Indian states like Sikkim in the field of tourism, particularly eco-tourism. Pan, in charge of visa processing at the consulate in Kolkata, also explained the procedures to members of the local travel body at an interactive session earlier during the day. -PTI

Makemytrip ties up with Thai tourism NEW DELHI: Online travel company Makemytrip.com has tied up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to operate direct charter flights to Phuket. The direct flights from Delhi to Phuket will be operational from May 10 to July, 2011, the company

said here. "Indian travelers have developed a keen sense of adventure and want to explore newer destinations. Thailand is a key attraction for Indians," MakeMyTrip CMO Mohit Gupta said here. The fifth such offering, the

flights will be operational once a week. The travel company already operates charter flights to Maldives, Andamans, Ladakh and Bhutan. Kingfisher Airlines will be the airlines partner for the Makemytrip flight, the company said. -PTI

Haryana govt promotes eco-tourism CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has stepped up efforts to encourage eco-tourism in the state, which is expected to provide an "incentive" for conserving nature. "It provides an economic incentive to conserve community culture, natural environment and cultural heritage," Forest and Environment Minister Ajay Singh Yadav said. Eco-tourism is a potential resource for creating awareness for the protection of forests and wildlife, an official release quoting him said. "It will increase the influx of foreign tourists in the state, besides conserving local culture and environment. It will also provide a platform for international interaction through the visiting tourists from other states of India," it said. Yadav laid the foundation stone of Rajiv Gandhi Herbal Park and Eco-Tourism project at Masani Barrage, near Dharuhera, in Rewari district. The project, which will be developed by the Haryana Forest Department, is envisioned to be equipped with world class facilities along National Highway-8 and will be used by visiting tourists and locals.

A herbal conservation park and Ayurveda center children park will also be present. Log huts, nature trails, yoga and dining facilities, tree houses and water bodies will be part of the project. The center will cater to the needs of corporate houses, educational institutes and manpower training in the field of environment

Yadav laid the foundation stone of Rajiv Gandhi Herbal Park and Eco-Tourism project at Masani Barrage, near Dharuhera, in Rewari district management and conservation, the release said. Apart from this, nature camps at Thapali, Lal Munia Rest House and Morni Fort in Panchkula district and Kalesar, Bansantor and Chuharpur Herbal Park in Yamuna Nagar district have also been developed by the Haryana Forest Department. -PTI

Chamling calls for eco-friendly tourism GANGTOK: Sikkim government will not go for new roads in the next two years but upgrade and maintain the existing ones, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, on a marathon tour of the hill state, said. "We have taken a policy decision not to go for new roads in the next two years' time, but develop, upgrade, maintain and complete the existing roads," Chamling said replying to pleas for greater road connectivity in the land-locked state at Ben Gonpa, one of the halts during the tour. Calling for timely completion of the schemes, the chief minister directed the government servants to ensure that materials were adequately stocked at the government godowns. The facilities created by the government is for the people who should ensure that the quality of the work is maintained, he said. Noting that Sikkim has a great future in tourism, Chamling asked people to opt for eco-friendly and organic tourism. The chief minister had stop-

overs at various places during the day having one to one contact with people and giving a patient hearing to their grievances. Chamling also gave on-the-spot

Noting that Sikkim has a great future in tourism, Chamling asked people to opt for eco-friendly and organic tourism. He had stopovers at various places having one to one contact with people sanction to some demands put forward by the people and issued necessary orders to accompanying ministers and heads of departments concerned for their implementation. -PTI

Travel & Hospitality Post

June 3, 2011

India Post 31

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More chopper seats for Amarnath Yatra SRINAGAR: With a view to giving a boost to the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has decided to substantially enhance the allocation of helicopter seats during the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine beginning next month. The decision was taken at a meeting held by J and K Governor N N Vohra, who is also the Chairman of SASB, with the representatives of the Travel and Tour Operators at Raj Bhavan here, an official spokesman said here. "This increase is aimed at the promotion of tourism related activities in the state and progressively increasing the involvement and participation of all local stakeholders in the promotion of the pilgrimage-tourism interface," he said. The spokesman said the SASB would earmark and release a daily quota of 180 helicopter seats to the four recognized Travel and Tour Operators, two each from the

Kashmir and Jammu Divisions. "Thus, 45 seats shall be allocated to each of the four Travel and Tour Operators from Jammu

The governor, in his address, said every stakeholder must work in the best interest of the state and make all possible efforts to ensure that every visitor feels welcome and comfortable and Kashmir," he said, adding that out of the daily quota of 180 helicopter seats, 140 would be for the Baltal-Panchtarni route and 40 for the Pahalgam-Panchtarni sector.

This arrangement would be reviewed in the next meeting between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shrine Board R K Goyal and the representatives of the Travel and Tour Operators to be held in the first week of June to take into account the actual utilization of the allotted quota by each of the Travel and Tour Operators concerned, the spokesman said. The governor, in his address, said every stakeholder must work in the best interest of the state and make all possible efforts to ensure that every visitor feels welcome and comfortable. Vohra observed that this would result in both the pilgrims and the leisure tourists carrying back pleasant memories of their visits to various parts of the State. "This, in turn, will also significantly contribute towards promoting tourist activities for the rapid economic growth and generation of employment avenues in the state," the governor said. -PTI

Dudh Sagar: Unrivalled beauty, amazing scenery in Goa Cont’d from page 29

And around this palace, there were luxuriant gardens abounding in a vast variety of flowers. At one end of the forest, which fringed the king's palace, there was a picturesque lake. In the panoramic setting of this lake, the king's daughter, accompanied by her ladies-in-waiting, went to bathe and to sip sugared milk

Undoubtedly there are other wonderful waterfalls in the rest of this wide world, but the Dudh Sagar waterfalls with their strange, mystical fascination are a dream come true which one of her maids served to her in a pure gold jug. One day, while she was sipping at the milk, a prince, who was passing by, stopped on hearing the sound of people nearby. Immediately, the princess poured the milk in the pond to shield her body from

Rs 200 cr for promotion of tourism in Guj AHMEDABAD: Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay has promised a central assistance of Rs 200 crore for promotion of the sector in Gujarat. "I am picking up states which are pro-active and I find that Gujarat is pro-active. So are Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan Uttarakhand, Gujarat and some southern states are eager to join this ring," Sahay told reporters, on sidelines of a seminar here. "If I succeed in creating international class infrastructure even at ten destinations it would be success to me," he said. The tourism industry in India grew at around eight per cent last year and this year the growth in tourism is around 12 per cent, the minister said. Sahay has paid visits to the sites for the three mega tourist cir-

cuit projects being proposed by the Gujarat government, including Kabirvad in Bharuch, Gandhi circuit in Porbandar and one in temple town of Dwarka. "We want to develop Sufi, Sardar Patel, Jain and Buddhist circuits in Gujarat too," Sahay said adding that the Buddhist circuit could be extended to Gujarat since the state has few important sites. He also appreciated a proposal floated by the state officials of setting up a research centre on Mahatma Gandhi in Porbandar. -PTI Replying to a media query on how successful has been the campaign of Aamir Khan in ensuring honorable tourism in India, Sahay said "The actor had volunteered for the Athithi Devo Bhav campaign and it has begun touching the people." -PTI

Kargil-Zanskar road reopened in Ladakh JAMMU: After lying closed for five months due to heavy snowfall in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, the 234-km KargilZanaskar highway has been reopened for vehicular traffic after clearing snow. "We have reopened the road after five months closure due to

heavy snowfall. The road has been cleared of snow," the Executive Councillor for Tourism and Zanskar Affairs in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Punchok Tashi said. The road was closed in December last year due to heavy snowfall. -PTI

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CATERING IS OUR SPECIALITY the glances of the stranger. It is believed that the sugared milk that was poured by the virtuous and modest princess still comes flowing down in torrents along that side of the mountain. Tourist attractions: Perched on the lofty peaks of the Western Ghats, the Dudh Sagar waterfalls offer unrivalled beauty and amazing scenery full of exquisite charms when in full flux after the monsoon showers. Like an idyllic Eden cradled luxuriously in the mountains, the Dudh Sagar waterfalls, which from a distance appear like milky streams, gradually climax

into a gushing cascade as they come into full view of the onlookers. Undoubtedly there are other wonderful waterfalls in the rest of this wide world, but the Dudh Sagar waterfalls with their strange, mystical fascination are a dream come true. The uneclipsed vision, furnished by this native waterfall as it plunges over crag-covered precipes and stupendous steeps, belies description. How to reach: Dudh Sagar is situated around 60 km off Panaji. Buses and taxis are available from Panaji to reach Dudh Sagar.

June 3, 2011

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In Brief Obama puts immigration in Congress' court WASHINGTON: With a re-election campaign looming, President Barack Obama is putting the pressure back on Congress to overhaul America's immigration system. But Republican lawmakers, who now control the House, say there is little chance that any laws will pass that allow illegal immigrants to stay in the country. About the only change lawmakers seem to agree may be possible is a plan that has yet to be written requiring businesses to use the government's E-Verify system to ensure foreign workers are authorized to be in the U.S. and hold jobs. Obama started his push to overhaul the immigration system last month with a White House meeting and other events involving Latino celebrities. He has followed up with speeches at the border in El Paso, Texas, and in Washington. -AP

Immigration 34

India Post

www.indiapost.com

June 3, 2011

Cont’d on page 35

Details on page 36

FIA discusses consular problems with NY Consul General

ASU grad in limbo because of immigration status PHOENIX: Angelica Hernandez excelled in high school and did just as well in college, graduating earlier this month as the distinguished graduating senior in mechanical engineering at Arizona State University. But Hernandez won't have much of a chance to excel as an engineer, despite a recovery in the jobs market for the sought-after professionals. That's because Hernandez is an illegal immigrant and can't legally work. The 21-year-old Mexican native crossed the Arizona desert with her mother and sister when she was just 9. Her father was already in Phoenix and her mother wanted her girls to be with him. Hernandez started school here as a 4th grader at Mitchell Elementary School in Phoenix, and by the time she transferred to Pueblo Del Sol Middle School as a 6th grader she no longer needed to take English as a second language courses. Then at Carl Hayden High School, she became fully immersed as an American, participating in cross country, track and soccer, serving as the National Honors Society president and joining the junior ROTC and the robotics team. All the while she knew her immigration status was an issue. Named 2007 Outstanding Young Woman of the Year for District 7 in Phoenix, she attended a luncheon at which Mayor Phil Gordon presided.

Ariz.-type immigration law not needed

FIA delegates with Consul General in New York Prabhu Dayal India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Lingering issues and concerns including rules regarding the surrender of Indian passport, the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card and other related matters of importance to the Indian American community

were raised at meeting between members of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) in the Tristate and India's Consul General in New York Prabhu Dayal. At the meeting held May 2, the issue of Indian Passport Renunciation Certificate (IPRC) was greatly debated as it has become

a prime document in submitting the applications for Indian visa, OCI certificate and other vital documents. FIA strongly requested a charge of a $20 uniform fee for all the applicants for IPRC irrespective of when the applicant may have acquired US citizenship. At

present Indian Americans who have acquired US citizenship prior to June 1, 2010 have to pay $20 plus $15 Travisa outsourcing fee to receive IPRC, and those who have acquired US citizenship on or after June 1, 2010 are required to pay $175 plus $15 Travisa service charges. "This is indeed discrimination and needs to be rectified," the FIA said. The FIA also asked that no penalty should be charged for applying late for a surrender certificate. At present there is a $250 penalty on applicants who acquired US citizenship after January 1 2005 for late application of the surrender certificate. "This is in contradiction to the general criteria specified by Government of India as of June 1, 2010 threshold. Retroactive effect of charging penalty is unethical, unjustifiable and grossly undermines the selfless patriotic role played by NRIs for decades," the FIA said. The FIA also points out that information available on websites of the different Consulate offices in the US and the Indian Embassy (Washington DC) website is inconsistent. Cont’d on page 36

A foreign company can't sponsor an intracompany transferee for green card CYRUS D. MEHTA

he title of this article may come as a surprise to foreign companies since a US branch of a foreign entity is authorized to sponsor an intracompany executive or manager for an L-1A nonimmigrant visa. But when the same branch wishes to sponsor the individual for permanent residency through an I-140 immigrant visa petition, the USCIS Adjudicator's Field Manual (USCIS AFM) says "No." Although the USCIS AFM does not have the same force of law as the Immigration and Nationality Act or a properly pro-

mulgated regulation under the Administrative Procedure Act, a USCIS officer will nevertheless adhere to the AFM even though it may be inconsistent with the INA.

khrIiH: 3) Branch Offices : While the L-1 nonimmigrant visa regulations allow for a "branch office" to petition for a

Neither an unincorporated branch office of a foreign employer nor a nonimmigrant alien is competent to offer permanent employment to a beneficiary for the purpose of obtaining an immigrant visa This is what is stated in USCIS AFM Chapter 22(3)(B) regarding Branch Offices, http://1.usa.gov/

manager or executive, the E13 immigrant visa regulations do not provide for a foreign branch of-

fice as a petitioner. The nonimmigrant regulations define the term "branch" as "an operating division or office of the same organization housed in a different location." 8 CFR 214.2(l)(1)(ii)(J). Neither an unincorporated branch office of a foreign employer nor a nonimmigrant alien is competent to offer permanent employment to a beneficiary for the purpose of obtaining an immigrant visa for the beneficiary under section 203(b)(1)(C) of the Act. See Matter of Thornhill , 18 I&N Dec. 34 (Comm. 1981). Cont’d on page 36

Immigration Post

June 3, 2011

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Texas Senate revives immigration enforcement bill AUSTIN, Texas: A bill that would allow Texas law enforcement officers to question people they detain about their citizenship status has been revived in the state Senate, but Hispanic lawmakers promised an emotional fight to stop it before the end of the legislative session. The so-called ``sanctuary cities'' bill revived by the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee would prohibit local governments and police agencies from adopting policies that ban officers from asking people they detain about whether they are in the country legally. Hispanic senators say they worry police will use the law to harass Latinos. The 5-3 vote to send the bill to the full Senate broke along party lines with every Republican voting in favor. Republican Gov. Rick Perry had declared the sanctuary cities issue one of his ``emergency'' items at the beginning of the session, urging lawmakers to make it one of their top priorities. The legislative session ends May 30. The GOP-controlled House passed the bill earlier this month after a bitter debate in that cham-

ber, and Hispanic Democrats in the Senate have promised a similar fight if the bill comes up for a vote. Democrats predicted they have enough support to prevent a vote by the full Senate. Senate rules generally require 21 of the 31 senators to vote to bring a bill up for debate. Republi-

Supporters say the measure is needed to help police stop crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Sen. Tommy Williams, chairman of the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, said police should have all the tools they need to fight crime cans hold a 19-12 majority, leaving them two votes shy of pushing aside Democrats on key issues. ``It's like a chess game,'' said Sen. Juan ``Chuy'' Hinojosa, DMcAllen. ``I'm pretty confident we

have the votes to block it.'' Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is committed to bringing the bill up for a vote, spokesman Mike Walz said. Even if he can't bring the Senate bill for a vote, Dewhurst is looking at all options, including looking for ways to amend it to a House bill that would require a simple majority vote. Supporters say the measure is needed to help police stop crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Sen. Tommy Williams, chairman of the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, said police should have all the tools they need to fight crime and that the bill will prevent a patchwork of different rules among communities. Opponents, including many police departments, have argued it will ostracize local immigrant communities and make them afraid to report crimes. None of Texas' major cities claim to be sanctuary cities, and opponents argue it is irresponsible to make public policy to deal with a perception rather than a reality. Sen. Margio Gallegos, D-Houston, has said he believes the bill is racially motivated and similar to harassment of African-Americans during the Jim Crow Era. -AP

ASU grad in limbo because of immigration status Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 34

``It was kind of ironic in a sense,'' Hernandez said. ``Because, you know, I was up there with the mayor and other students from other high schools and I was undocumented, but I was still up there with everyone else.'' The robotics team focused her on engineering, and with a presidential scholarship to ASU, she prepared to start college. Then Arizona's push to crack down on illegal immigrants hit her hard. Proposition 300, approved by 71 percent of the state's voters in November 2006, barred undocumented students from receiving any state financial aid and forced them to pay out-of-state tuition

rates that were triple in-state rates. And she lost her scholarship. Federal aid already was barred to illegal immigrants. ``So that scholarship got taken away and that's when everything

Immigrants like Hernandez who were brought here as children have virtually no chance of earning legal status started falling apart in a sense, because I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to pay for everything,'' Hernandez said. ``I was

counting on that scholarship.'' She managed to get private funding for her tuition. ``So I was able to finish my first year, and every year after that it was kind of uncertain as far as money but I was able to get private funding in order to pay,'' she said. Immigrants like Hernandez who were brought here as children have virtually no chance of earning legal status under current federal immigration laws. Because she's been here for more than a year, a 1996 immigration law requires her to return to Mexico for a decade before she would be eligible for a visa, and even then there is no assurance she would be awarded one. -AP

Over 3000 OCI cards pending collection at NY Consulate India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Consulate General of India in New York has informed that over 3000 Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards are pending collection at the Consulate.

These OCI cards are those that were processed before the Consulate began outsourcing the OCI services to Travisa Outsourcing. The Consulate has requested applicants to check their status online with the help of their OCI reg-

istration number and US passport number, and accordingly collect their OCI cards from the Consulate. For details on documents required for collection of the OCI card and U Visa and other information check www.indiacgny.org.

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June 3, 2011

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Ariz.-type immigration law not needed DETROIT: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder told an audience of Hispanic business leaders that the state doesn't need an immigration enforcement law like the one causing controversy in Arizona. Snyder told members of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Thursday in Detroit that such a law would ``encourage a divisive atmosphere.''

Arizona's law was passed last year amid years of complaints that the federal government hadn't done enough to lessen the state's role as the nation's busiest illegal entry point. Its passage has sparked protests and lawsuits seeking to overturn the law and a debate about whether the law would lead to racial profiling. -AP

FIA discusses consular problems with NY Consul General Cont’d from page 34

The FIA said that there should be uniform rules and regulations at all the Indian missions and that they should be implemented accordingly. The FIA also asked for special travel agent windows at the offices at Travisa Outsourcing centers as well as at the consulate offices for passport renewals and other related matters including visas etc. The Consul General promised to look into complaints of unprofessional and irresponsible behavior of staff at Travisa outsourcing centers experienced by the applicants. The FIA also insisted that the Travisa offices should have Indian staff members who are proficient in speaking and interpreting Indian languages. Another matter of major concern that was brought up was of US passports being held by the outsourcing company while the OCI applications are being processed, as it hinders the applicant from traveling anywhere during

that period. The FIA asked for a practical proposition to deal with this situation. On his part, the Consul General pointed out that more than 5,000 OCI certificates have been approved by the various consulate offices but those could not be issued because the applicants did not submit their US passport with the application, and are not responding. "The submission of US passport along with OCI application has been made mandatory for this reason," the Consul General explained. The Consul General promised to review the merits of emergency situations to release US passport where it is absolutely needed for an individual to travel. Although the Consul General emphasized that it was not required to carry the Indian Passport Renunciation Certificate while traveling to India, the FIA has strongly recommended everyone to keep a copy of IPRC to avoid confrontation at the airport.

A foreign company can't sponsor an intracompany transferee for green card Cont’d from page 34

The petitioner must be a U.S. citizen, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity to file this immigrant visa petition. Thus, a U.S. corporation with an overseas branch may file an E13 petition, but a foreign corporation with a branch office in the United States may not. The USCIS AFM provision is inconsistent with INA § 203(b)(1)(C), which provides: (C) Certain multinational executives and managers. - An alien is described in this subparagraph if the alien, in the 3 years preceding the time of the alien's application for classification and admission into the United States under this subparagraph, has been employed for at least 1 year by a firm or corporation or other legal entity or an affiliate or subsidiary thereof and the alien seeks to enter the United States in order to continue to render services to the same employer or to a subsidiary or affiliate thereof in a capacity that is managerial or executive. § 203(b)(1)(C) is thus quite clear. It allows the foreign national executive or manager "to continue to render services to the same employer" or to its subsidiary or affiliate in the US. The reference in § 203(b)(1)(C) relating to "rendering services to the same employer" implies that the US branch of a foreign entity can also act as a sponsor for a green card for an intracompany manager or executive. Although the formation of a separate entity that insulates its shareholders from liability, such as a subsidiary, may be the desired form to do business, a branch is also a legitimate vehicle for a foreign company to conduct business in the US, http:// w w w. c y r u s m e h t a . c o m / Cyrus_Buss_usa.aspx. It must also seek the necessary permission to obtain authorization to do business in a state by filing an appropriate application, and the requirements for doing so in New York can be found here, http:// bit.ly/lMAxhX. An authorized branch of a foreign company will

also place the company within the jurisdiction of the United States courts and the state courts, in which the office is located and where business is conducted. The profits of the foreign entity earned through the branch will also be subject to US taxation. Finally, a branch may also apply for a Federal Employer Identification Number so that it can hire employees and report their income to Uncle Sam. To further support its erroneous position, the USCIS AFM relies on Matter of Thornhill, 18 I&N Dec. 34 (Comm. 1981), which is misplaced. Matter of Thornhill in-

The definition of an employer under the labor certification regulation at 20 CFR § 656.3 includes ‘[a] person, association, firm, or a corporation that currently has a location within the United States to which U.S. workers may be referred for employment and that proposes to employ a f ull-time employee at a place within the United States’ volved a sponsor of an immigrant visa petition who was himself a nonimmigrant on an H visa. Since a nonimmigrant H visa holder under the prior statute was required to establish a residence in a foreign country for which he or she had no intention of abandoning, the petitioner was not considered competent to create a job for employment for another alien on a permanent basis. But, unlike the nonimmigrant petition in Matter of Thornhill, a branch of a foreign company can continue to do business in the state on a permanent basis so long as it is authorized to do so under the relevant state law. Of course, a branch can go out of business, if the foreign parent does, but the

same applies to an entity, such as the subsidiary of the foreign entity, incorporated in the US. Thus the prohibition of a branch to file an I-140 petition for a multinational manager or executive can be challenged as being inconsistent with INA §203(b)(1)(C). It is also inconsistent with the fact that the same branch can readily sponsor the same individual for an L visa. Moreover, there appears to be no specific prohibition in the USCIS AFM for a branch to sponsor a foreign employee for a green card through a labor certification under the Employment-based Second and Third Preferences pursuant to INA §§ 203(b)(2) and (3) respectively. Indeed, the definition of an employer under the labor certification regulation at 20 CFR § 656.3 includes "[a] person, association, firm, or a corporation that currently has a location within the United States to which U.S. workers may be referred for employment and that proposes to employ a full-time employee at a place within the United States, or the authorized representative of such a person, association, firm or corporation. An employer must possess a valid Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)." This definition seems to include a branch, which may file a labor certification on behalf of a foreign worker so long as it has obtained a FEIN, and once the labor certification is approved, this same branch can go on and file an I-140 immigrant visa petition pursuant to §§ 203(b)(2) and (3). So, why should this branch be precluded from filing an I-140 for an intra company multinational manager or executive? USCIS's impediment on a branch to sponsor an intracompany executive or manager for permanent residence unnecessarily restricts a foreign company's ability to do business in the US on a long term basis, and ought to be eliminated. * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

Â&#x201E; Health

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Kitzhaber signs bill to cut insurance paperwork

SALEM, Ore.: Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has signed a bill aimed at reducing paperwork burdens for doctors. The bill takes effect immediately. It allows the state Department of Consumer and Business Services to adopt uniform standards for doctors to bill health insurance companies and perform other administrative tasks. Kitzhaber spokeswoman Christine Miles says many physician offices are overwhelmed with paperwork, and the problem could be alleviated if insurance companies had uniform paperwork. Miles says the goal is to allow doctors to spend more time with their patients. -AP

Â&#x201E; RI to get over $5M federal health care grant PROVIDENCE, R.I.: Rhode Island is set to receive a $5.2 million federal grant to set up a system in the state that will allow residents to shop for health insurance online. The Department of Health and Human Services grant is part of President Barack Obama's landmark health care plan. Last year, the Ocean State received a $1 million grant to start setting up the online insurance exchange. Rhode Island's congressional delegation announced the grant as Gov. Lincoln Chafee said he hoped the grant would help make Rhode Island a leader in putting Obama's health care plan to use. The delegation said in a joint statement the system will allow consumers and small businesses to compare health insurance options side by side. They say that competition will drive down insurance costs. -AP

Â&#x201E; Elko rodeo put off due to equine virus ELKO, Nev.: An outbreak of a deadly and highly contagious virus that's infected horses in nine states and Canada has prompted postponement of the Senior Pro Rodeo in Elko. The Elko Daily Free Press reports the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority will work with rodeo producers on rescheduling the event, which had been set for June 1-3 at the county fairgrounds. Authority officials say two other Elko rodeos also are in jeopardy: the June 6 Gold Miners Rodeo and the June 17-19 Nevada State High School Rodeo -AP

Health Science June 3, 2011

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Salad likely cause of Chicago-area salmonella ST. CHARLES, Ill.: Illinois health officials say evidence shows the cause of a salmonella outbreak in the Chicago suburbs likely was eating salad.- AP

NJ Senate votes to restore women's clinic funds TRENTON, NJ: The Senate has approved a measure that would restore $7.5 million in state funds to 52 health clinics that treat mostly poor, young and uninsured women. The vote was 26-13, one vote shy of a veto-proof majority. Gov. Chris Christie cut state funding to the clinics nearly a year ago, then vetoed an attempt by the Democratic-controlled Legislature to restore the money. Six of the 58 clinics statewide have since closed. The fight has been political as well as ideological. Democrats accused the governor of eliminating state funding to the centers to appease the anti-abortion wing of the Republican Party. Christie claimed it was because the state didn't have the money. Opponents of the funding said services such as cancer screenings, blood pressure checks and prenatal care are available elsewhere. But proponents say federally funded clinics have patient backlogs and waits for prenatal visits that can stretch up to 12 weeks. They say emergency room visits are a costly alternative to the routine and preventive care that health centers provide. The latest effort to restore the funds comes amid projections that state tax income collections for the year are more robust than projected. The state treasurer says New Jersey will take in about $500 million more than originally anticipated. The Legislature puts the figure at $914 million more by

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg has been an avid supporter of restoring funds to women's health and family planning centers cut by Gov. Christie (right) last year

Seven Republican senators voted for the original bill. Before the bill was put to a vote, Allen of Burlington said she would approve it out of concern for women who relied on the shuttered clinics for cervical, ovarian and breast cancer screenings who wouldn't otherwise get the early diagnostic tests the close of the next fiscal year in June 2012. All 24 Democrats voted to restore the funds, along with Republicans Diane Allen and Jennifer Beck. Sen. Dawn Addiego of Medford was the only female Republican to vote no. The Assembly hasn't yet considered the new bill. Sen. Loretta Weinberg, DTeaneck, who has been leading the push to restore the money, urged her colleagues to put partisan politics aside before the vote. ``Either you are for

underserved women having access to proper health care, primary care physicians and yes, birth control, (or you're not),'' Weinberg said. ``We are in the second decade of the 21st century. The fight over poor women's access to birth control I thought was finished a few generations ago.'' However, Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Denville, who voted against the funding restoration, said lawmakers had the opportunity to include the funding in last year's budget but chose not to. ``Last year when we were do-

ing the budget, you had that ability to put in resolutions to fund this, but yet you didn't do it,'' he said. ``You would rather have funded the Battleship New Jersey; you would rather have funded the art museum and other projects.'' He also took issue with having the bill brought to the Senate floor without having been debated in committee, circumventing customary procedure. ``We are going down a slippery slope when we bypass the process of debating a bill in committee, bringing it out on the floor and debating it here,'' he said. The original bill had full public hearings in the Senate and Assembly before being voted on. Seven Republican senators voted for the original bill, but none supported the subsequent attempt to defy the governor and override his veto. Before the bill was put to a vote, Allen of Burlington said she would approve it out of concern for women who relied on the shuttered clinics for cervical, ovarian and breast cancer screenings who wouldn't otherwise get the early diagnostic tests. To quell critics who oppose funding health centers that provide abortions or abortion counseling, she noted that the law already prohibits state money from being used to fund abortions. ``There probably are women who did not get their cancers detected (in the past year),'' Allen said. ``It seems to me we have to put money into these clinics and these centers.'' -AP

Women protest Ga. city's Boston health center to join federal HIV program breastfeeding rules FOREST PARK, Ga.: More than 100 women showed up at Forest Park City Hall to protest an ordinance that places restrictions on breastfeeding. The women at the protest were showing their displeasure with an ordinance passed two weeks ago that bans breastfeeding children over 2 years old in public.

In addition to the protest, the women used a Facebook page and an online petition to spread the word. Forest Park City Manager John Parker says the ordinance is aimed at other nudity issues. He says council members will revisit the issue at their next meeting. -AP

BOSTON: A Boston health center has been selected as one of 24 community health centers nationally to participate in a federal initiative to develop services to care for people with HIV. The Whittier Street Health Center in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood was selected re-

cently for the HIV in ``Primary Care Learning Community'' program. Under the program, the center will receive training and technical assistance over the next year to expand its capacity to provide comprehensive, quality care for Bostonians living with HIV.-AP

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Health Science Post

June 3, 2011

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Ore. Senate closes breast cancer coverage loophole SALEM, Ore.: The Oregon Senate has voted unanimously to close a legal loophole that some health insurance companies had used to decline payment for reconstructive surgery for women with breast cancer. The change will provide insurance coverage for breast reconstruction, even if only part of the breast is removed, The Regis-

of insurers denying his patients' claims in the past three years. Leonard said he typically performs breast reconstructive surgeries on about 50 breast cancer patients a year. Those surgeries can cost $5,000 to $10,000. Although Leonard said he hasn't collected any statewide numbers, he has heard anecdotal evidence that other doctors were

Under the federal Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, if an insurance plan covers a mastectomy - or the complete surgical removal of a breast, usually done for breast cancer patients - insurers must also cover the costs of breast reconstructive surgery ter-Guard reported. Under the federal Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, if an insurance plan covers a mastectomy - or the complete surgical removal of a breast, usually done for breast cancer patients - insurers must also cover the costs of breast reconstructive surgery. But because both federal and Oregon law refer only to mastectomies, some claims to cover reconstructive work after partial breast removals were occasionally turned down by insurance companies. Dr. Dann Leonard, a Salem plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reconstructions, said he has seen six or seven cases

seeing the same periodic denials. ``In the last couple years, it got a lot worse as insurance companies got tighter with their budgets,'' Leonard said. He brought the issue to the attention of state lawmakers this session, and state Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Eugene, became the issue's main champion in the Capitol. Hoyle helped draft House Bill 3616, which clearly defines that mastectomy means ``the surgical removal of all or part of a breast or a breast tumor suspected.'' Health insurance companies did not oppose the bill that was unanimously approved by the Oregon House last month before the Senate passed it last week.-AP

June 3, 2011

Health Science Post

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Lawsuit challenges Ariz. Medicaid eligibility cut PHOENIX: Opponents have filed a lawsuit to block Arizona's plan to help close a budget shortfall by using signup freezes to implement new eligibility restrictions for the state's Medicaid program. The lawsuit filed with the Arizona Supreme Court alleges that the plan violates a state constitutional protection for a voter-approved law that broadened eligibility for the program to exceed federal Medicaid minimums. Three public-interest law firms filed the long-expected lawsuit against Gov. Jan Brewer and the state's Medicaid director on behalf of a health care advocate, a community health program and four Medicaid patients. Unlike an earlier plan that would have terminated coverage outright for several eligibility categories not mandated by the federal government, Arizona's current plan is based on gradual savings from reducing enrollment through freezes to prohibit new signups by people within those categories starting July 1 and Oct. 1. State officials have estimated that the freezes will reduce the Arizona Health Care Containment System's enrollment by approxi-

mately 135,000 people in the first year. The program's total enrollment now is 1.3 million. If successful, the lawsuit could pose a significant challenge to legislators who counted on savings in the Medicaid program to help close a projected $1.1 billion shortfall. The freezes are projected to save the state approximately $200 million, or about two-fifths of the $500 million of the Medicaid program's savings anticipated in the new $8.3 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. The balance of the savings come from reducing payments to providers and making other changes not challenged in the lawsuit. The lawsuit is based on two voter-approved Arizona laws that were put on successive generalelection ballots through initiative petitions more than a decade ago. A constitutional amendment approved in 1998 generally forbids Arizona lawmakers from repealing or changing voter-approved laws. A 2000 law mandates that AHCCCS exceed federal minimums by providing health care coverage for all people with incomes up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level. The coverage mandate was in-

tentional, clear and binding, requiring the Legislature to add dollars to supplement money from a lawsuit settlement from tobacco companies to pay for the eligibility expansion, the lawsuit stated. ``The voters intended for the state to cover all eligible individuals and, if the tobacco settlement funds were not sufficient, then it was up to the state to find

Three public-interest law firms filed the long-expected lawsuit against Gov. Jan Brewer and the state's Medicaid director another source of funding, including an appropriation by the Legislature,'' it said. Brewer and Republican legislators have said the planned eligibility reduction is legal because the 2000 law only required that the state use ``available'' funding from the general fund to augment money from a lawsuit settlement with tobacco companies. ``In an atmosphere in which we have cut billions (of dollars) of

spending in the last several years, it seems clear to the governor that other money is simply not available,'' Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson said. The alternative would be to cut spending on public safety, education and other services, he said. A health policy analyst said Arizona's move to reduce its Medic-

aid enrollment is made possible by the fact that its program's basic federal authorization expires Sept. 30. That enables Arizona to reset non-federally mandated aspects of the program, including optional eligibility levels, said Judith Solomon, vice president for health policy for the Center for Budgeting and Policy Priorities. -AP

Tech News RBI contract loss forces job cuts at UK printer DeLaRue LONDON: The expected loss of a major contract with the Reserve Bank of India has forced the world's largest bank note printer De La Rue to cut jobs, merge divisions and shake up its supply chain in a bid to return to financial health. Hampshire-based De La Rue, which produces over 150 currencies around the world, faced production difficulties after employees allegedly falsified paper test certificates for the Reserve Bank of India, which has been its biggest client. The company has refused to name the client, but said the Serious Fraud Office, which has conducted an investigation, was still "considering the matter". The company said discussions "remain ongoing with the principal customer" in its currency division, but industry sources believe the contract with the Reserve Bank of India is almost over. Chief Executive Tim Cobbold told the media: "This was clearly a challenging year for us." There was "no material announcement" to be made on discussions with the Reserve Bank of India and he would not comment on the likely outcome of the talks. "There remains uncertainty as to the ultimate outcome of these issues, including their financial impact," he said.-PTI

‘India trying to build consensus on next IMF chief’ NEW DELHI: After France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde announced her candidacy for the post of Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India said developing nations are trying to "consolidate" their position to take a view on the issue. While most European countries are backing Lagarde, the developing countries are trying to build a consensus on nominating a person from the emerging nations as the next IMF chief. "I am in touch with some of the finance ministers of developing countries and emerging economies... We are trying to consolidate our position where we can take a view," Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here. The post of IMF managing director fell vacant following the exit of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who is being tried for charges of sexual assault in the US. Contíd on page 42

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India, Ethiopia ink deals on taxation and medium enterprises ADDIS ABABA: India and Ethiopia have inked two agreements in the area of taxation and medium scale enterprises to bring benefits to business communities to both sides even as Addis Ababa dismissed reports of the African country being used as a dumping ground for Indian goods. After wide-ranging discussions between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Ethiopian counterpart Meles Zenawi, the two accords were signed which are expected to help further deepen economic exchanges between the two countries.

June 3, 2011

Details on page 42

Ghosh takes over from Datta as Associate VP at Virginia Tech India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Guru Ghosh, director of international programs for the California State University System's Humboldt State University, will join Virginia Tech in July as associate vice president for international affairs, John Dooley, vice president for Outreach and International Affairs, announced last month. Ghosh earned his Ph.D. degree in educational policy, planning, and leadership from Virginia's College of William and Mary. At Humboldt, Ghosh oversaw the development of strategic partnerships and international agreements as well as supervised faculty and staff at a branch campus in China. Ghosh also served as director of global education for the College of William and Mary from 2000 to 2009. His portfolio there included numerous international

study programs in 20 countries. "I'm pleased and delighted that, after a nationwide search, we have found a charismatic leader to build upon the great success we've developed over the last 20 years. He will help us move forward in the increasingly vital international sphere," Dooley said. "International affairs encompasses so

Guru Ghosh

much at Virginia Tech - not only education abroad and a strong contingent of international students studying here, but also more

than $90 million in research worldwide as well as Virginia Tech campuses and centers on five continents." "I am deeply honored and humbled to accept the position of associate vice president for international affairs at Virginia Tech," Ghosh said. "Virginia Tech is uniquely positioned to be one of

As associate vice president, Ghosh will be responsible for the planning, marketing, delivery, and oversight of the university's international programs and activities the great universities in the world with global reach and distinction. I am looking forward to joining a globally engaged community dedi-

cated to the unbridled pursuit of greatness." As associate vice president, Ghosh will be responsible for the planning, marketing, delivery, and oversight of the university's international programs and activities. Ghosh earned his bachelor's degree in international business from Marycrest International University in Iowa. He was the first international student to be elected vice president of the student body. He earned his master's degree in student personnel administration in higher education at Ball State University in Indiana. He takes over from S.K. De Datta, who steps down as associate vice president to concentrate on the Office of International Research, Education and Development. "The university is forever indebted to Dr. De Datta for his visionary leadership over the last 20 years, which has propelled Virginia Tech into having one of the preeminent international programs in higher education," Dooley said.

Court stays release of book on Niira Radia NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has stayed the release and circulation of the book 'Close Encounters with Niira Radia' authored by R K Anand on his alleged association as a lawyer with the corporate lobbyist who was representing a UK-based firm in a case here. Justice V K Jain granted an "ex-parte" injunction on the release of the book, which was to hit the stands in the first week of June, and also issued notices to Har-Anand Publications Private Ltd and Anand who was convicted for contempt of court following a sting operation. The court, which asked Anand and the publisher to file responses, has fixed the hearing on July 22 on the plea of Radia, Director of Vaishnavi Corporate Communications. Besides seeking a ban on the

release of the book, Radia has sought Rs one crore as damages alleging Anand and the publisher have attempted to defame her by revealing "privileged communications" between a lawyer and a client. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the lobby-

ited, then represented by Radia, has allegedly bared all details regarding his communications with the lobbyist. "What is further astonishing is that the book unabashedly contains information and documents which enjoy absolute privilege and

‘The book unabashedly contains information and documents which enjoy absolute privilege and protection from third party disclosure under the applicable laws having been conveyed to Anand in his capacity as an advocate for Air UK Leasing Limited’ ist, said "our main plea was invading the privacy and having right to privacy. The book is nothing but full of filth and character assassination." Anand, who once appeared in a court for Air UK Leasing Lim-

protection from third party disclosure under the applicable laws having been conveyed to Anand in his capacity as an advocate for Air UK Leasing Limited," the petition, filed by advocate Saif Mahmood, said. The petition al-

leged the author wanted to implicate Radia as an accused in 2G scam in which she is a witness. "The clear object seems to be to somehow implicate the plaintiff in the alleged (2G) scam and prejudice the ongoing investigations in respect thereof," the petition said. "The plaintiff (Radia) is an entrepreneur and Chairperson of Vaishnavi Corporate Communications Private Limited, a reputed and prominent consultancy company running one of India's largest as also the most respected corporate communications company," it said. Anand was engaged as a lawyer by the UK-based firm, then represented by Radia, to appear in a court as the company got involved in legal battle with Modiluft.-PTI

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June 3, 2011

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Manmohan asks UN to combat international piracy ADDIS ABABA: India has made a strong pitch to the UN to take the lead in evolving a comprehensive response to the threat of international piracy in the Red Sea and off the coast of Somalia to ensure unhindered maritime trade. Simultaneously, the international community should continue with efforts to restore stability in Somalia, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said while addressing the joint session of Ethiopian Parliament here. Singh, who is the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Ethiopia, said as a littoral state of the Indian Ocean, India is ready to work with Ethiopia and other African countries in this regard. The Prime Minister received a standing ovation from a packed Parliament as he entered with his wife Gursharan Kaur. "The Horn of Africa is today faced with threats from piracy and terrorism. International piracy in the Red sea and off the coat of Somalia has become a well-organized industry. It is important that the United Nations take the lead in developing a comprehensive and effective response to this threat," Singh said. "We would all like the Indian Ocean to remain a secure link between Asia and Africa through which international maritime trade can take place unhindered," he said. India has repeatedly voiced its serious concerns over the threats

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressing the Joint Session of Ethiopian Parliament, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 26

posed by Somali pirates since about 11 per cent of seafarers engaged by international shipping companies are Indian nationals, some of whom have been taken hostage. There have been over 200 attacks, including about 70 successful hijackings and excessive ransoms have been paid to the pirates for securing the release of hostages and ships. Noting that winds of change blowing in West Asia and North Africa, Singh said, "We believe it is the right of all peoples to determine their own destiny and choose their own path of development." "International actions must be based on the rule of law and be

Commenting on the emergence of new nation South Sudan in next few weeks, Singh said, "We hope it will contribute to peace and reconciliation among the people of Sudan" strictly within the framework of UN resolutions. We support the efforts of the African Union in

India says rich nations trying to violate Doha mandate PARIS: India has said the developed countries are trying to shift goal posts in WTO negotiations, lamenting that these attempts violate the Doha mandate that calls for an equitable global trade deal. "India views such an attempt to shift goal posts as unacceptable and as a violation of the mandate," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said, ahead of the WTO informal ministerial meeting here on the sidelines of the OECD meet. While the informal meeting, being hosted by Australia would be "a good opportunity to discuss what lies ahead in Doha", the complex agenda of the Doha Round involving 154 members "cannot be rushed", he said. In the face of unbridgeable differences among the developed and the developing countries, Australia is eager to secure con-

sensus over a small menu of issues through Plan B, scaling down the ambitions of the Round, sources said. Australia wants that difficult

Sharma said developed countries are seeking to put more demands on the developing nations for market opening. He said progress already made must be protected issues relating to market access agriculture, industrial goods, and services must be taken up next year. Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson had a meeting with

Sharma. But India, South Africa and Brazil want that members must strive to realize the much-promised developmental gains, said an Indian official. In a statement, Sharma said developed countries are seeking to put more demands on the developing nations for market opening. It said progress already made must be protected. Sharma said after taking aggressive cuts in tariff rates under the Swiss Formula, it would be difficult for emerging economies to accept "top-ups" which are sought to be made mandatory. "Developed countries must appreciate our sensitivities, our autonomous liberalization, the development dimension and the impact on our local industries" in case the developing countries commit to slash import duties, he said.-PTI

bringing peace and stability to the region," he added. Singh was repeatedly applauded during his speech. Commenting on the emergence of new nation South Sudan in next few weeks, Singh said, "We hope it will contribute to peace and reconciliation among the people of Sudan." Turning to changes in the structure of global bodies like United Nations and International monetary system, the Prime Minister said: "These are issues which have to be tackled and resolved." He thanked Ethiopia for its strong support to India's permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council. In his address, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that Ethiopia and India enjoyed long standing cordial ties on the basis of mutual respect and benefits for the peoples of the countries. He said the threads of historical, cultural and political relation-

ship have forged the two countries together. "These two countries have stood together in many historic moments," he added. Talking about greater cooperation between the two countries, Singh said India and Ethiopia must work to address the challenges of food security, energy security, health security, sustainable development and climate change. He said providing affordable healthcare, particularly in rural areas is another major challenge. Indian pharmaceutical companies are known for providing cheap and good quality generic drugs. I am happy they have begun to invest in Ethiopia, he said. Talking about climate change, the Prime Minister said it is essential for rich countries to share the financial burden of combating climate change, participate in research and development and promote transfer of technology to ensure green growth. On the financial relations between the two countries, he said India has offered USD 5 billion for the next three years under the line of credit to help achieve the development goals of Africa. "We will offer an additional USD 700 million to establish new institutions and training programs in consultation with the African Union and its institutions," he said. Singh said the bilateral trade between the two countries is on course to reach the target of USD one billion by 2015. He said relations between India and Ethiopia have expanded impressively in the last few decades. "We attach high importance to our relations with Ethiopia. Our development and economic partnership is progressing well," the Prime Minister said. -PTI

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June 3, 2011

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The CMD, NSIC, Dr. H.P. Kumar and the DG, FEMSEDA, Ethiopia, Meskelchalla signing the agreement on medium and small scale industries, in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 25

that was being offered to Indian companies which were using them for investment purposes. On his part, Singh acknowledged that the balance of trade was highly favorable towards India and the two sides were finding ways and means for encouraging Ethiopian exports in Indian markets. The Prime Minister said India has tried to assist Ethiopia's development through capacity building support and offered lines of credit of more than USD 700 million during the last five years. An additional line of credit of USD 300 million was being extended for a regional integration project as committed to the African Union for a new EthiopiaDjibouti railway, he said. -PTI

India, China lead global economic Honda to set up third twowheeler plant in India recovery: UN UNITED NATIONS: The emerging economies of India, China and Brazil are leading the global economic recovery, according to a UN report. "The rebound has been led by the large emerging economies in Asia and Latin America, particularly China, India and Brazil," the report said. The mid-year issue of the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP), said that "weaknesses in major developed economies continue to drag the global recovery and pose risks for world economic stability in the coming years". The report said that many developing countries have been able to use the policy buffers (in the form of ample fiscal space and vast foreign-exchange reserves) they had generated in the years before the crisis to adopt aggressive stimulus packages. The report said that while developing countries continue to drive the global recovery, their output growth is also expected to moderate to 6.0 per cent on average during 2011-2012, down from

7.1 per cent in 2010. It said that that China and India's GDP growth is also expected to experience some moderation in 2011 and 2012.

Most of the demand growth will continue to come from emerging economies, especially China and India. The report said that employment programs like India's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act have been effective The report said that the volume of exports of many emerging economies, including Brazil, China, India and other developing economies in Asia, have already recovered to, or beyond, pre-crisis peaks.

The study said that exports of developed economies have not yet achieved full recovery and were still 8 per cent below the precrisis peaks seen in the third quarter of 2010. he report said that world trade is expected to grow by about 6.5 per cent in 2011 and 2012, moderating from the 10.5 per cent rebound in 2010. The report said that in 2011, global oil demand is expected to increase further. Most of the demand growth will continue to come from emerging economies, especially China and India. The report said that employment programs like India's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act have been effective. It said that the scheme provides one hundred days of employment at the minimum wage to 43 million low-income households. The report said that in India, the central bank is concerned with inflation, which has remained persistently high despite significant monetary tightening in 2010.-PTI

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;India trying to build consensus on next IMF chiefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ContĂd from page 40

Even Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked developing countries to be united in the attempt to reform global financial institutions. "I had a discussion with the Finance Minister of South Africa over the phone," Mukherjee said.

Earlier, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping came out in the open to oppose the notion that the next IMF chief should be from Europe and argued that such a selection criteria undermines the legitimacy of the fund. If appointed, Lagarde would be the first woman to head the global emergency lender. Conventionally

the chief of the IMF has always been a European, while the World Bank has always been headed by an American. Since US and European nations have over 50 per cent voting shares in the financial institution, it would be very difficult for any candidate outside these countries to reach the top IMF post. -PTI

NEW DELHI: Japanese auto Following this expansion exergiant Honda has said it will set up cises, HMSI's total installed caa third two-wheeler manufacturing pacity will increase to 40 lakh units facility in India at Narsapuram, in annually by 2013 from 16 lakh southern Indian state Karnataka, units at present. with an installed annual capacity "India represents the world's of 12 lakh units by 2013. second largest motorcycle market The company, which recently behind only China and industryexited from India's largest two- wide motorcycle sales in India for wheeler maker, Hero Honda, will 2010 reached 1.13 crore units (up also double the output of the up- 30 per cent compared to 2009). coming second plant at Tapukara "HMSI's sales have grown in Rajasthan to 12 lakh units by steadily, with 2010 sales of apthe end of this fiscal. proximately 15.26 lakh units (up 40 Honda Motor Co, however, did per cent compared to 2009), not mention any investment fig- achieving a record high for 10 conure for expanding its business in the growing Indian two-wheeler mar- The company, which recently ket. "In order to realize exited from India's largest Honda's vision to pro- two-wheeler maker, Hero vide good products Honda, will also double the with speed and affordability, the third output of the upcoming secplant will be built in the ond plant at Tapukara in Bangalore area in the Rajasthan to 12 lakh units by southern part of India. "The third plant is the end of this fiscal scheduled to become operational in the first half of 2013, with annual produc- secutive years," the company tion capacity of 12 lakh units," the said. company said in a statement. Following its exit from the The company's wholly-owned world's largest two-wheeler maker, subsidiary -- Honda Motorcycle Hero Honda, Honda had said it & Scooter India (HMSI) -- is cur- would dethrone its erstwhile joint rently investing about Rs 500 venture with the Hero Group from crore for setting up its second fa- the number one position in the cility at Tapukara in Rajasthan and country within the next 10 years. it will be inaugurated on June 1 The company had announced with an initial installed capacity of that it would intensify focus on 6 lakh units per annum. Hero Honda's stronghold, the "HMSI decided to double the mass market segment, where it had annual production capacity of this been restricted due to the joint plant to 12 lakh units in March, venture, and would launch its first 2012," the company said. 100-cc bike by next year.-PTI

Â&#x201E;

Realty Tidbits

12.5% hike in land prices at Greater Noida

Real Estate

fter violent farmers' protests for enhanced land compensation, authorities of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway have decided to hike land rates by 12.5 per cent. To compensate the loss, authorities have also hiked land allotment rates by the same percentage. This was announced by Chairman Mohinder Singh after a board meeting of the authorities. Besides, authorities have approved for four new metro rail projects including City Centre to NH-24 via Sector 71 crossing, Sector 71 crossing to Bodaki railway station in Greater Noida via Sector 121 and Noida Extension and Kalindi Kunj to Botanical Garden. The fourth link from Sector 94 to 142 via 124 and 44 will link the Noida-Greater Noida Line to Kalindi Kunj providing a direct link to the Sarita Vihar line. An elevated road along the Shahdara drain is proposed from Sector 14-14A to Kalindi Kunj via Noida Sector 95.

Â&#x201E; Phadnis Infra to expand real estate business

nfrastructure development firm Phadnis Infrastructure plans to invest over Rs 1,700 crore in the next five years to fuel its expansion plans. "We have huge growth plans for India and so have planned to invest over Rs 1,700 crore in the next five years. These funds would be used primarily to fuel our expansion in the real estate, hospitality and ITeS segments," company's Chairman and Managing Director told PTI. The company plans to invest around Rs 600 crore in hospitality and around Rs 1,000 crore in the real estate businesses, he said, adding it was also making a significant investment in its ITeS business. "Real estate is our core business. But we also want to focus on the hospitality sector which has a huge growth potential. We plan to set up around 25 budget hotels pan-India in the next few years. We are expecting revenues of around Rs 600 crore each from hospitality and real estate businesses." The firm, which is into construction of roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects, expecting to double its order book to Rs 1,600 crore from the current over Rs 800 crore by March 2012, he said. "We will be bidding for various government as well as private projects," Phadnis said.

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June 3, 2011

4.8% drop in DLF's net profit

ndia's largest real estate company, DLF Ltd, reported a marginal drop of 4.8% in its net profit for the year ending 31 March 2011. Company's consolidated net profit stood at Rs1,640 crore compared to Rs1,720 crore in FY10. The earnings per share for the year stood at Rs9.66 versus Rs10.13 in FY10. However, for the quarter ending 31 March, firm's net profit stood at Rs344.54 crore, a drop of 19% compared to Rs426.38 crore in the corresponding period in the previous fiscal.

Delhi Realtor arrested for grabbing property of NRIs NEW DELHI: A 46-year-old real estate developer has been arrested in South Delhi on charges of land grabbing. The accused, Dheeraj Singh, used to fly abroad and befriend NRIs living there to collect information about their properties in India. Later, he would return to India and, with forged documents, take possession of their property through fake power of attorney, police said. He usually targeted NRIs who did not visit India often. According to police, Singh has two companies - D S Industry and Himland Real Estate - in Punjab and had recently undertaken a construction project in Baddi, an industrial area in Himachal Pradesh. Police said

Singh, his wife and brother Ram Niwas were earlier arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the

Singh used to visit foreign countries, befriend Indians and collect information on their properties in India," said Chhaya Sharma, DCP (South) Dheeraj Singh

CBI in Chandigarh for cheating Punjab National Bank, Chandigarh, of crores of rupees by taking a loan for the said project on forged documents.

Realty feels the heat: Sales affected

ummer spells a lull for the real estate sector as trans action volumes take a downward plunge. The trend is clear considering that estate project launches have been the least during the second quarter from April 1 to June 30. As many as 46,093 high rise apartments were launched between January 2005 till December 2010. Of these, the highest launches were during the third quarter (July to September) when over 41% high-rise homes were launched in the city. In contrast, the lowest launches came in the second quarter when the launch of only 5,448 apartments (11.82 %) were announced. When asked why home buyers defer purchases, real estate analysts blame it on the scorching heat and summer vacations. "It is true that transaction volumes are lesser during the summer months. This is a time when the weather is not encouraging for buyers. Moreover, since summer vacations are the longest, many families leave town to beat the heat. People wait for the Navratras and Diwali (which falling in the third and

According to police, one Surender Malhotra had filed a complaint in January that two

fourth quarters respectively) as they consider this time to be auspicious," said Santosh Kumar CEO (operations), Jones Lang LaSalle, India. Despite figures indicating a clear trend, builders are hesitant to acknowledge the fact. Ravi Saund head (business development) of CHD Developers, said, "As the weather is severe, many people feel this is not an appropriate time to shift into a new home. Also, since children are already into their new academic year, parents do not want to make a change. Also, customers prefer not to venture out to look at property in such weather." According to the launch figures, the next highest number of launches of 13,814 apartments comes in the first quarter. Also, over 16 % launches were seen in the last quarter from October to December. "The phase from January to March is the time for financial closures and, hence, it boosts transaction volumes. On the other hand, the winter months see a large influx of non-resident Indians arriving back in India to visit relatives.

persons - Singh and Niwas had allegedly usurped the property of an NRI based in the UK. "The complainant told us that he had been given the power of

attorney by the NRI woman in the UK. During investigations, it was found that Singh and Niwas were arrested earlier and are out on bail. Singh used to visit foreign countries, befriend Indians and collect information on their properties in India," said Chhaya Sharma, DCP (South). Police said Singh visited the UK last year and met Raj Rani in Birmingham. He took photocopies of the documents of her property, located at R-4 Green Park Extension. He then prepared a fake `receipt-cum-possession letter' by forging the signatures and took possession of the second floor of the property, police added. Niwas is yet to be arrested.-Courtesy Indian Express

Bilrla Sun Life to invest 250 crores

irla Sun Life is set to invest Rs 250 crore in four real estate projects -three in Mumbai and one in Chennai through its realty-focused fund. The Rs 1,100 crore real estate fund has already invested Rs 225 crore in the sector and would be making the investment within three months, according to a senior company official. "We have clocked around 20 per cent return on our investment and hope to do the same with the new investment," said Shashi Kumar, head, Real Estate Investment Advisory, Birla Sun Life Asset Management. "In Mumbai, the residential projects are in Western suburbs and we should conclude the deals within three months," he said. The fund is also investing in other cities apart from Mumbai in what is seen as a strategy. The fund-raised from domestic market predominantly invests in new residential segment in the country. According to the company official, the fund is also bullish on other cities like Pune, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Industry experts are wary about investment in real estate especially in Mumbai, where prices have gone up by as much as 40 per cent since 2010. This is only lower (in percentage term) than Ahmedabad, where prices have increased by over 60 per cent in the same period.

According to the company official, the fund is also bullish on other cities like Pune, Bangalore and Ahmedabad "The investment in the real estate is slow in Mumbai because there are no approvals from the government. Also a lot of ambiguity surrounds some laws like floor space index (FSI) and also how the government itself is selling land parcels at steep prices, pushing the prices up," added Kumar.

Real Estate

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June 3, 2011

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Unitech MD's bail plea rejected

nitech group made Rs 2,342 crore in profit by offloading shares to Norway-based company Telenor after getting the UAS licenses at a throw-away price, the Delhi High Court said while dismissing the bail plea of Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra. "The enterprise value of Unitech Group of Companies was pegged at Rs 4,400 crore, of which Rs 1,146.7 crore was shown as external debt and Rs 773 crore was shareholders" loan and net equity worth of promoters as against the actual investment of Rs 138 crore was treated as Rs 2,480 crore." "Thus, with the grant of Letter of Intents (LoIs), the promoters of the Unitech Group of Companies got monetary gain of Rs 2,342 crore," justice Ajit Bharihoke, referring to the charge sheet, said. Chandra and his company Unitech entered into a criminal

conspiracy with former telecom minister A Raja and other DoT official to get UAS licenses by manipulating the first-come-firstserved policy. The then private

With the grant of Letter of Intents (LoIs), the promoters of the Unitech Group of Companies got monetary gain of Rs 2,342 crore secretary of Raja had taken "undue" interest in ensuring that no other applications are accepted by the DoT after the Unitech applies for the same, the court said.

Starwood to open 100 hotels in India

tarwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, which owns brands like Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, W Hotels and Luxury Collection, signs up on average a property a week. Last year, it beat its record by signing up 72. In India, Starwood has an ambitious target of 100 hotels by 2015. Hoyt Harper, senior VP-brand management in Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, said, "We have 9 distinct brands. The beauty of what we offer is different brands for each travel occasion at different price points. Sheraton is usually our trailblazing brand if I can make a comparison to what we are able to accomplish in China. “We started with Sheraton and grew our footprint because of the brand. As we had a strong foothold in the market, we were able to bring in Westin, Four Points by Sheraton and W. When I look at India, Sheraton will help us build

a base and create opportunities to grow Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft brands. We are getting ready to open W in India by 2013. We have 34 properties as we speak and we are on target to achieve 50 properties by 2012. We have planned to have 100 hotels, either under development, in operation or contracted by 2015." India and China India and China are the fastest growing markets in Asia. The only thing common between the two countries is their population. We don't compare the two in terms of numbers. You may say that Starwood has a robust pipeline with 150 hotels in China and why does India only have 50? Being in the kind of business we are in, we see challenges in the cost of land, real estate and lifestyle. That's why it is difficult to compare the pace of growth in India with China.

Fall in housing demand at Noida Extension

ousing demand in Noida Extension area in the National Capital region (NCR) has fallen by at least 20 per cent following a court order directing return of land acquired for residential development to the original owners. Property developers and consultants said that most of the prospective home buyers are adopting a wait-and-watch policy for any purchase in Noida Extension, a part of Greater Noida area, and demand has fallen since the court order. The Allahabad High Court has denotified more than 150 hectares of land acquired by the Greater Noida Authority and directed the entire land to be returned to their owners. "The court decision has certainly impacted the real estate market in Noida Extension. Buyers are nervous and are on wait and watch till some clarity emerges," global real estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (India) CEO (Operations) Santosh Kumar told PTI. "Demand has definitely slowed down, but it is difficult to quantify the fall in demand. We have not witnessed decline in property prices so far," Kumar said, adding that increase in home loan interest rates was also slowing down the demand. Anil Sharma, the Chairman and Managing Director of property

developer Amrapali, whose project has been affected due to denotification, said: "The housing demand in Noida Extension has declined by about 20 per cent. Before the Allahabad High Court Decision, we were selling 50 units a day. Now it is about 40 flats," he added. Sharma, however, hoped that some solution would emerge as the authority is in talks with landowners. He added that the company was shifting 1,200 customers

difficult to say that decline is because of the court order. If demand remains low in July also, then it is a concern." Meanwhile, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Rama Raman has said that negotiations were on with farmers to acquire the land afresh. He said that farmers would be given the benefits of new rehabilitation policy and several farmers have submitted applica-

"Demand has definitely slowed down, but it is difficult to quantify the fall in demand. We have not witnessed decline in property prices so far," Kumar said, adding that increase in home loan interest rates was also slowing down the demand of an affected project 'Smart City' to 'Dream Valley' project and money would be returned to those wanting to withdraw. A senior official of a leading real estate firm said that customers were shaky and reluctant to buy homes in Noida, Greater Noida and Noida Extension because of land issues. Realty body CredaiNCR President Pankaj Bajaj, however, said: "The demand is low in May and June every year. So it is

tions to sell their land on fresh terms. "We are also considering moving the Supreme Court if needed. We hope to resolve the issue soon," he said. Raman had said that the authority would ensure that developers who have already invested crores do not suffer. "If needed, alternate sites would be provided to builders whose projects have not yet taken off," he said.

Zinc Hospitality to launch own brands in India Real estate company Zinc Hospitality, which holds equity in properties like Taj Safaris, Taj Asia, Hilton in New York and India Safaris, is getting its own brands to India. The company has partnered hotel management company, Bangkok-based InVision, to launch its brands - Glow Studios and Zinc City - for the mid-market segment. It plans to invest $40 million in four properties to be developed in India by 2013 - in Greater Noida, Surat and Cochin. "We have been a sleeping giant. Seven years ago, we wanted to create our own brand, it took us some time to accumulate assets and projects," said Rahul Chaudhary, executive director, Indian sub-continent, Zinc InVision Hospitality. The company plans to develop another 15 hotels in the same category through a mix of ownership and management contracts. It is also on the look out for existing

properties which can be renovated into hotels. "Initially we want to have equity stake in our projects and build our brands.

“We are willing to invest and put our money where our mouth is. We don't want to open a huge number of hotels but have focused growth with quality projects” Later on, we would like to have a strategic investor at the property level," said Kevin Beauvais, chief executive officer and co-founder, Zinc InVision Hospitality.

The tariff of the two hotels Glow Studios and Zinc City - will be in the range of $100 per room. The hospitality company wants to expand into Tier II and III cities like Coimbatore, Guwahati, Amritsar, Rudrapur, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. "We feel the luxury market in India is getting very saturated. We can look at that segment at a later stage," said Chaudhary. Also, the company plans to open, at least, 30 hotels in Asia and West Asia by 2013 including, its up scale brands like Zinc Edge, Zinc Living, Zinc Journey and luxury hotel Soma. "We are willing to invest and put our money where our mouth is. We don't want to open a huge number of hotels but have focused growth with quality projects," Beauvais said,adding, "People build hotels, but after some time there is no maintenance, which gives us an opportunity to stand out."

Real Estate

June 3, 2011

India Post 45

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Indian real estate in for significant correction

ndia's overpriced real estate market could come back to earth with a thud. Developers trying to sell costly property cannot find buyers, who in turn find themselves squeezed out of the market by rising mortgage costs and inflated property prices. Inventory, jargon for built-up homes that haven't been sold, is piling up. Fittingly, a full 25% of total units remain unsold in Mumbai, where real estate rates are the least realistic; Chennai and Pune follow with 19% units unsold, 16% of units can't be sold in Delhi and its surroundings, followed by Bangalore and Kolkata. Developers who find themselves unable to sell built units cannot pay back loans and find it hard to raise capital for new projects. Sensible economics sug-

gests that if they can't sell at high prices, they should cut rates and find buyers. But most builders would rather hold on, hoping for gullible buyers to buy dream homes at prices dreamt up by the sellers. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many builders are selling land holdings to finance loans, rather than cut prices. This too is good, because it will bring more land back into the market, creating further pressure for property prices to fall. For many years, India has not seen a property crash, so many people still believe in the phrase 'safe as houses.' But globally, property has been prone to long cycles of price appreciation and decline. To some extent, the Indian real estate market has been immune from price cycles because of the

prevalence of cash transactions in this sector. But with almost all regulators, including the RBI, tightening screws on the property market and trying to trace money trails for high value transactions, it's just become harder to do cash trades. For salaried professionals, cash was never an option, so the easy money, low interest rate regime earlier was a good time to get cheap mortgages and buy homes. But with interest rates hardening, these people have become cautious about what prices they're willing to pay for real estate. This too is welcome: it'll force builders to build homes that buyers can afford, rather than try and peddle overpriced merchandise. All markets have gone through corrections, it's time real estate also got its reality check.

Navi Mumbai hampered by lack of infrastructure Navi Mumbai is still to reach its true potential. "Lack of affordable housing, poor transport, growing slum population and encroachment, pollution, and slow infrastructure development are hampering its prospects. The state government's recent white paper on the socio-economic progress of Navi Mumbai says: "Lack of efficient, dependable and speedy public transport linking Mumbai and other cities could be a major impediment in the development of Navi Mumbai." The white paper, Repositioning Navi Mumbai as an Economic

Growth Engine, has been prepared by experts constituted by the Maharashtra Economic Development Council (MEDC). It shows that in the last 15 years, affordable housing stock took a dip against costly private housing stock. Today, while there are 122,000 Cidco-constructed houses, there are 218,000 houses which were developed by the private sector. "Had there been enough low-cost housing by Cidco, real estate prices in the city would have been sufficiently under control for (the benefit of) the common man," a senior town plan-

ner said. "Since Cidco is not taking up enough housing schemes, a nexus of private builders and politicians is exploiting the people. Some people have given up the idea of settling in Navi Mumbai due to skyrocketing real estate prices." The paper says the main objective behind creating Navi Mumbai was to absorb Mumbai's immigrants and also to decongest the state capital. "But public transport, whether the railways or buses, and housing facilities have not kept pace with demand," the town planner said.

Special Zones decline in Maharashtra

ven as Maharashtra leads in terms of foreign direct and domestic investments, compared to neighboring Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, it is witnessing a steady decline in the number of special economic zones (SEZs), particularly in backward regions. The board of approval will consider two proposals of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to wind up plans for setting up a textile sector SEZ in Yavatmal and a leather sector SEZ in Osmanabad, taking the total SEZ proposals that have been denotified to 28 in the last one year. "Following an agitation in the Konkan region, the Raigad SEZ has failed to take off, while proposals for setting up 28 SEZs across the state have been dropped. It's being viewed as the biggest setback for Maharashtra, as it was a pioneer in SEZs," a senior Congress minister said. More shocking was the fact that MIDC has urged the board of approvals to denotify seven proposals for setting up SEZs. "We have lost an investment of well over Rs 30,000 crore and job opportunities for at least one lakh persons. MIDC must reconsider its decision. If there are hurdles, the state government will not hesitate to step in," he said. In August 2007, MIDC had proposed a textile sector SEZ in Yavatmal, the home town of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre. MIDC had acquired 208 hectares for the Rs 416 crore SEZ. Later, the size of the SEZ was re-

duced to 108 hectares. Now, MIDC says that since it was unable to find a co-developer, due to the global slowdown, it will not be possible to develop the SEZ. The second proposal pertains to setting up of a leather sector SEZ in Osmanabad. Following a lead taken by then minister of state for industries Rana Patil in June 2007, MIDC proposed the SEZ on 100 hectares. However, now it wants to drop the project due to MIDC's failure to acquire the land.

"Following an agitation in the Konkan region, the Raigad SEZ has failed to take off, while proposals for setting up 28 SEZs across the state have been droppedâ&#x20AC;?

MIDC has also dropped a proposal to set up a textile sector SEZ in Solapur, the home town of power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, power sector SEZs in Chandrapur and Raigad districts and an IT sector SEZ in Thane district. "It's high time MIDC reconsiders all its decisions on winding up SEZs, otherwise the basic purpose for which MIDC was set up will be defeated," he said.

Maha relaxes norm for cessed redevelopment

enants of cessed properties can now get larger flats, as the state govern ment has relaxed the norm for the maximum size of tenements in redeveloped properties. While a maximum area of 753.27 sq ft was offered to tenants under earlier norms, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has now ruled that bigger homes could be offered. The tenants, however, will have to bear the construction cost for the area over 753.27 sq ft. The move is likely to benefit tenants currently having bigger apartments in cessed properties. In the absence of such provisions, tenants had to settle for 753.27 sq ft tenements in redeveloped buildings, even if the area occupied by them earlier was larger in size. Pujit Aggarwal, general secretary, Property Redevelopers' Association, appreciated the move. He claimed that the maximum area norm was a major reason for roadblocks in redevelopment.

Concerns, however, were cited regarding the decision to increase the side margin norm from 1.5 m to 6 m. A section of developers and elected representatives felt that this would create roadblocks in the case of smaller plots.

plots in Nagpada, said the condition was unwarranted. Amin Patel, Congress MLA from Mumbadevi, while welcoming the FSI hike, demanded a relaxation of the side-margin norm in the case of small-sized plots. "Most buildings in my constituency are lo-

The move is likely to benefit tenants currently having bigger apartments in cessed properties. In the absence of such provisions, tenants had to settle for smaller 753.27 sq ft tenements in redeveloped buildings Several cessed structures in regions like Kamathipura, Kumbharwada, Nagpada, Bhendi Bazaar, Bhuleshwar, Girgaum and Kalbadevi are situated on plots under 200 sq m in size. Imitiaz Saigara, of Unique Constructions, which is developing two such

cated on plots that are 150 sq m or less in size. The new norm will block their redevelopment." Patel argued that the state government had earlier filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court justifying a side margin of 1.5 m in the

case of cessed properties. Even Sachin Ahir, minister of state, housing, called for a reconsideration of the new condition for smaller plots. Ahir too cited the affidavit filed in the Supreme Cour. Government officials however felt that such buildings had the option of amalgamation with similar buildings on neighboring plots. The incentive FSI offered to developers in cases where two or more buildings are taken up is also higher. "What happens in cases where the building in the neighborhood is non-cessed or amalgamation with another plot is not possible?" Saigara asked. A state government housing department official however said that such plots could be set aside for various purposes. One move could be to make the plot a green space. The plot could be tagged as non-developable. He added that there would have to be special measures to rehabilitate such tenants. Mhada could take up the responsibility.

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June 3, 2011

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Time for Americans to review US Pakistan policy SHALLI KUMAR & SHRI CHANDAK National Indian American Council

e write this opinion piece first as Americans, and then as Indian Americans. Truth must be told! Our country has 14 trillion dollars in debt not counting the unfunded liabilities on social entitlements. Our debt is increasing by almost $ 1.5 trillion per year. We owe more than two trillion dollars to the Chinese. 47 Cents of every dollar we spend is borrowed money. For the last three years, we have been in the worst recession since the great depression of the 30's and our recovery is anemic at best. Jobless rate went up to 9% last month. According to the Congressional Research Service Report to Congress, the war on terror since 9/11 has cost us $ 489.5 billion, and that does not include foreign aid to Pakistan, nor does it include the cost of CIA and FBI operations or the Iraq war or the long term veteran benefits resulting from injuries. These are just direct costs of guns, missiles, computers , planes and military payroll and do not reflect the indirect long term cost of 9/11 terror. We are not even going to attempt to calculate that out, except to say that this war on terror has cost us over one trillion dollars, not to mention the Bloomberg report that pegs it at $2.5 trillion. After 9/11, President Bush told all nations that "either you are with us or against us". Given the fact that Osama Bin Laden trained his terrorists in Afghanistan under the control of Taliban and Taliban itself was created by ISI, the Inter-services Intelligence arm of the Pakistan government, Pakistan had to be brought in kicking and screaming as an ally to US. These are all undisputed facts without any serious contention by anyone including Pakistani government leaders, present or past. At the very outset, we would like to commend Mansoor Ijaz, an American Muslim of Pakistani descent, for calling a spade a spade on the issue of Pakistan's complicity in hiding and protecting the terror mastermind, Osama Bin Laden. Mr. Ijaz is no ordinary citizen, he was during the 90's a conciliator and problem solver for the heads of states of not only Pakistan and India but also the US. In a recent interview on Fox network, Mansoor called on the Pakistani Government to come clean on this issue, or lose all American foreign aid. Now that is a gutsy call from a prominent Muslim. Let's also get out of the way, the issue of Pakistan's complicity regarding the $ 1 million Osama fortified man-

Could bin Laden have taken up residence in the large, custom-built, high-security, walled compound in Abbottabad - virtually next door to Pakistan's major military academy - without Pakistan's knowledge and permission? sion in the heart of Pakistani military town of Abbattobad, just 38 miles from the capital of Islamabad. Leon Panetta, CIA Director and soon to be Secretary of Defense, who some believe directed the Sunday military mission with little support from President Obama, said the following to a closed door session of the House: "Pakistan was either involved or incompetent". Could bin Laden have taken up residence in the large, custom-built, high-security, walled compound in Abbottabad - virtually next door to Pakistan's major military academy - without Pakistan's knowledge and permission? "Almost impossible," said Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.). "Impossible," declared Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. "Inconceivable," stated Obama White House counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan. "Highly unlikely," said former Pakistani High Commissioner to Britain Dr. Akbar Ahmed. "Not credible," opined

former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) says, "Either the Pakistani government is incompetent or in cahoots." On this issue there appears to be a rare consensus among Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, internationalists and constitutionalists, and foreign and domestic pundits and analysts. Pakistan, which has received billions of dollars in military and civilian aid from the United States and which has been billed as our key ally in the "war on terror," is playing

Shalli Kumar & Shri Chandak

a double game. This has been widely recognized for years but the Bin Laden compound in Abbattobad makes the duplicity undeniable. Not only is the property much larger and more extensive and expensive than anything else in the vicinity - with 1216-ft high walls topped with barbed wire - but locals were aware that many of the people coming and going from the facility were foreigners: Arabs, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Afghanis. According to foreigners who work and travel in Pakistan, it is "not possible" to spend much time in the country - especially if one is a foreigner - without being stopped by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI. The ISI and its ubiquitous informants are ever on the lookout for spies and saboteurs, especially those of its archenemy India. And in a large military cantonment like Abbattobad foreigners would definitely not be able to build and occupy a compound of the size and nature of Bin Laden's without notice of the eyes and ears of the ISI. In a new PBS "Frontline" documentary entitled, "Fighting for Bin Laden," that aired on May 3, Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi is filmed making a dangerous trek into Pakistan's rugged back country to interview "Khan," a veteran of the mujahideen battles against the Soviet invaders of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Khan now leads a band of younger al-Qaeda recruits who operate both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to Khan and others interviewed in the program, the government and military of Pakistan not only are well aware of the activities of these groups in their country, but also provide them considerable support. No sane person can believe that ISI and Pakistan Government did not know about the 18 ft walled compound built in 2005 for Osama Bin Laden. As one commentator said that it would be the equivalent of John Dillinger living in a mansion right next to the FBI Hoover building and FBI not know about it. Pakistanis themselves believe that Osama Bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan. Their anger towards their government is not for providing sanctuary to Osama, but for allowing us to violate their sovereignty. The US Government has a written policy of not giving support to countries that give aid and comfort to our enemies. They go on the list of nations that are state sponsors of terrorism. Kind of strange how we are not following it when it comes to Pakistan who harbored an international fugitive that was responsible for the deaths of 1000s of Americans! There is no doubt a political divide, on both sides of the isle, exists about foreign aid to Pakistan. Let's take a look at

what some of the national figures have said on this subject. Congressman Dana Dohrabacher (R-CA): "There are a lot of people who have understood that there has been something fundamentally wrong in our relationship with Pakistan, we keep on giving them billions of dollars in aid trusting them and we get kicked in the teeth time and time again and pretending that it is not happening". For further information on Congressman Dohrabacher's views on the subject, go to: http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4682593/repdana-rohrabacher-on-efforts-to-stop-aid-to-pakistan Congressman Allen West (R-FL): "Unless we get a clear explanation of what the government of Pakistan knew about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, all foreign aid from American taxpayers to this nation needs to cease," "Since the Sept. 11th terrorist attack, the United States government has provided an estimated $20 billion of assistance to the government of Pakistan, Questions are arising on whether the government of Pakistan may have aided and abetted this most wanted international terrorist." Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX): "It seems like Pakistan might be playing both sides, and they have a lot of explaining to do", noting that bin Laden was found "in a milliondollar compound just yards away from a Pakistani military base." "Pakistan claims no knowledge of Osama bin Laden's whereabouts," Poe noted. "I just don't buy it." His bill to cut off aid to Pakistan is co-sponsored by Congressman John Culberson (R-TX) and Congressman Allen West. Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX): "Though bin Laden was safely protected for 10 years in Pakistan, should make us question the wisdom of robbing American citizens to support any government around the world with foreign aid," Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) said in a C-SPAN interview that Pakistan's government is "schizophrenic" and that "there were elements of Pakistan that I'm sure knew" where bin Laden was hiding out for several years before he was killed earlier this week. "The aid has got to be carefully given, only to the right forces, only for the right reasons and only in return for expected results," he said. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ): "Before we send another dime, we need to know whether Pakistan truly stands with us in the fight against terrorism," he said in a statement. "Until Congress and the American public are assured that the Pakistani government is not shielding terrorists,

Pakistanis themselves believe that Osama Bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan. Their anger towards their government is not for providing sanctuary to Osama, but for allowing us to violate their sovereignty financial aid to Pakistan should be suspended." Senator Carl Levin (D-NJ): "There is a real problem with continuing financial support with Pakistan when they continue to support the Haqqani network," Levin said. "These are people killing us, and it's open. It's not like bin Laden when they deny they knew bin Laden was there for five years. That was pretty hard to accept but that's what they say. They don't say they don't know where the Haqqanis are. They do know where the Haqqanis are - they're in North Waziristan." Most opinion blogs in the US show an overwhelming support for cutting off foreign aid to Pakistan. One of such blogs, Sodahead.com, has been collecting opinions from ordinary citizens since May 3rd itself and as of the writing of this article, 81% of 495 opinions run strongly in favor of cutting off this aid. ContĂd next week

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Philosophy

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June 3, 2011

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Ranjha is with her & she does not know! Bulleh Shah

ulleh Shah was a Sufi poet who lived in what is now Pakistan from 1680 to 1758. His given name was Abdullah Shah. Bulleh was a nickname and it is the name he chose to use as a poet. Bullah traveled to Lahore in search of a Murshid (Master). He found Hazrat Shah Inayat, a well-known Qadiri Sufi and gardener by profession. He asked Inayat, "I wish to know how to realize God." Inayat Shah replied, "What is the problem in finding God? One only needs to be uprooted from here and replanted there." Inayat graced Bulleh with the secret of spiritual insight and the knowledge of God. Bulleh Shah's poetry reflects a turbulent period in Punjab history and highlights his mystical spiritual journey. He is critical of those in power - intellectuals, academi-

DALAI LAMA

t a fundamental level, as human beings, we are all the same; each one of us aspires to happiness and each one of us does not wish to suffer. This is why, whenever I have the opportunity, I try to draw people's attention to what as members of the human family we have in common and the deeply interconnected nature of our existence and welfare. Today, there is increasing recognition, as well as a growing body of scientific evidence, that confirms the close connection between our own states of mind and our happiness. On the one hand, many of us live in societies that are very developed materially, yet among us are many people who are not very happy. Just underneath the beautiful surface of affluence there is a kind of mental unrest, leading to frustration, unnecessary quarrels, reliance on drugs or alcohol, and in the worst case, suicide. There is no guarantee that wealth alone can give you the joy or fulfilment that you seek. The same can be said of your friends too. When you are in an intense state of anger or hatred, even a very close friend appears to you as somehow frosty, or cold, dis-

Tear down the mosque and temple too, break all that divides But do not break the human heart as it is there that God resides

cians and religious authorities who put obstacles in the way of the common people in discovering the love of God. Sufism has produced a multitude of saints, Bulleh Shah is arguably one of the greatest Sufi saints and Punjabi poets. His tomb is in Qasur (Pakistan) and today he is highly regarded by all Sufis of Sindh and Punjab.

The Blossoming of Love The blossoming of love is strange and wondrous! When I acquired the knowledge of love, I dreaded the mosque. I fled to my Lord's dwelling, Where a thousand sounds reverberate. When love revealed its mystery to me, The parroted words vanished. Inside and out, I was cleansed. I saw my Beloved wherever I looked. Heer and Ranjha are already one. But Heer, deluded, still searches the woods. Here Ranjha is with her, And she does not even know it. I am tired of reading the Vedas and the Koran! Obeisance has only abraded my forehead. God was not in Mecca, nor any holy place.

tant, and annoying. However, as human beings we are gifted with this wonderful human intelligence. Besides that, all human beings have the capacity to be very determined and to direct that strong sense of determination in whatever direction they like. So long as we remember that we have this marvellous gift of human intelligence and a capacity to develop determination and use

But whoever finds Him becomes brightly illuminated. Burn the prayer rug, break the clay pot, Divest yourself of rosary, bowl and staff. Those who love - proclaim repeatedly and loudly, 'Eat the forbidden! Forsake halaal!'(a lawful diet) You have spent your life in the mosque, Yet your heart is filled with filth. Not once did you discern that God is One! What is your point in making this racket now? Your devotion was loveless. Now your protestations are worthless. Bulleh says, I would have remained silent, It is love that compels me to speak forcefully. The blossoming of love is strange and wonderful.

Consequently, I have lived in exile for more than 50 years during which we Tibetans have dedicated ourselves to keeping the Tibetan identity alive and preserving our culture and values. On most days the news from Tibet is heartbreaking, and yet none of these challenges gives grounds for giving up. One of the approaches that I personally find useful is to cultivate the thought:

in being worried about it, because you cannot do anything about it anyway. In that case, the sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be for you. This formula, of course, implies directly confronting the problem and taking a realistic view. Otherwise you will be unable to find out whether or not there is a resolution to the problem. Taking a realistic view and cul-

Focus on solution instead of worrying about problem Dalai Lama

There is no guarantee that wealth alone can give you the joy or fulfilment that you seek. The same can be said of your friends too

it in positive ways, we will preserve our underlying mental health. Realizing we have this great human potential gives us a fundamental strength. This recognition can act as a mechanism that enables us to deal with any difficulty, no matter what situation we are facing, without losing hope or sinking into feelings of low self-esteem. I write this as someone who lost his freedom at the age of 16, then lost his country at the age of 24.

If the situation or problem is such that it can be remedied, then there is no need to worry about it. In other words, if there is a solution or a way out of the difficulty, you do not need to be overwhelmed by it. The appropriate action is to seek its solution. Then it is clearly more sensible to spend your energy focussing on the solution rather than worrying about the problem. Alternatively, if there is no solution, no possibility of resolution, then there is also no point

tivating a proper motivation can also shield you against feelings of fear and anxiety. If you develop a pure and sincere motivation, if you are motivated by a wish to help on the basis of kindness, compassion, and respect, then you can carry on any kind of work, in any field, and function more effectively with less fear or worry, not being afraid of what others think or whether you ultimately will be successful in reaching your goal.

In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it. -Lao Tzu We see that every external motion, act, gesture, whether voluntary or mechanical, organic or mental, is produced and preceded by internal feeling or emotion, will or volition, and thought or mind. -H. P. Blavatsky Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. -C. S. Lewis All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain? -Buddha A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval. -Mark Twain As selfishness and complaint pervert the mind, so love with its joy clears and sharpens the vision. -Helen Keller An honest man is always a child. -Socrates

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How do Headley disclosures help India's case? RADHA VINOD RAJU

ahawwur Rana and David Coleman Headley hit the headlines in India following their arrests in the United States in October 2009. This was in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks and the jihadists' preparations to attack European targets to avenge the portrayal of their prophet in cartoons, thereby insulting their religion. Headley, who played a prominent role in the reconnaissance of Indian targets for the Lashkar-eTaiba in Mumbai, under instructions from Major Iqbal of the ISI, had made certain disclosures to the FBI about his own role in the terror attacks, the role of the ISI handler, Major Iqbal, and the LeT, in setting him on this endeavor. These disclosures created a sensation in the Indian media, and Indians anxiously awaited the trial

racket. That was when he got embroiled with the Lashkar-e-Taiba. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, he was dropped from the list of their informants after 2005, as he had not been productive. Headley has disclosed details of his training in the LeT, and his own hatred for India after the 1971 war which saw the break-up of Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh. He has given his reasons for changing his name to David Coleman Headley from Dawood Gilani, reasons which added value to his profile, with his Caucasian good looks that passed him off as an American. With the new name, passport and self-presentation, he became an asset for the ISI and the LeT as a spy in a place like India, where none suspected him to be anyone

Pakistan maintains that Headley is not a reliable witness, and that he was working for the Drug Enforcement Authority of the United States David Coleman Headley

of Rana in which Headley was to be a government witness. What is the status of such a witness? The son of a Pakistani diplomat posted in the United States and his American wife, Headley, born as Dawood Gilani, spent his teenage years in the United States, though his early childhood was in Pakistan with his father. He had met Tahawwur Rana in school during his stay in Pakistan. It had earlier come to light that Headley had been twice-arrested in the United States for drug-related offences by the Drug Enforcement Agency, once in the late eighties and once in the late nineties. The Agency had used Headley to spy on his fellow Pakistanis involved in the drug racket. Though sent on probation after his pleading guilty the second time, his probation was cut down on the recommendation of the Drug Enforcement Agency. He was then sent to Pakistan to collect more intelligence on the drug

other than what he claimed to be, an American. However, the question is, what is the status of Headley as a witness in the case against Rana, and how does it help India's case? Headley has confessed to his own role in the conspiracy that manifested in the gruesome Mumbai attacks in which 166 innocent people were massacred. He has plea-bargained to get a lesser punishment in the case, and become the government's witness. We have similar provisions in our own law too. An accused who confesses to his role in an offence without concealing any details can be pardoned under our criminal procedure code, and his testimony used as that of a witness against other accused. Such a person is called an approver. There is a set procedure for this purpose. The judge has to be convinced that the offence cannot be brought home without his testimony. The accused then applies to the judge to turn an approver,

and with the agreement of the prosecution, the judge passes appropriate orders, making the accused an approver. But, an approver's is tainted evidence; he turns against the coaccused to save his own back. His evidence is therefore measured with a stricter foot rule. The judge will look for independent corroboration of the testimony of such a witness, and only when convinced, will make a decision on the basis of such a confession. How reliable is Headley's testimony? He told the FBI in the second half of 2009 about his India visits, his stay at the Taj and Oberoi, his flights to India and from India to Pakistan etc. These circumstances were within the exclusive knowledge of David Headley, they were not known to the FBI. Subsequent investigations in Mumbai and other parts of India have borne out the factual basis of these disclosures. Indian sleuths were able to dig out all records of his various flights over a period of over two years to and from India, hotel records showing his stay at the Oberoi and the Taj, his stay at the same hotels in 2007 with his Moroccan wife, Faiza Outalha etc. This would bring his testimony within the ambit of Section 27 of the Evidence Act, making it admissible in evidence. The FBI has produced email accounts of Headley's correspondence with various persons mentioned in his disclosures, including the ISI agents and LeT handlers. These pieces of corroborating evidence would enhance the evidentiary value of Headley's disclosures, and are perfectly reliable to come to a decisive conclusion as to his role in the Mumbai terror attacks, and consequently, the role of the ISI's Major Iqbal and Sajid Mir, the LeT's handler. Pakistan maintains that Headley is not a reliable witness, and that he was working for the Drug Enforcement Authority of the United States. They overlook the excellent corroborating evidence available to buttress the case against Tahawwur Rana based on Headley's disclosures, and thereby the ISI's nefarious role in the attack. However, the case against Rana and the ISI's Major Iqbal based on the above evidence looks credible and strong. Radha Vinod Raju is former Director General, National Investigation Agency (NIA). Currently, Distinguished Fellow, IPCS

India Post Govt of denials

t is a matter of concern that a majority of Pakistani people, including the elites, believe in conspiracy theories about the spate of terrorist attacks in their country. Even when it became clear that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants carried out the latest assault on Karachi Naval Station Mehran, even some respected columnists in Pakistani newspapers suspect Indian or American hand behind these. They are even willing to believe that India is financing the Taliban terrorists! Thus there is no hope that they will ever be able to face the facts, far from doing something about them. The numberless divisions in Pakistani society are capped by the gulf between the civilian government and the military. This gulf was illustrated by a recent Wikileaks release which talked about the hoax phone call made in the name of the then foreign minister of India, Pranab Mukherjee, to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, soon after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The caller reportedly threatened an attack on Pakistan. The Pakistani President panicked and made an immediate phone call. Not to his Army chief or the Prime Minister or anybody else in Pakistan. He rang up the US Secretary of State at that time, Condoleezza Rice for help. Evidently he hoped that the US will counsel restraint to India. What if he had phoned his Army Chief Kayani? The nefarious motive of the caller would have succeeded in that case as the inveterate India-hater would have taken some offensive step. How do the Pakistani react to the flood of evidence pouring in from Chicago implicating the ISI's officers in masterminding the Mumbai terrorist attack? Whatever proof the Indian establishment has been giving the world and Pakistan also over the years about Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI's hand in Mumbai terrorist attacks has been borne out by the testimony of David Coleman Headley. And Pakistanis have become brazen about it still saying this is not true. The Pakistani government has denied that the ISI orchestrated the Mumbai attacks, and a senior ISI official said that the agency has no links to the terrorists behind the rampage. When asked about the testimony being heard in Chicago, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said "It is nothing." At the time of adversity, the President of Pakistan doesn't speak to the Pakistanis but writes a column in the Washington Post newspaper of America. Soon after the US attack in Abbotabad which took out Osama bin Laden, Zardari wrote in the newspaper congratulating the US on killing Osama bin laden and claiming the Pakistanis had no knowledge of Osama living so close to the capital of Pakistan. However the Prime Minister of Pakistan had to satisfy the public and he could not take a high moral ground like the President. All eyes in Pakistan were on the intelligence agency. Questions were being asked, was it complicit in hiding Osama or was it so incompetent that it did not know that the world's most hunted criminal was living within an army cantonment? Gilani, making a statement on the US raid in Abbotabad, praised the ISI for its role in capturing 9/11 masterminds. He called the ISI a national asset and assured it of full backing of the government. If indeed ISI is a national asset, the Pakistani government is fully responsible for the terrorist attack which this agency orchestrated in Mumbai. It means that the government supports the dubious activities of its terrorist-nurturing agency. What Pakistan needs today is a State Department of Denials. How long can the Prime Minister of the country keep defending the ISI? He will have to do so several times a day. With each ministry engaged in issuing its own denials about the internal situation in Pakistan, they must be very busy. So a separate institution needs to be created to defend the country from invasion from foreign queries.

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