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Indian-American doctor shot dead by friend

VOL 20, No. 1083

June 19, 2015

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Periodical Postage

UN CHIEF PRAISES BENEFITS OF YOGA

Details on page 6

Telangana pursuing case of student shot in US

Details on page 8

UK won't probe Vaz over Lalit Modi visa

Details on page 8

Details on page 9

Mahindra bags big aerospace deal with Airbus

CONTENTS UNITING FAITHS: Muslim girls practicing Yoga in a school in Surat, Gujarat, India, on June 16

Details on page 9

This week’s question

Should India take credit for yoga?

Last week’s result

Modi can depend on Bangladesh friendship?

YES 76%

NO 24%

India has 4th largest high-networth households

Landmark motor pact with 3 SAARC nations

Don't dare treat us like Myanmar: Musharraf

survey@indiapost.com

Details on page 17

Details on page 6

Details on page 8

INDIA POST SURVEY

Yoga goes to Sweden with Sofia

UNITED NATIONS: Emphasizing that yoga does not discriminate, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said he discovered the "simple sense of satisfaction" it brings when he tried his first "asana" during his visit to India.

In his message for the first International Day of Yoga to be observed on June 21, Ban recalled that it took him a while to gain his balance when he tried yoga for the first time in New Delhi during his visit in January but soon realized it can be done by anyone.

"And yoga does not discriminate; to varying degrees, all people can practice, regardless of their relative strength, age or ability. I discovered this for myself on trying to do

my first asana, a tree pose suited to beginners. It took a moment for me to gain my balance, but once I did, I appreciated the simple sense of satisfaction that yoga can bring," the UN chief said in the message.

He said during his visit to India, he had the opportunity to practice yoga with one of his senior advisers.

Ban's adviser on Myanmar, veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar had given the UN chief his first yoga lesson as a preparation for the International Day of Yoga.

The UN spokesperson had also tweeted a photo of Ban trying to imitate Nambiar while doing his first yoga asana.

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Bollywood ---------------------- 30-31 Classifieds ------------------------- 48 Community Post -------------- 16-27 Date Book -------------------------- 47 Edit Page --------------------------- 54 HealthScience Post --------- 32-35 Horoscope ------------------------- 46 Immigration Post ------------- 44-45 Life Style ----------------------- 50-53 Philosophy ------------------------- 49 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 37-39 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

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rarely talk about the movies, but last weekend when I heard about the more than $500 million box office rakings of the Jurassic World in the very first weekend of its release worldwide, I couldn't help feeling strangely proud because of the stellar presence of the Indian actor Irrfan Khan in the film. He couldn't have been part of a more mainstream, mega Hollywood movie franchise of all time that so unabashedly defines the commercial face of American pop culture.

Although not as celebrated as some of the more deified A-listers of the Indian film industry, Irrfan is among the global few who have made it as an actor without boundaries. His talents may not have been exploited much over the years in the many bread-and-butter projects that he undertook in the Hindi film industry, but Irrfan more than made up to the real artiste in him by doing international works such as in The Namesake, New York, I Love You, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Life of Pi before doing Jurassic World. And he will soon be seen alongside Tom Hanks in the adaptation of Dan Brown's latest Robert Langdon thriller Inferno.

There are but only a few other mainstream Indian actors, who have made quiet inroads into Hollywood, like Om Puri, whom I remember from the 2008 film Charlie Wilson's War and more recently in The Hundred Foot Journey where he is seen with Helen Mirren in the lead role; then there was Anupam Kher in a significant role in the 2012 Oscar winning Silver Linings Playbook.

But long before anyone began noticing, actor Gulshan Grover introduced the vast potential of India's acting talent to the West, not only in Hollywood, but also in European cinema.

Now that's what I am talking about - I was never one to hold Hollywood as the bar of standard for Indian actors to aspire for, because they have a level of talent that is on par with the best anywhere in the world - I am talking about the seamlessness of talent, of artistry, of genius, which are never at the mercy of geographical constrictions.

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Two for one Kangana Ranaut says she did two actress' work in Tanu Weds Manu Returns and got paid only one actress' salary!

Cover Story: Yoga fan Emphasizing that yoga does not discriminate, UN Secy General Ban Ki-moon says he found in it a sense of satisfaction

Community: Yoga Day Indian Consul General Dr Ausaf Sayeed reviewed the arrangements for the First International Yoga Day in Chicagoland.

Legal help A Senate panel blocks President Barack Obama's request for $50 million to pay for legal help to immigrant children

Life style: Expensive Cookbook Vikas Khanna's latest book 'Utsav - A Culinary Epic’ was unveiled to the world at French Riviera in Cannes last month.

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Merger deal India's largest private miner Vedanta Ltd will absorb oil firm Cairn India in a USD 2.3 billion all-share deal

Rishikesh A sacred town of river Ganges, Rishikesh is a naturally attractive place at the foothills of Himalayas

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UN Chief praises benefits of Yoga UNITED NATIONS: Emphasizing that yoga does not discriminate, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said he discovered the "simple sense of satisfaction" it brings when he tried his first "asana" during his visit to India.

In his message for the first International Day of Yoga to be observed on June 21, Ban recalled that it took him a while to gain his balance when he tried yoga for the first time in New Delhi during his visit in January but soon realized it can be done by anyone.

"And yoga does not discriminate; to varying degrees, all people can practice, regardless of their relative strength, age or ability. I discovered this for myself on trying to do my first asana, a tree pose suited to beginners. It took a moment for me to gain my balance, but once I did, I appreciated the simple sense of satisfaction that yoga can bring," the UN chief said in the message.

He said during his visit to India, he had the opportunity to practice yoga with one of his senior advisers.

Ban's adviser on Myanmar, veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar had given the UN chief his first yoga lesson as a preparation for the International Day of Yoga.

The UN spokesperson had also tweeted a photo of Ban trying to imitate Nambiar while doing his first yoga asana.

The picture shows a smiling Ban, who had taken off his shoes,

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gets a yoga lesson from Vijay Nambiar, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Myanmar

standing on one leg, his hands raised above his head and the other leg bent at the knee. Nambiar is also seen striking a similar pose. “Although he happened to be a son of the country, I might

equally have done the same with many other colleagues from different parts of the world. Yoga is an ancient discipline from a traditional setting that has grown in popularity to be enjoyed by prac-

titioners in every region," Ban said.

He said Yoga offers a "simple, accessible and inclusive" means to promote physical and spiritual health and well-being.

In proclaiming June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, the UN General Assembly has recognized the "holistic benefits of this timeless practice and its inherent compatibility with the principles and values of the United Nations," Ban said.

"Yoga offers a simple, accessible and inclusive means to promote physical and spiritual health and well-being. It promotes respect for one's fellow human beings and for the planet we share," he said.

As the world gears up to host the first International Day of Yoga, Ban called on the nations to "see the benefits of this practice in terms of individual wellbeing, as well as our collective efforts to improve public health, promote peaceful relations and usher in a life of dignity for all."

The International Day of Yoga was a brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had mooted the idea in his maiden address to the General Assembly in September last year.

The 193-member UNGA adopted the resolution in record time, declaring in December that June 21 will be observed as International Day of Yoga annually. A record number of 177 countries co-sponsored the India-led resolution.

Massive preparations are underway across the US to commemorate the day with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expected to preside over the celebrations at the UN and Times Square. -PTI

Yoga can be mantra of modern Don't try to commercialize Yoga: HC Judge times: Mulay NEW YORK: The first International Day of Yoga aims at making the ancient Indian cultural heritage the "mantra of modern times", India's top diplomat here said as organizations from across the US gear up to host the inaugural day for hundreds of thousands of yoga supporters.

"Our objective is to make yoga the mantra of modern times. (The International Yoga Day) is a recognition that yoga is a civilization heritage that originated in India," India's Consul General here Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay told PTI ahead of the first International Day of Yoga to be commemorated on June 21.

Yoga, one of India's most significant cultural contributions to the world, will inundate the US on June 21 when hundreds of thousands of people will mark the day, with External Affairs Minis-

ter Sushma Swaraj presiding over the celebrations at the United Nations and Times Square.

Mulay said a "plethora" of events have been planned

Dnyaneshwar Mulay

across the US and the Indian Consulate in New York is bringing a large number of diverse Indian-American communities

and institutions together for celebrating the day.

Swaraj will lead a high-level delegation from June 20-22.

Apart from her participation at the UN headquarters on June 21, she is expected to attend the Annual Event of Yoga at Times Square, a lecture and demonstration of Yoga at the Hindu Temple Society of North America and at an event at Lincoln Centre featuring Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Mulay said that an estimated 30,000 people are expected to attend the day-long Yoga celebrations at Times Square and about 6,000 at the talk by the spiritual leader hosted by chairman of the Global Citizen Forum industrialist B K Modi.

"The evening will honor the rich heritage of yoga through dance, music and meditation," Modi said.-PTI

NEW DELHI: No one should attempt to commercialize yoga when it is already a part of traditional knowledge of India, Delhi High Court judge Manmohan Singh feels, as the nation gears up to celebrate the International Yoga Day on June 21.

Justice Singh also said 'Asanas' of yoga cannot be copyrighted by anyone as one cannot claim originality over the 'Asanas' due to their extensive presence in India's literature and traditional knowledge.

Referring to a judgment delivered by him in January 2014, rejecting intellectual property rights in yoga, the judge said the verdict had "a greater impact on the emerging trend of commercializing Yoga and its Asanas".

"Yoga finds its place in Granthas as well as mythological books like Bhagavad Gita and has always been considered as sourced from India.

"Indian government's position of celebrating International Yoga

Day is one of the ways of connecting people of India with the spiritual practice, though the religious books of India are already prescribing it on day to day basis as a way to attain peace and tranquility," Singh said. -PTI

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Indian-American doctor shot dead by friend HOUSTON: Renowned IndianAmerican cardiologist Suresh Gadasalli, who performed the world's first simultaneous hybrid revascularisation, was shot dead by his friend and business associate who then committed suicide in Odesaa in the US state of Texas, police said.

friends and business associates.

Dr Gadasalli's brother-in-law said that the two families knew each other for a decade.

The incident shocked the city, popular for Laura and George Bush's home city of 2.5 lakh people.

LeSueur declined to release a

In 2005, he performed the world's first simultaneous hybrid revascularisation, which involved two major procedures - coronary artery bypass and stent replacement, using a robotic system known as the Da Vinci Surgical System Dr Gadasalli, 53, was shot dead by 60-year-old patient and business associate Ayyasamy Thangam at the 'Healthy Heart Centre' on June 11, according to a release issued by the Odessa Police Department.

Thangam then closed the door of the room the two men were in and witnesses heard another, single gunshot, it added.

According to Corporal Steve LeSueur, the two men were close

possible motive for the killings and the police had no information on why Thangam was being treated.

Dr. Gadasalli hailed from Bangalore and was educated at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Belgaum, Karnataka, before studying at the Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and the Sinai Samaritan Centre in Milwaukee.

He was recruited by Medical Centre Hospital in Odessa, Texas in 1994.

The Healthy Heart Centre profile mentions that Dr Gadasalli was recognized as a leading physician of the world by the International Association of Cardiologists.

He was named "super doctor"

by Texas Monthly in 2008.

In 2005, he performed the world's first simultaneous hybrid revascularisation, which involved two major procedures coronary artery bypass and stent replacement, using a robotic system known as the Da Vinci Surgical System.

Gadasalli was previously investigated in a federal court case on a currency structuring charge.

The FBI began their investigation into the Healthy Heart Center in June of 2012.

He was accused of violating federal law in structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, according to previous reports.

According to court records, Gadasalli's case was closed on January 22, 2014. -PTI

4th largest ultra-high-net-worth households in India NEW YORK: India is home to the fourth largest number of ultra-high-net-worth households that have more than 100 million dollars in private wealth, according to a new report topped by the US. The Boston Consulting Group's 'Global Wealth 2015: Winning the Growth Game' report said continued economic expansion of China and India was driving growth in wealth in the Asia- Pacific region.

The US remains the country with the largest number of ultra-highnet-worth (UHNW) households at 5,201, followed by China (1,037), the UK (1,019), India (928) and Germany (679) in 2014, it said.

India's UHNW households grew manifold from 2013 when the number stood at 284.

The private wealth in the AsiaPacific region expanded by a

steep 29 per cent in 2014 to reach USD 47 trillion, enabling it to overtake Europe (Eastern and Western Europe combined) to become the world's second-wealthiest region, the report said.

With a projected USD 57 trillion in 2016, Asia-Pacific (exclud-

ing Japan) is expected to surpass North America (a projected USD 56 trillion) as the wealthiest region in the world and will be the largest pool for client acquisition.

"At such a pace, the region is

expected to overtake North America as the world's richest region in 2016, with USD 57 trillion in private wealth," the report said.

The region is also projected to hold 34 per cent of global wealth in 2019.

With a projected annual growth rate of almost 10 per cent, private wealth in Asia-Pacific will rise to an estimated USD 75 trillion in 2019.

Growth in wealth in the Asia-Pacific region was driven heavily by the continued economic expansion of its two largest economies China and India, the report said.

Private wealth in China and India also showed solid market gains driven mainly by investments in local equities, it said.

China's equity market rose by 38 per cent and India's by 23 per cent, it added. -PTI

China's Yoga College to 'bridge Sino-India ties' BEIJING: China's first college teachers will help standardize of Yoga, set up with India's help yoga techniques, Fan said. in Kunming city will become a "If a standard curriculum is set bridge for China-India friendship, up, and our diploma becomes reca Chinese official has said. ognized by our education authoriThe India-China College was ties, we could start enrolling high inaugurated by Minister of Exter- school graduates," she was nal Affairs VK Singh at Yunnan quoted as saying by state-run University of Nationalities (YUN) China Daily. in Kunming following a cooperaThe Indian Council for Cultural tion memorandum signed between Relations will send two teachers China and India in May. to design the curriculum for a "The university has confidence to build the college into an influential brand with its own characteristics, a platform for cultural exchange and a bridge for SinoIndian friendship," Peng Jinhui, president Minister of State for External Affairs, V K Singh and of the university Ding Shaoxiang, Vice Governor of Yunnan Province said. of China greeting each other after unveiling the plaque All students of India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu who enroll at the University in Kunming, China on June 13 college will have the chance to study at the Morarji short-term course, defined as Desai National Institute of Yoga three to six months, and a longin India, and those who qualify term course, lasting 12 months. will be granted international yoga There will be three classes. training certificates.

The elementary class will re"Students can also apply for quire 120 class hours to earn a cerscholarships from the Indian tificate; the intermediate class will Council for Cultural Relations," require 240 hours; and the adsaid Fan Jing, director of Interna- vanced, 360 hours. tional affairs at YUN. In addition to yoga practice, With China still lacking an ac- there will be classes on Indian cepted yoga standard, the Indian culture and philosophy. -PTI

Special event in Egypt to mark Yoga Day CAIRO: India will organize a special event here to mark the International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21, with a number of Egyptian schools and institutions joining in to celebrate the ancient Indian spiritual art form.

The Indian Embassy in Cairo will host the event to be held at the India House in Zamalek.

A large number of people, including Egyptian celebrities and officials, are expected to join the celebrations.

"The practice of yoga brings peace of mind, reduces stress, improves health and brings people together in celebration," said India's Ambassador to Cairo Sanjay Bhattacharyya.

A number of yoga schools and institutions in Egypt are also joining the Indian Embassy in the celebrations.

As the IDY falls during the holy month of Ramadan, the celebrations have been slated to take place in the evening after Iftar, according to Rakesh Kawra, director of Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC).

Kawra said that yoga, an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition, is widely practiced in Egypt.

In addition to the MACIC, there are a number of schools and centers that offer yoga classes.

In the run up to the event, the Embassy of India in Cairo has organized a photography competition 'Yoga in Egypt.' The winners will be announced on June 21.

Throughout the world, people will be performing a Common Yoga Protocol on that day. MACIC had organized four yoga sessions on Common Yoga Protocol on June 4, 6, 11 and 13.-PTI

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Don't dare treat us like Myanmar: Musharraf KARACHI: Former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf has warned India against attempting a military operation inside Pakistan, saying India "dare not" treat his country like Myanmar.

Musharraf, who ruled from 1999 to 2008, hit out at the Indian leadership over its stand on army operation in Myanmar, saying, "Pakistan is not Myanmar, and India dare not treat Pakistan as Myanmar."

The former Pakistan president and army chief cautioned India against what he called "similar adventurism".

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had said in the wake of India's military action in Myanmar that it was a message to other countries which was interpreted as a warning to

Pervez Musharraf

Pakistan.

Criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Musharraf in an interview to an Indian TV channel claimed that India has

changed its conduct after he became the Prime Minister.

Slamming Prime Minister Modi's comments in Dhaka, Musharraf said, "After 50 years you are trying to whip up antiPakistan feelings in Bangladesh...is this a very peaceful attitude...without any whatsoever rhyme or reason."

"What the Prime Minister of India did was certainly not acceptable to Pakistan or any Pakistani," 71-year-old Musharraf said.

Asked about the Indo-Pak relationship, Musharraf said under the present conditions of "belligerence by the Prime Minister, I really don't think this is the way to move forward and I don't think it augurs well for the future."

Earlier, Musharraf had accused India of destabilizing Pakistan, saying nuclear weapons are for the defense of the country and not for "celebratory" occasion. -PTI

Landmark motor pact with 3 SAARC nations NEW DELHI: India has signed a major motor vehicles pact with three SAARC nations - Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal - that will enable seamless transit of passenger and cargo vehicles among them.

A similar pact is on the anvil among India, Myanmar and Thailand that will pave the way for greater economic cooperation in

nations at Bhutan's capital Thimpu.

Besides, in a major breakthrough, India, Myanmar and Thailand have agreed to develop a similar motor vehicle pact on the lines of the draft SAARC Motor vehicle agreement.

The BBIN MVA will not only reduce transport costs, but also foster development of multi-modal

Union Minister for Road Transport Highways & Shipping, Nitin Gadkari and his counterparts at BBIN Transport Ministers conference in Thimpu, Bhutan on June 15

the Asian region.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari signed the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) for Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic along with transport ministers of the other three

transport and transit facilities, enabling increased connectivity and promotion of greater trade between the four countries.

Transport Minister Gadkari, addressing the conference at Thimpu, said: "This MVA, which would eventually allow motor vehicles of all categories registered

in our countries to move freely in the region, is a first and small but substantial step endorsing the commitment of our national leaders to deepen regional integration for peace, stability and prosperity."

As per the agreement, the four countries will carry out a sixmonth work plan from July for the implementation of the BBIN MVA in accordance with the preparation of bilateral, perhaps trilateral or quadrilateral agreements and protocols, installation of the prerequisites for implementing the approved agreements, among others.

Gadkari said that India will work on signing a similar motor agreement with Myanmar and Thailand.

"I am happy to share with you all a significant initiative to strengthen connectivity of our sub-region to ASEAN. In this regard, a major breakthrough has been achieved between India, Myanmar and Thailand.

"Three nations have agreed to develop a similar framework MVA on the lines of draft SAARC Motor vehicle agreement," he said.

Secretary level discussions were successfully concluded in Bengaluru this month and consensus has been reached on the text of the agreement, he added.-PTI

Telangana pursuing case of student shot in US HYDERABAD: The Telangana transport his body from Florida government requested the Min- at the earliest. He also requested istry of External Affairs and Min- the Union Ministry of External istry of Overseas Indian Affairs Affairs and the Union Ministry to pursue the matter of the stu- of Overseas Indian Affairs to dent who shot dead in Florida, pursue the matter with the Indian with the Indian consulate there. consulate," the statement said.

Telangana Chief Minister K The 23-year-old student from Chandrasekhar Rao issued a state- Hyderabad was shot dead by ment expressing his condolences saying that the state has lost The 23-year-old student one of its bright students. from Hyderabad was shot "The Telangana Chief Minister's Office dead by unidentified men has initiated steps to who tried to rob him in the establish contact with the Indian consulate in US city of Miami in Florida Florida, Secretary Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India as well as unidentified men who tried to rob the Ministry of Overseas Indian him in the US city of Miami in Affairs, in an effort to bring back Florida.

Sai Kiran's body to Hyderabad.

He was allegedly shot by uni"The Chief Secretary of dentified men after he refused to Telangana has requested the In- hand over his mobile phone to dian consulate to take steps to them, his relative said. -PTI

UK won't probe Vaz over Lalit Modi LONDON: Indian-origin Labor MP Keith Vaz, who is embroiled in a major row involving External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over helping scam-tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi to obtain British travel documents, will not be probed in Britain for a complaint in this regard.

Kathryn H u d s o n , Britain's Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has decided not to investigate the complaint against Vaz that he helped Modi get travel documents to go to Portugal, purportedly for his wife's cancer treatment in June last year.

"The Commissioner received a complaint (against Keith Vaz) last week, but has decided not to investigate into it," a spokeswoman for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards told PTI here.

According to British media which quoted leaked emails, Vaz cited External Affairs Minister Swaraj's name to put pressure on

UK's top immigration official to grant British travel papers to Modi, who subsequently got the documents in less than 24 hours.

Vaz, 58, declined to comment on the decision of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, saying "I am saying nothing."

Keith Vaz

After the reports surfaced, 63year-old Swaraj said in a series of tweets that she had taken a "humanitarian view" and conveyed to the British High Commissioner that they should examine Modi's request as per their rules and "if the British government chooses to give travel documents to Lalit Modi - tat will not spoil our bilateral relations". -PTI

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Mahindra bags big aerospace deal with Airbus PARIS: The Mahindra Group has clinched a multi-million dollar aerospace contract with European consortium Airbus at the Paris Air Show, marking a major milestone in the 'Make in India' initiative.

Mahindra Group subsidiary Mahindra Aerospace bagged the multi-year aero-components manufacture and supply contract.

"This is significant as a vote of confidence in Make in India,

the 'first tika' in this broad vision, as well as a vote of confidence in Mahindra," Anand Mahindra, chairman and managing director of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, told PTI on the sidelines of the Air Show.

"Getting such a contract is a lengthy process which takes a lot of cooking and brewing and this implies Mahindra is now in the inner circle of suppliers," he said.

The contract, the value of

OIS signs 'Make in India' JVs with French firms PARIS: Joining the government's Make in India program, home-grown OIS Aerospace group has announced two joint ventures - with Rafaut and LH Aviation of France - for manufacturing advanced weapons-toaircraft interface devices and multi-sensor tactical UAVs. The first JV with Rafaut, a major supplier of weapons-to-aircraft interface systems in Europe, will make 'pile-ons' for the fighter aircrafts to carry the weapons, besides conducting further research and developments to make the product more advanced and suitable as per the requirements in India.

The second JV with LH Aviation, a French aircraft manufacture, will set up a separate manu-

through these pacts in the highlyimportant defense sector.

When asked by when the two projects can hit the ground, Bhandari said, "We are looking to fairly soon operationally them."

Without giving the exact investment amount for the two manufacturing units, he said that the scale of investments across various projects of OIS Group is over Rs 500 crore.

"Rafaut which makes pile-ons to carry weapons on an aircraft, has agreed to jointly manufacture the product in India and also do a strategic collaboration for R&D to customize the system for India and do further improvements as per the requirements," he said.

Jacques Rafaut, the Chairman of Rafaut, said that the JV gives his company "an opportunity to "Rafaut is pleased to be a partner with a participant in the 'Make in technology-foIndia' adventure, though we cused company have long experience of doing like OIS-AT to present our prodbusiness in India as some of ucts range and foster collaboraour systems have been in use tive relationships on the Indian Mirage 2000 for with India." more than 30 years," "Rafaut is pleased to be a participant in the 'Make in India' adventure, though we have long experience of doing business in India as some of our systems have been in use on the Indian Mirage 2000 for facturing plant in India for multi- more than 30 years," he added. sensor tactical UAV fighter aircraft The JV between Rafaut and that can fly up to 24 hours.

OIS Advanced Technology Announcing the two JVs here would include an exclusive straat the 51st Paris International Air tegic collaboration for R&D, Show, OIS Group's Founder Chair- transfer of technology, manufacman and Managing Director turing, marketing, sales and serSanjay Bhandari told PTI that his vices of a range of weapons-togroup has come forward to join aircraft interface devices and flight the Make in India initiative of the controls equipment and sub-sysNarendra Modi government tems.-PTI

which has not been disclosed, will involve a variety of Mahindra produced metallic components, in excess of a million parts per annum, to be fitted into several Airbus aircraft programs as part of assemblies produced by Premium Aerotec.

T h e parts will be produced at the new M a h i n d r a Aerostructures facility located at Narsapura, near Bengaluru, with deliveries to Premium Aerotec's facilities in Germany scheduled to commence this year.

Mahindra said, "We as a group, with Tech Mahindra and Mahindra Aerospace, are the largest supplier to Airbus out of India

but the potential remains to substantially hike the amount the company sources from India. As Airbus raises its procurement from India, it will be a great validation of Make in India."

"When we began our aerospace journey in 2008, India had

yet to establish a presence in the global aerospace supply chain.

We committed then to bridge that gap with our investments in aerospace manufacturing, and this new chapter in our relationship with Airbus attests to that commitment," he said.

"This is our vision to take

'Make in India' from policy to reality: Build bridges across cultures, countries and businesses," he added.

The USD 16.9-billion Mumbaiheadquartered Mahindra Group, with over 200,000 employees across 100 countries had set up its utility aircraft and aerostructure manufacturing operation with Mahindra Aerospace in 2008.

"We are the only Indian company that builds planes, which are built in Australia, and we are the only business house that covers all three wings of defense - Army, Navy and Air Force," said S P Shukla, Group President and CEO of Mahindra Aerospace and Defense Sector.-PTI

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Top Chinese leader meets Modi NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted the importance of peaceful, stable and cooperative relations between India and China for regional and global peace and prosperity during a meeting with a top Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) leader.

Modi and Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Commit-

achieve individually and jointly.

Noting that parliamentary exchanges are an important pillar of the bilateral relationship, Modi stressed on the need to broaden the foundation of India-China relations by promoting exchanges between State-level legislatures as well, a PMO release said.

"The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of peace-

including among the businesses, due to Modi's visit to China and his leadership in India.

Modi and Zhang emphasized the importance of promoting investment, trade, tourism and people to people ties, and enhancing strategic communication and coordination, the release said.

Both the leaders welcomed the renewed focus on India and

Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Dejiang called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 15

tee of the NPC, also emphasized the importance of promoting investment, trade, tourism and people to people ties, and enhancing strategic communication and coordination.

Zhang, who called on Modi, endorsed the view expressed by the Prime Minister during his recent visit to China that whether 21st Century is Asian Century will depend on what India and China

ful, stable and cooperative relations between India and China for regional and global peace and prosperity," it said.

Recalling his extremely productive visit to China last month, Modi said that the outcomes of the visit will take the India-China relationship to a new level.

On his part, Zhang said there was a new level of interest about India in China across all sectors,

China's ancient cultural and spiritual ties, highlighted by Prime Minister and President Xi's joint visit to Xian and the joint Yoga Tai-Chi demonstration witnessed in Beijing by Prime Minister and Premier Li. Modi also welcomed the increase in the number of Chinese visitors to India since the launch of "Visit India Year" in China earlier this year. -PTI

Air India starts Colombo-Delhi flight NEW DELHI: Air India has introduced its second flight to Sri Lanka with the launch of a nonstop service from here to Colombo.

Air India currently operates to Colombo from Chennai.

The 182-seater inaugural Airbus A321 flight from Delhi, which took off from Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport here was given a ceremonial water salute after it landed at

Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport, Air India said in a release.

The flight will herald a new era in aviation and tourism between the two neighboring countries, the government owned airline

said, adding the new non-stop air service would also provide a link to an important gateway from the Indian sub-continent.

With the launch of the second flight to Colombo, the airline aims to cater to passengers from across segments including pilgrims and visiting friends and re-

lations (VFR), Indian Diasporas, business fraternity, MICE segment (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), student and medical and wellness travelers among others.

According to a recent industry report, India's aviation market

picked up pace in the previous fiscal with domestic traffic surging by 13.9 per cent year-on-year and international traffic clocking a 9.0 per cent growth during the period.

"Delhi being the hub for Air India, it will provide passengers from Sri Lanka, connections to flights of Air India and other Star Alliance member airlines to Europe, USA, Far East and Australia.

"Likewise, passengers arriving from these international destinations will get a convenient connection to Sri Lanka on this new flight," Air India said.

In addition, the new flight to Delhi will also provide immediate connections to many domestic destinations in India where Air India has introduced competitive fares, it said.-PTI

Contribute to India's progress, Indian-Americans told WASHINGTON: Having ex- bution not just to the US but also celled in America in their respec- to the India-US relationship," tive fields, there are tremendous Singh said at the reception hosted opportunities for Indian-Ameri- in his honor by the Indian Americans to contribute to the devel- can communities of the Greater opment of India and its ties with Washington Area. the US, India's envoy here has Addressing the gathering, said.

Noble laureate Kailash Satyarthi "The relahoped Indiationship beUS relationtween India ship would and the US is strengthen very strong further during across a Singh's tenure whole range as the Indian of sectors in Ambassador the economic in America. field, in techSenior BJP nology and in leader Kiran the defense Bedi, who is where we are visiting the Arun K Singh making treUS to attend a mendous family wedprogress," Indian Ambassador to ding, said in Singh, Prime Ministhe US Arun K Singh told mem- ter Narendra Modi has sent his bers of the Indian Diaspora at a best diplomat to the US. reception here.

It is time to strengthen hands "I believe, there is opportunity of the Prime Minister. for all of you, who have excelled Some 400 eminent Indianafter coming to the United States Americans from Greater Washingto now also engage with the pro- ton Area were present at the recesses in India and make contri- ception for Singh. -PTI

Australia stops Maggi noodles from India MELBOURNE: Australia has temporarily suspended import of Maggi noodles from India as the popular instant snack has come under mounting scrutiny over food safety concerns.

The Department of Agriculture of the Australian government has issued a "holding order" against Maggi as a precautionary measure o n June 11.

"The purpose of this notice is to advise that the department has applied a holding order t o Maggi brand noodles (Maggi noodles) from India.

"This is a precautionary measure in response to reports of levels of lead that are potentially non-compliant with the permissible levels in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

(the Code)," Australian Department of Agriculture said in the notice.

This would apply to all Maggi noodles imported to Australia from India, it said.

Nestle has challenged the ban order before the Bombay High

Court, which on June 12 declined to give any interim relief over ban of Maggi noodles.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 30 and has FSSAI and the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to file affidavits within two weeks over concerns raised by Nestle. PTI

June 19, 2015

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Gulf carriers to register $1.8b net profits DUBAI: Middle Eastern airlines are expected to post a collective USD 1.8 billion net return for 2015 for an average net margin of 3.1 per cent or USD 9.61 per passenger, it has said.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the region's carriers are expected to see a 12.9 per cent growth in passenger numbers this year, the only region with a double-digit expansion.

IATA said an improvement in profitability is also expected to be driven by lower fuel costs.

Globally, IATA announced an upward revision of its 2015 industry outlook to a USD 29.3 billion net profit. On expected revenues of USD 727 billion, the industry would achieve a 4 per cent net profit margin.

The significant strengthening from the USD 16.4 billion net profit in 2014 reflects the net impact of several global factors, including stronger global economic prospects, record load factors, lower fuel prices, and a major appreciation of the US dollar, IATA said.PTI

Foxconn to set up iPhone project in Mahrashtra MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has said it has invited iPhone manufacturer Foxconn to scout for locations in the state for setting up iPhone unit.

"Foxconn is sending a delega-

tion of their officers to scout for locations in Maharashtra. We expect it to visit the state in a month's time," state industry minister Subhash Desai told PTI. During his China visit in May, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had met representatives of the leading Taiwan-based electronics giant Foxconn.

"Visited the leading electronic manufacturer Foxconn, had good meeting with the founder Terry Gou and his team," Fadnavis had said. "Very happy to know from Terry that Foxconn is keen to invest in Maharashtra for data centers, mobile phones, tablets, television, etc. -PTI

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Palm Bay on list of top metros for tech PALM BAY, Fla.: A city on Florida's Space Coast is on a list for the hottest metro areas for science, engineering and technology.

The Brookings Institution put Palm Bay, Florida at number 7 on its list of cities that excel at advanced industries.

The Brookings' Metropolitan Policy Program said science, engineering and technology jobs made up about 13.5 percent of all jobs in Palm Bay. That's primarily because of the aerospace and defense companies in the area. The only metro areas that ranked higher were Washington, San Francisco, Detroit, Wichita, Seattle and San Jose. -AP

Oil firm Cairn India to merge into Vedanta in $2.3 bn deal MUMBAI: In move to cut debts, India's largest private miner Vedanta Ltd headed by billionaire Anil Agarwal will absorb oil firm Cairn India in a USD 2.3 billion allshare deal to create India's largest diversified natural resources company.

Shareholders in Cairn India, the country's top private oil producer, will get one ordinary share and 7.5 per cent redeemable preference share of Vedanta Ltd with a face value of Rs 10.

That implies a premium of 7.3 per cent to Cairn's closing price.

Vedanta will use Rs 16,867 crore cash lying with Cairn to pay off part of its Rs 77,752 crore debt.

Post-merger, London-listed parent Vedanta Resources Plc's holding in Vedanta Ltd will drop to 50.1 per cent from 62.9 per cent.

"The merger is the second step in the series that started in 2013

towards simplification of the corporate structure," Vedanta Ltd chief executive Tom Albanese told PTI in an interview.

by merging Sesa Goa Ltd with Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd, which ran copper and aluminum businesses.

Vedanta, previously known as Sesa Sterlite Ltd, in 2013 consolidated its iron ore mining business

"This merger is about creating long term value that is not only good for Vedanta shareholders

but also good, attractive and compelling for Cairn India shareholders," he said.

The merger will help Cairn spread its risk from volatile oil business to other metals and commodities.

"I am of the belief that diversified producers have enjoyed better shareholder returns than pure plays. If you look at how global oil and gas business has really suffered because of oil prices (fall in 2014), it clearly demonstrates that diversified groups are better than pure plays. The merger derisks the business and stabilizes revenue stream," he added.

The long-anticipated move would take Agarwal a step closer to achieving his ambition of building an India-integrated resources group in the mould of Rio Tinto or BHP Billiton. -PTI

AI seeks pre-clearance for China launches freight US-bound passengers train connecting Europe NEW DELHI: Facing stiff competition from the Jet AirwaysEtihad combine on the lucrative US routes, Air India has requested External Affairs Ministry to facilitate a pre-clearance facility for the flyers on its US-bound non-stop flights from major domestic airports.

The national carrier has sought the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at Mumbai and Delhi airports to begin with, which would allow these passengers complete the immigration process at these airports itself.

"We have requested the MEA

for having this facility as it would enable our flyers land in the US as domestic passengers and, if granted, this would save considerable time for them," Air India sources said.

If Air India is allowed to have such a facility, its passengers would not have to go for immigration clearance on arrival, sources said.

Such a facility exists for Jet-Etihad passengers at Abu Dhabi, which is the headquarters of Etihad.

"Since Etihad is a partner of Jet Airways, its passengers from India flying via Abu Dhabi also avail the pre-clearance facility. Because of this, Jet Airways is taking away a sizeable portion of our traffic to US as the flyers don't have to stand in long queues on landing there," they said. -PTI

BEIJING: China has launched a freight train service between its northeastern city of Harbin and Europe, opening a new trade route to Europe covering a distance of nearly 10,000 kms.

The train left Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, carrying 49 containers of domestic goods such as electronic products and auto parts worth USD three million from northeast and north China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

During the 9,820-km-long travel, the train will pass Russia and Poland before reaching its destination of Hamburg, Germany, said Tu Xiaoyue, general manager of HAO Logistics Co., Ltd, a joint venture

which runs the service.

The train will run once a week and each single trip will take 15 days. It will transport goods from China, the Republic of Korea and

Japan as well as European countries such as Germany, Poland, France, Spain and Italy.

Several Chinese cities, including Chongqing, Chengdu, Changsha, Hefei, Yiwu and Suzhou, have launched similar freight train services to Europe.-PTI

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Alstom to hire 1,000 engineers in India MILAN: French engineering major Alstom plans to hire 200-250 engineers annually in India over the next 3-4 years as it looks to double business to 800 million euro (about Rs 5,700 crore) in the country.

"We love doing business in India. We are finding good business environment in India. We are looking at doubling the order book in the next three to four years. Currently, we have an order book of Euro 400 million," Alstom (Transport) President Henri PoupartLafarge told reporters here.

Speaking highly about the Modi government's 'Make In India' initiative and the thrust on industrial corridors and smart cities, he said, business environment in the country has improved in the last one year.

Alstom, he said, is looking at increasing the skilled workforce in India to strengthen manufacturing and R&D capabilities and also to introduce the latest signaling systems for the metro rail projects.

The Indian arm of Alstom, he added, would be hiring about 200250 engineers every year for the next three to four years depending on the growth in business.

The French company has about 800 engineers on its rolls presently in India.

Poupart-Lafarge said Alstom will bid for projects in the urban transport sector which is expected to witness rapid growth with more and more cities demanding metros services.

"There will be more demand for metros in different cities and also for expansion of the existing

ones," he said, adding that the scope of work would increase sub-

in smart cities...though there is no definition of smart cities as such,

stantially with the government developing smart cities.

"We are very much interested

it does mean better life for people to work and live," he added.

On whether Alstom was worried about delay in passage of the land acquisition bill, PoupartLafarge said: "These are sensitive issues and every nation faces such problems. It is not something peculiar to India."

According to Jojo Alexander, Vice President-Business Development, Alstom Transport (Asia-Pacific Region), the company is keen to participate in the Dedicated Freight Corridor project, the largest railway infrastructure project currently in the country creating a freight quadrilateral across India.

"We have recently bid for the electrification and signaling pack-

India committed to improving trade with China BEIJING: India has said it is committed to improve trade relations with China as it would be mutually beneficial and help further the 'Make In India' initiative that provides a golden opportunity for Chinese investors.

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, who led a 200member business delegation to the 3rd China-South Asia Expo, made these remarks after taking

Narendra Modi provides a golden opportunity for Chinese investors to invest in India.

"We hope dat #IndianManufactures will be able (to) increase the export of their products in the fields of #IT, #Pharma, #textiles, #Agro to China," he tweeted.

He said bridging the current 'trade imbalance' will be beneficial to both India and China.

VK Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, addresses the opening ceremony of the third China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 12

part in the event where nearly 300 deals worth USD 55 billion have been signed.

India is the country of honor at the Expo in Kunming, capital of the southwestern Yunnan Province.

"GoI is committed 2improvin trade relatns w/ China, such a partnership wud be mutually beneficial n wil help further d #MakeInIndia initiative," Singh tweeted. He said the 'Make in India' initiative of Prime Minister

India has said the "imbalanced" trade with China leading to a yawning USD 47 billion trade deficit needs to be "pro- actively" addressed through improved market access for Indian products with competitive advantage like those in IT and agro.

Last year, trade deficit climbed even more to cross USD 47 billion of the total USD 70.59 billion trade, which officials say accounted for one-third of India's total trade deficit.

Insurgency won't hit BCIM Gen Singh said insurgency in the North East will not have any impact on its efforts to improve connectivity with Bangladesh, Myanmar and China under the 'Act East' policy.

"Once the Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar (BCIM) corridor comes up, I am quite sure things will be taken care of. We are committed to improving connectivity as part of our 'Act East policy'," he said.

"The incident you referred to, I am quite sure various security agencies in the ministry of home will take care of it," he said in a brief response to question on the Manipur attack in which 18 soldiers were killed.

Asked about the direction of the India-China relations after last month's visit by the Prime Minister, Singh said Premier Narendra Modi and the Chinese leadership had a great deal of discussion on this issue.

About India's concerns regarding the USD 47 billion trade deficit out of over USD 70 billion annual trade, Singh, who held talks with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao on the sidelines of the Expo, said, "We have already flagged this issue."

"Both the Chinese and Indian leadership are acutely aware of this issue. Various things are being thought of how we can curtail this trade deficit that exist at the moment. I am quite sure answers will be found very soon," he said.-PTI

age of the Khurja-Bhaupur (343 km) section of the Eastern Corridor and are optimistically awaiting the result. However, we cannot say much until the contract is formally awarded," he said.

As regards the main challenge faced by MNCs like Alstom in the metro business in India, Alexander said, is the lack of standardization across metro projects.

"Presently the metro system in each city has its own specifications calling for unique solutions.

The execution of metro projects could be faster and more cost-efficient if there are uniform standards. The efforts of the Ministry of Urban Development in this direction are welcome" he added.

India, he said, should also be looking at implementing modern light rail systems such as an elevated tramway as another mode of public transport.

"Light Rail will suit smaller towns and cities where the roads are narrower and passenger volumes are lower. They can also act as feeder networks for metros in large cities," he added.

Alstom is currently associated with metro rail projects in Delhi, Kochi, Jaipur, Chennai and Bangaluru. For Indian Railways, Alstom has provided the initial coaches and the technology for the LHB (lightweight all-metal) coaches used on Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains. -PTI

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Prabhu for railway stations on PPP model JODHPUR: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has called upon industrialists here to come forward for the development of railway stations on PPP model and assured them of full assistance from his ministry.

Addressing industrialists at the Jodhpur Industries Association hall on the second day of his Jodhpur visit, Prabhu termed the city as commercial hub of the country for its entrepreneurship and availability of minerals, specially lime.

He said these features can play an important role in taking the country to the desired heights in manufacturing sector.

On tourism potential in Rajasthan, Prabhu said the Central and State governments together are forming a company to explore the tourism potential in the state and addressing the rail-related issues in a better way.

"This company will generate funds for strengthening of rail infrastructure, making and imple-

menting new projects and enhancement in the rail and passengers' facilities," he said.

Considering the tourism potential in Rajasthan, a new tourism

policy will be drafted soon, which will provide new direction to the tourism industry in the state, Prabhu said.

He also met the erstwhile ruler of Jodhpur Gaj Singh II to explore

Air Pegasus to launch Bengaluru-Madurai flight BENGALURU: Low-cost carrier Air Pegasus has said it is set to launch thrice-a-week flight to Madurai from here from June 26.

With the announcement, Air Pegasus is taking its footprint to the fourth city in South India in less than three months after its first launch in April, the company said in a release.

Since April, Air Pegasus has launched its flight service to

over, we are the sole operator to Madurai from Bangalore," Air Pegasus Managing Director Shyson Thomas said.

"We are consistent in our promise to connect new cities in South India and will remain committed to the promise with our aggressive approach," he added.

Based out of the Kempegowda International Airport here, Air Pegasus will subsequently scale up

Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, Hubballi in Karnataka and Cudappah in Andhra Pradesh, it said.

"As the third largest city of Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Coimbatore, the new flight service is set to add significant value to the economy of Madurai, which is also called as the Athens of the East for its cultural heritage. More-

its services gradually to connect Kochi, Chennai, Belgaum, Rajahmundry and Puducherry and several more cities in the region, the company said.

Decor Aviation, which owns and operates Air Pegasus, is part of the Decor Group of Companies providing ground handling services to Indian and foreign carriers across 11 airports in India.-PTI

the possibilities wherein the Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) would work together for the promotion of tourism.

T h e discussions cent e r e d around restoring and developing the heritage properties and unused ancient rail lines as part of a tourist circuit.

Singh said that heritage tourism has a huge potential and these properties can be utilized and promoted as added tourism attractions. -PTI

MHA to review decision on Sun TV Network NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry has hinted that it may review its decision to withdraw security clearance given to 33 channels of Sun TV Network if a sound legal opinion could satisfy it that the grounds under which the permission was denied were not satisfactory.

Sources said that the security clearance to Sun TV Network was withdrawn due to a probe against promoter Kalanithi Maran and his brother and former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran, who were facing a CBI probe over alleged allotment of 300 h i g h s p e e d BSNL telephone lines to their installations.

There are two other pending criminal probes against Sun TV Network and Kalanithi Maran CBI's Aircel-Maxis case and an Enforcement Directorate case of money laundering.

"If a sound legal opinion comes saying that all these alleged offences would not compromise country's economic security, we may go for a review.� -PTI

Jaitley asks banks for greater cut in rates NEW DELHI: Public and private sector banks are to effect a "greater" cut in interest rate in the coming days after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley did some plain speaking asking them why they failed to transmit the benefit of 0.75 per cent reduction by RBI since January.

Keen to boost economic growth by making available cheaper capital, he met chief executives of public sector and private sector banks separately and conveyed government's disquiet over the lack of enthusiasm on the part of lenders.

"The Finance Minister asked the CEOs of both the public and private banks to effect a corresponding rate cut of 75 basic points in response to RBI rate cut of same basis points since January," an official statement said.

"All banks unanimously expressed that in a period of 2 to 3

said that until the cost of funds/ deposits for the banks, as reflected in the re-pricing of their liability book at the new rate comes down, and liquidity levels at the new lower costs are tested, full transmission would not be viable.

However, Jaitley said "the environment was optimistic.

Since the movement in the banking sector appears to be for the better, this gives up a further hope of a greater recovery as far as economy is concerned."

A number of banks, including the largest public sector lender SBI, have cut their minimum lending rates after RBI reduced its policy rates by 0.25 per cent on June 2.

At the meeting, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha suggested that banks could sell off their non-core assets, apparently for raising capital.

Jaitley promised more capital infusion into public sector banks, saying there's "merit" in their demand for more funds over and above what was provided in the Budget.

"Banks have made a strong case for additional capital...

And over the next few months, this is Finance Minister Arun Jaitley something the government is months, greater transmission of going to seriously look at," Jaitley lower rates could be seen," it said. said after meeting heads of PSU In an unusual move, top private banks here.

ICICI, HDFC and Axis were called "...I do believe it's a case which for discussions with the Finance has merit (attention)," he said.

Minister immediately after his The government has earmarked meeting with PSU heads.

Rs 7,940 crore in the Budget for Jaitley himself told reporters recapitalization of PSU banks for later that, "Some part of it (rate cut) the current fiscal. have been passed on to customAs regards bad loans, Jaitley ers, while some banks have not said NPAs have come down in the passed on. I feel over the next few January-March quarter and hoped days ...some of the bankers felt that that the situation would improve over the next few weeks, they further with pick up in economy would be in a position to work out and higher public spending, espegreater cuts." cially in infrastructure sector In the meeting, he asked the projects. bank chiefs as to why the system "In quarter ending March 2015, effected a rate cut of only 25 basis NPAs had come down from 5.64 points against 75 basis point ef- per cent to 5.2 per cent. One quarfected by RBI since January. ter does not indicate a pattern. So Some of the banks, he said, I would wait for some more time have expressed their inability to before realizing what the pattern pass on the rate cuts on account is. Banks are themselves of the of problems with their respective assessment that it would take them balance sheets and higher rates on 2-3 quarters to reach a somewhat small savings schemes. more greater comfort level," he The statement said the CMDs said.-PTI

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Michigan debates how to regulate car services LANSING, Mich.: Competing legislation in the Michigan House and Senate would take different approaches to regulating services like Uber and Lyft that allow people to request rides using apps on their smartphones.

The two Republican-sponsored packages have ignited a debate over how much local control is appropriate for creating and enforcing certain regulations.

A mix of local and state regulations governs limo and taxi services. A House package would create separate regulations for ride-hailing services, to be handled by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Local governments would be prohibited

Complaint against Dell India rejected NEW DELHI: Fair trade watchdog CCI has rejected allegations that computer maker Dell India Pvt Ltd indulged in anti-competitive practices with respect to the business of a particular server.

It was alleged that the company engaged in unfair business ways by creating entry barriers in the market for x86 server.

After finding that there was no prima facie evidence of competition norms' violations, the regulator decided to close the matter.

Competition Commission of India (CCI) keeps a tab on unfair business practices across sectors.

In this case, the Commission considered the market of x86 server in India as the relevant one. "...even though the opposite party (Dell India) and its distributors are vertically placed, the alleged conduct does not give rise to appreciable adverse effect on competition in the relevant market, considering the fact that x86 server of other companies are available in the market," the Commission said in its order dated June 10.

With regard to alleged abuse of dominance, the watchdog said the company is not in a dominant position in the relevant market.

"Since, the opposite party does not appear to be in a dominant position in the relevant market, the question of abusing its dominant position, in terms of section 4 of the (Competition) Act, does not arise," it added.

Section 4 pertains to abuse of dominant position. -PTI

from setting their own regulations or fees.

The Senate package would put ride-hailing services under state limo and taxi laws while leaving some control with local governments, who say they support the expansion of ride-hailing services but need to set regulations that fit their communities' needs.

Representatives from Uber and Lyft have lobbied heavily in favor of the House package, which they say would ensure ``higher safety but lower barriers to entry'' than if their services were regulated under limo and taxi laws.

Mike White, general manager for Uber in Michigan, said putting ride-hailing services under limo and taxi regulations would ``pre-

vent part-time drivers from having it be worth their while to go through all those barriers.'' ``You'd be left with only individuals who are willing to do this on a full-time basis,'' he said. He argued that part of what makes ridehailing services beneficial is that it creates a market for part-time drivers who can help provide more service during peak demand times.

But the House package faces pressure from local governments and the state's airports to remove the prohibition on local regulations. Representatives from the Wayne County Airport Authority, Capital Region Airport Authority and Gerald R. Ford International Airport told a House commit-

tee they want to see ride-hailing services operate in the state with options for local regulations. The airport representatives said they need to charge car services reasonable fees to meet certain federal guidelines.

Local government associations also voiced concerns about not being able to impose their own regulations.

John LaMacchia, a legislative associate with the Michigan Municipal League, said the group supports the expansion of ridehailing services in the state, but local governments are in the best position to determine where local regulations might be warranted.-AP

Desi News Join World Yoga Day in Sunnyvale India Post News Service

SUNNYVALE: June 21 was declared as International Yoga Day

by United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014. More than 170 countries including the USA, Canada, and China have supported this move, and 175 nations have co-sponsored the resolution.

Yoga, a 5,000-year-old physical, mental, and spiritual practice originating in India, aims to transform the body and mind.

Events are being held in the Bay Area and co-hosted by the Bay Area Chapter of Yoga Bharati, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, and the Hindu American Foundation at Baylands Park, 999 East Caribbean Drive, Sunnyvale, CA. The time is from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Join it for the health for humanity.

Hands-on Yoga by experts and for discovering the other parts of Yoga The event is Free but registration is required.

VisitorsCoverage a proud sponsor of FIA's Festival of Globe India Post News Service

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: VisitorsCoverage Inc. recently became the official travel insurance partner of Festival of Globe, a one of its kind event with a 10-day jubilant celebration starting from Aug 7 to 16 in the Silicon Valley celebrating the Indian heritage and film festival put on by the Federation of Indo Americans of Northern California (FIA).

VisitorsCoverage is proud to be a sponsor of Festival of Globe and looks forward to showing its support of the Indian, American, and worldwide communities at the festival this August.

Details on page 23

Asian-Americans raise $90K for Nepal quake victims SYED KHALIL ULLAH

CHICAGO: A fundraiser and relief drive for earthquake victims in Nepal was sponsored by Secretary of State Jesse White and co-hosted by Asian-American Advisory Council and the Chicagoland Nepali Friendship Society here at Jesse White Community Center, May 30.

Details on page 19

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

16 India Post

Helpful technique to establish the mind in God Details on page 24

June 19, 2015

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CG Dr Sayeed briefs community leaders for Yoga Day RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Indian Consul General Dr Ausaf Sayeed, chaired a meeting with a cross-section of community leaders and office bearers of Indian-American community and socio-cultural organizations on Tuesday, 9 June5 at the Consulate premises to review the arrangements for the celebrations of the First International Yoga Day in Chicagoland.

The Consul General briefed that the preparations for celebrating the First International Yoga Day on a grand scale in Chicagoland began in all earnestness after the Kick-off Ceremony which was organized at the premises of the Consulate on 20th May, which was attended by different community organizations, established yoga and spiritual centers and members of the media.

During the kick-off ceremony, the Consul General and the members of organizing Committee un-

be exhibited on the occasion. [ii] Photo exhibition: Selected photographs on Yoga by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga [MDNIY] and by Raja Choudhury will be displayed [iii] Screening of the docu-

[viii] Keynote Speech by Swami Ishatmanandaji, President, Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago on "Prabuddha Dhyanam" (Enlightened Meditation). [viii] Talk on benefits of Yoga

Indian CG Chicago meets community leaders for Yoga Day briefing

mentary film "History of Yoga: the path of my Ancestors": This is a 109 minutes film with Hindi sub-

The Consul General briefed that the preparations for celebrating the First International Yoga Day on a grand scale in Chicagoland began in all earnestness after the Kick-off Ceremony which was organized at the premises of the Consulate on 20th May veiled the Official logo for the International Day of Yoga.

The IY Day Chicagoland will be celebrated on Sunday, June 21 at Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, (a northwest suburb of Chicago) from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The Participating Organisations are the Art of living Foundation, Gayathri Gyan Mandir, Isha Foundation, Patanjali Yogpeeth, Brahma Kumaris Meditation Centers, SEWA International, Science of Spirituality, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Yog Sadhan Ashram and Akhu Yoga The following events would be organized as part of the First International Yoga Day: [i] Book Exhibition: A special book exhibition on Yoga will

lization, Vedic times, Jainism, Buddhism and the Hath-Yogic practices of medieval times. [iv] Screening of the documentary film " Yoga : Harmony with Nature" : It is a compelling new film by National Film Award

Winner Raja Choudhury and the External Publicity & Public Diplomacy Division of Ministry of External Affairs. The film explores Yoga's origins, history, benefits, science, spread and embrace around the World. [v] Common Yoga Protocol / demonstration of common asanas and breathing techniques by The Art of Living Foundation. [vi] Guided meditation workshop & children's activities by the

by the Director of Yog Sadhan Ashram [ix] 'Surat Shabd Yoga' An Ageless Technique' by The Science of Spirituality [x] Hath Yoga posture and cleansing demonstration by Yog Sadhan Ashram [xi] Cyclic Meditation Workshop (Stop Diabetic Movement)

by SEWA International [xii] Workshop on Yoga Therapy by Akhu Yoga

A group of community leaders at the Consulate

titles. The film is a 6000 year journey into the origin & evolution of Yoga. The film explores the elements of Yoga in the Harappa civi-

Brahm Kumaris Meditation Center [vii] Surya Namaskar Demonstration by the Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh

[xiii] Yoga and Pranayama for Seniors by Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust, Chicago Cont’d on page 19

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Yoga sessions at various Yoga goes to Sweden college campuses with Sofia MADHU PATEL

FLORIDA: Hindu Students Council (HSC), will partner with Overseas Volunteers for a Better India (OVBI) to celebrate the International Day of Yoga - Yogathon campaign - on June 21.

HSC will be holding yoga sessions and programs at various college campuses and in the community as part of this initiative.

Announcing this initiative and partnership, Ravindra Jaishankar, President of Hindu Students Council, said, "Yoga is India's oldest and best developed holistic system for spiritual and personal develop-

Yoga mudras

ment. It has been perfected over millennia by the Rishis (ancient Hindu sages) and has benefited hundreds of millions across the world. And yet today it has been stripped of its vital core, Dharma, and the result is a misunderstood and misused system which is reduced to a few postures."

The HSC initiative will therefore aim to

KANUBHAI BRAHMBHAT

shed light on a proper appreciation of and respect for Yoga via a combination of yoga workshops and information sessions, he added.

"Yoga will also be one of the key topics of HSC's Global Dharma Conference 2015, being held at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center, on September 11-13," said Nikunj Trivedi, Chairman of Hindu Students Council. "The conference's theme of 'Dharma for the Inner World' will feature workshops, talks and discussions around the philosophy of yoga and how to integrate it into our lives in order to bring inner harmony and peace." The conference is expected to feature ren o w n e d teachers and experts who will share their wisdom on Yoga.

Yogathon sessions are b e i n g planned at various universities in the New York and New Jersey areas. In addition, HSC will be working with various community based organizations such as OVBI to encourage students on summer vacation to attend Yogathons in their respective local states.

For More information on Yogathon, go to athttp://intyogaday.com

Indian bizmen-women meet & greet Ed Royce GEETHA PATEL

CHICAGO: A number of community oriented Indian businessmen, women and community leaders gathered at PowerVolt, Inc., Addison, last week to talk about their agenda regarding the formation of Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC) in the United States to represent all Indians living here collectively, in different areas of American

politics The aim is also to have input from Indian Americans when various business and trade decisions are made in Washington DC. Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, was welcomed warmly by them.

Cont’d on page 19

Businessmen (left to right) Anil Oroskar, Jasbir Suga, Congressman Ed Royce, Brij Sharma, Manohar Sharma, Yogi Bhardwaj and Shalabh Kumar

CHICAGO: A New York educated Yoga According to US National Institute of instructor Sofia Hellqvist now becoming Health, Yoga may help one to feel more reHer Royal Highness Princess Sofia of Swe- laxed, be more flexible, improve posture, den after marrying Sweden's Prince Carl breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. Yoga Philip (third in line for the throne) in a lavish is the repository of something basic in the ceremony at Stockholm Royal Palace on human soul and psyche.

June 13 is yet another indication that anRajan Zed, president of Universal Socicient Yoga techniques practiced in India are ety of Hinduism, said that Yoga, referred to slowly getting world wide acceptance.

This is despite an orchestred opposition from religious bigots many of whom have opposed Surya Namskar on religious grounds claiming that this violates their religious code. Many a narrow sighted politician is succumbing to this pressure.

Some of the so called Indian leaders seeking to buttress their image as secular leaders are in the forefront Sofia Hellqvist with Sweden Prince Carl Philip supporting them and the impact is also being felt in Chicago where the Indian as "a living fossil", was a mental and physiConsulate headed by Dr Ausuf Sayeed has cal discipline for everybody to share and organized one day International Yoda Day benefit from, whose traces went back to celebrations at Odium Center in Villa Park around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilizaSofia studied yoga in New York City and tion. became a certified yoga instructor in the According to Patanjali who codified it in same studio. She then started her own yoga Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to center in Manhattan and launched a yoga attain perfection, through the control of the gear collection "Drop of Mindfulness", co- different elements of human nature, physidesigned by her. cal and psychical.

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Senior citizens enjoy Tiku Talsania play JAYANTI OZA

CHICAGO: Bhartiya Senior Citizens of Chicago presented a Gujarati play for Chicago area's Senior Citizens and friends on Sunday June 6 at Jain Temple auditorium in Bartlett More than 600 members and friends enjoyed "Thodu Logic Thodu Magic" performed by prominent Indian artist Tiku Talsania and his group.

It was really an impressive and

heart-touching family-oriented play. In the audience were many community leaders like Nimesh Jani (Trustee of Schaumburg Township), Tim Schneider (Commissioner of Cook County and Chairman of Illinois for Republican Party), Chhotubhai Patel and presidents of organizations like Gujarati Samaj of Chicago and Kadvapatidar Samaj of Chicago.

Bhartiya Senior Citizens of ChiTiku Talsania with his Group being welcomed by BSC officials

cago President Haribhai Patel said his organization is a Non- Profit serving the large community of Metro Chicago and it arranges various programs such as annual summer picnic, Navratri Garbas (free for every one), celebration of Indian festivals such as Holy,

niors by sponsoring dramas, songs, bhajans etc.

Many such activities are sponsored by this organization all year around. For instance, last week a senior Congressman Ed Royce (Chairman of Foreign Relations committee) was invited to address

Tiku Talsania and his group of artists performing on stage

Diwali etc. It also organizes tours to US and other worldwide destinations at reasonable cost to seniors.

More importantly for seniors, it sponsors seminars and talks by experts in various fields such as benefits to seniors from social security, health related issues, yoga and other topics. It entertains se-

the seniors on a subject of US and India relations. It was well received mutually by the seniors.

Once a month members are getting to gather at 343, St. Paul Blvd, Carol Stream, IL. at Rana Regan Center for above referenced activities and at the end a low cost dinner is served to the members and guests.

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Asian-Americans raise $90K Indian bizmen-women for Nepal quake victims meet & greet Ed Royce SYED KHALIL ULLAH

CHICAGO: A fundraiser and relief drive for earthquake victims in Nepal was sponsored by Secretary of State Jesse White and co-hosted

by Asian-American Advisory Council and the Chicagoland Nepali Friendship Society here at Jesse White Community Center, May 30.

A total of $88,953.29 was raised.

$20,000 came through PayPal and the cash update from the organizing committee amounted to well over $31,000. Many others present also donated, including Miss Illinois Marisa Buchheit, who sang the U.S. national anthem.

Karki thanked the gathering for supporting his country as it be-

Cont’d from page 17

darity more in the smaller amount than in the big amount."

"When one segment of society is hurting, all of us hurt. We all hurt. If you have, share with others. They have to rebuild infrastructure and schools in Nepal," said Jesse White. Participants came from all over Chicagoland. Paki-

Shalabh Kumar, the leading businessman and Indian representative in the congress, introduced Royce to the group by highlighting his achievements in American politics and his very supportive and bold role in inviting our most loved Prime Minister of India, Modi Ji. All other businessmen and women introduced themselves to

Republican Hindu Coalition to represent their voice in American politics. He urged them to show their presence in American politics, business and trade on a united and collective basis rather than on individual basis. He requested everyone to spread the news vigorously among the Indian communities living in different states to come and join the coalition and mark its presence in a big way.

Indian businesswomen at the Ed Royce meet: Sangeeta Wadhera, Vijay Sharma, Kusum Bhardwaj, Asha Oroskar and Jasmit Suga

A section of attendees- Pic Syed Khalil Ullah

ABC7 News reporter Eric Horng served as master of ceremonies.

Nepal's ambassador to U.S. Arjun Karki had come specially to deliver the keynote address.

Global Children Foundation donated $27,550 toward reopening schools and $10,000 to the Education Foundation of Nepal. Almost

gins the long recovery from last month's devastating earthquake that killed more than 8,000: "The hundreds of tremors since the earthquake have been terrorizing the people. I was in Nepal at the time and felt the kind of terror that all of us had to go through…you can feel the sympathy and the soli-

stani community leader Hameed Ullah Khan attended, as did AsianAmerican leaders Amy Moy, Ann Liang, Asayo Horibe, Aziza Gillani, Bala Ghimire, Sadruddin Noorani, Kanti Patel, Sam Ma and others.

Consul General of Nepal in Chicago Marvin Brustin thanked everyone in his closing remarks.

CG Dr Sayeed briefs community leaders for Yoga Day Cont’d from page 16

[xiv] Chair Yoga demonstration for seniors - by American Association of Retired Asians (AARA) Several organizations in different parts of Chicagoland and other states of the US Midwest are organizing a series of activities to mark the International Yoga Day. Quite a number of elected Federal, State and local level officials besides huge number of Yoga enthusiasts are expected to attend this day long event.

Mayor's message Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has sent a special message of congratulations on the First International Yoga Day. A special message would also be read on behalf

of Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner.

CG Dr Sayeed also formally launched the official website of the International Yoga Day celebrations in Chicago: www.iydchicago.org. The objective of the website is to provide impetus to Yoga in general and to register participants in the Chicagoland for IYD celebrations.

The website consolidates yogarelated contents in the form of text, images, videos, blogs, news articles, opinion etc. from official and other authentic sources.

A practice session for common Yoga asanas and breathing techniques was also held after the meeting.

The Consulate has also created a new Facebook Page which can

be accessed on: http:// www.facebook.com/ IndiaInChicago. People are encouraged to follow the Facebook Page to get regular updates on the various activities organized by the Consulate. People are also encouraged to follow the Consulate's Twitter Handle: https:// twitter.com/IndiaCGChicago and to use the Hash Tags: #YogaDay and #IYDChicago to promote the International Yoga Day. Thanking all the participants, CG Dr Sayeed urged all the community organizations to extend whole-hearted support in celebrating the First International Day of Yoga in a befitting manner, not only in Chicagoland but in the entire US Midwest.

Royce one by one as the Congressman showed keenness in knowing every one of them individually. A brief slide show presentation was given by Brij Sharma, the CEO of PowerVolt, Addison, about his business career journey in America that impressed all those present, including Ed Royce.

Royce was highly positive and supportive in his address. He welcomed the agenda for forming a

Participants of the evening took a tour of the PowerVolt factory and interacted with workers who demonstrated their skills in building electronic transformers. After a brief mixing and mingling, everyone enjoyed delicious dinner with soft mild sweet Ras-Malai and Carrot-Halwa. Mrs Vijay Sharma, the hostess of the evening, thanked everyone for attending the function and making it happen as expected.

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Maharudram prelude program a big success India Post News Service

CHICAGO: The Maharudram Committee of The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC), Lemont, a southwest suburb of Chicago, organized a part of the series, a prelude, to its much awaited "Rudra: Who Really is He?" on Sunday, June 1.

Heavy rains notwithstanding, a large number of devotees flocked to the Sama Rathi auditorium to be part of the prelude session.

The Prelude program commenced with a prayer to the Lord

by Sri Krishnarajan, distinguished priest of the Temple. Revered Swamiji Advayatmananda Saraswati, Dharmaatma Dr. Yegnasubramanian and Congressman Danny Davis were welcomed to the stage and honored with garlands by Lakshman Agadi,

(Sitting): Sri Bhima Reddy, Sri Lakshman Agadi, Congressman Danny Davis, Revered Swamiji Advayatmananda Saraswati, Dharmaatma Dr Yegnasubramanian. (Standing): Dr Vijaya Sarma (3), Dr Sangita Rangala (5), Dr Paul Erhard (6) Subramanian Sundaram (8) -Pics Asian Media USA

Swami Advayatmananda's speech, titled "Yagna: Expression

Musical concert by Sands Around Infinity

Chairman of Maharudram committee and Bhima Reddy, President of HTGC. Swami Advayatmananda then inaugurated the program for the day with the traditional Lighting of the Lamp Ceremony with the assistance of Smt Radha Ramanathan.

In his speech, Congressman Danny Davis declared that if the five-billion people in the world who belong to various religious faiths interact with each other they will only realize that all religions are preaching the same universal truth and this would lead to a more peaceful and tolerant world which is the most urgent need in today's world.

Congressman Danny Davis declared that if the five-billion people in the world interact with each other they will only realize that all religions are preaching the same universal truth

Dharmaatma Dr. Yegnasubramanian delivered a speech titled "Sanatana Dharma".

He started by quoting Sri Adi Sankaracharya from Viveka Choodamani, stating that to be born as a human being is rare, next is to have a yearning to attain liberation from bondage, and the third is to get associated with great souls. Merely learning the scriptures makes one a scholarly person but only when one attains the knowledge of the Supreme Being he or she is called a Brahmin. Regardless of caste, creed, religion or anything a person who is aware of the Supreme Being and realizes

Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna explains four types of devotees.

The first type is the one that prays

tee does not ask for material benefits. The fourth category is the one with supreme devotion which purports the knowledge that Lord is not different from the devotee and has the attitude of oneness with Lord. Mahayagnas are supposed to be performed not for seeking material benefits but for universal welfare and peace of mind collectively.

The lectures were followed by a wonderful concert by Sands Around Infinity, who presented a fusion of Indian devotional bhajans and western music with a twist of Jazz. The artists were honored by Sri Srinivas Sarma, Prashant Sarma and Sanjeev Sarma.

The selections were from their new CD, "Of Infinite Light" and included such compositions as "Hey Shyam Sundara", "Chal Re Mann"," Chitta Chora". The wide

The lectures were followed by a wonderful concert by Sands Around Infinity, who presented a fusion of Indian devotional bhajans and western music with a twist of Jazz. The artists were honored by Sri Srinivas Sarma, Prashant Sarma and Sanjeev Sarma. to God only when there is a problem. The second one feels that God's grace is needed for material benefits and prays for it. The third

variety of rhythms and expressive elements enveloped the listeners in rich colors and moods.

The emcees for the program

Rudra speakers Swami Advayatmananda Saraswati, Dharmaatma Dr Yegnasubramanian, Rep. Danny Davis and Bhima Reddy HTGC President

of our infinite Love for the Limitless Lord" gave wonderful insights into the Vedantic concept of Ishwara and the true nature and oneness of individuals. Swamiji said the more we bring Iswara into our life, the closer we are to the reality. Inviting the Lord into our lives and expressing devotion through various forms of prayer recognizes the concept called Deivam, the supreme power beyond our control.

Everything we have, including our own body, intellect and belongings, were generously bestowed upon us by Iswara and therefore we need to accept them gracefully. Swamiji advised that continued prayer with the attitude that all our actions are our offering to Ishwara radically changes our approach to life.

the self is called a Brahmin.

Dr Yegnasubramanian quoted

category prays to God for the love towards God. This type of devo-

Artists with volunteers and participants

was Dr Sangita Rangala and Vikram Rangala.

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Governor urged to improve employment for disabled

Thakar S Basati reelected to POC

AMI GANDHI

SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Several local Desi leaders urged Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and community organizations to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities during a June 5 Townhall event in Chicago.

Over 50 people attended the Townhall which was led by Dr Rooshey Hasnain, director of Asians with Disabilities Outreach Project Think Tank (ADOPT), an initiative of University of Illinois at Chicago and Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services.

ADOPT and many other community-based initiatives face the risk of being eliminated completely due to Governor Rauner's proposed budget cuts.

As explained by numerous experts at the Townhall - including White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services, Americans with Disabilities Act 25 Chicago, Heartland Human Care Services, Access Living and Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce - mainstream disability service providers rarely reach Desi and Asian American community

members, and removing state funding for ADOPT will have a devastating social and economic impact in Illinois.

Reema Kapoor of SAAPRI addressing the Townhall meet

Many Desi organizations such as South Asian American Policy & Research Institute (SAAPRI),

Indo-American Center, and Apna Ghar have served as partners to ADOPT. These organizations have worked together efficiently in coalitions to implement disability access initiatives in the Desi community but see the need to do even more in the days ahead.

"SAAPRI applauds the important work of organizations like ADOPT in voicing the concerns of persons with disabilities and extending critical assistance including vocational rehabilitation.

Organizations representing persons of color and persons with disabilities should continue to engage in nuance dialogue regarding how each of us can partner together to provide meaningful service to all members of our community," said Reema Kapur, incoming executive director of SAAPRI (www.saapri.org).

SAAPRI is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization established in 2001 to improve the lives of South Asian Americans in the Chicago area, by using research to formulate equitable and socially responsible public policy recommendations.

CHICAGO: Thakar S Basati, a Sikh community activist has been reelected to POC, previously known as Palatine Opportunity Center, now called Partners for Our Communities board. He was unanimously elected for another 2 year term.

The POC name change was in view of the fact that it is now expanding to surrounding communities, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg area.

They have approached POC to help them start some programs that have been very successful in Palatine, Illinois.

POC connects underserved residents in our communities to services and resources in an effort to build communities of empowered people, healthy families, and vibrant neighborhoods.

They have provided a highly successful environment for young people who have now gone to

Ranganatha exemplifies Carnatic music of Kerala JAISHREE PRASAD

CHICAGO: Shertalai Ranganatha Sharma gave a Carnatic vocal concert here at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago May 25, the third and final day of the annual Tyagaraja Festival. He was accompanied on violin by Tiruvizha Viju Anand and on midrange by R. Sankaranarayanan.

Sharma began with a fixed composition (varnam) "Inthachala" in ragam Begada at fast pace culminating in a wonderful rendering of kalpana swaras for its final lines (charanam). Then followed a brief but scintillating exploration (unaccompanied by percussion, aalaapanam) of Reeti-gowla for the composition (kriti) "Baale balendu bhooshini" of Shyama Shastry, who is also one of the hallowed trinity of Carnatic music. Set to Aadi tala, it was neatly rendered with clear pronunciation of lyrics.

"Maravairamani" in Naasikaabhooshani, Rupaka tala, brought out Sharma's rich imagination and creative skills in both aalaapanam and kriti. The excellent support from

violin and mridangam made the the line "Jalajaasana Sanakaadi concert that much more enjoyable. karaarcita." The impressive sol-fa After "Rarama intidaka" in improvisation (kalpana swara) that Aasaveri, Sharma embarked on an e l a b o r a t e aalaapanam in Kedara-gowla.

Rich tradition and experience was manifest in his brilliant portrayal of various hues of this majestic raga, using characteristic note sequences (swara-sanchaara), before continuing with Tyagaraja's famous "Tulasi Bilva" set to Aadi tala.

Carnatic vocalist Shertalai Ranganatha Sharma from Its slow tempo India delivered the penultimate concert of the three(vilamba-kaala) alday annual Chicago Tyagaraja Festival lowed the artist to develop the raga with creative and followed attested to amazing comimaginative variations (sangati). mand over rhythm and fluency Sharma mesmerized with his musi- over the cascade of musical notes cal phrase variations (neraval) on (swarara prasthara). The percus-

sion solo (tani avartanam) by the mridangam, with its intricate jathi (patterns of rhythm), was highly enjoyable.

"Pahi parvata nandini," a kriti of Maharaja Swathi Tirunal in ragam Aarabhi set to Aadi talam, was followed by a Hindi bhajan in Kalyana Vasanta. After rendering "Idu taano tillai sthalam" in Behag composed by Gopalakrishna Bharati, a well-known Tamil poet, Sharma concluded his memorable concert with a rhythmic dance piece (thillana) composed by the late violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman.

This year's Tyagaraja Utsavam highlighted Kerala's distinctive culture through its traditional temple orchestra (panchavaadyam), fanfare on cylindrical wooden drum (chenda melam) and group folk dance (kaikottikali) as preamble to the morning procession. Sharma, topped this celebration of India's southeastern-most state by demonstrating the voice culture of its Carnatic musicians.

college level education, some have gotten jobs. These are the people who would have fallen prey to unsocial activities was it not for POC. POC runs programs for learning English, Computer skills and nursery help to help moms learn many skills. There is a library on site, free Vista clinic for uninsured people, Registered Nurse available

Thakar Basati

to help people find help. Many youth programs are available.

Neighborhood Police activities are available. Free garden helps people learn about growing fresh vegetables. Local YMCA and Harper Community college runs programs at the sight.

Many people volunteer their time and effort to run the facility.

Free music learning programs are offered. Free school supplies are provided to less fortunate youngsters. Last year local police and YMCA was hoping to provide free back pack and school supplies to about 350 school kids. Over 900 kids showed up and got school supplies.

The Center can be reached at 847-776-9564 or visit at 1585 N Rand Rd, Palatine, IL 60074.

Basati was also on the committee that procured this building under the Mayorship of Rita Mullins. Basati also serves on Greater Palatine Area Democrats board and helps community get involved in local community events.

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Significance of Adhika Maas in Hindu calendar

T

he concept of Adhika Maas is unique to the traditional Hindu lunar calendar based on the cycles of the Moon. The lunar calendar adds one extra month every third year. This extra month is known as Adhik Maas, Mal Maas, Purushottam Maas, Malimmacha, Adhik Ashad Maas or Adhik Ashada Mahina.

A lunar month is around 29.5

days long whereas a solar month is 30 to 31 days long. The lunar year consists of 354 solar days while solar year consists of 365 days. So, as years pass by each lunar month starts earlier to the corresponding solar month. There is a difference of 11 days between the lunar and solar year. In every three solar years the difference between the two calendars becomes a full month or around 29 days. To compensate or make the two calendars similar an extra month is added. Vasishta Siddhanta, a treatise of Sage Vasishta, says that the Adhika Masa occurs after every 32 months, 16 days and 24 minutes.

Another way to look at it is whenever Sankranti does not fall within one month then Adhik Maas occurs.

When there are two Sankrantis within one month then it becomes the lunar year with one reduced month (11 months in the year). Just as there is the lunar year with the extra month (Adhik Maas), so is there a lunar year with a diminished or reduced month, with only eleven months in the year. The lunar year comprising of eleven months is very rare which occurs once in 140 or 190 years. But the extra month or Adhik Maas comes every third year.

In 2015 Hindu Lunar calendar, this Adhik Masam is from 17 June 2015 to 16 July 2015. So in 2015, there are thirteen months in Hindu Lunar calendar apart from the normal 12 months. Adhik masa in true sense is celebrated as sacred

PT ANIL JOSHI

month for spiritual development not for worldly development. That is why, during this period, marriages, tonsures (Mundan), inaugurations of new home (Bhumi poojan, Graha pravesh), fasting with desire of some worldly gains, buying new ornaments and vehicles are not encouraged by our ancestors.

Significance of Adhik Maas in

Kali Yug In the present world, people are so busy and families are scattered worldwide. It is therefore said that for such families Adhik Mas is the most appropriate time to hold religious rituals family as a whole to get Adhik (maximum) benefits.

Hindu saints have expressed that the multiple spiritual merits such as wisdom, self-realization and inner peace etc. can be acquired by performing pujas, fasting, japas, and recitation of scriptures, taking sacred dips in the rivers in this

Pandit Anil Joshi Ji Priest, Grayslake, IL

one month compared to what one obtains by doing same rituals in other 12 months.

Since Lord Vishnu, the protector of this universe in the form of Purshottama is the head of this Adhika Masa, the Japam, Homam, and Danam done in this Adhika Masam will have Adhika or extra benefits. Adhika Masam is one of the dearest Masam to Lord Vishnu.

During this Purushottam masa therefore people perform various types of religious rituals. Children recite mantras, prayers to obtain

intelligence, memory power, married couples and unmarried ladies observe fasting, recite of religious scriptures, parayans, various types of pujas and havans and Vrats while older people perform japas, pradakshinas, pilgrimages.

The purpose of performing vratas and rituals in this month as per vamtantra is to appease deity to achieve and fulfill their desires, to bring the divine grace and blessing, begetting offspring, gain back lost health and wealth, divine help and assistance during difficult period in one's life. Older people also try to do good deeds/ satkarma in this month by conquering their indriyas/senses so that they can totally come out of punar janam i.e. cycle of rebirth and also eradicate their miseries.

Performing penances knowingly or unknowingly in this Adhik masa in any form imbues additional spiritual merit and peace in a person.

Any Graha or specific dosh nivaran pujas are performed in Purushottam masa to rectify the horoscope which gives ten times better result to the individual.

Keeping fast during this period is equivalent to performing a hundred yagnas, which acts as a path to attainment of place of complete bliss, delight and peace.

During the period of the observance of a vrata either complete or partial fasting on certain specific days, one should keep oneself clean and pure, observe celibacy, speak truth, practice patience, avoid non-vegetarian foods and conscientiously perform all the rituals. Along with rituals, according to ability, distribute charities and donations.

This Adhika mas is also called Mal Maas because this is the time one can get rid of their weaknesses, pride, bad habits, thoughts and actions. For that, one can take a sacred snan in any holy rivers to removes sinful things and bad elements from body and mind and do the path or listen to Hindu Shastras such as Shrimad Devi Bhagavat, Bhagavat Gita, Ramayana, Shrimad Bhagwat Puran, Shri Vishnu Puran, Bhavishyottar Purana, Purushottam Granth etc. It is believed that these religious rituals are capable of washing away all the sins of people accumulated during this life and past life and help them to acquire high merits.

According to Bhavishyottar Purana fasting or eating once a day should commence on the first day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) and end on the last day of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha).

As you now, human entity com-

prises of 5 elements (Bhootas) such as the air, water, earth, fire, and ether. These are manifested in the forms of the intellect-Buddhi, mind-manas, ego-aham and the soul divine or atman. A specific time and thorough worshipping procedure are required to connect one's physical entity with that of the spiritual entity. The Purushottam Maas is the right

time for establishing our relationship with God to obtain moksha.

The Importance of Adhik Maas lies in the fact, one gets the chance to travel to the realm of self-revaluation, self-development, self-reflection, self-assessment, self-retrospection and introspection. I humbly request you all to make use of this Adhik Mas to extra spiritual benefits.

Why running for public office is important

I

LEE H. HAMILTON

spend a fair amount of time Finally, and perhaps most imtalking to students and other portant, the work can be imyoung people about Con- mensely satisfying. Whatever gress and politics in general and level you're running at, whether I've noticed something. It used it's for the school board or for to be that I'd regularly get asked President, you're doing it to try how one runs for office. Nowa- to make things work. days, I rarely do.

My first year in Congress, in A lot of young people are 1965, I voted for Medicare. I'd repelled by politics; they've lost had no role in drafting it. I faith in the system just as many played no substantive part in its other Americans have. But look. passage. Yet I still remember that If you don't have people who vote, and I still derive deep satare willing to run for office, you isfaction from it. Because I know don't have a representative de- that I voted for legislation that m o c r a c y. has helped As the leadmillions of ing edge of people, and t h e will continue Millennial to do so into generation the future. reaches the That's the age where thing about running for holding office is a public ofrealistic fice: you possibility, have a I hope chance to they'll concontribute to sider a few the direction Lee Hamilton things. and success First, it's hard to find a more of a free society. In the scheme challenging job. The number, of things, this chance isn't given complexity, and diversity of the to all that many people. problems we face are astoundThere is no America withing. As a politician, your work out democracy, no democracy is never done; your to-do list is without politics, and no polialways full. It's intellectually as tics without elected politichallenging an occupation as cians. There are a lot of excitanything I can imagine. ing, challenging and satisfySecond, I don't know of an- ing professions out there, but other profession that puts you here's what I tell young people: in touch with more people of I consider politics chief among more different types, ages, and them. views. You meet - and, if you're Lee Hamilton is Director of serious, really engage with - lib- the Center on Congress at Inerals and conservatives, voters diana University; Distinrich and poor, religious believ- guished Scholar, IU School of ers and secular humanists alike. Global and International StudThis is one of the great attrac- ies; and Professor of Practice, tions of the job: the splendid ar- IU School of Public and Enviray of individuals and convic- ronmental Affairs. He was a tions that you encounter in poli- member of the U.S. House of tics.

Representatives for 34 years.

June 19, 2015

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VisitorsCoverage a proud sponsor of FIA's Festival of Globe India Post News Service

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: VisitorsCoverage Inc. recently became the official travel insurance partner of Festival of Globe, a one of its kind event with a 10-day jubilant celebration starting from Aug 7 to 16 in the Silicon Valley celebrating the Indian heritage and film festival put on by the Federation of Indo Americans of Northern California (FIA).

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ber of organizations, vendors, and umbrella organization of over 50 insurance partner, global celebrities. The ten-day Bay Area organizations that repre- VisitorsCoverage Inc., is a refestival will feature Festival of India, an Indian heritage festival and parade, as well as the San Francisco Global Movie Fest. A number of actors, directors, and other celebrities from H o l l y w o o d , Bollywood, and worldwide will be making appearances at this year's festival, with over a million people expected to attend.

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Musings from Chicago

Land deal done, but what about illegal immigrants?

W

hen Narendra Modi landed in Bangladesh, he was greeted by all the high and mighty of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and all her senior cabinet ministers queued up to greet the Indian PM. For Narendra Modi, who, by now, must have gotten used to getting off the aircraft and being greeted by world leaders, this was the chance to take forward a historic relationship that has been facing blockades for the past four decades.

Land deal? Check!

India's relationship with Bangladesh is a classic case of a faulty and flawed foreign policy.

It won't be incorrect to say that Bangladesh owes its existence to India. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's first PM and father of Sheikh Hasina, expressed his gratitude towards Indira Gandhi and "the best friends of his people, the people of India" for India's role in Bangladesh's liberation.

Yet somehow, we have been not been able to develop sweet relations with Bangladesh due to long unresolved issues. While Bangladesh ratified the land deal it in 1974 itself, the Indian Parliament could only ratify it last month. The conclusion of the deal would lead to transfer of 51 enclaves to India and 111 enclaves to Bangladesh, with the

DR MUNISH KUMAR RAIZADA

residents of these enclaves getting a choice to become a citizen of either nation.

To give a further push to the newly revived diplomatic ties, Modi extended a $2 billion line of credit to Bangladesh and flagged off a bus service from Dhaka to four Indian cities. Additionally, two of Modi's frequent travel companions, Ambani and Adani pledged to invest over $5 billion in Bangladesh's power sector. While steps such as these would undoubtedly play a major role in sweetening our ties, the PM overlooked an extremely significant thorn in the relationship between the two countries - the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

Illegal immigrants issue A porous Indo-Bangla border gives ample opportunities to Bangladeshi citizens to cross over into India and mix up with the local villagers. Despite a strict vigil by the Border Security Force (BSF), lack of adequate resources at their disposal means that each year, a considerable number of Bangladeshis manage to cross the border with the help of dalals (agents).

Data published by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2012 showed that 16,530 Bangladeshi residents overstayed in India after the expiry of their permit. These are just the official numbers and highlight the Bangladeshis travelling with valid travel documents.

The illegal number is expected to

be at least 1 crore.

The North Eastern states and West Bengal have been bearing the brunt of this issue ever since Bangladesh came into existence.

Though close to 85,000 BSF troops are stationed at the IndoBangla border, a highly difficult

Dr Munish Kumar Raizada

terrain gives enough opportunities to the dalals on both the sides to run their business.

Lack of job opportunities in Bangladesh is also forcing a number of young girls to take up flesh trade in India. Illegal brothels in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai are always on the lookout for such young girls coming from across the border.

Not such a simple solution!

The Indo-Bangla border divides the Ichamati River, which is guarded by the BSF. A number of brick kilns have come up by the side of the river owing to the highly fertile soil which supports brick making. Employment opportunities in these kilns attract illegal

Bangladeshi immigrants in huge numbers. According to BSF, patrolling of the river is usually done by hired boats.

A few speeding boats and three floating border outposts are the only supporting equipments that the BSF has at its disposal to control the thousands of immigrants looking to cross into India. Beefing up BSF's resources, rather than long talks should be the first step towards arriving at a solution.

According to one of the agreements signed between the two nations, neither side can erect fences within 150 yards of the border.

This makes the villages laying between the fence and the border an ideal breeding ground for smugglers. While the BSF has been constantly taking up the issue with the Government, the centre is shifting the responsibility to the state governments and asking the force to convince the states. This kind of tick-tack with BSF doesn't auger well for the future.

One of Modi's major pre-poll promises was to send all the illegal immigrants back to Bangladesh. He carried on his form till November last year when as Prime Minister, he remarked, "I will make such an arrangement that all the roads that are today helping Bangladeshis enter and destroy Assam are closed."

Last year in August, BJP announced the revival of an Action Plan of 2005 according to which, the states were asked to build detention centres for illegal

Bangladeshi immigrants. For all the hard talks that our Government has done on the issue, there are only 7 such centres in the country (Assam-3, Delhi-2, one each in Gujarat and West Bengal).

Hoping for a domino effect?

Modi's assumption that exchange of enclaves will strengthen the borders and stop illegal immigration has a number of flaws. For one, most of the illegal immigrants aren't the citizens of these enclaves. India shares its largest International border with Bangladesh (4096 km) which runs through complex terrains including hills, forests, rivers and plains.

In such a situation, infiltration proof borders would need much more than the land swapping deal. Sealing of borders isn't the ideal solution to this decades old problem.

The year 2015 has already seen over 20 deaths of Bangladeshis by the hands of the Indian security forces. If this number is to be checked, both the sides must not bask in the glory of the Land Boundary Agreement for too long, and turn their attention towards this grave issue of illegal immigrants.

The author is a Chicagobased medical practioner and a co-convener of NRI wing of Aam Aadmi Party. Email ID: pedia333@gmail.com Twitter@DrMunishRaizada

24 India Post

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Rahman serves greatest hits live at San Jose India Post News Service

SAN JOSE: 'A.R. Rahman: The Intimate Concert Tour' marks the composer's first tour since 2010 in North America. Dubbed the "Mozart of Madras" and "Isai Puyal", Padma Bhushan AR Rahman has won two Academy Awards for his work on Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire and another duo of nominations for

Boyle's 127 Hours.

Although best known for his

Oscar wins, Rahman's career has included more than 100 films, including Bombay, Roja, Taal, Rockstar, Couples Retreat and The Hundred-Foot Journey. He has cracked Time's list of the world's most-influential people. He has sold more than 150 million albums.

A.R. Rahman brought his Intimate Concert Tour with little over 10 musicians to San Jose on June 11 and 12 with an energetic, house-

ful performance to the iconic City National Civic, San Jose down-

town. Rahman and his band performed selections from his compositions of the 1990s and 2000s, including vocal numbers in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, French, Punjabi and English. The audience of mostly South Asians had plenty to be happy about with a greatest hits program that included Tamil and Hindi versions of several songs from "Chinna chinna aasai/Choti si asha" , "Kadhal Rojave", "Uyire/ Dil se."

The numbers included hits from Jodha Akbar, Taal, Jab Tak hai jaan, Guru, Saathiya to name a few. The newer numbers included songs from the latest chartbuster hits "Mental Manadhil" and "Naane

Varugiraen" from "O kadhal kanmani" and 2014's "The 100Foot Journey."

on Intel Real Sense, which takes perceptual computing to the next level by understanding sensory

Rahman played piano, keyboards and accordion, often accompanying the vocals of Jonita Gandhi, Haricharan Seshadri, Sid Sriram and Annette Philip; Ms. Philip demonstrated her singing in a jazz segment, which was highly applauded by the audience. But with Rahman's latest North American show, he's operating on a modest scale. "This is probably the smallest band I've ever been with, but the most credible one," Rahman says of the singers, percussionists and other performers.

Rahman and his drummer also tried out a new device that played

input and movement-supported platforms. The two musicians held a hand-worn sensor that let them appear to tap notes out of the air.

"Musicians love new gadgets, and this is 0.1 version of the device and I hope this will be the future to control musical devices" Rahman said.

The concert's inevitable finale was Jai Ho, the song from Slumdog Millionaire that won Rahman an Academy Award and a Grammy. His latest work has him composing music for the biopic Pele about the Brazilian soccer legend.

Helpful technique to establish the mind in God

I

n the previous article, it was explained that by attaching your mind to God, you gradually purify your mind, which internally reduces desire and anger, and eventually eliminates them. That brought up a question regarding the material nature of the mind and the separation between the mind and God. If God is beyond maya,

SWAMI NIKHILANAND

and our mind is made of maya, then how will our mind be able to join with God? Mind can never go beyond maya - then how can it join with God? It's an axiom that the mayic mind's field of activity is limited to the extent of maya (gogochar jahan lagi man jaee, so sab maya janehun bhaee - Ramayan). What-

ever is beyond maya can never be known or experienced by the mayic mind. Accordingly, mind should not be able to reach God, which means we should not be able to attach our mind to God, nor enjoy the aforementioned benefits.

If this were all there was to the situation, then not one soul in his-

tory could have ever attained God. Fortunately, there is another factor we haven't yet considered: God's grace, and His intention to grace us. God knows that until He gives us a Divine mind, we can never know Him or visualize Him. Until He gives us Divine senses, we can never see Him or experience Him in any way. So He

bridges the gap. When someone -even with a mayic mind - thinks of Him, He graces them. That grace is the Divine power that overcomes the gulf between the material mind and God. Through God's grace, we can overcome the mayic mind's limitations Cont’d on page 27

June 19, 2015

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Dealing with grief over a son's loss

W

e have all been touched by tragedy in some way, directly or indirectly, in our lives...a death in the family is the worst kind....when that death involves an innocent child, it is even worse, and when that child is your own four year old, accidently run over by a car as he chased his dog down the

ARCHANA ASTHANA

to detail. The only color is from the child, Dev's paintings on the fridge, his bed sheet in the crib, and cartoon characters on his chest of drawers; as well as a few stuffed animals. This truly reflected the blandness and emptiness the mourning family emoted, while continuing to hold on to the child's memories as the only viable Pics: Shweta Prakash

road.......words can't even begin to describe the unbearable feelings.

Nothing is, or seems it can ever be, right in Deepu and Avinash's world as they grapple with this meaningless loss in their suburban home, a few months later, in this well executed performance of "Rabbit Hole", Naatak's 49th production, at Cubberley Theater in Palo Alto. Redefining the future while reliving the past is a relentless and merciless endeavor for the present.

Written by David LindsayAbaire, and receiver of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize, this novel was made into a critically acclaimed movie starring Nicole Kidman as the lead.

The play stays true to the original story with no embellishments, and is a candid portrayal of the gamut of emotions the mother, father, aunt, grandmother, and the teen driver responsible for the tragedy go through with the passage of time. Thoughts, memories, emotions are expressed at unexpected times in unexpected ways, and set off by vivid connections to the child lost forever, leaving behind a void that is impossible to fill, or even acknowledge.

A rabbit hole is an allegorical expression for a confused and upside down situation one encounters, after entering one, a la Alice in "Alice in Wonderland" by the famed Lewis Carroll. The family does seem to be living on the other side of a rabbit hole in this story.

The monochromatic hue of the set staged in pristine white reflects the somber tones and moods the bereavement of the family depicts, a testament to the set director's eye

color in their bleak lives.

One by one, the characters on stage, through seemingly every day prattle with other family members reveal their pain at this monumental loss, mutely demanding its acceptance and begging for help with moving forward. We see the exuberant, flamboyant aunt, Ishoo, zestfully played by Prathima Vadiraja jabber on and on about a bar fight in which she is the only one who throws the punch at a woman she claims she does not even know. Only, it turns out she is the ex-girlfriend of the guy Ishoo slept with and whose baby she is now carrying. The hilarity of the situation is punctuated with Deepu's solemn remark to Ishoo, her sister, to not use her grief as an excuse for bad behavior.

Kamala Subramaniam, in a stel-

lar role as Deepu, feels hurt at being ignored by her best friends after the incident leaves her anguished, and vows not to be the first one to pick up the phone to resume connections, and talks about possibly selling the house, having already given the child's dog away to the grandmother. Dad

Avi, played by Harish Sunderam Agastya, who doubles as the play director, deals with his own hell by surreptitiously watching his son's last few videotaped moments of joy.

The grandmother, Nandini, played classily by Geeta Rai derides the accident prone political family of the Kennedys, and chides them for wanting to seek comfort by assigning someone to blame for their many accidental deaths. When this riles up Deepu, her mom suggests joining a support group, just as she herself did after her 26 year old son killed himself.

Deepu scoffs at her mother for drawing parallels between her son's accidental death and her brother's cowardice, as well as the insecurity she feels at the God freaks who frequent support groups and draw solace from assigning everything to God's will, which, in her mind, is all too easy to do. Even Avi is unable to convince her to join his support group.

In a tension charged scene, the raw emotions of the couple sur-

REVIEW OF PLAY Rabbit Hole face and Avi's grief explodes when he realizes his son's videotape was accidentally erased by Deepu, and he makes it into a blame game with her as the target. He lashes out at her for refusing intimacy with him, for wanting to sell the house, for giving the dog away, for removing Dev's paintings from the fridge, and for storing his clothes away...in an attempt to erase the child and his memories from their lives.

A suggestion that draws contempt from his wife who scorns that they cannot be there for each

other, as each is mourning the same, heartbreaking loss in different ways, in different places.

During the process of boxing up Dev's stuff to ready the house for sale, some poignant moments between mother and daughter sharing their individual and collective grief unites them and

brings comfort. Mom recalls her own time where her comforting friends would take up "consoling her as a hobby.as something to fill up their own time". A statement, both hilarious and unsentimental

manageable. Avi, too, ends his support group sessions to try to go it alone. In the end, Deepu is ready to reconnect with her friends and the couple agree to take one step at a time in order to

in its accuracy and veracity.

Mom counsels her daughter about the nature of grief becoming bearable but never erased.

Mom and daughter also share an outing where Deepu loses her cool with a shopper who is denying her child a candy, and slugs her! The

reenter normalcy in a world without Dev, while talking about celebrating his upcoming birthday.

The play, with its five characters takes us on an emotional roller coaster, connecting the audience to their personal moments of grief in a public forum while injecting

line between sane and insane moments definitely blurred because of her pain.

A break from the ongoing family scenes, is the appearance of a refreshing character, Jason.

Grayson Richmond excels in his role as a young lad, who dedicates an article he wrote for his school newspaper to the memory of Dev, who he is responsible for accidentally running over with his car. He tries various ways to connect with the victim's family, only to be shunned and ignored by Avi, but Deepu ultimately invites him over for a meeting. The gawky, unsure teenager, tries to assuage his guilt and get a form of pardon from the grieving family, and ultimately thaws Deepu's exterior to his chatter about inconsequential events like the high school prom.

Deepu opens up with Jason and breaks down in front of him connecting the arc of their grief from an all consuming emotion, to one that is more bearable and

levity and wit through clever and pithy dialogue delivery, coupled with superb acting. It depicts the plethora of experiences we go through, oscillating between the normal and grief crazed moments when we try to hide the pain in plain sight, or, alternately blocking the grief, and giving in to it.

Sometimes, the scenes and emotions seem repetitive, and a tighter editing for a shorter duration would have been beneficial, without compromising the integrity of the story.

All the characters sensitively portrayed each role, and Harish, in his ninth directorial venture, deserves accolades for extracting a subtle and refined rendition of this much acclaimed story.

The play is not used to impart any messages, rather to bring a perspective on the very real human condition in the face of unfathomable grief, the resilience of the human spirit, and the ever surging hope that is able to pull us out of absymal grief.

26

June 19, 2015

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Helpful technique to establish the mind in God Cont’d from page 24

God is omnipresent, and His grace is omnipresent. It means that He and His grace are also present in our mind - however, they are unknown to us. God is all-knowing, so when someone remembers Him with a desire to receive His grace, He knows it, and He intends to grace that person. Thus, there is an instantaneous connection established, and God's grace is received in the mind.

The grace - which was already there, but in a "dormant" or "inactivated" form - is received and experienced in the mind. The activating factors -our desire to receive God's grace, and His desire to grace us combine to create the connection. The result is that through God's grace, we are able to overcome the limitation of our mayic mind, and actually attach it to God. This is what Shree Krishna had advised Arjun to do - to join his mind with what is beyond his mind as a means of conquering the unvanquishable foes, desire and anger.

Now we understand what He meant by that, and how it is possible.

The most effective way of attaching the mind to God The most effective way of joining our mind with God, and thus activating His grace, is by practicing roop dhyan. Roop dhyan means visualizing the form of Shree Krishna, or meditating on the form of Shree Krishna. Simply by making the effort to visualize His form, we create the necessary connection, and are able to receive His grace. This is also called devotional remembrance, or simply smaran.

Along with the visualization, there must be a faith that it is real, live Shree Krishna we are seeing in our meditation. After all, He is omnipresent, so He is in our mind, and He is in our meditation. So there is no right or wrong form to meditate on.

Your meditation cannot be incorrect, even though you may not be visualizing His actual Divine form - because He is gracing you for your sincere effort, and your faithful remembrance, not for the correctness of your meditation. As was explained above, our mayic mind cannot correctly conceive of God's Divinity - it is only due to His grace that we are able to forge a connection with Him. Therefore, through roop dhyan, we can join our mind with Shree Krishna in order to receive His grace. His grace will gradually purify our mind, which will slowly reduce, and ultimately eliminate, all mayic defilements, and result in God realization. This is the practical path to God which can be adopted and practiced anytime and anywhere.

This concludes the discussion on the third chapter. In the beginning of the fourth chapter, Shree Krishna tells Arjun that He originally had given the knowledge of this path to Vivasvan several million years ago.

Arjun wants to know how that is possible, since Shree Krishna is standing in front of him right now. In response, Shree Krishna explains the secret of His Divine appearance in this world. That will be the topic of the next article.

Disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji

Maharaj Swami Nikhilanand Ji is a Canadian born Hindu spiritual leader based in Austin, Texas. He is a sanyasi disciple and pracharak of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.

Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swamiji eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to India, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, Darshan Shastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and practiced meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti. In 2003,

Swami Nikhilanand

he was given sanyas. Now, with the blessings of his Guruji, he offers satsang programs throughout America, engaging audiences with his clear explanations of Hindu philosophy coupled with inspired chanting of Sanskrit mantras and shlokas and charming nam sankirtan.

His informative and compelling speeches provide practical insight into how to adopt the teachings of Sanatan Dharm into our daily lives, and inspire us to awaken our inner spiritual potential.

To stay in touch with Swami Nikhilanand Ji, like his Facebook page at h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / SwamiNikhilanand or follow him on twitter at https://twitter.com/Swami_Nikhil.

India Post 29

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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Jeena Jeena : Badlapur 2 Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan : Roy 3 Jee Karda: Badlapur 4 Khamoshiyan : Khamoshiyan 5 Sooraj Dooba Hai : Roy 30 India Post

June 19, 2015

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K

angana Ranaut is in high spirits after the success of her latest outing. But the actress believes with this, she is now pushing herself towards more. She says, "I have started expecting more from myself. To render strong roles consistently can be draining, and now, I feel the question 'What next?' looming large.

"To evolve into the next level of cinema needs the support of strong scripts and visionary filmmakers.

So let's see what kind of scripts come my way or I might get into direction. For now, I'm doing Hansal's (Mehta) film called Simran and Vishal sir's (Bhardwaj) film called Rangoon."

Ask her about the rumors of demanding a price hike post her hit films, she quips, "The film has done big numbers worldwide. I did two actress' work and got paid only one actress' salary... (laughs)"

P

opular singer-composer Bappi Lahiri will be conferred the Life time Achievement Award at the San Francisco Global Movie Fest scheduled to be held from August 7-14.

Bappi, who popularized the use of synthesized disco music in Indian cinema, said such "adulation" keeps veterans like him "alive and going".

"It feels great when the audiences love you. It is this adulation that keeps us alive and going. (I am) Eagerly looking forward to the San Francisco Global Movie Fest this August," the Disco King said in a statement.

The singer behind superhit songs like 'I am a disco dancer', 'Koi yaahan aaha nache nache', 'Dil mein ho tum' and 'Ooh la la' from Vidya Balan starrer 'The Dirty Picture', will also create a buzz for his latest album 'Slumstars'.

"I have been in Mumbai for 36 years and 'Slumstars' is my tribute to little children with fire in their heart and melody on their lips," he added.

"It feels great when the audiences love you. It is this adulation that keeps us alive and going. (I am) Eagerly looking forward to the San Francisco Global Movie Fest this August�

6 Tu Hai Ki Nahi : Roy 7 Judai : Badlapur 8 Tu Har Lamha : Khamoshiyan 9 Chhil Gaye Naina : NH10 10 Dard Karaara : Dum Laga Ke Haisha

K

areena Kapoor, who played the role of a doctor in her film 'Kambakkht Ishq' in 2009 will once again don the white coat for 'Udta Punjab', which is underway.

"Udta Punjab is a hard-hitting film that talks about the prevalent drug culture in Punjab," said a source. So the doctor's role is totally different from the one she had played earlier. This one is more earthy and grounded, the source added.

In the Sabbir Khan directorial 'Kambakkht Ishq', Kareena played a doctor as well as a parttime model and so her role was more glamorous.

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the film is about substance abuse in Punjab and Kareena is paired opposite Punjabi singeractor Daljit Dosanjh.

The film also stars Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, who plays a rape victim w h o takes to drugs.

Bollywood

June 19, 2015

India Post 31

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elped has h ore a n a h an K no m s r Salm eportedly f s h e d o e a t s r i o c s e i k be fin r Kic , who ys he eline, 29 he would r. bout a s z de qu s t a ot aware a l ) . ds c n r i a a e a J n p s . r , u y l e ll Fe ue e s "I am n sequ siona e. k seq eline th th acqu lot profes h i t f i l m ' s a g a i n w i l i n e s a i d , r t o f K i c i n m y l i f h a 4 e e p a i d her f t h e 2 0 1 e n s p a c e l , J a c q u t b e i n g h a v e h a w o r k w t e o o r u o I n t t c q ( r s s e pa case the s hare etting ience rs, t t o s ed about t h a t i s t h e e s t e x p e r a m n o t g e g rothe of t k B I f b s i no f a t m I e i n . art g fil Whe k a y w i t h o n e o f t h t f o r m e " omin or to be p roff) c o . o l p n m e u a l m h e i n r f it. I a ick has b ady done e other about he It's an ho , Jackie (S situm " e ) d r r K . o r e l " a er na y ns ma cit n has ick 2, the line is ex ung moth shay (Ku t an ordi a m l o e K Sa Ak s it's no ran of a y Jacqu an in with y Ka or. b Salm anwhile, s the role t to work allenge a aid. d arri ch es recte Me e essay I ge here . It was a her...," sh film, di ood film W h s w e s i r ) whe ct like th alhotra ung mot -drama Hollyw ick n 1 je t o f K ave had a pro idharth (M ying a yo ing actio of the 201 r a p a l ing ot sIh and S as I am p an upcom al remake o t b e erience f I a m n i n ( c n s i i o f e i f I p t s a e. cas an o her t ex m."

Brot which is s t h e f the bes l o t f o r m o t h e r f i l i t a a r t e o i f t h n one o d o n e a Malh n som th it

J

wi dy the bee o k a y ick has a s a l r e a K i c k 2 , m a h I in "K el). man man sequ l i f e . S a l w i t h S a l y k i n m g to wor n i t t ge

G

ovinda's daughter Tina Ahuja, who is making her acting debut with Second Hand Husband, dismissed reports that her father had asked superstar Salman Khan for her launch into the industry.

In 2007, Tina had accompanied Salman during the IIFA Awards, which had triggered speculation that she would enter Bollywood. There were also reports that Salman would launch her in Dabangg, a 2010 blockbuster.

"It was said that my dad asked him (Salman) to launch me. But it is not true. That was just a rumor. I was never going to be launched by him. It was all created by media," Tina told PTI here.

Since Salman launched Shatrughan Sinha's daughter Sonakshi in Dabangg, things had reportedly turned sour between him and Govinda.

When asked about Salman, the upcoming actress said, "I have met him (Salman) just twothree times. I was too shy to talk to him...I don't know what to talk to him. He is my father's friend, not mine."

"It was said that my dad asked him (Salman) to launch me. But it is not true. That was just a rumor. I was never going to be launched by him.

It was all created by media,

"I felt extremely delighted at IIFA as my son Tiger was honored with an award.

It feels good to see audiences selecting him and considering him deserving for the award.

J

ackie Shroff is proud that his son Tiger Shroff won the Best Debut - Male trophy at the International Indian Film Academy Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"I felt extremely delighted at IIFA as my son Tiger was honored with an award. It feels good to see audiences selecting him and considering him deserving for the award. I'm grateful to the fans and God for showering so much of love on him," Jackie said here.

Tiger made his debut with Heropanti and even the film's heroine Kriti Sanon bagged the Best Debut-Female award.

„ Health

Line

Smartphone device can catch skin cancer TORONTO: A tiny device that attaches to your smartphone camera and takes close-up images of moles for analysis can help detect skin cancer at an early stage.

The MoleScope device is a microscope that takes pictures of moles and sends them to a dedicated analysis platform called the DermEngine, where they are studied by doctors.

The MoleScope app and device, developed by Maryam Sadeghi during her PhD research at Simon Fraser University, can keep track of how moles and skin condition alter over time.

"It enables patients to have access to the same system that doctors have in their clinic," said Sadeghi, who recently presented the device at the World Congress of Dermatology in Vancouver.

The device has already been tested, and has received approval from Health Canada.

Sadeghi said it has even been put to practical use, 'CBC News' reported.

"My PhD supervisor, she found her melanoma when she was designing the device, just testing the image quality. We were fortunate that she found it in an earlier stage," said Sadeghi.

Two versions of the MoleScope are expected to retail at USD 149, and a professional model will cost USD 200. -PTI

„

New sensor to detect cancer, HIV MOSCOW: Researchers have developed a highly sensitive nanomechanical sensor that can detect cancerous tumors as well as viral disease markers for HIV, hepatitis and herpes.

Researchers from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) developed the ultracompact nanomechanical sensor for analyzing the chemical composition of substances and detecting biological objects.

The sensor can detect viral disease markers, which appear when the immune system responds to incurable or hard-to-cure diseases, including HIV, hepatitis, herpes, and many others.

The sensor will also enable doctors to identify tumor markers, whose presence in the body signals the emergence and growth of cancerous tumors.

The highly sensitive sensor will allow for diagnosing diseases long before they can be detected by any other method, which will pave the way for a new-generation of diagnostics, researchers said. -PTI

Health Science

Health, biopharma need more attention in India

32 India Post

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June 19, 2015

Details on Page 35

Congress' problem if court voids health law, says Health chief WASHINGTON: Congress and the states will need to find an answer if the Supreme Court strikes down the federal subsidies that are a foundation of President Barack Obama's health care law, his health secretary told lawmakers.

Sylvia Burwell also said the president would reject any proposals restoring those subsidies that Republican lawmakers have already produced because all would roll back crucial elements of the overhaul law, in effect repealing it. ``Something that repeals the Affordable Care Act is something the president will not sign,'' she said.

Burwell's comments to the House Ways and Means Committee marked a continuation of Obama administration efforts to pressure Republicans should the justices void subsidies that help millions afford health insurance.

A decision is expected this month.

The GOP runs Congress, and 26 of the 34 states likely to be hardest hit by such a decision have Republican governors.

In addition, 22 of the 24 GOP

senators up for re-election next year are from those same 34 states.

Many Republican strategists have said the party would face retribu-

Court involves a Republicanbacked challenge by conservatives to the 5-year-old health law.

The suit says the law limits the

how the administration would respond to a decision that tossed out the subsidies. ``We're going to do everything we can and we're working to make sure we're ready to communicate and work with states,'' responded the health and human services secretary.

But she added, ``the critical decisions will sit with Congress and states and governors to determine if those subsidies are available.''

Burwell's comments were a more pointed version of previous administration statements that it is not preparing a contingency plan for a decision that erases the subsidies, which are paid as tax credits.

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell testifies on Capitol Hill in Though many RepubliWashington, before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on President cans seem to favor extending Barack Obama's health care law. the federal aid temporarily, tion from voters in next year's elec- subsidies to people in states that none seem ready to back down tions if the subsidies are elimi- run their own insurance market- from demands that in exchange, nated and Congress does not ad- places - and not to residents of other parts of the health law vance legislation protecting the the 30-plus states that use the should be jettisoned, such as its millions of people who would be federal HealthCare.gov website. requirements that insurers provide hurt.

The committee chairman, Rep. minimal levels of coverage.

Cont'd on Page 35 The case before the Supreme Paul Ryan, R-Wis., asked Burwell

US health regulator to test Maggi noodles ZURICH/WASHINGTON: After being banned in India on health concerns, Maggi noodles manufactured by Swiss giant Nestle in India has come come under the scanner of the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), which has taken samples of the instant food brand for testing.

Besides selling in India, Nestle India also exports Maggi noodles to the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore and Kenya, as per the global website of the Swiss multinational giant.

"We have been made aware that the (US) FDA has taken samples of Maggi noodles manufactured in India from third-party importers' containers for testing, and we have asked the importers to advise us of the outcome of the FDA tests," a Nestle SA

spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The spokesperson, however, said Nestle USA does not import,

trade," she added.

Authorities in Kenya and the UK are also testing Maggi samples. The food regulator in

market or distribute Maggi noodles in the United States.

"Any Maggi noodle products found on US store shelves are sourced directly by retailers or imported through third-party

Singapore had also tested the samples, but later found that Maggi noodles imported from India were safe to eat.

Meanwhile, Nestle India said it has approached the Bombay

High Court against the ban of Maggi noodles by central food safety regulator FSSAI and Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration.

"As part of the efforts to resolve the Maggi noodles issue, Nestle India has approached the Bombay High Court, raising issues of interpretation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2011 while seeking a judicial review of the order dated June 6, 2015, passed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maharashtra and the order dated June 5 passed by FSSAI," Nestle India said in a filing to the BSE. "At the same time, we are continuing withdrawal of Maggi noodle products. This action will not interfere with this process," it added.-PTI

June 19, 2015

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Aspirin can block growth of breast cancer WASHINGTON: A daily dose of aspirin may be effective at blocking breast tumor growth, Indian-origin researchers have claimed.

Dr Sushanta Banerjee, research director of the Cancer Research Unit at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and his team found that aspirin may be able to ensure that conditions around cancer stem cells are not conducive for reproduction.

"In cancer, when you treat the patient, initially the tumor will hopefully shrink. The problem comes 5 or 10 years down the road when the disease relapses," said Banerjee.

Cancer has stem cells, or residual cells.

These cells have already survived chemotherapy or other cancer treatment and they go dormant until conditions in the body are more favorable for them to again reproduce.

"When they reappear they can be very aggressive, nasty tumors," Banerjee said.

To test his theory that aspirin could alter the molecular signature in breast cancer cells enough that they would not spread, Banerjee used both incubated cells and mouse models.

For the cell test, breast cancer cells were placed in 96 separate plates and then incubated. Just over half the cultures were exposed to differing doses of acetylsalicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin.

According to Banerjee, exposure to aspirin dramatically increased the rate of cell death in the test. For those cells that did not die off, many were left unable to grow.

The second part of his study involved studying 20 mice with aggressive tumors.

For 15 days, half the mice were given the human equivalent of 75 milligrams of aspirin per day, which is considered a low dose.

At the end of the study period, the tumors were weighed.

Mice that received aspirin had tumors that were, on average, 47 per cent smaller.

To show that aspirin could also prevent cancer, the researchers gave an additional group of mice aspirin for 10 days before exposing them to cancer cells.

After 15 days, those mice had significantly less cancerous growth than the control group.

"We found aspirin caused these residual cancer cells to lose their self-renewal properties," said Banerjee.

"Basically, they couldn't grow or reproduce. So there are two parts here. We could

give aspirin after chemotherapy to prevent relapse and keep the pressure on, which we saw was effective in both the laboratory and the mouse model, and we could use it preventatively," he said.

Experts, however, suggest patients consult with a doctor before starting a daily aspirin regimen. The drug is known to thin the blood and increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. -PTI

Docs may write prescriptions in capital letters NEW DELHI: Fear of misinterpretation due to doctor's illegible handwriting may soon be a thing of the past as government is set to make it a norm for physicians to prescribe medicines "preferably" in capital letters.

The Union Health Ministry will come out with a gazette notification under the Indian MCI Regulations which will mandate doctors to prescribe medicines in capital letters in a "legible" manner and also mention the generic names of the drugs.

"The Health Ministry will come out with gazette notification under the MCI regulations. Under this, the prescription should be legible and preferably written in capital letters along with the names of the generic drug prescribed," a senior Union Health Ministry official told PTI. Sources said that the notification is

likely to be issued by the Ministry within a week's time.

Health Ministry officials said that once the prescription is written in capital letters and is legible, it would be hugely benefit patients as well as chemists who would have a clarity of the drug and it would take away the fear of misinterpretation.

However, the senior health ministry official said that there would no penalties or punishment for the doctor as such for not writing in capital letters.

"Like all other MCI regulations, this too will govern the doctors," the official said.

Health Minister J P Nadda last year in Parliament had agreed with concerns of some MPs that illegible prescription by doctors may lead to serious implications and even death in certain cases. -PTI

Boy who took mosquito repellent saved NEW DELHI: Doctors at a city hospital have successfully performed a rare plasma exchange on a 14-year-old boy who had consumed mosquito repellent.

The 60-hour procedure involving the separation and removal of the plasma from the blood in order to clean it, was done by doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital where he was admitted on November 1 last year after consuming the toxic liquid over a tiff with his parents.

"When we received the child in our casualty, he was in a critical shape. His hemoglobin was at dangerously low levels of 3.6 (normal 13+). The liver was affected with jaundice and kidneys were at high risk of failure.

"The methemoglobin levels were rising which meant that oxygen supply to vital organs was getting reduced. There was very high risk of irreversible damage to his organs," said Dr Anil Sachdev, Director of Pediatric Emergency at Critical Care and Pulmonolgy department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Latest protocols were tried to resuscitate him and to increase his urine output so that his kidneys could be salvaged. Further tests revealed that he was suffering from G6PD deficiency and treatment proto-

col needed to be changed.

"At this stage, we decided to perform urgent plasma exchange, a procedure involving the separation and removal of the plasma from the blood in order to remove disease substance circulating in the plasma.

"The red blood cells, white blood cells

"The methemoglobin levels were rising which meant that oxygen supply to vital organs was getting reduced. There was very high risk of irreversible damage to his organs," said Dr Anil Sachdev and platelets are returned to the patient along with a prescribed replacement fluid," explained Dr Sachdev.

"Even though evidence for plasma exchange in literature is limited to case reports, we decided to give this therapy to our patient in view of G6PD deficiency. In our knowledge, no case was reported till date to have these complications after transfluthrin ingestion," he said. -PTI

34 India Post

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NYC proposes high-sodium warning on menus NEW YORK: New York City's Health Department wants all chain restaurants to warn customers about products that are high in salt.

The department voted to consider the proposal at a meeting of the Board of Health that all chain restaurants add a salt-shaker-like symbol on menus next to products that contain more than the recommended daily limit. That's 2,300 milligrams of sodium, about 1 teaspoon of salt.

Now a public comment period begins, and a final vote could come as soon as September and the warnings by December.

Overconsumption of sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day; only about 1 in 10 Americans meets the 1 teaspoon guideline.

New York City would become the first U.S. city with the labels if the measure passes.

Even items that sound healthy, like a salad, can contain more so-

dium than the daily recommended limit, said Dr. Sonia Angell, a deputy commissioner for the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. For example, at one New York City restaurant, a smokehouse turkey panini contains three times the amount of sodium as a roasted turkey and avocado bacon sandwich, Angell said.

Some board members suggested more than one warning label should be created: one for items above the daily recommended limit, and another for items that contain half of the daily recommended limit. ``One of the challenges is to identify at what level you want to give consumers information,'' Angell said. ``It is absolutely irrefutable that 2,300 milligrams in one sitting is absolutely not compatible with anybody to maintain the limit.

Public health advocates hailed the proposal as a pioneering step to tackle a major problem. Salt producers called it off-base, and some restaurateurs said it would need-

lessly mire already burdened eateries in more bureaucracy. Burger King and Wendy's have declined to comment, and McDonald's hasn't responded to a request for comment.

City Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Travis Bassett said it simply would give customers important information. Bassett said the board would consider the notion of more than one sodium warning label. ``High sodium levels are probably the biggest health problem related to our food supply,'' said

J&J project to prevent Type 1 diabetes TRENTON, US: Johnson & Johnson has begun a research partnership to find the root cause of Type 1 diabetes and stop the hormonal disorder in its tracks. It's the health care giant's first project under its ambitious initiative to prevent or at least intercept and reduce harm from many diseases.

In a collaboration with immunologist and Washington University professor Emil Unanue and his colleagues, researchers at J&J's Janssen Pharmaceuticals will explore how specific immune system cells are involved in the initiation and progression of Type 1 diabetes.

The disease, also called juvenile diabetes, affects about 5 per cent of Americans with diabetes, roughly 1.25 million people. For reasons that aren't clear, the immune system attacks and destroys beta cells in the pancreas that make the hormone insulin, which is needed to convert blood sugar into energy.

As a result, patients must take insulin every day for life. When diabetes is poorly controlled, complications including blindness, amputations and kidney failure can result.

"We hope to be able to manipulate the (immune) system in such

Brunswick, New Jersey.

In another intriguing project, J&J's Janssen Biotech unit will use computer microchips designed to simulate functions of human organs to predict which experimental drugs are most likely to be effective and safe in people. The goal is to be able to do more realistic testing of drugs in the laboratory, before they're tested on animals and people, with "organs on chips."

Created by Johnson & Johnson shows Emulate's Organ-OnJ&J partner EmuChips technology, a computer chip designed to late Inc. of Camsimulate functions of human organs to predict which bridge, Massaexperimental drugs are most likely to be effective chusetts, these and safe in people. microenvironHedrick noted the findings ments are designed to mimic remight help in fighting other au- sponses of organs such as the toimmune diseases, including liver or lungs as drugs flow psoriasis and rheumatoid arthri- through the chips' tiny hollow channels, which are lined with livtis.

The project is among 17 new ing human cells and tissues. The collaborations with academic re- chips simulate the responses of searchers and health care compa- cells to medicines or chemicals, nies announced by Johnson & from beneficial results to toxic reJohnson, which is based in New actions. -AP a way that this no longer drives the destruction of beta cells, while maintaining protection against infections and tumors," said Joseph A Hedrick, leader of that project.

Michael Jacobson, executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based advocacy group.

While he hailed New York's proposal as ``showing true leadership,'' he also called it a conservative approach, given that items would get special labels only if they have a full day's worth of sodium. A meal with even half that amount would still have too much salt, he said.

The head of the Salt Institute, a trade association for salt producers, called the proposal ``misguided'' and based on ``faulty, incorrect government targets'' discredited by recent research. ``They're too low ... and if followed, could actually harm people,'' said the group's presi-

dent, Lori Roman.

Last year, an international study questioned the conventional wisdom that most people should cut back on salt, suggesting that the amount most folks consume is OK for heart health.

The study followed 100,000 people in 17 countries and found that very high levels of salt were a problem, especially for people with high blood pressure, but too little salt also can do harm.

Other scientists fault the study and say most people still consume way too much salt.

Studies have found that the vast majority of dietary salt comes from processed and restaurant foods. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been pressing the food industry to reduce sodium content voluntarily and is working on new sodium guidelines.

Under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York led development of salt-reduction targets for various table staples and got companies to start committing to them voluntarily, starting in 2010. -AP

Indian doctor fined for professional misconduct SINGAPORE: A 32-year-old Indian-origin doctor in Singapore has been fined Singapore dollars 2,000 for administrating a chemotherapy drug to a cancer patient in wrong way at a hospital here in 2012.

The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) said Dr Garuna Murthee Kavitha injected the chemotherapy drug into the patient's spinal canal, rather than a vein.

This could have caused the patient severe neurological damage, the Straits Times reported.

In deciding on the sentence, the SMC's disciplinary tribunal took into consideration the fact that Kavitha noticed the error immediately and she did not avoid responsibility.

It also noted that the ward at the Singapore General Hospital, where she was working at the time, had given her the wrong medicine which she did not check.

The doctor-in-charge ordered two chemotherapy drugs to be administered to the man who was admitted for a cancer relapse.

The drugs, Velcade was to be given intravenously and Methotrexate was to be injected into the spinal canal.

Kavitha, who was there to treat the patient, took the only syringe

of Velcade in the room and injected into the man's spinal canal without checking the chemotherapy form which stated the medication should be injected into a vein.

On realizing her mistake, she immediately called the senior doctor-in-charge.

In a statement, SMC said it took note of the fact that Dr Kavitha was a young medical officer at the

time. Her superiors, colleagues and the family of another of her patients testified to her strong work ethic and sense of responsibility.

The SMC's tribunal found her guilty of one charge of professional misconduct in April.

Stating the grounds of decision, the SMC said a financial settlement was made between the doctor, the hospital and the family members of the patient who had since died. -PTI

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Health, biopharma need more attention in India BOSTON: India's health and biopharma sectors deserve better attention from the government to realize their full potential and provide cheaper facilities to millions of patients, leading industry experts and academicians have said.

During a day-long US-India BioPharma and Healthcare Summit, top industry leaders, experts and academicians hoped that the new Indian government will bring in "predictable, transparent and pragmatic regulatory policies" which would positively change the country's BioPharma and Healthcare Innovation landscape.

Noting a regulatory environment which is more "enabling than restrictive" is required for innovation, a position paper prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers said India should explore programs and incentives for encouraging non-traditional organizations to partner with the government, academia and pharmaceutical companies to

enable and accelerate drug development.

India is well positioned to establish a significant oncology presence with respect to life cycle management, said the report released at the summit organized by the USA-India Chamber of Commerce (USAIC).

In his message to the conference, Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said the success rates are low for new drug discovery and development, especially from the perspective of modern science.

"The exorbitant cost of drug development and also the highly competitive nature of the domain leave little room for aggressive innovation. We need to find newer and innovative ways to overcome the prevailing situation," Vardhan said.

Participating in one of the panel discussions, Chairman and MD of Biocon Limited Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said oncology is a huge challenge for India. But this is

Congress' problem if court voids health law, says Health chief Cont'd from Page 32

The day's back and forth showed that the law remains a high-octane political issue destined to influence next year's presidential and congressional elections. ``They still refuse to entertain the notion that their health care law might get struck down by the Supreme Court,'' Ryan told reporters afterward. ``And they refuse to acknowledge they are even thinking about a backup plan. I think that's unfortunate.''

While Ryan said the health law ``is busted,'' Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the committee, said the only thing broken is the GOP attack line on the law. ``You sit as armchair critics as millions of people have insurance who never had it before,'' Levin said. ``You're livid because it's getting better'' Congressional Republicans have worked on several plans to temporarily restore the credits and curb some of the law's requirements, though there are no signs that any have enough votes to win approval. Republicans say they hope to come out with a plan backed by both House and Senate GOP leaders once the court strikes down the subsidies.

One bill, from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who faces a tough re-election fight next year, would extend the credits until August 2017 while erasing the requirements that individuals buy insurance and that employers provide coverage to workers. It has 31 co-sponsors, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. ``That piece of legislation,

from our perspective, is repeal'' and Obama would not sign it, Burwell told the committee.

Republicans hope a Republican in the White House in 2017 would help them repeal Obama's law and replace it with one that has fewer strictures.

In the 34 states most likely to feel the brunt of a court decision annulling the subsidies, 7.3 million people have used HealthCare.gov to register for coverage and made initial payments.

About 88 percent of them - 6.4 million people - receive federal subsidies averaging $272 monthly. Experts say many of them would drop their coverage if the subsidies disappear because losing the assistance would make their insurance unaffordable.-AP

one area where India can play a big role and help in reducing the cost of treatment and medicine, she said.

"Oncology is one area where patients (in India) are very keen to be part of the drug trial. Enrolment rate for cancer drug is much higher in India than in other parts of

the world.

This is one area where patients want to try a new drug," she said.

The major theme for discussing this year's summit was oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic disease and neurodegenerative diseases. -PTI

36 India Post

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June 19, 2015

Realty Tidbits

Unitech plans to raise Rs 200 cr for projects NEW DELHI: Realty firm Unitech plans to raise about Rs 200 crore from private equity players to part finance its ongoing housing projects as real estate market continues to remain sluggish.

Unitech has increased the pace of construction works significantly during last two months to complete ongoing housing projects and improve cash flow, its Mananging Director Sanjay Chandra told PTI. The company has no plans to launch new housing projects this year and would focus on delivery of existing projects.

Chandra further said that the company has cleared about Rs 1,000 crore liabilities of telecom business and it would not have to service the telecom debt. Unitech had exited from the telecom joint venture with Telenor in October 2012 by selling its entire 32.75 per cent stake to the Norwegian firm.

Cont’d on page 28

Lawmakers urged to reject tax on vacation rentals PROVIDENCE, R.I.: Real estate agents are asking lawmakers to reject a proposed new tax on vacation rentals.

The Rhode Island Association of Realtors opposes the tax that's included in the budget proposal now headed to the House floor.

Association President Bruce Lane says vacationers would go to neighboring states instead, and

Association President Bruce Lane

some people wouldn't buy second homes in Rhode Island if the houses were harder to rent because of the added tax.

He also complains it would begin at the start of the summer season, and renters budgeted for vacation without expecting to pay hundreds more in taxes.

The budget proposal expands the definition of hotel to small bed and breakfasts, private home rentals and other rentals. -AP

Real Estate 37 India Post

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June 19, 2015

Housing.com acquires Realty Business Intelligence MUMBAI: Property portal Housing.com says it has acquired risk assessment service provider Realty Business Intelligence for Rs 10 crore, a move that will enable its customers to make informed decisions before investing in any realty project.

"Housing.com has acquired Realty Business Intelligence, an organization focused on risk assessment for realty projects, for Rs 10 crore in cash towards purchase of 100 per cent equity of the latter," the company said in a statement.

Details on Page 39

Terrace Ridge's model debut in Dublin slated for June 27 India Post News Service

DUBLIN, CA: Homebuyers eager to raise their perspective on luxury living are encouraged to save the date for the highly anticipated model debut of William Lyon Homes' new Terrace Ridge neighborhood in Dublin. Those interested in this highly desirable address set against the Dublin foothills should mark their calendars for Saturday, June 27 to be among the first to tour the collection's professionally decorated model homes and explore the single-family luxury designs' richly appointed interiors, unparalleled amenities and terraced view location.

For more information on this limited edition collection of just 36 new homes, visit the on-site sales gallery for special pre-model pricing, or log on to

www.LyonTerraceRidge.com.

"Terrace Ridge is poised to be one of Dublin's most sought-after new home addresses," said Kathy

nearing completion, we urge serious buyers to act quickly for valuable savings prior to the debut."

Buyers can choose from Terrace

Floyd, Director of Sales for William Lyon Homes. "With models

Ridge's three luxury floorplan designs spanning from approxi-

mately 2,829 to 3,127 square feet, with 4 to 5 bedrooms, 4 to 5 baths, chef-inspired kitchens with islands, large great rooms, covered patios, lofts in select plans and 2-car garages. Select locations offer distant views of the valley and rolling hills. Prices start from the low $1.1 millions.

Commuters will find the Dublin location convenient to Tri-Valley's business employers, shops and leisure destinations.

Nearby is I-680, as well as a BART station for trips to San Francisco and Oakland. In Pleasanton, the Altamont Corridor Express 'ACE' Train is onhand for trips to Fremont, San Jose and Santa Clara.

Excellent retail and dining opportunities are all nearby, including Hacienda Crossings Shopping Center with its Regal Cinemas and IMAX. Cont’d on page 39

California water wasters being shamed LOS ANGELES: Pssst. Ready to water that beautiful lush lawn of yours? The one that's the envy of the entire neighborhood.

If you live in Southern California you'd better wait until after midnight. Preferably on a cloudy, new-moon night during a power outage when it's so dark even night-vision goggles won't give away your position. Otherwise you could wind up the star of the latest drought-shaming video posted on YouTube or Twitter. ``Yeah, I put your address out there. The world is watching a lot more,'' says Tony Corcoran, one of several people who spend their spare time these days canvassing the tony communities of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and elsewhere, looking for people wasting water during the worst California drought in recent memory. Corcoran alone estimates he's put more than 100 videos of water-wasters, complete with their addresses, up on

YouTube.

Others tweet out addresses and photos of water scofflaws on Twitter, using hashtags such as (hash)DroughtShaming. Still others are snapping smartphone pho-

tion while she watered her plants, turned her hose on him.

In Beverly Hills, where he was showing a reporter and photographer water running down the street in front of a mansion, the angry

At the San Jose State University campus, sprinklers were still being used after the state-issued water restrictions were announced.

tos of them and sending them directly to authorities.

Not everyone is happy about it.

One woman, quickly tiring of Corcoran's lecture on conserva-

resident called police. Two patrol cars quickly responded but the officers took no action.

In Hollywood, Sam Bakman, who manages a condominium

complex, said his building was recently shamed wrongly by somebody on Twitter over a broken sprinkler head that was quickly repaired. He showed a reporter the city-issued restrictions on watering and pointed out his sprinkler timers fall well within the guidelines. ``If they thought we were doing something wrong, why not come knock on my door?'' he asked.

Corcoran, a restaurant group administrator who kept his New York attitude when he came to laid-back Los Angeles awhile ago, is unrepentant. ``The whole point is to get people to change, not to shame,'' he said.

With California in the fourth year of a drought with no end in sight, the governor has ordered everyone to use 25 percent less water, and drought shamers say the easiest way to accomplish that is to quit watering your yard.

Cont’d on page 38

Real Estate Post

38 India Post

June 19, 2015

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Chinese realty major to invest $5 bn in India NEW DELHI: China's realty major Dalian Wanda group is looking to invest at least USD 5 billion in developing industrial townships in India and is in talks with firms like DLF for partnership.

Wanda group Chairman Wang Jainlin, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held discussion with top officials of DLF - India's largest realty firm - to explore possible joint venture for the township.

"Our target is as many as 10 townships across India. By the end of July, we would like to secure one or two major investment of township in India. We are under negotiation with the government," Wang Jianlin told PTI on the sidelines of a CII conference here.

"In the industrial townships, the total investment will amount to USD 5-10 billion," he said, when asked about the investments in developing these 10 townships.

Asked whether the company is looking to tie up with some Indian players, he said: "Yes, of course we will find some local partners to tie up with".

When contacted, DLF group executive director Rajeev Talwar said: "They are a big group in China. They wanted to meet us.

It was an introductory and exploratory meeting."

The group is also planning to

Jainlin met Modi who thanked Wanda group Chairman for keeping his promise to become the first Chinese business leader to embark on an official visit to India, the statement added. meet state governments to explore for business opportunities.

"We will work with the local government to figure out the issue of land acquisition. So far, we are building all these new townships at the outskirts of major cit-

ies so as to avoid the issue of land acquisition," Jainlin said.

In a statement posted on its website, Wanda group said that Jianlin is on a four-day official visit to India at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister.

Jainlin met Modi who thanked Wanda group Chairman for keeping his promise to become the first Chinese business leader to embark on an official visit to India, the statement added.

Jianlin had also met officials of Commerce and Industry Ministry and assured that "he would begin selecting investment projects as quickly as possible".

Dalian Wanda Group was founded in 1988 and operates in four major areas - commercial property, luxury hotels, culture & tourism, and department stores.

It is China's largest commercial property company and the world's largest cinema chain operator.

In 2014, the company's assets totaled 534.1 billion yuan (USD 85.6 billion) and annual income reached 242.5 billion yuan (USD 38.8 billion). -PTI

Unitech plans to raise Rs 200 cr for projects Cont’d from page 37

"In the last two months, we have ramped up construction activities substantially and increased the labor force by four times. This has helped in improving the cash flow cycle," Chandra said.

To further accelerate construction work and delivery, he said the company is looking at raising funds at project level.

"We plan to raise Rs 150-200 crore funding through private equity and structured financing to meet the working capital need of our ongoing projects," Chandra said.

The company is in talks with some PE players and the deal is likely to be finalized in the next three months.

Unitech presently has ongoing projects in Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. It would raise funds in projects where substantial sales bookings have been achieved.

Asked about debt reduction

plan, Chandra said: "We have retired all our telecom related liabilities during last fiscal aggregating almost Rs 1,000 crore rupees. Accordingly, our debt servicing requirement has come down to that

extent".

He said the net debt, which stood at Rs 6,332 crore, would remain around same level this fiscal and would start coming down from 2016-17 onwards as the real estate market improves.

Chandra said there is a "huge pent-up demand" for housing as

people are on wait-and watch mode. He expected the market to pick up after further softening in interest rates.

The company has been facing problems in one of its housing projects in Gurgaon and it recently lost a case at the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commiss i o n (NCDRC).

After being approached by the buyers in the project for delay in possession, the top consumer court ordered the company to pay a delay penalty of minimum 12 per cent.

According to Unitech, the matter relates to 24 people who have paid about Rs 11 crore towards booking of apartments.-PTI

PM for local lifestyles in 'Housing for All' plan NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for a holistic approach towards meeting the target of 'Housing for All', asking all official agencies concerned to consider local conditions such as lifestyles and habits while implementing the program.

Chairing a high-level meeting to assess the work done so far, both in the rural and the urban areas, he stressed the need for all official agencies concerned to adopt a flexible approach.

He said the approach should take into account local conditions such as building material, habits and lifestyles, a PMO statement said.

"A tribal may prefer a house made from traditional local materials rather than bricks and mortar; and therefore, should be facilitated accordingly," the Prime Minister said.

In rural areas, the goal should be achieved "village-by-village" so that the progress is tangible, and can be monitored effectively,

he added, according to the statement.

He said "all common facilities, and required connectivity should also be conceived and delivered, along with housing - so that we move towards the concept of 'samasya-mukt gram' (problem-free village)."

For urban areas, Modi suggested that solid waste can be used to make bricks, which would be useful as building material, the statement said.

He said all newly-constructed houses should take into account the required norms in disasterprone areas.

Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh and senior officers from the ministries of HUPA, Rural Development, NITI Aayog and PMO were present at the meeting. -PTI

California water wasters being shamed Cont’d from page 37

Or at least be careful about it and not let water spill into the street. ``I was a passenger in a car driving by, and first I noticed water down the street. And when we drove up I saw the broken sprinkler head,'' said Patricia Perez of Eagle Rock who quickly tweeted out a picture of the mess. She also emailed it to the local water agency. ``When you're trying to do your best personally, and you're trying to conserve water, it's very irritating,'' she said of one of the reasons behind drought shaming.

Dan Estes, a Los Angeles real estate broker, has gone so far as to build his own free app, DroughtShame, that records the time and place where people see waste.

Unlike some other drought shamers, he doesn't believe in getting in peoples' faces or outing them to the world. Instead, people

who use his app send the information and a photograph to him, and he forwards it to the appropriate water agency. ``I drought shamed the preschool next to my apartment,'' he

`When you're trying to do your best personally, and you're trying to conserve water, it's very irritating,'' she said of one of the reasons behind drought shaming. said. ``Timer was off on their sprinklers. Those things were on for five hours and the sidewalk was a river.

I was non-confrontational but at the same time public.''

Twenty minutes after he reported it, he said, the sprinklers were shut off. -AP

Real Estate Post

June 19, 2015

India Post 39

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Terrace Ridge's model debut in Dublin slated for June 27 Cont’d from page 37

Recreational opportunities feature Mount Diablo State Park, Emerald Glen Park, Fallon Sports Park, Dougherty Hills Dog Park and Dublin Ranch Golf Course.

Parents will enjoy inclusion in the well-regarded Dublin school district and nearby private schools.

It matters who your builder is

and William Lyon Homes is a company built upon a legacy of pride and integrity. A team of visionaries who are passionate about homebuilding and committed to providing a high quality homebuying and homeownership experience, William Lyon Homes has earned a solid track record for outstanding construction and customer service since 1954. The

Housing.com acquires Realty Business Intelligence MUMBAI: Property portal Housing.com says it has acquired risk assessment service provider Realty Business Intelligence for Rs 10 crore, a move that will enable its customers to make informed decisions before investing in any realty project.

"Housing.com has acquired Realty Business Intelligence, an organization focused on risk assessment for realty projects, for Rs

Rahul Yadav

10 crore in cash towards purchase of 100 per cent equity of the latter," the company said in a statement.

With this acquisition, Housing.com customers will now be empowered with credible real estate market intelligence and risk assessment to aid informed decision making for investments in new projects, Housing.com's Chief Executive Rahul Yadav said.

"This is in line with our vision to bring transparency into real estate that is fraught with risks when it comes to retail investments in new projects.

"Backed by this acquisition, we will further augment our due diligence efforts to ensure verified listings, risk free transactions and secure investments while giving Realty BI access to a vast database of realty developers and end

consumers," Yadav said.

Earlier this year, Housing.com had acquired Indian Real Estate Forum (IREF) to provide trustworthy information and end-to-end services to all stakeholders.

"With these acquisitions, we consolidate our leadership position as a comprehensive online realty player and a game changer striving to bring positive change in the real estate industry through its consumer centric products and solutions," Yadav added.

Founded by exbankers, Realty BI provides a wide array of solutions encompassing due diligence, back-end research, project monitoring and business intelligence catering to lenders, investors and buyers.

The company has been working with banks, housing finance companies and non-banking finance companies across the country to provide a unified collateral risk assessment platform assuring a minimum 50 per cent reduction in overall costs and back-end work related to due diligence.

"We believe there are huge synergies between both the companies as they are striving to bring transparency in the realty industry.

"Backed by our comprehensive project due diligence and monitoring services and association with Housing.com, we aim to scale our business across key metros as well as expand our customer base to now empower retail investors to assess risks associated with investments," Realty Business Intelligence Founder and CEO Rajeev Nohwar said. -PTI

company continues to expand its well-respected brand beyond California, Arizona and Nevada and into other market areas across the Western region with the acquisition of Polygon Homes, its newest division in Washington and Oregon, and its Village Homes di-

vision in Colorado. William Lyon Home shares are publicly traded on Nasdaq under the symbol WLH. For updated information and to learn more, visit www.lyonhomes.com.

To visit Terrace Ridge, travel I580, exit Tassajara Road and pro-

ceed north. Turn right on Silvera Ranch Drive, then right on Terrace Ridge Court. The Sales Gallery is located on the left and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, call 925.605.6045, or visit www.LyonTerraceRidge.com.

40 India Post

A

sacred town at the convergence of rivers Ganges and Chandrabhaga, Rishikesh is a naturally attractive place at the foothills of the lower Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand in India. The importance of this holy city lies in the fact that it serves as a gate-

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way to other religiously important centers like Kedarnath, Gangotri, Badrinath and Yamunotri.

Rishikesh, literally meaning Lord of the Senses, stands for Lord Vishnu and the city is blessed with the flowing holy Ganges. The city is a hub of many ancient and new temples, attracting thousands of pilgrims throughout the year. The

June 19, 2015

popular belief of Hindu devotees is that performing austerities in this holy town and offering prayers in the holy temples brings the much needed attainment of 'Mukti' or salvation.

The main attractions in this exciting tourist and religious spot include Gita Bhavan, Nilkanth Mahadev, Lakshman Jhula, Swarga

Ashram and Triveni Ghat, all having great religious importance.

Rishikesh and other nearby places like Dehradun and Mussoorie make interesting and amazing excursion getaways.

Rishkesh is renowned for numerous Yoga centers, and is rightly termed as the World Capital of Yoga, offering training of Yoga and

many other spiritual activities. This is a place to attain peace and tranquility. Many water sports like white water rafting and adventurous activities like wild forest trekking can be enjoyed in Rishikesh.

The tourists who look for spiritual holidays as well as seclusion are welcomed at the lap of Rishikesh with its natural beauty and God's gifts.

Cont’d on page 42

June 19, 2015

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41

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Walt Disney's wild ride with surrealist Salvador Dali SAN FRANCISCO: It turns out the man behind Mickey Mouse liked quirky cats.

Besides his love of wholesome entertainment, Walt Disney also had an appreciation for the eccentric that led to a short-lived partnership and decades-long friendship with surrealistic artist Salvador Dali.

Although their styles and personalities were dramatically different, Disney and Dali shared a fascination with the fantastic. They brought their vivid imaginations together shortly after World War II to work on an animated feature called ``Destino,'' which wasn't completed until long after their deaths.

Even after they abandoned ``Destino,''

rarely seen artwork, including a drawing of Don Quixote that Dali did for Disney in 1957 inside a book, Shakespeare's ``Macbeth.'' ``This will show an angle of Walt that people don't normally think of - he wasn't just all about family-friendly stuff,'' says filmmaker Ted Nicolaou, the exhibit's curator. ``He wasn't dark, but he dealt in dreams and fantastical images. He was a man ready to experiment in any way possible.''

Dali, a pioneer in Europe's surrealistic movement, thought Disney might be a kindred spirit when he saw some of Disney's early animation in the ``Silly Symphony'' series that ran from 1929 through 1939.

Nicolaou said a ``Silly Symphony'' skit featuring dancing skeletons particularly appealed to Dali, whose paintings of melting clocks, apparitions, monsters and other creatures often border on the hallucinogenic.

When he first came to California in 1937, Dali Michael Labrie, director of collections and exhibitions at the Walt Disney Family sought out Museum, shows a 1957 drawing of Don Quixote by Salvador Dali for Walt another artist Disney inside a copy of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth," in a collections room at the Disney museum in San Francisco. whom he considered to be the two artists remained in touch and even a master in surrealism - the comedian Harpo traveled to each other's homes, swapping Marx. He also saw surrealistic undertones fishing stories and periodically discussing in the work of Disney and filmmaker Cecil B. plans to make a movie based on ``Don DeMille.

Quixote.'' That dream was never realized.

Disney had become intrigued with Dali, Disney died in 1966. Dali, who was three years too. After reading the artist's autobiograyounger, died in 1989. phy, he sent his copy to Dali in 1944 seekThe improbable bond between the mas- ing an autograph. He also suggested that termind of Disneyland and the Spanish Dali work on a piece of animation to be packpainter of reality-bending images will be ex- aged into a film along the lines of Disney's plored in an exhibit running from July 10 1940 musical, ``Fantasia.'' through Jan. 3 at the Walt Disney Family The partnership didn't come to fruition Museum in San Francisco. It will then shift until late 1945, shortly after Disney and Dali to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. met for the first time at a Hollywood dinner The exhibit will feature ``Destino'' party hosted by movie studio mogul Jack storyboards, letters exchanged between the Warner. By that time, Dali had already comtwo men, photographs, voice recordings and pleted some work on a dream sequence in

Bundi to get free WiFi at select spots BUNDI, Rajasthan: To boost tourist facilities here, the district administration has decided to provide free WiFi facility at select places in this city.

Chairing a tourism development committee meeting here, District Collector Neha Giri said the department of Information and Technology has approved the service at selected places in the city.

She directed officials of tourism, municipal corporation departments to identify tourist spots in Bundi where WiFi could be accessed without any disturbance to traffic.

While Baalchandpara and Terrace Garden have been selected for providing free WiFi, three more areas would be chosen to start off the facility, assistant Tourist Of-

ficer Prem Shanker Saini said.

The district collector also instructed officials to step up the safety and security measures at picnic and tourist spots and also asked them to erect boards giving details about places of tourist interest in and around the city.

Informing that Bundi becomes a passionate hunt for domestic tourists during monsoons, Saini said that efforts were on to promote monsoon tourism among foreign tourists.

According to data from the district tourist department, 50,788 domestic and 16,524 foreign tourists visited the city in 2012 while in 2013, the number stood at 50,539 domestic and 15740 foreign tourists. -PTI

an Alfred Hitchcock movie, ``Spellbound.''

Given the wide range of choices in Disney's vast music library, Dali decided to set his animation to a Spanish ballad called ``Destino'' because the title resonated with his interest in destiny. Disney assigned one of his most trusted animators, John Hench, to assist Dali on ``Destino.''

While working with Hench to produce more than 200 storyboards and sketches for ``Destino,'' Dali struggled to come up with a plot that made sense to Disney. The two men's differences began to crystallize in a 1946 interview when they were asked about their visions for ``Destino.'' Dali described it as ``a magical exposition of life in the labyrinth of time'' while Disney saw it as ``a simple love story - boy meets girl.''

Their differences widened when Dali began to insert sketches of baseball players into ``Destino.'' Exasperated that about $70,000 had already been spent on a project that didn't seem to be progressing, Disney decided to scrap it. ``It got a little too wild for Walt, so he quietly pulled the plug,'' Nicolaou says. ``I

think Dali was embarrassed and hurt by it.''

The professional split apparently didn't damage Dali's friendship with Disney. During the 1950s, Dali visited Disney's home, where he rode Disney's model train, ``the Lilly Belle.'' Later Disney and his wife, traveled to see Dali and his wife, Gala, at their home in Port Lligat, Spain. ``Destino'' was finally finished in 2003 after Walt's nephew, Roy, hired French director Dominique Monfery to complete what Dali left behind with the help of computers. Hench, then in his 90s, also helped animators figure out where Dali was initially headed with the story.

The adaptation includes Dali-sque images of plants with eyeballs, ants morphing into beret-wearing men on bicycles and a ballerina removing her head to throw at a baseball player wielding a bat. ``Destino'' was nominated for an Academy Award in 2004 for best animated short film. Although it didn't win, Nicolaou says the piece deserves recognition for ``incrementally expanding our vision of who Walt Disney was.'' -AP

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June 19, 2015

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Rishikesh Rishikesh

Cont’d from page 40

It offers visitors with experiences which nobody can forget for a lifetime. The sacred pilgrimage to four holy shrines starts from Rishikesh.

Tourist Attractions Laxman Jhula: Lakshman (Laxman) Jhula, is a long (450 ft) iron bridge suspended over the mighty Ganges River, constructed in the year 1939. It is situated near

Swarga Ashram in Rishikesh. The story behind this bridge is legendary, related to the crossing of the Ganges River on jute ropes by the epic character Lakshmana and it is believed that the bridge is built at the same place. There is a Lakshmana temple located at the west bank of Ganges, revealing the deed of Lakshmana.

Bharat Mandir: Bharat Mandir, an ancient temple founded by Adiguru Shankaracharya during the 12th century, is an imposing shrine located in the heart of the city Rishikesh. The main deity installed here is the idol of Lord

Vishnu carved out from a single piece of Saligram. A spectacular sacred Shree Yanthra is placed at the inner canopy of the temple.

The details of this ancient temple are recorded in the very old record of Kearkhand. The present temple is the renovated one; reconstructed on the ruins of the original temple destroyed by Taimur.

Recent excavations have brought out many old statues, ancient pots and coins from this site.

Nilkantha Mahadev Temple:

Neelkanth (Nilkanth) Mahadev Temple, placed at the confluence of Pankaja and Madhumati rivers, is assumed to be one of the most respected temples in Haridwar District of Uttarakhand. This enchanting revered shrine is placed at an altitude of 1330 m with its main deity as Lord Shiva. The panoramic view of surrounding hills of Brahmakoot, Vishnukoot and Manikoot is very attractive.

Parmarth Niketan Ashram: Nestled in the backdrop of lush Himalayas along the Holy Ganges is Parmarth Niketan Ashram. Established by a great saint, Pujya

Swami Shukdevanandji Maharaj in 1942, it is the largest ashram in Rishikesh. With clean and scenic surroundings, the ashram is a sacred abode for thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.

Shri Tryambakeshwar Temple: Tryambakeshvar temple in Rishikesh is set in the backdrop of majestic Himalayan ranges. It is a well maintained and neatly kept calm religious abode of Lord Shiva.

Tryambakeshvar means the abode of the three eyed one i.e. Lord Shiva. It is considered as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas (self emanated lingas). It is very well placed on the banks of Ganges and the natural beauty around the temple is amazing. Many poojas are offered here by the devotees.

Shivarathri is celebrated here with much enthusiasm and vigor.

Sivananda Ashram: Established in 1932 by the great Indian sage Swami Sivananda, Sivananda Ashram is located on the banks of the Ganges at the foothills of the Himalayan ranges. Swami Sivananda established this ashram with the sacred idea of promoting spiritualism and providing spiritual practices to devotees.

Triveni Ghat: Triveni Ghat, a confluence of three holy important Rivers the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswathy, is a most revered sacred bathing spot in Rishikesh and is situated on the banks of Ganges River. It is of belief that those who take a dip in Triveni Ghat will have salvation, a relief from all sins carried out; the water here has the power to purify them. Devotees make many offerings at Triveni Ghat. Early morning at sunrise they offer milk to the river and happily feed the fish. An impressive view of lamps floated in the river as part of aarti ceremony is pleasing to eyes after the sunset.

Trekking Situated at the foothills of Himalayas, Rishikesh, is an ideal location for rafting, canoeing and trekking activities. Travelers from various parts of the country as

well as the world come to Rishikesh every year, to enjoy the enormous

happy and rejoicing activity. One can get many items which are use-

Himalayan treks.

Surrounded by mountain ranges from all sides, Rishikesh provides trekkers some exciting outlooks of dense forests, serene rivers and wild mountain ranges.

One can also witness the amazing scenarios, ancient temples, Buddhist monasteries on the way. One of the main attractions of the destination is a trek in the Garhwal Himalayas.

ful for day to day life from the small shops near the temple town. Evenings are very busy with local people coming out for shopping.

Many religious and temple related articles like Rudraksha, Ganesha idols, Nataraja statues, religious books and mythological sculptures are available here at moderate rates.

White Water Rafting The main sporting activity in Rishikesh is White Water Rafting.

It has grown into a popular and adventurous spot for white water

rafting enthusiasts as the place offers a spectacular experience of medium to very tough and rough rapids in the regions of River Ganges. Many adventurous tourists both from India and abroad visit this place to experience the real challenges of white water rafting.

Shopping Shopping in Rishikesh is a

How to reach

By Train: Rishikesh railway station is linked to all cities in India.

There are regular train facilities from Rishikesh to cities like Jammu, Delhi, Haridwar and may other cities located close by.

By Air: Nearest airport is Jollygrant, 18 km away in Dehradun. Jollygrant airport is connected to Delhi airport. Taxi services are available from airport to Rishikesh.

By Bus: Rishikesh is well connected to many cities in the region by buses. Private and public buses offer services from Rishikesh to Pauri (117 km), Haridwar, Dehradun and Kotdwar.

June 19, 2015

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India Post 43

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IATA for transparent laws on consumer rights MIAMI, US: Airlines' body IATA has begun a dialogue with governments, air travelers and consumer rights bodies across the world to evolve transparent regulations to enable passengers to understand their rights and prevent ignoring of basic commercial principles by the governments.

"The growing patchwork of consumer rights regimes is leaving travelers confused when they are subject to multiple different passenger rights regimes at the same time. We need an air transport system that balances the need to protect consumers while allowing the airline industry to compete and innovate," Paul Steele, IATA's Senior Vice President for Member and External Relations, told reporters here.

He said there were now over 60 countries with some form of passenger rights regulations, with more governments considering new rules.

"Consumer protection is not about winners and losers.

Everybody wants the passenger to get to his or her destination

safely and on schedule. And in an intensely competitive business such as aviation, when things go wrong, airlines have a natural incentive to keep their customers happy - as is the case in any service industry," Steele said.

"Looking at the nature of some of the regulations being produced, it seems that some governments are ignoring basic commercial principles. They are producing regulations that do not address the root causes of many travel disruptions.

In light of this, IATA and the airlines need to contribute a new perspective to the conversation on consumer protection," he said.

Maintaining that IATA was ac-

tively engaging consumer protection bodies around the world in a dialogue aimed at finding a balanced solution, Steele said, "the industry has produced materials to help governments and travelers better appreciate the issues arising from consumer protection regulations", apart from seeking to understand more clearly what governments are hearing from their customers.

These materials are focused on issues of airline punctuality, mishandled baggage and "confusing consumer protection regulations", he said.

These would call for regulations to be clear so that passengers can understand their rights, call upon airlines to ensure that their passengers are always kept informed and establish efficient complaint handling procedures, recommending that passenger entitlements are proportional in a situation of service breakdown and asking the governments to be consistent while preparing regulations which should not be contradictory to passengers' rights, he added. -PTI

Etihad bought Jet stakes eyeing 40 mn Indians MIAMI, US: Etihad Airways invested nearly INR 2,000 crores in Jet Airways aimed at cornering a large share of the 40 million Indians traveling abroad every year, the Gulf carrier's CEO James Hogan has said.

"One of the reasons we invested in Jet Airways market internationally is that 40 million people travel by it each year. For us we are the smallest of the three Gulf carriers and remain the smallest of the three Gulf carriers," Hogan said during a panel discussion as part of the IATA's 71st

Annual General Meeting here.

It was in April 2012 that Abu Dhabi-based Etihad acquired 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways for close to INR 2,000 crores. At the time when the deal was being finalized, Jet officials merely spoke about making Abu Dhabi its gateway to fly Indians to places in Europe and North America, among others.

Since the agreement was concluded, not only has Etihad increased the frequency of its flights to India but Jet Airways has also started operations from several

new cities in India to Abu Dhabi and beyond.

Neither Hogan nor Jet promoter Naresh Goyal took any questions on this issue or anything about the progress made in their tie-up.

Since the deal was announced Hogan and Etihad Chief Financial Officer James Rigney have been appointed as additional directors at Jet. In March this year, Jet Airways was given permission by the Government to start dedicated freighter services using two aircraft wet-leased from Etihad. -PTI

J&K govt plans beautification of Nigeen Lake SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir government has said that encroachments in and around the Nigeen Lake, a major tourist attraction, would be removed for its conservation and beautification.

MoS for Housing and Urban Development M Ashraf Mir, while addressing an officers' meeting

here, said relocation and rehabilitation of some families from in and around the lake are part of the steps to restore its past glory.

"The encroachments are choking the lake and posing a serious threat especially during the floods," he said.

Mir, who conducted an exten-

sive tour of the lake before chairing the meeting, said the matter will be taken up with Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Popularly known as the 'Jewel in the Ring', Nigeen is famous with tourists for its deep blue waters and is actually part of Dal Lake, being linked through a causeway. -PTI

Govt focus on safety of foreign tourists NEW DELHI: Union Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma has said the government was giving utmost importance to safety, cleanliness and hospitality

Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma

to instill confidence among the foreign tourists.

Sharma, who held a meeting with the members of Ambassadors Forum, India here said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been laying emphasis on promoting tourism and culture during his visit to various countries.

"The government is now giv-

ing utmost importance to safety, cleanliness and hospitality in order to inspire confidence among the tourists visiting India. Addressing the safety issue is our main concern," the Minister said.

To ensure safety, the Ministry of Tourism has introduced Welcome cards for tourists, setup special helpline and is imparting training to drivers, street vendors, according to a statement here.

Participants highlighted the importance of improving connectivity and wanted direct flights of Air India connecting the capital cities of various countries to India.

They also offered to give incentives to Bollywood producers/directors for shooting films at beautiful locations in their countries, the statement added.

The countries in Europe wanted that e-tourist visa be extended to all the European countries.

The Ambassadors/High Commissioners of 13 countries including Canada, Greece, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey, and European Union were among those present at the meeting. -PTI

UP government approves rural tourism policy LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh government has approved a rural tourism policy for the overall development of rural tourism in the state.

Under the policy, which was cleared at a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, villages close to main tourism spots or tourist circuits having tourism potential will be identified and provided funds for development.

Havelis built before 1950 in such villages will be given maximum funds of Rs 5 lakh for developing housing facilities in them, an official release said, adding that Rural Tourism Management Committees (RTMC) led by district magistrates will be set up for preparing management plans for such villages.

The cabinet also gave its consent to run an amended Kanya Vidyadhan Yojna for meritorious girl students in 2015 who have successfully passed intermediate examination from ICSE, CBSE or UP Board in all the districts.

A target of benefiting 99,000 girl students which include 20 per cent from minorities and 21 per cent

from among the SCs/STs has been fixed for which district-wise merit list will be prepared, the release said adding that each meritorious student will get Rs 30,000.

A budgetary allocation of Rs 300 crore has been made for 201516 for the purpose, it said.

The cabinet also approved in-

Akhilesh Yadav

creasing the retirement age of workers of UP Remote Sensing Application Centre from 58 to 60 years and providing mobile SIM facility to Group C employees of Vidhan Sabha secretariat through the CUG scheme.-PTI

In Brief 13 Indians arrested for working illegally in UK LONDON: Thirteen Indians have been arrested for working illegally in the UK following a raid targeting suspected immigration abuse at a factory in Leicester.

"Police and immigration enforcement officers arrested 13 Indian nationals during a dawn raid at a factory in Leicester on June 4," an official statement said.

Eleven of the migrants remain in custody, while the other two have been released on the condition that they report regularly to Home Office officials.

An additional arrest on suspicion of possessing false documents was made against one of the men.

Officials also stated that they seized cash - presumably wages under the Proceeds of Crime Act, as well as employment documents during the raid.

"If it is found that the men were working illegally - for example by working on a Visitor's Visa or after their visa has expired - then a fine of 20,000 pounds for each migrant, totaling 260,000 pounds, could be brought against Euro Dyers Ltd; the factory where the men were working," the statement said. -PTI

„ Pak diplomat had close links with Taliban NEW DELHI: The Pakistani diplomat, who was refused visa by India for a posting in New Delhi, had a long association with Taliban and Haqqani network known for their anti-India stand, a government official said.

Giving reasons for refusal of visa to the diplomat, who has been identified as Mohammad Idris, the official said the Pakistani officer has "close links" with Afghan Taliban as well as Haqqani network.

"We cannot allow someone who has long association with Taliban and Haqqani network to serve in India," the official said.

The decision to reject visa to the Pakistani diplomat has been taken following inputs from intelligence agencies and careful examination of all facts, the official said.

Pakistan wanted to post the official at its High Commission in New Delhi and had applied for a diplomatic visa for him.

The official in question has not served in India before, a fact cited by Pakistani authorities to claim that India had no reason to refuse him visa. -PTI

Immigration

Border Patrol holds migrants in freezing cells

44 India Post

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June 19, 2015

Details on page 45

Senate GOP denies funds for lawyers for immigrant kids WASHINGTON: A GOP-controlled Senate panel blocked President Barack Obama's request for $50 million to pay for legal help for unaccompanied immigrant children coming to the United States after fleeing violence in Central America.

The lawmaker responsible for the move was Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, chief author of a spending bill funding the Justice Department's budget.

The spending measure won initial approval but has a long way to go before becoming law.

The flow of children fleeing gangs and other dangers in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador and finding their way to the U.S. is down significantly from last year, when an influx created a humanitarian crisis, in states along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Significant backlogs remain.

Without lawyers, children are much more likely to be sent back to their home countries. Under federal law, immigrant children have two options to seek legal status, including requesting asylum for fear of returning home to face gang violence.

Without legal help, the maze of documentation and legal re-

quirements is far more difficult for a child to maneuver.

Republicans opposed to people who are in the United States illegally have greater pri-

the day-to-day operations of government agencies. Such discretionary spending gets reviewed and funded annually un-

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents working at a processing facility in Brownsville,Texas. Immigration courts are speeding up hearings for the tens of thousands of Central American children caught on the U.S. border after criticism that the backlogged system is letting immigrants stay in the country for years while waiting for their cases to be heard.

orities in the $51 billion measure, which also funds the Commerce Department and science-related agencies such as NASA. NASA and the FBI get a slight funding increase, but the measure shortchanges the Census Bureau and Obama's request for new polar weather satellites.

The measure is one of 12 annual appropriations bills covering

like mandatory programs such as Medicare, Social Security and food stamps, which run as if on autopilot.

The 12 spending bills are at the center of a fight between Obama and Republicans, who have given the Pentagon almost $40 billion in relief from automatic spending curbs but are resisting Obama's demands for equal treat-

ment for domestic agencies facing a funding freeze.

The automatic cuts, which date to an oft-maligned 2011 budget and debt pact and are known as sequestration, are returning after two years of relief in a 2013 budget pact engineered by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a potential candidate to take the lead in a potential second round of negotiations this fall. ``There is truly no reason to wait. The situation will not be any different three months from now - we will just be three months closer to a crisis, and three months behind on the bipartisan work we should be doing now,'' Murray said .

The battle is particularly bitter in the tea party-driven House.

Republicans pressed ahead with bills seeking to force further cuts to the agencies they particularly dislike, the IRS and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The House measures are full of provisions aimed at blocking various Obama policies, including implementation of the Affordable Care Act by the IRS and environmental regulations.-AP

Probe against TCS, Infosys for visa violations NEW YORK: The US government has opened an investigation against two of the biggest Indian outsourcing companies for possible violations of H1-B visa rules, according to a media report.

The Department of Labor has opened the investigation against Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys for "possible violations of rules for visas for foreign technology workers under contracts they held with an electric utility Southern California Edison," the New York Times said.

The power company had recently laid off more than 500 technology workers amid claims that many of those laid off were made

to train their replacements who were immigrants on the temporary work visas brought in by the In-

fied by the department, the report said.

The move by the Labor Depart-

dian firms. Senators Richard Durbin of Illinois and Jeff Sessions of Alabama announced the investigation after they were noti-

ment comes days after the NYT had reported that hundreds of employees at entertainment giant Walt Disney were laid off and re-

placed with Indians holding H1B visas.

About 250 Disney employees were told in late October last year that they would be laid off and many of their jobs were transferred to immigrants on H1B visas brought in by an outsourcing firm based in India, the report had said.

It had also cited the layoffs at the Southern California Edison power utility, saying that the layoffs are "raising new questions about how businesses and outsourcing companies are using the temporary visas, known as H-1B, to place immigrants in technology jobs in the United States." -PTI

Immigration Post

June 19, 2015

India Post 45

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UK crackdown to affect Indian migrants LONDON: British government has unveiled plans like raising minimum salary thresholds for skilled workers and limiting the number of work permits as part of a fresh crackdown on immigrants from outside the European Union, measures which are likely to affect

nesses off employing professionals from countries like India.

"This government is on the side of working people: in the past, it has been too easy for businesses to recruit from overseas, undermining those who want to work hard and do the right thing," he told

Prime Minister David Cameron

Indians.

The plans, announced by David Cameron during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, are also designed to protect domestic workers from being undercut by foreign workers and part of the government's efforts to boost the number of apprenticeships.

Measures to raise minimum salary thresholds, limit the number of work permits issued and the introduction of new business levies for businesses employing migrant workers are likely to put many busi-

Parliament.

"As part of our one-nation approach, pushed forward by my Immigration Taskforce, we have asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on what more can be done to reduce levels of work migration from outside the EU," he said as he launched the new immigration blueprint.

"In the past it has been frankly too easy for some businesses to bring in workers from overseas rather than to take the long term decision to train our workforce

here at home," he added.

Net migration reached a 10-year high of 318,000 despite Cameron's 2010 election pledge to cut numbers to below 100,000.

Indians are among the largest group of non-EU migrants to the country and professionals are now expected to be put off from considering Britain as a friendly work destination.

UKIP MP Douglas Carswell warned: "If we are going to restrict the rights of GPs who have come here from India to make a difference and work for our NHS but at the same time allow people, potentially not just with no skills but maybe with criminal records from other EU countries an automatic right to come here, we are going to give the idea of migration control a bad name."

While the bulk of the MAC's proposals will be delivered by the end of the year, UK Home Secretary Theresa May has asked it to fast track proposals on raising the salary thresholds of Tier 2 visas in time for the Autumn Immigration Rule changes by September, to make sure that the UK's immigration system is focused on attracting the brightest and the best skilled workers.

MAC, which will examine how the Tier 2 (Skilled Work) visa system functions, follows the first meeting of the Prime Minister's newly-formed Immigration Taskforce, which has been tasked with reducing net migration and focuses on the domestic measures that the government can take to achieve this. -PTI

Border Patrol holds migrants in freezing cells TUCSON, Ariz.: The U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector routinely holds immigrants in dirty and extremely cold cells for extended periods of time, a coalition of advocacy groups claims in a lawsuit filed in federal court.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three immigrants who said they were held in inhumane conditions while waiting to be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which handles long-term detainment and deportations.

The groups interviewed over 75 former detainees who described cells as freezing, filthy

and lacking basic needs, such as beds.

In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol's parent agency, said it takes the safety and welfare of detainees seriously. ``On a daily basis, agents make every effort to ensure that those in our custody are given food, water, and medical attention as needed. CBP investigates all allegations of misconduct, and is committed to making continued progress in detainee treatment and the emphasis of policies that protect human life and treat individuals with dignity and

respect,'' the statement said.

CBP said its facilities are designed to be short-term in nature and house detainees until they can be processed.

According to the lawsuit filed in Arizona, the Border Patrol does not adequately screen for dangerous medical conditions or provide access to medical personnel. In one example, a detainee asked agents to help her 7-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen, for help with what she thought was an ear infection.

The agent told the detainee, ``There is no medicine here.'' AP

Indians among 26 arrested for overstaying SINGAPORE: As many as 26 people from China and India have been arrested by Singaporean authorities for alleged immigration offences of overstaying their allowed terms in the country.

In an island-wide operation conducted, the Immigration & Checkpoint Authority (ICA) officers arrested the alleged offenders.

Under the Immigration Act, the penalties for overstaying or illegal entry are a jail term of up to six months plus a minimum of three strokes of the cane, while the penalties for illegal departure is a fine of up to 2,000 dollars, a jail term of up to six months, or both, the ICA said.

Investigations are still ongoing into accusations against those arrested - who are aged between 26 to 62 years for overstaying their allowed entry into Singapore, the Channel News Asia reported, citing ICA. The report, however, did not specify separately the number of Indians and Chinese arrested.

Two others were arrested on suspicion of harboring the overstayers.

The ICA said it would like to remind homeowners to exercise

due diligence when checking the status of their prospective foreign tenants to ensure their status in Singapore is legal.

This includes checking their original immigration/work pass, cross-checking their particulars

Investigations are still ongoing into accusations against those arrested - who are aged between 26 to 62 years for overstaying their allowed entry into Singapore on their pass against their passport and verifying the validity of their pass with the issuing authority.

If a homeowner is found guilty of recklessly, negligently or knowingly harboring overstayers and/or illegal immigrants, he or she may be sentenced to imprisonment and subject to a fine, added the ICA. -PTI

PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law

Former Assistant StateÂ’s Attorney

Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc.

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2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659

Horoscope

46 India Post

June 19, 2015

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Your Weekly Future

by Pandit Parashar June 19th - June 25th 2015 (March 21 to April 20)

P

resence of two Guru's Jupiter and Venus will put you back on driving seat.

You will send a strong message to people trying to cause disturbance. Strong reply to a legal matter will put an end to all suspense. You will be successful in getting the appointment with an important person finally. Minor surgery may be the only option to cure the problem.

(April 21 to May 20)

R

ight eye may start to give trouble. Strong Mercury in first will help you stay in good mood and you may take family out to a nice place. Career wise, Saturn in seventh will be helpful and you will finish an important project well before the deadline. Some of you may temporarily develop taste for hot and spicy food.

(May 21 to June 20)

S

trong Sun and Mars in first is tricky. You will need to control temper and avoid taking a chance with law.

Money wise Jupiter and Venus in second are really helpful and you will hit your goals without any efforts. Saturn in sixth will continue to help people in jobs perform well and stay way ahead of their colleagues this week.

(June 21 to July 22)

Y

ou will not have much time or many choices but presence of Jupiter and Venus in first will help in making the right choice in career. You may send a check to government in shape of a fine or penalty. Some of you may decide to join a short term course to update your knowledge. Problems will come followed by some real simple solutions.

(July 23 to August 22)

(November 23 to December 22)

Y

ou may be still exploring solutions to a family problem. Business will pick up all of a sudden and the contract you had been working on, will also get signed. Some of you may take a trip this week for business purpose. Watch out for a tall and little dark skin person as he can get you in some kind of trouble.

Avoid and gambling or speculation.

(August 23 to September 22)

N

ew association will prove lucky for you. Deals will come on there own and you will not take another minute to grab them. You may be in touch with an old trusted confidant for advise. Some of you may start packing and get ready to move to another place of your own. Any changes in career at this point will prove very lucky immediately.

(September 23 to October 22)

A

nd this is the time to make that switch in career. New opportunity will be a stepping stone. People in business will keep reinvesting in their plans and may even sign up for another location. Combination of Sun and Mars in house of luck is forming Laxmi Yoga. Opportunity will not be less than a jackpot, grab it.

(October 23 to November 22)

I

t's high time that you should start exploring the new opportunities as things will keep getting tough at present place. Some one lot younger will give good piece of advise. Some of you may spending extra hours at work in order to catch up on things. There will be lots of conflict in mind and you may not attend a religious event.

PANDIT PARASHAR, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations.

He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com

F

amily members may travel without you. Meetings will go well. Offer from a well known organization will come during the week. Do not ignore any legal documents, pay attention before they become a nuisance. You may take one of your vehicle for minor repairs. Some cracks may start showing up in ongoing partnership.

(December 22 to January 19)

C

ombination of malefics Mars and Sun in sixth will help you crush your opponents, win a pending appeal with the government or overcome some serious illness. There will be remarkable improvement in career and a big promotion is not out of question. Some of you may start getting ready for an upcoming short vacation.

(January 20 to February 18)

D

on't allow stress take a toll on your health. Try to think with a coll and rational mind and seek outside help if possible. Some one short and going bald will be helpful and may come up with a great plan to help you out. Project assigned recently, will need more attention and extra hard work. You will spend money on children.

(February 19 to March 20)

A

ny investment in properties at this point will be lucky. You may buy some expensive and high end items for the house. Mind will be relaxed and you will make good use of extra time on hands and take family out to a nice place for dinner. You will continue to make slow and steady progress at work. You may be doing some serious charity.

510-886-4370 www.parashar.com

Datebook

June 19, 2015

NEW JERSEY Upcoming Sat, June 20 • Speed dating Event for Vaishnav Vanik Youth Venue: Royal Alberts Palace, 1050 King Georges Post Road, Fords, NJ 08863 Time: 5:00 pm Contact: 732-261-4048

Sat, Jun 27 • Gandhiji My Mentor The First Gujarati Monat Venue: Crossroads South Middle School, 195 Major Rd, South Brunswick Township, NJ 08852 Time : 5:30 pm Contact: 908-458-3047

Sat, Jul 11 • Spectacular 30th Anniversary Celebrations Venue: Newark Symphony Hall, 1030 Broad St., Newark, NJ 07102 Time: 9:00 am

NEW YORK Upcoming Fri, Jun 26 • Exclusive Indian Standup Comedy Show Venue: Broadway Comedy Club, 318 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019 Time : 6:30 pm

India Post 47

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

CHICAGO

Upcoming

Upcoming

Sat, Jun 27 • Marathi Cinema 100 - A Dance Journey with Prashant Damle Venue: California State University, East Bay, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd, Hayward, CA 94542

1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's

Venue: Carrington Hall, 1201 Brewster

Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes

Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94062 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 408-802-5128

Time: 5:00 pm

• Chand Raat Mela and Concert

Contact: 510-579-8211

Venue: Antun's, 244 W Old Country Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801 Time : 6:00 pm Contact: 732-277-6687

Sun, Jun 28 • Paatasala Telugu School

Sun, Jul 16 • Desi Kids Star Entertainment

registration

Venue: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple Commu-

Venue: Telugu Times, 68 S Abel St,

nity Hall, 420 Persian Dr, Sunnyvale, CA

Milpitas, CA 95035

94089

Time: 8:00 am

Time: 12:00 pm Contact: 408-903-0578

• Dhammal Comedy Of Father And Son Venue: Community Center Auditorium, 14309 Holly Ave, flushing, NY 11355 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 732-822-6163

Sun, Jun 28 • Ishq Mein Risk - June 28th Show Venue: India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 08:00 pm

Sun Jul 19 • Shreya Ghoshal Live In Bay Area Venue: City National Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95113 Time: 6:30 pm Contact: 408-476-6118

Fri, Aug 7 • Iffer - Antakshiri & Karaoke Night Venue: Golden Peacock Banquets, 24989 Santa Clara St, Hayward, CA 94544 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 6509212846

Upcoming

Sat, Jun 27 • The Classic Burmans

Thu, Jul 16

Sat, Jul 18

ILLINOIS

ATLANTA Upcoming Sun, Jun 21 • Miss Pooja Venue: Regent Theater - Boston, 7 Medford St, Arlington, MA 02474 Time: 6:30 pm Contact: 678-346-8537

Fri, Aug 7 • ICHF Presents Arathi Dance Fest 2015 Venue: Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St, Dallas, TX 75201 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 2148838538

Mon, Aug 31 • MITHAS 2014 Membership Venue: Wong Auditorium, MIT, 70 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02142 Time: 07:00 pm Contact: 857-205-9731

Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Swami Ishatmananda • Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life Venue: Public Library-95th Street 3015 Cedar Glade Rd Naperville IL 60564 Time: 1st friday of every month 7-8 pm Contact: 630-637-0662

• India Eternal: From the Vedic Age to the Present Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago 10915 N. Main Street Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 630-655-8822

48

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June 19, 2015

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Philosophy

June 19, 2015

India Post 49

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F

or a human being, the visual apparatus are the most dominant. When you close your eyes, the world disappears - unless you have your own false world in your head! The eyes will naturally close for any internalization because the visual apparatus engage us with the outward. If you just close them, you can still hear, smell and feel, but half the world is shut off. So internalization happens best when your eyes are closed. When you're doing asanas, you want to internalize everything.

Empty Stomach While practicing yogasanas, you should not only be on an empty stomach, your bowels should be empty. Anything that is not the body should be out of the body if you want to move your energies upward. Yogic practices are not exercises, they are a way of restructuring your body and recreating yourself the way you want to be. If such a thing has to be done, nothing should be there other than your body.

Yoga means you are beginning to have a partnership with the creator; you can't do it all by yourself, but you can create the necessary atmosphere for him to do the job. The first time you were created, it was not your choice, it happened from genetic memory. But now you are reinventing yourself step-by-step the way you want J. KRISHNAMURTI

E

verybody seems to be terribly interested in yoga.

They want to keep young and beautiful. Shall we begin with that? Yoga has now become a business affair like everything else.

There are teachers of yoga all over the world, and they are coining money, as usual. And yoga at one time - I've been told by those who know about this a great deal -it was only taught to the very, very, very few.

Yoga doesn't mean merely to keep your body healthy, normal, active, and intelligent. It also meant - the meaning of that word in Sanskrit means 'join together' joining the higher and the lower.

I don't know who joins it, but that's the tradition. And also there are various forms of yoga. But the highest form is called Raja Yoga, which is the king of yogas.

There that system, or that way of living was concerned not merely with the physical wellbeing, but also much more psychologically. There was no discipline, no system, nothing to be repeated day after day. But to have a brain that is in order that is all the time active but not chattering, but active, that activity -

yourself to be.

Being a partner with the source of creation means a huge infusion of intelligence, the kind of intelligence that you cannot believe possible. If this has to happen there should be no obstacles - the food you put in or the waste you produced, both these things should be out.

Cold Water Before beginning your practice, it is always best to be immersed in or to allow a certain volume of water which is about five to eight degree centigrade lower than room

tially because of this.

Frequency of Practice The Yoga Sutra says - sukham sthiram asanam. The goal is to achieve a state where your asana is comfortable and stable; if you remain like this for any number of hours it stays the same way without causing any disturbance internally. This is when your perception becomes bigger and bigger.

The point is not about doing yoga every day or twice a week, the intention is to knead the body in such a way that we can re-mold it.

So, how much time do you have, to

We are trying to undo that. The idea of asana is that you are working with the body and kneading it in such a way that after some time it is un-burnt. Then, you can shape it whichever way you want because the energies are mobile.

Speaking An asana is a dynamic way of meditating. If you speak, so many things change dramatically, not just physiologically but in the energy parameters also. So, not talking during the asana is not just a norm, it is a rule. You must never, ever speak in postures because

Tips and guidelines for Hatha Yoga practice

When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.

-B.K.S. Iyengar

The idea of asana is that you are working with the body and kneading it in such a way that after some time it is un-burnt. Then, you can shape it whichever way you want Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and

temperature to flow over you. If this happens, the pores between the skin cells open up, and that's important for practicing yoga because we want the cellular structure of the body to be charged with a different dimension of energy.

Why one person seems to be far more alive than the other is essen-

do the necessary work upon yourself - that much time you must do it.

This body is just clay. It gets burnt with your karmic stuff and becomes rigid. Established memory is what we are referring to as karma.

It is because of that bank of memory that the physiological and psychological substance becomes rigid.

your focus, breath and what happens to your energy system are most important; otherwise you will disturb the system.

Excerpted from ishafoundation.org. Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary, poet and a spiritual master based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

the speaker is interpreting all this.

Probably they wouldn't tell you all this. The speaker has talked to various scholars and pundits and real yoga teachers. There are very few of them now.

So to have a very deeply, orderly, moral, ethical life, not just merely take various postures but to lead a very moral, ethical, disciplined life, that was the real meaning of the highest form of

profitable and becoming mediocre. We were taught... the speaker was taught by one of the - oh, many years ago - something that could not be taught to another.

Let's leave it at that, shall we?

That's where the difference is.

You may consider yoga to be something to be practiced day after day, to develop your muscles, have a muscular body. It's not that at all. It is something you live all day long. Something you watch, observe, and be clear about...

When you see those hills behind there and the blue sky and the line of those mountains against the sky... for a second, the

what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.

-Buddha Yoga is possible for anybody who really wants it.

Questioner: Could you go into it more?

Krishnamurti: It's not to be taught to the casual. It is something that you do, perhaps every

Yoga meant leading a very moral, disciplined life

Yoga is universal.... But don't approach yoga with a business mind looking for worldly gain.

-Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois In theory, practice and theory are the same. In practice they are not.

-Yogi Berra

To have a very deeply, orderly, moral, ethical

Your task is not to seek for

life, not just merely take various postures but to

love, but merely to seek

lead a very moral, ethical, disciplined life, that

and find all the barriers

was the real meaning of the highest form of yoga.

within yourself that you J. Krishnamurti

yoga. Thereby you kept the body healthy. Body was not first, was not of primary importance. What was of primary importance was to have a brain, a mind, a wellbeing, that is clear, active - not in the sense of movement, but in itself active, alive, full of vitality. But now it has become rather shallow,

day as the speaker does for an hour, to have perfect control of your body. So that you are watchful. I won't use the word 'control,' but to watch your body, not make any movement, any gesture, which is not observed. There is no unnecessary movement of the body. But it's not controlled.

greatness of the mountain drives away all our pettiness, all our worries and problems and all the travails of life - for that second.

Then you become silent and look.

Right?

Excerpted from 'Meeting Life' - Third Public Talk in Ojai, May 1985.

have built.

-Rumi Real Peace is always unshakable... Bliss is unchanged by gain or loss.

sure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

- Yogi Bhajan

50 India Post

V

ikas Khanna's latest book 'Utsav A culinary epic of Indian festivals' was unveiled to the world at French Riviera in Cannes last month. This is the first cookbook in 68 years of Cannes Film Festival that a cookbook was being launched there.

It has taken more than 12 years for Michelin Star Chef to research, write, photograph this book which is setting the price of the most expensive cookbook in the World (Rs. 8 lacs or US$ 13,000).

The 43-year-old chef launched his book, titled Utsav, with actress Sonam Kapoor at Cannes. The book will be auctioned at a starting price of Rs 8 lakh, according to an official statement from Khanna's office.

Vikas will hand deliver this cookbook to the world's top 12 leaders who have inspired him as a gratitude and to his "Motherland to the World". This journey will start from India's PM Narendra Modi.

The first 12 copies of the limited-edition book would also be hand-delivered by Khanna to US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, the Dalai Lama, the President of France Franรงois Hollande, Queen Elizabeth of England and American talk show queen Oprah Winfrey.

The book celebrates India's known and lesser-known festivals. Their rituals, ceremonies and customs of food through sacred ingredients. This is Chef Khanna's 21st

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book and is dedicated to the Transgender community of India.

"The journey of anything auspicious begins with transgender community singing and clapping at the doors of our homes, their blessings are like Mother's love. It may be a wedding, child births, first Diwali, Holi or Lohri, it's their voices that bring the celebration in the occasion. So, I dedicate this

June 19, 2015

book to them to them and applaud for their love and compassion in our Nation," he said at the launch.

The limited edition of the book will have the following poem embossed in gold ink: From the fertile soil of this Golden land Eons of warm endless traditions expand Once known as the rich Golden Sparrow

Bright yesterdays to the hopeful morrow A new born's first Golden honey's taste Million rituals are also born, so chaste The bejeweled henna feet of the bride Holy Golden Ganges swells with pride Fritters on colorful Holi, Golden-fried During Bihu, the fireflies casually ignite Every sacred Eid's boundless biryani pot Darkness golden Diwali diyas fought Through the music of the golden bells The silent story every ceremony tells Slowly moving Golden temple's refection Every blossom is an eternal celebration First Golden earring of my little daughter As I worship the morning sun in water I bow to your feet, my creator my Mother UTSAV - celebrating you like no other "I want Mr Modi to sign those 12 books which will be given to the Queen of England, the White House... I want the book to be a gift from him," he said. "I will make sure I will hand deliver them to the world leaders.

The book will be launched worldwide on Diwali," added the Amritsar-born chef.

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I don't enjoy multi-starrers: Vidya Balan

V

idya Balan, known for por traying strong female roles, doesn't see herself working in multi-starrer films at this point of her career.

"I don't see myself doing a multi-starrer at this point of time. I don't think I enjoy it all that much because there are just too many stories happening at the same time", Vidya, who was seen in multi-starrers like Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, said in an interview.

The actress, who is busy promoting her forthcoming film Hamari Adhuri Kahani, shared that she is comfortable working with actor Emraan Hashmi and that they instinctively trust each other as co-actors.

"The trust has strengthened over the past three films we have done together, especially in a film like this, where (director) Mohit

Suri was constantly pushing us to feel every moment", said Vidya, who was paired with Emraan in The Dirty Picture and Ghanchakkar.

She will also be seen with Rajkumar Rao in Hamari Adhuri Kahani and the Kahaani star finds the National Award-winning actor "intense and a fabulous actor".

"I knew he was a fabulous actor anyway, but while working with him I realized how committed he is. He would keep up the intensity of the scene even in between takes. He is one of a kind amongst this generation of actors," Vidya said.

And how was it working with Suri,

popular for making rom a n t i c movies?

"I was coming out of the theatre aft e r

watching Aashiqui 2 when I met Mohit Suri. And I told him that I want to work with him because I loved his work. He handles romances like romances should be handled.

"These days they only make romantic comedies, they don't make real love stories or romances but in Aashiqui 2 I saw that comeback of romance, and I wanted to work with him. I am so glad that I have worked with him in a film like Hamari Adhuri Kahani, which is an intense love story," said Vidya.

The film captures the passion of unrequited love between two souls who can't stop longing and loving each other despite their realities pulling them away from each other.

In times where female-centric films are competing with maledominated ones, discrimination between female and male actors

regarding pay scales pretty much still exists.

The 36-year-old, however shared that she has been given the fee she has always asked for since she does different kinds of films, but agreed that disparity is there when it comes to movies with male leads.

"There is a huge disparity and now with films like Heroine becoming successful, I am hoping that the disparity in pay scale gets corrected but I really feel that all the actresses will have to get together for that. And decide that we are not going to settle for less," said Vidya.

Asked whether the actress, known for portraying "gutsy" and out-of-the-ordinary roles, would like to portray a living legend, she said that she would definitely like to step into Hollywood star Meryl Streep's shoes.

Music drives me while writing: Amish Tripathi NEW DELHI: For Amish Tripathi of "Shiva Trilogy" fame, music and writing are inseparable as different sounds provide him ideas while penning about different situations in his books.

"Music of different genres is a must for me while writing, sometimes even instrumental music.

They help me a lot," he says.

"The love song 'Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi' from 'Ghajini' helps me in writing anger situations.

Heavy metal songs help me in writing battles scenes," says Tripathi, whose new book "Scion of Ikshvaku" exploring the life of Lord Ram will be released this month.

"Scion of Ikshvaku", the first of a five-six book Ramchandra series, is a fictional interpretation based on the many versions of the Ramayana, and talks about the perfect empire where 'dharma' and honors prevailed over all, how a misunderstood king created a Ram Rajya and how a tortured prince turned into a great king and then into a god.

Ikshvaku was the first king of the Ikshvaku dynasty and

founder of the Suryavanshis (sun gods), a dynasty Lord Ram belonged to.

Tripathi says writing becomes

easy when a writer does not try to control his characters and let the story go with the flow.

Calling himself an instinctive writer, he says he has story ideas for the next 20 years.

"All my stories are linked.

Many of t h e thoughts are already there. But I write more of these books, they kind of expanded more and more. When I start downloading one series, more stories open up," Tripathi told PTI. Coming from a banking back-

ground, he says it has helped him a lot in marketing of his books though not in writing.

Tripathi says follows two phases - writing and marketing and never allows each other to overlap.

A chapter of "Scion of Ikshvaku", published by Westland is now available on Kindle.

"I am always experimenting with different and unique ways to engage with my readers. With this exclusive chapter launch on Kindle, I'm hoping to not just en-

gage with my readers but also start a dialogue with a new set of readers and allow them to sample my narrative and hopefully excite them to join me in this journey," he says.

He has written three books till now, "The Immortals of Meluha", "The Secret of the Nagas" and "The Oath of the Vayuputras", collectively called the "Shiva Trilogy", which is said to have sold 2.2 million copies till now, making it arguably the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.-PTI

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In-home euthanasia option for pet owners PORTLAND, Ore.: When Dr. Meg McNabb, a veterinarian, arrived at our front door, I knew where I would find Echo, our dying tabby cat: upstairs in her favorite bedroom, beneath the chaise lounge. I climbed the stairs first while McNabb and my wife waited downstairs.

I peeked beneath the chaise.

Echo peeked back. I carefully pulled her out, sat on a bed and put her on my lap. She lay there, spent. She looked me in the eyes. I assured her everything was OK. I told Echo that her humans were going to miss her. My wife, Christina, brought Meg McNabb upstairs.

The veterinarian let the events unfold as naturally as they could.

Echo stayed on my lap. ``What a sweet little peanut,'' McNabb said before injecting Echo first with a sedative and then with an overdose of barbiturates. While my hand rested on Echo's soft, tigerstriped flank, I felt her last breath.

As we humans become closer to our pets, our ways of parting with them are evolving. Many people are now choosing to have their animal companions put down at home, reflecting a heightened sensitivity to what pets might be thinking and feeling. ``Doing this at home creates much less stress,'' says McNabb,

a veterinarian with Compassionate Care Home Pet Euthanasia Service in Portland. ``It's also a way to make it a more meaningful process.''

Kathleen Cooney runs an online directory of veterinarians who perform in-home euthanasia services. Over the past five years,

a Colorado veterinarian who specializes in pet euthanasia.

Vets who perform this service need patience. And compassion.

When they show up at someone's home to put down their pet, the owner often doesn't know what to expect. ``We like to let the family shape

Meg McNabb, who has been doing pet home euthanasia's for two years, poses at home with her dogs, Ruby, front, and Missy in Portland, Ore. An increasing number of people are choosing to have their animal companions put down at home.

the directory has grown to more than 350 services nationwide. ``Five years ago we were struggling to find people to put on our directory. Now it's growing by maybe five a month,'' said Cooney,

and mold the experience,'' said Cooney.

As grim as the deed is, performing this service can be rewarding for veterinarians. They get to see a more intimate side of humans'

relationship with their pets than they would at a clinic.

Some humans send off their beloved pet with a party. ``It might be like an Irish wake, with people laughing and telling stories,'' says Cooney.

Rituals are not uncommon.

McNabb, who euthanizes perhaps 70 pets each month, has witnessed Wiccan and Buddhist ceremonies during house calls.

My wife and I had previously had two cats put down, both times at a clinic. As Echo became sicker, as she lost interest in food and water, and after an overnight stay at an emergency hospital failed to stop the downward spiral, we talked seriously about when and how to have her euthanized.

Echo was an exceptionally timid cat. When someone visited, she'd scamper beneath the chaise upstairs. Trips to the clinic were a torment for her _ the pet carrier, the half-hour drive, alien hands groping her.

We decided Echo's final moments should be as dignified and calm as possible. In-home euthanasia costs more than having it done at a clinic. But for us, it was the best way.

When McNabb arrived, she explained the procedure's technical aspects and we talked about

how we wanted it done. McNabb told me to take my time talking with Echo. She would be ready when we were.

Echo gazed at my face as I soothed her. We humans have no idea what our pets are thinking when we speak to them, especially cats, with their supposed indifference. But living with cats has made me suspect that our words mean a lot to them. When Echo was healthy, nearly every morning she'd come to me when I was sleeping and pat my mouth with her paw, until I spoke to her.

As I held Echo that last time, all kinds of thoughts and feelings rushed through my brain: sadness, of course, but also a sense of wonder, of a heightened connection.

Echo's death left two cats in our household. One of them, Gatteau, also became grievously ill. When the time was right, we again called McNabb to our home.

Our remaining cat is a beautiful, black long-hair named Miranda who likes to strike grand poses whenever she favors us with her presence, as if she were Nefertiti's reincarnation. Miranda is 16. She aced her last physical. But when the time comes, we know how to reach Meg McNabb. And we'll probably have a party, one that is appropriate for a feline queen. -AP

London exhibition explores footwear fashion LONDON: For centuries, women and sometimes men have squeezed their feet into tiny shoes or balanced on towering heels to feel sexy, empowered and to show their wealth and status.

Now their sacrifice is being celebrated in a new exhibition, 'Shoes: Pleasure and Pain', at the V&A

Chinese slippers for bound feet, to Christian Louboutin's red-soled stilettoes, the 250 exhibits reveal how fashionable shoes have always been more than footwear.

"The exhibition is about the obsession of shoes. It's looking at the power of shoes, how they can tell about status and privi-

A single shoe, created by Swarovski, for the 2015 Disney film 'Cinderella', seen at an exhibition entitled 'Shoes: Pleasure and Pain', at the Victoria and Albert Museum in central London

museum in London.

From a 2,000-year-old pair of Egyptian gold sandals to child-like

lege," curator Helen Persson told AFP. Luxury shoes have long been

the preserve of the rich and idle.

Regardless of the cost, high heels, sumptuous fabrics and delicate designs have no place in the field or factory, or indeed in running for a bus.

Where women today have Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo, 19th-century Egyptians had 28.5centimetre wooden bath clogs and 17th-century Venetian ladies had to balance on their maids to walk in towering "chopine" platforms.

Advances in engineering have made many shoes more comfortable but also enabled designers to make them higher and more outlandish, exemplified by Noritaka Tatehana's gravity-defying heelless shoes.

"Even though they seem so extreme and not wearable, they were designed to be worn," said Persson of the exhibits, which are taken from the V&A's archives as well as loans from other museums and private collectors.

"It's this intriguing thing -- we accept that shoes are pleasure, but also have a bit of pain. And we seem to have accepted that for 2,000 years."

The exhibition starts with the most iconic shoe of all, Cinderella's slipper. Made by Swarovski for the recent Disney movie, it is a testament to the power of footwear to change the wearer's life.

Alongside it is a shoe owned by former England football captain David Beckham, a working-class boy turned global superstar, per-

tion, from fluffy, kick-off mules to black leather lace-ups worn during the "porn-chic" trend in London in the 1890s.

Many of the exhibits were worn by celebrities, from Queen Victoria to Marilyn Monroe, or made by top designers, emphasizing the role of shoes as an aspirational item.

sonalized with the name of his son Brooklyn.

Shoes are also about fantasy.

One section of the exhibition is dedicated to their role in seduc-

One 19th-century pair from India have a ruby, diamond, emerald and sapphire trim.

Despite the title, the exhibition does not explore the pain or dam-

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Developing game for virtual reality headset GALESBURG, Ill.: Each time he tilted his head back or shifted his gaze from right to left, Matt Grose would smile, saying, ``Oh my God,'' ``This is amazing,'' ``Whoa, bro,'' or some variation of those phrases.

Though he couldn't see it, barbers were trimming their customers' hair right next to him.

The Monmouth resident was wearing the first version of the Oculus Rift developer kit, a prototype virtual reality headset sold primarily to video game developers hoping to create content for the emerging technology.

One such developer, 27-yearold Ricky Davis, was showing off his own game for the Oculus at Glory Days Corner Barber Shop The early version of the developer kit was attached to Davis's laptop, which in turn was attached to an Xbox 360 controller. ``I'm seeing a big turret firing light projectiles at me,'' Grose said, tilting his head to dodge the at-

tacks. ``I'm gonna take it down.''

Strapped to his head, the black Oculus visor blocked out the rest of the world. Inside, Grose was

walking through a dark forest, controlling his movement with the left analogue stick, firing orbs of light with the right trigger and observing his surroundings by tilting his head.

The result was an immersive

experience. Even with the sounds of barbers' clippers in the background, the pixilated screens over his eyes and the split second delay between his head's movements and when the virtual camera changed positions, the Oculus served as a proof of concept.

This is the early stages of virtual reality that works. ``I'm in a cave and I'm looking up,'' Grose said, his mouth open slightly. ``There's a forest of giant mushrooms, fungal algae stuff going around. There's a lot of ancient architecture I don't understand.''

The game is called ``Children

Mock meats a new food trend NEW DELHI: From jack fruit patties to soyabean chops or a 'vegetarian' chicken and fish - options for those seeking alternatives to meat are now available dime a dozen.

Euphemistically termed mock meats, such food preparations are preferred choices across a crosssection of people ranging from newly turned vegetarians to those forced to curtail meat intake due to dietary restrictions.

"I feel the trend of serving mock

meat is catching up, not as a substitute but rather a healthy alternative to meats as these products have almost similar nutritional value in terms of protein intake etc," says Anurag Mathur, Executive Chef, Jaypee Vasant Continental.

Simple plant-based products are used to substitute meat in popular dishes and make them fit

for even the strictest vegetarians.

"For people who are turning vegetarian after years of gorging on meat, for people who don't eat meat due to ethical reasons but don't want to miss out on the experience and even for those who don't want to stand out in a crowd of non-vegetarians, mock meats are a godsend," says Mathur.

Products popularly used as mock meats include wheat gluten, tempeh, tofu etc besides packaged substitutes of fried prawns etc.

"Tofu is used in abundance in our Chinese specialty restaurant Ano Tai in main course items and one of our highest selling vegetarian burger in our coffee shop Eggspectation uses a vegetarian patty made out of tofu," says Mathur.

Vegetarian prawns, lobsters and crabs are spotted on the menu of

'Chi Ni' the new mini restaurant at Dusit Devarana. "...We are using special mock meat or soya meat sourced from Malaysia. The menu has almost 70 per cent vegetarian dishes. So you get to have veg fish, veg prawns, veg chicken. It's a 'fish' but purely vegetarian," says Nishant Choubey the restaurant's chef.

Participating in a recent cooking demo organized at the Le Creuset art kitchen, the chef dished out self designed recipes like 'crispy muri asupara maki roll with black kuru' and 'paneer stuffed with orange jam' recipes he describes as 'new world cuisine.'

Quinoa, a Peruvian ingredient, is getting very popular among the health conscious population, says Choubey who claims to have cooked for celebrities such as Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Hritik Roshan. Coconut, eggplant or mushrooms are other popular substitutes that can be replaced for meat.

To cater to the market for mock meat companies like Godrej Nature's Basket are stocking up an extensive range of Mock Meat.

While the chicken products are largely soya based and completely vegetarian, the crab and lobster alternatives are made with premium sear fish.

They offer a large selection of Veg Chicken Burgers, Veg Chicken Strips, Veg Hot dogs, Veg Sau-

of Uum,'' Davis explained. Developed primarily by him and fellow Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design student Ross Moreno, the early build puts the player in first person control of an alien named Rowb on a crystal moon. ``Every 3,000 years, this moon aligns with the planet Uum,'' Davis said. ``When this happens, there is a sort of crossing that occurs. The plan is, Rowb wants to go to Uum.'' The game, which began development in the summer of 2013, about a year after the Oculus Rift was funded on Kickstarter and subsequently released, is still in early production. Only a partial build of the first level was playable at Glory Days, but the game's website, http:// childrenofuum.tumblr.com, describes a lengthy story driven science fiction shooter/role playing game in the works.

Davis, a Galesburg native now living in Lakewood, Colorado, had served in the Marine Corps from 2007 to 2011 before starting at RMCAD, courtesy of the military. Having grown up breaking code in games like ``Sonic the Hedgehog'' and rewriting levels for fun, Davis said he expects video games to be only a portion of what VR will one day allow. ``I think it has potential to be used for so much,'' he said, suggesting VR could be used for creating and watching movies or other unexplored avenues.

After all, Oculus has the backing of Facebook since the social media giant purchased the VR manufacturer for $2 billion last year. ``It's a new technology,'' Davis said. ``I think most people who have an iPad will have an Oculus, someday. There will be more applications then just games."AP

sages, Veg Schnitzels, Veg Polony and even Veg chicken Mince.

"The preparation that goes into mock meat recipes is similar to that of regular meat dishes. The difference being that the meat is substituted with other ingredients like soya chunks, mushrooms, differ-

beans and vegetables," he says.

Chefs and home-based cooks are using coconut, eggplant or mushrooms as popular substitutes for meat.

Chickpeas are a great wholefood alternative to mock meats and combine with quinoa to create

ent types of lentils, beanpaste, and various other fresh vegetables," says Chef Sukanta Das of Tamra by Shanri-La's Eros Hotel.

This, says Das, is a growing trend amongst consumers as majority of people have opted to turn vegetarian due to health and environmental reasons, which consequently has resulted in this becoming a major trend in the food industry.

"The demand for the same increases during festive seasons," says the chef who rustles up an array of mock meats- Soya chap, soya tangdi, soya cutlets, and soya Daliya ki seekhs.

"Veggie burgers are also popular and are made up of different

chickpea cakes, that taste like the real thing.

Ahimsa Food based in Delhi claims to be the first company that began manufacturing products that look and taste like meat but are cent per cent vegetarian.

The catalogue of their products includes Indian, continental, Latin American and Chinese with products like Fajita fillet, Szechwan morsels, king prawns, salami and sausages.

"The aim is to have products that are healthy, environment and soul friendly. Most of our products are lacto vegetarian though we are increasing the range of vegan products," says Yasmin Ahmad Jadwani, who founded the company. -PTI

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Modi visit big boost to IndiaBangladesh ties

India Post

WASBIR HUSSAIN

H

is oratory might have wowed the Bangladeshis, but rhetoric aside, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also demonstrated his intent to consolidate New Delhi-Dhaka ties and take it to a high point from where there would be no looking back.

During his 40-hour visit to Bangladesh, Modi tried to strike a chord with Bangladeshis with enough quotable quotes: "Hum pass pass hain/Hum sath sath bhi hain (We are geographically close, we are also closely tied)." Modi told his audience he and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina spoke the same language - that of development.

His intent was reflected in the 22 agreements the two neighbors signed on issues of connectivity, education, infrastructure, maritime and energy security, and trade, among others.

He didn't forget to assure Dhaka that the contentious watersharing issue would be pursued.

"Panchi, Pavan aur pani" (birds, air and water) do not need visas, he said, to chants of 'Modi, Modi' by the audience. This was hint enough that there would soon be movement on the Teesta watersharing issue.

The Prime Minister spoke a lan-

in the energy field. Dhaka has set itself a target of achieving an installed capacity of 24,000 megawatts (MW) by 2021. New Delhi expects Indian companies to get into power generation, transmission and distribution in Bangladesh.

While India has agreed to raise power exports to 1,000 MW, from the existing 500 MW, Reliance Power, in the private sector, signed a deal to generate 3,000 MW of electricity at a cost of US$3 billion with the state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board. Besides, two coal-fired plants with a 1,600 MW total capacity will be set up by Adani Power Ltd at an estimated cost of over US$1.5 billion.

Of the 22 deals signed, perhaps the most significant was the Memorandum of Understanding on the use of the Chittagong and Mongla ports by Indian cargo vessels. Like some of the civilian ports in India's neighborhood, including Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Gwadar in Pakistan, and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, the Chittagong and Mongla ports in Bangladesh too have been under the Chinese shadow.

Not only does this deal letting

The bigger point, however, is that Modi did not raise the critical issues of infiltration, repatriation, smuggling and illegal trade with his Bangladeshi counterpart. Dhaka has always maintained that there has been no illegal migration of Bangladeshis to India - which is another story - but the issue continues to frustrate those in the Northeast guage the Bangladeshis love to hear, leading to enough euphoria with which to sign off his visit.

New Delhi hopes to tread on the path laid out by Modi, riding on the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) that has become a reality with the prime ministers exchanging the instruments of the deal that is on the verge of resolving the 41-year-old boundary dispute. India and Bangladesh are supposed to begin the enclave transfers on 31 July.

Having resolved the thorny issue of the land boundary dispute, it was time to move on. One would like to mention two sectors that New Delhi and Dhaka picked to top the cooperation agenda - energy and maritime issues.

If the deals are taken forward, India has the potential to emerge as the key partner of Bangladesh

Indian vessels use these ports come in handy for servicing the land-locked Northeastern Indian states, it also signals the growing bond between India and Bangladesh and a lessening of the trust deficit.

And yes, it would help India offset some of the Chinese influence on Bangladesh. After all, New Delhi cannot ignore the fact that Sheikh Hasina has chosen to call China one of Bangladesh's "most dependable partners."

China, of course, is Bangladesh's largest trading partner and supplier of military hardware. One must also put on record the fact that New Delhi is keen to be in Bangladesh, building a deep sea port at Paira in Patuakhali district, a project that could cost over US$2 billion. China, UK and the Netherlands, too, are eyeing the

project.

Modi's politically correct behavior in Dhaka has not really impressed the political class as well as the civil society in the Northeast, a region that shares 1880 km of the 4096 km long IndiaBangladesh border.

First, he chose to let West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accompany him during the visit, and not one chief minister from the Northeast. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, a veteran Congress leader, said the decision to leave aside chief ministers from the Northeast goes against the spirit of cooperative federalism. He said Modi's decision to only take Mamata Banerjee gives an impression that the Northeastern chief ministers are against good ties between India and Bangladesh.

Illegal migration The bigger point, however, is that Modi did not raise the critical issues of infiltration, repatriation, smuggling and illegal trade with his Bangladeshi counterpart.

Dhaka has always maintained that there has been no illegal migration of Bangladeshis to India - which is another story - but the issue continues to frustrate those in the Northeast.

In fact, during the 2014 Parliamentary election campaign, Modi managed to arouse people's passion by saying that once the BJP Government came to power in Delhi, 'Bangladeshis' (meaning illegal migrants) would have to pack their bags and leave India.

The BJP in Assam, hoping to grab power from the Congress in the 2016 Assembly polls, is actually on the back-foot over Modi's decision not to raise this ticklish issue with Sheikh Hasina. For the record, the Assam BJP was opposed to the LBA as well, but fell in line after directives from the party top-brass.

Modi was clearly on a trip of "connecting lands and binding hearts," as the Ministry of External Affairs put it. That was reflected with the flagging off of the Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala and the Guwahati-Shillong-Dhaka bus services. Whether the "visit of high hopes," as Bangladeshi newspapers called the trip, is able to deliver is left to be seen, but the course on which to tread has been set.

The writer is Executive Director, Centre for Development & Peace Studies, Guwahati, & Visiting Fellow, IPCS

Decisive action

A

s against the suffocating status quo that the previous Congress government represented, the hallmark of the Modi government has been decisiveness. In foreign policy particularly nothing proved this better than the swift action against Naga insurgent camps in neighboring Myanmar.

18 soldiers of the 6 Dogra Regiment were gunned down on June 4 by Naga rebels coming from camps inside Myanmar. The normal Indian government reaction would have been a waffling concern and meetings which would end up achieving nothing. As against this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sanctioned a reprisal attack by Special Forces of the Indian Army.

The Army released a short statement saying it had "engaged two separate groups of insurgents along the Nagaland-Manipur borders" and the operation resulted in "significant casualties to the militants." It also said the operation was conducted in co-operation with the Myanmar military.

According to former army chief, General (retired) Ved Prakash Malik, the operation was a "big raid with the involvement of the (Indian) army and the (Indian) air force".

However, the junior minister in the information and broadcasting ministry, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore went to town proclaiming the operations "involved our Special Forces crossing the border and going deep into another country" and that the strikes were a message to all countries, including Pakistan, and groups harboring "terror intent" towards India that "we will strike at a place and at a time of our choosing."

The hyper reaction from Pakistan was expected but it was the homegrown critics of the Modi government in the media and Opposition who created the maximum noise about "chest thumping" by the government. It seems they are not used to military successes of India.

According to sources, the government felt the Army had limitations in sharing operational details and its briefing had failed to even acknowledge that its Special Forces had crossed over into Myanmar territory. A political intervention was felt necessary at the "highest level" and that's how Rathore, a retired Army colonel, was chosen to give out details the Army couldn't.

Later others ministers rubbed it in. Prakash Javedkar said the raid was "a lesson and a message to all terror groups that India will not hesitate in going beyond its geographical borders to eliminate terrorists."

Critics say it should have been a covert action and that the role of the Myanmar government should not have been exposed and that country is now feeling angry at claims that its sovereignty had been breached. They opine that political novices, careless comments and over-ambition to gain political credit can cast a shadow on an undoubted achievement.

Perhaps they would have preferred silence over this successful initiative.

According to columnist of the Right, Swapan Dasgupta, "What occasioned surprise over the events was not that there was military retaliation across an international border, but that it happened with such remarkable promptness." He pointed out three facets of how India's approach had changed towards national security. "First, it suggested that intelligence and military capabilities were in a state of readiness which is reassuring. Secondly, there was coordination between the diplomatic, military and political organs of the state.

And finally, it revealed that the political leadership was willing to exercise a hard but high-risk option that would ruffle feathers."

The objective of the mission was not to simply give the insurgents a bloody nose. He says: "It was actually aimed at telling hostile elements throughout the neighborhood that India's approach to national security has undergone a shift. The terse message was: India too can inflict serious pain to those who trouble it. It was a policy approach that needed to be broadcast loudly, not least as deterrence. Judging from the hysterical responses across the western border, the message has been delivered and, hopefully, digested.

"For too long, India has loftily internalized being a punching bag.

Now it is time to show it has teeth as well," he concluded.

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