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Arundhati Bhattacharya

Brexit not good for world: SBI Chairperson Details on page 9

US official visits cultural sites in Kolkata Details on page 9

West response to terrorism ‘hypocritical’

VOL 22, No. 1136

July 8, 2016

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Periodical Postage

19 NEW FACES IN MODI GOVT Javadekar elevated to Cabinet rank

Apna Dal and Ramdas Athawale of RPI. Two old hands Vijay Goel and Faggan Kulaste were also included. A number a Dalit and OBC leaders were given ministerial positions apparently with an eye on assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand next year and Gujarat later. Javadekar, who held independent charge of Environment, was the lone minister to be promoted to the cabinet rank while all new inductees took oath as Ministers of State. Details on page 5

Rich kids who grew up to be jihadists Details on page 8

Balochis, Kashmiri Hindus get together Details on page 22

India to get $1 bn WB funding for solar projects Details on page 36

Cook county property tax by August 1

Details on page 24

Pak panel asks govt to build Hindu temple

Details on page 36

CONTENTS

Details on page 9

Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 48

INDIA POST SURVEY

Community Post -------------- 16-23

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Edit Page --------------------------- 54

This week’s question

HealthScience Post --------- 32-35

Date Book -------------------------- 47

Horoscope ------------------------- 27

Radicalizing youth is a crime?

Immigration Post ------------- 44-46 Life Style ----------------------- 50-53

Last week’s result

Do you approve of Modi’s robust foreign policy? YES 82%

NO 18%

Philosophy ------------------------- 49 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4

READY FOR RIO: Sportspersons taking selfie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a warm send-off ceremony organized

Real Estate -------------------- 30-31

for the Indian contingent for Rio Olympics 2016, in New Delhi on July 4

TechBiz Post ------------------- 36-39 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

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ost-terror attack analyses have become nothing but effortless space-fillers for the 24x7 media machines that simply don't tire of regurgitating the same cud over and over again, ending up with overly simplified generalizations that neither serve any soluble purpose for investigators nor consolatory purpose for victims. I do not understand why it should surprise anyone that the terror attackers in the café in Dhaka, Bangladesh over the last weekend were educated youth from well-to-do families. The profile of the terrorist as a cave dwelling, black robed, bearded middle aged man with perhaps a scary scar across the cheek has long become passé and is no longer romanticized as such even in B-grade Bollywood movies. Increasingly, terrorists are coming from backgrounds that are neither disenfranchised nor disempowered. And increasingly, they are products of some amount of western style education whether homegrown or bred in the no longer innocuous by-lanes of a Dhaka. Isn't it amazing that these youth find a violent and literally self-destructive ideology more compelling than what they may have learnt in the 'progressive', sanitized and largely English-language based education in private schools? Perhaps it is the socio-economic status quos that the western education seeks to perpetuate that these youth are so violently rebelling against. Sometimes I wonder if it is an extreme form of adrenaline-pumping thrill that these youngsters are seeking to experience, much like a new theme park ride that is faster or that blockbuster Hollywood sequel that ensures more blood and bodies pummeled with bullets than the last one. So, surfing the channels earlier in the day I happened to pause at the food and travel channels. Suddenly, I found myself transported into this world full of sunshine and vicariously alluring destinations that are seductively peddled by fervent presenters gorging on overly abundant platters of tantalizing food, inhabiting the very worlds which their neighboring news channels hoarsely portray as mortally dangerous. Okay so I am stretching my imagination a bit but I think schools the world over must make watching of travel and food channels compulsory for students. Hopefully, those beach side culinary thrills may prove more compelling than blowing up people. Romesh K Japra

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Painful past A scar on Sonakshi Sinha's face for her role in Akira was done to depict the character's painful past.

Cover Story: More ministers PM Modi has expanded his council of ministers with the induction of 19 new faces and a promotion for Javadekar

Community: Yoga Day A dozen spiritual & yogic organizations actively participated in the celebration of Yoga Day in Illinois and Midwest.

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Immigration: United front Obama and leaders of Mexico and Canada pushed back forcefully against the anti-immigrant sentiments Trump.

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Solar boost The World Bank has committed USD 1 billion (about Rs 6,750 crore) to support solar energy program in India

Orchha Bordered by the beautiful Betwa River, Orchha in MP reflects the sumptuousness and magnificence of the mighty Bundelas.

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July 8, 2016

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19 new faces in Modi Govt Javadekar elevated to Cabinet rank

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President M. Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the newly inducted Ministers after a Swearing-in Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on July 5

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expanded his council of ministers with the induction of 19 new faces and a promotion for Prakash Javadekar as Cabinet Minister. Those inducted in the second reshuffle since the National Democratic Alliance government came to power in May 2014, got the rank of minister of state. Five ministers got the boot. Among the new faces were BJP leaders S S Ahluwalia and M J Akbar and allies Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal and Ramdas Athawale of RPI. Two old hands Vijay Goel and Faggan Kulaste were also included. A number a Dalit and OBC leaders were given ministerial positions apparently with an eye on assembly elections in Uttar

Pradesh and Uttarakhand next year and Gujarat later. Javadekar, who held independent charge of Environment, was the lone minister to be promoted to the cabinet rank while all new inductees took oath as Ministers of State. Earlier, there was speculation that Power Minister Piyush Goel and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be elevated to the Cabinet. Ajay Tamta (Uttarakhand), Arjun Ram Meghwal (Rajasthan), Krishna Raj (UP), Athawale (Maharashtra), Ramesh C Jigajinagi (Karnataka) were among the Dalit MPs administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy by President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan attended by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Modi, his cabinet col-

Akbar was elected recently to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh while Goel represents Rajasthan in the Upper House leagues, BJP President Amit Shah and leaders of allied parties among others. No Congress leader was present. Others who were inducted included P P Chaudhary, C R Chaudhary (Rajasthan), A M Dave, Faggan Singh Kulaste (Madhya Pradesh), Mahendra Nath Pandey (UP), Purshotam

Rupala, J Bhabhor and Mansukhbhai Mandaviya (Gujarat), Rajen Gohain (Assam) and S R Bhamre (Maharashtra). Akbar was elected recently to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh while Goel represents Rajasthan in the Upper House. Ahluwalia was elected to Lok Sabha from Darjeeling while Anupriya Patel was elected from Mirzapur in UP. Those dropped from the ministry are Nihalchand, Ram Shankar Katheria, Sanwar Lal Jat, Manuskhbhai D Vasava and M K Kundariya. All barring Goel and Faggan Kulaste are new faces while a few have been ministers in BJP-ruled state governments. After the dropping of five ministers, the expansion took the to-

tal strength of the Council of Ministers to 78, four below the Constitutional bar of 82. The Council of Ministers can have a maximum of 15 per cent of the total strength of the Lok Sabha, which has 542 members. Official sources said the exercise was aimed at infusing more "experience, expertise and energy" into the government. The choices also underscore BJP's attempts to strengthen its vote base among Dalits and other backward castes, party sources said, adding that states, where it has done well in the Lok Sabha polls and also where it faces state polls, have also now got ample representation. The saffron party has been trying to woo the weaker sections ahead of the crucial UP polls. -PTI

Meet the 19 new ministers MJ Akbar: BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh Vete r a n journalist M J Akbar, 65, is a Rajya Sabha M P from Madhya Pradesh. He was the editor of The Telegraph and The Asian Age. Akbar was part of Rajiv Gandhi's inner circle. He was elected from Kishanganj in Bihar on a Congress ticket in 1989. How-

ever, after Gandhi's assassination in 1991, he drifted away from the party and re-entered journalism. He joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. SS Ahluwalia: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling From being a minister in the P V Narasimha Rao Cabinet to a 'research scholar' for BJP

on various key legislations, Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia has links cutting across party lines and is known to speak his mind. A member of the Lok Sabha from Darjeeling, Ahluwalia was previously a Member of Parliament representing Bihar and Jharkhand in the Rajya Sabha in 1986-1992, 1992-1998, 2000-2006, and 20062012. Ramesh Chandappa Jigjinagi: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bijapur Jigjinagi, 64, is a Dalit leader and Lok Sabha MP from Bijapur, Karnataka. He has been elected

to the Lok Sabha five times. He was among f o u r names that the Karnataka BJP had recommended for a ministerial berth after the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Parshottam Rupala: BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Considered close to Modi, Parshottam Rupala, 64 is a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat. He has

been a member of the upper h o u s e s i n c e 2008. This is his second term as a Rajya S a b h a member. When Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Rupala was a minister for agriculture. He is considered as a powerful Patel leader from Gujarat. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 6

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Meet the 19 new ministers Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 5

Anil Madhav Dave: BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh Anil Dave, 59, is a Rajya Sabha MP from M a d h y a Pradesh and is an environmentalist, having written several books on the subject. He has been a Rajya Sabha MP since 2009. Dave is known to have been a key member of the BJP's poll management committee in Madhya Pradesh. Arjun Ram Meghwal: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bikaner Meghwal, 65, is a Lok Sabha MP from Bikaner, Rajasthan. He was first elected to the lower house in 2009. A retired Indian Administrative Service officer of the Rajasthan cadre, Meghwal is currently the BJP chief whip in the Lok Sabha. He is a passionate crusader for increased use of local languages. Interestingly, he is known for cycling to Parliament when it is in session. Vijay Goel: BJP Rajya Sabha MP f r o m Rajasthan Veteran BJP leader Vijay Goel, 62, is a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan. Previously, he has been elected to the Lok Sabha thrice. He was a minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee PMO. He was also a Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Vajpayee government. Rajen Gohain: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Nawgong Gohain is a 65, Lok Sabha MP from Nawgong, Assam. He joined the BJP in 1991. This is his fourth term in the lower house of the Parliament. He is known for championing the cause of tea planters. He belongs to the Ahom community, to which former CM Gogoi also belongs. The community is generally considered pro-Congress, and his inclusion may help BJP make inroads into the community.

Mahendra Nath Pandey: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Chandauli Pandey is a prominent Brahmin face of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, which goes to the polls next year. He holds a doctorate from the Banaras Hindu University. He is a two-term BJP MLA and a first term MP. He is considered close to both PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, while his inclusion is aimed at reviving Brahmin support in the poll bound state. CR Chaudhary: BJP MP from Nagaur Chaudhary, a first time MP, has been inducted for his expertise in the field of rural development, with a degree in the subject from the University of Birmingham. He started his career as a lecturer in Barmer and Ajmer, later qualifying for the Rajasthan Administrative Services. PP Chaudhary: BJP MP from Pali A veteran lawyer before joining politics, PP Chaudhary is a Lok sabha MP from Pali, Rajasthan. Chaudhary hails from Jodhpur, Rajasthan and belongs the OBC Seervi caste. The 63year-old is a RSS ideologue and says he is a part of the organisation since he was eight years old. Chaudhary has an impressive attendance record in the House and has been awarded the Sansad Ratna award twice in his stint at the Lok Sabha. Chaudhari also heads Seervi Mahasabha. Ramdas Athawale: RPI Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra A seasoned Dalit leader and a vocal Ambedkarite, Athawale is the lone Rajya Sabha member of his party, the Republican Party of India. He had also been elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and 2004. He was first elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 1990, and was a minister in the Congress government in Maharashtra. He joined the BJP-Sena alliance in 2011. The leader has also pledged alliance to the BJP in the upcoming Mumbai civic body elections.

Subhash Ramrao Bhamre: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Dhule Another Maratha leader, Bhamre is an oncologist and a practicing doctor. He is a member of the Lok Sabha from Dhule constituency in Maharashtra. He has studied at the Grant Medical College, JJ Hospital and Tata Cancer Hospital, and is a first time BJP MP. Bhamre a first time BJP MP was elected in the Lok Sabha after defeating the Congress heavyweight Amrish Patel in the 2014 LS polls. His induction into the Cabinet may pacify BJP supporters in the Jalgaon-Dhule belt, who were unhappy over the exit of local strongman Eknath Khadse. Jaswant Sinh Bhabhor: BJP MP from Dahod Bhabor, a tribal leader, had been a part of Modi's cabinet when he was the chief minister of Gujarat and has handled several portfolios including the tribal affairs and environment ministry. He is a Member of the Parliament from Dahod constituency in Gujarat. A five time legislator, Bhabhor has been elected as an MP for the first time. Mansukh Mandaviya: BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Mandaviya is a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat. He was an ABVP leader, and is also the party general secretary of the Gujarat BJP according to his bio on his Twitter profile. He is a native of Bhavnagar in Gujarat and is a prominent leader from the Patel community, which has been seeking reservations in Gujarat. Therefore, his induction in the cabinet can be seen as an effort to placate the community, ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls slated for December 2017. Faggan Singh Kulaste: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Mandla Faggan Singh Kulaste, who was embroiled in the infamous cash-forvote scam in 2008 during the reign of UPA I, is a prominent tribal leader Kulhaste was one of the three BJP MPs arrested after a video showed him accepting

money for abstaining from voting in the trust vote faced by the UPA government. The BJP however had stood strongly behind him . Kulhaste has been a minister in the previous Vajpayee government as well and hails from Barbati in Madhya Pradesh. His bio on india.gov.in says he is an agriculturist, and a social worker besides being a politician. This is his fifth term in the lower house as an MP from Mandla, Madhya Pradesh. He has also served a term in the Rajya Sabha. Ajay Tamta: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Almora Tamte is also a Dalit leader from the hill state of Uttarakhand. The state, which presently has a Congress government, will go to the polls next year. His inclusion in the cabinet is seen as an attempt by the BJP to broaden its base among the SC and ST communities in Uttarakhand. This is Tamta's first term in the Lok Sabha as he is elected from the Almora constituency. He was previously a minister in his home state between 2007 and 2009. Anupriya Singh Patel: Apna Dal MP from Mirzapur Anupriya Singh Patel is the daughter of the late Sone Lal Patel, a Kurmi leader with significant clout in Uttar Pradesh. She has been an MLA from the Rohaniya constituency in the 2012 elections. She is a first time Lok Sabha MP from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP is seeking to sway the Kurmi votes in its favour in the upcoming UP state elections. The Kurmis are a sizeable community in the eastern belt of Uttar Pradesh. Krishna Raj: BJP MP from Shahjahanpur A first time MP, Raj is a Dalit leader from U P ' s Rohilkhand region. She has also been a twoterm MLA f r o m Mohammadi Assembly constituency and was elected to Lok Sabha from UP's Shahjahanpur in the 2014 elections. She is known for actively participating in debates in the Lok Sabha. She has been included in the Cabinet with an eye on the state's Dalit votebank, in the run up to the 2017 polls.

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Rich kids who grew up to be jihadists DHAKA: Well-educated and hailing from wealthy families, the gunmen who killed 20 hostages in a Bangladesh cafe defy the increasingly outdated stereotype of jihadists from poor backgrounds who have been radicalized in madrassas.

the Islamic State group. One may have been an innocent bystander, but among the remaining five are a graduate of Bangladesh's leading private university, an 18-year-old student at an elite school and the son of a ruling party official.

This combination of pictures released by the Bangladesh branch of the Islamic State group (IS) shows five men, allegedly the gunmen who carried out the July 2 attack in Dhaka

Six young men were shot dead on July 2 at the end of the all-night siege in a Dhaka cafe claimed by

As jihadist groups such as IS focus their recruitment efforts on disenfranchised middle class

youth, government efforts to eradicate extremism become ever more complicated. "They are all highly educated young men and from well-off families," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told AFP. Asked why they would have become jihadists, Khan said: "It has become a fashion." While the Bangladesh government has continued to deny IS has a foothold in the country, the group claimed the attack and its associated news agency, Amaq, posted pictures of the five gunmen posing with weapons. Similarly in militancy-ravaged Pakistan, the government denies that the international jihadist network has a formal presence in the country. But a Pakistani security official recently told AFP that authorities had busted several IS recruitment cells focused on a similar affluent demographic. Taj Hashmi, a Bangladeshi who teaches security studies at the Austin Peay State University in the United States, pointed out

that many of the Saudi hijackers behind the September 11 attacks were also from wealthy families. But he says that middle-class youth have been providing Islamist terror groups with foot soldiers since long before the emergence of IS. "Marginalized and angry people from the higher echelons of society have been swelling the ranks of Islamist terrorists for the last 30-odd years," he said.

corpses. Friends of one confirmed his identity as 22-year-old Nibras Islam who had been studying at the Malaysian campus of Australia's Monash University before going missing in January. A school friend remembered him as popular pupil. "He was a good athlete whom everyone admired," the friend told AFP on condition of anonymity. After leaving school, Nibras

While the Bangladesh government has continued to deny IS has a foothold in the country, the group claimed the attack and its associated news agency, Amaq, posted pictures of the five gunmen posing with weapons Bangladeshi authorities have so far only released code names of the cafe assailants after interrogating a gunman who was captured alive, but they have released photos of their bloodied

went to North South University (NSU), a private university which came to prominence when one former student tried to bomb the Federal Reserve Bank in New York in 2012. -AFP

Minister receives Tarishi Jain's body NEW DELHI: The mortal remains of Indian teenager Tarishi Jain, who was among those hacked to death by Islamic militants in a terror attack at a Dhaka restaurant, were received at the Capital's international airport by Union Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal. Tarishi, a student at UC Berkeley, was among 20 foreigners brutally murdered by the militants inside the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's diplomatic zone during

the weekend. She was on vacation in Dhaka. Her father runs a garment business in Bangladesh for the last 1520 years. Goyal later accompanied the body, along with her parents to Gurgaon, officials said. Among the killed foreigners were eight Italians and seven Japanese. Commandos had launched an assault killing six attackers and capturing one alive, ending Bangladesh's worst terror attack.

Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, Haryana minister Ram Bilas Sharma, Congress leader Raj Babbar and M S Bitta paid tributes to Tarishi Jain, whose body was kept at the DLF Phase I community Centre for some time to allow people to pay tributes. Raj Babbar gave a condolence letter sent by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to Tarishi Jain's family members and expressed grief on the death of young girl.

Minister of State Piyush Goyal, Congress leader Raj Babbar and Chairman of All India Anti Terrorism Front M S Bitta during a memorial service for Dhaka terror attack victim Tarishi Jain before her cremation in Gurgaon on July 4

Tarishi's last rites were performed by her brother Sanchit at

the cremation ground at Iffco Chowk.-PTI

US offers FBI help to probe Bangla attack WASHINGTON: The US has offered immediate assistance of its law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, to probe Bangladesh's worst terror attack in which 22 people were brutally slaughtered by suspected ISIS militants. The assistance was offered when Secretary of State John Kerry called Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. "The Secretary encouraged the government of Bangladesh to conduct its investigation in accordance with the highest international standards and offered immediate assistance from US law enforcement, including the FBI," State Department spokesperson John Kirby said. The offer came in the wake of the "outrageous attack" on the Holey Artisan restaurant in Dhaka's high-security diplomatic zone, he said. During the call, Kerry condoled the loss of innocent lives at the hands of terrorists "who threaten

the United States, Bangladesh and the international community". "He re-affirmed US support for Bangladesh's efforts to bring those responsible for planning and conducting the attacks to justice as well as to prevent future attacks," Kirby said. Twenty hostages, including Indian girl Tarishi Jain, were hacked to death by terrorists inside the cafe popular with expats in the diplomatic zone before commandos launched an assault, killing six attackers and capturing one alive. Two police officers were also killed in the attack. Most of those killed were found with their throats slit. Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack through its Amaq news agency, nearly four hours after the hostage crisis unfolded. Bangladesh, however, blamed "homegrown" Islamist terrorists and Pakistan's spy agency ISI for the attack, ruling out involvement of the Islamic State. -PTI

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Brexit not good for world: Pak rejects reports of ISI involvement SBI Chairperson NEW YORK: India will need to "re-examine" and "re-negotiate" the trade access with the EU and UK after Brexit, according to SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya who called the development a "step back" amid

for the world," Bhattacharya said during a live Facebook chat with the former Chief Digital Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Sree Sreenivasan. Bhattacharya is in the city to meet investors and rating agen-

SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya

globalization. "I believe that we will benefit more by globalization. Brexit is actually a step back in the sense that you are going back from being connected to being on your own. If you look at it ideologically, I would say Brexit is not something that probably is good

cies. From an Indian point of view, Bhattacharya said India will need to "re-examine" and "re-negotiate" the trade access with the EU and the UK which she noted may or may not be "good" for India. Among the most powerful and influential women in the world of

finance, Bhattacharya said Brexit is "not the right thing" as the more connected and more collaborative the world gets today, "it will be better for everyone". "The less inclusive we become, I think it is not good for the world at large," she said. Bhattacharya noted that the Brexit will not have too much of an impact on SBI directly. She said the bank has 12 branches in the UK that cater to particular niche operations. She added that there is one branch that does wholesale operation that might see some amount of slowing down. While stressing that Brexit will have very little impact on SBI operations, she said UK's decision to leave the EU is "not the answer". Last month, Bhattacharya had said that Brexit will provide India better market access to the European Union and England, even as there will be some market volatility. "As risk aversion sets in, there would be a decline in financial markets and India would see this impact along with other nations. But as trade strategies are reworked there could be potential advantages in the form of better market access for India to the EU and Britain," Bhattacharya had said in a statement.-PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dia reports are false. rejected media reports about its He also advised Pakistan's involvement in the terrorist attack High Commissioner to convey this in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka that clarification to the Government of killed 20 foreigners including an Pakistan, to avoid any misunderIndian as "baseless, irresponsible standing between the two counand provocative". tries," the Foreign Office spokesPakistan's Foreign Office man said. spokesman Nafees Zakaria issued He said Pakistan deeply apprea statement in response to media ciates Rizvi's timely rebuttal of the queries regarding reports of the reports. involvement of Pakistan's spy Zakaria said Pakistan has agency ISI in the terror attack on a popular res"These are highly regrettaurant in Dhaka. "These are highly table, irresponsible and regrettable, irresponsible and provocative provocative stories being stories being carried in carried in the Indian media. the Indian media. They are utterly baseless and They are utterly baseless unfounded. Pakistan and unfounded strongly rejects such allegations," he said in the statement. strongly condemned the terrorist He drew attention to the state- attack in Dhaka and "expressed ment by the Adviser to the Prime solidarity with the government Minister of Bangladesh, Gowher and the brotherly people of Rizvi, refuting a media report that Bangladesh and offered condowas attributed to him regarding lences and sympathized with the Pakistan's involvement in the at- families of the victims". tack, as proof of the Indian media's "Pakistan condemns terrorism in "malicious intent". all its forms and manifestations. "Prof Rizvi contacted Being itself one of the biggest vicPakistan's High Commissioner to tims of terrorism, Pakistan welcomes Bangladesh to confirm that he has Prof Gowher Rizvi's call for internanot issued any statement against tional cooperation to fight the menPakistan and that the Indian me- ace of terrorism," he said. -PTI

Pak panel asks govt to build American official visits cultural sites in Kolkata Hindu temple ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani parliamentary committee has directed the government to build a temple and crematorium for Hindus here, rejecting the notion that there would be "security issues" if a place of worship for the country's

Committee on Religious Affairs. It came as a shock to the committee members that there was no crematorium for the Hindu community in the capital, Dawn newspaper reported. At least 500 Hindus are regis-

"It is surprising and sad that there is not even a single temple in Islamabad for Hindu community to worship," lawmaker Ramesh Lal said while chairing the meeting of sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs minority community is built. "It is surprising and sad that there is not even a single temple in Islamabad for Hindu community to worship," lawmaker Ramesh Lal said while chairing the meeting of sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing

tered to be living in Islamabad, and had to travel to Rawalpindi to perform final rituals of their deceased, the committee was told. "This is how government is treating minorities in the country. It is the basic right of Hindus to have a temple in their own city for

worship," Lal, who is convener of the parliamentary panel, said. The parliamentary body rejected the concerns put forward by the government that there would be "security issues" if a temple is built for Hindus. "Hotels and restaurants are being provided security by the government, why a temple cannot be provided security," members of the committee asked. Tariq Qaiser, one of the members of the parliamentary committee, also brought forth the matter of churches not receiving any financial assistance from the government for renovation. The committee then directed the government to build a temple and crematorium for Hindus in Islamabad and allocate funds for renovation of churches. The committee has proposed allotment of land for the temple in Saidpur Village area. -PTI

KOLKATA: US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon has visited several cultural sites in the city. During the day, Shanon visited Ramakrishna Mission headquarters at Belur Math where he interacted with senior monks. He then went to the Missionaries of Charity's headquarters ' M o t h e r House' where he paid homage to Mother Teresa's tomb and later on visited the Indian Museum. The senior American government official was on a two-day visit to Kolkata.

He also made a courtesy call on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her office and discussed the growing ties between US and India and the role of West Bengal in that relation-

ship. He invited Banerjee to visit America. -PTI

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Vivekananda embodies 'Rao can't be denied spiritual idea of India: Prez credit for reforms' NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee has said Swami Vivekananda embodies the ancient spiritual idea of India while inaugurating an auditorium named after the spiritual leader at the

He said Vivekananda embodied the ancient spiritual idea of India - an India that was open, assimilative and ever evolving. Kathak similarly, he said, is a primary Indian dance form that

President of India, Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Swami Vivekanand Sabhagar at Kathak Kendra of Sangeet Natak Akademi in New Delhi on July 4

Sangeet Natak Akademi here. Speaking on the occasion, the President praised the Akademi in carrying forward and strengthening the great artistic legacy of India.

openly embraced influences, assimilated them and evolved and perpetuated itself since its origin in the 4th century BC and during the times of the Mahabharata. Mukherjee said Vivekananda,

whose name adorns this beautiful auditorium, was not only a good singer but was also an accomplished pakhawaj player. "We talk so much about Swamiji's profound spiritual prowess, his singular erudition, elocution and charm, that his unquestionable musicality is often forgotten. Not only was he a performer himself, the very first book he wrote was on the subject of music. "He was trained in Hindustani Classical music and it is said that towards the latter part of his life at dawn he would tune his tanpura and sing a dhrupad composition by Tansen in the Raga Ahir Bhairav to awaken the other ashram-dwellers of Belur Math," he said. He dedicated the Swami Vivekananda Sabhagar to all the gurus, students and disciples of Kathak. Among those present at the program were Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, Culture Secretary N K Sinha and Sangeet Natak Akademi Chairman Shekhar Sen. -PTI

India 'stuck' in 1962 war mindset: China media BEIJING: Criticizing the strong reactions from India over China blocking its bid to enter NSG, a state-run daily has said India is "still stuck" in the 1962 war mindset as it called for a more objective evaluation of Beijing's stand. "The Indian public seems to be having a hard time accepting the outcome of the Seoul plenary meeting of Nuclear Suppliers

position. Some activists even took to the streets in protest against China and Chinese products and some observers said the incident would freeze the ChinaIndia relationship," the article titled 'China, India should drop obsolete view for cooperation' said. The article asserted that "India's precautions" against China cannot be clearer.

Continuing to justify China's stand to block New Delhi's bid, the article harped on the often repeated argument of signing the NPT being a must for India to join the NSG and that consensus is required for entry of new members Group (NSG) late last month after India failed to gain entry into NSG," an oped-page article in Global Times said. "Many Indian media (outlets) put the blame on China alone, accusing China's anti-India and proPakistan motives behind its op-

The country seems to be "still stuck" in the shadow of the war with China in the 1960s and many still hold on to the "obsolete geopolitical view" that China does not want to see India's rise, it said. "However, New Delhi may have misunderstood Beijing,

which can make a big difference in its strategic decisions. In fact, China no longer looks at India simply from a political perspective, but far more from an economic one," the article said. As New Delhi pushed its case to join the NSG last month, the Global Times, part of ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) publications, carried a number of articles including a hard hitting editorial claiming that China's stand is "morally legitimate" and the West has "spoiled" India. Continuing to justify China's stand to block New Delhi's bid, the article harped on the often repeated argument of signing the NPT being a must for India to join the NSG and that consensus is required for entry of new members. "India needs to perceive China objectively. Joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a must for any country seeking NSG membership, but India is not a party to the NPT," the article said. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 11

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has said credit cannot be taken away from late Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao for the economic reforms driven by him in the 90s but Ayodhya "blotted his record". "I don't think anyone denies Narasimha Rao was the political force behind the economic reforms; he handled the politics of economic reforms. "Both Dr Manmohan Singh and I on more than one occasion acknowledged that without him at the helm, we could not have done these reforms. Don't think anyone takes away credit from him for the economic reforms. There are other aspects to his government, I am afraid, blotted his record," he told NDTV. Chidambaram, who was Commerce Minister under Rao, was asked whether he was talking about Ayodhya. "Obviously," he replied. Asked whether that was why the Congress did not commemorate his birth anniversary over these years and he was being appropriated by the BJP as a leader they recognize, the former minister said "BJP will appropriate anyone, even its most severe critic.

Point is, we gave him a befitting funeral in Hyderabad which the PM, Mrs Gandhi and many others including me attended." He said a memorial has been erected for him in Hyderabad. It was not as though all memorials have to be erected in Delhi. Memorials can be erected in other parts of India and he was happy to describe himself as the son of

P Chidambaram

Telugu country. And there is a memorial for him in Hyderabad, he said. When asked should the party not remember Rao on his birth anniversary and told that there was nothing at the Congress headquarters. With even PM Modi tweeting about it, Chidambaram said "Well these are perceptions. I think the party has never denied him credit for economic reforms. I don't think tweeting is the best way to remember anyone. Be that as it may, I have no comment on that. -PTI

Swaraj thanks Bahrain for pardon to 69 Indians NEW DELHI: India has thanked Bahrain for Royal pardon to 69 Indian prisoners who were lodged in various jails there. "We thank Bahrain for Royal pardon to 69 Indian prisoners," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

Swaraj, in another tweet, also appreciated the efforts of the Indian envoy in Bahrain for securing their release. "I appreciate the efforts of Indian Ambassador Alok Sinha and his team (for it)," she said. PTI

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Javadekar for pre-2020 climate actions BERLIN: India has underlined the need for countries to take pre2020 climate actions to curb emissions and sought cooperation among countries in finance and technology sectors to tackle climate change. "Cooperation is the key for taking (climate) actions. Every country is at a different stage of development. We need cooperation. We have the will to act," said Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. Javadekar said that India has already started the process of ratification of Paris Climate agreement and even during the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama, both emphasized that the process should be completed at the earliest. "But we do not have the wherewithal to do it, not only in terms of finances, but particularly in terms of technology. When we talk of technology, Germany is most reliable name in many fields and therefore, there is finance, technology and mutual cooperation and walking the talk," Javadekar said at a joint press conference with German Minister Barbara Hendricks at the Seventh St Petersburg Dialogue in Berlin. Since 2010, the annual dialogue has provided the opportunity for

countries to engage in an informal exchange of experiences on international climate policy. Javadekar said that on October 5 last year, Modi and German Chancellor Angela Markel issued a joint statement which is the "ba-

prehensive agenda of combating climate change. Modi had also said that he placed great value on Germany's assistance of over one billion Euros for India's Green Energy Corridor and a new assistance pack-

Kejriwal: SAD-BJP playing communal politics GURDASPUR: Close on the heels of AAP MLA Naresh Yadav being booked in connection with an alleged sacrilege incident, Arvind Kejriwal has accused the ruling SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab of indulging in communal politics. "Since AAP has emerged as a serious challenge to these communal forces, they (SAD-BJP) are

will not tolerate sacrilege incidents and bring all those who conspired in such inhuman acts to the fore." "It is shameful that to defame AAP, they (SAD) did not even spare the holy book," he alleged and said, "AAP is not here to play politics but for the change in the political system."

Arvind Kejriwal Prakash Javadekar

sis" of India-Germany partnership program. In a statement during the joint press briefing with Chancellor Merkel, Prime Minister Modi had said that he admired Merkel's leadership in combating climate change and both the countries had agreed on an India-Germany Climate and Renewable Alliance with a long term vision and a com-

age of over a billion Euros for solar projects in India. "What we have achieved in New York, we signed it (agreement). Now we have to implement it. So pre-2020 actions are also important and will also be discussed here in St Petersburg," Javadekar said adding that he was hopeful of the outcome at this dialogue. -PTI

not keeping any stone unturned to defame the party," he alleged while addressing an event organized by Punjab Christian United Front here. Violence had erupted after the alleged sacrilege in Malerkotla on June 24 in which a mob even attacked the house of local SAD MLA Farzana Nissara Khatoon, wife of a former Punjab DGP. Several policemen, including a DSP, were injured as about 300-400 protesters hurled stones and torched a car. Kejriwal said, "If AAP comes to power in Punjab next year, it

In Punjab, all sections of society are fed up with the "mis-governance, rather non-governance" of the SAD-BJP alliance. AAP would be voted to power in the state with a thumping majority, the party's national convener claimed. "Drugs are being supplied to every nook and corner of Punjab under political patronage. Instead of cracking down on drug suppliers, police is registering fake cases against drug addicts," Kejriwal alleged, adding all such fake cases would be withdrawn after AAP forms government.

Parrikar for raising all-women battalion India 'stuck' in 1962 war NEW DELHI: Pitching for greater role of women in the armed forces, Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has mooted the idea of raising an all women battalion and stationing of women on warships as the "psychological barrier" has been broken with the induction of female fighter pilots. Parrikar said induction of women through the National Defense Academy and allowing girl students in Sainik schools can also be considered. He said that even though India is a country of Jhansi ki Rani and Durga, women have been made to stay away due to various reasons. "When I became the Defense Minister, I thought that we need to do a strategic move," he said noting that normally armed forces are male dominated. If the Army and the Navy are

opened up for combat roles for women, India will join the small

diers will not listen to a Commanding Officer who is a lady

mindset: China media Cont’d from page 10

Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar at a FLO interactive session on ‘Parivartan in Defense Sector: Changing Role & Opportunities for Women’ at FICCI in New Delhi on July 4

club of countries in the world, including US, Israel, to have such a system. "There is a thinking that sol-

because they are not trained to do that. Cont’d on page 13

Cont’d on page 13

"The only exception is if India can obtain consent from all 48NSG members, but several countries apart from China hold reservations in this regard. India better put more efforts into figuring out how to obtain international trust rather than misinterpreting and defaming China," it said. Quoting Political scientist Zheng Yongnian who stated that that, "China's bilateral relationship with India is second only to the Sino-US relationship," it said ties with China are of great significance to India as well. "The best option is for China and India to work together to boost their economic and trade ties. Only by seeking common

development between China and India can the two build a new international order and form an Asian century," it said. "The obviously cooperative attitude has wide representation as an increasing number of people now care about economic progress more than anything else and believe that India's rapid economic development can actually help improve its relations with China," it said. The article said that many regions in China are looking for business opportunities in fast-growing India. Chinese citizens may not realize the full potential of India, but in general they are attaching far more importance to the neighboring country than ever before. -PTI

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'200 terrorists across LoC waiting to infiltrate' JHANGAR, (LoC): Over 200 heavily armed militants were waiting across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir, a senior army officer has said but asserted that troops are fully geared to thwart their nefarious designs. "Exact details of the infiltrators cannot be said with surety but with our experience, having known their modus operandi and from inputs of various security

army was fully geared and the security grid was intact to thwart the nefarious designs of the terrorists. "Having gained the experience, our security grid is tight and well geared to thwart the activity," said the GoC. Asked to comment on the situation in the south of Pir Panchal, the area under the operation of the 16 corps, he said it has been "relatively peaceful". "Our area of operation in the

"Terrorists come to the launch pads, try to infiltrate and get killed. Maybe very few manage to cross over but get killed in the second and third tier of the security grid," he said, adding that the army was fully geared agencies, we can put the figure at around 200 plus," General officer Commanding (GoC) of the 16 corps Lt Gen RR Nimbhorkar said here. He said the consolidation of militants at various launching pads was not a new phenomenon and they keep on trying to infiltrate into the Indian side. "Terrorists come to the launch pads, try to infiltrate and get killed. Maybe very few manage to cross over but get killed in the second and third tier of the security grid," he said, adding that the

southern side of Pir Panchal has been relatively calm and quiet for the last few years due to high-intensity operations carried out by security forces which have brought the situation under proper control and as of now, there is no change and we are having a reasonable amount of peace and tranquility here," he said. Replying to a query on the effect on militancy if the government plans to reduce the footprints of security forces in the state, he said addition and reduction of security personnel are done after

proper deliberation and discussion and such decisions are not taken overnight. "If peace has been restored to a place, it does not mean that the army should be removed from there. Lot of deliberations and discussions go on," he said. Asked if there could be an increase in militancy-related activities if the army was removed from certain areas, he said if police is withdrawn from a place, the crime rate will see an upward trend there. "If there is no policeman to control crime, you can well understand what would be the state of crime in the area," he said. The GoC said terrorists are always on the lookout for a "weakness" and would try to launch an attack. "Wherever terrorists get a chance and find weakness, they will act. We are not weak, we are there to guard and have put in our resources to do that," he said. Replying to a query, the GoC said the exact number of terrorists active in the Jammu region cannot be divulged, adding that some Over Ground Workers (OGWs) were present in the area. Regarding the renewal of lease of the training ranges in the Jammu region, he said the issue was pending with the state government and the procedure takes time. -PTI

Ex- diplomat is Oz varsity India head MELBOURNE: Australia's prestigious University of New South Wales has appointed former Indian diplomat and author Amit Dasgupta as its first India Country Director. Dasgupta, who was India's Consul General in Sydney and Ambassador to the Philippines, was appointed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The position, based in New Delhi, will strengthen and deepen UNSW's ties with India across education, knowledge exchange and research. He has been appointed to champion ties with India, the Sydney-based University said in a statement. "UNSW is delighted to have someone of Amit's caliber leading our ambitious India strategy," Fiona Docherty, Vice-President, International said. "Over the next 10 years, UNSW aims to achieve a step change in the way Indian students access UNSW's progressive style of education both here in Sydney and

via new partnerships in India," Docherty said. Dasgupta authored Lessons from Ruslana: In Search of Transformative Thinking which was

Amit Dasgupta

published in February. He had a long association with UNSW and was instrumental in securing the installation of the

Mahatma Gandhi bust in Australia and the creation of UNSW's signature Annual Gandhi Oration. "I am delighted to take up the opportunity of exploring, through a worldclass university like U N S W, how education can become a strategic contributor in intensifying and deepening India Australia relations," he said. "Education has the potential to emerge as a key player in this (India-Australia) relationship. The role UNSW can play is significant," Dasgupta added. -PTI

Minister promises Ganga Act soon NEW DELHI: In order to fast in the river, what degree of course track execution of Namami Gange can be allowed to change in the program, the Centre will come out river, etc," the officer said. with 'Ganga Act' in near future In another tweet, Bharti said the even as it will launch 222 projects government will launch 222 including those of ghat construc- projects of Ghat constructions, tions and STP installations later tree plantation and STPs installathis week, Union Water Resources tions. Bharti is expected to launch Minister Uma Bharti has said. the work from Haridwar along with Bharti, who chaired the sixth Union Transport Minister Nitin meeting of National Ganga River Gadkari and Uttarakhand Chief Basin Authority (NGBRA) here, Minister Harish Rawat, another stated that five Ganga basin official said. states have also agreed "in principle" to the idea of formulating the act. Taking to Twitter, the Minister also announced that a committee will be formed under NGBRA member Madhav Chitale on desilting of the river. "Reached consensus on formulating Ganga Act after consultations Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti with (basin) states. The Ganga Act will be formulated under former Justice Girdhar "The Namami Gange program Malaviya (member NGBRA)," she execution is picking up momentweeted. tum. The works on the 222 projects According to a senior official, will be launched at 100 locations the legislation will help fix duties across the five basin states. We and responsibilities of governing will scale up the works across 1,000 agencies concerned for cleaning locations in the states by Decemof the river and also empower an ber-end this year," National Misauthority to drive the program. At sion for Clean Ganga director present, the works relating to Rajat Bhargava said. Ganga are being carried out as per According to the statement, "subordinate laws", the official Union Ministers Birender Singh said. (Rural development) and Harsh "Once, the new law is formu- Vardhan (Science and Technollated, clarity will be there as in who ogy), Minister of State for Tourwill be responsible for the pro- ism and Culture Mahesh Sharma gram. The law may also include attended the meeting, besides seprovisions for how much minimum nior officials from Central and state of water should be allowed to flow governments.-PTI

Pak sends Eidi to Pakistani prisoners NEW DELHI: In a heart-warming gesture, the Pakistan High Commission has for the first time sent 'Eidi' to over 500 nationals of that country lodged in various Indian jails, ahead of the 'Eid' festival. "Pakistan High Commission sends 'Eidi' to Pak prisoners in India; efforts on for their early release and repatriation," the Pakistan diplomatic mission tweeted. Eidi is a gift in form of money or otherwise from elders on the occasion of Eid. According to the Pakistani sources, this is for the first time the High Commission has shown

such gesture to the prisoners from that country. "There are 505 Pakistani prisoners lodged in various jails in India. We have sent the money orders to jail authorities to put them in the account of the respective prisoners," the sources said. However, they did not divulge the amount sent to each prisoner. They also said there were "problems" with the postal department in sending money to the prisoners. "We took up the matter with higher postal authorities after which the issue got resolved," they added. -PTI

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Brown praises Paul family's dynamism LONDON: Lauding Lord Swraj whom one of her "great joys dur- with "our heartfelt love and gratiPaul and his family, Britain's former ing her short life" was her ability tude". Prime Minister Gordon Brown has to go around the London Zoo. "She (Ambika) was an angel said their "dynamism and contri"And so in memory of her life, who changed our lives. After her bution" to the community has throughout these last 40 years, the passing, we had a son Angad, who changed the lives of many people Paul family has made it possible was born two years after she died. across several countries. for millions of children to enjoy We always saw this as a gift of Brown praised the leading NRI the surroundings of this zoo," he god for which we were thankful. industrialist and his family while said, in reference to Lord Paul's Angad was full of energy, ideas, addressing an event at London generous donations to the zoo enthusiasm and a passion for life. Zoo in memory of Paul's daughter over the years. His life ended tragically, far too Ambika and son Angad Paul, who tragically passed away last year. "One of the great, special families of our time and our generation is the Paul family," said Brown, currently the United Nations' Special Envoy for Global Education. "There are a few great families in this world whose enterprise has created jobs for thousands of people, whose NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul and his wife Aruna Paul with Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his wife Sarah Brown and their children at London Zoo on July 3 charitable work has made life better for perhaps millions of "We also celebrate today the soon. We will always remember him, people. There are few very spe- life of Angad Paul, a brilliant man cial families whose dynamism and with huge achievements in the just as we remember Ambika," he contribution to the community film industry, steel industry, mo- said. Paul said Angad's inspiration has changed the lives of so many tor car industry. Not just in Britpeople, not just in one country ain, but in Europe, America and in really brought Caparo into the 21st but working in many countries - the Indian subcontinent too," Century. "Soon after he began working India, America and elsewhere to Brown said in reference to the enrich our lives," he said. Caparo Group's former CEO who at Caparo, he went to India and started building plants there and The Labor party stalwart also passed away last November. paid tribute to Ambika Paul, who Paul, in his tribute, described we now have more than 30 sites died of leukaemia when she was his children as the "light of our under the Caparo banner," he just four-years-old in 1968 and for lives" who will be remembered said. -PTI

Parrikar for raising all-women battalion Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 11

I don't agree with this as the only restriction today is infrastructure," he said speaking at a seminar organized by FICCI FLO, the women wing of the industry chamber. "In combat roles also there can be women. Why not have a complete women team, battalion of women. So the question of women officers leading a men's team, if there is question of initial resistance to it, can also be taken care of," he said. Parrikar said that sometime in future, he will sit with the chiefs

of all forces. "I don't understand why we can't place women on ships. At this stage I will not support a submarine operation because submarines are designed for unigender or one area for staff. There are no separate areas for women. "But ships can be modified and new ships can be designed to have facilities for women," he said adding that there is also a question of taking women officers through NDA. He said there are demands from across the country for Sainik schools to have girl students.

"This cannot be done in disjoined manner otherwise girls will get into Sainik schools but they will not get entry, all this aspects are being looked into," he said. Ruing that it took nearly four months for the file on induction of women in combat role to reach him despite his prodding, Parrikar said he will soon meet with the three service chiefs to work out increasing role of females. "I support women rights, empowerment but I believe changes have to be done in a gradual manner because if you don't do that there will be problems," he said. PTI

Kejriwal: SAD-BJP playing communal politics Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 11

and Congress over the sacrilege incident, the Sangrur district administration, ahead of Kejriwal's visit to Malerkotla, has clamped Section 144 of CrPC prohibiting assembly of more than 10 people in one place. The AAP national convener, who was earlier in the day in Phagwara of Kapurthala district, faced stiff protests from various religious bodies over the MLA's alleged involvement in the case. Heavy police force has been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident. Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Preetpal Singh Thind said, "Summons were issued to the MLA, who will be questioned. We are investigating the matter." About Kejriwal's visit to Malerkotla, the SSP said, "We will provide full security to him." Meanwhile, addressing a 'Dalit Sammelan' at Phagwara, Kejriwal sounded a note of caution to the

He also said, "Once voted to power, we will put Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia behind the bars." "It will be a fight between AAP and the grand alliance of SADBJP-Congress as the latter will contest the polls under a secret understanding," Kejriwal claimed. Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he alleged "After becoming the Prime Minister, most of the time, Narendra Modi is in flying mode. Whenever he lands in India, he is always in planning mode to disturb the Delhi Government by creating hurdles in the ongoing developmental works." "Unlike BJP, which rolled out a series of 'dreams' including 'achche din' as poll promises but later on termed those as 'chunavi jumle', AAP believes in fulfilling all its all promises, which is evident in Delhi," Kejriwal claimed. Prominent among others who addressed the gathering include state convener of AAP Sucha "It will be a fight between Singh Chhotepur, MP AAP and the grand alliance Bhagwant Mann and senior leader Gurpreet of SAD-BJP-Congress Ghuggi. as the latter will contest the Earlier, on his way to Gurdaspur from polls under a secret Amritsar, Kejriwal paid understanding obeisance to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan from Dera Baba Nanak. members of the community, allegKejriwal claimed that with elec- ing that "RSS and its protege BJP" tions in Punjab round the corner, would end reservation whenever the Malerkotla sacrilege incident they got opportunity. which was "politically motivated" "Though the RSS chief backis being "blown out of propor- tracked from his statement when tion" by the SAD-BJP govern- he realized that it will harm BJP's ment. poll prospects, it exposed the "This is an election year and mindset and conspiracy of RSS the Badal government is going all and BJP about Dalits and reserout to defame me and my party. I vation," he said. have been told that Sangrur poEyeing Dalit vote-bank, the lice have been specifically told to largest concentration of which is implicate some members of my in the Doaba region, he asked, party in the case. Had it not been "How can anyone even think of for the polls, the incident would doing so when condition of Dalits not have happened," he claimed. have not improved a bit even 70 Since June 24, when the inci- years after independence." dent took place, police had been Declaring that AAP will work to blaming VHP but now suddenly uplift the Dalits when it comes to they trained their guns on AAP, power in Punjab, the Delhi Chief Kejriwal said. Minister claimed that over 90 per "Just a day before I started my cent Dalits had voted for his party three-day Punjab tour, the inves- in the national capital and they still tigators suddenly started target- stands with the party as it had done ing my party colleagues. I have what it had promised. been told that this is being done Blaming the BJP government at allegedly at the behest of the rul- Centre for the death of Rohith ing party," he claimed. Vemula, a Dalit scholar of "This shows that the SAD-BJP Hyderabad University, Kejriwal alliance fears my party, which is claimed, "Rohit and four other gaining in strength with each pass- Dalit students were suspended ing day. The Badals are hitting be- because they propagated low the belt," Kejriwal alleged. Ambedkar's philosophy and In wake of the protests by SAD ABVP could not digest it." -PTI

July 8, 2016

14 India Post www.indiapost.com

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Desi News Balvihar celebrates Yoga Day with gusto NANDITA SATHEESKUMAR

Community activist gets doctorate from Caribbean

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

Details on page 22

July 8, 2016

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16 India Post

Balochis, Kashmiri Hindus get together on UN Refugee Day

Widespread Yoga Day celebrations in Illinois and Midwest SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: The Consulate General of India in Chicago in collaboration with City of Sandwich and Redberri Global Corporation celebrated the Second International Day of Yoga on June 25 in Sandwich, southwest suburb of Chicago. More than a dozen spiri-

26 at Lawrence Park, Madison. Besides demonstration of Pranayam and some common asanas, lectures on yoga were delivered. On June 21, Namaste Caramel celebrated Second International Day of Yoga in Caramel and orga-

derman Doug Scheidecker, a number of Aldermen from the areas and Dr. Samudrala Venugopal Chary, former Union Minister of State (Power and Non-Conventional Energy) graced the event. Welcoming all Indians, CG Dr. Ausaf Sayeed mentioned that the

During inaugural ceremony, proclamation issued by Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel as well as messages sent by Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the President of Village of Oak Brook, Gopal G. Lalmalani were also read out. Mayor Rahm Emanual urged all

RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: A community activist and an acclaimed Mata Bhajan singer, Avinash Verma, added one more feather in his cap of achievements with Avalon University School of Medicine in Caribbean islands honoring him with an Honorary Doctorate degree for his exemplary community services. Avinash turned Dr Avinash with the doctorate degree formally conferred upon him during a recent function held at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown Ohio. Dr Avinash also heads North Shore Medical Education Center (NMEC), Chicago. In a talk to this paper, Dr. Verma said that he landed in USA three decades ago for a better quality of life convinced that the best way to predict future is to create it. Details on page 20

Plea to get girls early into computer science India Post News Service

Yoga Day in Illinois

Flag salutations in Sandwich village

tual & yogic organizations actively participated in the celebration. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, a northwest suburb of Chicago celebrated the Second International Day of Yoga on June 19. This included power point presentation on Pranayama and different breathing techniques. During the evening assembly on June 26, a lecture on the health benefits of Yoga was delivered by Dr Naishad Shah, preceded by a two minute video of PM Modi's speech on Yoga. Indian Association of Minnesota celebrated Second International Day of Yoga on June 19 at Hindu Milan Mandir, Minneapolis from 3 pm onwards. Besides talks on Yoga, Pranayam, Surya Namaskar and some Asanas were demonstrated. American Hindu Association along with Association of Indian Americans celebrated Second International Day of Yoga on June

A section of gathering

nized talks on Yoga besides demonstration of some asanas. Manav Mental Yoga celebrated Second International Day of Yoga in Indianapolis on June 21 with yoga related activities and talks. In Sandwich, a Chicago suburb, Swami Ishatmanandji, President of Vivekanand Vedanta Society, Senator Tim Bivins, State Representative Tom Demmer, Mayor of Sandwich Rick Olson, Mayor of Polano Robert Housler, Economic Development Director Jim Teckenbrock ,Alderman David Fraser, Alderman Fran Moran, Development Director Jim Teckenbrock , Alderman David Fraser, Alderman Cara Killey, Al-

Yoga session in progress

Yoga sessions in progress

adoption of a Resolution by the United Nations last year declaring June 21 as the "International Day of Yoga" has ushered in a new

Yoga in Madison

"Yoga Era" and Yoga has now become a people's mass movement. He urged the participants to join hands to spread the message of peace, harmony and understanding among communities. Bruce Rauner, Governor of the State of Illinois, proclaimed June 25 as International Yoga Day in Illinois for the cultural significance of yoga and to raise awareness of the health benefits of yoga. The Mayor of Sandwich Rick Olson issued a special proclamation to proclaim June 24-25 as International Yoga Day in Sandwich city.

Chicagoans to take part in celebrations acknowledging the mental, physical and spiritual benefits of Yoga. A commemorative souvenir on the Yoga day was released on the occasion. All the Leading participating organizations set up their own booths especially, the Art of Living Foundation, Isha Foundation, Brahma Kumaris Meditation Centers,SEWA International, the Science of Spirituality, Yog Sadhan Ashram and AARA and organized parallel activities. There were special rooms for carrying out yoga sessions for the seniors and workshops for the children. Indian Consul O.P. Meena thanked all participants, participating organizations, City of Sandwich, Redberri Global Corporation, Media partners, Individuals for their support to make the IYD celebrations a big success. Besides Chicago, he said the International Day of Yoga was also observed in Carmel and Indianapolis in Indiana, Minneapolis in Minnesota and Madison in Wisconsin.

Community Across America

July 8, 2016

India Post 17

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Dr Naram revitalizes science of pulse reading DR CLINT ROGERS

CHICAGO: Have you heard of 'pulse healing'? It is an ancient science used by master healers for thousands of years to determine what is happening in the body, mind, and emotions. "It was the first time in my life I felt someone truly understood me, "said Tamra Eddington of New

the exact problems she was facing and it gave her hope that perhaps he also knew the solution. She was shocked, at what she saw in only 6 months with the quality of her overall health and well being, after coming to see Dr Naram. Dr Naram can tell you what is happening within your body and

Dr Naram with Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama

York. She had been to a number of doctors and tried all kinds of alternative and complementary medicine. But it was Indian physician Dr Pankaj Naram who within seconds of putting his fingers on her pulse diagnosed Tamra's problem and helped her get over her illness. For Tamra, without her even saying anything, he pinpointed

with Master Healer Pankaj Naram for more than 15 years, says that this system does not discount conventional medicine but prefers to work in conjunction with modern medicine. "This system is unique," he says, "in how deep and long-lasting of results people can see when they follow the

Dr Naram reading Mother Teresa's pulse

read your mind placing his fingers on your pulse. "Pulse reading is a science and its practice helps me get deeper into the organs and gives me the whole picture like an X-Ray" says the ancient healer who travels the world helping over 100 people a day. Dr Giovanni Bricivalli, medical doctor from Italy who has studied

simple ancient secrets that Dr Naram gives them." Tamra is now one of the more than a million people from 108 countries that Dr Naram has already helped with his deeper ancient healing secrets. His Siddha Veda method is based on ancient scriptures which contain the secrets of discovering what is hap-

pening in the body, mind and emo- most people do today. This is why tions. Dr Naram received an award he was so interested when Dr from the former Governor Chris- Naram created a foundation to tine Whitman (from 1994 to 2001, and Administrator of Environmental Protection) and State legislature of New Jersey for helping so many of the 9-11 firefighters and first responders recover and heal from the devastating effects of the toxins in their bodies from that fateful day. Dr. Giovanni states that Dr Naram's ancient healing methods come from a linDr Naram receiving award from former NJ Governor eage of masters, Christine Whitman and scriptures that are thousands of years old. These precious help protect and preserve these scriptures are at risk now, but con- ancient documents, and this pretain secrets by which these mas- cious knowledge. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 19 ters lived to ages much longer than

18 India Post

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Balvihar celebrates Yoga Day with gusto NANDITA SATHEESKUMAR

ST LOUIS: Balvihar of St. Louis hosted the 2nd International Day of Yoga on Sunday June 26 in St. Louis, MO with the purpose of highlighting its important role in health. Last year, Balvihar celebrated the 1st International Day of Yoga on June 21. The event was held at the Mahatma Gandhi Center, located in Manchester, MO, between 8:00 am and 12:30 pm. It was a great success, with close to 175 people participating and collectively performing about 1750 Sun Salutations. Balvihar youth and families, the school yoga teachers, local community leaders, leading professional yoga instructors, and many community people from all walks of life participated in Sun Salutation sessions and in workshops in Iyengar Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Chair Yoga. The workshops were very

Youth participation galore at Balvihar Yoga Day celebration

popular and well attended. Under the guidance of the school yoga

teachers, children's yoga was conducted on the lawns. The event

concluded with an interesting CANstruction, in order to broaden panel discussion by experts in their knowledge of other faiths, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, and while strengthening the underShivananda Yoga. standing of their own faith. The event not only educated The Youth Group is also inpeople on the health benefits of volved in many community yoga and encouraged them to take better care of their health, but also gave participants yoga Balvihar youth and families, tools to relieve stress, the school yoga teachers, chronic aches and pains local community leaders, and to relax. Founded in 1992, the leading professional yoga Center for Indian Cultural Education - instructors, and many comBalvihar of St. Louis munity people from all promotes, instills and fosters Indian culture in walks of life participated in children of Indian ori- Sun Salutation sessions and gin, ages 5 and above. Its curriculum presents in workshops a broad spectrum: from Indian cultural values, to geography and history, to fes- projects that consolidate their tivals, to religion. Students are sense of community responsibiltaught all aspects of Indian cul- ity and of integrating multi-culture including philosophy, tures. Balvihar's volunteer staff prayers, yoga, bhajans, art, tradi- consists of professional individutions, and teachings. Its Youth als and dedicated parents, who Group teens engage in many in- have a keen interest in sustaining terfaith activities, such as cultural values in their children.

July 8, 2016

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India Post 19

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Evolution of Classical Music thru dance drama MADHU PATEL

AURORA, Illinois: Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing one of the most informative plays on the evolution of Indian Classical music and dance performed beautifully at the Bharat Sevasram Sangha temple auditorium, in Aurora, Illinois. At first glance, this temple looks more like an industrial warehouse from the outside than an Indian temple, but walking in you are transformed to the magical beauty of statues and portraits of Indian gods and Murtis of important deities from our religious roots In the basement of the temple, there is a beautiful auditorium complete with lobby area, eating area, theater, audience seating, restrooms and direct entrance from the parking lot (including handicap ramp). This auditorium and adjoining space includes a library and an Audio-Visual facility where the Temple conducts regular Youth Camp, Yoga sessions, Health clinics, Meditation and Spiritual lectures and classes. The play starts with one of the temple Swamiji sitting in front of a completely darkened auditorium lighting a fire in the holy urn and performing Yagna (fire offering) by reciting mantras in Sanskrit from Vedas - written some ten thousand years ago. Soon we hear Swamiji's mantra recitation overlapped by recorded hymns chorus with a Tambura drone that transports the audience to thousands of years past in the Vedic ages. At the end of the chants we hear bells ringing, Mridnagam striking, and the Gayatri Mantra sung in beautiful

universe with distant stars and planets and the dark infinite sky lights up the projection screen, an indication that the writers of these hymns not only addressed the

Sanatan Music - Dance art

earth and their immediate surroundings, but also included the entire universe in their poetry and imagination… It was indeed a proper initiation to the extremely powerful hymns of the Vedas and the inclusiveness of their initial concepts and philosophies. The 90-minute play was then broken into eight Acts which follow incrementally and chronologi-

The 90-minute play was broken into eight Acts which follow incrementally and chronologically explaining through the lucid narration how the Vedas formed the foundation Sanatan Dharma - or the Eternal Order harmony. "Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha… Tat savitur Varanyam… Bhargo Devashya dhimahi… Dhiyo Yo Na prachodyaat..." Translation - "Let us meditate in the glory of this earth, sky and the universe…Let us take in our hearts the revelation that we do not just belong to one particular place or land or planet…. but we are all an integral part of the universe…" Simultaneously to the Gayatri Mantra recitation, an image of the

cally explaining through the lucid narration how the Vedas formed the foundation Sanatan Dharma or the Eternal Order - that ultimately was labeled as Hinduism. Act 1 - Invocation - Vedic Chants and Gayatri Mantra Act 2 - The Beginning - Who / How / Where / When Sanatan Dharma and the Four Vedas were created Act 3 - Sama Veda - Reaching the supreme through prayers, music and dance - Grammar of Music Act 4 - Ramayana - Concepts

and fundamentals taught in Vedas are told through story of Rama, Ram Stuti. Act 5 - Mahabharata - Complex conflicts of kinship, friendship, family loyalty and duty, Vastraharan. Act 6 - Na?ya Sastra - complete encyclopedic compilation and texts on the performing arts, RASA theory Act 7 - Film Music - How Classical Ragas influenced popular music - medley of music /dance on Raga Yaman Act 8 - The Present - How metamorphosis for thousands of years, resulted in the Hindustani music of today In addition to the narrated story of evolution of music synchronized with projected images, the play presented a mesmerizing dance by Madhura Sane, a classically trained based in Naperville with her own school of dancing Nritya Natya Academy. The dance items were accentuated with fabulous costume and jewelry matching the period and the topic of the story. The dances were lit with professional lighting that enhanced the show in their own ways. I can only describe the play as magical, with the impeccable research, narration and direction by Kushal Bose, the present (acting) President of the BSS Chicago Chapter, assisted by Tabla Maestro Subhasis Mukherjee, who also did the digital editing, mixing and special effects for the play. The mood, music, costume, dances, instruments, chants and props everything complemented each other and delivered an unforgettable experience - one that has never been attempted by local artistes in the Chicago land area. I encourage you to go see this production when it is re-staged in Chicago (hopefully) towards the end of the year. In the Chicago area, many organizations put on various shows and events, but I guarantee you won't find one quite like the Eternal Prayer's rendition of the evolution of Indian Classical music from the Vedic times to the present. If you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of your daily life and plunge into an educational journey that brings one face to face with our roots and rich musical heritage into a magical experience in the city of Chicago itself, then come out and support these fine players! Eternal Prayer has already been tentatively scheduled to perform all over the United States - Los Angeles (October), Washington

DC and New Jersey (November), Houston (December) and Chicago (September). To get more information about the show or to book this show at your facility or organization please contact the producer Kushal Bose at (630) 300 4228 or e-mail kushal@boseassciates.com. Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a leading monastic institution of India, headquartered in Kolkatta. Founded in 1917 by the illustrious

saint Yugacharya Sreemat Swami Pranavanandaji, the Sangha is a pioneer organization engaged in socio-cultural, educational activities and relief work during natural calamities. It has more than 300 branches in India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Trinidad and Guyana. Contact: Swami Mukundananda, Resident Monk, BSS Temple, Aurora - (630) 301 6039

Dr Naram revitalizes science of pulse reading Cont’d from page 17

diabetes cured," says Dr Naram. It really is the outcome of a methodical following of ancient technology and knowledge involving transformation of body, mind, emotion and soul. Dr Giovanni added, "So many of the cases I have seen Dr Naram help have inspired me, from infertility and hormonal rebalance, to digestion challenges, asthma, psoriasis, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, back pain, fibromyalgia, diabetes, autism, weight loss, hair growth, high blood pressure and so many other chronic and acute health chal-

Dr Giovanni said the ancient healing secrets of Dr Naram are not for emergencies such as heart attacks...however, using his methods he has gotten very good results with chronic and acute health conditions such as asthma, infertility, cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, kidney failure, obesity, slipped disc, ADD/ADHD, Crohn's Disease, osteoporosis, PMS, depression, psoriasis, stroke, hair loss, skin conditions, memory loss, chronic fatigue syndrome as well as improving immunity and quality of life in persons who are HIV positive. Over 26 years ago Dr Naram said "My master Naram was a balding, said you can either be bespectacled and overpart of the solution or a weight young doctor when a patient told him part of the problem, and I about a 115 year old committed to be a part of healer, Baba Ramdas Swami, who practiced the solution.” just outside of Mumbai. Baba Ramdas was seeing 80 to 90 patients a day and was lenges. I wanted to know how I able to determine what was wrong could help this precious ancient with the person in less than one knowledge to be protected, preminute. Dr Naram wondered how served, and passed on. When I this was possible and decided to heard that Dr Naram was creating meet Baba Ramdas in person. Af- a foundation and academy to help ter meeting him, and eventually with this, I instantly wanted to studying under him, Dr Naram's life become involved." was transformed. Dr Naram said "My master said Dr Giovanni said, "You can see you can either be part of the soluthe impact in the faces of the tion or a part of the problem, and I countless people who come to see committed to be a part of the soluDr Naram on the tours he does in tion. As a side benefit, so many cities throughout US, Canada, good things have come to me. I Asia, Africa, and Europe. After in- used to be overweight, high diatensive training and years of help- betes, and losing my hair like crazy. ing people, Dr Naram became the Now I have lost about 100 pounds, head of the Siddha Veda lineage my blood sugar is normal, and I after his teacher left his body at feel 20 years younger. I used to 125. Dr. Naram now travels all over have a lot of time, and no hair. Now the world to seminars and clinics I have a lot of hair and no time." Dr Naram will be coming to that are filled to capacity. "I got my hair back and I do not USA this month. For his detailed wear glasses now. Also I have my itinerary call 1-888-817-3481

20 India Post

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Community activist gets doctorate from Caribbean decades ago for a better quality of life convinced that the best way to predict future is to create it. Born to a well-known educaCHICAGO: A community activist and an acclaimed Mata Bhajan tionist family of Principal B R singer, Avinash Verma, added one Verma, Avinash began his profesmore feather in his cap of achieve- sional career as an income tax lawments with Avalon University yer in 1976 in India. He came to School of Medicine in Caribbean this country three decades ago for islands honoring him with an Hon- a better life. He realized that a he orary Doctorate degree for his ex- needed to brush up his back home education with a study in this country He commenced earning and learning at the same time. After working for a small finance company, he decided to start his own finance company. With hard work and personalized service he came out with flying colors in his business. He felt a need to do better in different areas and launched his Dr Avinash with his better half Neelam Verma (right) flagship comwith a guest pany North Shore Medical Education to help emplary community services. Avinash turned Dr Avinash offshore medical students, with with the doctorate degree formally South Asian diaspora in particuconferred upon him during a re- lar, to get placed in various unicent function held at Stambaugh versities to shore up their medical Auditorium in Youngstown Ohio. education and get nicely equipped Dr Avinash also heads North to compete for Residency spots Shore Medical Education Center in North America. The company has shown con(NMEC), Chicago. In a talk to this paper, Dr. Verma tinuous efforts to give the stusaid that he landed in USA three dents the training to get nicely RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

Avinash Verma (extreme right) gets Doctorate degree from Avalong University

equipped for a residency slot in the US. With his stewardship, the company has blossomed into a leading clinical rotation provider here. "It was a tough job as any other immigrant struggling for success would vouch for it. It was a

achieve their dreams in a foreign land. "Aspiring young medical students need a little push, help and guidance. They want someone who believes in them. I try to fill a void in their life and career. This is how to pay back to society

An acclaimed devotee of Maa Durge, he launched a not for profit devotional TV show Jagran TV back in 2003 with the objective of catering to devotional needs of Indian community. difficult game to engage in and win with no expert guidance," he told this paper. Being a fervent devotee of Mata Jagdambe, his motivating factor in life is to help others

by helping medical students to pursue their dreams," he said. Last year, Avinash Verma, along with his sons Dr Ashish Ansal and Ankush Ansal, launched a new service to patients in India to con-

sult a physician in USA for their medical issues via android and Iphone app Superfyt.com. By dint of hard work, the Vermas are doing yeomen service to people in India as well. An acclaimed devotee of Maa Durge, he launched a not for profit devotional TV show Jagran TV back in 2003 with the objective of catering to devotional needs of Indian community. He holds and performs Maa Durga Jagran and Chowkis on regular basis at no charge. He has released many Mata Bhajan audio and video CDs, as well. As the saying goes - there is a woman behind every successful man - and for Aviansh that woman is nobody else but his wife Neelam Verma. She motivates him to steer clear of the vicissitudes of life.

Russ joins Gujarati Samaj funfilled picnic ASHWIN PATEL

ST LOUIS: The Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis organized its annual picnic at McDonald Park on Sunday June 26 with 200 members, friends, and well-wishers participating in this near day-long event. This year picnic was attended by Congressman Russ Carnahan who is candidate for Missouri Lt. Governor. This is an annual affair with the Samaj. Besides a full scale social interaction and games, the highlight of the picnic was enchanting and mouth watering food. The food team was ready with Fried chana dal, nachos, corn and water melons, corn, and varieties of juice as the participants started arriving at the picnic site.

Guest of Honor Russ Carnahan (running for Lt.Governor post) addressing Samaj members

Throughout the event, Indian games and sports, such as cricket, volleyball, water balloons and

Russ Carnahan enjoying lunch with Samaj members

other enjoyable items were played. Indian food was served to all members included khichadi with masala

Gujarati Samaj members and officials with Russ

chhas and pickles. The picnic was enjoyed by all the guests due to dedication and hard work by mem-

bers, volunteers and officers of the Samaj. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 23

July 8, 2016

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Plea to get girls early into computer science India Post News Service

SAN JOSE, CA: Over the years, while the gender gap in technology has received a lot of attention, overall ratios of women to men in the field, both in the work force and in engineering education, remain abysmal. One example of this was available at the opening session of Hadoop Summit 2016 held from June 28-30 in San Jose. On a stage full of almost 100 "Hadoop Commiters " (people who consistently upload and approve Open Source code), there were only two girls. During the Women in Big Data (WIBD) event as part of the Hadoop Summit, this was exactly the topic of discussion. The panel discussed ways to attract and retain women in technology fields, particularly in the domain of Big Data. Speakers on panel ranged from a C-level executive to a High School student. The panelists were Ingrid Burton - CMO (Hortonworks), Cornelia Davis - CTO Transformation Practice (Pivotal), Jayshree Athma - Director Engineering Windows OS Division (Intel), Alice Adelman - Escalations Audits & Resolution Specialist (Zenefits), and Manasi Maheshwari - Engineering Intern

As more girls develop an interest at a young age, the gender gap is on the road to decreasing, and the glass ceiling that discourages women from pursuing technology can finally break (Hortonworks). Manasi Maheshwari, an American High School student doing internship at Hortonworks was very articulate about what worked for her and what can be done to attract more girls to technology. She said, "If you want girls to be interested in Computer Science (CS), get them early and get them in group. If you combine having fun with friends and CS, they will likely be much more receptive". Manasi teaches coding to young girls at her local middle school and high school and has seen the incredible change that exposure can cause. Just 10 weeks after beginning to learn basic Python coding, she finds girls much more excited and gravitating towards computer science. "Whether or not girls choose a career in computer science, knowing how to code will help them succeed in any field. One of the best things about CS is how applicable it is to whatever they want to pursue, be it business, art, or anything else", says Manasi. As more girls develop an interest at a young age, the gender gap is on the road to decreasing, and the glass ceiling that discourages women from pursuing technology can finally break, or at least be cracked open.

Manasi Maheshwari speaking at 'Women in Big Data' event

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Balochis, Kashmiri Hindus get together on UN Refugee Day India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA: United Nations World refugee day was commemorated in Los Angeles on June 26. Kashmiri Hindu Foundation Inc, US based non-profit organization, along with "Jagriti " arranged the event. It was for the first time that Leaders from Baluchistan, Sindh, Tibet, human rights activists and Kashmiri Hindus spoke about the atrocities being committed on their populations. Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep Ed Royce in a message said that Kashmir Hindu Foundation and Jagriti should both be commended for providing a forum in order to celebrate the courage and bravery of people leaving their homeland. "It is significant that you are coming together to commend refugees that flee violence and seek the safety of the United States. This meeting and the ongoing efforts are not only beneficial to the Kashmiri Hindu community but also the international community as a whole." Aziz Baloch, human rights activist, coordinator of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) from Baluchistan, spoke about atrocities being inflicted upon its

people and thousands of Baloch youth were missing. He talked about his Baluchistan being a free sovereign state and demanded

Dr Saghir Ahmed Shaikh

Aziz

Indians to give moral support in regaining Baloch sovereignty.

The Pakistan army, its notorious intelligence agency ISI and other institutions are also backing dangerous extremist groups. A multitude of state endorsed extremists and radical groups with different names are killing minorities such as Shia Hazara, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Baloch Ahmadiyas and Zikris. World Sindh Congress General

Secretary Dr Saghir Ahmed Shaikh spoke about the conditions of Sindhi population in Sindh. He started with the quote from great Sindh Poet "Shahlateef'. He said like the Baloch people, Sindhis are secular by nature and hegemony of Punjab and Punjabi army has brought in miseries to Hindu Sindhis with kidnappings, conversions etc. He demanded self determination for the people and claimed it would be a peaceful region after Baloch and Sindh issues are resolved. Kamlesh Chauhan, founder of Jagriti, honored the brave sol-

diers of India who were present in the hall. She sent a message to leaders of Indian communities to always salute our soldiers who are fighting on the borders for the security of motherland India. She honored Retired Col Rajinder Singh Sohi with a special Award from Jagriti. At the end of the event, Kamlesh Chauhan and Dr Amrit Nehru of Kashmir Hindu Foundation Inc were thanked for organizing this event. This first time event managed to awaken people about the issues these communities were facing.

Makkah - Live Miracle of God for mankind A.Q. SIDDIQUI

MAKKAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: It is the 27th night of holy month of Ramadan in Makkah. I was looking from the window of my top floor Rotana hotel room down at the worshippers of One God circling, thousands in number, the House of God untiring and no space between them. I wondered is there any other place on the planet earth where God is worshiped 24 hours, 365 days non-stop. No, there is no other place than the city of Makkah. And truly, the city of Makkah is the live miracle and truth of existence of God for mankind. For anyone who has the knowledge of history and world religions, Makkah stands a testimony for faith in God. This city existed just 1440 years ago in human history as the city of arrogant and rich Arab traders who were custodians of Kaaba for visitors. There will be 2 or 3 Arabs circling the Kaaba at that time during day hours. And it was just 1440 years ago. Earlier to that, the city was a desert where no human traces

were found. Prophet Abraham lived in Jerusalem with his family. God asked him to leave his wife and son in a desert, the city of Makkah we call it today. He built the holy Kaaba and made a prayer to God, "Our Lord! Lo! I have settled some of my posterity in an uncultivable valley near unto Thy holy House, our Lord that they may establish proper worship; so incline some hearts of men that they may yearn toward them and provide Thou them with fruits in order that they may be thankful" (Holy Quran V37, Surah XIV). And the prayer of Prophet Abraham was answered. Today's Makkah is a testimony for that. People from all over the world throng to Makkah. If we look from the pictures of Makkah 100 years back in history,

in the year 1920, there were only few pilgrims circling the Kaaba for Hajj pilgrimage. These few were, 100 or 150 in number. Compare it for tonight circle of over a million pilgrims. The antagonist will argue with

me that modern age has more facilities for travelers. Agreed, but is it not a miracle that millions from all over the world are assembled in one small desert city; they live here in comfort for the time of their stay and get good food, water and accommodation. Most pilgrims do not buy wa-

ter. They have Zamzam available all around the grand mosque. And the Zamzam water itself is another living miracle of God. It sprang as a fountain in the desert near Kaaba for the thirsty son of Hajra (Hagar, the wife of Prophet Abraham, who left her with child on the command of God). Later Zamzam attracted passing by Arab caravans and helped develop a city there. And that fountain of Zamzam is still there for hundreds of years, never ending. The geologist will argue that oil wells in desert will dry over years but there is no opinion for the Zamzam well in the desert gushing water for so many years. I remember my grandfather brought Zamzam water in a glass bottle in 1960 when he returned from Hajj

pilgrimage. Today, we see millions of pilgrims taking home gallons of Zamzam water. And it is never ending. And there is no restriction by Saudi government to pilgrims for taking home Zamzam water. Today the city of Makkah stands as the city of world class hotels. There are top brand hotels all around the Grand Mosque. The rent for a Makkah hotel room for two for the last 10 days of Ramadan, inclusive of meals, facing the Holy Kaaba, ranges from SR70,000 to SR200,000(Equivalent to US$19,000 to $60,000). And all the hotels are fully booked! And here, visitors from all over the world have only one business. Worship God 5 times a day, join the 24 hours circling of Holy Kaaba and relax in peace in hotel rooms. Here, there is no shouting, arguments, loud gossips or yelling. Here, all have peace and prayers. There is no similarity to any other place in the world, and for that reason I would call the Makkah city a live miracle of God for the mankind.

July 8, 2016

Community Across America

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Fusion of Far East cuisines at Bamboo Garden

"Chinese." This truly describes the cuisine which includes Shangai potatoes, vegetable tulips, ginger chilli tofu, kung pao chicken, lobster butter garlic to name a few. Inchin's at North First St is backed by four engineers and a CPA - Yagnesh Pathak, Manoj Patil, Pinakin Sheth, Priyal Sheth and Chinmay Sheth - five longtime

into its original Indo-Chinese menu, they decided to venture into the business. In today's 'Global Cuisine' trend ours is a fusion of many far eastern cuisines. Some of the dishes are inspired by Malaysian cooking which in turn is influenced by Indian and Chinese cooking styles. It was a natural follow through that we also introduced Thai cuisine as part of our menu in order to keep to the 'Pan Asian" concept, says Megha Agrawal, social media director at Inchin's Bamboo corporate. "We are always upgrading and changing our menu, and new dishes are added every six months," Bijesh Sur, Chief Chef said. "Our main chefs go to China, India and Thailand, and do a lot of research and collect recipes and newest techniques. Then they come back and train the staff from the various restaurants. Bijesh travels to all the franchise and personally trains the chef. "Though part of a franchise, he said that "everything is fresh, 100% halal, sourced locally and we make everything ourselves. We make our own sauces, and noodles, vegetarian, dishes, gluten-free dishes, and we make sure the changes don't affect the taste of the dishes." In general, the menu at Bamboo

friends and relatives whose love of food sparked a desire for a culinary venture outside work. When they discovered the Inchin's chain was incorporating the flavors of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand

Garden has a large number of vegetarian options among the soups, appetizers and entrees, indicating the restaurant is looking to cater to those who don't eat meat. They have special corporate catering package.

India Post News Service

SAN JOSE, CA: A restaurant that evolved from an Indo-Chinese focus to a pan-Asian menu has joined Silicon Valley's tech hub. Inchin's Bamboo Garden opened the doors for its first media dinner service on June 30 and to the public on July 1, at River Oaks Place. The eatery's name is a combination of the words "Indian" and

Russ joins Gujarati Samaj funfilled picnic Cont’d from page 20

The next event for the Samaj will be Kite Day on July 9 at Worthen Park, 3200 Maryville Rd, Granite City, IL Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis was established in 1984 with the efforts of some community leaders to preserve, protect and personify eastern values, to make our children

participate in celebrating our festivals, and to provide platform to all Gujaratis to come together to meet, greet, entertain and celebrate our heritage. Gujarati Samaj arranges programs to commemorate important Gujarati festivals and events and invites dignitaries and artists from Gujarat and India to perform for the benefit of members.

Inchin's uses foolproof Feng Shui arrangement techniques, which are known to promote the positive flow of energy throughout a room. The décor included chic bamboo partitions, a stunning stacked stone façade, terracotta warriors, and touchable textures all

true to the venue's inspiration. The ambiance didn't come by chance, though - the owner made a point to bring back real artifacts from China to create this genuine feel. Inchin's Bamboo Garden opened in 2003 and now has 14 locations, and with plans to con-

tinue to expand, Megha explained. With its pleasant, accommodating chef and friendly staff, and its combination of Far Eastern flavors, Inchin's Bamboo Garden is a welcome addition to the local restaurant scene in the bustling hi-tec North First Street.

India Post

Perspective

July 8, 2016

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Hypocrisy & opportunism in West's response to terrorism

AJAI SAHNI

he July 2 hostage crisis and slaugh to survive the massacre. Zia-ur-Rahman, an ter at the Holey Artisan restaurant Army General who seized power after two in upscale Gulshan, Dhaka, was un- years of chaos thereafter, and declared himprecedented in its character and self President, promulgated an Indemnity scale in the history of terrorism in Ordinance which conferred immunity from Bangladesh. It reflects an abrupt escalation prosecution on the Army officers who plotof the challenge for the state apparatus and ted and executed the bloody coup against raises complex questions of counter-terror- Mujibur Rahman. Begum Khaleda Zia, the chief of the Opist (CT) responses in the past, and of future position BNP, is the widow of Ziaur imperatives. CT strategies and tactics are unlikely, Rahman. There is deep, enduring, personal however, to be better informed by the shrill and bloody history here, and current incicacophony of global commentary on this dents and trends in terrorism in Bangladesh incident, and on initiatives of the Bangladesh Government to contain Isl a m i s t radicalization and terrorism in this country. Such commentary has been overwhelmingly unaware of, or has studiously ignored, the An unidentified man is escorted out of the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe by police history of officers, after the cafe was attacked by gunman, in the early hours of July 2 in Dhaka, Bangladesh state-backed Islamist radicalization under preceding regimes over cannot be correctly assessed unless they decades, and the inextricable intermeshing are placed squarely within its context. One of the crucial questions that the of the principal political parties in Opposition - the Bangladesh Nationalist Party Holey Artisan attack has revived - as has (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) - and every stabbing and hacking incident in processes of radicalization and violent Is- Bangladesh over the past months - is the lamist mobilization. role of Daesh (Islamic State, previously IsWorse, much of this commentary, par- lamic State of Iraq and al Sham). Daesh has ticularly a powerful stream emerging from regularly claimed every single incident of the West, has been actively hostile and Islamist terrorism, including the succession obstructive to the Sheikh Hasina of hackings/stabbings since September Government's efforts to reverse trends to- 2015. wards radicalization in the country, includIt is useful to remind ourselves, here, that ing her extraordinary commitment to bring this series of targeted attacks - against inthe guilty of the 1971 War Crimes to justice. tellectuals, bloggers, atheists, 'anti-Islamic' Given the sheer ignorance of or individuals, minorities, and foreigners - bedisinformation implicit in, much of the dis- gan well before Daesh saw a propaganda course, it is necessary to reiterate, here, that opportunity in it. Indeed, 'lists' of individuthose who participated in the atrocities dur- als marked for brutal murder, were circulated ing the Liberation War of 1971 (an estimated soon after the Shabagh Movement was inithree million were killed and 10 million were tiated in February 2013, and the first killing displaced in nine months of genocidal war in this sequence - Ahmad Rajib Haider's and campaigns of mass rape waged by the dates back to February 15, 2013. The early succession of murders atPakistan Army against its own people) were the very groups and individuals who came tracted fitful attention; but once the local to dominate the processes of Islamist perpetrators began to announce affiliation radicalization in the country once they were to Daesh or to al Qaeda, these supposed 'rehabilitated' to political prominence after acts of 'international terrorism' excited great the assassination of the country's first Presi- attention in Western capitals and media. The Bangladesh Government has condent and subsequently Prime Minister, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the slaughter sistently denied any international terrorist formation's presence in the country - parof almost his entire family, in 1975. Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh ticularly including Daesh and al Qaeda. Rehana (who were outside Bangladesh at These denials have been cavalierly disthe time of the coup), were the only mem- missed by most commentators, who have bers of Mujibur Rahman's immediate family displayed a sustained preference for hyste-

ria over reality. The problem, essentially, is that 'presence', 'collaboration', 'affiliation', or any of their variants, are left intentionally undefined. Consequently, the bare claim that a group or individual is 'affiliated to' or 'represents' Daesh is sufficient proof of the 'fact'. It is, however, meaningless to speak of such affiliation or representation unless some operational linkages - the transfer of resources, technologies, fighters, know how, training, or the chain of command and control - are demonstrated. This has not been the case in a single incident in the past. The Holey Bakery attack, on first sight, appears to be an exception. The attackers sent pictures from the place of their butchery to a private Daesh-linked email account during their operation, and these pictures were almost immediately uploaded. To many, this suggests incontrovertible proof of the Daesh 'presence' in Bangladesh, and the Government's insistence that the operation was executed by a domestic terrorist formation, the Jamaat-ul-Mujahiddeen Bangladesh (JMB), rings hollow. Available intelligence, however, suggests that these were one-way communications, and that no contact between the perpetrators of the Holey Bakery attack and Daesh command existed prior to the attack. Of course, once the photographs had been sent, Daesh quickly seized the opportunity to claim the attack, but there is no suggestion that it had any prior awareness even of the existence of this group. This has been the pattern of past claims as well, absent the 'validating' photographs, with local killers claiming Daesh affiliation and Daesh grabbing the chance to claim

Daesh, even as they continue to engage in precisely the kind of activities they were involved in even before such a transfer. There is no augmentation of capacities or of resources. The reality is, the Sheikh Hasina Government has decimated the leadership of established Islamist terrorist formations and their sympathetic institutions, and fragmented their remnants. Enormously weakened splinters have long been attempting to regroup, but have found few takers for their domestic agenda, despite the enormous proliferation of Islamist fundamentalist and radical institutions in the country over the past decades. In identifying with global jihadist organizations the surviving fractions evidently hope to improve their capacities for local mobilization - and are being enormously aided in this by the Western media and political leaderships who have accepted all claims of such institutional and ideological identity at face value, and compounded the sensation and hysteria around even the most minor acts of terrorism, offering vast quantities of the 'oxygen of publicity' to tiny and marginalized groupings. At the same time, they have mounted vicious critiques of Dhaka, on the one hand, for its 'failure' to rein in terrorists, and, on the other, against the purported 'excesses' against political groups aligned to these. This does, of course, raise the question of the abrupt escalation in the Holey Bakery attack, from the stabbings and hackings of the past (though this was the method of choice by which the perpetrators dispatched their hostages in this case as well) to this relatively sophisticated operation

Police ambulances carry bodies of the foreigners from the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh

another wilayat (province) in its imagined global empire. What is actually happening, here, is that factions or elements within existing domestic terrorist or radicalized groups have announced a transfer of their loyality to

using automatic weapons and explosives. Such capabilities have long existed within terrorist groups in Bangladesh, though they were not domestically deployed. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 25

July 8, 2016

Perspective

India Post 25

www.indiapost.com Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 24

Indeed, through 2004-2008, a Bangladeshi 'footprint' was recorded in almost every major Islamist terrorist attack in India, outside Jammu & Kashmir, particularly involving Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), often in collaboration with Pakistani formations such as Lashkare-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and Harkat-ul-Mujahiddeen (HuM), among others, as well as with the Indian Mujahiddeen (IM). Bangladesh has, moreover, long been a major transit route for the smuggling of small arms and explosives into India's troubled Northeast, and is domestically awash with such weapons. These capacities were not domestically deployed, first, because radical Islamist groups enjoyed significant state support under the BNP-JeI regime, and were used to sustain a calibrated campaign of intimidation through low grade terrorism and street violence; and subsequently, under the shock of the sweeping measures initiated by the Sheikh Hasina regime since 2009, which decapitated and dismantled most of the established terrorist formations in the country. Evidently, a degree of recovery, at least by small cells, has now been engineered. Significantly, the Bangladesh Government has suggested that Pakistan and its external intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), were likely behind the Holey Artisan attack. Given the record of history, this is a credible thesis. Pakistan has long meddled in internal affairs in Bangladesh, principally through the BNPJeI combine, and its affiliate radical formations. Crucially, after US and coalition forces swept across Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan facilitated the transfer of large numbers of foreign and Bangladeshi fighters to Bangladesh, and then fomented an accelerated process of radicalization, creating a measure of instability that inspired some of the more febrile minds of the time to describe the country as "the next Afghanistan". History and generalized allegations, however, cannot suffice. Bangladeshi authorities will have to provide concrete evidence of direct operational linkages between the terrorists at the Holey Artisan and the Pakistani intelligence establishment or its proxies, if these charges are to stick. Bangladesh is a country of over 160 million, primarily Sunni, Muslims - the population profile purportedly most susceptible to the Wahabi lunacy that Daesh and al Qaeda represent. And yet, the numbers of Bangladeshis who are believed to have joined Daesh forces in Iraq-Syria are in the low single digits (compared to the thousands who have flooded this theatre from Western countries with minuscule Muslim populations). Indeed, Daesh admits to its failure in what it describes as 'Bengal', even while it claims the various domestic terrorist strikes there. Thus, in a detailed profile of its sole Bangladeshi 'martyr', the latest volume (14) of Dabiq, the Daesh mouthpiece, concedes that he is among the very few who have joined its jihad in Iraq-Syria from this country, observing, "Abu Jandal al-Bangali (may Allah accept him) was among the few muwahhidn

Hypocrisy & opportunism in West's response to terrorism who emigrated from the land of Bengal to the blessed land of Sham by Allah's graceâ&#x20AC;Ś Abu Jandal grew up in Dhaka and came from an affluent family with deep connections in the Bengali military. His father was a murtadd officer of the taghut forces and was killed during an internal mutiny of "Bangladesh" border guards in "2009." This did not happen on its own. With all its faults - and I am not competent to comment on its political and economic attainments or failings - the Sheikh Hasina Government has done infinitely more against Islamist terrorism and radicalization, certainly, than any other Government in South Asia, and possibly any other Government in the world; and it has done so despite the enormous hostility of powerful forces in the West. A second perversity of the responses to the Holey Bakery attack is the astonishment expressed by many to the profile of the attackers - who came from 'well to do' back-

Norway, and who slaughtered 77 of his own countrymen and women, provokes no comparable paroxysms of psychological analysis? Post World War II terrorist movements in the West, including the Red Army Faction (Baader-Meinhof Gang), the Japanese and German Red Armies, the Italian Red Brigade, among others, found their leaderships and recruits among the educated and well off in Europe and Japan. Across South Asia, numberless youth drawn from notable - and not just moderately well off - families have joined various state-backed and global 'jihads'. There has, of course, been a further skew towards the mobilization of the more educated and relatively affluent among those who are attracted to Daesh. The reason for this should be fairly obvious. Traditional Islamist terrorist recruitment was face-toface, and often preyed relatively disproportionately on the poor and the poorly edu-

Army soldiers patrol near the Holey Artisan restaurant after gunmen attacked the upscale cafe, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 2

grounds and some of the best educational institutions in the country. This astonishment should, in fact, be astonishing. Despite voluminous documentation to the contrary, the fiction that all Islamist terrorists are drawn from madrassahs and from impoverished backgrounds, dominates the commentary, and every time numerous exceptions are brought to light (as, indeed, in the case of the Holey Artisan attackers), this information is received with an air of bewilderment. The reality is, there has always been a significant representation of educated and relatively affluent individuals (Osama bin Laden was not brought up in destitution, nor was Ayman al Zawahiri), not only among Islamist terrorists, but in terrorist movements across the world. Why does the presence of some modestly upper class children among terrorists in Bangladesh raise so many questions, while Anders Behring Breivik, scion of a wealthy family in the very staid and peaceful community of Oslo in

cated, and among its purportedly 'natural' constituency in madrassahs, mosques and other fundamentalist idaras. Daesh's global outreach is overwhelmingly through the internet, and this creates a natural educational and economic barrier to its mobilization. Unless an individual is sufficiently educated to acquire a certain minimal proficiency in the use of the internet, and has access to a personal or private computer - internet cafes are unlikely to be safe places to try to get into Daesh websites over any extended period - they cannot be targeted by Daesh propaganda and recruitment campaigns. It is crucial, here, to distinguish between radicalization and mobilization/ recruitment. Despite all the noise about cyber radicalization, very little radicalization actually takes places on the internet. Individuals radicalized within their own communities, or in sub-cultures within their own communities, preferentially access extremist Islamist propaganda material - including

Daesh campaigns - on the internet. It is, consequently, far more accurate to speak of cyber mobilization and recruitment, rather than cyber radicalization. This distinction is crucial, and would have critical impact on the application of CT resources and policies. The Holey Artisan has brought disproportionate attention to Islamist terrorism and extremism in Bangladesh, and many have speculated that this will catalyze a spike in terrorism, not only in this country, but across the region. Some 'experts' are particularly concerned that Bangladesh may emerge as a 'base' for attacks against India. Apart from the fact that this has been the case in the past, and that India needs to take care of its own security much better than it presently does, it should equally be realized that the prominence that this incident has secured is a double edged weapon. Just as too much attention has resulted in a crystallization of forces against Daesh in Iraq-Syria, and consequent and mounting reverses, the escalation that the Holey Artisan attack represents can only galvanize the Sheikh Hasina Government to redouble its efforts to identify and neutralize the Islamist extremist complex in the country. Crucially, in this context, there is urgent need to abandon the hypocrisy and opportunism that has dominated global responses to terrorism, if any enduring success is to be achieved. Every time there is an attack in the West, there are calls for global cooperation against terror; every time there is a stabbing, hacking, or, in the present case, major terrorist incident, in Bangladesh, a tirade of criticism is unleashed against the Sheikh Hasina regime, arguing that her 'stifling of the political opposition' has strengthened the extremists. This is contra-factual nonsense, and displays an ignorance of trends in radicalization, Islamist extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh. It is not clear how arresting Islamists affiliated to political formations that openly advocate radical Islam as their official ideology is a violation of human rights in Bangladesh; but banning the burqa, shutting down mosques, indiscriminate arrests, and a rising politics of racist hatred in the West, uphold the same human rights and makes democracy secure. It is time to acknowledge that domestic radicalization is the base on which international terrorism builds, and that this is, equally, the case in the 'advanced' countries, as it is in the relatively disadvantaged. If there is to be any meaningful CT cooperation across the world, there must be a clear recognition of the political formations that contribute to and support Islamist radicalization, on the one hand; and of those that have stood firmly against these trends, on the other. The writer is Editor, SAIR; Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management & South Asia Terrorism Portal

26 India Post

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July 8, 2016

Horoscope

July 8, 2016

India Post

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July 8th - July 14th 2016 Please send your birthday, place of birth and time, so I can give you your zodiac sign, according to Vedic astrology. Send to Jaysastrology@gmail.com

ocus on relationship, short temper can lead to problems with family. Be careful with business partners. Desire to learn and even pursue a new professional career. Can get emotional attachment but be careful as mars is weak leading to conflicts. Remedy is silence is golden. Anxiety causes stress making poor decisions can cause losses and expenses. Take care of health joints and renal diseases.

rofessional matter looks good, can get improved status. Take care of father, lack of inheritance, losses in speculations. Mental peace at home and improvement in relationship. Enjoy work, help from wife in business. Happiness in marriage, may buy a vehicle. Gains from older siblings, high placed persons. Control your temper, stay calm. Watch your speech, abdominal issues may arise.

rofessonal matter can take you to foreign land (over 500 miles), also mars being weak watch temper at work and stay calm. Can invest in stock market and business ventures can bring income. Desire to study, can get emotional in relationship. Mental peace at home is disturbed, focus on real estate, fixed assets can lead to disputes, debts and even litigation.

rofessional matters is disturbed can affect your status. Episodes of depression and anxiety can effect work and life at home. Trouble to parents look after them. Control your temper with older siblings and high placed people and friends can lead to disputes and loss of income. Take leadership role. Can start new romance or business venture can pursue this aggressively.

oss of vitality, digestion problems, feeling weak can have back problems see doctor for check up. Trouble to father and fortune. Spend quality time with family and spouse, patch things up with spouse take a vacation in a foreign land. Loss of comforts and unsuccessful ventures, lack of happiness from wife and younger brothers and sisters. Relationship is main focus.

rofessional matters face sudden setbacks ,delays and obstructions. Loss of status, feeling week high blood pressure and digestion trouble, see doctor, trouble to father. Setbacks, disturbance in mental peace. Short temper, along with abdominal and piles issues. Can have disputes, debts, theft, fire, litigation problems. Disturbed relationship with spouse, trouble in eyes.

rofessiional matters looks good, travel can be involved due to work. Week bring highs and lows for energy and vitality as sun, moon and mars are weak. Can get moody and tempermental control yourself. Losses and expenses for those living in foreign land. Take care of parents, and problems at home with relationships and fixed assets. Don't invest in real estate.

rofessional matter can lead to loss of status, obstructions in profession, control your temper, weakening your executive power. Be careful with law, can lead to separation from family. Can have difficulty in communicating with others, anxiety and depressive mood is seen. Can be unhappy from younger sibling. Immune disorder, emotional disturbances.

rofessional matters is ok, there can be problems avoid conflicts. Expenses on health, digestion and heart is the focus. Trouble for those in foreign land and journeys to foreign land, be careful of law. Setbacks, delays, obstructions in new ventures and younger siblings. Loss of inheritance, short temper. Loss of assets, mental peace, trouble to diabetic and liver patients.

romotional mattersis up and down as some might recognition. Setbacks, obstructions, and delays trouble to male child and loss of vitality. Feeling weak, short tempered avoid disputes, debts, theft, fire and litigation problems all created by you. Stay calm, silence, avoid red color. Anxiety and depressive mood, disturbed mental peace. Greed and selfish behavior.

rofessional matters looks good, some might get promotion better status. Anxiety and despressive mood. Sudden setbacks and delays, accidents, constipation, may need surgery, loss of inheritance. Loss of comforts, take care of kidneys. Look after father. Focus on male child. Problems in business ventures, lack of courage, trouble to younger sibling, selfishness.

onflicts in professional matter, disputes so avoid conflicts. Lack of vitality, digestion problems, feeling weak. Sharp language used hurts others. Dental problems, body aches due to muscles. Disturbance in relationship with spouse. Diabetes and liver problems people take care. Don't argue can lead to loss, and stress. Trouble with law. Loss of mental peace.

This weekly horoscope is more focused and accurate as these are based on ascending signs. The ascending sign is worked out on the basis of your date, time and place of birth. You will find the predictions at other places based on your Sun sign or Moon sign. The Sun remains in one sign of zodiac for one month whereas the Moon remains in one sign for about 54 hours. It is the ascending sign, which changes every couple of hours." That is how this site offers you more focused predictions.

JATIN P - ACHARYA MIHIR â&#x20AC;˘ JAYSASTROLOGY@GMAIL.COM â&#x20AC;˘ 630-675-7148

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Chitta Ve : Udta Punjab 2 Sab Tera: Baaghi 3 Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai: Sultan 28 India Post

July 8, 2016

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4 Ud-Daa Punjab: Udta Punjab 5 Salamat: Sarbjit 6 Jag Ghoomeya: Sultan 7 Bol Do Na Zara: Azhar 8 Kar Gayi Chull : Kapoor & Sons 9 Cham Cham : Baaghi 10 Ikk Kudi : Udta Punjab

ilmmaker AR. Murugadoss, who presented Aamir Khan in the famous eight-pack abs look in Ghajini, decided to add a temporary scar on Sonakshi Sinha's face for her role in Akira. He says it was done to depict the character's painful past. The film's poster features Sonakshi with a scar near her right eye. Sonakshi is said to have performed high-octane action scenes for the film, which is the remake of Tamil film Mouna Guru. Her character hails from the town of Jodhpur, and arrives in Mumbai to further her education and with hopes to erase the scars of an unsettling childhood. But unknown to her, Akira finds herself in the middle of a crime. Suddenly, she stands to lose everything - her family, her friends, even her own sense of identity - as she becomes the hunted. Now she has only herself to trust, and she needs to find the strength within her to stand up for what is right and prove her innocence and attain justice.

nlike his contemporaries, Salman Khan wouldn't ever play an anti-hero in his films. While talking to a daily, he said, "I don't like that genre at all. I don't want to be a villain. I believe in entertaining the audience. I like playing hero, a good man whose memory people carry back home." The superstar is conscious about the choice of characters he makes as he believes that the young fans tend to follow their screen idols and ape them closely. "If I cannot play it in real life, at least I can play such a man on screen. That's what I want to do. I want to give the youth stories, or at least one scene in the film, that in some way makes them strong, become men and gladiators in real life. That subconscious training is almost like an education," he said.

umors are doing the rounds that actress Jacqueline Fernandez might replace Katrina Kaif in Salman Khan's next home production movie to be directed by Tarun Mansukhani. According to a report, this would not be first time when the 'Houseful 3' actress has replaced Katrina, as earlier she had replaced her in films like ' Kick' and 'Roy'. The report has quoted a prominent producer, who knows both actresses, as saying, "Both girls are hard-working, professional, completely focused and ruthlessly ambitious. They also have a similar personality profile. So, the roles that would have ideally gone to Katrina, especially with Salman, went to Jacqueline."

July 8, 2016

Bollywood

India Post 29

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V "Kareena has made the right choice. She has already worked with Rohit and Ajay Devgn in Golmaal 3 (2010) and Singham 2 (2014). Also, comedy is right up her alley

areena Kapoor has been roped in to play leading lady in the fourth installment of the successful franchise, 'Golmaal'. According to the latest report, director Rohit Shetty has approached Kareena to play the lead role and she gave her nod. For quite some time Bebo was confused between Rohit's film and 'Te3N' director Ribhu Dasgupta's thriller but finally she chose Rohit's film. A source close to 'Golmaal' 4 informed, "Kareena has made the right choice. She has already worked with Rohit and Ajay Devgn in Golmaal 3 (2010) and Singham 2 (2014). Also, comedy is right up her alley. The icing on the cake is, people have liked her chemistry with Ajay right from the days of Omkara (2006). So, it will be fabulous to see the trio (Rohit, Ajay, Kareena) come together again."

idya Balan is known for getting into the skin of her char acters. She goes to great lengths to essay her roles with conviction - be it gaining weight for The Dirty Picture (2011) or putting on a fake baby belly to achieve the gait of a pregnant woman for her role in Kahaani (2012). Now, the National award-winning actor is taking horse riding lessons for her next project, a Hindi adaptation of film-maker Srijit Mukherji's Bengali film, Rajkahini (2015), in which she plays the head of a brothel. A source says, "Vidya plays the titular character in her next film and has been preparing for the role. Earlier in the year, she worked on her voice as her character required her to sound hoarse. Later, she started reading Urvashi Butalia's 1998 book, 'The Other Side of Silence', which is based on the Partition. Now, she will start horse riding lessons." The shoot for the movie started in Jharkhand and Vidya has a horse riding coach.

"I have spent a lot of time in Delhi as a kid because a lot of my relatives stay here. So, it's my second home. But, this is for the first time that I am staying here for such a long time to shoot for my film."

hraddha Kapoor is currently in Delhi shooting alongside Arjun Kapoor for 'Half Girlfriend'. Talking to a daily about her connection with the capital, Shraddha says, "I have spent a lot of time in Delhi as a kid because a lot of my relatives stay here. So, it's my second home. But, this is for the first time that I am staying here for such a long time to shoot for my film." Shraddha plays a basketball player in the film and ended up hurting her ankle. However this has not deterred her and she is continuing to shoot. While she is not over-exerting, she is also not taking any days off," said a source. The actress is also happy that the rains have finally arrived. "Since the rains came, the weather has become better. We are having a blast shooting," says Shraddha, who was last seen in 'Baaghi'.

"Vidya plays the titular character in her next film and has been preparing for the role. Earlier in the year, she worked on her voice as her character required her to sound hoarse

Â&#x201E;

Realty Tidbits

India improves in real estate transparency MUMBAI: Owing to policy measures taken by the government, India has improved in global rankings in terms of transparency in real estate sector in Asia Pacific, says a report. As per a study titled Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) 2016 by property consultant, Jones Lang LaSalle, the country has improved in overall transparency scores across all markets, and has achieved higher ranks for tier-I and II markets. Tier-I cities in India ranked 36th in transparency levels, followed by tier II and III (cities) at 39th and 52nd positions, respectively. The index measures transparency by looking at factors including data availability, governance, transaction processes and the regulatory and legal environment. "India has made improvements in overall transparency scores across all markets. Its key cities are benefiting from proactive measures to increase transparency in the real estate sector," JLL India Chairman and Country Head Anuj Puri said in a statement issued here. Land records have started to be digitized and made available through an online database while the 'Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act' (passed in 2014) has simplified procedures for acquiring land and determining fair compensation for sellers, he said. -PTI

Â&#x201E; Indiabulls raises Rs 75 cr via debentures NEW DELHI: Indiabulls Real Estate has said it has raised Rs 75 crore through issue of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on private placement basis. Earlier this month, the Mumbaibased company had announced that it proposes to raise up to Rs 200 crore through issue of NCDs on private placement basis. In a BSE filing, Indiabulls Real Estate informed that the "company has allotted NCDs aggregating Rs 75 crore". Earlier this year, the company had raised over Rs 400 crore through this route. Indiabulls Real Estate is developing 11 projects with a total saleable area of 30.51 million sq ft. It has presence in key metros of Mumbai, NCR and Chennai. It has entered London property market through acquisition of 22, Hanover Square in Mayfair, Central London, a 87,444 sq ft commercial property in July 2014. -PTI

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Rawat asks co-ops to help rural housing DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has asked co-operative institutions to lend a helping hand to the state government in its efforts in the field of rural housing. Apart from realizing the concept of village farming, the co-operative institutions must also supplement the state government's efforts in the rural housing sector, Rawat said in his address at a function to inaugurate a new building of Uttarakhand Rajya Sahkari Sangh. A lot has been achieved in the co-operative sector and co-operative banks are leading over other banks in granting loans to farmers, the CM said. -PTI

Brexit may make UK real estate cheaper for Indians NEW DELHI: Indian investors may look at acquiring properties in UK, including in London, following devaluation of pound and fall in real estate prices due to Britain's exit from European Union, property consultants say. At the same time, FDI and private equity inflow in Indian real estate sector may be impacted adversely, they added. Leasing activities of office and retail spaces would not be affected much. "The British Pound is currently at a 31-year low, which itself provides an attractive rationale for foreign investors with an appetite to do so to acquire properties in the UK," JLL India Country Head and Chairman Anuj Puri said. The UK - particularly cities like London - has always held a special attraction for Indians, particularly HNIs, with business interests or families there, he said, while adding such individuals would certainly keep a close watch on the effect of Brexit on UK s property prices. "It is very likely that many more Indians will seek to invest there," he said in a statement. Commenting on the development, CBRE Asia Pacific Head of

Research Henry Chin said: "In the short term, we expect APAC investors to adopt a wait-and-see approach while they receive more clarity on the future developments arising from the UK's decision to leave the EU." "CBRE expects some hesitancy

cludes their tax structure," Chin said. "A decline in the value of the sterling could also be a catalyst for increased foreign investment in the UK due to attractive returns," CBRE said. Knight Frank India CMD

Following devaluation of pound and fall in real estate prices due to Brexit, Indian investors may look at acquiring properties in UK, including in London.

from investors, however, the UK, especially London, will continue to remain attractive for Asian investors driven by the inherent attractiveness of the market, including its transparency, political stability, market liquidity and the openness of its legal framework for foreign investors, which in-

Shishir Baijal said: "The combination of lower prices and devaluation of the pound should draw in Indian investors looking to acquire assets in the UK." "London has always been a favorite destination for Indian property buyers and it augurs well for the Indian investors to make their

move now," he added. On impact on investment in Indian real estate, Puri of JLL India said: "Investors will now be in a risk-off mode, meaning more number of investors would either pull out investments or stay put without investing further until clarity emerges." "Until today, year 2016 was looking seemingly positive for real estate sector in terms of investment inflows (read PE or FDI inflows), but now that is somewhat at risk," he added. Stating that recovery of Indian real estate would continue on the back of a resilient economy, Puri said Brexit would not disturb that recovery much, since India's office market leasing is dependent only by 5-7 per cent on UK-based firms. On leasing market, JLL said the commercial real estate decisions are made with a medium to long term view and as of now it seems unlikely that these will be affected in India. However, the consultant said that a possibility of EU slowing down could have an adverse impact on revenues of IT firms, which are major occupier of office space in India every year. -PTI

AAP may allow farm land for urban use NEW DELHI: In a move that may trigger another round of confrontation between the Centre and AAP dispensation, the Delhi government is contemplating to allow agricultural land for use of residential, industrial and commercial purpose. The Arvind Kejriwal government has sought suggestions from people till July 10 on the proposed amendments to 'The Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954. The government's move may spark tussle with the Centre as the land issue comes under the ambit of Delhi Development Authority (DDA). As per the proposed amendment in Section 81 of the Act,

agriculture land may be allowed to be used for non-agricultural purposes (industrial, residential, com-

Properties used for non-agricultural purposes without permission would also be liable to be auctioned by area SDM. mercial, warehousing, etc) after due permission. Such land shall not be vested in Gaon Sabha for non-agricultural use.

The proposed amendments further stated that those who use agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes like industrial, residential or warehousing without permission shall be liable up to three years or fined up to Rs 10 lakh. Properties used for non-agricultural purposes without permission would also be liable to be auctioned by area SDM. Title of the land shall be transferred to the successful bidder and auctioned money shall be credited to government treasury, it further said. "People can send their suggestions on the proposed amendments to SDM (HQ)-V, O/o the

Divisional Commissioner, 5-Sham Nath Marg, Delhi-110054. They can also send the same at delhilandreforms@gmail.com," said a senior government official. The Revenue Department of the government has also proposed amendment in Section 33 of the Act under which land owners will be permitted to sell or gift or transfer their land even if resultant land left with them becomes less than 8 acres. Under proposed amendment in Section 73 of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954, the policy to allow Gaon Sabha land to private persons is also proposed to be deleted (except for consolidation villages). -PTI

Real Estate Post

July 8, 2016

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Panel seeks more time on Vadra deals CHANDIGARH: Justice S N Dhingra Commission, which was set up to probe grant of land licenses to some companies including that of Robert Vadra's in Gurgaon during Congress rule in Haryana, has sought six weeks more time to submit its report hours before the deadline was to end. Official sources said the Commission has sought six weeks more to submit its report. Justice Dhingra said he sought more time in order to go through some documents from a person stating "that they are documents of benami transactions of who benefitted from the grant of license." Haryana government had earlier twice extended the term of the Dhingra Commission of Inquiry. The BJP government in the state had in December last year extended the Commission's term for a period of six months and on June 17 this year its term had been extended till June 30. Earlier, media reports had said the Commission was ready with its report which would have gone into mutation of a land deal between a firm M/S Skylight Hospitality owned by Robert Vadra and

realty major DLF. The Rs 58-crore deal related to 3.5 acre land in Gurgaon's Shikohpur village which was sold by Vadra to DLF. In October, 2012, senior IAS

Robert Vadra

officer Ashok Khemka had cancelled the mutation of the land deal between Skylight Hospitality and DLF. It was mired by controversy over allegations of undervaluation. The request for extension came in the midst of a row after Congress alleged that Justice S N Dhingra, a retired judge of the Delhi

High Court, "has sought favors from government of Haryana, making him incompetent and unsuitable to deliver any verdict or report in the matter." Former Haryana Chief Minist e r Bhupinder S i n g h Hooda had also sought scrapping the Dhingra Commission of Inquiry, pointing out that it was "contrary to established rules and norms, without due cabinet approval and prompted by malice and political considerations". Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij hit out at Hooda's criticism of the Dhingra Commission, saying "undue favors" to builders by the previous Congress regime had come under attack even from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

Circle rate cut in Gurgaon to boost demand NEW DELHI: The Haryana government's decision to cut circle rate in Gurgaon by 15 per cent would help boost property demand and revive sluggish real estate market, according to property developers and consultants. The state government decided to reduce collector rates of immov-

able property in Gurgaon by 15 per cent in view of decrease in property prices in the last few months. "The Haryana government's decision to cut circle rate for the

first time ever by 15 per cent would act as a catalyst for revival of the real estate market," property consultant Cushman & Wakefield said. This shows that government has recognized the existence of a sluggish real estate market, which has seen prices being cut by developers seeking to push their

sales, it added. "The cut in rate would reduce the outgo on part of homebuyers and developers, and act as a catalyst for more property purchases,"

C&W said. Homebuyers would now face reduced burden of stamp duty, registration charges and property taxes. Since the circle rates cut applies to commercial properties too, developers would also be benefited as stamp duty, fungible FSI and TDR are determined by circle rates, the consultant said. Sare Homes Managing Director Vineet Relia said reduction in collector rate would help improve investor sentiments in the real estate industry in Gurgaon. "As we have seen, market rates in Gurgaon have decreased over the years but the collector rates continued to be high thereby leading to reduced interest from buyers. However, with the rate cut, all stakeholders are expected to benefit," he added. Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner T L Satyaprakash had said the collector rates have been reduced on the basis of rates prescribed recently for registration of property, market rate and rates of plots and flats fixed by private builders in Gurgaon district. -PTI

"CAG had also said a lot in its report earlier that government bent rules to benefit Vadra's company," Vij told reporters in Ambala. "To keep him and his the then political masters happy, Hooda had gone out of the way to dole out benefits. Why is he feeling guilty conscious? What is the need to write a letter to the Governor when the Commission was about to submit its report? "The day when the Commission of Inquiry was formed, Hooda could have said the same thing then. Now, why are the Congress leaders feeling scared and why are they making a noise about the whole thing," Vij asked. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala charged that "Justice S N Dhingra has sought favors from government of Haryana, making him incompetent and unsuitable to deliver any verdict or report in the matter." Surjewala claimed said that Justice Dhingra is also chairman of Delhi-based Justice Gopal Singh Public Charitable Trust. "The facts are very very clear which are now in public domain. Dhingra Commission is constituted on May 14, 2015. On Decem-

ber 8, 2015, Justice Dhingra as head of his own Trust, that is Justice Gopal Singh Charitable Trust, moves an application to the Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, asking that a particular individual in Gurgaon has gifted him land for construction of a school and that money should now be utilized out of public ex-chequer's funds, for construction of a road thereupon as also electricity poles etc. The Deputy Commissioner Gurgaon, where Dhingra Commission is headquartered, works with great urgency and says the road be constructed out of district planning funds within a week. When they realize that it can't be done, then the HRDF (Haryana Rural Development Fund) Board headed by the Chief Minister proceeds to sanction Rs 97 lakh out of which road is being constructed..," Surjewala alleged while talking to reporters. "..Why is government's exchequer's money being utilized to build a road to the Trust property when many other villages in surrounding areas have been demanding for construction of roads, none of which has been undertaken. -PTI

Godrej Properties invests in Mumbai project NEW DELHI: Godrej Properties has said its USD 275 million realty fund has made first investment by acquiring 80 per cent stake in a housing project in Mumbai. The company did not disclose the amount invested in this project from the realty fund. Godrej Properties had in March announced setting up of a USD 275 million real estate fund, with Dutch pension fund APG as the lead investor, to acquire new housing projects. Godrej Properties had created a dedicated real estate funds management business in India and Singapore - Godrej Fund Management (GFM) - to manage fund Godrej Residential Investment Program II (GRIP-II). In a BSE filing, Godrej Properties informed that "GRIP II Pte has made its first investment under the Platform, whereby it has acquired 80 per cent of the equity share capital in Godrej Greenview Housing

Pvt (GGHPL), towards investing into the project Vihang, Thane." GGHPL has ceased to be the subsidiary of the company. GFM is advising GRIP II investors on investments into a residential development platform with Godrej Properties. This is second such platform set up by Godrej Properties. In 2012, a USD 200 million residential

development platform GPL was set up with an APG-led investor consortium. Godrej Properties is the real estate arm of the Godrej group and is developing projects in 12 cities covering more than 120 million sq ft of saleable area. -PTI

Â&#x201E; Health

Line

Kerala Govt to ban e-cigarettes THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala government has decided to ban 'electronic cigarette' in view of studies claiming that its use can cause various health issues, including cancer and heart ailments. State Health Minister K K Shylaja directed the additional chief secretary (health) to issue an order banning the production, sale and advertisement of 'electronic cigarette' alias 'e-cigarette'. E-cigarettes are handy devices that emit doses of vaporized nicotine. An official release here said that there were media reports that the e-cigarette market was flourishing in Kerala targeting youth and children. The state drugs enforcement authorities had also found that the device is widely used for smoking ganja, hashish and other narcotic substance. It was also found that use of ecigarettes among children would result in indiscriminate use of original cigarettes and other substances in the long run, it said. A series of studies conducted in the US and Japan has proved that the usage of e-cigarette would cause cancer and heart ailments. The e-cigarettes are being marketed in Kerala through unauthorized courier services and online sites, it said. An expert committee appointed by the Centre to study the ill effects of e-cigarette had recommended banning the device in the country in 2014 itself, the release said, adding that the Indian Medical Association was also in favor of banning it. -PTI

Â&#x201E; Pregnant women in Flint advised bottled water FLINT, Mich.: A group of Flintarea doctors is recommending that pregnant women and children under 6 stick to bottled water until more tap water tests are performed. The recommendation conflicts with advice from the federal government, which says filtered tap water is OK for everyone in Flint, months after the city switched water sources due to lead contamination. Dr. Pino Colone of the Genesee County Medical Society says the group wants to see more test results, especially after a highly publicized flushing program in May. He says it's possible that lead sediment could cause a spike in lead levels. Colone, an emergency room doctor, tells The Flint Journal that the medical group isn't trying to pick a fight with the Environmental Protection Agency. -AP

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India will see high under-5 deaths: UN Details on Page 35

Texas researchers' findings factor into abortion ruling AUSTIN, Texas: The biggest court ruling affirming U.S. abortion rights in a generation scolded Texas lawmakers for a lack of facts and vindicated Republicans' wonky pest: A team of university researchers so prolific in their scrutiny of Texas women's health laws that a state health official lost his job for collaborating with them. The dismantling of Texas' restrictive abortion law ended a fight waged not just on ideological grounds but also in spreadsheets tabulated by a University of Texas research team that analyzed the law's impact on everything from rural abortion access to Twitter traffic. The restrictions required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and forced clinics to meet hospital-like standards. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer alluded to the

Texas Policy Evaluation Project's findings in his data-heavy majority opinion. Among some academ-

pushing into the public arena suggestions that more women may try ending their own pregnan-

Activists on both sides rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court before it struck down a law on abortion clinic restrictions

ics, the group's barrage of research published since the law passed in 2013 was unrivaled,

cies or were driving farther to get abortions. More than half of the state's 41

abortion clinics have closed since the law passed. Texas Republicans often said the researchers' math didn't check out. When one unflattering study in February suggested that funding cuts to Planned Parenthood restricted access to women's health care, the state's head of health research resigned under pressure from GOP lawmakers, who questioned his contributions to a ``deeply flawed and highly political report.'' The anti-abortion group National Right to Life also said the Supreme Court justices erred in taking the research at face value. The findings did ``not necessarily demonstrate as much as they thought it did, would be the charitable way to put it,'' said Randall O'Bannon, the group's director of education and research. Cont'd on Page 34

Nationwide survey to assess drug abuse NEW DELHI: After a gap of about 15 years, the government has given nod for conducting a nation-wide survey to assess the extent, trend and pattern of drug abuse among people across the country. To be conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of AIIMS, the survey will provide national and state level estimates of proportion and absolute number of people who indulge in drug abuse, sources said. The two-year-long survey will also map the presence of services and interventions for drug dependent individual and identify the gaps in service delivery. The last nation-wide survey to assess the drug use in India was conducted in 2001 and its data was published in 2004. "The earlier survey did not provide any data on prevalence of substance use at the level of different states in India, neither did it provide data on prevalence of drug use among women population. Since then there have

been small scale studies focused on specific geographical areas or population. But there have been no nationwide surveys. "Thus the exact dimensions of this problem in India remain unknown," a senior Ministry official said. The government's decision to conduct the survey comes in the wake of a recent survey 'Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey' (PODS) which estimated that there

extent and scale of alcohol and drug dependence in the country. "Additionally, India is expected to report to international agencies (like United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and World Health Organization) on questions related to data on extent of substance use in India. In such instances, government has to rely on the old survey published in 2004," he added. The project is estimated to cost

"The earlier survey did not provide any data on prevalence of substance use at the level of different states in India, neither did it provide data on prevalence of drug use among women are about 2.3 lakh opioid-dependent people in the state, which consumes drugs worth Rs 7,500 crore every year. Also, the recently released Bollywood film "Udta Punjab" had created a flutter over the issue of drug abuse. According to the official, one of the major programming obstacles is inadequate information about the

over Rs 22 crore. The drugs include all those listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) and include categories like alcohol, tobacco, opioids, sedative-hypnotics, cannabis, stimulants, hallucinogens and inhalants, said Dr Atul Ambekar, additional professor at NDDTC and

principal investigator of the survey. "The study will include a household survey to determine the proportion of people who use drugs and people who are drug dependent," Ambekar said. Besides, there will be focused thematic studies on specific topics or vulnerable populations which will include studying the pattern of drug abuse among homeless, prison residents, transgenders, female sex workers, transport workers (truck, taxi drivers, cleaners etc), said Dr Ambekar. The questions during the interview will pertain to socio-demographic data, substance use pattern, consequence of substance use, availability of services and knowledge and attitude towards substance use. As per the last survey report, the proportion of men using alcohol was 21 per cent, cannabis 3 per cent and opioids was 0.7 per cent. The survey was jointly conducted by the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses and NDDTC, AIIMS. -PTI

July 8, 2016

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Rs. 5 Ayurvedic drug to fight Diabetes BENGALURU: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched BGR-34 - an anti-diabetic Ayurvedic drug designed for type 2 Diabetes mellitus. BGR-34 is developed jointly by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), the research units of CSIR at Lucknow. BGR-34 has been economically priced at Rs. 5 per tablet as compared to latest DPP4 inhibitors globally, a joint release by NBRI and CIMAP and the manufacturer AIMIL Pharmaceuticals (India) Ltd, said. A K S Rawat, Sr Principal Scientist of CSIRNBRI said six crore of adult Indian population had been found to be diabetic and there is no effective solution for diabetes as yet. "We are sure that eminent medical professionals will recommend it to their patients suffering from type 2 Diabetes mellitus for quicker and consistent response," he said. He said CSIR's premier research institutions have developed and established the efficacy of BGR-34. The modern diabetes drugs are known for side-effects and toxicity while BGR-34 works by controlling blood sugar and limiting the harmful effects of other drugs, he added. The scientists of NBRI and CIMAP joined hands in developing the drug and they had in-depth study of over 500 renowned ancient herbs and finally identified the six best herbs listed in Ayurvedic ancient texts to develop an anti-diabetic

formulation. Daya Nandan Mani, Senior Scientist of CSIR-NBRI, said Pre-clinical studies of this anti-diabetic formulation revealed significant reduction in high blood sugar level in diabetes induced experimental subjects. Anil Kumar Sharma, Vice President (Technical) of AIMIL Pharmaceuticals (India) Ltd, said, one of the critical ingredi-

The drug is made from 4 commonly available plant extracts, mainly, gurmar leaves which are scientifically known to stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin

ents inhibits DPP-4 and enhances insulin secretion. The product passed several battery of tests and showed hypoglycaemic activity in experimental subjects, he said. For the purpose of commercial production and extended distribution, Aimil Pharmaceuticals (India) Ltd has been transferred the rights and technical know-how to produce and market it for medical use, the release said. -PTI

High-tech scans spare patients chemo side effects LONDON: High-tech scans may help predict the outcome of treatment of patients suffering from cancer of the lymphatic system, sparing them the serious side effects of chemotherapy, according to a new study. Scientists including researchers from University of Southampton in the UK used positron emission tomography (PET) to

We can select those who need stronger chemotherapy, while sparing everyone else scan more than 1,200 patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma after they had been given two cycles of standard chemotherapy. Those who had a clear PET scan were split into two groups - one group continued with chemotherapy including the drug bleomycin and the other had chemotherapy without the drug. Researchers found that patients who stopped having bleomycin had the same survival rates as those who continued it. But importantly, they were spared side effects. Patients on the trial who did not have a clear PET scan after two rounds of chemotherapy, suggesting they had a more resis-

tant form of the disease, were given more intense chemotherapy treatment. Bleomycin has been an important drug to treat Hodgkin lymphoma for 30 years, but it has a potential risk of severe effects on the lungs, with the risk of scarring, even years later, that can lead to serious breathing problems, researchers said. Due to these risks, they wanted to explore the potential of adapting treatment by stopping bleomycin for patients with a good outlook and escalating treatment only for those at highest risk of the treatment not working. "Personalizing treatment based on how well it works is a major development for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma," said Peter Johnson from University of Southampton. "Knowing which patients have a more difficult to treat form of the disease means we can select those who need stronger chemotherapy, while sparing everyone else the severe side effects such as infertility," said Johnson. "This approach, along with a reduction in the need for radiotherapy, should substantially reduce damage to healthy tissues and the risk of second cancers caused by treatments," he added. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. -PTI

Relationship quality tied to good health NEW YORK: For young people entering adulthood, high-quality relationships are associated with better physical and mental health, according to a new study which also found that low-quality affairs have detrimental effects. "Health benefits begin to accrue relatively quickly with high-quality relationships and supportive contexts," said Ashley Barr from University of Buffalo in the US. "And then we see detrimental effects from low-quality relationships - particularly, those low-quality relationships that last a long time," said Barr. According to her, over the last few decades, adulthood has been extended. Younger people today are waiting longer to get married than those in previous generations, and they are waiting longer to finish school. During this period, they are moving in and out of relationships, said Barr. "Much of the research literature focuses on relationships and health in the context of marriage," she said. "The majority of our respondents were not married, but these relationships are still impactful to health, for better or for worse,"

said Barr. Researchers used a sample of all-white youth coming from two-parent, married families. About one-third of the sample experienced relatively large changes in their relationships over a two-year period. "We took into account satisfaction, partner hostility, questions about criticism, support, kindness, affection and commitment," said Barr. "We also asked about how partners behave outside of the relationship. Do they engage in deviant behaviors? Is there general anti-sociality?," she said. According to Barr, the longer people are in high-quality relationships, or the faster they get out of low-quality relationships, the better their health. "It is not being in a relationship that matters; it is being in a long-term, high-quality relationship that is beneficial," she said. "Low-quality relationships are detrimental to health. The findings suggest that it is better for health to be single than to be in a low-quality relationship," said Barr. The attention to changes in these relationships is important, particularly in the context of the extended transition to adulthood, Barr said. -PTI

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US firms selling unapproved 'stem cells' MIAMI, FL: Hundreds of companies across the United States are selling unapproved stem cell treatments directly to patients, raising concern about safety and scams in a fast-growing industry, researchers said here. The report in the journal Cell Stem Cell found that at least 351 companies across the United States are marketing unapproved stem cell procedures at 570 individual clinics. The clinics claimed to offer "stem cell interventions" for muscle and bone disorders, heart disease, problems with the immune system, injured spinal cords, and cosmetic reasons, and more. Sixty-one per cent of the stem cell procedures marketed involved fat-derived stem cell interventions, and 48 percent offered bone-marrow-based treatments. Only one company was found that advertised embryonic stem cells. Researchers compiled the list by searching online, and said their

results "should serve as a baseline for future studies of US businesses engaged in direct-to-consumer advertising of purported stem cell interventions," according to the report.

Shriners Hospital for Children. Clinics advertising stem cell treatments were most common in California (113 clinics), Florida (104), and Texas (71). "This is a marketplace that is

The journal Cell Stem Cell found that at least 351 companies across the United States are marketing unapproved stem cell procedures at 570 individual clinics.

"In almost every state now, people can go locally to get stem cell 'treatments,'" said co-author Paul Knoepfler, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, and

dramatically expanding before our eyes," said Leigh Turner, a bioethicist at the University of Minnesota and co-author of the study. Turner said such businesses

Texas researchers' findings factor into abortion ruling Cont'd from Page 32

No state funding is used in the Texas research, according to one of its founders. Instead, the money has come from the Susan T. Buffet Foundation, a financial supporter of abortion-rights groups, a source that conservatives have raised when discrediting findings. Researchers say the foundation plays no role in their work. ``They have done a remarkable job - in the face, I might add, of resistance - to providing a full picture of information,'' said Wendy

amount of research as Texas did, arming abortion-rights groups in legal fights and giving judges data to chew on, said Elizabeth Nash, who studies state abortion laws for the New York-based Guttmacher Institute. ``There's not the volume,'' said Nash, whose group supports abortion rights. ``This was a unique opportunity. It was this sort of clash of policy and impact happening at once, and it was great to document it.'' Even with the law off the books, the tension is still there between

Even with the law off the books, the tension is still there between a Republican legislative majority, which passed the laws on the grounds of protecting women's health, and researchers who say their conclusions show the opposite. Davis, the former Democratic state senator who temporarily blocked the restrictions with an 11-hour filibuster in 2013. Already, the high court's decision is reverberating elsewhere in the U.S., with Wisconsin and Mississippi losing their appeals to reinstate similar laws. But none of the states that have passed tough abortion laws had quite the

a Republican legislative majority, which passed the laws on the grounds of protecting women's health, and researchers who say their conclusions show the opposite. Earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union accused state health officials of ``concealing'' statewide abortion totals for 2014 in violation of open records

laws. Those numbers are particularly sought-after by researchers and abortion-rights groups because it was the first full year that Texas' now-dismantled abortion clinic restrictions were in effect. ``If the data were final, we would release it,'' health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams told The Associated Press in an email statement. Planned Parenthood and other clinic operators say it could take months or even years for new facilities to open in the wake of the court's ruling. Daniel Grossman helped kickstart the research project in 2011 after the state passed a law requiring women to have a sonogram before an abortion. Grossman, who Breyer defended in his opinion as an expert witness, said getting data from the state since the project began ``got more complicated and took more time,'' though he doesn't think the state is ``particularly bad.'' At some point, he said, the researchers began collecting figures directly from providers. ``It's very heartening to see that the Court really cared about the evidence and referenced a lot of high-quality studies in the ruling,'' Grossman said in an email. ``This was a triumph of evidence over ideology.'' -AP

have entered the marketplace routinely since 2009. "Does that mean that people are getting access to safe and efficacious interventions or is there basically unapproved human experimentation taking place?" Turner asked. "Brakes ought to exist in a marketplace like this, but where are the brakes? Where are the regulatory bodies? And how did this entire industry come into being in a country where stem cell-based interventions and the medical devices that produce them are supposed to be regulated by the FDA?" The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the

use of stem cells for leukemia treatment -- commonly known as bone marrow transplants -- and some bone, skin and corneal diseases or injuries, according to the International Society for Stem Cell Research. "Other stem cell treatments, while promising, are still at very early experimental stages," says the society's website. The study did not delve into potential harms caused by unapproved stem cell treatments. In January, a US patient sued a US stem cell clinic alleging damage to her eyes from fat stem cell injections, in what Knoepfler said may have been the first such lawsuit of its kind. -AFP

Delhi urged to issue health advisories NEW DELHI: Referring to a recent report which estimated that around 1.6 million premature deaths in India are caused by air pollution, experts have asked Delhi government to initiate immediate action on issuance of "simplified" health advisories and take concrete steps on the polluting Badarpur power plant in Delhi. Help Delhi Breathe, a coalition of organizations and experts on air pollution said that there is a need for wider discussions on the subject of air pollution in India. "Odd and even scheme in Delhi was a good first step, however it is not sustainable and cannot be the only step to address the problem," said Sunil Dahiya, Greenpeace campaigner, during a workshop focusing on health impacts of air pollution organized by the coalition. "Delhi government needs to take urgent steps now to ensure that this winter, less people are impacted by bad-air days. Acting on the extremely polluting Badarpur thermal power plant as well as issuing health advisories is extremely important," he said. According to International Energy Agency's (IEA) report, close to 1.6 million premature deaths in India are due to outdoor and indoor air pollution and the same report estimates that the average life expectancy in India is reduced by 23 months because of outdoor air pollution, a Help Delhi Breathe statement said. "We welcome the debate and

discussion around shutting down of Badarpur plant. However, until it results in concrete steps being taken on ground, it amounts to mere political bickering amongst which the only casualty is the common man," Dahiya said, adding that "Delhi government, which was elected with a large mandate, is uniquely placed to rise above and take the necessary steps." Help Delhi Breathe coalition called for immediate action on issuance of health advisories as

well as action on the extremely polluting Badarpur power plant. "The complex nature of the issue limits the understanding and interpretation of a bad-air day for common man. The level of PM 2.5 matter on any given day does not enable residents of a city to take protective measures and unless simplified health advisories are issued to residents, business and schools, parents and office goers will not know what precautions to take," said Bhargav Krishna, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). "There is still considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude and range of health impacts attributable to air pollution in India," said Nitish Dogra, Adviser, Convener, Green Fulbrighters Forum. -PTI

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India will see high under-5 deaths: UN UNITED NATIONS: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Congo and Angola will account for more than half of global under-five deaths by 2030, according to a UN report which said 69 million children below five will die in the next 14 years unless disadvantaged children are cared for. 'The State of the World's Children', UNICEF's annual flagship report, paints a stark picture of what is in store for the world's poorest children if governments, donors, businesses and international organizations do not accelerate efforts to address their needs. "Denying hundreds of millions of children a fair chance in life does more than threaten their futures - by fueling intergenerational cycles of disadvantage, it imperils the future of their societies," said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. "We have a choice: Invest in these children now or allow our world to become still more unequal and divided," he said. The report said that the pace of progress on child and maternal health and survival can increase or decrease as a result of policy choices made by governments and the international community in the coming

years. However, if current trends continue, there will be 3.6 million deaths of children under age 5 in 2030 alone. A total of 69 million such deaths will have occurred between 2016 and 2030, with subSaharan Africa accounting for around half of these and South Asia for another third. The report said five countries will ac-

The poorest children are twice as likely to die before their fifth birthday and to be chronically malnourished than the richest. count for more than half of the global burden of under-five deaths - India (17 per cent), Nigeria (15 per cent), Pakistan (8 per cent), Congo (7 per cent) and Angola (5 per cent). The global maternal mortality rate will be around 161 deaths per 100,000 live births - still five times the level for high-income

New method to kill cancer cells in 2 hours HOUSTON: Researchers have developed a new, non-invasive method which can kill cancer cells in two hours, an advance that may significantly help people with inoperable or hard-to-reach tumors, as well as young children stricken with the deadly disease. The method involves injecting a chemical compound, nitrobenzaldehyde, into the tumor and allowing it to diffuse into the tissue. A beam of light is then aimed at the tissue, causing the cells to become very acidic inside and, essentially, commit suicide, researchers said. Within two hours, up to 95 per cent of the targeted cancer cells are dead are estimated to be dead, they said. "Even though there are many different types of cancers, the one thing they have in common is their susceptibility to this induced cell suicide," said Matthew Gdovin from University of Texas in the US. Mr Gdovin tested his method against triple negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive types of cancer and one of the hardest to treat. The prognosis for triple negative breast cancer is usually very poor. After one treatment in the laboratory, he was able to stop the tumor from growing and double chances of survival in mice. "All forms of cancer attempt to make cells acidic on the outside as a way to attract the attention of a blood vessel, which attempts to get rid of the acid," said Mr Gdovin. "Instead, the cancer latches onto the blood vessel and uses it to make the tumor larger and larger," he added. Chemotherapy treatments target all cells in the body, and certain chemotherapeutics try to keep cancer cells acidic as a way

to kill the cancer. This is what causes many cancer patients to lose their hair and become sickly. Mr Gdovin's method, however, is more precise and can target just the tumor. He has now begun to test the method on drug-resistant cancer cells to make his therapy as strong as possible. He has also started to develop a nanoparticle that can be injected into the body to target metastasised cancer cells. The nanoparticle is activated with a wavelength of light that it can pass harmlessly through skin, flesh and bone and still activate the cancer-killing nanoparticle, said

Mr Gdovin. Mr Gdovin hopes that his non-invasive method will help cancer patients with tumors in areas that have proven problematic for surgeons, such as the brain stem, aorta or spine. It could also help people who have received the maximum amount of radiation treatment and can no longer cope with the scarring and pain that goes along with it, or children who are at risk of developing mutations from radiation as they grow older, he said. -PTI

countries in 1990. It said pneumonia will remain the second biggest killer of children under the age of five and preterm birth complications will remain the first. The report noted that significant progress has been made in saving children's lives, getting children into school and lifting people out of poverty. Global under-five mortality rates have been more than halved since 1990, boys and girls attend primary school in equal numbers in 129 countries and the number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide is almost half of what it was in the 1990s. But this progress has been neither even nor fair, the report said. The poorest children are twice as likely to die before their fifth birthday and to be chronically malnourished than the richest. Across much of South Asia and subSaharan Africa, children born to mothers with no education are almost three times more likely to die before they are five than those born to mothers with a secondary education. And girls from the poorest households are twice as likely to marry as children than girls from the wealthiest households. "The geographical distribution of the burden of child mortality is also changing.

Globally, child deaths are highly concentrated," it said, noting that in 2015, about 80 per cent of these deaths occurred in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and almost half occurred in just five countries Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. The report said that while child mortality generally declines as average income increases, many poorer countries are outpacing richer neighbors in reducing their under-five mortality rates. However, some countries in the fast lane for global economic growth - including India and Nigeria - have been in the slower lane for child mortality reduction. "The policy lesson: economic growth can help but does not guarantee improved child survival and a country's income need not hinder progress," the report said. The report points to evidence that investing in the most vulnerable children can yield immediate and long-term benefits. "Inequity is neither inevitable, nor insurmountable," the report said, adding that better data on the most vulnerable children, integrated solutions to the challenges children face, innovative ways to address old problems, more equitable investment and increased involvement by communities can help level the playing field for children. -PTI

Tech News India needs new standards of accounting: ACCA KOLKATA: Business in India needs new standards of accounting as converging to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) will enhance India's ranking in terms of corporate governance and bring transparency in accounting standards, the ACCA said. Speaking at the two-day national workshop on IFRS, which concluded here at the University of Calcutta, Md Sajid Khan, Head of International Development, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) said the demand for skilled professional accountants has grown exponentially both in India and worldwide. "The workshop will create an opportunity for faculties and experts of Commerce to access global skill share, researches, knowledge base and the best practices that are being followed worldwide by the corporates," he said. Speaking on the occasion, Prof Swagata Sen, Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Calcutta, stressed on the need of such a workshop on IFRS for the faculty members of University of Calcutta and its affiliated members. "It will emphasize on the global standards of accounting and will enlighten about the latest trends in the area of IFRS," Sen said.-PTI

China to develop new township in Gurgaon NEW DELHI: Haryana would develop a new industrial township with Chinese help at a cost of USD 5 billion dollar spread over 1,500 acres of land in Sohna and Manesar in Gurgaon district. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between Haryana Government and China Fortune Land Development (CFLD) Company in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here. The agreement was signed by Managing Director, Haryana Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), Sudhir Rajpal, and President, China Fortune Land Development Company, Jerry Zhao. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that under the agreement, HSIIDC and CFLD Company would execute the project as a Joint Venture. The Chinese firm would develop infrastructural facilities, industrial units and residential and commercial projects in the township.-PTI

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10 lakh youth in greening of 1 lakh km NEW DELHI: Plantation drive on 1 lakh km of highways under the National Green Highways Mission will create jobs for 10 lakh youth and prove to be a game-changer for the rural economy, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said here. Kick-starting the initial plantation drive on 1,500 km of National Highways at a cost of about Rs 300 crore, the Road Transport and Highways Minister said it is a unique venture and the government welcomed "startups" to join it unlike other program where prior experience is a must. Under the mission, the government plans to provide 'green canopy' on NHs at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore, which is 1 per cent of the road construction cost of Rs 5 lakh crore till 2019, and may link it with NREGA to boost the rural economy.-PTI

India to get $1 bn World Bank funding for solar projects NEW DELHI: The World Bank has committed USD 1 billion (about Rs 6,750 crore) to support solar energy program in India, which is reducing dependence on conventional energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As per the pact signed between Power Minister Piyush Goyal and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, the multilateral funding agency will provide more than USD 1 billion to support India's ambitious solar initiatives through investments in generation. "We have discussed renewable energy, especially rooftop solar projects. We discussed innovative financing models by which we can boost renewable energy sector," Goyal said after the signing of the pact. India has a target to generate 1 lakh MW power through solar energy by 2022 and is trying to attract investments from various sources. The World Bank-supported projects in the works include solar rooftop technology, infrastructure for solar parks, bringing innovative solar and hybrid technologies to market, and transmission lines for solar-rich states. The combined investments for India would be the Bank's largest financing of solar for any

country till date. The Central government and the Bank signed a pact for the USD 625 million Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Program, which will

In a statement, The World bank said: "The development of a USD 200 million Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks Project under a public-private partner-

World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim (C) shakes hands with Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (R) after a meeting in New Delhi on June 30. Power Minister Piyush Goyal (L) is also seen

finance at least 400 mw of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations.

ship model is also under preparation."

Modi emphasized on the importance of adequate climate change financing for countries like India which are consciously choosing to follow an environmentally sustainable path.

The Bank also signed an agreement with the International Solar Alliance (ISA), consisting of 121 countries led by India, to collaborate on increasing solar energy use around the world, with the goal of mobilizing USD 1 trillion in investments by 2030. The ISA was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris on November last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande. At a meeting with Kim, Modi emphasized on the importance of adequate climate change financing for countries like India which are consciously choosing to follow an environmentally sustainable path. Kim assured the Prime Minister that The World Bank would be "proactive" and "fully support" this agenda. "Prime Minister Modi's personal commitment toward renewable energy, particularly solar, is the driving force behind these investments. The World Bank Group will do all it can to help India meet its ambitious targets, especially around scaling up solar energy," Kim said. India is the largest client of the World Bank Group which lent around USD 4.8 billion between 2015 and 2016. -PTI

Cook county property tax payment by Aug 1 MARGARET BOLOZ

CHICAGO: The property tax bills for tax year 2015 are being mailed to nearly 1.8 million owners of homes, businesses and land with a due date of August 1, the Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said here. Pappas mentioned that the owners of taxable property should pay before the due date to avoid interest of 1.5 percent per month for late payment. Ontime payments can be made: • Online at cookcountytreasurer.com

Maria Pappas, Cook County Treasurer

• At some 400 Chase Bank locations in Illinois • From a checking or savings account at more than 200 participating community banks • By mail with a U.S. postmark no later than August 1, 2016 Second Installment bills include any property tax reassessments and exemptions calculated by the County Assessor and tax rates calculated by the County Clerk. Further information is available at cookcountytreasurer.com.

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Life 'very difficult' in emerging markets: Rajan BASEL: Cautioning against expecting too much from central banks, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan has said it is wrong on their part also to always claim a 'bazooka' left up their sleeves, even as he asserted that life is "very difficult"

Tower. Referring to Frenkel's lecture that talked about unconventional monetary policies and the central bankers not being the only game in the town, Rajan said the question at the heart of his talk appeared 'why is the populism popular'.

Raghuram Rajan

in emerging markets. In a panel discussion here on lessons learnt by the central bankers from the global financial crisis, he also took on the industrial nations for expecting the emerging markets to be "orthodox" in their monetary and economic policies at a time when they themselves have "thrown out the orthodoxy out of the window". He was speaking at a panel discussion after the Per Jacobsson Foundation Lecture, delivered by JPMorgan Chase International Chairman Jacob Frenkel, on the occasion of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Annual General Meeting here. The lecture took place on June 26, but its content has been made public only now. Those participat-

"In a way, he was making a desperate plea for orthodoxy and saying let's not abandon orthodox principles and I guess the converse of that is that populism has become popular. "I think if you want to talk about the institutional and environmental situation which supported the orthodoxy, the 80s and 90s, one would guess that it was a society where the elites were respected, where there was a feeling that they could understand and interpret the policies for the masses. "There was broadly a positive sum game... And actions were not interpreted as favoring one constituency versus another. There was a sense of coherence in the society, little more than to-

"I think if you want to talk about the institutional and environmental situation which supported the orthodoxy, one would guess that it was a society where the elites were respected, where there was a feeling that they could understand and interpret the policies for the masses. ing in the panel discussion included Bank of Mexico Governor Agustun Carstens and Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau. The lecture took place within days of Rajan making public his decision that he would not opt for a second term as RBI Governor when his current three-year tenure ends on September 4. Rajan, a former Chief Economist at IMF who is credited for predicting the global financial crisis, was here to attend the BIS Annual Meeting, as also a bi-monthly meeting of select central bankers from across the world here at BIS

day," he said. Rajan further said that when there is trust in the elite and there is no common economic paradigm, a lot of competing paradigms come up, some of which contradict the laws of economics and very little trust is left in the institutions. "Well, that's what we call an emerging market," he said. "It's the kind of environment we have worked in the past and we have tried to change that to try and say that there are some broad principles, there are institutions that we should build and yes that some people can be trusted, the experts can be trusted. It takes time

to do that. "But my sense is that what the crisis has done is that in the industrial countries, created the kind of conditions that bring you back to the conditions we experienced in the emerging markets," he added. Explaining further, Rajan sought to compare the current scenario in industrial countries a new situation, where policies do not seem to work as advertised, where one could argue that normal laws of economics do not apply and where elites were pushing these policies before they lost the reputation. "There is a sense that they don't know so they could not be trusted. There is a zero sum game that if an immigrant comes he takes my pension away and if I give to this set, which is top 1 per cent or so, then I am going to lose out in the longer run. "Therefore things have become much more complicated. The ability to get a coherent economic policy in this environment is much more limited than what we have been experiencing for so many years in the past. "So, in that sense it creates an entirely new environment for the central banks. I think we have been seeing a little bit of this. There is always this notion that many of us have expressed that it can only be a part of the solution and the others would have to step up to the plate. "What if others are paralyzed and they cannot step up because the environment has changed tremendously. How much do you do? I think this is where Jacob's angst comes through. "If I interpret what you say, you should have gone to a point, take a little bit of detour but should have come back. But these detours which seen longer term and long lasting, may be problematic in the longer run. I think that is what I hear you as saying. "I think there are two issues here - one, the whole belief in central banks that somebody else will step up to the plate is not being fulfilled. Second, something we are ourselves responsible for in the central banking community, the statement that we can do it. "Just wait, we have one more tool up our sleeves. We aren't exhausted yet. There is always a bazooka left that we have not used. If we say that and at the same time, nothing else is coming up to the plate, then effectively we become the only game in town. How to move away from that is really quite difficult," he said. On what policies one should

follow in such an environment, Rajan said, "There is a tremendous political suspicion of the elites or the elite institutions and a sense that you really don't care for the masses and you are brought in and paid for by the Wall Street or its equivalent in every country. "One thing is to damn the torpedoes, if you are crudely orthodox you will say damn the torpedoes, I do so much and no more and then let the pieces fall where they will and this is how much I can do. He further said, "My sense is that would be nice as per the orthodox principle but it won't be feasible in the kind of environment we are in. So, next is to say, let me

"Ultimately, you are doing it because the system won't let you stop. So, my sense is this is the reason why we are in this dilemma. The environment has changed a lot, but not the economic environment. "The law of environment applies broadly. ... it is also that the political environment has changed and the respect for elites who focus on the economics and not on the broader section of population, at least that is the popular view, becomes very hard," he said. Talking about emerging markets in this kind of situation, the RBI Governor said spillovers become much more difficult in this kind of environment because the

The current scenario in industrial countries a new situation, where policies do not seem to work as advertised, where one could argue that normal laws of economics do not apply and where elites were pushing these policies before they lost the reputation. try innovating and you come up with new solutions and some of them will work a little bit but not enough. "Then the question is what more do you do. At some point, you call stop, or you keep holding up the promise of something more and once you go down the list of instruments you pull out, the ratio of economics to politics keeps falling.

whole focus is on the domestic economy. "What is the exit out of this kind of environment and the exit becomes much harder when you focus domestically especially when one effective channel of transmission is the exchange rate because the first one to exit gets the full brunt. Exchange rate appreciation becomes much more difficult to go out.-PTI

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India seeks US investment in urban sector NEW YORK: India has strongly pitched for US investments in its urban sector missions, highlighting various initiatives of the government for recasting the country's urban landscape. Addressing the US policy mak-

"Naidu has strongly pitched for US investments in urban sector in India explaining the opportunities under new initiatives of the government to a host of US policy makers, officials and corporate," Urban Development Ministry said

Bloomberg, whose organization is associated with holding Smart City Challenge competition in India, acknowledged the "new vigor" for recasting the Indian urban landscape and said that it is a "win-win situation" ers, officials and corporate leaders here, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu listed out various schemes of government under urban sector such as Smart City Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Swachh Bharat Mission and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

in a statement. Naidu held "extensive" discussions with US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets Arun Kumar, former New York Mayor and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies Michael Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor of New York Alicia Glen and officials of US Trade Development Agency.

He also held talks with chief executives and senior officials of several leading companies like KPMG, IBM and Master Card, besides addressing US-India Business Council. Bloomberg, whose organization is associated with holding Smart City Challenge competition in India, acknowledged the "new vigor" for recasting the Indian urban landscape and said that it is a "winwin situation" for all, the statement said. The US companies told Naidu that they are working on various proposals to take advantage of investment opportunities under Smart City Mission and other initiatives, it said. United States Trade Development Agency (USTDA) has already inked MoUs with the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh for assisting in developing Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam as smart cities. -PTI

Check on if any black money has returned MUMBAI: In the wake of deposits held by Indians in Swiss banks dropping by 33 per cent, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has said the government is checking if any of the black money has been routed back to India. Noting the fall in money by Indians in Swiss banks as a positive, Hasmukh said the data indicates that government's steps to recover black money are in the right direction. At the same time, he observed that the government and the income tax department are continuously working to detect black money and are making efforts to track down any such funds that have returned to India. "If money has returned or routed back into India, we (government and agencies) are taking steps to track it," Adhia told reporters here. Money held by Indians in Swiss banks has fallen by nearly onethird to a record low of 1.2 billion franc (about Rs 8,392 crore) amid a continuing global clampdown on

the famed secrecy wall of Switzerland's banking system. The funds held by Indians with banks in Switzerland fell by CHF 596.42 million to CHF 1,217.6 million at the end of 2015, as per the latest data by the country's central banking authority SNB (Swiss National Bank).

This is the lowest amount of funds held by Indians in the Swiss banks ever since the Alpine nation began making the data public in 1997 and marks the second straight year of decline. The funds held by Indians with Swiss banks stood at a record high of CHF 6.5 billion (Rs 23,000 crore) at 2006-end.

The latest data comes at a time when Switzerland has begun sharing foreign client details on evidence of wrongdoing provided by India and other countries. Briefing the media on government talks with Swiss authorities, the Revenue Secretary said Switzerland has agreed for automatic sharing of information from 2018. "Some days ago, I had a dialogue with my counterpart from Switzerland and they have agreed to automatically share information from 2018. "This means we would receive every detail of the money deposited by our citizens in the Swiss banks," Adhia said. A number of strategies have been deployed by the government to combat the stash-funds menace, in both overseas and domestic domain, which include enactment of a new law to tackle stashing of black money abroad, amendments in the anti-money laundering Act and compliance windows for people to declare their hidden assets. -PTI

Indian money in Swiss banks dips 33% ZURICH: Money held by In- by India and other countries. dians in Swiss banks has fallen It has agreed to further exby nearly one-third to a record pand its cooperation on India's low of 1.2 billion franc (about Rs fight against black money and 8,392 crore) amid a continuing expects to sign a new pact for global clampdown on the famed automatic information exchange secrecy wall of Switzerland's 2018 onwards. Besides, a team banking system. of Indian officials are expected The funds held by Indians to visit Switzerland soon to exwith banks in Switzerland fell by pedite the pending information CHF 596.42 million to CHF requests about suspected illicit 1,217.6 million at the end of 2015, accounts of Indians in Swiss as per the latest data released banks. by the country's central bankThe funds, described by SNB ing authority SNB (Swiss Na- as 'liabilities' of Swiss banks or tional Bank). 'amounts due to' their clients, are This is the lowest amount of the official figures disclosed by funds held by Indians in the the Swiss authorities and do not Swiss banks ever since the Al- indicate to the quantum of the pine nation began making the much-debated alleged black data public in 1997 and marks the money held by Indians in the safe second straight year of decline. havens of Switzerland. The funds held by Indians SNB's official figures also do with Swiss banks stood at a not include the money that Indirecord high of CHF 6.5 billion (Rs ans or others might have in 23,000 crore) at 2006-end. Swiss banks in the names of enHowever, the quantum of tities from different countries. these funds has been falling As per the SNB data, the tosince then, except for in 2011 and tal money held in Swiss banks in 2013 when Indians' money had risen by over 12 per cent On directions of the Suand 42 per cent, re- preme Court, India has also spectively. At the end of constituted a Special Investi2015, the total funds gation Team (SIT) to probe held in Swiss banks by Indians directly cases of alleged black stood at CHF money of Indians, including 1,206.71 million funds stashed abroad (down from CHF 1,776 million a year ago), while the money held by all their foreign clients from through 'fiduciaries' or wealth across the world also fell by managers was down at CHF 10.89 nearly four per cent or over CHF million (from CHF 37.92 million 58 billion to CHF 1.41 trillion at 2014-end). The total stood at (USD 1.45 trillion or about Rs 98 CHF 1,814 million at the end of lakh crore). 2014. On directions of the Supreme This is the lowest-ever level Court, India has also constituted of funds held through fiducia- a Special Investigation Team ries, which used to be in billions (SIT) to probe cases of alleged till 2007 but has been falling amid black money of Indians, includfears of regulatory crackdown. ing funds stashed abroad in The total "amounts due to places like Switzerland. customers' savings and deposit As per the latest data, the Inaccounts" fell to CHF 425.8 mil- come Tax department has delion (from 1,378 million a year ago), tected over Rs 13,000 crore black while the money held through money post investigations on other banks incidentally more global leaks about Indians stashthan doubled to CHF 270.4 mil- ing funds abroad and has lion (from CHF 100.6 million). The launched prosecution against 'other liabilities' of Swiss banks over 200 entities, including those towards Indian clients, which in- with accounts in Geneva branch clude funds held through securi- of HSBC. ties etc, rose from CHF 297 milThe taxmen are said to have lion to CHF 510.4 million. detected Rs 8,186 crore of unThe latest data from Zurich- disclosed income against those based SNB comes at a time when whose names figured in the Switzerland has begun sharing HSBC Geneva list that was obforeign client details on evi- tained by India in 2011 through dence of wrongdoing provided the French government.-PTI

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Tata may freeze auction of steelworks LONDON: Tata Steel is set to freeze auction of its UK steelworks while it assesses the fallout of the Brexit vote, a media report said here. The Mumbai-headquartered steel giant had announced plans to auction its Port Talbot steelworks in Wales earlier this year. However, 'The Sunday Times' reported that the move has been put on ice as it assesses the fallout of the Brexit vote. "The Indian giant will 'pause' the sale amid uncertainty over the impact of the decision to leave the EU," the newspaper quoted sources as saying. The board is yet to make a formal decision but is under less pressure to sell after a jump in steel

prices, which has cut losses at the south Wales site, the report said. The company will reportedly

stall the auction to await the outcome of a UK government deal to cut its 14 billion pound pension liabilities as well as talks on EU

Tax dept must trust assessees: Jaitley NEW DELHI: Making a case for dispute resolution mechanism has increasing the taxpayer base, Fi- been put in place at the appeals nance Minister Arun Jaitley has stage with respect to tax matters. said the government's intention is Participating at a program to keep taxation rate "moderate" jointly organized by the Institute and emphasized that tax depart- of Chartered Accountants of Inment needs to start trusting the dia (ICAI) and the Finance and assessees. Commerce and Industry MinisHe also said that all grey areas tries, Jaitley said the tax rate would are being made clearer when it comes to taxation and the tax department. "Ease of communicating with tax department is going to continue. All the grey areas, the unclear areas I think by virtue of clarifiFinance Minister Arun Jaitley cations and notifications are now increasingly becoming clear," be reasonable while the tax base Jaitley said. has to be much larger and "the tax In the last few months, proce- department has to start trusting dures have been simplified and the the assessee and the taxpayer". "assessees have never seen such In a strong message to those an easy and friendly approach of evading tax, Jaitley said such the taxation department", he people would face serious action noted. and that the government is plugHis remarks also come against ging the escape routes. the backdrop of various initiatives "Those who were involved in being taken to ensure that the taxa- the Liechtenstein accounts, those tion system becomes more friendly who are involved in the HSBC actowards taxpayers. Listing out counts and which were held to be various measures aimed at simpli- illegal, are now facing prosecufying the procedures, Jaitley said tion.â&#x20AC;?- PTI

trade deals. The decision may come as a blow to bidders, including the Indian-origin businessman Sanjeev Gupta-led commodities trader Liberty House and management buyout firm Excalibur. The newspaper has also reported in the past that the Tata Group had already been leaning towards retaining the plant before the Brexit decision. "The strategic review of our UK business continues. Like businesses across the UK, parties involved will be considering implications from the referendum. We remain committed to working towards the best possible outcome for our UK business," a Tata statement said. -PTI

Jaitley sees personal assets decline NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's personal assets have declined by Rs 2.8 crore in the fiscal year ended March 2016, to Rs 69.13 crore mainly on account of drop in balance in his bank accounts. In his annual Declaration of Assets and Liabilities for 201516, Jaitley, who owns three residential properties in the national capital and one each in Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab, besides a 3,600 sq ft plot in Faridabad and 5,453 sq ft commercial property in Gurgaon, put value of his immovable properties at Rs 35.21 crore, unchanged from the previous fiscal. However, his balance in three HDFC and one SBI Bank accounts declined to Rs 1 crore from Rs 3.52 crore at the end of March 31, 2015. Deposits in other companies, including Enpro Oils Ltd and DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd were unchanged at Rs 17 crore. His cash in hand dropped to Rs 65.29 lakh from Rs 95.35 lakh in March 2015. This together with PPF and other investments totaled to Rs 11 crore, down from Rs 11.24 crore. He had showed an investment of Rs 21.70 lakh in his declaration for 2014-15 which was not there in the 2015-16 declaration.-PTI

ViaSat opens R&D centre in Chennai CHENNAI: California-based broadband services and technology company ViaSat has set up a R&D centre here - its second facility outside the US - to tap the high-speed Internet connectivity potential in the region. The research and development (R&D) centre, which now has about 40 people, would scale it up to 250 over the next three years, ViaSat India's Vice President Sathya Narayanaswamy said. "There are about 40 employees. It will grow to 250 over the next

Networks, Senior Vice-President, Kevin J Harkenrider said. The company, however, declined to reveal the amount of the investments made at this centre. He said the company planned to launch ViaSat-2 satellite broadband platform in 2017 that would more than double the bandwidth and increase coverage seven-fold over the prior generation. "Now, we are planning to launch our second satellite ViaSat1 by early 2017. It will be built by Boeing and will be launched from

three years. There is a huge growth market. There are about 13 crore Internet connections in India. It is nearly 10 per cent of the (total) population," he told reporters. Listed on Nasdaq, a US stock exchange, the company currently serves seven lakh customers in North America and Canada through the ViaSat-1 highest capacity satellite launched in 2012. The Chennai facility would be the global research and development centre and its second after the United Kingdom facility outside US. "Our first facility outside United States is in United Kingdom. So this will be second largest R&D Centre for us", ViaSat Commercial

Ariane, French Guyana. That launch will help to us to cover across North America and across United Kingdom, Middle East and Africa", he said. In 2019, ViaSat will launch first of three ViaSat-3 class satellite platforms that would offer 1,000 Gbps of network capacity, making each satellite equal to the total capacity of all commercial satellites in space. The third satellite system was planned to cover Asia Pacific region completing the company's global coverage. The company was in talks with the Ministry of Communications and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to launch their service in India, Harkenrider added. -PTI

40 India Post

rchha in the Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh was the erstwhile capital city of the redoubtable Bundela kings. 16th and 17th century palaces and temples make Orchha, a famous tourist destination in Madhya Pradesh. Bordered by the beautiful Betwa River, Orchha reflects the sumptuousness and magnificence of the mighty Bundelas. An artificial island with the meaning a 'hidden place,' Orchha, lives up to its name. Placed in the lustrous Bundelkhand

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countryside, this pretty locale is bestowed with natural beauty and splendor. With its striking forts, regal palaces, poetry carved temples and chhatris, Orchha presents a matchless spectacle and is a delightful place for photographers. An effervescent city with salubrious climate and glorious past, Orchha is renowned for its world class mural paintings. The outstanding frescos on the walls of the marvelous temples and regal palace of Orcha makes the viewer spellbound. The splendor of ancient times hangs all around this historic city, and the remains of numerous palaces and havelis that with-

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stood the beatings of time, fills the town with an air of quixotic reminiscence. Orchha is well known for its graceful monuments, which displays unique and exclusive architectural grandeur. Elaborately decorated monuments with domes, brackets, pillars, arch and ledges the place shows the influence of different architectural styles. A sleepy village surrounded by a woody forest, Orchha showcases the rich heritage of medieval times. This exotic city, with gar-

ish monuments and majestic temples makes it picturesquely bobbling and fascinating. During your visit, make sure to taste "Kalakand" which is a famous sweet of Orchha. Attractions Chandreshekhar Azad Memorial: A monument commemorating the martyrdom of the great freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad, Shahid Smarak is situated at Orchha in the Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh. Though this is a contemporary testimonial, its great historical importance, attracts large number of people. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 42

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Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor in Israel India Post News Service

he Indian Embassy in Israel along with Dan Hotels, re cently hosted Chef Sanjeev

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who received the 'Best Chef of India' award, is known for his love of creating Indian food experiences by promoting home cooking with au-

thentic practices through his TV shows for his audiences all over the world. While in Israel, Chef Kapoor also dined with Chef Uri Buri, of Uri Buri restaurant in Akko, Chef Moshe Basson of The Eucalyptus restaurant in Jerusalem, and he also hosted a demo-lecture at the Dan Gourmet Cooking School with close to 300 attendees. The Chef Kapoor and his family spent some enjoyable time exploring Israel and its rich history and culture. On the itinerary was the Old City of Jerusalem and the famous Mahane Yehuda Market, UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Akko (Acre) - the historical port city, and the Baha'i Gardens of Haifa. Chef Kapoor and his family also enjoyed a refreshing and revitalizing break at the Dead Sea.

There are many different traditions and cultures that have influenced Israeli cuisine. In fact, being a vegetarian or a vegan is actually quite trendy in Israel. The

Indian Culinary Week not only promoted Indian culinary art in Israel but also presented a new dimension to the cultural similarities between the two countries.

Kapoor and his family in Israel to promote Indian cuisines in the country. The weeklong food festival, aptly named Indian Culinary Week, showcased a wide range of gastronomic delights from India in an initiative to promote the Indian culinary art overseas. The King David Hotel in Jerusalem played host to this three-day program where Chef David Bitton and Chef Kapoor collaborated to prepare various Indian dishes, receiving an overwhelming response from all who attended.

Air India to fly unconfirmed Rajdhani passengers NEW DELHI: State-run Air India will now fly unconfirmed passengers of Rajdhani trains at the fares matching with the AC first class ticket prices under a spe-

cial scheme for a limited period. Rajdhani Express passengers who remain wait-listed can now book the tickets four hours prior

to the flight departure at a fare which is equivalent to the ticket price IA class of these trains, Air India said here. Under the 'Super Saver'

scheme, Air India offers an allinclusive economy class one way fare on its select domestic routes, starting June 26 till Sep-

tember 30, it said. Currently 21 Rajdhani Express trains run across the Indian Railways network and close to 20,000 passengers travel in these train every day. As on date, 1A Rajdhani fares for Mumbai and Chennai stood at Rs 4,755 and Rs 6,335, respectively. Similarly, the first AC fares for these trains to Kolkata and Guwahati were Rs 4,815 and Rs 5,990, respectively. "However, thousands of passengers are unable to get confirmed tickets due to nonavailability of seats. Air India will bridge this gap as passengers," the airline said. By availing the scheme, passengers will not only reach their destination at the same cost of Rajdhani Express, but in much less time, it said. -PTI

Air India plans AhmedabadNewark flight NEW DELHI: Air India's Dreamliner aircraft is set to make its US debut with the flag carrier proposing a flight to Newark from Ahmedabad via London in August. As of now the Government-

owned airline, carries out its most of European operations with Boeing 787-800 (Dreamliner) aircraft besides servicing some of the domestic routes. Air India has a total of 21 B787800 planes in its fleet of 132 aircraft. Air India will connect Newark with Ahmadabad via London from August 15, airline's chief Ashwani Lohani told reporters at the side-

line of a tourism event here. The new service will be catered by Dreamliner plane, he said adding that Ahmedabad-LondonNewark service will operate three times a week. "After this, we plan to connect two capital cities, New Delhi and Washington DC," he said. Air India currently operates flight services to New York, San Francisco, Newark and Chicago from New Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The San Francisco flight, launched last December, was airline's first non-stop service connecting India with America's West Coast. Besides seeking to expand in the US market, Air India has plans to spread its wings further in the European region, where it currently operates to eight destinations including the UK, France, Germany and Italy. -PTI

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It was here the revolutionary hero of Indian independence spent his days of exile or 'agyatvaas' in 1926-1927. Chhatris: Picturesquely poised on the banks of beautiful river Betwa, Chhatris in Orchha have a mesmerizing appeal. The royal

tombs of Maharajas, Chhatris are placed on an elevated platform and are supported by pillars.

Dauji Ki Haveli: Orchha is a hub of trading activities from very ancient times and this gave birth to the raising of a new class of people called merchants. These merchants were not only rich but also very influential among the ruling regime. The merchants used their wealth to build palatial mansions with elaborate decorations

and splendid architecture. These mansions are the replicas of the royal palaces. In Orchha, there are

many ornamented houses, popularly called Havelis. Raja Mahal: The royal residence of erstwhile kings of Orchha, Raja Mahal is situated in Tikamgarh district, Madhya Pradesh. Beautiful towers decorate the exterior of this magnificent palace, and outstanding mural paintings adorn the interiors. R a n i Mahal: Prettily situated in the fort complex, Rani Mahal in Orchha is famous for its lovely paintings and unique architecture. Rani Mahal, which is also known as the Queen's Chamber was the royal residence of the Queen of Raja Madhukar Shah. A great devotee of Lord Ram, the queen decorated her bedroom with murals featuring scenes from the epics.

Laxmi Narayan Temple: Laxmi Narayan Temple in Orchha exhibits a unique style of architecture, which is a beautiful mix of a fort and a temple moulds. The walls of this charming shrine are elaborately decorated with fabulous mural paintings, which show pulsating compositions from mythological themes. This temple also houses the very famous post mutiny paintings. Best time to visit The best season to visit Orchha is the winter season. The temperature remains comfortable and is apt for visiting the places of interest in Orchha. The best months to visit are October, November, December, January, February and March How to reach By Train: Jhansi railway station, 16 km away from Orchha, is the nearest railway station. Jhansi is situated on the major rail route and there are regular train services to the major cities in India. By Air: Gwalior is the nearest airport to Orchha (116 km). Flight services are available to Khajuraho, Delhi and Varanasi.

By Bus: Many private and Government Transport bus services are available to reach Orchha from Jhansi (16 km). Orchha is well connected by buses with Bhopal, Delhi, Varanasi, Khajuraho and Gwalior. Super fast, Tourist A/C and Deluxe buses are also available.

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Bordeaux a popular tourist destination in France BORDEAUX, France: For centuries Bordeaux has been the corporate center of French winemaking, known for luscious wines, elegant chateaus and shrewd winesellers. Now there's a new twist: More consumers want vineyards to use organic or sustainably farmed grapes, and so wineries are responding by mixing tradition with hightech quality control. The vineyards at Chateau Haut Lafitte

plant emissions related to ripeness, providing a digital map of every few square feet of the vineyard. ``We know in every single row of the vineyard how ripe the grapes are,'' Florence Cathiard said in an email. ``We then taste the grapes in each plot and mark the vines which will be harvested the following day.'' Then an optical scanning machine in the winery looks for imperfect grapes, and culls

Australia grants 1.5 L visas to Indians NEW DELHI: The Australian High Commission in Delhi has granted over 1.5 lakh visas to Indians during the 2015-16 program year, underlining the fast expanding links

Harinder Sidhu

between the two countries. Australia's High Commissioner to India, Harinder Sidhu, said, "It is a landmark achievement. This is the first time ever that we have reached the 150,000-mark in visitor offer visitors a look at both the past and the future of winemaking. The vineyards date back to the 1300s, and the stone manor house was built in the 1700s. Then in 1990 Daniel and Florence Cathiard, former members of the French Olympic ski team, bought the chateau and in recent years began integrating sustainable and high-tech practices into their business. ``If you look 20 years ago, chateaus were not organic or biodynamic at all,'' said Alix Ounis, who gives tours at the chateau. But now, more and more chateaus are going in those directions. Smith Haut Lafitte now farms organically, uses oxen in the vineyards instead of tractors to avoid compacting the soil and captures some winery CO2 emissions to reduce the global warming footprint. The Cathiards also sell grape seeds to their daughter's company, which uses them in natural skin care products. Andrew Walker, a professor of viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis, says vineyards all over the world are facing pressure to limit pesticide use, and climate change is a challenge, too. There are different views about the best options, but plant breeders are working on grape strains with natural resistance to major pests and diseases. But natural doesn't always mean lowtech. Smith Haut Lafitte and other vineyards now use a variety of technologies to monitor the soil, the grapes, fermentation and aging. Smith Haut Lafitte uses a program called Oenoview to analyze the perfect harvest time. Data provided by satellite measures

them out. Cathiard says visitors like the combined focus on sustainability and wine quality. Smith Haut Lafitte offers a variety of tours, a restaurant and a 72-room five-star hotel. Several companies also offer shuttle trips from downtown Bordeaux to the many chateaus in the area, but be sure to reserve in advance. Bordeaux's old city has been transforming, too. Delphine Cadei is married to a coowner of Le Wine Bar, a charming, high ceiling place with a broad selection of wines by the glass and bottle, and luscious fois gras and pate plates. Her family is from Bordeaux, and Cadei says that for a long time the city was ``very dark, and not a nice place to live.'' Parking lots covered the wide stone quays along the river, but those are gone as part of a citywide makeover. Tourists have responded, and Bordeaux is one of the most popular tourist destinations in France. The old city is filled with cafes, restaurants, shops and bakeries, as well as medieval city gates such as Port Cailhau, built in 1495. You can go inside for a small fee and walk up a tiny, curved staircase to look out over the square. The Grosse Cloche (Big Clock) gate is even older, and is featured on the city Coat of Arms. A huge new wine museum has just opened, too. La Cite du Vin was built in a swirling, rounded postmodern style, at a cost of over $90 million. It features historical and environmental displays, tasting rooms and interactive aroma exhibits, thousands of bottles of wine from scores of countries and a restaurant that gives a panoramic view of the city. -AP

visa approvals in India for a year." She said the development is a sign of the growth of the relations between our two countries. "I welcome it as a positive milestone. The achievement underlines the fast expanding links between Australia and India. More and more Indians are travelling to Australia for business, tourism and to study in our universities, as well as visit family," Sidhu said. There were a record 2,33,000 arrivals from India during 2015, a growth of 19 per cent, which represents the highest growth in the past seven years. India's ranking improved from eleventh to eighth largest inbound tourists' destination for Australia. By 2020, Indian tourist arrivals are expected to be around 3,00,000. Tourism Australia expects India to feature in the top five inbound markets for Australia by 2025. -PTI

Violence hurting J&K economy, says CM SRINAGAR: Against the backdrop of terror attack on CRPF bus, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has said violence was hurting the state's economic interests, with tourism being the biggest casualty, and sought the support of the people in maintaining peace. "Unfortunately, the state's tourism and business fraternity has to suffer the brunt when atmosphere of peace is disturbed in the valley by violent incidents," Mehbooba said while talking to the members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Tourism, Transport and Culture here. She noted that tourism is directly linked to economic revival and Jammu and Kashmir has been gifted by God with breathtaking scenic beauty and water resources which need to be harnessed judiciously for tourism promotion. Seeking support of the people of the state in maintaining peace, she said, "Tourism spreads best by the word of mouth and the players associated with the industry have played a key role in establishing a feelgood factor among the tourists." Her comments assume significance as these came against the backdrop of terror attack on CRPF bus in Pampore in which eight security personnel were killed and 21 injured. The Parliamentary Committee discussed issues pertaining to development of modern tourism infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said. Mehbooba told the committee members that the state government is in the process of developing new tourist destinations for which it needs adequate financial and technical support from the Central government. "We will involve experts in building

state-of-the-art tourism infrastructure at these new destinations," she said. She said the government would not, however, allow vandalizing of these new

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti

resorts as "has, unfortunately, happened" with some of the most cherished tourist destinations in the state. "We will allow only development of ecofriendly infrastructure at the upcoming tourist destinations like Tosamaidan, Ranjit Sagar Dam, Mughal Road and Bangus Valley and develop local economic stakes in tourism promotion," she said. The Chief Minister, who also holds the charge of the Tourism portfolio, said the department is conceptualizing a plan to promote niche tourism activities in the State including border tourism, religious tourism and adventure tourism. -PTI

In Brief Cambodia deports 39 to China PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA: Cambodia deported 39 suspected criminals to mainland China, including 25 Taiwanese whom Beijing insists it has jurisdiction over despite protests from Taipei. The chief of the Interior Ministry's Immigration Investigation Bureau, Gen. Ouk Haiseila, said the 25 Taiwanese and 14 Chinese were sent on a special plane dispatched by the Chinese government. He said they were sent to China because they had committed crimes against Chinese citizens. They are accused of defrauding victims in China using phone calls made over the internet, which complicated tracing them. He earlier said earlier this week they would be sent to China because Cambodia regards Taiwan to be part of China. Although its constitution formally decrees that it and the mainland are part of a single Chinese nation, Taiwan functions like an independent country and does not acknowledge Beijing's claim of authority over it. Originally Cambodia planned to deport 35 people, but four more were arrested in raids this past week, Haiseila said. Asked about Cambodia's action at a regular briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying noted that ``the Cambodian government said before that it will tackle the problem based on the `one-China' policy.'' -AP

Â&#x201E; Penalty for cities that ignore immigration law RALEIGH, N.C.: The North Carolina General Assembly is gearing up to sanction local governments that do not comply with state immigration policies by withholding their schools and roads funding. The Senate passed a bill to deny state dollars from cities or counties that accept identification cards from nonprofit organizations or which establish ``sanctuary policies'' that limit enforcement of federal immigration law. Earlier, Carrboro mayor Lydia Lavelle and representatives from the Greensboro ID program FaithAction International House held a news conference criticizing lawmakers for moving forward with the bill despite opposition from law enforcement agencies who call the cards a valuable public safety tool. The bill now returns to the House for its approval.-AP

Immigration

Brexit vote hardly harbinger of US election

44 India Post

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North America leaders urge against Trump's isolationism OTTAWA, ONTARIO: President Barack Obama and the leaders of Mexico and Canada pushed back forcefully against the isolationist and anti-immigrant sentiments that have roiled Britain and been championed by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. The leaders warned against easy solutions peddled by ``demagogues'' who feed on economic anxiety. With tensions growing over terrorism and fallout from Britain's exit from the European Union, Obama acknowledged that Americans and others have reason to be concerned about their own future in a rapidly globalizing economy. He said concerns about immigrants had been exploited by politicians in the past, but he insisted he wasn't worried Americans will follow that path. ``We should take some of this seriously and answer it boldly and clearly,'' Obama said, without naming the Republican presidential candidate. ``But you shouldn't think that is representative of how the American people think.'' Gathering in the Canadian capital, the leaders defended their calls for freer trade within the continent and beyond. They argued that in-

stead of withdrawing from the world, advanced countries should focus on higher standards, wages and legal protections that would ensure the benefits of globalization are widely felt.

and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto came as the leaders sought a show of unity amid growing nationalist movements in Europe and elsewhere, epitomized by Britain's move to leave

President Barack Obama walks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Neito at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Canada, June 29, Obama traveled to Ottawa for the North America Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit.

``The integration of national economies into a global economy, that's here. That's done,'' Obama said. Obama's comments at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

the 28-member EU. Obama also planned to address the Canadian Parliament during his visit, becoming the ninth American leader to do so. Though Britain's decision has rattled the global financial sys-

tem, Obama said he believed the markets were starting to settle down. Still, he acknowledged there would be ``genuine longerterm concerns'' about global economic growth `ìf, in fact, Brexit goes through.'' ``This doesn't help,'' he said. Obama said his primary message to British Prime Minister David Cameron and to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is largely spearheading Europe's response, was that `èverybody should catch their breath.'' Though Merkel and other European leaders have urged Britain to start its withdrawal quickly, Obama called for a thought-out process that would be transparent and clearly understandable to all of Europe's citizens. `Ì think that will be a difficult, challenging process, but it does not need to be a panicky process,'' the president said. The Canadian and Mexican leaders largely echoed Obama's calls for staying focused on closer economic ties. Pena Nieto said Mexico sees opportunity for growth and investment by broadening its relationship with the rest of the continent. Cont'd on Page 46

Top court to review unusual citizenship law WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court has agreed to referee a dispute about an odd piece of U.S. citizenship law that treats men and women differently. The justices said they will hear a case about a law that applies only to children born outside the U.S. to one parent who is an American and one who is not. The law makes it easier for children whose mother is a citizen to become citizens themselves. Even after reform legislation in 1986, children of American fathers face higher hurdles claiming citizenship for themselves. The federal appeals court in New York struck down the law in the case of Luis Ramon MoralesSantana. He challenged the law

and asserted he is a U.S. citizen after U.S. authorities sought to deport him after convictions for robbery and attempted murder. Morales-Santana is the son a

U.S. citizen fathers had to have lived in the U.S. for 10 years, at least five of them after the age of 14. Morales-Santana's father missed meeting the second part of

The law makes it easier for children whose mother is a citizen to become citizens themselves. Even after reform legislation in 1986, children of American fathers face higher hurdles claiming citizenship for themselves. of a Dominican mother and an American father, who left Puerto Rico for the Dominican Republic 20 days before his 19th birthday. For people born before 1986 to parents who are not married, their

that requirement by 20 days. American mothers need only have lived in the U.S. continuously for a year before the birth of a child. Changes to immigration law made in 1986 reduced the total resi-

dency time for fathers to five years, only two of which had to be after the age of 14. By contrast, a child born in the United States, regardless of the parents' nationality, is a U.S. citizen, as is a child born abroad to two American citizens if one of them has ever lived in the United States. The justices attempted to answer this question in 2011, but divided 4-4 with Justice Elena Kagan out of the case because she worked on while serving in the Justice Department. This time around, the case will again be heard by eight justices, but with Kagan taking part. The case, Lynch v. MoralesSantana, 15-1191, will be argued in the fall.-AP

Immigration Post

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Immigration reprises Obama's battle with court WASHINGTON: By deadlocking on President Barack Obama's immigration program, the Supreme Court not only scuttled a policy the White House hoped would be a cornerstone of the president's legacy - it added another chapter to Obama's turbulent history with the court and delivered a reminder that there's more to come. In Obama's final seven months in office, the federal courts will weigh in on several key pieces of his remaining agenda - including environmental regulations. The court has twice saved Obama's signature health care law from becoming his signature failure. The president has heralded the court's decision on gay marriage, and personally dressed down justices for a decision on campaign finance laws. And in a remarkable, perhaps fitting twist, the court has become the subject of one of Obama's last major battles with Congress: The 4-4 tie was due to the unexpected death of Justice Antonin Scalia and the Republican-led Senate's refusal to consider confirming Merrick Garland, Obama's choice as a replacement. Obama is hardly the first president to ride this sort of judicial roller coaster. Most presidents

learn quickly the Supreme Court can turn from friend to foe with just a few swift sentences. (The 44 tie came with a mere nine words.) But experts say Obama's relationship with the court is the result of a confluence of trends - including

any president's legacy - not just in how presidents shape the courts, but how they transcend them,'' said Michael Gerhardt, a constitutional law professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law. ``It's about how

President Barack Obama speaks in the White House briefing room in Washington, on the Supreme Court decision on immigration.

the growing power and politicization of the court, state and local officials increasingly turning to federal courts to challenge federal laws, and Obama's decision to use executive authority on issues when he couldn't find consensus with Congress. ``I think the court now has become a much more integral part of

they make sure the courts support the things they're doing that will end up lasting long after they're in office.'' Obama's attempt at changing immigration policy was dealt a major blow. The Supreme Court's tie indefinitely froze his plans to temporarily stop the deportation for up to 4 million people living in

the U.S. illegally. Without a majority decision, the court let stand the decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which sided with Texas and two dozen other states in deciding that the administration had no authority to grant the status and blocking its implementation. The high court's move on immigration came barely a day after a federal judge ruled against Obama's rules on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas on public lands. The judge in Wyoming said that Obama had exceeded the authority granted to him by Congress. The case is also being reviewed by an appellate court. Obama's clashes with the federal courts have also threatened to upend his most significant actions to fight climate change. In February, the Supreme Court put Obama's sweeping greenhouse gas limits for power plants on hold until a lower court renders judgment on a challenge filed by roughly two dozen states, mostly run by Republicans. That case is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court. A final ruling against Obama would severely impede his ability to meet the ambitious emissionscutting target the U.S. set under

the global climate deal struck last year in Paris. Not only would that be embarrassing for Obama, who twisted elbows to get other countries to join the Paris deal, it could also jeopardize the whole agreement if other countries use U.S. equivocation as an excuse to bow out. Although the White House argues it can meet the goal with or without the power plant rules due to other policies and market forces, many experts are skeptical. On immigration, like other battles, Republicans accused Obama of executive overreach and called this ruling a vindication. ``The immigration problem needs to be solved, but this problem needs to be solved by Congress through the legislative process,'' said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. But Obama made clear he believed that the unusual outcome was a result of the Republican decision to block Garland's confirmation while leaving the seat vacant. ``Republicans in Congress currently are willfully preventing the Supreme Court from being fully staffed and functioning as our founders intended,'' Obama told reporters. ``And this situation underscores the degree to which the court is not able to function the way it's supposed to.''-AP

Photos show filthy Border Patrol holding cells TUCSON, ARIZ.: A federal judge has unsealed photographs of Border Patrol stations in Arizona, where advocates say migrants experience inhumane conditions while being temporarily held. The pictures show rusty toilets and dirty toilet paper on the floor. A malfunctioning water fountain is also pictured. The Arizona Republic, which has sued to access them, first reported the decision. A coalition of advocacy groups filed the suit a year ago claiming the Tucson Sector, which comprises most of Arizona and includes eight stations, keeps holding cells extremely cold and dirty. In September, Judge David C. Bury issued sanctions against the Border Patrol over destruction of surveillance video evidence in the case. The coalition, including the ACLU of Arizona, was then allowed to inspect and photograph four of the eight stations. But the government argued that those photos and other documents should be kept under seal, saying they violated privacy rights of both migrants and Border Patrol agents and that the re-

lease was not necessary to resolve the lawsuit. ``Some the documents contain information that, if publicly released, would raise security concerns, and could impede the law enforcement mission of Tucson Sector Border Patrol,'' attorneys for the government wrote. The Border Patrol said it does

not comment on pending litigation. It has said in the past that it takes the safety and welfare of detainees seriously. ``If the agency expended half as much effort addressing the unconscionable conditions in its detention centers as it has spent concealing those conditions this litigation might not be necessary,''

ACLU attorney James Lyall said. Lyall said the Border Patrol holds migrants in an unconstitutional and inhumane way. The coalition has filed for a preliminary injunction hoping to force the agency to change the way it handles detention. The lawsuit was originally filed on behalf of three immigrants who said they were held in freezing cells while waiting to be transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which handles long-term detainment and deportations.

The groups that sued interviewed over 75 former detainees who described cells as filthy and lacking basic needs such as beds. The plaintiffs also say the Border Patrol doesn't adequately screen for dangerous medical conditions or provide access to medical personnel. Lyall said the ACLU will push for more of the sealed documents to be released publicly. ``People then will have an even better idea why the government has fought so hard to clean that evidence from the public,'' he said-PTI

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July 8, 2016

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Brexit vote hardly harbinger of US election DENVER: Widespread economic angst. Intense opposition to immigration policy. The rise of populist and nationalist sentiments, particularly among lesseducated and older white voters. The politics behind the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union sounds awfully familiar to the politics that have propelled Donald Trump to the Republican presidential nomination. But before saying the victory by the ``leave'' side is a harbinger of a Trump victory on Election Day in the United States, it's wise to consider the many differences between the two allied nations with historic ties like few others. The greatest difference: The United States is a significantly more racially diverse nation. A look at that and some of the other essential differences, and important similarities, in this turbulent political season. IMMIGRATION The ``leave'' vote was widely seen as a backlash against a recent influx of legal immigrants to the U.K. In the U.S. race, Trump dominated the Republican presidential field after he pledged to build a wall on America's south-

ern border as a way to reduce illegal immigration. The percentage of the U.K. population born in another country recently reached an all-time high of 13 percent, the same as the foreign-born share of the U.S. population. ``American politicians would do well to heed this lesson,'' said Roy Beck, president of Numbers USA, which supports reducing immigration to the U.S. But Britain's recent spike in immigration has been much more abrupt. The 2001 adoption of rules allowing free migration between EU member countries triggered an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe into Britain, nearly doubling the number of foreign-born people living in the U.K. ``It often is the rate of change, rather than the volume'' that can set off anxiety about immigration, said Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, assistant director of the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute's international program. The United States has for generations styled itself as a nation of immigrants. While current U.S. immigration numbers are high, they were even greater between 1860 and 1930. Much of the angst in the U.S. election has been about

illegal immigration, as opposed to the overall numbers of those coming into the county legally. DIVERSITY The much greater racial and

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in New York

ethnic diversity in the United States is a reflection of its immigration history, along with the legacy of slavery that saw millions of blacks brought forcibly from Africa. Nonwhite minorities make up 38 percent of the U.S. popula-

North America leaders urge against Trump's isolationism Cont'd from Page 44

``We are competitors, yes, but we have complimentary economies, and that will give more development to our society,'' he said. And Trudeau said the three leaders' strategy for combating protectionist views was to ``high-

pull the U.S. out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, chanting at a rally, ``No more NAFTA.'' When a reporter asked the leaders to weigh in on Trump, Obama intervened before Trudeau could answer, suggesting he should be careful what he says in case Trump ends up winning.

When a reporter asked the leaders to weigh in on Trump, Obama intervened before Trudeau could answer, suggesting he should be careful what he says in case Trump ends up winning. light how much trade and positive agreement among our nations are good not only for the economy of the world and the economy of our countries, but it's also good for our citizens.'' Yet it was Trump and his insistence that Americans are better served by reasserting independence that shadowed the leaders' meetings at the annual North American Leaders' Summit. Even as the three took the podium in Ottawa, Trump was threatening to

``I'm not saying they shouldn't answer. I'm just - I'm helping him out a little bit,'' Obama said. He appeared personally insulted by Trump's claims to represent the public's best interests, accusing the presumptive Republican nominee of wrongly purporting to be a populist. He said people like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders rightly deserve label of ``populist'' but that Trump is merely resorting to ``nativism,'' ``xenophobia'' and ``cynicism.''

tion, compared with just 14 percent in the U.K. The percentage of whites eligible to vote in U.S. elections has dropped from 78 percent in 2000 to an estimated 69 percent this fall.

The attack on a Turkish airport in which dozens died added to the urgency of discussions about how the three countries can work together to enhance security. Sitting down earlier with Pena Nieto, Obama said the gun-and-bomb attacks show how little these ``vicious organizations'' have to offer. ``We will not rest until we have dismantled these networks of hate that have an impact on the entire civilized world,'' Obama said. Ahead of the summit, Trudeau and Pena Nieto announced measures to reduce barriers during the Mexican leader's state visit to Canada. Trudeau said Canada will lift visa requirements for Mexican visitors as of December 2016. Pena Nieto agreed to open Mexican markets to Canadian beef. Efforts to curb global warming were a big part of the summit. The leaders pledged to rely on renewable energy to generate 50 percent of North America's electrical power by 2025. Mexico also committed to joining the United States and Canada in tackling methane emission -AP

Minority voters historically lean overwhelmingly Democratic in presidential elections, a trend that strongly favors Trump's White House rival, presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. There were no independent exit polls conducted in the U.K., so the racial breakdown of the electorate isn't known. But returns in the referendum suggest whites in England voted solidly in favor of leaving, while whites in Scotland supported remaining. The overall 52-48 outcome suggests whites as a whole were fairly evenly divided in the U.K. GEOGRAPHY The U.K. vote featured a geographic split that parallels the familiar urban-rural divide in U.S. politics. London provided the greatest base of support for remaining in the EU, while more rural areas of the U.K. voted to leave. Trump's support has been especially strong in more rural and less educated parts of the United States. Republicans in U.S. general elections also tend to fare better in rural areas and smaller cities and towns, while Democrats find many of their voters in America's urban centers. The World Bank says about 17 percent of the population in each country lives in rural areas. But the numbers can be deceiving because the United States electorate is spread across many large cities. London and its suburbs comprise about one-fifth of Britain's population, while almost one-third of Americans live in the areas around the 10 biggest cities. ``There is this big divide between London and the rest of the

country,'' said Tom Wright of the Brookings Institute, who tracks British and American politics. ``It tends to be more of an urban-rural thing in the U.S., while in England it's one city that tends to operate in a different economic world.'' Democratic pollster Mark Mellman, who has worked in both countries, said the U.K. lacks the large suburbs that are critical contested areas in U.S. presidential races. ``They just don't have the same kind of suburban thing as we do,'' he said. That gives extra clout to small-town and rural Britain. REFERENDUM VS. ELECTION The choice on whether to leave the EU was decided in a national referendum, while the U.S. selects the president in state-by-state votes. It's possible for the loser of the national popular vote to end up winning the White House, as Republican George W. Bush did over Democrat Al Gore in 2000. That difference alone makes a comparison a risky proposition. Furthermore, referendum votes such as the U.K.'s involve mostly faceless policy ideas. Presidential elections revolve around individuals. ``The Brexit vote did not have a candidate,'' said Republican pollster Whit Ayres, even if it was driven by ``the same forces that

London provided the greatest base of support for remaining in the EU, while more rural areas of the U.K. voted to leave. Trump's support has been especially strong in more rural and less educated parts of the United States. drove Donald Trump to the hostile takeover of the Republican Party.'' Trump can try to capitalize on economic frustrations, wariness about immigrants and a resentment of the political establishment, as the ``leave'' campaigners did successfully. But Ayres' said Americans' decision this fall is `àn evaluation of the two nominees,'' specifically `àssessments of a candidate's character, leadership, trustworthiness.'' That, he said, renders any `àpples-to-apples'' comparison between the two votes `ìmpossible.''-AP

Datebook

July 8, 2016

NEW JERSEY Upcoming

NEW YORK

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Sat, Jul 9 • Sensational Singing Heart

Fri, July 15 • Qawali Night With Tabriaz Aziz Mian Qawal

Sat, Jul 16

• Suhana Safar- A Musical Journey

• Sensational Heartthrobs

Venue: St. Demetrius Ukrainian Ctr, 591 Roosevelt Avenue, Carteret, NJ 07008 Time : 5:00 pm

Sat, Jul 23 • KSHAAM-E-GHAZAL Venue: Empire Meadowlands Secacus, 2 Harmon Plaza, Secaucus, NJ 07094 Contact: 732-900-4200

Sun, Aug 7 • IFMP Annual Summer Picnic Venue: Mercer County Park East, 1346 Edinburg Rd, West Windsor Township, NJ 08550 Time: 11:00 pm

India Post 47

Venue: Sun National Bank Center, 81 Hamilton Ave. at Rt. 129, Trenton, NJ 08611 Time : 08:00 pm

Sat, Jul 16

Throbs: Javed Ali Venue: Chabot College Hayward, 25555 Hesperian Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94545 Time: 07:30 pm

CHICAGO

Venue: Paradise Ballrooms, 4100 Peralta Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94536 Time: 07:00 pm

• Not Fair - Special Indian Standup Comedy Night

Sat, Jul 9

Venue: Broadway Comedy Club, 318 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019 Time : 6:30 pm Contact: 646-543-8127

Venue: Aura San Jose, 389 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113 Time: 10:00 pm

Sun, Jul 17 • Sunidhi Chauhan and Ayushmann Khurrana Live In Bay Area

Mon, Jul 11

Venue: City National Civic, 135 W San

• Satsang with Bodhisattva Shree Swami Premodaya

Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95113

Sun, Aug 7 • IFMP Annual Summer Picnic Venue: Mercer County Park East, 1346 Edinburg Rd, West Windsor Township, NJ 08550 Time : 11:00 am

• Bollywood Fever

Venue: International Centers of Divine Avakening, Amigo Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 91335 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 310-497-1899

Fri, Jul 15 • Qawali Night With Tabriaz Aziz Mian Qawal Venue: Paradise Ballrooms, 4100 Peralta Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94536 Time: 7:00 am

Sat, July 16 • Bollywood Fever San Diego Venue: Nara Ultra Lounge, 8055 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92111 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 510-870-4693 s

Sat, Aug 20 • Dream Team Star Show - The BIGGEST STAR Venue: The Forum, 3900 West Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood, CA 90305 Time: 07:30 pm

Time: 06:30 pm

ATLANTA Upcoming July 9 • Chinmaya Mission Atlanta Summer Camp 2016 Venue: Chinmaya Niketan, 5511 Williams Road, Norcross, GA 30093 Time: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Contact: 678-717-9814

Sun, Jul 10 • Thaikkudam Bridge Live In Atlanta!! Venue: Lassiter Concert Hall, 2601 Shallowford Road, Marietta, GA 30066 Time: 5:00 pm

Sat, Jul 23 • Desi Dance Convention (DDCON) Venue: Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center, 800 Spring Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30308 Time: 8:00 am

ILLINOIS Upcoming 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

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Swami Ishatmananda • Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life Venue: Public Library-95th Street 3015 Cedar Glade Rd Naperville IL 60564 Time: 1st friday of every month 7-8 pm Contact: 630-637-0662

• India Eternal: From the Vedic Age to the Present Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago 10915 N. Main Street Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 630-655-8822

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Philosophy

July 8, 2016

India Post 49

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis U.G. KRISHNAMURTI

ffortlessness is something which cannot be achieved through effort. Anything that you do to stop the effort, is itself an effort. It's really a maddening thing. You have not really pushed yourself into that corner. If you do, then you will really go crazy; but you are frightened of that. You have to see that everything that you are doing to be in that effortless state, for whatever reason you want to be there, is effort. Even wanting not to use effort also is effort. The total absence of will and the total absence of effort, all and every kind, may be called an effortless state; but that effortless state is not something that you can achieve through effort. If you ever understood the meaninglessness of what you are doing - you can change the techniques, you can change the teachers, but basically and essentially, the very teaching that you are using to reach your goal is the obstacle. It doesn't matter what teacher you follow. If you question the teaching, unfortunately, you have to question the teacher himself - but then comes the sentiment: "Something is wrong with me, one day I am going to understand." If it is not possible for you to understand today, you are not going to understand at all. So the ENZA VITA

elow are some questions that will assist you in discovering certain truths about your essential self. These questions are meant to help point you into the realization of who you really are, what is present right now yet perhaps not fully recognized or appreciated. As you consider these questions, be honest about your actual direct experience and not what you think you already know. As you begin to sink deeper into the questions, you will start to get glimpses of your essential self that are founded on your direct experience, not on your ideas. 1. Are you present and aware right now, in this very moment? Can you see that you are completely here and aware of being here? 2. Does this noticing that you are actually here, present, and aware require any thinking? 3. Can you see that thoughts, emotions, feelings, and sensations are coming and going in this space of pure, aware intelligence? 4. Can you also see that all objects, events, and experiences are happening in this space? 5. Now, look at an object. As you become aware of this object,

understanding is the absence of the demand for understanding now or tomorrow. Now, there is no understanding necessary. The understanding is only for the purpose of understanding something tomorrow - not today. Today you don't have to understand a thing at all. It may sound funny to you, but that's the way it is. So what do you want to understand? You can't understand me at all. I have been talking for 20 days and I can go on, but you are

going to understand tomorrow, not today. Tomorrow it is the same story, and then after 10 years it is the same story. So what do you do about this situation? We all have been through that. Either you flip or fly. The chances of flipping are really good if you push yourself into a corner. You are not going to do that. What do you want to understand? I am not saying anything profound. I have been repeating the same thing day after day, day

express, so the second statement is negating the first statement. The third statement is negating the first two statements, and the fourth statement is negating the previous three statements. Not with the idea of arriving at any goal. Not with the idea of communicating anything to you. There is nothing to be communicated. Only this series of negations. Not with the idea of arriving at any goal. Your goal is understanding. You want to understand, you see.

Understanding is absence of demand for understanding The total absence of will and the total absence of effort, all and every kind, may be called an effortless state; but that effort-

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. -Charles R. Swindoll

It always seems impossible until it's done. -Nelson Mandela

less state is not something that you can U.G. Krishnamurti

achieve through effort.

not going to understand anything at all. It's not that it is difficult. It is so simple. The complex structure that is involved is the very thing that does not accept the simplicity of it. That is really the problem. "It can't be that simple," you think. Because that structure is so complex that it doesn't want even to consider the possibility that it could be so simple. So you are

after day. Basically, it sounds very contradictory to you. What I am doing - you don't understand what I am doing - is I make a statement; and the second statement negates the first statement. Sometimes you see contradictions in what I am saying. Actually they are not contradictions. This statement does not express what I am trying to

There is nothing to understand here. Every time you make some sense out of it, I try to point out that is not it. It is not the doctrine of neti-neti. Excerpted from 'Courage To Stand Alone: Conversations with the Man Called U.G.' Amsterdam, September 1982. The 98th birth anniversary of U.G. Krishnamurti will be observed on July 9

does your sense of being here, and being aware, alter in any way? Does the awareness itself waver? Does it ebb and flow? 6. In truth, has this aware presence ever shifted or changed in the face of any situation? 7. Is it necessary to wait for the future for the recognition that you are this aware presence right now? Perhaps in the attempt to answer those questions, you began

knowingness that knows all these appearances, in this moment, and then this moment, and then this moment. This presence/awareness is what you are, the true self, and it remains unaffected regardless of ideas, emotions, and beliefs that might appear in it or be projected onto it by the world. Awareness is what has always been here, perceiving through you.

straining or striving on your part. Without awareness, how else would you know this? Awareness and only awareness is what enables this realization. It is you who are the eternal space within which all thoughts have their brief existence, arising for a few moments and then disappearing just as quickly. 56-year old Enza Vita was born in a small village in Sicily and

Do we dare to simply look and see? This presence/awareness is what you are, the true self, and it remains unaffected regardless of ideas, emotions, and beliefs that might appear in it or be projected onto it by the world. to become aware of what exists as the core of you-a silent, obvious, clear, present awareness, a consciousness that has the capacity to recognize itself. As you look even deeper into that silent pristine presence at the centre of you, notice that every thought, feeling, sensation, and experience comes and goes in awareness, this clear

The awareness that observes itself as itself, without the interference of thinking, is the same awareness out of which the chaotic swirl of thoughts and emotions emerge. It is what enables you to perceive and is always here. Never in your life have you not been naturally aware, easily and effortlessly, without any

Enza Vita

immigrated to Australia on her own at the age of 17. After a profound spiritual realization in 2007, all her life's work came into a clear, sharp focus, as she began to write and answer questions for those who came to her â&#x20AC;Ś which eventually became her book 'Always already free' from which the above account is taken

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. -Ayn Rand

I'd rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. -Robert H. Schuller

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. -Walt Disney

I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want. -Muhammad Ali

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. -Thomas A. Edison

Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines. -Robert H. Schuller

Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

50 India Post

PREETI VERMA LAL

TOKYO: Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) recently launched A Guide to Indian and Vegetarian Restaurants in Japan. With the increasing footfalls of Indian tourists and business travelers to Japan, JNTO mooted the idea of the vegetarian guide book to give Indian tourists and travel agents a more in-depth understanding of the Japanese cuisine and what it has to offer to vegetarians visiting Japan. India is among the top emerging markets for Japan - in 2016, approximately 51,800 Indians travelled to Japan in first quarter as compared to 103,084 visitors in 2015 (17.2% growth as compared to 2014). Categorized under city heads, the guide lists Indian and vegetarian restaurants in Tokyo & Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Sapporo. In Tokyo station, there's Soraniro Nippon, a vegetarian ramen restaurant; Kushi Garden

July 8, 2016

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serves macrobiotic cuisine, eat burritos in Frijoles. It's Vegetable, a Taiwanese restaurant not only stays away from meat, it does not use any kind of onions, chives, garlic; Milan Nataraj, Japan's first Indian restaurant has opened a branch in Shibuya and Vege Herb Saga that serves vegetarian South Indian food is a hit even with the locals. Most of the restaurants mentioned in the guide are located near major sight-seeing locations. The information box about each restaurant includes website, a d dress,

Japanese food culture has been declared UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage under the title Washoku. phone number, timings, seating arrangement, starting meal price and whether credit cards are accepted or not. The guide also lists hoAt a South tels with VegIndian vegetarian etarian Suprestaurant port. in Tokyo T h i s book is more than a mere

Pics: Preeti Verma Lal

Indian & Vegetarian Restaurant Guide launched by Japan National Tourist Organization

listing of vegetarian restaurants. It pictorially explains restaurant seating types (table, tatami mat, private rooms) as well as how meals are offered. Vegetarian support information includes how to eat Japanese food using hash (chopsticks) and hash bad manners. Never use your hash to pull bowl towards you, pass food to another or lick food stuck in the chopsticks. It is considered impolite to stick hash upright in the rice bowl or lay hashi across the edges of the bowl. Next time, you are travelling to Japan, do not fret over whatto-eat questions. A million options will be served on your platter.

July 8, 2016

India Post 51 www.indiapost.com

Sharmila, Deepa Oscar Academy's new members MUMBAI: Legendary Indian actress Sharmila Tagore, Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto and director Deepa Mehta are among the Indian-origin film personalities, who have been invited by the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to be its members. This is a significant effort to boost diversity following the controversy earlier this year when no actors of color were nominated for the Oscars. The Academy extended membership invitations to 683 distinguished filmmakers, artists and executives representing "the best in our global film community and who have made a lasting impact on movie fans everywhere." The new members are among the largest and most diverse class in the Academy's 89-year history. "This class continues our long-term commitment to welcoming extraordinary talent re-

flective of those working in films today. We encourage the larger creative community to open its

Deepa Mehta

doors wider, and create opportunities for anyone interested in working in this incredible and storied industry," Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in the announcement. Apart from Tagore and Pinto, British filmmaker of Indian-origin Asif Kapadia, who won the best documentary feature at this year's Academy Awards for his work on jazz singer Amy Winehouse, also features in this year's class of new members. Mehta is known for her direction of movies such as Midnight's Children and Water. The other notable people of Indian-origin in the class of 2016 are Pixar animator Sanjay Bakshi, known

You won't miss me, says Priyanka MUMBAI: Actress Priyanka Chopra is busy pursuing her career in Hollywood but doesn't feel that the audience back home in India will forget her. "There have been actors male and female who have taken a sabbatical, whose films haven't come up in two-three years. I don't think that if they (audience) won't see me (in Bollywood films) they will forget me. I am not an insecure person," Priyanka told reporters here at an event. The 33-year-old actress won't be seen in Hindi films as she is yet to sign one but she has season two of her hit television show "Quantico" and Hollywood movie "Baywatch" in her kitty. "I don't think I have to do a film (in Hindi) just to be seen. My show ("Quantico") comes every Saturday you all can see me on screen. Even my film "Baywatch" will be releasing (next year in summer)," she said. "I don't think Indian audience needs to be reminded 'come see me'. If they want to see your films they will and if they don't want to they won't see it (films). You can't force anyone to see your films," she added. However the "Fashion" star is open to do a Hindi film if something excites her. "If I get a good project and if I have time I will do it (Hindi film).

Till the time audience would like to see me I will do films. If they would not like to see me I would come to know," she adds. The actress-singer revealed that the makers of her upcoming Hollywood film "Baywatch" plan to aggressively promote the film in India, considering the popularity of Priyanka here. "My film will have a big release in India. We will be getting entire cast here (in India). Today entertainment medium has become broad. I am an Indian actor first

before anything, no matter where I go in the world. Whatever I am today is because of the Hindi film industry and it is my training ground," she said. -PTI

"I don't think Indian audience needs to be reminded 'come see me'. If they want to see your films they will and if they don't want to they won't see it (films).

Sharmila Tagore

for his work on the movie The Good Dinosaur, producer Anish Savjani and animator Sanjay Patel. The Academy said the class of 2016 includes 283 international members hailing from 59 countries, and 46 per cent of this year's 683 invitees are women, and 41 per cent are minorities. The new class is more than double last year's 322 invitees and the effort to diversify its members comes in the wake of the '#OscarsSoWhite' controversy which erupted earlier this year when no actors of color were nominated for Oscars for the second year in a row. Following the controversy, in January the Academy had vowed to make radical changes to its voting requirements, recruiting process and governing structure, with an aim toward increasing the diversity of its membership. -PTI

Kareena finds Priyanka's work 'amazing' MUMBAI: Kareena Kapoor Khan says having a career in Hollywood like fellow actress Priyanka Chopra is not feasible for her as her priorities in life are different than the "Quantico" star. In her recent interview to fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue, where the actress has also appeared on the cover, Kareena said she does not want to conquer the world. "My priorities are very different. I think it's amazing what Priyanka has done. But I don't think I could ever do something like that. I want to be a married working woman. My responsibilities are a lot more different than hers. I have a husband, I would like to start a family. "I can't give up everything and move to LA. That's not me. The kind of work that these girls have put in, you need to have that kind of dedication of wanting to achieve so much and do it so wonderfully. Also, maybe I'm lazy. I

don't want to conquer the world but I don't mind having a little place of my own. It's as simple as that," she said. The "Ki & Ka" star, 35, and the

33-year-old former Miss World shared screen space in 2004 romantic-thriller "Aitraaz". -PTI

52 India Post

July 8, 2016 www.indiapost.com

How Rajiv Bhatia became Akshay Kumar

hile it is believed that Akshay Kumar, who has completed 25 years in Bollywood, started his B-Town journey with Saugandh (1991), not many know that the actor's first appearance on the silver screen was in film-maker Mahesh Bhatt's 1987 film Aaj. He played a karate instructor in the movie and had a 10-second role. The film is also special for the actor because he got his screen name, Akshay Kumar (his real name is Rajiv Bhatia), from this movie, which starred Kumar Gaurav in the lead role. A source close to Akshay (he will next be seen in his 125th film, Tinu Suresh Desai's next), says, "His name, Akshay, has a direct

connect with his first-ever film. Gaurav's name in the movie was Akshay. Bhatia loved the name so much that he decided to adopt it as his official name." Although the Bollywood star loves his birth name, Rajiv, he felt that Akshay would be a more suitable name for his hero avatar in Bollywood. "He loved the way the name sounded," adds the source. When contacted, Akshay, who is currently vacationing with his family in New York, USA, didn't deny the news and sent a smiley through a text message.

Govinda ultimate Bollywood dancer: Farah NEW DELHI: She has made some of the biggest Bollywood stars dance to her tunes but when it comes to picking up a personal favorite, director-choreographer Farah Khan says it will always be Govinda.

Farah Khan

"For me, Govinda is the ultimate Bollywood dancer. I can't see anyone beyond him. You can show me the most technical dancer but the fun that you have in watching him can't be matched. I can see him dancing for hours," Farah said. She thinks it is hard to match the rhythm and abandon that Govinda channels in his songs. In choreographers, the list of favorites is long for Farah.

"I like Prabhudheva, Saroj ji... She was the queen in '80s and '90s. Her songs are unmatchable. Shiamak Davar is very good and then there are Remo (D'Souza) and Bosco-Caesar. Vaibhavi is great with classical Indian songs. There are so many. I like songs, not a particular style." Farah, who recently choreographed "Baby ko bass pasand hai" from "Sultan", says though such outings are rare, she is always up for a challenge. "I don't do much choreography these days. Before 'Sultan', the last song that I did was 'Gerua'. I only accept such assignments when there is an unusual situation or there is something very interesting. I am not in the race for choreography now. "I have choreographed a song for 'Rangoon'. It is on a new girl but I really enjoyed doing that number. Similarly, I enjoyed working with Jackie Chan." Farah says the Chinese super-

star surprised her with his dancing chops. "With Chan, it was super fun. You would think that he would not know how to dance but he did well and enjoyed it a lot. He told me he always wanted to do a Bollywood-inspired dance." On the directing front, Farah has completed the script of her

Wal-Mart tries to compete with Amazon Prime Day NEW YORK: Wal-Mart is trying to get a jump on Amazon's second annual sales bonanza. The world's largest retailer is offering a free 30-day trial on its two-day unlimited shipping service, and an extra month free for paying members, as it looks to sharpen its attack against the online leader. It will also offer discounts on an array of products from swimming pools to electronics that will ramp up as July goes by. These discounts, or what Wal-Mart calls ``rollbacks,'' typically last 90 days or longer. Wal-Mart's moves come as Amazon is expected to launch for the second year a sales bonanza called Prime Day, which it has touted as bigger than ``Black Friday.'' It underscores how serious WalMart is about boosting its online sales, which have been slowing in the last two years. Wal-Mart reported in May that global e-commerce sales rose 7 percent in the first quarter, weaker than the 8 percent in the previous quarter and far below the 20 percent increases seen less than two years ago. Wal-Mart's U.S. online business was a little better but still disappointing. That came as the company reported overall strong first-quarter results that were a bright spot in an otherwise somber season for many retailers. Last July, Wal-Mart responded to Amazon's Prime Day by lowering the threshold for free shipping for online purchases to $35 from $50 for at least 30 days and offering discounts on thousands of items online. Other stores, includ-

ing Macy's, also scrambled to offer discounts on their websites in an effort to compete. Amazon's Prime Day last year, on July 15, was tied to its 20th anniversary and the sale was aimed at its Prime members. The company decided after the sale it would become an annual event. In May, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. trimmed its free-shipping pilot program ShippingPass to two-day delivery from three and cut a dollar off the membership price to $49. It's the answer to Amazon Prime's

two-day shipping. Amazon's membership costs $99 a year but it comes with lots of perks like streaming music and video and household subscriptions. Amazon's Prime program has been a key part of its domination online. Analysts say members buy more frequently and spend more money. In its annual shareholder letter in April, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos called it an ``an all-you-can-eat, physical-digital hybrid.'' So, Wal-Mart faces plenty of challenges. In a blog post announcing Wal-Mart's plan, Fernando Madeira, president and CEO of Wal-Mart.com's U.S. division wrote, ``Once you start using it (ShippingPass), it's hard not to notice the everyday low prices on the stuff you need and want.'' AP

Miss Teen USA pageant drops swimsuits

next film, which will be produced by superstar good friend Shah Rukh Khan.-PTI

LAS VEGAS: The Miss Teen USA pageant is dropping the swimsuit portion of its competition. The Miss Universe organization announced that the pageant will replace the bathing suit section with an athletic wear competition. The 2016 Miss Teen USA pageant will be held in Las Vegas on July 30. ``This decision reflects an important cultural shift we're all celebrating that empowers women

who lead active, purposeful lives and encourage those in their communities to do the same,'' Paula M. Shugart, president of The Miss Universe Organization, wrote to state directors. In a statement, reigning Miss Teen USA Katherine Haik, applauded the move, calling it ``a great way to celebrate the active lives that so many young women lead and set a strong example for our peers.'' -AP

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Bhagnani to produce Hollywood films MUMBAI: Having backed many Bollywood films over the years, producer Vashu Bhagnani says he is also keen to produce a Hollywood movie in future. Bhagnani revealed he had narrated the idea of his superhit comedy film "Biwi No 1" to a Hollywood producer, but the project didn't happen. "In the future, I will 100 per cent produce Hollywood films. Now I have Eros as a partner so may be it is possible. Many years ago after the release of 'Biwi No 1', I had pitched the idea to a Hollywood producer,"

Bhagnani told PTI "He was going gaga over it and wanted to make a film. He said a film like that can be made in any language. The problem was, I didn't have the required funds back then to make a Hollywood film," he added. Bhagnani, who most recently produced "Sarbjit", is distributing Hollywood movie "The Legend of Tarzan" under his banner Puja Films across India. The big budget action-adventure film stars Alexander Skarsgard, Christoph Waltz among others. "This is the first Hollywood film

I decided to distribute because it is a family film, which children can watch too. As a producer, I've always wanted to back projects which are meant for family audience. I can't ever make adult comedies," he said. Despite talks that Hollywood movies are apparently doing better business than Bollywood in the country, the producer feels that the film industry should not be scared. "Hollywood films have a worldwide release on almost 10,000 to 15,000 screens. The cost they spend on their movies

I was sexually abused, says Thandie Newton LONDON: Actress Thandie Newton has put the spotlight on sexual abuse in Hollywood saying she was a victim of a shocking situation when a movie director took advantage of her. The 43-year-old actress has made a name for herself over the years in movies such as "Crash" and "Mission: Impossible II". The actress, in a new interview with W magazine, recalled how the director asked her to do inappropriate things during an audition. "I thought, 'OK, this is a little weird', but there was a female casting director in the room and I'd done weird stuff before so I did it." Despite her concerns about the situation, Newton put it behind her and moved on with her life. But as she attended a film festival years later, she met a producer who had over indulged in alcohol, who told

her: "Oh, Thandie, I've seen you recently!" "And he lurched away looking really shocked that he'd said that," she said. When Newton's husband Ol Parker asked the man to explain what he meant, the producer said that "the director was showing that audition tape to his friends after poker games at his house." The actress has decided to speak out about the incident in the hope of making other young actresses understand that sort of situation is unacceptable. "I was so so naive when I started out and I realize now that we have to prepare our kids I've got two beautiful daughters, one is 16 one is 11. "One person will read this and it will stop them getting sexually abused by a director. That's the person I'm interested in. -PTI

Exhibit unfolds origami's beauty as large-scale art LOS ANGELES: Remember those origami cranes you meticulously folded out of tiny slips of paper in elementary school? Imagine them 100 times larger, as a massive swan made out of corrugated board, its swooping wings stretching the length of a room. That piece, ``Ruga Swan'' by Chinese artist and designer Jiangmei Wu, is one of many largescale origami artworks in the exhibit ``Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami,'' at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles until Aug. 21. The show opened in January 2015 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and will have been in nine cities by the

time it closes in 2020 in Wausau, Wisconsin. Featuring nine international contemporary artists, the exhibit explores origami, the 1,000-yearold Japanese tradition of folding paper into objects, as much more than small-scale craft. ``Everyone has seen the cranes. A lot of people are not aware of what can be done with folded paper in the art world,'' said the exhibit's curator Meher McArthur. ``These pieces are very complex and abstract. It's not what you typically consider origami. They're much more sculptural.'' American origami master Robert Lang's ``Vertical Pond II'' show-

cases groups of colorful koi fish sculpted out of 60 uncut sheets of paper - lining a wall. Nearby, his ``Pentasia'' is made with 500 squares of yellow and gray paper folded, interlocked and stacked like a miniature city. Japanese artist Yuko Nishimura's 3-D, wall-mounted pieces include a complicated display of pleated white circles within circles called ``Shine.'' Based in Israel with his Israeli artist wife Miri Golan, who has three works in the exhibit, British artist Paul Jackson called his untitled piece a reflection on how ``notions of front, back, left, right become one during the process of folding.'' -AP

is huge. We should not compare Bollywood with Hollywood. "We should not be scared and jealous of Hollywood movies. We have strong content and we are now making big budget movies in comparatively less cost and are taking risks," he said. As per Bhagnani, the motive behind distributing Hollywood films is to blur the lines between their cinema and Bollywood, and look for the overall growth of film industry. The producer says he is planning to distribute four-five more Hollywood films in India. -PTI

Hrithik & sons escaped Istanbul attack

ctor Hrithik Roshan actu ally escaped death by inches as he was there at the Istanbul airport a little before three suicide bombers attacked, killing 36 and injuring close to 150 people. The 42-year-old actor took to his Twitter handle to share the news and said, "Missed connecting flight at Istanbul n wer stuck at airport next flight ws next day,

but took economy n flew out earlier. #Prayers4istanbul." "Ws helped by d kindest staff at Istanbul arport hours ago. Shocking news. Innocents killed 4 religion. V must stand united against terrorism," he added. The 'Bang Bang' actor was on a vacation in Spain and Africa with his sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan and was on way to India via Istanbul.-PTI

Giant diamond fails to find buyer LONDON: Turns out the largest diamond discovered in over a century may not be worth all that much. The tennis ball-sized Lesedi la Rona failed to find a buyer, a disappointing result for a stone which had described as ``the find of a lifetime'' by David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby's jewelry division. The diamond was unearthed in November in Botswana at a mine owned by Canada's Lucara Dia-

mond Corporation. It measured 1,109 carats, the second-largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered. Its name means ``our light'' in the Tswana language. A spokeswoman said bidding reached $61 million - below the more than $70 million Sotheby's had hoped for. No rough diamond of this size had ever been auctioned, and after this sale it's unclear if one will for a while. -AP

Varun, Alia to rehearse in London

lia Bhatt has been holi daying in London post the success of 'Udta Punjab'. However, the actress will soon be joined by fellow actor Varun Dhawan and the two will take some time off from their vacation mode to prepare for their upcoming tour of the US. According to reports, Alia is in London currently with her sister

Shaheen and a close friend Akansha Ranjan. "She decided to take some time off after the release of 'Udta Punjab'. Varun is also going to be in London for a short vacation. The two will then cut short the holidays and get together to rehearse for their upcoming US tour performance in September," a source was quoted as saying.

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Rightsizing the Armed Forces: Problems and prospects

ntil last year, manpower reductions did not figure in Indian military modernization discourse, though its centrality is well established in revolution in military affairs (RMA) worldwide. Instead, the Indian preference was for the recruitment of more officers and men under the rubric of a two-front war, low intensity conflicts, and the scourge of terrorism. India was the only country amongst great powers not to work on manpower reduction in its military. However, taking perhaps the most commendable step in India's post-independence military reforms, the Government recently announced the high level Shekatkar Committee to rightsize the armed forces and cut extra flab wherever possible. What was the turning point? Undoubtedly, it is Prime Minister Modi's leadership that impressed

BHARTENDU KUMAR SINGH

in armed forces. First, numbers do not count anymore in the modern military power index. China down-sized the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) from 4.9 million in the early nineties to 2.3 million, and further declared to reduce it by 3 lakh in the near future. The contemporary emphasis is on educated soldiers fighting a technology-driven war with modern gadgets and machinery. The Indian soldier, representing the rural gentry, is semi-educated and deployed in the traditional warfare system. Second, the guiding philosophy driving manpower restructuring and reductions the world-over is not merely the problem of plenty but that of a resource crunch as well. Even in the Indian context, the most vocal advocates of the expansionist school admit that revenue expenditure is rising beyond manageable levels along with de-

Why should there be colonial leftovers like sahayaks or military farms producing costlier milk than that available in the market? The list is indeed long and frustrating. Such issues are not discussed in public since defense is treated as a holy cow and, therefore, alternative ideas are dumped in the dustbin upon the armed forces the need to rightsize during his December 2015 address at the combined commanders' conference. He lamented that, "when major powers are reducing their forces and rely more on technology, we are still constantly seeking to expand the size of our forces. Modernization and expansion of forces at the same time is a difficult and unnecessary goal. We need forces that are agile, mobile and driven by technologyâ&#x20AC;Ś.we should shorten the tooth-to-tail ratio." Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar also called upon the armed forces to reduce the extra flab on many occasions before commissioning the Shekatkar committee. A key problem that could hamper the Shekatkar Committee's working is the choice between an in-house approach and sourcing views from outside. It could adopt an in-house approach assuming that outsiders will not know the nitty-gritty of the armed forces. However, even from a layman's perspective, many reasons exist for manpower reforms

fense pension expenditure. Third, many functionalities in the armed forces could be done away with altogether, handed to civilians, or outsourced for budgetary savings. Why should there be colonial leftovers like sahayaks or military farms producing costlier milk than that available in the market? The list is indeed long and frustrating. Such issues are not discussed in public since defense is treated as a holy cow and, therefore, alternative ideas are dumped in the dustbin. The Committee should, therefore, encourage feedback from the open environment to ensure that reform proposals are not halfbaked or colored by an organizational bias since few organizations in the government are willing to shelve their own manpower. Another problem is about earlier proposals of manpower reforms in the services. For example, the Fifth Pay Commission had recommended the disbanding of the Accounts Branch of the Air Force. With 492 commissioned officers and 7,000 men, the only job done

by this branch is to make salary and contractual payments for the Air Force through a circuitous procedure. On a competitive note, the same is being provided by their civilian counterparts through officers and staff totaling less than 300. Incidentally, the Accounts Branch is also under a huge number of postaudit observations and recoveries and has erred on a massive scale on travel-related payments and compensation in lieu of quarters (CILQ). This is just a representative example; the committee may like to expand the basket for analysis and further action. Any prospect for India's defense reforms, in general, and manpower reforms, in particular, is possible only with a change of mindset on certain counts. First, defense should be treated as public good and not something to be decided upon by the collective wisdom of a select few who are often victims of organizational thinking. Manpower shortage is quite ubiquitous in other sectors of the Government and, therefore, the claim of shortage of officers and men needs to be judged in the wider national interest. Cuts have been imposed in a judicious manner in these sectors, without compromising efficiency and performance, and there is space to replicate the same in the armed forces. Second, the logic of domain specialization demands that services restrict themselves to combat functionalities and get rid of running Canteen Stores Department (CSD), schools, shopping complexes, marriage venues, housing societies, fund management, etc. These activities could be outsourced to contracted staff. Third, it is time to define defense in broader terms. Development as defense contributes to the logic propelling the 'Make in India' initiative, and savings from extra manpower could be spent in developing the domestic military industrial complex (MIC) or creating jobs in defense sector. India is at a historic crossroad in its military modernization drive. Given the political initiative and leadership, the Committee has its task cut out. It should live up to its expectation and come out with recommendations that can enable the Indian armed forces to emerge as lean and trim, and be able to put their best foot forward. The writer belongs to the Indian Defense Accounts Service

India Post Just for 'kicks' T

errorism seems to have become a fashion. Dying and killing is the new game among the rich. A Bangladeshi politician has discovered with shock his son was one of the suspected gunmen who murdered foreign hostages. He revealed that many young men from wealthy, educated families had gone missing. He believed that wealthy young Bangladeshis were becoming radicalized through the Internet. So now you can expect more fireworks. India cannot remain immune from this 'culture'. The high from sex and drugs is not enough. The rich youth of today need an even higher 'kick.' Higher the better. And "kicks" are what even Bollywood advocates, going by the film of that name where the hero does outrageous things just to get his own 'kick' unmindful of the effect on others. To discover that this film was a remake of a southern film, the 'culture' seems to be widespread. Have you not seen the top stars of Bollywood wearing torn jeans? Flaunting "poverty" is also a fashion. They should discard their normal jeans and gift them to the poor. And how about tearing their shirts? That perhaps they wouldn't need to do because they just pull off their shirts and swing them off for their fans. For long it was held that the poor youth are radicalized at Madrassas and are turned into suicide bombers. But this high-tech killers phenomenon in turn kills that story. More and more terrorists are being manufactured among the educated and wealthy who mostly rely on the Internet not only for fun but are also susceptible to be educated into radicalism. And you don't even have to own a computer. To be radicalized all you need is a Smartphone. Among the inspirations for the killer six of Bangladesh are a Mumbai based Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and Bengaluru-based Islamic State propagandist Mehdi Masroor Biswas, currently in prison. So where they learn their radicalism is not limited to their country's borders. The Bangladesh government continues to deny an Islamic state hand in the latest killings even though the IS propaganda has published photos of the six youth who took part in the massacre and claims it to be their own. The IS doesn't have the capacity to be everywhere but it enjoys owning any terrorist act anywhere to boost their own morale and fool the world. IS modules have been discovered in India as well, in Hyderabad to be precise and a number of its members have been arrested who were in the process of making bombs. Arsenal and literature has also been recovered from them. Police claim they had been on the trail of these people. It is good to be alert to the machinations of terrorists and Indian police should not let its guard down as so much is happening in the neighborhood. There are critical comments coming in from Western commentators that the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh is not doing enough to contain this menace. Before these incidents however they were protesting "human rights abuses" when the Hasina Government was catching and punishing radical elements and their leaders. They were calling for compromises with the opposition which is led by Begum Khaleda Zia whose regime contained many of these radical leaders who were even opposed to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan and were responsible for killing their own people on behalf of Pakistan during the liberation struggle. The West has accused the present government of inflaming radicalism with its frequent crackdowns on prominent Islamists. If Hasina doesn't take action against the radical elements she is labeled incapable of containing the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. But when she takes action, she is accused of inflaming radicalism. Among the countries battling terrorism, Shiekh Hasina has been the one to take the boldest of actions, even putting on trial the notorious collaborators of Pakistan during the liberation struggle. The frustrated radicals are now fighting back.

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