Top Stories
V O I C E
O F
I N D I A N S
W O R L D W I D E
India Post www.indiapost.com
NEW YORK • WASHINGTON D.C. • CHICAGO • ATLANTA • CALIFORNIA
Tulsi Gabbard giving prize
Big youth participation in Dharma Bee Details on page 16
Shirlyn Prabahar wins Spelling Bee in Bay Area
VOL 18, No. 979
June 21, 2013
50¢
Periodical Postage
DON'T NEED JD (U), MODI TELLS ADVANI
NEW DELHI: On his first visit to Delhi after being made head of BJP's election campaign committee, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on June 18 met senior BJP leader LK Advani and is understood to have discussed the recent political developments including the split in the NDA. Sources close to Advani, who was unhappy over Modi's anointment, later told PTI that the two leaders had a "good meeting". According to TV reports, Modi has told Advani that BJP doesn't need allies which are against it. The reports further say that Advani told Modi he didn't resign from party posts because of Gujarat CM's elevation at Goa con-
clave. Modi, who drove down to Advani's residence at Prithviraj Road in Delhi, spent about an hour with the BJP patriarch and left without meeting the media. The two leaders discussed a range of issues including the party's internal affairs and the split in the NDA after BJP's old-time ally JD (U) parted ways after an alliance of 17 years, the sources said. The meeting assumed significance as Advani had resigned from key party posts expressing displeasure at being sidelined over the Modi issue. Details on page 5
Amol Rajan UK Independent's first Indian editor Details on page 5
2 US bodies form Alliance for Fair Trade with India Details on page 6
Congress inducts old faces in new reshuffle
Details on page 25 Details on page 6
‘Immigration Reform Bill good for Indians’
Buddha in Spain's Theme Park
Details on page 19
Details on page 40
Supreme Court to hear plea against Ranbaxy
CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 51 Community Post -------------- 16-27
Details on page 12
Date Book -------------------------- 36 Edit Page --------------------------- 54
INDIA POST SURVEY
HealthScience Post --------- 32-35
survey@indiapost.com
Horoscope ------------------------- 52
This week’s question
Immigration Post ------------- 45-47
Does Narendra Modi care about allies?
Life Style --------------------------- 50 Philosophy ------------------------- 53
Last week’s result
Tantrums of old man Advani will hurt Modi chances? YES 33%
NO 67%
Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4
FIRST INDIAN AMERICAN JUDGE: Indian-American judge Srikanth Srinivasan along with his mother and sister at a reception hosted in his honor by the Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, in Washington on June 17. (Details on page 5)
Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”
Real Estate -------------------- 30-31 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-14 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-44
2
India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21, 2013
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post
3
4
India Post
June 21, 2013
India Post
IndiaNewsweekly Post
www.indiapost.com The Weekly Newspaper Serving Indians Worldwide
Romesh & Sunita Japra Publishers Rajesh Verma Co-Publisher Vikram Paul President Krishan Sharma Mg Director & Joint Editor Vinod Dhawan Senior Editor Naresh Sodhi General Manager Amit Saini IT Director Ghanshyam Bisht Supervisor Graphics SAN FRANCISCO & SILICON VALLEY Vijay Thapar CPRO & Advertising Sonia Sidhu Management Analyst Deepak Chhabra Promotions Harish Kalewar Promotions Priya Nayar Bureau Chief Gregg Nuti Sales & Marketing Director Rakesh Kapoor Correspondent Ratika J. Paul Photo Journalist Neeloo Kapoor Photo Journalist Sudesh Kumari Correspondent Rama Mehra Advertising Vidya Sethuraman Correspondent Ritu Maheshwari Correspondent Sujata Singh Correspondent Raaj D. Photo Journalist LOS ANGELES Mrs Shashi Trivedi Bureau Chief J S Bedi PR & Marketing Mrs Prem Kishore Sr Correspondent Greg Heffernan Correspondent Ms Bobby Sharma Correspondent Babeeta Kaur Dhillon Correspondent Pavan Kaur Bhatia Correspondent CHICAGO Ramesh Soparawala Resident Editor A Q Siddiqui Correspondent ST. LOUIS Ashwin Patel Correspondent NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY Pinky Kaur Bureau Chief Srirekha N. Chakravarty Correspondent Nikita Japra Correspondent Sukhvinder Saini Circulation ATLANTA Sanjay Saggere Bureau Chief FLORIDA B K Madnani CANADA Firdaus Ali Correspondent BOSTON Gope Gidwani Bureau Chief DETROIT Ashok B Jain, M D Bureau Chief Gurminder Singh SAN DIEGO Neelu Bhardwaj Bureau Chief SACRAMENTO Madan Sharma Bureau Chief Janak Sidhra Correspondent Upen Shukla Correspondent CENTRAL VALLEY (CA) Dr Ram Saini Bureau Chief Sheila Rogers Correspondent YUBA CITY (CA) Satnam Tatla Correspondent CAROLINAS Nalini Raja Patel Correspondent INDIA Vinod Dhawan Senior Editor & Bureau Chief Tripti Parule Correspondent NEW DELHI Jitender Singh Rawat Graphics Vijender Shah Graphics PUNJAB Shiv Japra Bureau Chief Anil Kanwar Senior Correspondent/ Marketing DOABA, PUNJAB Romesh Kaura Correspondent HYDERABAD M Sagar Kumar Bureau Chief
Mission Statement To empower the Indian Diaspora and make their voice strong and effective in countries of their adoption. RJ Media conglomerate offers a credible, professional and complete package of news, opinion, entertainment, networking and information.
Publisher’s Diary I
t is indeed heartening that the House of Representatives has recognized the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Gadar Party in the US, by introducing a Congressional resolution earlier this month. The resolution, introduced by Congressmen Ami Bera and Mike Honda, notes that hundreds of Gadar Party members fought and died for the freedom of India from colonial rule. The Global Organization for People of India Origin (GOPIO) successfully spearheaded the efforts to have the Indian government recognize the centenary of the Gadar movement with the release of a postage stamp and also a commitment to upgrade the Gadar museum in San Francisco. To many among us who do not know about the Gadar Party, here's a brief history: The first immigrants from India to the US formed the Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast in 1913 in Astoria, Oregon, aiming to liberate India from British colonialism. Its headquarters was established in San Francisco from where a magazine titled Gadar was also launched. Gadar magazine became very popular among Indians in a short period of time and the Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast itself became known as the Gadar Party under the leadership of Lala Har Dayal and Sohan Singh Bhakna. Many Indian students at the University of California at Berkeley were its early members, including Kartar Singh Sarabha, Tarak Nath Das and Maulvi Barkatullah. During 1914-15, as many as 8,000 Indians went back to India from all over the world, mostly from the US and Canada, to throw the British out of India. Their attempt did not succeed and they paid a heavy price for their valiant effort: 46 were given the death sentence, 69 were given life imprisonment, over 125 were given varying terms of imprisonment, 15 were convicted in the HinduGerman Conspiracy Trial in San Francisco and several people from the armed forces were court-martial led in India. It's overwhelming to know that Indian history was shaped by a movement that was born in our backyard here; our salutes to those heroes, who will never be forgotten. Romesh K Japra
rkjapra@indiapost.com
INFO-CENTER CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510-797-7799, Fax: 510-790-2806; E-mail: info@indiapost.com E-SUBSCRIPTION: Vikram Paul Tel: 510-789-7520 Extn: 208; E-mail: subscribe@indiapost.com Classifieds: Tel: 510-938-8668; E-mail:classifieds@indiapost.com or Tel: 510-275-4467, E-mail: priya@indiapost.com Graphics Inquiry: Tel: 510-936-9490; E-mail: ghanshyam@indiapost.com For Editorial: Sonia Sidhu Tel: 510-797-7799; E-mail: sonia@indiapost.com
For advertisement rates call the office nearest to you: SAN FRANCISCO & SILICON VALLEY 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510-938-8667 e-mail: nareshsodhi@gmail.com Priya Nayar: 510-579-2760 e-mail: priya@indiapost.com
LOS ANGELES
12908 Indian Lane Norwalk, CA 90650 Tel: 562-441-5511, shashi19@yahoo.com
CHICAGO
MUMBAI Nidhi Soparawala Correspondent Frank Fernandes Correspondent
2543 W Devon Ave Chicago IL 60659 Tel: 773-973-7394; Fax: 773-973-7396; Email: sramesh@aol.com
Diana Gabriel Marketing
NEW YORK
VADODARA, GUJARAT Vaidehi Patel Correspondent India Post (ISSN-1064-3868) is published weekly for $30 for 52 issues yearly by India Post, 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538. Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CA and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the corporate headquarters: 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Copyright © 1994 Indamec, Inc. DISCLAIMER India Post assumes all advertisers to be reliable and responsible for all liability for their claimers
Tel: 908-338-3752 (Marketing) Tel: 732-283-4939 (Editorial) E-mail: indiapost2000@yahoo.com
NEW JERSEY
21 Longfellow st., Carteret, NJ 07008 Tel: 732-969-1114; Fax: 732-969-3735 E-mail: indiapost2000@yahoo.com
BOSTON Tel: 617-298-9200; Fax: 617-298-1104 GOPE; E-mail: ggidwani@aol.com
ATLANTA 67 Peach Tree Dr., Ste. 102, Buckhead Atlanta, GA 30309 Tel: 404-425-3021 E-mail: sanjay@eBolo.com FLORIDA 8401 West Sample Road 30, Coral Springs, Florida - 33065 TORONTO, CANADA Tel/Fax: 416-744-8610 DELHI Jin Kushal Suri Complex, 3rd Floor, 230-A, Masjid Moth, (NDSE Part-II) New Delhi - 110049 Tel: 11-26257769 / Fax: 11-46142969 E-mail:delhi@indiapost.com MUMBAI • Fernandes Mansion Tam Taloa, Bassien (W) Mumbai Tel: 09619 330159
• Diana Gabriel Ismail Building, Veer Savarkar Road Fort Mumbai 400 001 Tel: 98200 28348 E-mail: drassociates.singh@gmail.com VADODARA
• Vaidehi Patel E-mail: v_patel83@yahoo.com Tel: 011 91 98797 79976
For editorial, contact: editor@indiapost.com or call 510-797-7799
HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: More Khandaan Bollywood’s power couple Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri are apparently having a third child through surrogacy.
Cover Story: Modi meets Advani On his first visit to Delhi after being made head of BJP's election campaign committee, Narendra Modi meets LK Advani
Community: Dharma Bee More than 130 children from across USA competed in the final round of the National Dharma Bee Competition
Immigration: Jeb cites benefit Former Florida governor Jeb Bush claims that immigrants were "more fertile" and thus a great benefit to American society.
Life Style: Dramatic story Choreographer Malathi Iyengar takes us on an evolutionary journey of love and identity upon a changing cultural map.
Techbiz: Airbus A350 Airbus has sent a new wide-body plane into the skies to set the stage for intensifying competition with US rival Boeing
Travel: Buddha in Spain Buddha lay there. Peaceful as usual. But in Shambala, a theme park which is PortAventura's biggest success.
28 1 16 45 50 12 40
Cover/Top Stories
June 21, 2013
India Post
5
www.indiapost.com
Don't need JD (U), Modi tells Advani NEW DELHI: On his first visit to Delhi after being made head of BJP's election campaign committee, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on June 18 met senior BJP leader LK Advani and is understood to have discussed the recent political developments including the split in the NDA. Sources close to Advani, who was unhappy over Modi's anointment, later told PTI that the two leaders had a "good meeting". According to TV reports, Modi has told Advani that BJP doesn't need allies which are against it.
hour with the BJP patriarch and left without meeting the media. The two leaders discussed a range of issues including the party's internal affairs and the split in the NDA after BJP's old-time ally JD (U) parted ways after an alliance of 17 years, the sources said. The meeting assumed significance as Advani had resigned from key party posts expressing displeasure at being sidelined over the Modi issue. Advani, however, later withdrew his resignation following a telephonic talk with RSS chief
Modi, who drove down to Advani's residence at Prithviraj Road in Delhi, spent about an hour with the BJP patriarch and left without meeting the media. The two leaders discussed a range of issues including the party's internal affairs and the split in the NDA The reports further say that Advani told Modi he didn't resign from party posts because of Gujarat CM's elevation at Goa conclave. Modi, who drove down to Advani's residence at Prithviraj Road in Delhi, spent about an
Mohan Bhagwat and persuasion by BJP leaders. The Gujarat Chief Minister also spent more than an hour with ailing former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at his residence. Earlier, Modi also met senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi
Gujarat Chief Minister of Narendra Modi leaves after meeting with senior BJP leader L K Advani in New Delhi on June 18
to express his gratitude on being entrusted with the task of spearheading the party's poll campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Srinivasan sworn in as top US court judge WASHINGTON: Indian-American legal luminary Sri Srinivasan has been sworn in as a judge in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, the second most powerful court in the United States after the Supreme Court. With this, Chandigarhborn 46-yearo l d Srinivasan has become the first Indian American judge in the second most powerful court of the country. D e scribed by President B a r a c k Obama as "trailblazer", Srinivasan attributed phenomenal success to his family and the Indian American community.
"You all made it possible," Srinivasan told a gathering of Indian Americans at a reception hosted in his honor by the Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama
Sri Srinivasan
Rao. "I am incredibly honored and humbled by the tremendous support you have given me," he said.
Srinivasan was first nominated by Obama on June 11, 2012. On January 2, 2013, his nomination was returned to the President, due to the sine die adjournment of the Senate. On January 3, 2013, Obama re-nominated him for the same office. Srinivasan was confirmed by a rare US Senate 97-0 votes, which he attributed to the overwhelming support he received from the Indian American community throughout the nation. Addressing the gathering, Rao said Srinivasan personifies the "extraordinary" accomplishments of the Indian Americans in the country and much more. Having achieved so much at this young age, Rao said the best is yet to come. She hoped that soon, there would be an Indian American in the US Supreme Court. Srinivasan began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for Judge J Harvie Wilkinson on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1995 to 1996. PTI
"Modiji has come to Delhi to express his gratitude over his recent appointment as Chairman of the BJP Campaign Committee at
Goa. He has expressed his gratitude and said he is trying to fulfill the responsibility given to him," Joshi later told reporters.-PTI
Amol Rajan The Independent's first Indian editor LONDON: A 29-year-old InLisa Markwell has also been dian-origin journalist has been appointed editor of The Indepennamed the editor of The Indepen- dent on Sunday, having prevident, becoming the first non-white ously been executive editor, The editorial head of a UK national Independent reported. paper. Amol Rajan will replace Evgeny Lebedev is the owner Chris Blackhurst, becoming Fleet of The Independent, The IndeStreet's first non-white newspaper pendent on Sunday, i and The editor. He was previously the London Evening Standard. paper's comment editor. The announcement was made Rajan was born in Kolkata be- by Levedev on Twitter. "Our busifore moving to London as a three-year-old. He grew up in Tooting, Rajan was born in Kolkata south London, and before moving to London as went on to read English literature at Cambridge a three-year-old. He grew University, the Guard- up in Tooting, south London, ian reported. After graduating, and went on to read Rajan worked briefly for English literature at the Evening Standard and Channel 5, before Cambridge University, the moving to the IndepenGuardian reported dent where he rose through the ranks from news reporter. nesses are at a critical stage and a It was also announced that Oly bold approach is needed for our Duff, the executive editor of the industry. Today I am continuing Independent, has been made edi- this approach by appointing as tor of sister title, i. editors two highly talented young Duff, 29, replaces Stefano journalists. Their energy, creativHatfield, who is in charge of over- ity and resourcefulness will inseeing the Evening Standard's vigorate both The Independent London Live TV project. and i," Lebedev said.-Agencies
6
Top Stories
India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Congress inducts old faces in new reshuffle NEW DELHI: In perhaps the last reshuffle and expansion of the Union Council of Ministers, Mallikarjun Kharge was made the Railways Minister as eight more were inducted with veterans Sis Ram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a comeback. After the earlier reshuffle in the party, senior woman leader from election-bound Rajasthan Girija Vyas and K S Rao from Andhra Pradesh were brought in as Cabinet Ministers in the exercise which was an all-Congress affair. Three new faces - Santosh Chowdhury, J D Seelam and E N S Nachiappan were made Ministers of State along with veteran Maharashtra leader Manikrao Gavit. With the fresh inductions, the strength of the Union Council of Ministers has gone up to 77. The oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers was administered by President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and union ministers among others. 71-year-old Kharge, who missed out in the Chief Ministerial race in Karnataka last month, has been compensated with the heavyweight Railway portfolio after being shifted from Labor and Employment. Labor has now been given to Ola, the 86-year-old Jat leader from
Rajasthan who gets back the same portfolio he had held in the UPA-I. Fernandes, who had also been Labor Minister and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister in UPA-I, got Road and Highways Ministry, succeeding C P Joshi who resigned over the weekend.
Seelam, a former IAS officer, is a Dalit face from Andhra Pradesh. He got Finance. Gavit, 78-year-old tribal leader from Maharashtra and a nine-time MP, has been allotted Social Justice and Empowerment portfolio. Santosh Chowdhury, a Dalit from Hoshiarpur in Punjab, was
New Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge
Girija Vyas got Housing, Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, a portfolio held by Ajay Maken who had quit on June 15 to work for the party. K S Rao (69), a five-time MP from coastal Andhra Pradesh who nearly quit Lok Sabha after being ignored in the Cabinet expansion last year, was given the Textiles portfolio. Among new Ministers of State,
given Health & Family Welfare Ministry. Nachiappan, a member of the JPC on 2G scam and a member of the panel of the presiding officers in the Rajya Sabha, was given Commerce and Industry. The reshuffle was expected for some time after the exit of DMK's six ministers and resignation of Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar.-PTI
2 US bodies form Alliance for Fair Trade with India WASHINGTON: Ahead of US rulings have repeatedly ignored Secretary of State John Kerry's of- internationally recognized rights ficial trip to India later this month, - imposing arbitrary marketing retwo top American bodies have strictions on medical devices and launched "Alliance for Fair Trade denying, breaking, or revoking with India" to seek a level playing patents for nearly a dozen lifefield for US businesses operating saving medications," said the letin India. ter to Obama. The Alliance for Fair Trade Alleging that the Indian Govwith India has been launched by ernment is discriminating against Global Intellectual Property Cen- a wide range of US exports, jeopter (GIPC) of the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Asso- An alliance of organizations ciation of Manufactur- and businesses representing ers (NAM). The AFTI is being major sectors of the US co-chaired by Mark economy sent a letter to Elliot, GIPC's executive US President Barack Obama vice president, and Linda Dempsey, NAM's urging swift US action vice president for inter- against India over its national economic afalleged discriminatory fairs. The announcement, economic policies ahead of Kerry's trip to India later this month for the India-US Strategic Dia- ardizing domestic jobs, and putlogue, comes days after an alli- ting at risk a growing bilateral ance of organizations and busi- trading relationship with USD 60 nesses representing major sectors billion last year, the letter said it of the US economy sent a letter is time that New Delhi end disto the US President Barack crimination against US exporters Obama urging swift US action and took steps to ensure it is not against India over its alleged dis- repeated in the future. criminatory economic policies. "To achieve this result, we "Over the last year, the courts urge the US Government immediand policymakers in India have ately to initiate bilateral engageengaged in a persistent pattern ment at the highest levels and to of discrimination designed to co-ordinate closely with the Eubenefit India's business commu- ropean Union and other likenity at the expense of American minded economies," the letter jobs.... Administrative and court said. -PTI
14 stores raided in illegal immigration probe NEW YORK: US authorities have raided 14 popular convenience stores and arrested nine owners and managers, charging them with harboring and hiring illegal immigrants, including Pakistanis. Federal authorities seized 14 7Eleven stores on Long Island and in Virginia, The New York Times reported. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn were also investigating 40 other 7-Eleven franchises in New York City and elsewhere, the paper quoted sources as saying. Prosecutors were seeking USD 30 million in forfeiture from the stores and their corporate parent. The franchises split their profits with the corporation, which handles the store payrolls, the sources said. According to investigators,
some owners of the raided franchises allegedly helped traffic in workers from Pakistan to work in
edly forced to live in housing provided by the franchise owners, authorities said.
said. It included accusations of wire fraud and aggravated identity
their stores, the NBC News reported. Those workers were then alleg-
The owners and managers, eight men and a woman, were charged in an indictment, sources
theft stemming from payment of employees who were illegal immigrants using the Social Security
numbers of children and the dead, they said. One of the sources said the owners and managers had abused and taken advantage of the illegal immigrant workers. More than a dozen workers believed to have been brought to the country illegally were taken into immigration custody, investigators said. In one instance, an employee of one franchise was paid using the Social Security number of a former 7-Eleven employee, a person who had not worked for the store for 10 years and who had been the target of collection efforts by the Internal Revenue Service for much of that time because of the reported payments to the illegal immigrant, the report said. The conduct charged in the indictment had been going on for more than a decade.-PTI
Top Stories
June 21, 2013
India Post
7
www.indiapost.com
Early Monsoon brings devastation in north India NEW DELHI: Rain fury in North India has claimed 73 lives even as 71,440 pilgrims bound for the Himalayan shrines remained stranded in monsoon-ravaged Uttarakhand apart from 1700 people stuck in Himachal Pradesh. Though rescue efforts picked up momentum in flash flood and landslide hit areas of Himachal and Uttarakhand with a let up in the rains and decrease in water level
building including 40 hotels along the banks of the Alaknanda were swept away by the swirling waters of the river. A huge number of pilgrims totaling 71,440, who were bound for the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are stranded in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts with the famous Char Dham yatra still suspended due to massive damage to the road The maximum number of network. The maximum num27040 devotees are ber of 27040 devotees stranded in Chamoli, 25000 are stranded in in Rudraprayag and 9,850 in Chamoli, 25000 in Rudraprayag and 9,850 Uttarkashi, Disaster Manage- in Uttarkashi, Disaster Management authoriment authorities said ties said. Officials said water in the Ganga and its tributaries, level of Bhagirathi in Uttarkashi the whole of Uttarakhand still and Ganga in Rishikesh had bewore a marooned and devastated gun to recede. look. In Himachal Pradesh, chief minFlashfloods, cloudbursts and ister Virbhadra Singh, who was subsequent landslips have stranded in tribal Kinnaur district claimed 44 lives in Uttarakhand, for nearly 60 hours due to landleft as many injured and fully dam- slides triggered by incessant aged 175 houses across the state. rains, was evacuated even as 1700 Rudraprayag was the worst hit people remained stranded at variwhere 20 people perished and 73 ous places.
A view of the washed off buildings area near Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand on June 18 following incessant rains and floods
A chopper hired by Congress party airlifted the chief minister as rains abated and weather cleared and about a dozen persons, including some old and ailing per-
India had 2,152 phishing attacks in April NEW DELHI: India, that has about 137 million Internet users, accounted for 8 per cent of the total phishing attack volume worldwide in April 2013, after the US, UK and South Africa, a report by IT storage solutions firm EMC said. Phishing is a fraudulent practice of sending e-mails purporting to be from legitimate companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information. The May 2013 Fraud Report, prepared by RSA, the security division of NYSE-listed EMC, added that in April, 26,902 such attacks were launched globally, marking a 10 per cent increase in attack volume from March this year. The US, with 46 per cent of the total phishing volume targeted against it in April, remained the top country during the period. The UK accounted for 11 per cent of the attacks and South Africa with 9 per cent of attack volume. "Phishing attacks in April 2013 have so far only shown a moderate increase over the previous month, but with constant headlines such as the recent announcement of over 40,000 Facebook accounts allegedly hacked, we may
see a surge before the quarter is out," the report said. Although the total number of attacks is often tricky to predict, some seasonal trends do repeat every year such as the holiday shopping season when a rise in phishing is almost expected. Add-
The US remained the top hosting country in April, hosting 47 per cent of global phishing attacks (down 4 per cent), while Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, UK and Russia together hosted just over 20 per cent of the volume ing to that list, one can include large database hacks that release the information on millions of users on Internet, it added. When it comes to phishing attacks on brands, India stood at the third spot after the US and the
UK, the report said. Brands in the US, UK, India, Brazil and Australia accounted for almost 54 per cent of phishing attacks in April, it added. In April, 311 brands world over were targeted in phishing attacks, marking a 20 per cent increase from last month. Of these, 52 per cent endured five attacks or less, it said. Brands in the US were targeted by 29 per cent of total phishing volume in April, followed by brands in the UK at 10 per cent. Brands in India, Australia and Brazil collectively accounted for 15 per cent of the phishing volume. The US remained the top hosting country in April, hosting 47 per cent of global phishing attacks (down 4 per cent), while Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, UK and Russia together hosted just over 20 per cent of the volume. RSA provides security, risk and compliance management solutions for helping business. It helps organizations in solving complex and sensitive security challenges, which include managing organizational risk, safeguarding mobile access and collaboration. -PTI
sons were brought to Rampur in the state helicopter, officials said. Television footage showed bridges, houses and other buildings crashing down and being
washed away by the swirling waters. A swollen river is seen engulfing a giant statue of Lord Shiva in the tourist city of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.-PTI
Envoy discusses crackdown with Indian community DUBAI: India's Ambassador in Kuwait has assured representatives of Indian community in the country that an ongoing crackdown in the gulf nation will only target illegal expatriates and lawbreakers. Ambassador Satish C Mehta informed 35 prominent community leaders recently that senior Kuwaiti authorities have assured that the Indian community is not being targeted as the drive is against illegal expatriates and law-breakers only. The Ambassador also conveyed that the Kuwait authorities
have issued strict instructions to ensure that there is no harassment or improper treatment of the expatriates in the process. The Embassy has also set up a helpline for the Indian expatriates to inform to the Embassy about any improper treatment during checking. The Ambassador urged community members to abide by Kuwaiti laws, rules and regulations. He assured the community members that the Embassy is doing everything possible for them, a statement from the embassy said. -PTI
White House briefs Indian officials on Xi's visit WASHINGTON: The White House has briefed India on the summit meeting between US President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, which was held recently in California. The briefing given to Indian officials by a senior administration official from the National Security Council of White House is
part of the Obama Administration's policy to give summit details to key American allies and partners. Obama himself called Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and South Korean President Park Geun-hye on the summit. In case of other countries, including India, the briefing was done by the National Security Staff, officials said. -PTI
8
India Post
Top Stories
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Durga Vahini training camp held in Delhi India Post News Service
NEW DELHI: To make the country strong, the all round development of women is very important for which Durga Vahini, the women's wing of VHP, is contributing a lot, said Sadhvi Deepika Bharti of Divya Jyoti Jagruti Sansathan while addressing the valedictory session of Durga Vahini training camp in West Delhi. This week long training camp was organized by Delhi state unit of Durga Vahini in B-1 Janak Puri area in west Delhi from June 9. Speaking on the occasion, on the need
of such camps, the state convener Durga Vahini Ms Sanjana Chaudhary said that our aim is to keep girls free from any type of fear they may have in mind. This camp has
Nutan Jain said that thousands of rupees are being spent by girls in Delhi for self defense and other personality development courses but we, in Durga Vahini, teach more beyond it in a short span of a week's time very successfully. Detailing the program, the state Media Girls doing Aasan in Durga Vahini Shivir Samapan chief of VHP Vinod Bansal said that the got more importance due to the growing girls performed Yoga Paranayam, Judo-Kaatrocities against women in the national rate, shooting, and the different mode of capital of Delhi, she added. self defence in the program organized in The head of this training camp Mrs the Mata Heera Devi Saraswati Bal Mandir School in B-1 Block Janak Puri. During the camp inmates were awakened to different topics of their interest like first aid, love jihad, terrorism, social evils, swadeshi, teen aged problems & their solutions, Satsang etc, said Ashok Kumar state in charge of Durga Sadhvi Deepika Bharti addressing Durga Vahini Shivir Vahini. Samapan Program
Top Stories
June 21, 2013
India Post
9
www.indiapost.com
US open to talks with Iran: Obama WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has said Washington is open to both P5+1 nuclear talk or those through bilateral channels with Tehran, a day after newly elected Iranian president promised greater openness in his country's nuclear program. However, Obama was cautious in his approach with the new Iranian leadership noting that the real power still rests with the supreme leader and Tehran needs to show the international community on abiding by its commitment. "We are open to discussions - both through the P5+1 and through potential bilateral channels. We recognize that you're not going to solve problems all upfront, as a precondition for talks," Obama told the popular 'Charlie Rose' in an interview. "But there has to be a serious recognition that the sanctions we put in place, for example, the most powerful economic sanctions that have ever been applied against Iran, that those will not be lifted in the absence of significant steps in showing the international community that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapon. As long as there's an understanding about the basis of the conversation, then I think there's no reason why we shouldn't proceed," he said. Iran's President-elect Hassan Rowhani, a moderate cleric, raised hopes of an easing of strained ties with West, saying "the idea is to engage in more active negotia-
2 Indians accused of power cable theft in Dubai DUBAI: Two Indian laborers in the UAE have been accused of trying to steal cables worth nearly 144,000 Dirhams after breaking into an electricity station here. The two men have been charged in the Court of First Instance with attempted robbery by using a sharp weapon and damaging public property. According to prosecution records, the two Indian men, both aged 30, broke-open the door of an electricity station in Al Twar, Al Qusais, and cut the power cables in an attempt to steal them. But they were shortly arrested by the police. The duo damaged the station door lock, disconnected and cut the cables, worth 143,980 (nearly USD 39,200), as per a Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) report. A police sergeant testified in the prosecution investigation that around 2am (local time) on March 2, he took the defendants into custody after they were caught attempting to stealing the power cables, the Khaleej Times reported. The accused admitted to him that they broke the station's door lock with a big pair of scissors and cut the metallic cables. They confessed to have pre-planned the robbery. While they were putting the stolen cables in carton boxes, they had brought with them, an Arab man saw them and called the police. -PTI
tions with the 5+1, as the nuclear issue cannot be resolved without negotiations." Referring to the recently held elections, Obama said the Iranian people want to move in a different direction. "If you contrast this with the violence and suppression that happened in the last presidential election, obviously you have a much more positive atmosphere this time. The Iranian people rebuffed the hardliners and the clerics in the election who were counseling no compromise on anything any time anywhere," he said. "Clearly you have a hunger within Iran
to engage with the international community in a more positive way. Now, Mr Rowhani, who won the election, I think indicated his interest in shifting how Iran approaches many of these international questions, but I think we understand that under their system the supreme leader will be making a lot of decisions." Iran has been engaged since 2006 with the P5+1 - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US, plus Germany - over its nuclear work. The West accuses Iran of covertly developing nuclear weapons, a charge denied by Tehran. -PTI
Top Stories
10 India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Imran Khan damaged Pak cricket: Aamir Sohail KARACHI: In the aftermath of the crushing defeat to India,
Imran Khan
former skipper Aamir Sohail has launched a scathing attack on one of Pakistan's greatest cricketers, Imran Khan, saying the World Cup-winning captain is responsible for the current state of sport in the country. "I want to say clearly here and for once we must face the truth that Imran is responsible for the state of affairs in our cricket," Sohail said. With his statement that is clearly fallout of Pakistan's disastrous campaign in the Champions Trophy in England, where they lost all their three group matches,
Sohail left the other two guest on the show - Zaheer Abbas and Younis Khan - surprised. "Imran damaged Pakistan cricket by encouraging our bowlers to tamper with the ball. This has led to a culture where we can't produce good new ball bowlers or quality openers," the 46-yearold former opener told a news channel. Sohail was retorting to the views expressed by former pacer Shoaib Akhtar, who felt Pakistan "need a dressing room culture where a winning mentality is promoted" and someone like Imran to guide and produce quality players. The storm was already brewing and the eight-wicket defeat to arch-rivals India only added to the wounds. A proven player with 47 Tests and 156 ODIs under his belt,
Sohail has worked as a chief selector in the past and was a member of the 1992 World Cup winning squad led by Imran. Many other former players including Akhtar and Zaheer made it clear that it was time for Kamran Akmal, Imran Farhat, and Shoaib Malik to get the axe. "Changes have to be made and new players must be brought in and given time to settle down. We have tried the same set of players time and again and they have not delivered in big tournaments," Akhtar said. However, Younis, who was dropped for the Champions Tro-
her colleagues. Emergency Medical Technician Hilman-Payne struggled to communicate with the stroke victim, whose speech was badly slurred. The operator continued speaking to the woman and attempted
"Throughout the entirety (Hilman-Payne) worked to keep the patient awake, she never lost her own composure and remained calm while attempting to elicit more information from the patient," Weiss wrote to keep her conscious. "Throughout the entirety (Hilman-Payne) worked to keep the patient awake, she never lost her own composure and remained calm while attempting to elicit more
WASHINGTON: Iran's new president has the chance to find a partner in the United States if he comes clean on the country's controversial nuclear program, a senior White House official has said. Moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani was elected as new head of state on June 14, ending eight years of a conservative grip on the top office marked by tension with the West over Tehran's atomic drive. "If he is interested in... mending Iran's relations with the rest of the world, there's an opportunity to do that," White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told CBS News's "Face the Nation." "If he lives up to his obligations under the UN Security Council resolution to come clean
on this illicit nuclear program, he will find a partner in us, and there will be an opportunity for that." The United States, Israel and the West suspect Iran's nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, while Iran insists it is for peaceful purposes such as generating energy. McDonough said if Rowhani, a former nuclear negotiator who has promised a more constructive approach to talks, lives up to Iran's obligations, then "there's a great opportunity for Iran, and the people of that storied country, to have the kind of future that they would, I think, justifiably want." Rowhani, who succeeds Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, hailed his own win as a victory over "extremism." -AFP
Kerry calls Sharif, discusses bilateral ties Aamir Sohail
phy, felt changing and chopping or pressing the panic button will not solve problems. -PTI
911 operator saves stroke victim with eight-hour call! NEW YORK: In a heroic act, an operator of 911 emergency services saved the life of an elderly woman, who was having a stroke, by staying on the line for eight hours straight so that rescuers could locate her. Joann Hilman-Payne, a Fire Department of New York dispatcher took a call from Mary Thomas and stayed on the line for eight hours as she was having a stroke and emergency responders were trying to find her address, according to FDNY documents. The incident happened on June 10 when Thomas called 911 at 1 pm. Rescue workers were first dispatched to an East 71st Street address based on a cellphone tower relaying Thomas' call. But she was not at that location, the New York Post reported. That's when Hilman-Payne and her boss, Lt Arlene Simmons, sprang into action, according to Emergency Medical Dispatch Capt Philip Weiss, who wrote a letter to the FDNY asking for recognition for Hilman-Payne and
Iran has chance to find partner in US: White House
information from the patient," Weiss wrote. Simmons reached out to the Fire Marshal's Office for help with the search, according to an FDNY incident report. While responders tried accessing a previous patient database, Simmons called a list of people with the same name as the patient. Dispatchers valiantly tried to find a Manhattan address for Thomas, but it would later turn out she did not live at the location she was calling from, she was actually working in the apartment as a housekeeper. Weiss reached out to both Verizon Wireless and the NYPD to help trace Thomas' cellphone. The NYPD stepped in and reviewed information from the call leading rescuers to several Manhattan addresses with no luck in finding Thomas. After several other failed leads, Verizon Wireless security was able to pinpoint Thomas' location more precisely at about 8:30 pm via her cellphone signal.-PTI
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry called Pakistan's new Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss with him America's continued support for a stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan and the region, a spokesperson said. "Secretary Kerry called Prime Minister Sharif to congratulate him on his party's success and his election as prime minister," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki, told reporters at her daily news conference.
"The Secretary noted that he looks forward to working with the Prime Minister and his government as we continue our cooperation and support for a more stable, secure and prosperous future for Pakistan and the region," she said. Kerry and Sharif discussed how they share a strong commitment to further consolidate and strengthen relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual trust and respect, Psaki said. -PTI
Lobbying should be done in public: Pilot NEW YORK: Stressing the need to clearly define what constitutes the legal lobbying activities by business groups in India, Indian Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot has said lobbyists should present their views to policymakers in public and not behind the closed doors. "I think, there should be a very clear definition of what constitutes corporate lobbying in India, given the arrival of large number of foreign companies on Indian landscape. "Advocacy, speaking up and informing is very much part of democracy," the 35-year old minister told PTI in an interview, while calling for a clear definition to what is right and what is wrong when it comes to lobbying. Observing that the word 'lobbying' has a negative connotation
in India, Pilot said: "If you are doing something that is going to better inform the policymakers why not do it in public and not behind closed doors?" The issue of lobbying, especially by the US-based companies operating or seeking to operate in India, had led to an intense debate within and outside Parliament late last year after it came to light that global retail giant Walmart was spending millions of dollars on lobbying before American lawmakers on various issues, including market access in India. Following demands from various political parties, the Indian government had set up an inquiry committee to look into the Walmart matter and the panel submitted its report to the Corporate Affairs Ministry last month. -PTI
June 21, 2013
Top Stories
India Post
11
www.indiapost.com
Scientists solve mystery of albino gorilla NEW YORK: Scientists have solved the long-standing mystery of the only known albino gorilla in the world, claiming that its unusual white coloring was the result of inbreeding. Snowflake was a male Western lowland gorilla. He was born in the wild and captured in 1966 by villagers in Equatorial Guinea. As the only known white gorilla in the world, Snowflake was a zoo celebrity until his death of skin cancer in 2003. Now, Spanish researchers have sequenced the gorilla's entire genome, revealing that Snowflake was probably the offspring of a pairing between an uncle and a niece. In humans, four genetic mutations are known to cause albinism, a syndrome marked by a lack of skin, eye and hair pigment. People with albinism are at high risk for vision problems and skin cancers because of this missing pigment. Using frozen blood from Snowflake, researchers led by Tomas Marques-Bonet of the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva at the University of Pompeu Fabra sequenced the entire genome of the late ape. Comparing that sequence with those of humans and nonalbino gorillas, Marques-Bonet and his colleagues narrowed down the cause of Snowflake's albinism to a single
Earth-passing asteroid belongs to new class NEW YORK: A massive asteroid that whizzed past the Earth last month belongs to an entirely new category of space rock, latest radar images have shown. Asteroid 1998 QE2 and its moon sailed within 5.8 million kilometers of Earth on May 31, making their closest approach to our planet for at least the next 200 years. Researchers say new radar images captured by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico are revealing just how unique this binary asteroid is, SPACE.com reported. "Asteroid QE2 is dark, red, and primitive that is, it hasn't been heated or melted as much as other asteroids," Arecibo's Ellen Howell said in a statement. "QE2 is nothing like any asteroid we've visited with a spacecraft, or plan to, or that we have meteorites from. It's an entirely new beast in the menagerie of asteroids near Earth," Howell said. The 305 meters Arecibo dish and NASA's 70 meter Deep Space Network antenna in Goldstone, California, tracked 1998 QE2 as it approached Earth, then kept following the near-Earth asteroid as it receded into the depths of space. The resulting images helped researchers take 1998 QE2's measure. The dark, cratered main asteroid is 3 km wide, and it has a 750 meter moon that orbits it once every 32 hours. "QE2's moon is roughly one-quarter the size of the main asteroid," Patrick Taylor, also of Arecibo, said in a statement. Researchers said studying the moon of the asteroid and its orbit should help scientists determine the mass of the main asteroid, which in turn will shed light on the composition of the rock. Scientists said although there was no danger of 1998 QE2 hitting Earth during last month's flyby, however, if it had hit us, the damage would have been severe. -PTI
gene, known as SLC45A2. Snowflake inherited a mutant form of this gene from both of his parents. The gene has previously been linked to albinism in mice, horses, chickens and a species of fish, LiveScience reported. The researchers combed through Snowflake's genome looking for stretches of DNA that were identical due to inbreeding. They found that 12 per cent of the genes from Snowflake's mother and father matched, a number that points to an uncle and niece mating as the most likely parentage for Snowflake. No one else has reported inbreeding in Western lowland gorillas, Marques-Bonet told the website, though some other gorilla subspecies with small populations have been known to turn to family to mate. The findings were published in the journal BMC Genomics. -PTI
Tech News India set to become a hub for Ford CHENNAI: With India leading the small SUV market and attracting majority of investments from Ford Motor Company, the country is set to become a hub for the US automobile major, a top official said. "Yes. Absolutely. That is our dream. India is great market and an indicator of about what people really want in vehicles around the world. The (latest SUV from Ford) Ecosport is a really good example", Ford Motor Company President and Chief Executive Officer, Alan Mulally told reporters here. Observing that India is one of the important markets for Ford globally, he said, "small SUV segment on the B size platform is the fastest growing segments which is led by India. We are making Ecosport in five locations around the world. And it is going to be most popular vehicle worldwide. So it (The launch) is very important launch for us". He said Ford is making longterm commitments on strategies in rolling out products and currently is on a "positive path" on its growth. -PTI
Govt to set up 'fool-proof' phone tapping setup NEW DELHI: Unauthorized tapping of telephones will soon be a matter of past as the government has decided to operationalise a "foolproof" Central Monitoring System (CMS) which will put an end to all illegal interception. The CMS, which enables security agencies to monitor phones and internet communications of suspected persons, will ensure that monitoring of phone calls, text messages and internet use of citizens will be done only by government agencies after taking due permission from designated authority. "We will soon operationalise the CMS. It will be a fool-proof monitoring system," Union Home Secretary R K Singh told reporters here. The CMS will put an end to the involvement of telephone operators in phone tapping and if any agency wishes to monitor any particular number will have to keep all record online -- taking permission, duration of monitoring, what did they found and the persons involved in the whole process -so that the person concerned could be brought to task if there is any irregularity.-PTI
TechBiz 12 India Post
www.indiapost.com
Stefano Pampalone, Head of Operations for India, Pakistan, far East and Japan, New Holland Fiat, with Rakesh Malhotra, Head of Operations, New Holland Fiat India, at a celebration to mark roll-out of their 2,50,000th tractor in Noida on June 18
June 21, 2013
First flight of Airbus A350 reopens wide-body race PARIS: Airbus sent a new widebody plane into the skies June 14 that sets the stage for intensifying competition with U.S. rival Boeing - with consequences for jobs, airlines' investments and the reputations of the powerful plane makers. After years of delays and a revamp that cost billions, the A350 cruised for four hours in partly cloudy skies above Toulouse in southern France. Most importantly, it then landed safely. It met ear-to-ear smiles - and some sighs of relief - among the Airbus engineers and executives who helped the plane reach its maiden journey. The flight marks a key step on the path to full certification for the jet, which can carry between 250 and 400 passengers and is the European aircraft-maker's best hope for catching up in a long-haul market dominated by Boeing's 777 and the 787, known as the Dreamliner. ``At the end of the day you need to make it real, and this is the time for making it real. So I am very proud already,'' Didier Evrard, head of the A350 program, said while watching the flight. ``But I will be still nervous until it comes back.'' Airspace over Toulouse, where Airbus has its headquarters,
closed for both take-off and landing. With distinctive, upturned wing tips, the plane had a great big ``A350'' painted across its belly, heightening anticipation that it will fly at the Paris Air Show soon.
will bring it momentum heading into next week's Paris Air Show, which is already shaping up as a battle of the wide-body planes. ``There is a lot of money at stake, a lot of employment at stake. This is an extremely important po-
The A350, which was delayed for two years as Airbus hashed out a new design, is a competitor to the 787 - minus the lithium ion batteries now under investigation for unexplained smoldering. Airbus abandoned its plans to use the lithium ion batteries The plane's undercarriage remained down for the first part of the flight, so that they could run through a series of checks and ensure it was ready for the full flight. Airbus has 613 orders for the A350, and hopes that this flight
litical, social and economic issue,'' said Gerald Feldzer, a French aviation expert and former airline pilot. Airbus' potential customers, the world's airlines, have all been squeezed by high aviation fuel costs and a fall in passengers be-
cause of the struggling world economy. Carriers are therefore looking for ways to run their fleets more cost-effectively. More than half of the twin-engine A350 consists of lightweight carbon-fiber designed to save on jet fuel, which makes up half the cost of long-haul flights. Airbus claims the A350 is 25 percent more fuel-efficient than comparable planes. The A350, which was delayed for two years as Airbus hashed out a new design, is a competitor to the 787 - minus the lithium ion batteries now under investigation for unexplained smoldering. Airbus abandoned its plans to use the lithium ion batteries despite their advantages in weight, power and re-charging speed. ``The A350 has the same innovations more or less as the Dreamliner, the 787,'' said Feldzer. ``The same amount or proportion of carbon for the lightness of the material, just as many electrical devices.'' Boeing's list prices for its 787 line range from $206 million to $243 million. Airbus lists prices ranging from $254 million to $332 million, and had 613 orders as of May, compared with 890 orders for the 787. Steep discounts are common on large orders, although the details are rarely made public. Cont’d on page 14
Supreme Court to hear plea against Ranbaxy NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India will hear on June 24 a petition seeking probe against Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd for allegedly manufacturing and selling adulterated medicines. A bench of justices A K Patnaik and Ranjan Gogoi agreed to hear the PIL after the petitioner, advocate M L Sharma pleaded for an urgent hearing in the case. The case was earlier heard by a different vacation bench which
had on June 10 asked Sharma to substantiate his "unfounded allegations" that the Indian pharma major was allegedly manufacturing and selling adulterated medicines. He, thereafter, filed an additional affidavit in the case. The PIL alleged that the company has been fined USD 500 mil-
lion by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for making
and selling "adulterated" drugs. It also sought sealing of all its manufacturing units here, including those in Paonta Sahib in north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, a central Indian state. The petitioner alleged that despite Ranbaxy pleading guilty to supplying adulterated drugs in the US and it being fined such a huge amount, the Centre has not taken any action to prohibit or ban the drugs made by the company.-PTI
TechBiz Post
June 21, 2013
India Post
13
www.indiapost.com
GMR gets respite in Male airport row MALE: In a relief for GMR, the Maldives' anti-graft watchdog is believed to have ruled out any corruption in the leasing of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport here to the Indian infrastructure major by the previous administration. The current Maldivian government had in December last year unilaterally terminated a 500 million USD contract given to GMR Group to develop and operate Male Airport, a project awarded to the Indian group by the earlier Mohamed Nasheed administration. Local media reports said the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) 61-page investigation re-
AirAsia appoints TCS' Ramadorai as Chairman MUMBAI: AirAsia India has moved closer to getting off the ground by appointing S Ramadorai as its Chairman, ending months-long suspense and having in place the entire top management team. A day after getting Tata Group
Ramadorai as chairman of AirAsia India, a giant of Indian industry, and man from the South," Fernandes tweeted. "That completes our team. Advisor, chairman, CEO and the board. Quite a heavyweight team for super exciting AirAsia India,"
S Ramadorai
Fernandes had earlier announced the name of Tata as the chief advisor to the board and promised 'Nano' airfares once it begins operating flights in the country which is likely by the fourth quarter of 2013 patriarch Ratan Tata as the chief advisor, AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes announced the name of Tata Consultancy Services vice-chairman S Ramadorai as the chairman of his proposed low-cost airline venture here. Subramanian Ramadorai was also formerly the chief executive of the country's largest software exporter. "I would like to confirm
Fernandes posted on microblogging site Twitter. Ramadorai is the fourth person from the Tatas to hold a position in airline joint venture after Ratan Tata as chief advisor, and R Venkataraman (former executive assistant to Ratan Tata) and Bharat Vasani (chief legal counsel of the Tata Group), who are directors on the board. AirAsia India is a joint venture of Air Asia, Tata Sons and Arun
Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace with 49:30:21 holding. Fernandes had earlier announced the name of Tata as the chief advisor to the board and promised 'Nano' airfares once it begins operating flights in the country which is likely by the fourth quarter of 2013. "Persuading Tata to be advisor has not been easy. Critical, we have someone of his massive experience to help me chart AirAsia India with Mittu (Chandilya) and myself," Fernandes had tweeted. Asked whether to expect 'Nano' price or cheapest air tickets from AirAsia India, Fernandes replied in affirmative: "Yes. It's all about low fares. And everyday." AirAsia is expected to bring in competitive pricing in the Indian aviation market, once it begins service later this year. "AirAsia India (is) shaping up brilliantly," Fernandes said, adding that the company has got a 'super CEO', a good board and a great advisor who was "a legend in every sense." Last month, Fernandes had named Mittu Chandilya as the CEO of AirAsia India. These two announcements come within a couple of days after Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said all the issues regarding AirAsia's India applications have been resolved. "All matters on AirAsia India have been resolved. The proposal has been sent to the Union Home Ministry for security clearance," Singh had said in London. As for the organizational structure, there will be an independent director on the board who would also be the non-executive chairman.
port into the alleged corruption in the leasing of the country's only operational international airport to GMR by the previous administration has declared there was no corruption involved in GMR's bid during the evaluation phase of the deal. According to the probe report, GMR had offered the highest concession fee and scored the highest marks in the bid to develop and operate the airport for 25 years. The report also said concrete records exist to show that a concession agreement was signed between the government, GMR consortium and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) which ruled out any grounds for corruption, the media reports said. ACC further said as the agreement was signed before the amendments to the Financial Act passed by the Parliament was
mid-2010. A GMR Group spokesperson was quoted as having said that it was in the process of studying the report. The Maldives Airports Company Limited took over operations from GMR on December 7, after the Singapore Supreme Court ruled that the Maldives government had the authority to expropriate the airport from GMR. Waheed was earlier quoted as having said that from the day of signing, the Maldivian courts and the ACC were receiving complaints and cases against both Nasheed's government and the GMR venture. Arbitration proceedings in the airport contract row between Maldives and GMR Group will commence in the middle of next year though an exact date has not been finalized yet. GMR had previously stated that it would seek USD 800 mil-
According to the probe report, GMR had offered the highest concession fee and scored the highest marks in the bid to develop and operate the airport for 25 years. The report also said concrete records exist to show that a concession agreement was signed by the government gazetted, there were no grounds to declare it as corruption, the reports added. The current government in Maldives led by Mohamed Waheed had earlier claimed that GMR was misled by the Nasheed administration to signing a legally unsustainable agreement. The project was awarded in
lion as reparation from the Maldivian government. However, the Maldivian government had reiterated its claims that the airport operator agreement with GMR was "void ab initio" (invalid from the outset) and that the government does not have to bear any compensation for the termination. -PTI
14
TechBiz Post
India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Google launches 'Start Searching First flight of Airbus A350 reopens wide-body race India' campaign CHANDIGARH: Google India has launched a campaign which is aimed at simplifying the web for the country's internet users. "The objective of the campaign is to help simplify the Web for In-
come online for the first time, they are increasingly looking for convenient ways to find information on the web. "Whether it is to find out about the weather, checking flight status,
Sandeep Menon
dian users, showing how they can get instant answers to their most common queries," Sandeep Menon, Director, Marketing, Google India, said here. He said that as more Indians
or even looking for a restaurant for dinner date, Google Search can give users instant answers to these common queries in the form of information cards that appear above search results," he said.
With more and more Indians surfing the internet using their mobile phones, Menon said, "Today the next billion users are making the leap from no internet to mobile internet, without ever having used a desktop computer." Terming the youth of the city net-savvy, he said, "It is in fact quite fascinating to see an overwhelming response from the youth dominated Chandigarh populace who have readily embraced the technology in their lifestyle. Chandigarh is believed to be one of the top cities when it comes to internet usage. It is great to know that cities like Chandigarh are using Google Search for their smallest of requirements." Menon also touched upon the top Search trends that majority of people including Chandigarh search for most using Google Trends. "From Education to travel to yoga, these are the top searches," he said, adding that Google Trends is a tool that shows what people are searching for in a country or in a given period of time. -PTI
China develops world's fastest supercomputer BEIJING: China's defense scientists have built the world's fastest supercomputer, capable of performing 33.86 quadrillion operations per second, surpassing the US Titan supercomputer, according to survey results announced. Costing USD 100 million, the Tianhe-2 has a peak performance speed of 54.9 quadrillion operations per second, according to the National University of Defense Technology, which built the computer. The computer's predecessor, the Tianhe-1A, was the world's fastest supercomputer from November 2010 to June 2011, when it was surpassed by Japan's K computer, state-run Xinhua News agency reported. Tianhe-2, or Milky Way-2, will be deployed at the National Supercomputer Center in Guangzho, China, by the end of the year, according to TOP500, a project ranking the 500 most powerful computer systems in the world. State television CCTV had shown jubilant scenes as the supercomputer made it for second time taking the first place in the Top 500 list of the world's most powerful supercomputers.
The surprise appearance of Tianhe-2, two years ahead of the expected deployment, marks China's first return to the No 1 position since November 2010, when Tianhe-1A was the top system. Tianhe-2 has 16,000 nodes,
Titan, a Cray XK7 system installed at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory and previously the No 1 system, is now ranked No 2. According to TOP500 Editor Jack Dongarra, who toured the
each with two Intel Xeon IvyBridge processors and three Xeon Phi processors for a combined total of 3,120,000 computing cores. The supercomputer Tianhe-2 is capable of operating as fast as 33.86 petaflops per second. It was ranked today as the world's fastest computing system, according to TOP500.
Tianhe-2 development facility in May, the system is noteworthy in a number of aspects. "Most of the features of the system were developed in China, and they are only using Intel for the main compute part. That is, the interconnect, operating system, front-end processors and software are mainly Chinese," Dongarra said in a statement.-PTI
Cont’d from page 12
The initial A350 program was scrapped and redesigned after customers criticized it. Development of the plane was held up by management disputes and financial troubles at Airbus early on. But Boeing faced its own delays and problems with the 787,
said the Airbus CEO ``was always insisting on simplicity and not overcomplicating the design and having a monster that is difficult to manufacture.'' The A350 will compete against larger versions of Boeing's new 787, but is also aimed at Boeing's 777-300ER, which has been a runaway hit with airlines. The origi-
and analysts say Airbus is now nal 777 design is aging - it first flew trying to position itself as the air- in 1994. Airbus said that eight out plane manufacturer that can get of 10 customers for the 777-300 ER the job done. have ordered A350s. U.S. custom``Boeing has the broader prod- ers for the A350 include United uct line but they are still struggling Continental Holdings Inc. and Haunder the shadows of the 787 waiian Airlines. nightmare and they seem unenThe biggest A350 will carry thusiastic about launching new roughly 350 passengers, slightly products,'' said Richard Aboulafia, fewer than a 777-300ER. Planes like an analyst with the Teal Group. that are generally used on long``Airbus has its chance to show haul international flights. Those themselves as the opposite of planes have turned out to be poputhat.'' lar with airlines who want large airIt was nearly two years after craft - but not superjumbos like the Boeing's first flight of the 787 un- Airbus A380 or Boeing's new 747til the first passengers stepped 8i. Sales of those two giants have onboard the jet. Aboulafia expects a similar timeframe for the The biggest A350 will carry A350. roughly 350 passengers, However, he notes about Airbus: ``So far slightly fewer than a 777they have surprised, 300ER. Planes like that are positively.'' Airbus hopes the generally used on long-haul timeframe is shorter. It's international flights aiming to deliver the first A350 to Qatar Airways in the second half of next been disappointing. Boeing is considering whether year. The Toulouse-based company to build a new version of its 777, said the plane that flew will get a now called the 777X, which would detailed inspection that will take boost fuel efficiency with new cartwo or three days before the plane bon-fiber wings and new engines. flies for a second time. After that, Boeing is widely expected to anit expects flight testing to take a nounce a final decision about little more than a year, Airbus Presi- building the 777 at next week's dent and CEO Fabrice Bregier said Paris Air Show. A year ago, at the Paris Air in a video released by the company. About 2,500 hours of flight Show's sister event in Britain, Boeing beat Airbus for the numtesting are planned. Eric Bernardini, a consultant at ber of orders announced. The two AlixPartners who follows the aero- companies vie closely each year space industry, said, Airbus de- for the title of world's biggest signers ``have matured a lot in their plane maker, and the race is as tight development process.'' Bernardini as ever. -AP
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post 15
Desi News IndiaNow 2013 Be ready to get bowled over SHALINI RAJ SINGH
I
f you are anything like me, you start craving all things Indian periodically. We all miss the mouthwatering cuisine, the exquisite handicrafts, the exclusive clothes, exotic destinations to explore. And not to forget our national passion that is more like a religion; yes I am talking about cricket! Now, let me tell you that you don't have to get on a plane, fly 21 hours, to experience the magic of India all over again. IndiaNow 2013 is a grand Trade Fair event bringing India to your doorstep right here in Silicon Valley for 2 days on June 22-23rd at Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. Our mission is to bring India and the US together to explore our infinite trade and tourism opportunities! Details on page 24
Immigration Reform Bill good for Indians ABDUL SIDDIQUI
CHICAGO: President Barack Obama has set his sights on overhauling the immigration laws. He has assured his good number of supporters that he would do something in the matter sooner rather than later. A US Senate panel recently voted 82-15 to move forward on debating the comprehensive immigration reform bill, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.
COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA
Details on page 25
16 India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21, 2013
Big youth participation in Dharma Bee contest SURENDRA ULLAL
CHICAGO: More than 130 children from across USA competed in the final round of the National Dharma Bee Competition held on Saturday, June 15 at Best Western Expo and Conference Center, Hillside, a west side Chicago suburb. The Dharma Bee Competition included activities such as Speech Contest, Poster Presentation, Written Exam and Team Activity in four age groups between grades K-8. Distinguished panel of judges from Chicago area as well as from around USA evaluated the contestants. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh successfully organized this final
Swami Vivekananda (played by Sauruv Garg from Abhimanyu Bala Gokulam of Schaumburg) points to Hinduism's loftiest ideals at the 1893 Chicago World Parliament of Religions. Pics Asian Media USA
Details on page 19
MAFS celebrates mini fundraising dinner
Shirlyn Prabahar wins Spelling Bee in Bay Area
Congresswoman (D-Hawaii) Tulsi Gabbard poses with two of the Dharma Bee prize winners and HSS USA national president Ved Prakash Nanda
round that was broadcast worldwide atwww.dharmabee.org. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Swami Ishatmananadji of Vedanta Society Chicago were chief guests for the prize distribution ceremony held at Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago on June 16. This novel Bee was held to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary year celebrations of Swami Vivekananda. Over 3000 contestants participated in the earlier rounds at 156 testing centers in the US. Following were the winners in four categories: Group 1 Winners (KG-1st grade): First Place - Dhruti
Kulkarni (CA), Second Place Abhiram Kapaganty (GA) Third Place - Haindavi Veldanda (CA) Group 2 Winners (2nd-3rd): First Place - Nikitha Kota (TX), Second Place - Balan Selva (NJ), Third Place -Shashwat Srivatsan (NH) Group 3 Winners (4th-5th): First Place - Anuj Kothari (CA), Second Place - Medha Boddu (CA), Third Place - Bhavna Ravichandran (NC) Group 4 Winners (6th-8th): First Place - Natasha Patel (TX), Second Place - Harshavardhan Nalam (IL), Third Place - Anshul Kale (CA). Cont’d on page 19
NAZNIN BEGUM
CHICAGO: A mini fund raiser held by Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS) at its Naperville location on June 8 turned out to be a successful event with close to 300 plus invitees and guests attending it enabling this no profit body to raise funds to meet its on going expenses. The program started with lamp lightning ceremony and invocation prayer by Ketan Maharaj of Jalaram Mandir followed by Bhajan by Shaila Khedkar. Masters of Ceremony Shree Gurusamy and Neelam Desai opened the evening. Details on page 23
Hindu priests take up issues facing society SUDHIR VYAS
NEW YORK: The 2nd Hindu Mandir Priests' Conference held at Shri Surya Narayan Mandir in Jamaica, NY met with huge success judging from the sizeable attendance, joyful expressions at the end and because of its informative two days of interactions. The Conference was hosted by Shri Surya Narayan Mandir in collaboration with the Bhavaanee Maa Mandir, the New York Sanatana Mandir and the United Community Mandir. The Inaugural Session of the
A group of Hindu Priests Conference attendees with organizers
Conference got underway on the evening of Friday May 31, with
more than 130 Hindu devotees, Pandits and Swamis in attendance.
The start was with 50 plus priests chanting the Ganesha Atharvashirsha. Pandit Ram Hardowar, the Spiritual Leader of the SSN Mandir, then extended a warm welcome to all the participants. This was followed with presentations by erudite speakers. The audience listened in rapt attention as the speakers made very thoughtful presentations covering the challenges faced by priests in the community. Cont’d on page 20
India Post 17
June 21, 2013 www.indiapost.com
18 India Post
Community Across America
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Cbazaar Style Bash is back India Post News Service
C
bazaar.com the Largest Online Indian Ethnic Wear Store is back with its second season of Cbazaar Style Bash in the US. Cbazaar StyleBash is Cbazaar`s on ground fashion event that travels across the US with its own team of fashion stylist, designers and the latest collection in Indian ethnic wear. This year Cbazaar Style Bash and the team will travel across 40 cities until Dec 2013. Cbazaar Style Bash is an event where people get an opportunity to meet with Cbazaar`s Fashion stylist and designers to get free styling and fashion tips. It also showcases the latest in Indian ethnic fashion and latest collections of Cbazaar. At this event people also give their measurements that gets automatically stored in the database of Cbazaar and the next time they log in to Cbazaar.com, their measurement form is pre-filled. Register here: http:// www.cbazaarstylebash.com
Energy saving programs to Help SCE Customers India Post News Service
ROSEMEAD, CA: With the income requirements for several energy saving programs increasing, Southern California Edison (SCE) encourages its customers to check out these programs so they can save money on their utility bills. Starting June 1, the maximum-allowable income requirements for the California Alternate Rate for Energy (CARE) and the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) programs have increased. The CARE program can save customers about 30 percent on their utility bill, while FERA provides a lower monthly discount for income-qualified households of three or more based on their energy usage. "We want to ensure that our customers know about the various programs that can help reduce costs and save them money," said Jack Parkhill, SCE manager for the Income Qualified and Economic Assistance Program. "With the income criteria increasing, more of our customers may be able to meet the requirements and qualify for one of the programs."
June 21, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 19
www.indiapost.com
Immigration Reform Bill good for Indians ABDUL SIDDIQUI
CHICAGO: President Barack Obama has set his sights on overhauling the immigration laws. He has assured his good number of supporters that he would do something in the matter sooner rather than later. A US Senate panel recently voted 82-15 to move forward on debating the comprehensive immigration reform bill, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. This bipartisan bill is largely in response to growing public pressure to address the status of over 10 million undocumented immigrants including thousands of Indians living without proper documents in the United States. This bill includes two key provisions: 1) Extension of legal status to undocumented immigrants leading its path to U.S. citizenship. 2) Strengthening of border security, and bolstered work programs to facilitate the hiring of both high and low skilled workers. The assurance on immigration reforms was conveyed to Indian Americans attending a DCCC
Iftekhar Shareef with President Obama
ers had an opportunity to meet and greet President Barack Obama. Among those attending were Balwinder Singh, a community activist, Iftekhar Shareef, Trustee-
President Obama openly acknowledged the support of Indian Americans from the beginning of his political career as State Senator, U.S Senator and then Presidential candidate. His fantastic memory with names for his supporters was clearly in evidence dinner reception held recently at Chicago Hilton. Close to thirty plus Indian Americans and oth-
Chairman, Federation of Indian Associations, Vinesh Viirani of Art of Living, Sunil Shah founder
President of newly set up FIA, Jagmohan Jiyara and Sunil Puri, both front ranking businessmen, The reception was by invitation. In a private photo shoot session, Shareef asked President Obama on the Immigration Reform bill and the immediate response was that the bill would be passed within two months with the help of Republicans as Democrats presently do not have an absolute majority in the US Congress. President Obama openly acknowledged the support of Indian Americans from the beginning of his political career as State Senator, U.S Senator and then Presidential candidate. His fantastic memory
Sunil Shah with Presdient Obama
with names for his supporters was clearly in evidence when Iftekhar Shareef jokingly inquired if he had forgotten old friends or their names and the President replied quick, "I have not forgotten the names of "Fred Shareef" and "Iftekhar Shareef." And these are the two names that Shareef is known within the Indian community Balwinder Singh is one of the prominent Indian Americans who can claim close contact with the President. Sunil Shah has also supported Obama for years. Touching upon the DCCC reception, Sunil Shah said "It was a grand opportunity to meet the President with Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi,
Senator Dick Durbin and several other Democratic leaders like Steny Hoyer, Bill Foster and Robin Kelly. It was enlightening and underscored our efforts getting more active in mainstream politics." Shareef later said, Immigration reform bill is seen as a win win situation for both Indians and others as well as USA as the former are active participants in American society and in many cases would be willing contributors to the country's economic and political life. He observed that with legalization, high-skilled Indian immigrants will enter the legal workforce and the bill would boost US economy.
Big youth participation in Dharma Bee contest Cont’d from page 16
Congresswoman Gabbard, in her inspiring address during the prize distribution ceremony, lauded the hard work and enthusiasm of all the contestants. She said that their involvement was not merely at the insistence of their parents but also was due to the fact that they appreciated and understood the philosophy and greatness of Swami Vivekananda. The Congresswoman also talked about the importance of Gita and Hindu Philosophy as it is being shared in the US. In his speech, Pujya Swami Ishatmananda ji of Vivekananda Vedanta Society said that helping each other and understanding each other is Dharma, which is what Shri Krishna and Swami Vivekananda followed in their life.
Over 130 Dharma Bee finalists singing "Veer Vivekananda Praanamay, Hum Yuvako mein hai Saakaar"-Heroic Vivekananda in his ethereal form, lives on embodied in us youth
He further said that the second stage of Dharma is morality and third is spirituality. According to him, Dharma Bee goes to good things like honey bee goes to flower, so children participating in Dharma bee are these bees who choose the best and in the process, they themselves become
Dharma. "My daughter learned a lot by participating in Dharma Bee. She wanted to visit Parliament of World Religions at Chicago regardless of being selected in the final or not," said Bhuvanesh ji, father of one of the participants. Another father from Austin TX
(Bhuvanesh T) whose six year old participated in the Bee said that not only his daughter, but both he and his wife learned a lot about Swamiji's life and greatness during this process. Shreya Venkatesh, a contestant (13) from Phoenix, AZ said that she enjoyed learning (Hindu)
culture and about Swami Vivekananda. Another contestant, Suhas Subramaniam (13) from San Diego felt that this was an opportunity to learn about great personalities from our national and cultural past. Subramaniam said, "I knew about Shri Krishna, but because of Dharma Bee, I got to know a lot about Swami Vivekananda." "We wanted to provide an exciting avenue for children to learn about Swami Vivekananda and Shri Krishna. This enabled them to read stories and pursue a "Sewa" (service) activity in the local community. We are extremely happy to report that more than 1000 Sewa (service) projects were executed by children all across the USA! Parents and children are already requesting similar future events," said Sreevidya Radhakrishna.
20 India Post
Community Across America
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
6th Season of South Asian Spelling Bee launched through hard work, talent and dedication." Along with MetLife, airline major Air-India and education company C2Education have also come on board as sponsors for this event. As always, Sony Entertainment Television Asia is the exclusive broadcast partner for the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee and will be airing the series across 120 countries. "Once again, we are proud to
India Post News Service
NEW YORK: At a glittering event in New York City on June 11, attended by the who's who of the community, Touchdown Media Inc. announced the launch of the 6th season of The 2013 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee. MetLife, a leading global provider of life insurance and other financial services, returns as the title sponsor of the contest. The event is open to children of South Asian descent up to 14 years of age. It will give South Asian children a chance to test their spelling skills in their core peer group. Interested spellers need their parent or guardian to register them online at www.southasianspellingbee.com. Organized by Touchdown Media Inc., the 2013 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee is being conducted in 12 locations across the United States since June 15. Regional level events are being held
(From L to R) Rahul Walia, CEO, Touchdown Media Inc. & Founder of 'The South Asian Spelling Bee'; Doug Anderson, School Relations Manager, C2 Education; Ginger Jones, Global Brand and Marketing, MetLife; Jaideep Janakiram, Head - North America, Sony Entertainment Networks; Neeraj Arora, EVP, International Business, Sony Entertainment Networks; Amit Ray, National Sales Head, Air India. Pics Freelance US Media/Vijay Shah
Hindu priests take up issues facing society Cont’d from page 16
in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Washington DC Metro, New Jersey, New York and Boston. This year Orlando has also
(From L to R) Rahul Walia, CEO, Touchdown Media Inc. & Founder of 'The South Asian Spelling Bee'; Arvind Mahankali, Alumni South Asian Spelling Bee & 2013 Scripps Spelling Bee Champ with Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Consul General of India, NY
Arvind Mahankali, Alumni South Asian Spelling Bee & 2013 Scripps Spelling Bee Champ with his family and Rahul Walia, CEO, Touchdown Media Inc. & Founder of 'The South Asian Spelling Bee'
been added to the roster. All events will be free to attend and open to the public. "It's great to be celebrating the 6th year of the South Asian Spelling Bee. With the help of our sponsors and media partners, a great platform has been built for the community where spellers can test their skill and have the thrill of being on television. We have expanded to 12 cities across the US and over these past few years we have seen some amazing talent and lots of new talent develop. The Bee has become a critical platform for the youth and we aspire to continue this effort year after year," said Rahul Walia, CEO of Touchdown Media Inc. and founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee. Each competition will begin with a written test of 25 words. The participants must spell 15 or more words correctly to advance to the afternoon oral round, which will be conducted by experienced pronouncers and judges. The top three in the oral round will receive prize money. The top two spellers of each regional competition will advance to the finals to be held in New Jersey in August. Like last year, MetLife has inducted the $10,000 champion's scholarship that will be awarded to the winner at the finals. "MetLife is pleased to serve once again as the title sponsor of the South Asian Spelling Bee competition," said Laurel Daring, assistant vice president, Diverse Markets, MetLife. "This event allows youth from across the country to test their spelling skills in a national forum that can provide a tremendous boost toward fulfilling a student's educational aspirations. By challenging themselves in this manner, all of the participating students can see the potential that can be unlocked
be associated with the Bee and this year, have planned on a series of episodes highlighting the journey of this event since its inception. Sony will be broadcasting a total of 6 episodes in 2013 giving sponsors, participants and viewers an insightful look at the Bee. We look forward to yet another successful year," said Jaideep Janakiram, Head of North America, Sony Entertainment Television-Asia.
was treated to loud and prolonged applause for the simple and articulate manner in which he shared his story. One outstanding feature of this conference was the number of youthful Hindus who made presentations. In addition to Aneesh, there was also Austin Ayer who spoke about the training available at universities in the Maharishi Organization, Devi Mehrotra who spoke about the Hindu Students Council at Yale University, and Dr. Anand Ramnarine, who called for a "national Hindu Voice" as a means of solidifying our Hindu identity. There were lively Q&A segments after some sessions, which
The notable ones were by Amrutur Srinivasan on the work of the USA Pandits' Parishad in Guyana and in USA by Pandit Parasram, and Swamini Svatmavidyananda's talk on devotion, dharma, prayer and the priesthood. The Arya Spiritual Center's Dharmacharya Pandit Ramlall spoke about the challenges facing the Hindu in hostile societies. The Saturday session started at 6 am with yoga, pranayama and devotional singing by young Hindus of the community. There followed six business sessions ably emceed by youthful Sarika Persaud, assisted by rotating moderators who introduced the various speakers. The sessions cov- There were lively Q&A ered topics such as segments after some sesPriests' Role: Issues & Concerns; Community's sions, which demonstrated issues & Concerns: that the members of the Devotees' & Executives' Inputs; Sharing re- audience shared strong sources, the GOTO concern about the topics Group; and Education & Training. The appreciative audience was treated to some demonstrated that the members of very scholarly and passionate pre- the audience shared strong consentations covering issues as var- cern about the topics and presenied as the role of priests and their tations, and confirmed the need for assimilation in the North American this Conference to be organized society to Hindu Chaplaincy in the on a regular basis. University setting, and continuing After all the presentations, the education and skill development participants unanimously apstrategies. proved two resolutions for action: In the third session dealing with Recognizing the need to enhance Community's issues and con- communication among priests in cerns, young Aneesh North America with the sole obBairavasundaram stole everyone's ject of building a Dharmic Bridge heart with a polished presentation between priests and the commuof "My story: Growing up in a nity they serve; and resolve to Priest's family". Aneesh spoke establish a Pandit Sabha, a comabout the expectations of parents munication network. for young Hindus "to blindly folAt the close, Dharmacharya low rituals" laid down by their el- Rishi B. Misir of the Federation of ders, and that in the "North Ameri- Hindu Mandirs, thanked the Concan context, blind faith is looked ference Committee for its vision down upon". As this young man and dedication to solving Hindu walked away from the podium, he issues by organizing the event.
Community Across America
June 21, 2013
India Post 21
www.indiapost.com
Hindi Patrika re-launched with English pages brary on Monday June 24. Among the prominent community leaders attending the meet was Sohan Joshi, president of National Federation of Indian Associations and an ardent fan of Hindi, Jodh Singh Rawat, a freelance writer, Praful Rami, a community activist, Man Mohan Sharma, a nutritionist, Nand Kapur, former president of AIA and Vandana Jhingan, often dubbed Jhansi Ki Ranee of Chicago.
RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Hindi Lovers Club, a budding no-profit body in Chicagoland, has added one more feather in its cap - adding 14 pages of English to its monthly magazine Hindi Patrika. Gurbachan Kaur Neelam, the Club President, said it was done with a view to reaching out to second generation Indians here who have had not much opportunity to learn the premiere Indian language Hindi. "They are a burgeoning component of our community and we can ignore them at our own peril. Our attempt will be to induce them to read the Patrika and thru it our national language Hindi," she said in a talk. A formal launch of newly de-
A group of supporters and activists L-R Secretary Vinita Gulbani, Praful Rami, Nand Kapur, Raghunath Sharma, J Rawat and President Gurbachan Kaur
ian Hindi author Raghunandan Prakash Sharma. Sharma is credited with authoring number of
Launch of Hindi Patrika by Raghunath Sharma (right) and J Rawat
signed Patrika June issue was held at Uru Swati Restaurant on Mahatma Gandhi Marg on Devon area Chicago last week and it was attended by a good number of Chicago elite and media representatives. Club Secretary Vinita Gulbani welcomed the invitees in
Hindi books and is an acclaimed writer in India. He has 169 published books under his belt and numerous awards for his writings. He has agreed to be a regular columnist for Hindi Patrika. He congratulated the Club members in taking this unique step
Guests and invitees at the Hindi Patrika launch
her chaste Hindi and read out a Hindi couplet at the end of her speech that underlined the basic objective of the Club - promoting Hindi and Indian culture in this part of the world. The formal launch was done at the hands of a noted octogenar-
of adding English pages to make the Hindi Patrika more popular. He welcomed overall efforts of the Club executive team in seeking to promote the cause of Hindi in a foreign land. He is a scheduled speaker at the Club's coming monthly meet at Skokie Public Li-
Community Across America
22 India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Center for Spiritual Impressive presentations by Living honors Rajan Zed Grayslake school kids India Post News Service
PARINA MEHROTRA
CHICAGO: Highly qualified and committed volunteer teachers of Grayslake temple Sunday school were honored by Secretary Theresa Mah of Illinois Sate Governor Pat Quinn, for their dedication and selfless effort in transferring Indian culture and human values to children. State of Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford gave the Community and Educational Impact award to this highly structured and one of a kind Sunday school in the greater Chicago area. The Sunday School has now graduated more than 300 children to the next level of Dharma and Hindi education. The school education places major emphasis on a non-denominational open learning environment, where children laugh and giggle while they absorb the Hindu
culture and heritage. With more than 40 volunteers and teachers the Sunday school
four to 15 years old children sang and gave stage performances. The children created a blissful environ-
NEVADA: Rajan Zed has been honored by Center for Spiritual Living Reno in Nevada, for his interfaith work. Senior Minister Reverend Liesa Leggett Garcia of the Center presented Zed with a plaque on June 13 which carried the symbols of both Hinduism and Centers for
Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, addressed the Center on the topics of Hinduism and Interfaith Dialogue and answered questions from the audience. Center for Spiritual Living Reno, "A Science of Mind & Spirit Community" headed by Garcia, is affiliated to CSL in Golden ,Colorado which provides "spiritual tools to
Theresa Mah with Sunday School Coordinator Prof Sanjay Mehrotra, Temple President Dr Harsh Kumar, teachers and volunteers
is a unique experiment where Hindu Dharma is taught based on human values, and Hindi is taught while promoting the Indian culture. During the annual function the
'Incarnations of Lord Vishnu' performance by kids
ment, thoroughly enjoyed by their parents and grandparents. Towards the end of the program Theresa was welcomed by the temple president Dr. Harsh Kumar and Parina Mehrotra. She was briefed on the history and significance of Hindu traditions. Theresa was well impressed and she encouraged the school children by distributing graduation certificates and goodie bags. She was particularly impressed with the words of wisdom written all around the temple. The Grayslake temple Sunday school meets from 10:00-12:00 am. It will start its next session from the second Sunday in September, 2013.
Senior Minister Reverend Liesa Leggett Garcia (second from right) presenting Rajan Zed (third from right) with the plaque
Spiritual Living (CSL). It read: In appreciation of Rajan Zed for the valuable work done on behalf of the interfaith community, leading the way for global understanding through education and dialogue.
transform personal lives". It has over 450 spiritual centers, communities, and ministries in 30 countries worldwide. Reverend Dr. Kenn Gordon is the current Spiritual Leader.
10-year old brings history alive for classmates SURENDRA ULLAL
CHICAGO: A talk on Indian oh rather - global leader Mahatma Gandhi is still inspiring not only adults but even middle schoolhigh school students Ten year old Zaire Gidwani and her mother, Angeli, made quite an impression on her teacher and classmates with a year-end presentation about Mahatma Gandhi, the great 20th century non-violent freedom fighter. One of the fifth grade "bully boys" was so affected by Zarine's presentation that he extended his hand in friendship to Zarine and others for the first time all year. The event took place at Avoca West School in Glenview, a North West suburb of Chicago on June 4, the ending school year. What is it about Gandhi's story that the kids found so compelling? Certainly the improbable victory of a scrawny 20th century David against the hulking Goliath of the British Empire appealed to kids' sense of moral justice. But even more, Zarine made Gandhi real for her classmates by introducing him
Zarine's Glenview school class with teacher Ms Janis Michael
as a friend of the family. She thrilled the class with a handwritten letter from Gandhi to her great grandfather on the occasion of his eldest son's wedding. In the letter Gandhi referred both to dowry, a concept foreign to most American fifth graders, and khadi cloth.
Zarine's teacher, Mrs Janis Michael, explained that dowry was an Indian as well as European tradition at that time. And that the bridal garments were made of cloth produced in India. By refusing European-made cloth, the Indians were asserting their independence
from Britain. (Though Zarine did not tell her classmates, her greatgrandfather spun the thread for his son's wedding clothes while he was in prison, held captive by the British for his role in India's struggle for freedom.) Gandhi intrigued the kids, who
wanted to know why such a powerful man dressed in beggar's robes. They assumed he was poor and were surprised to learn that he had been educated as a lawyer in England and traveled to South Africa. Angeli explained that he wanted to set an example for his fellow Indians by leading a simple life. It's possible; he wanted to let them know, to live a good life without relying upon Britain for food and clothes. Though time was running out for her presentation, Zarine's classmates were brimming over with questions. She asked them to write them down on index cards for her grandfather to answer. Her grandfather, Dial Gidwany, also knew Gandhi. When Dial was about Zarine's age, Gandhi stayed in his parents' home as a guest. Today Zarine's grandfather is dedicated to promoting Gandhi's message of nonviolence through the American Institute of Sindhulogy and its website. Cont’d on page 23
June 21, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 23
www.indiapost.com
MAFS celebrates mini fundraising dinner NAZNIN BEGUM
CHICAGO: A mini fund raiser HB207 for the Community Care moist eyes. The emotional story held by Metropolitan Asian Fam- Program. Ms. Senger is a strong or modern saga of repression, frusily Services (MAFS) at its supporter of the Asian American tration and parents' longing for Naperville location on June 8 community. St Rep Mussman an- their children's love was well preturned out to be a successful event with close to 300 plus invitees and guests attending it enabling this no profit body to raise funds to meet its on going expenses. The program started with lamp lightning ceremony and invocation prayer by K e t a n Lamp lightning ceremony by Pramod Kumar. From Left Dariene J Senger, Naren Patel, Mrs Santosh Kumar, Beena Patel and Kumar St. Rep Dariene J. Senger, State Rep 41st District and Maharaj of Ketan Maharaj of Jalaram Mandir Jalaram Mandir followed by Bhajan by Shaila other strong supporter of Asian sented by MAFS Chicago staff. Khedkar. American Community appreciated After dinner Ms Khedkar, Shahzad Masters of Ceremony Shree efforts taken by MAFS in serving Ahmed, Ms Shika Tandon, Mahijit Gurusamy and Neelam Desai community. Pradel commended S. Virdi, and Ms Iffat Ara enteropened the evening. Gurursamy services provided by MAFS to the tained the guests with songs and introduced the Founder and Ex- community. Marta Pereyra, Execu- melodies that lasted into the wee ecutive Director Mrs. Kumar who tive Director, Coalition of Limited hours of the night. Vote of thanks delivered her message detailing English Speaking Elderly, con- was presented by Rakesh impediments and hardships that gratulated MAFS team for serv- Asthana, MAFS is a not for profit orgathe organization is encountering ing community. due to reduction in the State fundRuth and Anjali Varghese of nization established with a mising. She urged the community to Kalapadma Academy mesmerized sion to provide comprehensive support generously MAFS's mis- everyone with their Indian classi- and integrated services to the imsion and urged everyone to work cal dance performance on migrant population of India, Pakicollectively to take this Draupadi Cheer Haran (Legend stan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri organization's goal to the next from ancient epic). Another fasci- Lankan and East European comlevel. Appreciation awards were given to invited guests including M i c h e l l e Mussman, State Rep, Tom Cullerton , Illinois St Senator , Frank Avila Sr., Commissioner of Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation, Mayor A. George Pradel, Naperville Mayor, and Dariene J. Senger, MAFS staff with invited dignitaries State Rep. St. Senator Cullerton praised nating performance was Fashion munities facing linguistic and culMAFS staff for its excellent com- Show by the seniors. They tural barriers. The organization munity service in spite of budget scorched the fashion barometer was established in 1992 by Mrs constraints due to delay in state with their sizzling costumes and it Santosh Kumar as a proactive response to address the growing payment. St Rep. Senger appreci- was well appreciated by all. ated the services rendered by A short play 'Aakhir Kyu?' di- needs of the immigrant population MAFS to the community. She rected by Pankaj Patel, MAFS facing linguistic and cultural barspoke how they worked as a team Adult Day Care Program Director, riers in a highly advanced counin passing supplemental bill, left many attending the event with try like USA.
PCS hosts Youth Scholarship Award Nite RAJINDER MAGO
CHICAGO: The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) hosted its thirteenth annual "Punjabi Youth Graduation and Scholarships Awards Night" on Sunday, June 9 at Viceroy of India Banquet Hall in Lombard, attended by over 200 guests and invitees. The guests of honor were about 20 class of 2013 graduates from the
ates and Rangla Punjab participants. P.C.S. $1000 scholarship this year was awarded to Jaskaran Singh of Bartlett High School. Jaskaran won for his high scholastic achievements and also participation in community service and Punjabi cultural activities. The scholarship award dinner event
Celebrating Scholarship Award Nite organizing by PCS
Punjabi community. Dr. Jaswinder was co-sponsored by Dr. Surjit Singh Sandhu was the keynote Singh Patheja, speaker while Ronvir Singh The PCS Chicago recognition Sangha, who graduated from Uni- certificates were presented to the versity of Illinois at Urb a n a Champaign as a James Scholar Honors Student, was a special student speaker at the event. The celebration included recogA group of Graduating class being honored n i t i o n awards, scholarships, keynote address, class of 2013 .All the performing cake cutting ceremony, DJ music, artists of "Rangla Punjab 2013" dancing, networking, and deli- were awarded trophies for particicious Indian cuisine. The partici- pation, and excellent perforpants of "Rangla Punjab 2013" the mances. PCS Annual Vaisakhi cultural proThe upcoming PCS events are gram were also awarded. The din- "Punjabi Sports Festival 2013," on ner party was free to the gradu- July 27 at Falcon Park, Palatine, IL.
10-year old brings history alive for classmates Cont’d from page 22
With the support of Mrs. Michael and other grade school teachers like her, Zarine, her mother and grandfather hope to make nonviolence a popular American family activity. In a talk with this paper, Dial Gidwaney said that his organization AIS has appealed to all parents of school going children to bring to the attention of the teachers to introduce teaching of Gandhi, Dr Martin Luther King, Dr
Nelson Mandela, Frontier Gandhi and Aung Suu Kyui. He said that Mrs Michael is forwarding a link to the AIS website to all the parents of Zarine's classmates. It also urges them to visit web site www.sindhulogy.org and click on the image. There are lesson designed for Children age group 5/15 years old. Besides, it will help parents /teachers devise a suitable program for propagating non-violence culture in educational institutions.
Community Across America
24 India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
IndiaNow 2013 - Be ready to get bowled over SHALINI RAJ SINGH
I
f you are anything like me, you start craving all things Indian periodically. We all miss the mouthwatering cuisine, the exquisite handicrafts, the exclusive clothes, exotic destinations to explore. And not to forget our national passion that is more like a religion; yes I am talking about cricket! Now, let me tell you that you don't have to get on a plane, fly 21 hours, to experience the magic of India all over again. IndiaNow 2013 is a grand Trade Fair event bringing India to your doorstep right here in Silicon Valley for 2 days on June 22-23rd at Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. Our mission is to bring India and the US together
have Kapil Dev as our Brand Ambassador who will be gracing our opening ceremony on 21st June at San Jose Airport Garden
want to take home a unique craft created by you under the guidance of an expert artist. The aim of this trade fair is to establish a network within the Northern California region to facilitate a strong trade and commerce relationship between India and America. Since there will be a very diversified group of vendors from both India and US
together on one platform, the event is generating considerable amount of interest among Bay Area residents. Now being true Indians, we all enjoy when we get much more bang for the buck! How about if I tell you that there is a flat in Noida to be won (seriously!), a round trip to India, an Art Karat $100 voucher, an iPad, an iPad
Mini, and so many more goodies? And to top it all off you can win a free ice cream cone every hour to cool you down!! So make sure you mark your calendar on your computer, on your phone or tie a knot, whatever that works, and visit India right here in your backyard at Santa Clara County Fairgrounds on June 22-23.
Brainchild of Ena & Shalini India Post News Service
I to explore our infinite trade and tourism opportunities! There will be vendors showcasing India's rich tradition, history, cultural variety, exotic tourism, varied cuisines, art, handicrafts, real estate, business opportunities and much more. We are super-excited and honored to
Hotel. Kapil Dev will also be at the Trade Fair event both days captaining a Cricket quiz among other programs! There will be many artists from India displaying their talents and crafts during the event. There are also going to be workshops just in case you are artistically inclined and
ndiaNow 2013 is the brainchild of two of the Bay Area Media personalities: Ena Sarkar - Founder, CEO, Producer and Host of America's fastest growing and first South Asian TV talk show - WomenNow and Shalini Raj Singh. Ena Sarkar has successfully organized and managed several community events that have drawn thousand of Bay area residents and provided opportunity for hundreds of businesses and
organizations. Ena has over 15 years of experience in Media and Marketing. She is passionate about bringing value to the Indian Diaspora. With her leadership skills, she has successfully launched the US presence of multiple Indian companies. While hosting Tech Biz TV on IPTV, she has brought the success stories of many of the titans of Silicon Valley to viewers in USA. Shalini Raj Singh is an enthusiastic, dynamic media personality and a proven Entrepreneur having years of experience in Media,
International trade, Real Estate and IT Industry with leadership skills and E2E process management. Shalini partnered with Radio Zindagi in the San Francisco bay area to create an exciting Indian Radio in the heart of Silicon Valley. In addition she has successfully managed the expansion of KLOK 1170AM South Asian programs. Shalini has organized many popular events in Bay area and has been very successful to market and develop the concepts.
Y Gee Mahendra's 'Venkata 3' in Bay Area VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
PALO ALTO: The United Amateur Artistes (UAA) staged their 61st production "Venkata 3" on June 16 at Palo Alto. The play was hosted by Abhirami fine arts and Akshaya USA. United Amateur Artistes, the oldest among Tamil Theatre groups active today, was founded in 1952 by the Tamil theatre late Sri. Y. G. Parthasarathy. The play, which explores the
issue of cloning, revolves around the protagonist Venkatadhri, who
is torn between his family, work and passion for scriptwriting, and agrees to create two clones in order to balance his professional and family life. The ensuing confusion as a result of the cloning was backed with strong performances from the cast. The science comedy was filled with one-liners and had theatre veteran Y. Gee Mahendran play the protagonist. Cont’d on page 25
June 21, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 25
www.indiapost.com
Shirlyn Prabahar wins Spelling Bee in Bay Area "It is very heartening to see that each year we get fresh faces and new talent which is a continuing testimony to our community's strength in this craft," said Rahul Walia, Founder - South Asian Spelling Bee. In LA, Aditya Mishra from Lin-
tion. All the families should be so proud of the skills these children demonstrated," said Laurel Daring, assistant vice president, Diverse Markets, MetLife. The winners received cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 respectively.
Bay Area Winners: (From L to R) First Runner Up Neel Kovelamudi of San Jose, CA alongside Regional Champ Shirlyn Prabahar of Fremont, CA; Second Runner Up Anwesh Sahu of Fremont, CA with Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee. India Post News Service
FREMONT: The 2013 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee began
its 12 city tour this past weekend with the first two events in Los Angeles and Bay Area. With a huge turnout this year
as well, the bee attracted some top talent as well as young and new spellers that competed for the coveted prizes and titles.
Y Gee Mahendra's 'Venkata 3' in Bay Area Cont’d from page 24
The show was significantly different, because all the actors, except YGM were from Triveni Arts, Chicago. "Generally, I travel with my own cast to stage plays in different countries. Teaming up with a Chicago-based group was an experiment," says Mahendra. The group effectively used teleconferencing and skype-based video calls helped members put the act together. "I was amazed at how the team pulled it off in a very short time," exclaims Mahendra. The proceedings of show is to benefit Akshaya USA and Care for Children. Akshaya is committed to helping the helpless, homeless, sick, elderly, mentally ill and destitute in Madurai, India by providing healthy food, care, and opportunity to rehabilitate in order to
restore human dignity. Akshaya's founder Narayanan Krishnan was recognized as one of the World's Top Ten Heroes of
ners with rural and tribal areas primarily in India and other underdeveloped countries, to establish schools and other educational in-
2010 by CNN. In 2003, he began to serve freshly cooked meals, and has since served over 1.7 million meals as of August 2011. Care for Children, a program of the Art of Living Foundation, part-
frastructure. Uma Venkat and her team, organizers of the show, thanked the audience and sponsors for making the event a grand success and helping for a great cause.
LA Winners: (From L to R) First Runner Up Samruddhi Hande of San Diego, CA alongside Regional Champ Aditya Mishra of Lincoln, CA; Second Runner Up Atharva Patil of Irvine, CA with Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee
coln, CA was the regional champ and Samruddhi Hande from San Diego, CA was the first runner up while Atharva Patil from Irvine, CA was second runner up. In Bay Area, Shirlyn Prabahar from Fremont, CA was the regional champ and Neel Kovelamudi from San Jose, CA was first runner up while Anwesh Sahu from Fremont, CA was second runner up. "MetLife congratulates all of the families who took part in this year's event. We were so pleased to see how many families took part in the LA & Bay Area competi-
Children up to 14 years of age are eligible to participate and the contest saw spellers of even 6 years of age compete and make it past a few rounds. There are 10 more cities on the anvil and for more information and to register your child, please visit www.SouthAsianSpellingBee.com. The top two winners plus one parent each from every city will be given an all expenses paid trip to NJ on August 17 for the FINALS. The contest will be telecast globally on Sony Entertainment Television-ASIA.
Community Across America
26 India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Mashal supports Malala Yousafzai in Bay Area RAS SIDDIQUI
SAN FRANCISCO: Mashal, one of the San Francisco Bay area's premier south-Asian organizations, held a benefit fundraiser at the Dougherty Valley High School in the City of San Ramon on May 11 to assist a Pakistani girl's vision to spread education. An inspiring effort called the "Malala Fund" has been incubated by the Vital Voices Global Partnership to help now international educational icon Malala Yousafzai in spreading female literacy in Pakistan and beyond. According to the Vital Voices website, "The Malala Fund supports education and empowerment of girls in Pakistan and around the world." The focus is on education for girls, something which a few people may take for granted here but without it chances of success even in America are low. A brief background of Malala Yousafzai: She is a Pakistani teenager who recently became the youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. In October, 2012 at the age of fifteen she was shot in the head by extremists in the town of Mingora located in the picturesque valley of Swat, Pakistan (ironically a place of great beauty where honeymooners once used to go). Named after a Pashtun female warrior and poetess, Malala took a very public stand for her right to an education and against the ex-
Mashal Event Organizers & Performers
Malala Yousafzai
tremists in the area who oppose it and blow up girl's schools, often threatening those who want their daughter's to get an education in the region. These extremists could not tolerate her defiance and shot her and two others as they were returning home from school. The bullet went through her head (she is lucky to be alive) and since then she has been treated at various medical facilities, most recently at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. She is currently residing in the United Kingdom still recovering from her injuries and going to school there. On education, she remains as determined as ever in spite
of the challenges created for someone who has been shot in the head. If there is a cause as worthy as
LOS ANGELES: The Council on American-Islamic Relations Greater Los Angeles Area chapter (CAIR-LA) hosted award-winning investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson for a local speaking tour to discuss his new book, "The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism." The tour started on June 7 at an interfaith gathering hosted by Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUJP) in Los Angeles. It continued throughout June 8 before packed mosque venues at the Islamic Institute of Orange County, the Islamic Community Center of Redlands and the Islamic Center of Hawthorne; more than 450 community members attended the tour. One of the foremost exposés on
Emcee for the evening Omar Khan opened the formalities by wishing a "Happy Mother's Day" to the mothers present. May 11was also Election Day in Pakistan and many in attendance including Omar showed their support for the democratic process there.
Asian American women's leadership summit India Post News Service
Congressmen Eric Swalwell addressing Mashal
Hundreds attend speaking tour on FBI entrapment India Post News Service
Malala's one could certainly count on the Mashal organization to take it up. The afternoon started off with a children's parade during which they carried signs showing their solidarity with Malala Yousafzai's vision and encouraging the generosity of potential donors.
FBI counterterrorism strategies, "The Terror Factory" explores a new era of federal law enforcement, in which the bureau actively employs a network of more than 15,000 paid informants, many of whom are tasked with infiltrating
for this high level of investigation," said Aaronson. "Not because they believe those communities are doing something specifically illegal or that they [the FBI] have evidence to suggest that something is going on,
American Muslim communities. "For the first time we have a religious minority that has been selectively targeted by the FBI
but just based on the perception that terrorists are Muslims so there must be terrorists in Muslim communities."
This year's Summit will feature keynote speaker, Anne Shen Smith, President & CEO of Southern California Gas Company. Julia Huang, CEO, inter TREND Communications, inc., and Carol Jue, women's basketball head coach at Chapman University and Chapman's all time winningest women's basketball coach. In addition, workshops and panels on strengthening leadership skills, creating financial abundance,
LOS ANGELES: The Center for Asian Pacific American Women (CAPAW) has announced its biennial National Leadership Summit September 20-21at the Manhattan Beach Marriott. The twoday event, "Purpose, Path and Power: Transforming Your Leadership," is dedicated to strengthening leadership in every aspect of life for Asian American and Pacific Islander women. "The 2013 Summit provides a platform for “Our primary goal is to nurthe Center to redefine ture Asian American, Native and promote leadership for Asian Pacific Ameri- Hawaiian and Pacific can women," said Sum- Islander women and support mit Chair, Linda Yamauchi. "This event their growth and potential offers a chance to hear from a whole person from industry leaders leadership perspective” through insightful keynotes and informative workshops on how to tackle bar- building community, becoming a riers, like the "bamboo ceiling" in stronger business savvy leader, the workplace, while also inspir- living a healthy lifestyle and more. ing new ways to lead, learn and Attendees will have the opportucontribute at work, home, and in nity to learn and practice new leadership skills, network with local the community." "Our primary goal is to nurture and national participants, estabAsian American, Native Hawaiian lish new relationships and celand Pacific Islander women and ebrate the accomplishments and support their growth and poten- contributions of APA women. The Center is a national, nontial from a whole person leadership perspective, as compassionate profit organization dedicated to and ethical leaders through edu- building leadership skills for posication, mentoring, and networking tive social change. Summit sponwith other women." said Rosie sors include State Farm, Edison Nordstrom, Abriam, President of the Center for International, APA Women. "Our model of lead- Walmart, Southwest Airlines and Comcast. ing is with all of who you are."
June 21, 2013
Community Across America
India Post 27
www.indiapost.com
Shirdi Sai Parivaar expanding charitable activities MILPITAS, CA: The primary mission of Shirdi Sai Parivaar (SSP) is to spread Shirdi Sai Baba's philosophy by engaging in charitable and community-based activities. The organization had a humble beginning in January 2002 with less than 30 volunteers and over the years SSP has now grown big with about 500 volunteers and more than 3000 devotees. The permanent facility of Shirdi
rent activities to a larger scale and identify other charitable and community based activities that will benefit the local community here in the bay area and potentially in India too. Devotees can help us by volunteering in charitable activities and community services by offering free language, vocal and instrumental music classes. SSP would also appreciate help from devotees who can help raise funds to reduce SSP's goal is to expand its the mortgage loan to current activities to a larger expand charitable activities and capital scale and identify other projects. charitable activities Devotees interested in more information reSai Center in Milpitas was estab- garding SSP activities, classes or lished in June 2010. The organiza- community services that are oftion thrives completely on selfless fered are requested to send an service offered by the volunteers; email to all activities are managed by vol- saibandhu@shirdisaiparivaar.org unteers, including operations, or call us on (408)-705-7904 or maintenance, finance, and chari- visit our website table services. www.shirdisaiparivaar.org and SSP's goal is to expand its cur- follow us on Facebook.
Following is a summary of SSP activities:
Activities SSP EVENTS • Ramanavami • SSP Anniversary (June 20) • Guru Poornima • Mahasamadhi • New Year Celebrations • Daily four Aratis, • Weekly bhajan satsang • Sai Satyavrata puja • Monthly Shri Sai Satcharita parayan • Akhand Sai Naam Jap • Cultural dance and music programs
CHARITABLE PROGRAMS • Fundraising drive for visually impaired artists from Shree Ramana Maharshi Academy for the Blind, India • Sandwich Seva: Sandwiches delivered to homeless shelter in Sunnyvale & Fremont area • Second Harvest Food Bank Drive: Donate non-perishable food to feed the hungry in Bay Area • Blanket drive for homeless shelters • School supplies/backpack drive for children in need • Fundraising for national and international disasters • Monetary support for other NPOs • 10% of 2013 fundraising event pledged to California school of blind
COMMUNITY SERVICES* • Bone marrow drive • Blood drive • Digitizing text books for visually impaired students • Language classes • Dance classes • Thursday kids activity • Local school beautification • Notary services • Dental check-up • Yoga and many more…. *All classes & services are free of charge
TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Sawaar Loon: Lootera 2 Ghanchakkar Babu: Ghanchakkar 3 Manmarziyan: Lootera 4 Ilahi: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani 5 Tum Tak: Raanjhnaa 28 India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
B
Deewani
ollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is going to become a father for the third time. Media reports suggest that power couple is apparently having a third child through surrogacy. This is a secret and very few people are privy to this news. However, the news has now been leaked out by
7 Allah Meherbaan: Ghanchakkar 8 Raanjhanaa: Raanjhanaa 9 Sunn Raha Hai: Aashiqui 2 10 Tu Mun Shudi: Raanjhnaa
Tamil accent
The baby is a boy and it was Gauri's decision to go in for s u r r o g a c y.
F
media including Zoom TV. According to a source close to King Khan, the baby is a boy and it was Gauri's decision to go in for surrogacy. It is also reported that the couple consulted the same doctor that Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao went to for their baby, Azad, who was given birth by a surrogate mother.
6 Kabira: Yeh Jawaani Hai
Shah Rukh's kids Aryan (15) and Suhana (13) are very excited about the new arrival as they will have a baby brother to play with.
A
Meanwhile, preparations have started in Mannat to welcome the new bundle of joy.
fter being in the business and having been part of some of the most unique experiences as an international actor, Freida Pinto has finally decided to take to the world of social networking. After refraining for so long, Freida has finally created a Facebook page and gotten onto Instagram. "Known to be quite a reticent especially with the media, seeing her actively engage with her fans is nice. She's been lucky to have such diverse experiences which people would love to know about. In addi-
tion, she's one of those people who is more expressive and likes having pictures to support her point of view. "That's why she's chosen a more photo led interactive medium like Instagram and an intensive interaction based forum like Facebook. Her experiences range from attending awards shows to being on film sets to attending high end fashion events, charity based events and concerts," says a source close to Freida. Her spokesperson said she plans on starting her online engagement balancing her life as an actor and her charity work.
Freida online
or his upcoming movie "Chennai Express" Shahrukh Khan is ensuring that everything relating to the movie meets perfection. In the same line he has asked his lead actress Deepika Padukone to learn Tamil so that she could act like a Tamil girl and could speak with Tamil accent. "Deepika is Konkani, so she found it easier to learn the Tamil accent, but Shah Rukh still insisted that she work on it." a source said. Shah Rukh also made the actress watch Tamil movies and listen to Tamil conversation carefully. Deepika confirmed this and said, ""Working with him is always fun and a learning experience. In this movie, he helped me out with my Tamil accent. He showed me Tamil films and made me hear the accent carefully. This is funny because in 'Om Shanti Om', he was the one who would tease me for my Konkani accent". Praising Deepika for her dedication Shah Rukh said, "Deepika is a surprise package, and she is going to outdo her own performances (in this film)."
June 21, 2013
R
Bollywood
India Post 29
www.indiapost.com
anveer Singh and Deepika Padukone alleged love story is going great guns and the duo reportedly had a romantic dinner at a restaurant in Mumbai recently. Ranveer is head over heels in love with his 'Ram Leela' actress and he once expressed his feeling for Deepika in an interview. They tried their level best to keep their meeting a hush-hush affair but paparazzi clicked them as they made their exit from separate doors. Both arrived at Bandra high-end restaurant separately and had a chat over dinner. They looked very comfortable in each other's company and on-lookers could feel the romance brewing in their hearts. An onlooker says, "Ranveer and Deepika were dressed in formal attire and seemed to enjoy their dinner together. But to escape the waiting media outside the restaurant's doors, they hatched a plan to exit separately without being noticed." While Ranveer made an exit through the front door, Dippy apparently made a hasty exit through the back door. Last year also the duo was caught partying in a Dubai restaurant and paparazzi clicked some intimate moments of the duo.
Secret date A
meesha Patel turns into a baddie for her forthcoming film "Shortcut Romeo" and asserts it was challenging for her to play an anti-hero role as it has drained her emotionally and physically. "Anti-hero role is always challenging. Like Shah Rukh Khan's role in 'Baazigar' and 'Darr'. Whenever you break a norm to do something, it is always challenging,"
Ameesha said in an interview. "To not do a typical heroine, to look sophisticated rich woman and beautiful despite being in a negative role is a tough job because you might cross the line and look like a vamp. "So, it was a physically and emotionally tiring film for me to do because of the dangerous dialogues, looks, manipulative eyes - all this I haven't done before," added the 38-yearold.
Vamp debut
Realty Tidbits
RHB to build 15000 houses in all categories JAIPUR: Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) has announced to build 15,000 new houses in all categories for various income groups in the current fiscal year. Houses for weaker section of society, LIG, MIG, and HIG would be built in all districts of the state, holding an annual review meeting of the board, its chairman Parasram Mordiya said. Mordiya directed the officers of circle and block to identify land and make a plan at the earliest so that a new registration scheme be launched in the selected district, an official source said. The said planning came up for adoption as per the state's annual budget of 2013-14, the Chairman said. In another development, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved an additional budget of Rs 100 crore under Urban-BPL (below poverty line) yojna and for which Rajasthan Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited will be a nodal agency, the source said. Under this scheme, Rs 70,000 is given for housing, and Rs 5000 for toilet to BPL member in urban cities. -PTI
Karnataka Gov returns Land Bill passed by BJP BANGALORE: Governor H R Bhardwaj has returned the Karnataka Land Revenue (Second Amendment) Bill, 2012, passed by both the Houses of the legislature in last days of BJP tenure. The legislation was brought by inserting new section 94CC in the act with the intention of regularizing unauthorized occupation of revenue land belonging to government areas with dwelling houses constructed prior to January 1, 2012 by granting the land to unauthorized occupants after payment of small amount of fee. Justifying the decision to return the bill, governor has said "The policy of regularization of encroachment of government land directly encourages illegal occupation of government land. This amendment will cause severe inroads into the lofty principles such as rule of law, equality before law, due to process, majesty of law, dignity of courts, inalienable fundamental rights, directive principles etc, which are enshrined in the constitution," he said. He added that in the larger interest of the public, illegal occupation of government land has to be curbed.
Real Estate 30
India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21 , 2013
Realty firm alleges fraud, police hunt for developer
B
ased on reports by experts in forgery cases, Mahim police are tracing Jitendra Jain, a developer in the western suburbs who, as per a complaint by Vighnaharta Builders, allegedly duped several flat buyers by posing as director of the company. Vighnaharta Builders had registered a police complaint three months ago that Jain, director of Kamla Landmarc Construction, had duped several people by selling flats at a major project they had begun in central Mumbai.
5 frugal ways to expand your living space DAN MIRANDA AND CLAES BELL
R
obinson Crusoe might be able to relate to the plight of the modern homeowner. The sudden drop in housing values over the last few years has left millions of homeowners surrounded on all sides by a massive flood of negative equity. Analytic and business intelligence corporation CoreLogic's negative equity report for 2011's first quarter found 10.9 million, or 22.7 percent, of homes underwater, compared to 11.1 million, or 23.1 percent, in the fourth quarter of 2010. If that drop in underwater mortgages seems odd with home prices still falling, that's where the really bad news comes in. The number of underwater homes has diminished mainly because so many homes have gone into foreclosure. That negative equity maroons homeowners who are unable to pay off their previous mortgage through a sale. Despite having outgrown their living space due to a growing family or changing lifestyle, they've lost the freedom to hunt for a new home. Those homeowners face a
choice. Either they make the most out of their current living space or put their talent, muscle and money to work expanding it. While following these tips isn't likely to make castles out of condos, you'll be surprised at the amount of ex-
specific. If you have a yard with some useless, empty space, you have a perfect opportunity to dramatically increase your living space in a stylish, fun and unique way. "The absolute cheapest and
Do you remember being a poor college student living in a cramped room, perfectly content, using a milk crate as a chair and storage bin? That same mentality can still save you tra square footage available in your home. Go outside Maximizing your living space may require you to think outside of the box. Or home, to be more
easiest addition that you can do is creating an outdoor room," says Vern Yip, HGTV personality and interior designer. According to Yip, almost anything you can find indoors has a counterpart designed
to withstand Mother Nature. This includes drapes, rugs, seating, tables, lighting and even beds that are fade-, mold- and mildew-resistant. Yip recommends installing a premade gazebo in your backyard or outdoor area. These gazebos range in price from $1,700 to $18,220, according to the Gazebo Depot website, and come in a variety of shapes, colors and styles. They feature fabric, waterproof canopies to protect your new room from rain, sun damage and other weather-related problems. They can easily accommodate an entire living room set, and many are portable in case you eventually decide to move out or just want to reposition your outdoor room. Organize and store Do you remember being a poor college student living in a cramped room, perfectly content, using a milk crate as a chair and storage bin? That same mentality can still save you a considerable amount of space as an adult, and you don't have to use something quite as Bohemian as a milk crate. Cont’d on page 31
How can I buy a house to tear it down? STEVE MCLINDEN
Dear Real Estate Adviser, My neighbor is selling his house. I want to buy it and tear it down for the land. Can this be done? How much would it cost for the demolition? And what kind of loan would I need? -Mike H. Dear Mike, It can be done, but the process may be more expensive and bureaucratic than you'd imagine, and you may have to come up with a bulldozer-load o' cash to make your neighbor's house crash. First things first. Depending on where you live, demolition of a 1,500-square-foot house, for example, can range from $5,000 to $20,000 and possibly cost more if
there are environmental issues involved such as asbestos abatement. You'd first be required to send a letter to adjoining neighbors informing them of your plan; if there are objections, that could delay or even scuttle the process. The site must be fenced off and secured for safety and to contain construction dust or sediment. Then there are various city or county permits you'd need to pull and sizable hauling and dumping fees. Utility infrastructure to the house would have to be properly disconnected and ter-
minated at the source. If the house is in a historic district, expect far more red tape. But this issue is possibly bigger: Most mortgage agreements do not allow you to demolish a mortgaged home because you'd be destroying the only security for that loan. So financing could be a real challenge. With some lenders, you might be able to negotiate a deal using other collateral - your hopefully equityladen current house for example or a heavy amount of cash, or a
combination of equity and cash. Your strategy is not totally unheard of. In fact, a Marin County couple recently spent $4 million to buy an estate that blocked their view of the San Francisco skyline and Golden Gate Bridge so they could demolish the place. You should know that zoning regulations could prevent you from eventually constructing, say, only a pool or tennis courts on that separate lot since it's likely zoned for single-family construction only. So to build anything other than a house there, save for a fence, you'd have to get the land rezoned, which could slow the process to a crawl.-Bankrate.com
Real Estate Post
June 21 , 2013
India Post 31
www.indiapost.com
LinkedIn books office space in Bangalore BANGALORE: Californiabased social networking site LinkedIn recently booked 74,341 sq ft of office space in Prestige Technology Park in Bangalore at 43 per sq ft, people familiar with the transaction said, establishing the fact that leading technology firms are investing in additional space in Bangalore. "The new office space in Bangalore will house employees across functions, including customer service, engineering, sales and marketing," said LinkedIn India Country Manager Nishant Rao. The company has taken up space for consolidating its existing offices while the rest will be used for growth. "The new facility can seat 750 people and will be mostly used for expansion. It has also taken into account growth for
three years," said a person having direct knowledge of the transaction. LinkedIn has 150 employ-
ees in India as on December 2012. The transaction was handled by property consultant DTZ. LinkedIn India is headquartered in Mumbai with two offices in Gurgaon and a technology centre in Bangalore, the first outside the
US. Situated at the Bagmane Technology Park, the LinkedIn Technology's R&D centre is its fourth office in the Indian market. The world's largest professional networking site, with over 20 million users in India, has added five million more users in the past 12 months ended March 2013. India, with 100 million Internet users, provides the second largest user base for LinkedIn, after the US, where it has 74 million users. LinkedIn has launched a series of new products to make things easier for users and its premium offerings in India. ING Vysya, HCL
5 frugal ways to expand your living space Cont’d from page 30
One option is furniture that can double as storage such as tables and beds with drawers or ottomans with storage chests hidden inside. Another great way to declutter your home and store things is to get as much as you can off the floor. "The most wasted space in any home is usually the vertical space,"
says Janel Laban, executive editor of home decoration and remodeling website, Apartment Therapy. Installing shelves on your walls requires nothing more than a trip to the hardware store and a quick, simple installation that will give you more floor space. It's also an attractive way to create the appearance of a spacious room. Shelves range in price from $17.79 to $23.68 per linear foot, according to HomeWyse.com's shelving calculator. An even more attractive and creative suggestion from Laban is
to wrap a bookshelf around a window, installing the shelves to the sides and above the window. "It ends up looking like it's built-in when it's really three fairly inexpensive stand-alone shelves," Laban says. Make rooms do double duty Late comedian Mitch Hedberg once quipped, "I bought a house. It's a two-bedroom house, but I think it's up to me how many bedrooms there are, don't you? Real estate lady, this bedroom has an oven in it." W h i l e Bankrate.com doesn't endorse installing kitchen appliances in your bedroom, making rooms serve multiple purposes is a great way to make the most of your living space. Yip says that many rooms don't necessarily need to be used exclusively for their intended purpose. With office electronics such as laptops and printers shrinking every year, that formal dining room you rarely use for dinner has the makings of a perfect home office or study, Yip says. A simple futon, ranging in cost on Amazon.com from $79 to $309 for the frame and $81 to $1,490 for the mattress, can turn your living room into a guest bedroom within
minutes, which in turn could free up a seldom-used extra bedroom for a game room or office. "What are your functional needs? Take a step back and look at your house accordingly," says Yip, who demonstrated a room's versatility by repurposing a garage to double as a child's playroom on his show, "Deserving Design." In the episode, he used heavy-duty porcelain floor tiles, closed storage, and lightweight, easily movable furniture. Build an addition It may not be cheap or easy, but the most permanent, long-lasting way to add real space to a home is a custom-built addition. The first step is to find out whether zoning regulations and rules in your area allow for additions, says Chris Landis, co-owner of Landis Construction in Washington, D.C. Especially in more densely populated areas, any number of legal issues can arise, including height limits, historic neighborhood restrictions and easements. If there are no legal obstacles, the next step is making some basic choices about how much square footage you want and can afford. For a frame of reference, Remodeling Magazine's 2011 Cost vs. Value study found the average cost for a midrange family room addition was $85,740, or about $215 per square foot. Next, start the search for a contractor who will manage the designing, building and finishing for your addition.-Bankrate.com
Technologies BSE 2.79 % and such as JP Morgan, Quintiles, and WABAG are among the compa- Adobe. Private Equity fund Red nies that are extensively using Fort Capital had invested $35 milLinkedIn Talent Solutions to establish an employment brand, de- The 22-acre Prestige Tech velop their career pages Park has three independent and boost their recruiters' ability to identify towers having two wings and connect with the each of an average floor best talent. "Having grown by plot size of 40, 000 sq ft. almost 500% since LinkedIn India started operations in November 2009, the lion ( Rs 157.54 crore) in the tech 20 million members account for park in January 2007. about 9% of LinkedIn's global Typically, leasing of commercial members (225+ million)," said Rao. real estate is a good indicator of a The 22-acre Prestige Tech Park country's business outlook. Achas three independent towers cording to Cushman & Wakefield, having two wings each of an av- office markets in India registered erage floor plot size of 40, 000 sq a downward spiral in absorption ft. It houses some big companies in the first three month of the year.
Online property registration launched in East Delhi NEW DELHI: People in East Delhi can now expect hassle-free registration of properties with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit launching an online system to ensure transparency and offer people a seamless experience. Introducing the new system at Preet Vihar sub-registrar office in East Delhi, Dikshit said her government was determined to rid the registration system of inefficiency and irregularities. The sub-registrar office in Preet Vihar is the fifth such office to have the online property registration system in the city. The facility has already been introduced in sub-registrar offices at Mehrauli, Rohini, Nand Nagri, Kapashera and Basai Darapur. The government plans to introduce the online registration service in all 13 sub-registrar offices by end of this year. "Our government has been able to ensure all-round development of all sections because of trust re-
posed by people in us. People of the city have given us strength to make Delhi one of the best cities in the world," Dikshit said. Revenue Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, Health Minister A K Walia and East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit were also present on the occasion. In her address, Dikshit also
came down heavily on BJP for leveling "baseless allegations" against her government. "No one has been able to raise a finger against my government. The allegations regarding the Commonwealth Games were replied to satisfactorily and the investigating agency could not find any lapse in our functioning," she said.-PTI
„ Health
Line
HCG to expand cancer care network MUMBAI: Bangalore-based HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd (HCG) plans to invest Rs 100 crore in next two years on expansion of cancer care network. "We plan to invest Rs 100 crore by 2015 and add three more hospitals on partnership basis in the first phase. We have Asia's largest cancer care network, with 27 cancer centers, four tertiary care centers and four fertility care centers," Rahul Bajpai, BNH HCG Cancer Center Head, said. The cancer care major had received a fund infusion from the Singapore-based investment company Temasek Holdings. HCG will be investing Rs 40 crore in setting up women's cancer centre - BNH HCG Cancer Center - in association with Dr Balabhai Nanavati Hospital (BNH) in Mumbai, Bajpai said, adding that the company has invested Rs 25 crore in the first phase and going to invest another Rs 15 crore. BNH HCG Cancer Center is equipped with Digital Mammogram & Automated Breast Volume Scanner (ABVS) for early diagnosis of cancer. -PTI
„ UK to bring modern health tech to India NEW DELHI: India and Britain have signed a pact to provide a framework for strategic and technical cooperation between the two countries on evidence informed healthcare policy and practice. The MoU was signed by Department of Health Research (DHR) Secretary V M Katoch and UK-based National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) Excellence chief executive Andrew Dillon in London. The MoU followed the signature of an overarching health agreement between UK and India at the World Health Assembly, Geneva, last month by the health ministers of the two countries. The pact aims at bringing modern health technology to people by encouraging innovations in diagnostics, treatment methods and disease prevention. The aim is to translate the innovations into products and processes by facilitating synergy with other departments. The MoU creates provisions for exchange of institutional expertise and experience in clinical practice guidelines pathways and quality standards.-PTI
Health Science 32
India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21, 2013
Yale doctor's mindfulness training helping smokers Details on Page 34
California expands Medicaid in final budget voting SACRAMENTO, Calif.: The state Legislature has passed a major piece of the federal Affordable Care Act, opting to expand Medicaid to 1.4 million low-income Californians, as it rushed to meet its deadline to complete a state budget for the coming fiscal year. The action came a day after the Legislature passed the main budget bill outlining a $96.3 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that starts in July. The votes were on a handful of targeted bills. They included ones that would provide college scholarships for middle class families, restore grants for those in the welfare-to-work program and dental care for low-income adults, distribute money for school energy projects and strengthen oversight of the California Public Utilities Commission. The centerpiece legislation was the expansion of Medicaid, which is called Medi-Cal in California. Broadening the entitlement program to reduce the number of un-
insured people in the country is one of the cornerstones of President Barack Obama's national health care reforms. Several Democratic lawmakers called the vote historic. ``We don't know for certain that this will contain the costs;
This is a big deal.'' Republicans raised concerns about whether California can afford the expansion over the long run, especially once the federal government drops its commitment from 100 percent to 90 percent. Democrats included a provi-
Sacramento State Capital House
that's certainly the goal. But ... we also make sure that health care is not considered a privilege of the fortunate few but as a basic human right,'' said Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. ``That's what we're implementing today.
sion in the legislation that allows for future lawmakers to reconsider the expansion if the federal government's share drops below 70 percent. Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly called the expansion a
potentially debilitating move for the state's finances. ``We are shackling future legislators to the decisions we are making here today,'' he said. The federal government will pay the full cost of expanding the low-income health program, which is called Medi-Cal in California, for the first three years. It will gradually reduce payments to 90 percent starting in 2020, putting the rest of the cost on the states that adopt the expansion. Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor has estimated that by taking on new enrollees, the state could be responsible for between $300 million and $1.3 billion a year starting in 2020. ``I worry about expectations that we set out for individuals with ACA in California and having the rug pulled out from underneath us without a funding mechanism. Can we as a state handle that financial burden? I'm very concerned about this,'' said Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Rocklin. Cont'd on Page 35
Scientists use math to kill cancer cells TORONTO: Researchers are using advanced mathematical models to engineer viruses that can infect and destroy cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. The technique predicts how different treatments and genetic modifications might allow cancer-killing, oncolytic viruses to overcome the natural defenses that cancer cells use to stave off viral infection. "Oncolytic viruses are special in that they specifically target cancer cells," said Dr Bell, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine. "Unfortunately, cancer is a very complicated and diverse disease, and some viruses work well in some circumstances and
not well in others. "As a result, there has been a lot of effort in trying to modify the viruses to make them safe, so they don't target healthy tissue and yet
are more efficient in eliminating cancer cells," said Bell. Bell and co-author Mads Kaern, an assistant professor in the University of Ottawa's Faculty
of Medicine, led a team that used mathematical modeling to devise strategies for making cancer cells exquisitely sensitive to virus infection - killing them without affecting normal, healthy cells. "By using these mathematical models to predict how viral modifications would actually impact cancer cells and normal cells, we are able to accelerate the pace of research," said Kaern. Bell and Kaern have established a mathematical model that described an infection cycle, including the way a virus replicated, spread and activated cellular de-
fense mechanisms. They used knowledge about key physiological differences between normal cells and cancer cells to identify how modifying the genome of the virus might counter the anti-viral defenses of cancer cells. Model simulations were remarkably accurate, with the identified viral modifications efficiently eradicating cancer in a mouse model of the disease. "What is remarkable is how well we could actually predict the experimental outcome based on computational analysis. This work creates a useful framework for developing similar types of mathematical models in the fight against cancer," said Bell. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. -AP
June 21, 2013
Health Science Post
India Post
33
www.indiapost.com
Contraception plays important role in women's health BOBBY RAMAKANT
Over 222 million women in developing countries, who want to use modern contraception methods, are not able to have access to them. Meeting women's family planning needs would prevent 54 million unplanned pregnancies, 79,000 maternal deaths and 1.1 million infant deaths. There are other savings too, for every USD 1 spent on family planning saves countries USD 4 in areas such as education, healthcare, water and sanitation, said delegates at Women Deliver 2013. Contraception plays an important role in women's health. In India, family planning focuses on permanent methods such as female sterilization (tubectomy), male sterilization (vasectomy) or contraceptive pills, IUDs, condoms, among others; and old evidence-based methods such as SDM get much smaller mention. We have to expand the basket of choices for women and men to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) if possible. Each method has a unique clientele as no one method fits all at all the times. Women and men have their unique needs at different points of their lives and we need to expand the range of options they may choose from. Unmet need of contraception in India is 21.3% and contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) is 54%. Female sterilization was prac-
ticed by 34% but male sterilization practice was limited to only 1%, pills 4%, IUD 2%, condom: 5-6% and other traditional methods 7%. Condom use in India is hovering around 5% over the past decade and failing to increase despite it being an effective multipurpose prevention option for STIs
Results of an efficacy study published in 2002, showed SDM to be more than 95 percent effective with correct use and 88 percent effective with typical use and unintended pregnancies. "It is important to include natural methods that are scientifically tested into the method mix because they can overcome many common barriers to family planning adoption such as fear of side effects and impact on fertility, unwillingness to use a hormonal contraceptive, or religious restrictions. Our experience shows that offering methods such as the Standard Days Method (SDM) opens a doorway for those who are closed to the idea of family planning" said Priya Jha, Country Representative, Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) India. Priya added: "Being a knowledge based
Sugar overload can cause heart damage HOUSTON: Your sweet tooth may be damaging your heart! Eating too much sugar can set people down a pathway to heart failure, a new study has warned. A single small molecule, the glucose metabolite glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), causes stress to the heart that changes the muscle proteins and induces poor pump function leading to heart failure, according to the researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). G6P can accumulate from eating too much starch and/or sugar, researchers said. "Treatment is difficult. Physicians can give diuretics to control the fluid, and betablockers and ACE inhibitors to lower the stress on the heart and allow it to pump more economically," said Heinrich Taegtmeyer, principal investigator and professor of cardiology at the UTHealth Medical School. "But we still have these terrible statistics and no new treatment for the past 20 years," said Taegtmeyer. Taegtmeyer performed preclinical trials in animal s, as well as tests on tissue taken from patients at the Texas Heart Institute, who had a piece of the heart muscle removed in order to
implant a left ventricle assist device. Both led to the discovery of the damage caused by G6P. "When the heart muscle is already
stressed from high blood pressure or other diseases, and then takes in too much glucose, it adds insult to injury," Taegtmeyer said. Researchers said the study has opened doors to possible new treatments. Two drugs, rapamycin (an immunosuppressant) and metformin (a diabetes medication) disrupt signalling of G6P and improved cardiac power in small animal studies, they said. "These drugs have a potential for treatment and this has now cleared a path to future studies with patients," Taegtmeyer said. The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. -PTI
method, the SDM can be offered in innovative ways so as to bypass various barriers to accessibility. From our work in India, we know that the SDM can be offered is multiple ways: through the public health delivery system, by involving social marketing and private sector agencies, and via mobile phones, internet, and even with paper CycleBeads." Results of an efficacy study published in 2002, showed SDM to be more than 95 percent effective with correct use and 88 percent effective with typical use, well within range of other user-dependent methods. SDM is used in over 30 countries. Men support their female partners, women understand their bodies and their fertility better, and couple communication improves with SDM use. Studies have shown that use of SDM has brought in couples who had never used family planning methods before. So may be one of the ways to increase utilization of methods to prevent STIs and unintended pregnancies might be to reduce side effects of new under-development technologies and promote evidence-based methods without any side effects as part of the expanded range of prevention options. "In all these years, we have learnt that making family planning more accessible
would not go very far until we involve men into the efforts. The great thing about a method like the SDM is that it gets men to begin thinking about things like fertility, reproductive health, and their role in planning the size of their family. Now men, too, are being included into the family planning
dialogue" said Priya Jha. Many prevention options to protect against STIs and unintended pregnancies need cooperation of both male and female partners. Since gender based inequalities and discrimination severely jeopardizes access to prevention options for STIs and unintended pregnancies, sensitizing male partners become all the more critical. It also increases couple communication on issues related to family planning and STIs.- CNS
34
India Post
Health Science Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Yale doctor's mindfulness training helping smokers NEW HAVEN, Conn.: A Yale doctor's research into a technique called mindfulness training and how it can help smokers quit is now available as an app. Craving to Quit, an app for iPad or iPhone, was developed by goBlue Labs, based at 5 Science Park. The company was founded by Dr. Judson Brewer, medical director of the Yale Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic. Mindfulness, a technique rooted in Buddhism and other traditions, proved effective in a smoking-cessation study Brewer conducted in 2009. In Brewer's four-week study, 88 smokers with an average age of 46, smoking a pack a day, used either mindfulness training or the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking program. At the end of treatment, 36 percent of the group that learned mindfulness training had quit versus 15 percent using FFS. After 17 weeks, the success rate was 31 percent vs. 6 percent. The results were published online in July 2011 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The app, developed from Brewer's research, is a three-week, self-directed program that teaches users how to become more aware of themselves and their environment in the moment, and to apply that to the act of smoking and its effects. It is ``a pretty accurate
translation of the manualized program that Jud delivered live in groups,'' said Socheata Poeuv, CEO of goBlue Labs. Learning mindfulness is difficult, because the brain resists it. While practicing the technique,
you are simply noticing the world from a detached point of view, not pushing thoughts away or dwelling on them, but letting them pass through. The narrator on the app, which sells for $49.99 in the Apple App Store, quotes Jon KabatZinn, as saying, ``Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.'' Brewer calls it ``getting out of their own way.'' When practicing mindfulness on a craving, ``It's a very physical experience,'' said Mahri Leonard-
Fleckman, an expert in mindfulness and, incidentally, Brewer's fiancĂŠe. ``You experience it in your body, usually in your gut. . It's sort of a subtle clenching in the gut.'' Michelle Morgan, 33, of New Haven, quit smoking Jan. 20, 2011, as part of Brewer's study. She had been a pack-a-day smoker for 20 years. ``It made me a little emotional for a while,'' she said of the mindfulness techniques. ``I found myself wanting to connect with people in a different way'' because she was so present in the moment. ``You actually have to face the cravings and deal with them instead of ignoring or wishing them away,'' Morgan said of the technique, which she said she rarely practices now. ``You just kind of have to accept that it's there and wrangle with it a little bit.'' The trick is to feel the craving but not to pay attention to it, so that it dies out on its own. One animation in the Craving to Quit app shows a toddler, who represents a craving, screaming for a lollipop. Rather than trying to stop the toddler from crying, or mollifying him with a lollipop, the
trick is to let the toddler scream himself out, until he stops. Leonard-Fleckman said that once you understand what the craving is, if you're ``stuck on something or trapped in a thought, it's like holding a hot coal.'' As the narrator in the app explains, you naturally drop a hot coal because it's burning you, and you begin to realize that smoking is like that hot coal, causing pain while giving nothing positive in return. ``Having a craving to smoke is another subtle form of suffering,'' she said. On the other hand, true mindfulness is ``just a very open feeling. It's peaceful. Your mind's not wandering if you're just being there watching the world then that is a form of meditation,'' said Leonard-Fleckman. Each day of Craving to Quit offers tips on breaking the ``habit loop'' that cravings cause, doing a body scan to notice how your body feels and using techniques like RAIN: recognize the craving, accept it, investigate it from a detached place and noting the experience until the craving, coming in like it's riding a surfboard, crashes on the beach. There's even an exercise in which the smoker focuses on the act in a mindful way: ``Hold it in your hand, feel the texture the weight of the cigarette. Look closely at all of the paper, the col-
ors, the speckles, the tobacco on one end and the filter on the other. Smell the cigarette. What does it smell like?'' At the end, the narrator asks, ``Is this how you normally smoke a cigarette? When you really start paying attention to what you're
Brewer said the method doesn't ``rub it in their face. . They have to actually see what they're getting. . It's harder for them to deny what they' re doing. doing, you can see much more clearly what you're actually getting from it. It might not be as good as you think it is.'' Brewer said the method doesn't ``rub it in their face. . They have to actually see what they're getting. . It's harder for them to deny what they're doing. It's harder for them to delude themselves.'' Brewer has begun to use neuro-feedback to see how mindfulness affects the brain. He can see how a region of the brain, the posterior cingulate cortex, is activated by cravings and how it quiets when the craving leaves.-AP
Medical examiner resigns 3.6mn adults in Malaysia affected by diabetes in wake of motel death CHARLOTTE, N.C.: A North Carolina medical examiner has resigned after investigators found out that he knew carbon monoxide killed a couple in a Boone motel a week before an 11-year-old boy died in the same room. The Charlotte Observer reported that Watauga County medical examiner Dr. Brent Hall had resigned. Toxicology tests completed June 1 by the Office of the State Medical Examiner showed lethal levels of carbon monoxide in the blood of Shirley Mae Jenkins, 72. She and her husband, Daryl Jenkins, 73, a Longview, Wash., couple, were found dead on April 16 at Best Western Plus Blue Ridge Plaza. Hall failed to share those test results with local health officials who could have shut down the motel. Jeffrey Williams of Rock Hill,
S.C., died in Room 225 the following week. Investigators later determined an improperly ventilated pool heater located a floor below the room was the source of the gas.
cials are reviewing how the cases were handled. Diaz said Hall failed to make the state aware that officials needed to act urgently. Documents show that Hall requested the toxicology tests on the couple and Investigators later deterwrote that the probable mined an improperly venti- cause of death might be an lated pool heater located overdose. Hall did not return phone a floor below the room calls or respond to emails was the source of the gas. seeking comment. He is among more than 400 stateExperts say medical examiners appointed medical examiners who should warn police and fire offi- are paid $100 per investigation. cials immediately after toxicology Darrell Williams, the uncle of tests show someone could have Jeffrey Williams, said that he is died from carbon monoxide to pre- angry the hotel was allowed to vent future deaths. continue renting the room when Ricky Diaz, a spokesman for the state knew it might be dangerthe N.C. Department of Health ous. He said the medical and Human Services, which over- examiner's office had an obligation sees the N.C. Office of the Chief to warn authorities about the Medical Examiner, said state offi- threat.-AP
KUALA LUMPUR: At least 3.6 million adults are estimated to be affected by diabetes in Malaysia, making this country the top in ASEAN and sixth in the western pacific region in terms of number of diabetics, according to an expert here. This was a worrying trend and not an achievement to be proud of, Obesity Prevention Council president Jong Koi Chong said during the 4th National Diabetes Conference here. The most recent study in 2011 showed 15.2 per cent adults in Malaysia had diabetes, almost double the figure of 8.6 per cent in 2006, Jong said. A major regional grouping, the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as its members. Another health expert Ikram Shah said Malaysia had surpassed the World H e a l t h Organization's estimation of 807,000 diabetics by 2025. Blindness, kidney failure, gangrene and heart disease were complications that could be prevented by making better choices, he said. "Small changes in our lifestyle make a big difference. We should walk more, take the stairs instead of the elevator and avoid fatty foods, especially late at night," he was quoted by national Bernama news agency as saying. -PTI
June 21, 2013
Health Science Post
India Post 35
www.indiapost.com
California expands Medicaid in final budget voting Cont'd from Page 32
get, their deadline to send a balanced budget to the governor. Buoyed by supermajorities in both chambers and better-than-anticipated tax revenue, Democratic lawmakers have been able to restore some of the money that was slashed during the recession for mental health treatment, health care for the poor and higher education. Those partial restorations were possible even as they stuck to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown's more-conservative revenue projections. Republicans were largely excluded from the budget negotiations and blasted the Democratic agreement as too costly given California's debts, including tens of billions of dollars in unfunded public employee pension and retiree health care liabilities.
Democrats said the expansion would help save lives, keep workers healthy and attract billions of dollars from the federal government into the state. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, noted that taxpayers and those who have health insurance already are paying for the medical care of those who currently go without insurance. The Medicaid expansion will cover many of those people who now receive uncompensated care, he said. While the Affordable Care Act has led to deep partisan divisions across the country, the bills that passed had a sliver of bipartisan support. Katcho Achadjian of San Luis Obispo was the lone Republican to support the expansion when it passed the Assembly on a 55-24 vote, while two Republicans, Joel Anderson of San Diego and Under the spending plan, K-12 Anthony J. Cannella of Ceres, school districts will receive more joined Democrats in passing the legislation 28-8 in the Sen- money, particularly those with high levels of students who come from ate. Anderson, vice chairman low-income families, who are not of the Senate Health Committee, said he felt obligated to proficient in English make the health care reforms work in California but also had pressed ``It's a compromise between the people for a provision that would allow the state who want to spend a little more and the to back out of the Medicaid expansion if people who want to spend a lot more,'' said the federal government reduces support Assemblyman Brian Jones, R-Santee. in the future. Under the spending plan, K-12 school ``I spent the last two years fighting it, districts will receive more money, particubut the Supreme Court has ruled, the presilarly those with high levels of students dent is still the president, it's the law of who come from low-income families, who the land. So it's incumbent upon me to are not proficient in English or who are implement it in the best interest of all Califoster children. Districts also will have fornians,'' he told The Associated Press more control over how they spend state in an interview after the vote. aid. Anderson acknowledged that politics Among the pending bills is a measure can sometimes make strange bedfellows. to distribute $1.2 billion in one-time money ``I opposed it for two years,'' he said. to help districts implement a set of new ``Now I'm a champion trying to ensure that academic standards intended to better preit has a fighting chance for survival.'' pare students for college. The Medi-Cal vote came a day after the Another measure would set aside $305 Legislature passed the main bill to enact million annually for college scholarships California's $96.3 billion spending plan for for students whose families make less than the fiscal year that starts July 1. Lawmak$150,000 a year. The so-called middle class ers were approving so-called trailer bills scholarships would be available starting that implement certain parts of the budin the 2014 academic year. -AP
Missouri University healthcare to reduce staff COLUMBIA, Mo.: University of Missouri Health Care will lay off or cut the hours and pay for 35 employees and eliminate 90 unfilled jobs in the coming year. MU Health Care spokeswoman Mary Jenkins told The Columbia Daily Tribune the job losses are due to cuts in federal health care payments from Medicare and the failure of legislators to expand Medicaid eligibility. She says many of the 90 jobs that will
be eliminated have been unfilled for most of the past year. Hospitals are facing cuts because of federal budget cuts that trimmed 2 percent from Medicare payments. The 2010 Affordable Care Act included more cuts to Medicare and cut a program that provides support to hospitals that care for poorer populations. MU Health employs 5,200 workers, not including medical staff. -AP
VA hospital adds 30 to mental health staff JACKSON, Miss.: The G.V. ``Sonny'' Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Jackson has added 30 new mental health professionals. President Barack Obama has set a goal of adding 1,600 providers in the nation's 152 VA medical centers. Jackson VA Medical Center Director Joe Battle says in a statement that the hirings include four marriage and family therapists and three licensed professional counse-
lors. Both fields are new at the Jackson VA. The Department of Veterans Affairs has put an increased focus on mental health services for veterans over the last few years. The VA set a goal of 14 days for patients to wait for a mental health appointment. The average wait for Jackson's center was slightly more than 20 days, according to VA figures from the first six months of FY 2011. -AP
Boulder beach reopens after water tests BOULDER, Colo.: The swim beach at Boulder Reservoir is back open following a two-day closure put in place after tests revealed elevated levels of E. coli bacteria in the water. Boulder Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Jennifer Bray told The Daily Camera the beach was closed for three days. She says the water must be tested every seven days.
It's unclear what caused the E. coli spike, but the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says on its website that bacteria can originate from runoff, malfunctioning septic systems or waste from other swimmers, pets or birds. The beach was closed for six days in a row last summer because of heightened bacteria levels attributed to animal waste that had washed into the water. -AP
Datebook
36 India Post
NEW JERSEY Upcoming
NEW YORK Upcoming
Fri June 21
Sut, June 22
Venue: Katha & Kalash Mahotsav, NJ - Invitation from June 21-29th, 2013?, 130 Hwy 10, East Hanover, NJ 07936 Time: 5:30 pm Contact: 973-819-8189
Venue: Cunningham Park, Fresh Meadows, New York, 196 Union Turnpike, New York, NY 11366 Time: 7:00 am Contact: 2012204490
Sun June 23
Sut, June 22
Venue: Raritan Valley Community College Edward Nash Auditorium, 118 Lamington Rd, Branchburg, NJ 08876 Time: 4:00 pm Contact: 848-219-9118
Venue:Chhandayan Center for Indian Music, 4 W 43rd St, New York, NY 10036 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 212-302-0720
Fri June 28
• Ajmad Sabri Qawali Night
• Shri Krishna Madhura Sathvaro Shri Radhe Shyamno Dhwitiya
Venue: Edison Hotel, 3050 Woodbridge Ave, Edison, NJ 08837 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 732-277-6687
Venue: Hindu Temple Auditorium -NY, 143 - 09 Holly Avenue, New York, NY 11355 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 718-639-9200
• Asian American Fair 2013
• Dr K.J.Yesudas Live In Concert
• CRY Cricket Tournament
• Sri Sanjoy Banerjee and Samir Chatterjee Live In Concert
Fri, June 28
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Upcoming
Upcoming
Fri, June 21 • Quarterly Mata Ki Chauki Venue: Pasadena Hindu Temple, Pasadena, 676 S Rosemead Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107 Time: 6:30 pm Contact: 626-795-5539
Sat, June 22 • Elements - Crossing Boundaries
Venue: Woodside Performing Arts Center, 199 Churchill Ave, Woodside, CA 94062 Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 408-982-7266
Sat, June 22 • Official Desi Summer Party Venue: Ultrasuede Hollywood, 661 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 858-610-7388
Sun, June 23 • Mrudula Desai Concert Venue: Hoover Middle School Auditorium, 3501 East Country Club Dr., Lakewood, CA 90712 Time: 6:30 pm Contact: 310-753-8990
Wed, June 26 • Yoga Meditation Pranayama-1 Venue: Hindu University of America 113 N Econlockhatchee trail, Orlando Florida 32825 Time: 6:30 to 8:00 pm website: shreedbj@hotmail.com,
Thu, June 27 • Yoga Meditation Pranayama-2 Venue: Hindu University of America 113 N Econlockhatchee trail, Orlando Florida 32825 Time: 6:30 to 8:00 pm website: shreedbj@hotmail.com,
Fri, jun 21
• Meet and Greet With Kapil Dev and Aparna Sen Venue: San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 1740 N 1st St, San Jose, CA 95112 Time: 6:00pm Contact: 408-507-5889
Sun, June 24-August 8 • Ohlone for Kids (and Teens) Summer Enrichment Program Venue: Office of College Advancement Ohlone College Contact: 510-742-2304
ATLANTA Upcoming Sun, June 22
• Atlanta Desi Summer Mela 2013 Venue: Berkmar High School Main Gym, 405 Pleasant Hill Rd, Lilburn, GA 30047 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 678 508 5050
Sun, June 23
• Shankar Ehsaan Loy Live Concert In Atlanta Venue: Cobb Energy Performing Art Center Center, 800 Galleria Pkwy SE, Atlanta, GA 30339 Time: 6:00pm Contact: 404-576-8909
Sun, June 30
•Tama Fund Raising Musical Venue: The Ferst Center of Arts, 349 Ferst Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 Time: 2:00pm Contact: 404-946-8262
Sun, Jul 23
•Singing Sensation 2013 Venue: mpact Conference Center, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, GA 30071 Time: 3:00pm Contact: 678-463-6613
ILLINOIS Upcoming • J K Yog Satsang and Bal Mukund Hindi Classes are held every 2nd and 4rth Sunday of Month Chicago Satsang Information: J K Yog, Chicago - Swami Mukundananda Venue: Clarion Inn/Waterford Banquets, Board Room, 933 South Riverside Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126 Time: 3:30pm-5:30pm Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807 Website: www.jkyog.org
1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807 Website: www.jkyog.org/bal-mukund
June 28-30 • Purusha-Suktam A Week-end Retreat with Swami Brahmarupananda Venue: Vivekananda Monastery & Retreat 6723 122nd Ave., Ganges, MI 49408 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: (269) 543-4545
Sun, June 30 • Pij Picnic 2013 Venue: Deer Grove East Forest Preserve, Palatine, Quintin & Dundee, Palatine, IL 60305 Time: 9:00am Contact: 6309267110
India Post 37
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
New York (Hicksville)
AIRWING TRAVELS INC.
Tel: (516) 931 4600
SEEMA WORLD TRAVEL, INC. One of the Oldest Travel Agencies in St. Louis
Competitive Rates & Confirmed Seats for All Major Airlines 10635 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132
Tel: (314) 423-9990 or (800) 55 SEEMA
Est. 1991 Toll Free: (866) 532 3413
New Jersey (Iselin)
Tel: (732) 658 5450
Lowest Fares / Confirmed Seats to INDIA & Other Destinations Worldwide Save upto 40% on First and Business Class OPEN 7 DAYS - Call or Email : AIRWINGTRAVELS@GMAIL.COM
NEWS on your desktop
Fax: (314) 423-0391 www.indiapost.com
38
India Post www.indiapost.com
SKY WORLD TRAVEL 1-888-695-0005
CONSOLIDATORS (INTL. & DOMESTIC) : 3HWHUVRQ 6WH &KLFDJR ,/
SPECIAL LOW FARES TO BOMBAY, DELHI, MADRAS, CALCUTTA, DHAKA, KARACHI, LAHORE etc. Tel: 773-728-9071 773-315-8597
E-mail us at: skyworldtravels@hotmail.com
FOR ALL YOUR
MATCHLESS EXPRESS TOURS 2600 W. Peterson Ave., Suite 105 Chicago IL 60659 Experienced Travel Consultants Pasport and Visa Services available * Confirmed seats (Even in High season) * Low Airfares * Courteous Service 2240-42 West Devon Chicago IL 60659 Ph# 773-338-4080 Fax# 773-338-4088
Call and Contact
Tel. (773) 338 6260
TRAVEL NEEDS INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC AIR INDIA AND ALL OTHER MAJOR AIRLINES. PACKAGE DEAL TAJ TOUR-SOTC
CALL:
Sita Ram Patel @ 847-568-0535
June 21, 2013
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post 39
40
India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21, 2013
Pics Preeti Verma Lal
BUDDHA LAY THERE. PEACEFUL AS USUAL. I WAS NOT IN THE HIMALAYAS. I WAS IN PORTAVENTURA, A THEME PARK THAT SITS VERY CLOSE TO BARCELONA, SPAIN. SHAMBALA IS PORTAVENTURA'S BIGGEST SUCCESS
A
PREETI VERMA LAL
mong the ancient myths of Himalayas appears a lost paradise surrounded by impregnable mountains. This land was described as a heart of happiness and eternal youth. It is a hidden world which seems difficult to access. It is like mirages, it is there, it's not. In his novel, the spiritual novelist Nikolai Roerich speaks of Agharti, name of the Buddhist underground paradise as a seat of the king of the world. According to Roerich, this place was connected to every continent through a secret passage. This place was called Shambala". I stood by the colossal leaning Buddha and imagined Shambala, the paradise. No, I was not in a monastery. Tugged in a heart of a mountain. I was not in a Buddha valley either. But Buddha lay there. Peaceful as usual. There was immense clamor around me - the giggles of bumbling kids on a teacup coaster, the adventurous teens screaming their heart out on Europe's longest rollercaster and the noise of a thunderous waterfall. You wouldn't expect this much hollering in Himalayas. Well, you are right. I was not in the Himalayas. I was in PortAventura, a theme park that sits very close to Barcelona, Spain. Shambala is PortAventura's biggest success. Cont’d on page 41
June 21, 2013
Travel & Hospitality Post
India Post
41
www.indiapost.com
Carlson Rezidor to open 38 hotels in India by 2015 MUMBAI: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is planning to add 38 new hotels in India and increase employee strength by over 9,000 by 2015. "We are aspiring to have 100 hotels in India by 2015, and currently we have 62 hotels in operation," K B Kachru, Executive Vice President of South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, told PTI. There are more than 5,000 rooms, a part of the expansion scheme, under development, he said. Currently, the company is mostly looking for management contract in the country. However, the hospitality group expects to have an equal number of properties under the franchise and management contract models by 2015. This expansion will mainly be
in major gateway cities and up-and-coming leisure destinations, he said. "We are fortunate to have brands catering to a wide range of market segments.... We hope to further establish our presence and extend our network of hotels to locations where our customers want to be, in major gateway cities and up-and-coming leisure destinations." At present the group has more than 14,000 employees across 62 hotels in India. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has four hospitality brands in India: Radisson Blu, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites
Buddha in Spain's Theme Park Cont’d from page 40
In PortAventura, the imaginary kingdom, the paradise between heaven and earth, has been recreated. There's a large sculpted Buddha and Buddhist monks sitting
with alms bowl in their hands. The entrance has Buddhist motifs and Roerich's story has been cast in stone. Honestly, I was surprised to find Buddha in a theme park that had 8 million visitors in 2012. But if one goes by success rate, Shambala is the most important
model in the theme park. Shambala was recognized with the 'Kirmes & Parks' award for best attraction of the year, and the 'World of Parks' award for the best novelty of the year. In its first eight months, Shambala which has Europe's tallest roller coaster (76 meters), roller coaster with the largest fall (78 meters) and the fastest hypercoaster (touches a speed of 134 kmph), had 1.7 million visitors. Roller coasters are not my idea of fun. Or, a high. In PortAventura, I stood by the Buddha. And beseeched him for peace. My prayers were probably drowned in the ballyhoo of a theme park. But I know Buddha listens. Even in a theme park called PortAventura.
by Carlson and Park Inn by Radisson. "The anticipated hiring over
staggered period depends on hotels' opening dates from now to 2015. We estimate a requirement
of over 9,000 employees as we continue to progress towards our Ambition 2015, where we aspire to have 100 operating hotels in South Asia," he said. When asked if the group is planning to bring its Hotel Missoni brand to India, Kachru said they will continue to explore opportunities. "Globally, we have six brands, of which all are represented in India except Hotel Missoni. We will keep exploring opportunities to establish Hotel Missoni in India. However, it has to be the right fit for the brand in terms of product and location," he said. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, headquartered in the US, has more than 1,300 hotels around the world. -PTI
42
India Post
Travel & Hospitality Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Hyatt Hotel to bring all its global brands in India in 3yrs NEW DELHI: International hospitality chain Hyatt Hotel Corporation will bring all of its seven brands in India in the next three years to increase footprint here. The chain that had entered India with Hyatt Regency in Delhi 30 years ago, will open three new hotels in India this year that will take its total room capacity to 5,300. It is targeting not only the metros but also "high growth tier II and II cities and upcoming resort and leisure destinations" for its growth in the country. "India is one of the primary focus markets for Hyatt globally, along with the US and China. We plan to introduce all our brands in India in the next three years and are constantly looking for opportunities to increase our footprint through organic growth and conversions," Hyatt Hotel Corporation Vice-President (Development) Dhruva Rathore told PTI in an emailed interview.
Globally, the hospitality chain runs hotels and resorts under the Hyatt, Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands. In India it has properties operating under four brands, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, and Hyatt Place. "We currently have 17 operational hotels in India with more than 4,900 keys. Our planned openings this year will make this 20 hotels with over than 5,300 keys," he said. The firm will open Hyatt Regency Ludhiana by the end of this year.
"Other scheduled openings in this period are Hyatt Raipur and Hyatt Place Pune Hinjewadi,"
brand, has plans to open more properties under the brand in the country.
Rathore added. The company, which had recently opened a new property at Gurgaon under the Hyatt Regency
"Apart from our six operational Hyatt Regency hotels, we are committed to another 15 under development in India," Rathore said
without sharing a timeline. Overall, it has over 50 ongoing projects in India across the seven different brands which would come up in due course of time in future. When asked about the locations for future expansion in India, he said: "Hyatt's development vision is to open hotels where our customers are traveling for business and for leisure. We have identified opportunities in specific markets which, apart from the metros, tier I cities, also include high growth tier II and III cities and upcoming resort/leisure destinations." On the investment front for the expansion, Rathore did not share a specific number saying, "We are primarily a hotel management company and all our hotels under development in India will be operated by us under management contracts with diverse owning companies." -PTI
Delhi most favored for food and drinks NEW DELHI: The national capital has been chosen as the best destination in the country for food and drink by a travel magazine. The selection was made by Lonely Planet Magazine for the current year. "The best destination for food and drink award is an extremely prestigious award for Delhi and we are very happy about it," said Manish Chatrath, Chairman of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) which is a Delhi government entity. The Lonely Planet Magazine invited the country's elite travelers to choose their favorite destinations and most favored travel experiences. The awards were short listed by a panel of travel experts and professionals. -PTI
June 21, 2013
Travel & Hospitality Post
India Post
43
www.indiapost.com
India Tourism promotion event held in Kuwait DUBAI: India has organized a tourism road show in Kuwait highlighting its tourist destinations to attract Gulf travelers and promote tourism in the country. The 'Incredible India' show, organized by Indian embassy in Kuwait in association with the Indian tourism ministry, was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta on June 11 in Kuwait. Air India, Jet Airways, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways and Oman Air, which are operating flights to India from Kuwait also took part in the promotional event which was attended by more than 90 representatives from tour and travel agencies, medical tourism, hotel groups and media fraternity of Kuwait. A Business to Business session was held before the main event followed by presentation from Sudhir Kumar, Assistant Director, India Tourism Dubai. Kumar said over 6.65 million foreign tourists visited India in 2012. Indian envoy Mehta spoke of the India-Kuwait bilateral relations and said that earlier the travel by people of the two countries was driven by necessity such as trade, work, education and medical treatment but now we would like to add tourism as a new dimension to this
Pune's 'green' film festival to travel to 28 cities PUNE: As part of a green initiative, a film festival conceived here to develop awareness about environment will travel to as many as 28 cities spread across six states in the country. "Kirloskar Vasundhara International Festival", which was confined to the city for the last seven years, screening world famous films and documentaries on environ-
mental issues, has been receiving invitations from various groups based in a large number of cities and towns, working for the cause, according to Virendra Chitrav, director of the festival. Set to start its outside run from droughtprone city of Solapur in Western Maharashtra on July 18, with a theme "Conserve water and safeguard future", the fes-
tival, which is to feature 40 films from 15 countries, will be screening films to reflect the regional environmental problems with a view to directing a possible solution. "Our unit will be organizing allied activities along the way like holding workshops to facilitate interactions with various social groups as well as common people to highlight the environmental issues and concerns," said Chitrav. Describing the festival, jointly sponsored by various NGOs and Kirloskar Group, as one of the biggest event of its kind in the country conceptualized to create environmental awareness, he said a salient feature of the program will be honoring of green activists residing in different cities with "Vasundhara Mitra" award to acknowledge their work. "The screening of the films, documentaries and animated features made by world renowned directors to send across the message of environment preservation will be free. People coming for the shows will be required to sign a 'green pledge'", said Chitrav, who has been associated with a classical cinema movement called "Aashay" in the city. The festival was becoming a vibrant movement with registration of over 5,000 delegates from the destination cities to which it will be traveling till January, he said.-PTI
relationship. Presentations were made by Vythiri Village, a five star resort in northern Kerala, Punarnava Ayurvedic hospital with a resort facility, RP Group of hotels. Mohd Ashraf of Vythiri Village in his presentation mentioned about the facilities they offer in Kerala. Dr Ajumal of Punarnava, an Ayurvedic treatment centre and resort talked about their four centers in Cochin and the wide range of medical facilities offered by them. Shone Abdul Hakeem of RP Group gave presentation about five star hotel facilities and resorts offered by his group. A variety of Indian handicrafts were also put on display by Indian Heritage, Kuwait. -PTI
44
Travel & Hospitality Post
India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
3 students to make documentary about trip CHARLES TOWN, W.Va.: Alden Roth has a different way of looking at the world, and he's planning to use part of the summer to create a documentary to share that vision with others. That's because Roth, a Washington High graduate, will soon begin a cross-country trip with two friends - fellow sophomores Dan Helbling and Mike Cooknick - who also attend Point Park University
in Pittsburgh and are majoring in cinema production. The trio's goal is to film their trip - which is slated to include various national parks, regional sites and local people - to California and back. Overall, they plan to cover 22 states and already have 43 destinations in mind during the roughly 30-day adventure, he said. As a group, the three friends will leave Pittsburgh on June 23
and plan to return there by July 24, Roth said. Part of the purpose is to show others that it is still possible to get out and enjoy nature, as well as other people and places, without being tied to technology, he said. ``This is not your average road trip. We will be leaving modern amenities behind and bringing only one backpack per person. We will be camping in the wilderness in order to experience nature at its fullest,'' Roth said. ``Our goal is to inspire our peers and our generation to do the same. We see the images and hear the stories of our elders traveling west on journeys of discovery, but we feel this is now a forgotten art,'' he said. Thanks to this philosophy, Roth and his friends will only Alden Roth stands at a crest during his road trip in Badlands National Park at sunset be taking some bare necessities - items needed to make shooting a If You are looking For the BEST & the MOST AUTHENTIC VEGETARIAN documentary possible - along on RESTAURANT IN TOWNCome to One and Only One Place the trip. ``We want to show others that the world is still brimming with excitement and possibilities that can only be found unplugged and
From left to right are Dan Helbling, Alden Roth and Mike Cooknick at the water feature at PNC Park in Pittsburgh
offline,'' Roth said. ``So that our journey may be an inspiration to others, we are bringing our cameras and cinema skills along for the ride, shooting a feature-length documentary of this experience,'' he said. Months of planning have already gone into this trip, including having raised approximately $7,100 to be used to help offset costs associated with camping and camera equipment, Roth said. Fundraising has been a positive experience since people donated online after learning about the trip and wanted to help support this effort, he said. No stranger to road trips, last summer Roth and two other friends spent 11 days on a ``mountaineering'' adventure which allowed them to access the highest peaks whether in a car or on foot - in each state visited. After leaving Pittsburgh, the trio will head to Fairmont before going west to Chicago. They will
Publicly Acclaimed Top Vegetarian Restaurant Serving NORTH INDIAN • SOUTH INDIAN • GUJARATI • JAIN DISHES
TASTE OUR 30 PLUSE MOUTH WATERING DISHES ONCE YOU COME TO US YOU WILL NOT ELSEWHERE THAT IS OUR GUARANTEE
2508 W. Devon Ave.Chicago, IL 60659
Tel:(773) 274-5800 Fax: (773) 262-4465 E-mail: aryabhavan@aol.com www.aryabhavan.com
CATERING IS OUR SPECIALITY
IndiGo introduces daily Mumbai-Muscat flights DUBAI: IndiGo airlines has introduced new daily non-stop flights connecting Oman's capital Muscat to Mumbai. The service is expected to strengthen the airline's presence
in the Gulf, where it caters to a large number of Indians, the airline said. At present, IndiGo operates over 17 flights between India and
the Gulf. "There are strong trade and tourism ties between Oman and India and travelers have requirements of low fares by an Indian airline. We are absolutely delighted to announce the new daily and direct flight between Oman and India, and specifically between Muscat a n d Mumbai," said Aditya Ghosh, President of IndiGo in a statement. "Expanding operations on these routes are in line with our growth strategy outlined for Oman," he added. -PTI
also visit 11 national parks including Yellowstone, Badlands and Death Valley, Roth said. In the west, they will spend a day at Big Sur as well as see the redwoods and visit San Francisco before heading home on a southern route, Roth said. ``I love to travel and meet new people as well as be outside - hiking and rock climbing. Plus I've always wanted to try surfing and now I'll have a day at Big Sur to do just that,'' he said. Roth said the ultimate goal of producing a documentary will take time, but he hopes it will be completed by early 2014. ``I know a lot of kids my age are very interested in the trip and tell me, `I wish I could do something like that.' And that's the point of the film _ letting people know that they can. Our film is intended to raise awareness about the pure and simple joys of the outdoors, and how easy it is to get to them,'' he said. -AP
Ohio City mobilizing against graffiti problem TOLEDO, Ohio: One of Ohio's big cities has come up with a new way to clean up its image. Toledo's mayor showed off a new mobile graffiti fighting crew. Workers travel the city in a brightly painted van equipped with a power washer and a supply of cleaning chemicals to combat graffiti. Mayor Mike Bell says graffiti markings make the city look bad and that it's important to clean them up. The Blade newspaper in Toledo reports that the graffiti crew is being funded by federal grant as well as private donations from SherwinWilliams Co. and Kuhlman Corp. City leaders say the graffiti cleanup crew will spend the summer driving around Toledo looking for graffiti to wipe out. -AP
In Brief Cities asked to stop using agent interpreters BELLINGHAM, Wash.: A farmworker rights organization is asking that three cities in northwest Washington stop using Border Patrol agents as interpreters when Hispanic residents call police to report crimes. The Bellingham Herald reports that attorney Daniel Ford of Columbia Legal Services complained about the practice in Lynden, Blaine and Sumas in a letter to the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security. He sent it on behalf of Community to Community Development, a farmworker rights group based in Bellingham. Angelica Villa, a Community to Community activist who has been a farmworker, said immigration officers don't restrict themselves to language services when local police call them in, but also ask about immigration status. -AP
Judge orders release of records after Globe action BOSTON: A federal judge has ordered Homeland Security officials to release certain immigration records following a newspaper's 2012 lawsuit. The Boston Globe was seeking names of ``convicted criminal aliens'' who were not deported after completing their sentences because their homelands wouldn't take them back. A 2001 Supreme Court decision says people who are set for deportation can't be detained more than six months when their removal isn't likely in the near future. The government argued against the release of thousands of names, saying it would be a privacy invasion. -AP
Ad praises Ayotte on immigration CONCORD, N.H.: Two groups pushing for an overhaul of the nation's immigration system have teamed up to run a television ad in New Hampshire praising U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte. The 30-second spot running on WMUR-TV and cable stations says Ayotte showed ``courage and independence'' when she recently came out in favor of the far-reaching immigration bill being debated in the Senate. -AP
Immigration 45
India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21, 2013
Indians overstaying visa in Saudi to face action Details on page 46
Immigrants key to eco prosperity in US: Jeb Bush WASHINGTON: Arguing for an overhauling of the US immigration system, Former Florida governor Jeb Bush has claimed that immigrants were "more fertile" and thus a great benefit to American society. "Immigrants create far more businesses than native-born Americans over the last 20 years. Immigrants are more fertile, and they love families, and they have more intact families, and they bring a younger population. Immigrants create an engine of economic prosperity," Bush said at the annual Faith and Freedom conference here. The younger brother of former President George W Bush backed his remarks with an analysis of America's demographic problems, saying that the rate of Americans entering retirement couldn't be sustained by the current size of the workforce, the CNN reported.
Bush argued that the problem lay in an imbalance between working Americans paying taxes and the number of older Americans liv-
retirement. Part of the solution was encouraging more legal immigration that would add people to the
Jeb Bush
ing longer who have been promised government support in their
workforce, thereby creating more payroll tax revenue, said Bush,
who unlike many Republicans, has backed a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants, provided they pay fines and learn English. Economists have long warned that government programs for seniors like Social Security and Medicare will face long-term funding problems. "The one way that we can rebuild the demographic pyramid is to fix a broken immigration system to allow for people to come and learn English and play by our rules, to embrace our values and to pursue their dreams in our country with a vengeance to create more opportunities for all of us," said Bush. Such measures have been staunchly opposed by conservatives, who say allowing people who came to the United States illegally to remain here amounts to amnesty. -PTI
Did Balca say HealthAmerica has been overruled? CORA-ANN V. PESTAINA
I hang onto every word of the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA). It's the only way to make it through the preparation and filing of labor certification applications under Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) as not knowing what BALCA has said on a particular issue could be fatal to any PERM. This recent statement by BALCA stopped me in my tracks for a moment. In Matter of Sushi Shogun, 2011-PER-02677 (May 28, 2013), BALCA said, "HealthAmerica has effectively been overruled by the promulgation of 20 C.F.R ยง656.11(b)." Practitioners who file numerous PERM applications can empathize with my initial panicked gasp at seeing "HealthAmerica" and "overruled" in the same sentence. As a background, over six years ago, BALCA issued HealthAmerica, 2006-PER-0001 (BALCA July 18, 2006). In this
important en banc decision, BALCA held that the Certifying Officer ("CO") should have reconsidered the denial of a PERM application where documentation held by the employer pursuant to the recordkeeping requirements of PERM conclusively established
per tear sheets of the advertisement to prove it. BALCA rejected the CO's position that no new evidence could be submitted as the advertisement tear sheets were part of the PERM compliance recordkeeping requirement and thus was constructively submitted
BALCA reasoned that since the employer was able to introduce detailed evidence in its audit response and motion for reconsideration that was not fabricated or prepared after the filing, it would forgive the omission of experience that the apparent violation was an unintentional typographical error on the ETA Form 9089. The Form 9089 contained an erroneous date indicating that the employer had placed a Monday ad instead of the required Sunday placement, when in fact the employer had acted to place the ad on Sunday and had the newspa-
by the employer. Since then, HealthAmerica has saved many PERM applications from certain doom and many employers from the Department of Labor's (DOL) hyper-technical claws. BALCA even broadened HealthAmerica beyond typographical errors. In Matter of Pa'Lante, 2008 PER 00209 (May 7,
2009), the employer filed the ETA Form 9089 neglecting to list the alien's experience gained before joining the employer and upon which he qualified for the offered position. But the alien's substantial prior experience had been introduced in the employer's response to the DOL's audit notification through a September 2000 report of an Educational Consultant, who reviewed the alien's education and experience credentials. The report clearly established that the alien had the requisite qualifications for the job well before he started work for the employer. BALCA reasoned that since the employer was able to introduce detailed evidence in its audit response and motion for reconsideration that was not fabricated or prepared after the filing, it would forgive the omission of experience and applied HealthAmerica. Cont'd on Page 47
Immigration Post
46 India Post
June 14, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Indians overstaying visa in Saudi to face action DUBAI: The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has warned its citizens not to overstay their visa in Saudi Arabia and leave the country immediately once they have obtained Emergency Certificates to
avoid penal action over Nitaqat law. "Anyone who overstays their visa in Saudi Arabia beyond the grace period will face penal action including jail sentence, penalty and deportation with a ban on reentry," the Embassy said in a statement. "The Embassy again urges all overstaying Indian nationals to avoid such a situation by availing the 'concessions' announced by the Saudi authorities during the grace period which ends on July 3, 2013," it added.
According to the Embassy, all those who have obtained ECs from the embassy will have their original passports cancelled. They will not be able to travel out of India using their old pass-
ports, even if the date of expiry on their passports shows validity. "Anyone wanting to change their jobs (Tanazul) in Saudi Arabia could obtain new passports after following the necessary procedures," said the statement. The embassy urged all Indian nationals who have applied for ECs to collect the same from the Embassy on the dates allotted to them, on or before June 20, 2013. Earlier, the Embassy had said that its officials would undertake EC verification and distribution tours to different parts of the coun-
try in order to reach out to Indian nationals staying in other cities. The new Saudi labor law, 'Nitaqat', and the ongoing drive to identify workers who are overstaying in the Arab Kingdom was one of the main areas of focus during the recent talks held between External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and his Saudi counterpart. The 'Nitaqat' law makes it mandatory for local companies to hire one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers. As a result of this law, a number of people who were working without valid work permits and runaways have come under the scanner. Once the three-month grace period ends on July 3, all those expatriates who are found in Saudi Arabia without valid papers will be jailed and heavily penalized. As of May 20, 75,000 Indians have registered with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah to be processed and be send back with 'emergency certificate'. There are over two million Indians in Saudi Arabia. According to official figures, off the total processed applications of 56,734, there are 21,331 people from Uttar Pradesh as against 3,610 from Kerala.-PTI
Malaysia to give multiple entry visas to investors KUALA LUMPUR: In a bid to attract top expatriate talent, Malaysia will introduce multiple entry visas for up to five years for qualified business investors and fund managers to visit the country, Prime Minister Najib Razak has said. Najib made the announcement in his keynote address at the 'Invest Malaysia 2013' here. He said the move was aimed at attracting more expatriate talents to choose the country as a preferred venue for investments, thus helping to stimulate its economic growth. The 9th edition of 'Invest Malaysia' was aimed at showcasing leading Malaysian companies and the diversity of the local capital market. Najib said the multiple entry visa would make it easier for investors and fund managers to visit Malaysia. The latest move was among the initiatives that had been launched for that purpose. Najib, who is also finance minister, had said in December last year the country would begin reaching out directly to expatriate corporate leaders by offering 10year residence passes. "Out of the 1,600 passes which have been approved so far, 130 resulted from proactive engagement
by the government," he had said. In April, the Immigration Department launched an expatriate services division to provide a focal point for the immigration needs of top global talent. Najib, referring to the Economic
Najib Razak
Transformation Program, said had a definite vision of the kind of economy it intended to create. This, he said, included in medium-term, affirmative action programs should be made more market-friendly and meritocratic. He said efforts to turn Malaysia into a regional energy hub must continue and should see further growth as the industry, which contributed more than 40 per cent to the national income, was essential to safeguard the nation's medium-and long-term position. -PTI
UK visa rules breaking families Shooting suspect convicted of immigration charges apart: MPs LONDON: UK's new stringent immigration policies are forcing many professionals, including those from India, to leave the coun-
try to take care of their ageing parents, British MPs have said in a new report. Restrictions on family migration were introduced by Home Office ministers as part of the drive to reduce net migration to Britain. Under the new rules, a British citizen who wants to bring in their spouse or dependent from India or any other country outside the 30-member European Economic
Area (EEA) has to earn a minimum 18,600 British pounds a year. The requirement rises to 22,400 British pounds to sponsor a child and 2,400 British pounds for every additional child. Some UK sponsors were now considering leaving the UK, or had already done so, in order to care for their elderly relative overseas121. A member of the medical profession in Scotland reported that a number of his colleagues were reconsidering their employment and were seeking to move their families (including British children) to India in order to look after elderly dependent relatives, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on migration said in its report. The group concluded that the rules may have unintended consequences.
These include stopping highearning non-EU spouses from living in Britain and supporting their families, as well as impacting on British citizens who work full-time but who do not earn above the minimum threshold. "We found that, in today's internationally connected world, British citizens who are seeking to build a family with a non-EEA national including from the USA and from Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Pakistan and India are being prevented indefinitely from living together in their own country", the report said. India forms 10 per cent of the total applications for immigration to the UK. Declines were shown across all of the top 20 nationalities for family visas, with the United States seeing the largest fall (-935), followed by Nepal (678) and India (-605), Home Office data issued in May 2013 showed. -PTI
ANCHORAGE, Alaska: A man awaiting trial in a first-degree murder case in Anchorage has been convicted of violating federal immigration law. KTUU-TV reports a federal jury
manager at the Millennium Hotel. The U.S. Attorney's Office said Martinez in 1992 was deported after a felony drug conviction. He was placed on a flight from Miami. Martinez said he was not deported because he left the aircraft before it deHe was placed on a flight parted. Federal officials dispute that account. from Miami. Martinez said In the federal case, he was not deported beMartinez was convicted of using the name of cause he left the aircraft Puerto Rico resident Vicbefore it departed. tor Rodriguez Flores to apply for an Alaska identification card. Federal convicted Dominican Republic officials said he used the name to citizen Javier Martinez, 48, of five get jobs at the Sheraton Hotel, counts of making false claims of Embassy Suites, Quality Inn and U.S. citizenship and aggravated the Millennium. identity theft. ``Evidence presented at trial He also was convicted of re- showed that Martinez falsely entry after deportation and pos- claimed to be a U.S. citizen on apsession of a gun as an illegal alien. plication forms filed with the Martinez is scheduled to stand Alaska DMV and each of the hotrial Aug. 26 in the shooting death tels where he worked,'' according of his former boss, Kerry Fadely, a to prosecutors.-AP
47
Immigration Post
India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Gunman in Missouri shooting was Somali immigrant ST. LOUIS: A businessman who killed three employees in Missouri before turning the gun on himself was a Somali immigrant, described by friends as an intelligent man who was quick to reach out to
year-old Khadra Muse, 29-yearold Seaeed Abdulla and 54-yearold Bernice Solomon-Redd. Dirir, Muse and Abdulla were all from Somalia, said Omar Jamal of the Somali mission to the U.N. Jamal, who often gets involved in issues of The home health agency high interest involving Somalis in the U.S., said was headquartered in a he spoke with several small business incubator friends and relatives of building in a revitalizing Dirir and the victims, including the wives of mixed-race neighborhood Dirir and Abdulla. south of downtown St. Louis. The home health agency was headquarother new-arriving Somalis, but tered in a small business incubawho had lingering anger years af- tor building in a revitalizing mixedter the divorce from his first wife. race neighborhood south of downPolice say 59-year-old Ahmed town St. Louis. Dirir walked into his business, AK Police Capt. Michael Sack said Home Health Care LLC, got into a Dirir used a semi-automatic handbrief argument, and then shot his gun. Video surveillance showed three employees. Killed were 44- what appeared to be a verbal dis-
pute, followed a short time later by shots that penetrated an inside wall, Sack said. Neighbors in other businesses in the building called police after hearing gunfire. A records search found no previous criminal record for Dirir except a couple of speeding cases. There was no record that he had a permit to carry a firearm. Police haven't disclosed a motive, but Jamal said the relatives and friends of Dirir he spoke with described a marked change in his demeanor after he and his wife divorced in Texas years earlier. It wasn't clear when the divorce was finalized, though friends said Dirir had remarried. ``It is sad he didn't get attention that could have prevented all of this from happening,'' Jamal said. Charles Kirkwood, a construction business owner and friend of
Did Balca say HealthAmerica has been overruled? Cont'd from Page 45
After all this, does BALCA's statement in Matter of Sushi Shogun now mean that employers can no longer cite HealthAmerica? In Matter of Sushi Shogun, the employer filed a PERM labor certification for the position of "Cook Assistant, Japanese Cuisine." The application was audited and then denied because the ETA Form 9089 listed the prevailing wage as $10.04 per hour when the prevailing wage determination listed the prevailing wage as $10.14 per hour. The employer argued that this was a minor typographical error and a clerical mistake of minor importance; that the Notice of Filing listed the correct wage; that the offered wage was not listed in any advertisements or on the posting with the State Workforce Agency (SWA); and that no potential job applicant could possibly have been misled by the error. BALCA acknowledged that the
error was likely just a result of someone mistyping the wage on the ETA Form 9089 and to deny the application essentially elevated form over substance (HealthAmerica at 19), but held that its hands were tied since the case was being considered after the promulgation of 20 C.F.R §656.11(b) which states that re-
der that was the same as the prevailing wage determination, but 28 cents less than the wage offered to the alien. The majority found that this was a harmless typographical error that did not lead to a conclusion that the job was not clearly open to any U.S. worker. In Matter of Sushi Shogun BALCA stated that it is "reluctant to second-guess the The employer argued Secretary's policy determithat this was a minor nation requiring applicatypographical error and a tions filed after July 16, 2007, to be error-free." clerical mistake of minor BALCA is taking a more importance firm stand in Matter of Sushi Shogun. But its holding can quests for modifications to an ap- be limited to only preclude the use plication will not be accepted for of HealthAmerica in situations inapplications submitted after July volving a modification on the ETA 16, 2007. Form 9089. This means that the BALCA even went on to "re- employer in HealthAmerica and ject the approach of the majority" even in Pa'Lante whose harmless in another case, Jesus Covenant errors would essentially require a Church, 2008-PER-200 (Sept. 14, modification of the ETA Form 9089 2009), in which case the employer would probably not be as successlisted a wage in the SWA job or- ful in their appeals now.
Dirir, described him as an ex- accompanying them on job intertremely intelligent man with a good views, even showing them how to heart. The divorce was tough on shop. Dirir, Kirkwood said. ``He was very helpful to other ``It hurt him,'' Kirkwood said. He Somalis as they came here,'' declined to discuss whether Dirir Mohamed said. ever showed violent tendencies or threatened violence. Michael Graff, an attorney Michael Graff, an at- with an office in the incubatorney with an office in the incubator building, tor building, said he heard said he heard loud ar- loud arguments from the guments from the home health agency from home health agency from time to time, but time to time, that he hadn't known those disputes to become violent Vivian Little, 32, did contract before. work for Dirir's company as a home Roble Mohamed, another friend health care nurse. She had no inof Dirir, offered another side of him. kling of trouble. Mohamed said Dirir went out of ``They were real nice people,'' his way to help new Somali immi- Little said. ``They were real grants get acclimated to life in sweet. I can't believe this is hapAmerica, teaching them English, pening.'' -AP
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. 1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1
http://www.proy-singh.com
2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659
48 India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21, 2013
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post 49
50
India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21, 2013
PREM KISHORE
LOS ANGELES: Awarded a 2013 Individual Artist Fellowship from the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles (C.O.L.A.), Malathi Iyengar reveals a dramatic story about the pivotal moments in the prism of her life in an innovative trajectory. In this sparkling perspective of navigating the West while her soul is in the East, choreographer Iyengar with her 25 year old Rangoli Dance Company takes us on an evolutionary journey of love and identity upon a changing cultural map. This is an eagerly awaited performance
Classical Indian dance has a long and cherished history but Malathi always is a powerful advocate for other cultures and integrates with curiosity and imagination other worlds of music and movement. from Malathi who constantly explores new boundaries. Classical Indian dance has a long and cherished history but Malathi always is a powerful advocate for other cultures and integrates with curiosity and imagination other worlds of music and movement. She has celebrated dance narrative in her works over two decades, and now she brings the extraordinary experience of her own life tracing her identity in an emotionally complex work. As always, integrity, intelligence and pure art will resonate in Love
Trajectory. As Creative Collaborator, Christopher Taylor uses his many years as an actor, writer and producer to integrate themes of story and artistic vision into the concrete realm of performance. Iyengar and Taylor both strive for a visceral and aesthetic experience felt by the viewer and performer, a true connection of our shared humanity. Iyengar shares evening with COLA fellow jazz violonist Michael White and his band. The performance is commissioned by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and presented by the California Plaza, Grand Performances. Among the collaborating dancers, actors and musicians from India and the US are Ronald Burton, Dulce Capadocia, Renjith Babu Choorakkad, Gurumurthy G., Abhijnya Gowder, Raghunadhan Krishnan, John Krovoza, Krishna Kutty, Kiha Lee, Andrew Pearson, Christopher Taylor, Timothy Tristan, Nandakumar Unnikrishnan, Parshwanath Upadhye and Linda Yudin. Lighting design is by Eileen Cooley. The performance is on Friday, June 28 @ 8:00 pm Admission is FREE Grand Performances, 350 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071 Meanwhile summer workshops
Malathi Iyengar
(Full Circle) are being conducted by Tradition Bearers from India, including Bragha Bessell, Renjith Babu and Parshwanath Upadhye. Yoga, Art of Expression and Martial Arts will be taught. Master teachers will perform as a part of the Full Circle culmination performance.
72 miles - Akshay's Marathi film
myself in the culture. I've seen some really interesting Marathi projects and love the cinema. I am personally touched by the story of 72 Miles and I hope the audience likes it as much as we do." Akshay and Ashvini are confident
A
fter taking the world by storm with their their first production, the blockbuster Oh My God: OMG, Grazing Goat Pictures co-producers, Akshay Kumar and Ashvini Yardi, are all set to release their first debut regional / Marathi cinema project, 72 Miles - Ek Pravas on 26th July. A hard-hitting, poignant tale of a young boy who makes his journey into self-actualization against the backdrop of a rustic India, 72 Miles: Ek Pravas, explores a beautiful, coming of age journey for the 13 year old boy Ashok and the companionable relationships he makes through his journey. This film aims to transport the audiences into post-independence India as experienced by the protagonist Ashok. Commenting on his latest production, Akshay said, "72 Miles marks our
Full Circle workshops occur during June 10 through 23. Workshops are held at the Rangoli Space in Sherman Oaks and at the Electric Lodge. The culminating performance by workshop participants is held at the Electric Lodge, located at 1416 Electric Avenue, Venice, CA 90291 .
A hard-hitting, poignant tale of a young boy who makes his journey into self-actualization against the backdrop of a rustic India, A scene from the flim
first regional film and we're delighted to announce the release date. Marathi isn't my first language but living in Mumbai I picked up the language very quickly and immersed
that their film will touch the hearts of audiences and give them a visual introspect of Ashok Vatkar's autobiography. Inspired from the novel with the same name, 72 Miles: Ek Pravas explores the impact of a woman named Raddhakka, on protagonist Ashok.
June 21, 2013
Classifieds
India Post 51
www.indiapost.com
For Classifieds NORTHERN CA (Sonia) Tel: 510-938-8668 sonia@indiapost.com (Priya) Tel. 510-275-4467 priya@indiapost.com SOUTHERN CA (Shashi Trivedi) Tel: 562-441-5511/ Fax: 562-947-0632 shashi19@yahoo.com CHICAGO (Ramesh Soparawala) Tel: 773-973-7394 / Fax: 773-973-7396 sramesh@aol.com NEW YORK (Pinky) Tel: 212-944-1931/ Fax: 212-944-1932 pinky@indiapost.com
NEWS on your desktop www.indiapost.com
NOTIce is hereby given that sealed competitive bids will be accepted in the office of the GSA-Purchasing Department, County of Alameda, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907, Oakland, CA 94612 NETWORKING BIDDERS CONFERENCES for RFQ #901139 Janitorial Trash Can Liners South County – Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at 2:00 PM, Public Works Agency, 4825 Gleason Drive, Conference Room, Dublin, CA and North County –Thursday, June 27, 2013 at 10:00 AM, General Services Agency, Room 1107, 1401 Lakeside Dr., Oakland, CA Response Due by 2:00 pm on August 2, 2013 County Contact: Nicholas Roberts at (510) 208-9616 or via email: nicholas.roberts@acgov.org Attendance at Networking Conference is Non-mandatory. Specifications regarding the above may be obtained at the Alameda County GSA Current Contracting Opportunities Internet website at www.acgov.org. 6/21/13 CNS-2493962#
Horoscope
52 India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar
JUNE 21 ST - JUNE 27 TH (March 21 to April 20)
I
t looks like a very favorable week for all financial matters. Business trips will be instant success. You will gain friendship of a very useful person. You will be spending lots of money on children. You will be tempted to take some decisions about career in a hurry but will change your mind on the last minute.
(July 23 to August 22)
D
ecisions you take even in a hurry will turn out favorable. You will be full of energy and will not sit idle even for a minute. Business will pick up suddenly and you will start to see some cash in the bank after making all payments. You will continue to receive good piece of advice from a learned and matured person.
(April 21 to May 20)
M
oney will be spent on good reasons and family. Saturn in sixth can give sudden boost in career, wiping out even the strongest competition. Property related issues can be settled too. It will be a favorable week for people working as brokers. Some of you will be offered a dream job with more money and benefits.
(August 23 to September 22)
I
t will another hectic week but you will get some positive results. Becareful with money and do not take any chance or speculate. Expenses will other wise too exceed your income. It will be better to get involved in projects that provide services rather than selling any expensive products.
(May 21 to June 20)
C
hildren will give some good news. Bachelors will be introduced to someone really nice by another friend. You will be to the point and little aggressive on the phone but will get several jobs done this week. Any change in career at this point will be beneficial. Starting a venture in partnership will be good too.
(September 23 to October 22)
Y
ou will become more sober and discreet and keep working on your big ideas without making any noise. Money will become available as and when needed. You will also gain friendship of some influential people. There are strong chances of money through stocks or even lottery. No harm in trying your hands.
(June 21 to July 22)
Y
ou will keep reinvesting in your ideas or project. Benefits will be for long term this time. You may buy another economical car and may have your eyes set on a nice piece of property for investment purpose. Money wise you will stay comfortable and enjoy with family. Child will apply for admission at far off places.
(October 23 to November 22)
S
tay within legal parameters for some time. A government agency will give some headache or run around. Think rationally before you make any commitment with other party or switch job in a hurry. Money will go on buying some expensive gifts for others. You will spend money towards an upcoming trip also. (November 23 to December 22)
Y
ou will be helped by a powerful person. Changes will become imminent and you will feel happy about them. Relationship will keep turning positive and the final commitment is not too far. Just have confidence in yourself and have your eyes set on your immediate goals. You will do some charity work also. (December 22 to January 19)
T
here will be some changes in career soon. Money wise you will continue to do well and may dispose off a land or automobile and keep the money in bank. An old health issue could flare up and over the counter medication will help. A new friend will bring lots of excitement in your personal life. (January 20 to February 18)
S
pouse may not completely agree with you, have patience and give other side to express fully before you finalize the issue. Value of your assets and stocks will appreciate. You may also give final shape to a short trip with family. Some of you will be looking for ways to get out of a partnership venture. (February 19 to March 20)
D
o not stretch your limits when it comes to spending or making an investment. Things will get little easier at work and boss will take your advice seriously. People will definitely try to influence or change your decisions. Some visitors may also confirm their date of arrival towards mid of month.
Pandit Parashar, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com
510-886-4370 website: www.parashar.com
Philosophy
June 21, 2013
India Post 53
www.indiapost.com
Page Sponsored by Sahanis V.K. SETHI
D
uring one of his tours, Kabir is said to have met a holy man who claimed that whenever he closed his eyes and remembered Lord Krishna, he saw his deity dancing with the gopis, the milkmaids of Vrindavan. Kabir asked the sadhu to sit and do so in his presence. The holy man closed his eyes and as he began to enjoy the dance, Kabir said, "When Krishna happens to come near you during the dance, catch hold of his hand and don't let it go." The man at the first opportunity caught hold of the hand of Lord Krishna, who tried to release himself from the devotee's grip. In the struggle, the sadhu's eyes opened and he was amazed to see that he had firmly grasped his own hand. Bewildered and upset, the man looked at Kabir inquiringly. Kabir said, "My good friend, do not be upset. What you have been seeing is a projection of your own mind. It is good that the illusion has broken." The holy man wanted to know more, and finding him in a receptive mood, Kabir explained to him further: "Mind is a powerful entity. Within moments it can cover distances far and wide. It can project the picture of whatever object or person one thinks of.
S
artre believed in the essential freedom of individuals, and he also believed that as free beings, people are responsible for all elements of themselves, their consciousness, and their actions. That is, with total freedom comes total responsibility. He believed that even those people who wish not to be responsible, who declare themselves not responsible for themselves or their actions, are still making a conscious choice and are thus responsible for anything that happens as a consequence of their inaction. Sartre's moral philosophy maintains that ethics are essentially a matter of individual conscience. Sartre reveals much about his own ethics in his writings about oppressive societal structures and the ways in which individuals might ideally interact with each other to affirm their respective humanities, but he is dismissive of any version of universal ethics. He is clear in his belief that morals are always first and foremost a matter of subjective, individual conscience. The Difficulty of Knowing the Self For Sartre, for any individual to claim "that's just the way I am" would be a statement of self-deception. Likewise, whenever people internalize the objectified
“More than the waves in the ocean are the waves of mind. But if you make it still, you can fetch precious gems of devotion from its depths." Kabir continued: "If the one whom you saw was real, he would have talked with you, answered your questions and taken you to higher spiritual regions. You cannot visualize what you have never seen. If you try to and even suc-
lightenment to. Jahan Gasht Shah, a Muslim dervish, had visited a number of places in India and met many holy men. Having heard of Kabir as a great devotee, he came to Banaras to meet him. Learning of the fakir's arrival, Kabir said to one of his disciples that this man, though a noble soul and a true seeker of God, had not freed himself from certain deep-rooted
you were a pious man, but I find that you have kept an impure being at your door. I expected you to know the tenets better - your conduct befits only a kafir." Kabir walked over to Jahan Gasht, greeted him with a salaam and said, "Friend, I have kept the impure one outside my house; you have given it shelter within your heart. Did not your eyes flash with anger and hatred for
Imagining of Lord Krishna is only a trick of the mind He explained to the fakir that in God's creation no being should be despised. How could one love God, if he had room for disdain and hatred in his heart? Kabir
ceed in seeing the object of your worship, it will only be the reflection of a mental image you have formed, not a reality. It will not respond to your actual spiritual needs." Kabir had his own way of dealing with people. He would shock them in order to wake them from their stupor of religious superstition. A few accounts illustrate the radical ways that he would adopt to jolt those he chose to give en-
prejudices which had become a hindrance in his spiritual progress. He asked the disciple to bring a pig and tie it near the door of his hut. When Jahan Gasht came, he was scandalized to see a pig tied in front of Kabir's hut. Incensed, he turned back. Kabir, seeing him go, came out and called, "O Dervish, why do you go without seeing me?" Jahan Gasht stopped. "Kabir, I had heard that
me? Are anger and hatred pure and within the tenets of religion?" At Kabir's words, the dervish stood nonplused. Kabir took him by the hand and led him into the house. He explained to the fakir that in God's creation no being should be despised. How could one love God, if he had room for disdain and hatred in his heart? The 573rd birth anniversary of Saint Kabir will be celebrated on June 23
identity granted to them by other people or by society, such as servile woman or dutiful worker, they are guilty of self-deception. Every individual person is a "being-for-itself" possessed of self-consciousness, but he or she does not possess an essential nature and has only a consciousness and a self-consciousness, which are eternally changeable. Whenever people tell them-
and exactly how those realities are working, as well as knowing fully that one possesses a consciousness independent of those factors. For Sartre, the only truly authentic outlook recognizes one's true state as a being possessed of self-consciousness whose future conscious state of being is always a matter of choice, even as that conscious state will itself always be in flux.
sibility. En-Soi (being-in-itself) vs. Pour-Soi (being-for-itself) Sartre defines two types, or ways, of being: en-soi, or beingin-itself, and pour-soi, or being-foritself. He uses the first of these, en-soi, to describe things that have a definable and complete essence yet are not conscious of themselves or their essential completeness.
An individual does not possess an essential nature
Jean Paul Sartre
selves that their nature or views are unchangeable, or that their social position entirely determines their sense of self, they are deceiving themselves. Sartre believed it is always possible to make something out of what one has been made into. This task of self-actualization, however, involves a complex process of recognizing the factual realities outside of one's self that are acting on the self (what Sartre calls facticity)
Sartre believed it is always possible to make something out of what one has been made into. This task of self-actualization, however, involves a complex process of recognizing the factual realities That is, even though we are ultimately responsible for our own consciousness, consciousness of self is never quite identical to consciousness itself. This difficult paradox-that one is responsible for one's own consciousness, even though that consciousness is never quite graspable, since it is based on nothingness-goes to the heart of Sartre's existentialism and is crucial to his conceptions of human freedom and moral respon-
Trees, rocks, and birds, for example, fall into this category. Sartre uses pour-soi to describe human beings, who are defined by their possession of consciousness and, more specifically, by their consciousness of their own existence and, as Sartre writes, by their consciousness of lacking the complete, definable essence of the en-soi. The 108th birth anniversary of Jean Paul Sartre will be observed on June 21.
There is light that shines beyond all things on earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens. This is the light that shines in our hearts -Chandogya Upanishad The gods love what is mysterious, and dislike what is evident. -Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Know that all this, whatever moves in this moving world, is enveloped by God. Therefore find your enjoyment in renunciation; do not covet what belongs to others. -Ishavasya Upanishad That which is not uttered by speech, that by which the word is expressed, know That alone to be Brahman, and not this (non-Brahman) which is being worshipped. -Kena Upanishad Who sees all beings in his own Self, and his own Self in all beings, loses all fear -Isa Upanishad Arise, awake, and learn by approaching the exalted ones, for that path (path of salvation) is sharp as a razor's edge, impassable, and hard to go by, say the wise. -Katha Upanishad Both are ignorant ,he who considers the soul to be capable of killing and he who takes it as killed; for verily the soul neither kills, nor is killed. -Bhagawat Gita
You Insure all your Valuables, all are replaceable except YOU! So Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs
54
Edit Page
India Post
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
China and Latin America: Quest for energy security TESHU SINGH
X
i Jinping toured through Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries on 31May-6 June. He visited Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico. This marks a new chapter in Chinese foreign policy. Why did President Xi choose these three specific countries? What were the achievements of the visit? What does this imply for the future trajectory of China-LAC relations?
Importance of the LAC for China LAC countries are one of the developing regions of the world and have immense potential for investments. The three countries
Dominica, Grenada, the Bahamas and Jamaica. During the visit he proposed stepping up energy co-operation between the two countries. Agreements were reached in key areas such as infrastructure development, energy and minerals, and in new areas of mutual and beneficial co-operation such as agriculture, telecommunications and new energy. Loan of USD 250 million was awarded and hundred volunteer medical professionals would be sent to over the next three years. Additionally, Trinidad intends to open an embassy in Beijing later this year. During his visit to Costa Rica, thirteen major agreements were signed on projects worth nearly
eral relations were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The two heads of state agreed to push forward the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership by working jointly in the following four aspects; by showing mutual understanding and support on the issue concerning each other's core interest, improving practical cooperation in accordance with their development strategies, and agree to increase mutual investment in key areas such as energy, mining, infrastructure and high technology, encourage more exchanges between art troupes, promote tourism and strengthen communication among students, academics, journalists and athletes and improving multilateral coordination based on their common interests and responsibilities on major international issues. Bilateral trade between LAC and China in the year 2012 was USD 261.2 billion. Thus visit further enhanced the bilateral ties to a much higher level.
The Future
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands with Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla during their talks in San Jose, Costa Rica, June 3
Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico are significant in their own way. Trinidad and Tobago are among the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean. With large reserves of oil and gas they form a regional petroleum hub; often called as the pearl in the Caribbean. Costa Rica is well known for its renewable energy; more than ninety percent of its electricity is generated from renewable sources. It is working towards becoming world's first carbon free economy. Mexico is the largest economy in Latin America and has a thriving oil industry. Overall, all these countries offer an alternative and reliable source of energy to satisfy China's increasing demands.
Achievements of the Visit Besides meeting the leaders of Trinidad and Tobago, the Chinese president also held talks with leaders of Suriname, Barbados, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda,
USD 2 billion, in the areas of the upgrade of an oil refinery, a key highway and public transport. Amongst these agreements, the biggest project will be the modernization of an obsolete oil refinery in the Caribbean port of Limón, which will be replaced with a new refinery capable of processing 65,000 barrels of oil a day. The USD1.5 billion venture will be financed with a USD 900-million credit from the China Development Bank, and the remaining USD 600 million will be put up by the China National Petroleum Corporation and Costa Rica's National Refinery (RECOPE). A group of thirty RECOPE officials will travel to Beijing in coming days to receive training for three months at China's University of Petroleum. Another big project agreed to is the upgrading of Route 32, a strategic highway that links San José to Limón, a USD 400million dollar endeavor that will be financed by China. During the visit to Mexico, bilat-
Energy Security remains the prime agenda of its foreign policy; the new leadership is trying to project China's 'peaceful development' to every possible place on the globe. The visit reveals regardless of the size and geographical distances China is keen on developing relations with these countries to boost its economic ties to secure its energy resources. Being in the developing stages, the LAC needs Chinese investments in its infrastructure and construction which has not come till now by the US. The agreements signed are an indication to the LAC countries that China has been taking them seriously and has responded to their gesture. Perhaps the strengthening of the China-LAC relations will help the international community better cope with global challenges and promote a multi polar world and democracy in the international relations. President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden had already taken trip to exactly these three countries earlier this year. Thus it can be deciphered that the choice of these countries are no coincidence. However the burgeoning ties between China and LAC may cause discomfort to the US as it has brought China close to its doorstep. The writer is Research Officer, CRP, IPCS
Modi's 'apology'
T
he bugles have been sounded and the war for 2014 is on. Leading the one side will be Narendra Modi, it has been announced, while the other side is still assembling its troops. There is still opposition to Modi within BJP but it is dwindling. Senior leader L K Advani's revolt against Modi's elevation has fizzled out. He has taken back his resignation without any of his conditions being met. It is significant that BJP President Rajnath Singh refused to reconsider his decision to anoint Modi mainly because it was the popular demand of cadres at the BJP session in Goa. Nor did he cave in to NDA alliance-partner Bihar JD (U)'s demand that BJP should give an assurance that Narendra Modi will not be its prime minister candidate. The Bihar chief minister has sacked his BJP ministers and announced withdrawal from the NDA. This should be a blow to the BJP's chances of stringing together a credible alliance post elections. This is possibly a matter to be considered when and if the BJP manages to bring in enough seats in 2014. As of now, the die is cast in the name of Modi. And inevitably, polarization is taking place in the form of pro-Modi and antiModi forces. The BJP has sacrificed its partnership in the Bihar government for the sake of Modi. The hypocrisy in the alliance is now over. This puts a great onus on Modi. He is winning support in the name of his development mantra. But he cannot erase the blame that sticks on him for the 2002 anti-Muslim riots. This is an issue he refuses to respond to and this might cost him dear. Many a fence sitters would be happy to see him offer an apology for the riots which took place under his watch. Editor-in-Chief of IBN18 Network Rajdeep Sardesai has put Modi's position vis-à-vis the riots in perspective in his recent column in Hindustan Times. He says, "As someone who covered both the 1992-93 riots in Mumbai and then the Gujarat riots, my experience has left me convinced that no riot can take place without a mix of state incompetence and complicity. Mumbai under the Congress rule was just as terrible as Gujarat: the difference was we didn't have the camera lens in 1992 to bring the horrors into every drawing room. The image of Modi as Nero while his state burnt stuck: it would have been no different had anyone else been chief minister." The Congress government in Delhi got away with the anti-Sikh riots because there were no media vans recording the killings. Many found responsible for the Gujarat riots have been nailed by the judiciary and jailed. However, masterminds of the anti-Sikh riots like Sajjan Kumar and Tytler continue to survive judicial scrutiny because the cases against them have deliberately been weakened. If Modi were to be persuaded to apologies for the riots, his apology could go somewhat like this: "I apologize for the riots in the country. I apologize for the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 for which our Sikh brethrens are still suffering. I apologize for the burning of the train bogie at Godhra which was carrying kar sewaks. I apologize for those killings. I apologize for the subsequent angry reaction to the killings which led to counter-killings of Muslims. This cycle of killings should now stop. My promise is development for all and not only those sections favored by the Congress party. There is lot of confusion over secularism created by the Congress party. Secularism for me is India first! We will understand its true meaning when vote bank politics ends!" In her perceptive column in Indian Express, Tavleen Singh makes a good point. She says, "I do not believe that you can apologize for pogroms. Congress leaders have apologized for the Sikh massacres of 1984 and those pogroms continue to haunt them. So what is needed from Mr Modi is an explanation." Will Mr Modi oblige?
June 21, 2013
www.indiapost.com
India Post 55
56 India Post
www.indiapost.com
June 21, 2013