IndiaPost_07-27-2012 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Robert Dold joins Caucus on India Details on page 12

Dr Reddy's launches Atorvastatin in US Details on page 7

VOL 18, No. 932

July 27, 2012

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Periodical Postage

TATA COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OF PM

NEW DELHI: Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata has said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must restore government credibility and place the country on a growth path once again by implementing promised reforms. The Chairman of the USD 100 billion conglomerate has also hit out at the Opposition, media and "some members of ruling party", saying it is "grossly misdirected" to single

out the Prime Minister and blame him for the economic woes that the country is facing at present. "Now is the moment in time our Prime Minister must break convention, restore government credibility, place the country on a growth path once again by implementing promised reforms, removing roadblocks to growth and controlling crony capitalism," Tata tweeted. Details on page 6

India seeks report on US ship firing

Bobby Jindal

Bobby Jindal call Obama 'incompetent' Details on page 6

India staff under scanner in HSBC probe Details on page 37

Global Indian Business Meet in New York

Details on page 7 Details on page 38

Top Pentagon official to visit India

New York has the highest demand of H1B

Details on page 7 Details on page 6

Sikh school vandalized with hate graffiti

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 20-21 Classifieds ------------------------- 42

Details on page 8

Community Post -------------- 12-19 Date Book -------------------------- 41

INDIA POST SURVEY

Edit Page --------------------------- 45

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HealthScience Post --------- 34-36

This week’s question

Horoscope ------------------------- 40

Bigger star: Rajesh Khanna or Amitabh Bachchan?

Immigration Post ------------- 32-33 Life Style ----------------------- 22-26

Last week’s result

Philosophy ------------------------- 43

Should India boycott Olympics? YES 18%

NO 82

ZINDAGI KA SAFAR: A truck transporting the mortal remains of Bollywood actor Rajesh Khanna makes its way to the crematorium in Mumbai as thousands of mourners thronged the streets to bid farewell to the superstar on July 19. (Details on page 6)

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 TechBiz Post ------------------- 37-39 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 27-29

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Publisher’s Diary

t would be laughable if it wasn't so annoying the way Indian politicians, ranking federal ministers included, often react in a defensive and knee-jerk manner to anything that is said of India by non-Indians, however objective the comments might be. President Obama recently echoed to an Indian news agency the sentiments of the American business community that it was too hard to invest in India. It was a studied observation by the President who also appreciated India's position as a driver of global economic growth. Rather than understand and analyze where the President was coming from on the issue, Indian politicians immediately shoot their mouths off asking the American President to mind his own business and not try to 'tell' India what to do. I don't want to get into the economic policies of India - though I doubt if all those Indian politicians who react to critiques really understand it themselves but I do think it only fair on part of the US to expect a conducive atmosphere considering Indian politicians do not shy from making a steady bee line to the US, hat in hand, asking for investments. Indian state chief ministers, federal ministers not to leave out members of parliament and other Party leaders have been routinely coming to the US painting pretty pictures of India's economic potential and urging American investors to put money into India. Over the last decade, behind the curtain of bonhomie owing to strategic dialogue, sticky issues have remained on both ends which simply don't seem to go away. Every time the US asks India to free its FDI policies, India counters the US by asking it to curb its protectionist trade policies. India, of course sticks to its lame demand of wanting the US to relax its visa norms and allow more Indians to work in the US. The US wants to come to India but on its terms, and India wants the US to come to India but on its own terms. Indian politicians should leave this to the diplomats and the industry and not mess up a mutually beneficial relationship with needless grandstanding.

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Define nice guy Priyanka says, "Shahid's one of the nicest guys I've met in my life. We hardly have a moment where we get bored.”

Cover Story: In defense of PM Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata says it is "grossly misdirected" to single out the PM and blame him for the economic woes.

Community: Caucus member US Congressman Robert Dold has decided to be a member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

Health: Malaria parasite In a breakthrough, US scientists have genetically modified a bacterium to kill the parasite that causes malaria.

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Life Style: Freida’s Trishna Freida Pinto appeared on Conan O'Brien's popular late night talk show where she discussed her new film Trishna.

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Travel: Bikaner Bikaner, the desert city of Rajasthan is an eye-catching site of exotic camel safaris and gorgeous forts.

July 27, 2012

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Tata comes out in support of PM NEW DELHI: Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata has said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must restore government credibility and place the country on a growth path once again by implementing promised reforms. The Chairman of the USD 100 billion conglomerate has also hit out at the Opposition, media and "some members of ruling party", saying it is "grossly misdirected" to single out the Prime Minister and blame him for the economic woes that the country is facing at present. "Now is the moment in time our Prime Minister must break con-

vention, restore government credibility, place the country on a growth path once again by implementing promised reforms, removing roadblocks to growth and controlling crony capitalism," Tata tweeted. He said "government action has been too little too late" as India has lost growth momentum over the past 12 months with investment confidence declining and inflation soaring. "...but to single out and blame the Prime Minister is grossly misdirected," Tata tweeted, saying he was "depressed to see the attacks on India" and "felt obliged to ex-

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It is sad and unfortunate that in the past few months the Opposition, the media, some private citizens and even some members of the ruling party have mercilessly spoken and written about our Prime Minister - a person who was the reformsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

New York has the highest demand of H1B visas WASHINGTON: The New York metropolitan area has the highest demand of H-1B visas, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Washington, a new report on geographical distribution of this most sought after work visas has revealed. "The New York metropolitan area had by far the highest demand for H-1Bs: almost 53,000 on average over the 2010-2011 period, accounting for more than 16 per cent of national demand," the Brookings Institute said in its report on H-1B visas. "Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Washington made up the remaining top five metro areas, each with between 14,000 and 18,000 requests. "Together, the top nine metro areas accounted for half of all requests nationwide; these metro areas are also among the largest by total population," the report said. The Brookings Institute said the demand for H-1B workers, however, is not limited to large metropolitan areas. Durham in North Carolina, with just over 500,000 total population in 2010, ranked 20th for total H-1B requests despite ranking 102nd for total population. Likewise, Trenton in New Jersey, which ranks 138th for total population, ranked 29th for H-1B demand. In all, 22 metropolitan areas that do not rank among the 100 largest in the US ranked among the top 106 for H-1B demand. In these and other metropolitan areas, H-1B demand intensity, calculated as the ratio of H-1Bs requested to the total number of jobs in the metro area, is high.

The San Jose metro area - home of Silicon Valley - ranks highest at 17. 10 requests per 1,000 workers compared to 2.40 for the nation. The next three highest intensity metro areas were Columbus, Indiana, Durham, North Carolina, and Trenton, New Jersey. In its report the Brookings said the 100 highest requesting employers in 2010-2011 account for 20 per cent of national demand. Two-thirds of these employers are head-quartered in the United States, and their LCAs account for 60 per cent of requests from these 100 employers.

Deloitte and IBM are heavily involved in providing IT professional services and one of America's largest retail pharmacies, CVS, is also among the top 25 H-1B requestersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Twenty-seven of these employers were classified as Fortune 500 in 2011, and those requests make up one-third of this group The employers requesting the most H-1Bs are large private companies specializing in information technology, consulting, and electronics manufacturing. The top 25 employers requesting H-1B workers account for 12 per cent of all applications and are composed of an even mix of

American and non-American companies. "The US companies range from technology firms such as Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, and Google, to financial services companies such as JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, to consulting firms such as Cognizant. "Deloitte and IBM are heavily involved in providing IT professional services and one of America's largest retail pharmacies, CVS, is also among the top 25 H-1B requesters," it said. "The other half of H-1B requests by the top 25 employers come from companies headquartered outside the United States These include companies like Tata, Wipro, Accenture, and IBM India, which provide IT professional and technical services to American companies," the report said noting that the Japanese company Fujitsu produces both computer hardware and also provides IT professional services. "Requests for H-1Bs by uncapped institutions accounted for about 10 per cent of all applications in 2010-2011. The top uncapped employers are the nation's largest research institutions and universities from across the country, including the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin, the National Institutes of Health, and the Johns Hopkins University," it said. According to the Brookings Institute, in recent years, due to the nature of demand for highskilled workers, visa holders have clustered in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) fields and come mostly from countries in Asia.-PTI

Ratan Tata

press my feelings". Throwing his weight behind Singh, Tata said: "It is sad and unfortunate that in the past few months the Opposition, the media, some private citizens and even some members of the ruling party have mercilessly spoken and written about our Prime Minister - a person who was the architect of the '91 reforms, which brought economic prosperity and international recognition to our country." They have also chosen to overlook the fact that this warm-hearted Prime Minister has led our country with great personal dignity and integrity, Tata added. -PTI

Bobby Jindal attacks Obama; calls him 'incompetent' WA S H I N G T O N : Louisiana's Indian-American governor Bobby Jindal has trashed Barack Obama, saying the US President was the "most liberal and incompetent president since Jimmy Carter". Speaking at a fund-raising lunch for Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Baton Rouge, capital of Louisiana, Jindal attacked Obama for running "an increasingly desperate and negative campaign." "We have a president who hadn't run anything before he was in the White House," Jindal said. The governor later referred to Obama as the "most liberal and incompetent president since Jimmy Carter. No offense to Jimmy Carter," the Greater New Orleans reported. Jindal said "Seems like every time you turn on the TV you hear another false, malicious attack. Despite the fact that independent fact checkers and the Washington Post and others have decried these attacks as false, they keep coming again and again. Why is that?" "It's pretty simple. It's because this president, President Obama, he cannot run on his record, he can't run on his political philosophy so he has to attack and distort Gov. Romney's record," he was quoted as saying by ABC news. Jindal helped Romney raise USD 2 million amid speculation that he could be presumptive Re-

Bobby Jindal

publican presidential nominee's running mate in the November poll. Romney made no direct mention of the Democratic attacks over his record at Bain Capital. But it was clear it was on the Republican nominee's mind as he addressed a room of supporters. "I'm not going to apologize for being a successful businessman," he told donors. "Those that take risks sometimes succeed brilliantly, wonderfully; and that makes us a stronger economy." Obama team had raised questions about Romney's connection to venture capital firm Bain Capital, accused of outsourcing jobs to China and India. -PTI

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Aung San Suu Kyi to receive Congressional award WASHINGTON: Congress will present Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi its highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. Officials said the ceremony is scheduled to take place Sept 19 during Suu Kyi's visit to the United States. Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace laureate and former political prisoner who was unable to leave her home country for more than two decades. The opposition parliament leader recently was greeted enthusiastically during trips to Thailand and Europe. In addition to the congressional award, Suu Kyi will be presented with the Atlantic Council's Global Citizen Award on Sept 21 in New York. The State Department said Suu Kyi would be invited for meetings

Aung San Suu Kyi

with US government officials during her visit. Suu Kyi, elected in April, will

be feted for her long struggle against military rule in her homeland and for championing democracy. She is revered by Republicans and Democrats, has been a guiding force in US policy toward Myanmar over the past two decades, and has been supportive of the Obama administration's engagement of the reformist Myanmar President Thein Sein. The US recently suspended investment sanctions that had been in force against Myanmar for 15 years. Suu Kyi cautiously supported that move, but it did expose a rare difference between her views and those of the US government. The US decided to allow US companies to invest with Myanmar's state oil and gas enterprise. Suu Kyi has opposed foreign companies working with that enterprise because of its lack of openness. -AP

India bound P-8I aircraft completes 1st flight

US cautions citizens against travel to India

WASHINGTON: The second through its paces over a US Navy of the eight Boeing P-8I long- test range west of Neah Bay, range maritime reconnaissance Washington, and a joint US/Caand anti-submarine warfare air- nadian test range in the Strait of craft being built for the Indian Georgia. Navy has completed its initial The stores the P-8I will carry flight. will have the identical shape and The P-8I is a derivative of the size of real weapons, including the Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 Harpoon anti-ship missile, depth commercial airplane, and was bombs and torpedoes. tested on July 12, the company In order to efficiently design said in a statement. and build the P-8I and the P-8A, Boeing had successfully tested the Boeing-led team is using a the first of the eight aircraft earlier first-in-industry, in-line producthis month. "The program is on plan and the Indian During the flight, Boeing test Navy is excited for the P-8I to join its fleet," pilots performed airborne said Leland Wight, P-8I systems checks and took program manager for the P-8I to a maximum Boeing. During the flight, altitude of 41,000 feet Boeing test pilots performed airborne sys- prior to landing tems checks and took the P-8I to a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet prior to land- tion process that draws on the ing. company's Next-Generation 737 Boeing will begin mission sys- production system. tems installation and checkout The P-8I features open system work on the aircraft in the coming architecture, advanced sensor weeks, the statement said. and display technologies, and a The aircraft is being built for worldwide base of suppliers, parts India as part of a contract awarded and support equipment. in January 2009 and the BoeingThe aircraft are built by a led team is on track to deliver the Boeing-led industry team that infirst aircraft to the Indian Navy in cludes CFM International, 2013, the company has said. Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, During the coming months, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems Boeing test pilots will put the P-8I and GE Aviation. -PTI

WASHINGTON: The United States has issued a fresh travel advisory on overseas travel to its citizens, including India which "continues to experience terrorist and insurgent activities." "India continues to experience terrorist and insurgent activities which may affect US citizens directly or indirectly," the State Department said in its new worldwide travel alert for its citizens. "Anti-Western terrorist groups, some on the US government's list of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, are active in India, including Islamist extremist groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, Indian Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkare Tayyiba," it said. "Terrorists have targeted public places in India frequented by Westerners, including luxury and other hotels, trains, train stations, markets, cinemas, mosques, and restaurants in large urban areas," the State Department said. US citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness, the State Department said, adding that it remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations, and other violent actions against US citizens and interests overseas.-PTI

Dr Reddy's launches Atorvastatin calcium tablets in US MUMBAI: Pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories has said that it has launched Atorvastatin calcium tablets, a bioequivalent generic version of Lipitor tablets in the US market. The company has launched Atorvastatin calcium tablets in 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg, a bioequivalent generic version of Lipitor tablets in the US market on July 17. The launch was followed by the approval by the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) of Dr Reddy's ANDA for atorvastatin calcium tablets, a

company statement said here. The Lipitor brand had US sales of approximately USD 8.07 billion for the most recent twelve months ending March 2012 according to IMS Health. Dr Reddy's Atorvastatin calcium tablets are available in bottle count sizes of 90 and 500, the release said. Last year DRL entered into a settlement agreement with Pfizer to resolve litigation over cholesterol lowering Lipitor tablets. New York-based Pfizer had sued Dr Reddy's in 2009. -PTI

India seeks report from UAE envoy on US ship firing NEW DELHI: India has sought a report from its Ambassador in the UAE on the killing of an Indian fisherman in a US Navy ship firing at a docking point in Dubai even as the US said the incident is under investigation. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has sought a report on the incident from Indian Ambassador to Dubai M K Lokesh apart from asking the government there to investigate the case, official sources said here. An Indian fisherman was killed and three others were wounded when a security team onboard a US Navy ship fired at their small boat off Dubai. The fishing boat had four Indians and two Emirate nationals on board when the incident took place in Jabel Ali, a frequent docking point for American naval vessels about 30 miles

southwest of Dubai, according to an UAE official. Meanwhile, the US embassy here issued a very brief statement maintaining that firing took place after "the vessel disregarded nonlethal warnings and rapidly approached the US ship." "The Embassy of the US would like to convey its condolences to the families of the crew of a small motor vessel, which came under fire from the USNS Rappahannock on July 16, after the vessel disregarded non-lethal warnings and rapidly approached the US ship. We wish to inform you that the incident is under investigation," the embassy statement said. According to sources, the Indian Embassy in Washington also got in touch with the Pentagon and the State Department soon after the incident to seek details. -PTI

Top Pentagon official to visit India WASHINGTON: A top Pentagon official assigned to work with India to streamline and ease hightech exports and necessary bureaucratic hurdles is visiting India later this month. The Deputy Defense Secretary, Ash Carter, is visiting India as part of his 10-day Asia trip that would take him to Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Thailand and South Korea, Pentagon Press Secretary, George Little said. Details about his India leg of his trip would come later, he added. "The purpose of the visit is to engage key allies and partners in detailed discussions on what the US military's approach to the Asia-Pacific will mean in practice," Little said.

Carter will also discuss how the Defense Department and militaries in the region "can work more closely together to ensure security and prosperity in the 21st century," he said. The Asia trip of Carter comes closely after the Panetta's trip to the region in May, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey's visit in June, and PACOM chief Adm. Samuel Locklear's Asia-Pacific swing that started in June. Late last month, in a meeting with a visiting delegation of Indian Parliamentarians, Carter had underscored the huge strides that have been made in advancing the bilateral defense relationship and opportunities for the future. -PTI

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'India, China growing because Sikh school vandalized of economy not army' with hate graffiti WASHINGTON: Countries like India, China and Brazil are gaining influence at the global level due to their economic strength and not because of their armies, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said. "We recognize that countries such as China, India and Brazil are gaining influence less because of the size of their armies than because of the growth of their economies," Clinton wrote in an oped in 'New Statesman.' "And we have learned that our national security today depends on decisions made not just in diplomatic negotiations and on the battlefield, but also in the financial markets and on factory floors. "So the US has made it a priority to harness more effectively the tools of global economics to advance our strategic aims abroad," she wrote. "That might mean finding innovative financial levers to ratchet up pressure on Iran's nuclear program, or forming new public-private partnerships that put corporate energy and expertise to work on such challenges

as climate change and food security. "We are also focused on boosting our economy at home through a greater emphasis on economic statecraft and what I call jobs diplomacy," she said. Clinton said new regional and global centers of influence are quickly emerging - and not just India and China but also countries

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;And we have learned that our national security today depends on decisions made not just in diplomatic negotiations and on the battlefield, but also in the financial markets and on factory floorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; such as Turkey, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa, as well as Russia. Some of these are democracies

that share many of our core values; others have very different political systems and perspectives, she wrote. "Aligning our interests isn't always easy - we're seeing just how difficult it can be on Syria. But we have also had successes, maintaining broad-based pressure on Iran and North Korea. "And we have seen the value of engaging not just bilaterally, but in multilateral settings such as the G20, where norms can be shaped and shared," Clinton said. "For the US, working with these new players in the years ahead, encouraging them to accept the responsibility that comes with influence and ensuring their full integration into the international order is a critical test for our diplomacy," wrote the Secretary of State. Observing that a zero-sum approach will only lead to negativesum results, Clinton emphasized on finding areas where the US can work together and strengthen diplomatic mechanisms that build trust and help manage our differences.-PTI

India Post News Service

BRAMPTON, Canada: The Khalsa Community School at Maitland Street in Brampton, Ontario, was vandalized recently. The school wall was sprayed with "KKK" letters and the swastika signs. Brampton has the largest population of South Asians, consisting of approximately 35% of the total population of the city. United Sikhs community legal advocate, Deepinder Singh, said, "We appeal to the community to remain peaceful and not to react and let the police do their work to assess the incident. Brampton is known to be a very peaceful city and for its friendly multicultural population" Sukhwinder Singh, Director of United Sikhs, said, "I am in pain to see such growing incidents in

Canada. Hatred doesn't cease by hatred. Sikhs have lived in Canada for years and are one of the major contributors to its economy. Sikhs with other communities celebrated Canada Day on 1st July in a grand

style. This incident indicates that there is still a strong need for Multifaith interaction between communities and there is a lot of work to do." He said United Sikhs extends its support to the staff and students of Khalsa Community School who have handled this situation in a very supportive and calm manner.

India-born trading trial witness deserves leniency: Prosecutors NEW YORK: McKinsey's former India-born partner Anil Kumar whose "extraordinary" cooperation helped convict Wall Street tycoons Raj Rajaratnam and Rajat Gupta in insider trading trials deserves leniency at his sentencing later this week, US prosecutors here have said. Ahead of his expected sentencing on July 19 for securities fraud charges, Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara, in a 20-page letter to US Circuit Court Judge Denny Chin, said Kumar's "cooperation was nothing short of extraordinary." His "absolutely essential" testimony "substantially helped the government secure convictions in two of the most significant and high-profile trials of defendants for securities fraud in history, Raj Rajaratnam and Rajat Gupta." Kumar, 53, had pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges of securities fraud and insider trading. He was arrested along with Rajaratnam in October 2009. He was a key government witness against his Wharton Business School batchmate

Rajaratnam, 55, and his mentor at McKinsey Gupta, 63, during their insider trading trials. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years but could be given a lenient jail term due to his extensive cooperation with the

Anil Kumar

government. Assistant United States Attorneys Reed Brodsky and Richard Tarlowe recommended in the letter that the court sentences Kumar keeping in mind the cooperation he provided. The prosecutors said during Rajaratnam's trial, Kumar provided

"devastating" testimony regarding his illegal tips to the Galleon hedge fund founder and the payments he received in return. During Gupta's trial, Kumar provided testimony regarding the former McKinsey head's close relationship with Rajaratnam, Gupta's and Rajaratnam's involvement in launching a billion dollar private equity firm and Gupta's statements to Kumar regarding his relationship with Rajaratnam following the bankruptcy of Lehman in September 2008. Rajaratnam is currently serving an 11-year prison term after he was convicted of insider trading charges last year. Gupta was found guilty on four of the six counts of insider trading and securities fraud last month and will be sentenced in October. Prosecutors said Kumar, who had fainted when the FBI informed him that he would be arrested, did not "hesitate" or "second-guess" and immediately decided to cooperate with the government in its insider-trading crackdown against Wall Street big wigs.-PTI

Rajat Gupta's friends seek letters of support NEW YORK: Friends of former McKinsey head Rajat Gupta, convicted on insider trading charges, are urging his acquaintances to submit letters of support to a US judge presiding over his case here to help secure a lenient sentence for the Indian-American. Gupta, 63, was found guilty by a jury last month of passing confidential boardroom information about Goldman Sachs to hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam. He will be sentenced on October 18 by US Judge Jed Rakoff and faces a prison term of up to 25 years. A support group for Gupta, known as 'Friends of Rajat', has urged his "friends and well-wishers" to submit letters of support, in which they should write about

Gupta's life and work. The letters are intended to show to the judge personal opinions Gupta's friends have of his philanthropic work and "good character". The letters are "intended to provide the judge with a complete and holistic understanding of Rajat's character and contributions to individuals and society before sentencing," the support group said on its website. It said the letters should not discuss the legal merits of the case or the verdict but their sole purpose is to "press the judge for leniency in light of Rajat's extraordinary contributions and unblemished character apart from this case".-PTI

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Superstar laid to rest; grandson The man who brought superstardom to Hindi films Aarav lights pyre MUMBAI: As thousands thronged the streets of Mumbai, India's first superstar Rajesh Khanna made his final journey from his cherished home 'Aashirwad' in Carter Road in Mumbai towards Paramhans crematorium in Vile Parle. Fans threw flowers at the glass casket in which Khanna's body was placed and walked along with

the cavalcade that carried the star. Accompanying the star on his final journey was his estranged wife, actress Dimple Kapadia, elder son-in-law Akshay Kumar, younger daughter Rinkee Khanna, her husband Sameer Saran and grandson Aarav, Twinkle Khanna and Akshay Kumar's son. "Aarav lit the pyre and Akshay Kumar assisted him," the late

superstar`s close friend Vijay Zaveri said. Braving the rain, thousands of fans gathered to pay tribute to Bollywood`s first superstar Rajesh Khanna. Celebrities like Karan Johar, Rani Mukherji, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan were also present at the crematorium.-PTI

His last words: 'Pack up' MUMBAI: 'Time is up', 'Pack up' - these were the last words of Rajesh Khanna before he breathed his last. This was stated by Bollywood

megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who visited Rajesh Khanna's house to pay his tributes. "...As I sat at his home, to pay my respects, soon after learning of his passing away, a close functionary of his, came up to me and told me in a choked voice what his last words were - 'time ho gaya hai ! Pack Up!', Bachchan, 69, posted on his blog. Bachchan, who worked with

the legendary actor in his initial years of his career and starred in films like "Anand" and "Namak Haram", said the opportunity to share screen space with the legend was like a god's own blessing to him. "I first saw him in a film magazine... His film 'Aradhana' was my next meeting with him which my Mother took me along to see. Soon after that, I was being cast opposite him in 'Anand'. This was like a miracle, God's own blessing and one that gave me 'reverse respect'. The moment that anyone came to know that I was working with THE

Rajesh Khanna, my importance grew. And I gloated in its wake... "He was simple and quiet. He would attract many visitors on set and was continuously surrounded by them - Hrishi da permitting ! The frenzy and the following he garnered was a sight to behold. In the 1970 era his fans came from Spain to meet him, a most unheard of occurrence then. In his trade mark Rajesh Khanna kurta pyjama, he almost always looked the boy next door, one that girls would want to take home to mother," Bachchan said.-PTI

MUMBAI: Rajesh Khanna epitomized a range of emotions on the big screen - from melancholy to romance - with a rich bouquet of lilting songs like 'Zindagi ek safar hai suhana' and 'Mere sapno ki raani' making his movies and characters immortal. Bollywood's first superstar, the 69-year-old actor's mannerism, his unique style of dancing, dialogue delivery, disarming smile and the signature nod of his head added to his onscreen persona that made many a young woman's heart skip a beat. Despite his heartthrob status as a romantic hero, Khanna essayed a variety of roles the terminally ill Anand in the Hrishikesh Mukherjee film, a romantic air force officer in "Aradhana", a chef in

"Bawarchi", a lonely husband in "Amar Prem" and a poor medical student in "Safar". Khanna, popularly called Kaka, generated hysteria among fans like never before. At the peak of his career, he would be mobbed during public appearances as fans kissed his car, which would be covered with lipstick marks. They lined the road, cheering and chanting his name. Female fans sent him letters written in blood. His predecessors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar broke hearts in their time no doubt, but the hysteria connected with Khanna was u n p r e c edented. Nicknamed 'Kaka', Khanna shot up like a meteor.-PTI

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Rajesh Khanna died of liver infection MUMBAI: Rajesh Khanna died due to liver infection, Vijay Zaveri, a close friend of the actor said. "He had liver infection, a liver problem. He had stopped eating food as he couldn't eat anything. During the last stage of his life, he was on liquid diet like juice," Zaveri told PTI. According to the sources, Khanna's 'Rakhi sister' had come late in the evening and hence the funeral was kept for the next day. The 69-year-old actor was in and out of the hospital since April this year primarily due to weakness, said the sources. -PTI

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Nirupama Rao meets Gov Bobby Jindal India Post News Service

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: Ambassador Nirupama Rao met Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, on July 16 at the Governor's office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The meeting was very cordial, positive and forward looking. Governor Jindal complimented the rapid growth of India and said that the Indian and US economies are complementary to each other particularly because of the strong fundamentals and impressive growth of the Indian economy in all fields. Both India and the United States have not only common strategic interests but also coinciding values of pluralism, democracy, free market economy and inclusiveness in growth. He spoke of the commitment both the countries have in the practice of democracy that leads to stability and predictability for the future. India has been "a constant friend" of the United States,

he said. These values and capacities provide significant opportunities for further deepening of relations and to build on this friendship between the two countries. Ambassador Rao discussed with Governor Jindal the poten-

The discussion covered the complementarities between the two countries that help each other's economy through innovation, skilled manpower, joint development of technology tial for cooperation between India and the State of Louisiana in the fields of Education including faculty/student exchanges and

community colleges, energy including Natural Gas and Shale Gas, medical science and pharmaceuticals including vaccine development, infrastructure development, manufacturing including in the automotive sector and Agriculture. The discussion also covered the complementarities between the two countries that help each other's economy through innovation, skilled manpower, joint development of technology, investment by leading companies in each other's market and sharing of best practices, which provides a win-win situation to cooperate further for mutual benefit. Ambassador Rao extended an invitation to Governor Jindal to visit India either during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or at a time convenient to both sides. She said he would be warmly welcomed in India. The Governor said he looks forward keenly to visiting India at an early opportunity.

Ambassador Nirupama Rao visits Cincinnati, Ohio India Post News Service

CINCINNATI, Ohio: Ambassador Rao met with Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory to discuss and explore ways to deepen bilateral cooperation, building upon the sister city agreement between Mysore and Cincinnati. Ambassador Rao invited Mayor Mallory to visit India. The Mayor expressed keen interest in visiting India and agreed that there is much potential in the strengthening of collaboration with India. The Cincinnati Mayor hosted Ambassador Rao at a dinner marking the signing of the sister city

agreement by Cincinnati with Mysore. Mr. A.H. Vi s h w a n a t h , Member of Parliament, led the delegation from Mysore for the signing event. Ambassador Rao briefly attended the World Choir Games 2012, a choir competition attracting choir ensembles from around the world. The

Ambassador Nirupama Rao meeting Dr. Gregory H. Williams, President of the University of Cincinnati

dressed a large audience of faculty, students and staff at the University of Cincinnati on expanding India-US strategic partnership and its future trajectory. On July 12, Ambassador toured the facility of Tata Consultancy Services in Cincinnati and interacted with Rao with Mrs. Ratee Apana the management at a community event in and staff to learn Cincinnati about their activiShillong Cham- ties and their contribution and enber Choir and gagement with the Cincinnati Bombay Cam- community. bridge School As the chief guest at a gala orrepresented In- ganized by the India-Cincinnati Sister City Association and the dia. A m b a s s a - Indian-American Chamber of dor Rao also Commerce, Ambassador Rao met with Uni- thanked Dr. Ratee Apana, Presiversity of Cin- dent of the Association for her cinnati Presi- work in spearheading the signing dent Gregory of the agreement. Ambassador Williams to dis- highlighted the importance of cuss opportu- such agreements in furthering of nities for col- India-US relations. Congressman Steve Chabot laboration in higher educa- who was present thanked Ambastion between sador Rao for her presence at the United States gala, noting that he looked forand India. Am- ward to further strengthening of bassador ad- the India-US relationship.

Ambassador Nirupama Rao meets with Governor Bobby Jindal in Baton Rouge on 16 July

Ambassador Rao with Mr Amar Naga, Director, TCS North America Delivery Centers at the TCS Center in Cincinnati, OH

Ambassador Rao is briefed by Neil Hensley, Senior Director, Economic Development, Cincinnati USA Partnership (far right) on the interface of the TCS with the Cincinnati community at the TCS center

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Enjoy Water Yoga in 'Lalu' pool of Taiwan PREETI VERMA LAL

Dr Rajesh Mishra

t is Lalu time now." I had barely perfected the art of pulling the marionette's string in Taipei's famous Lin Liu-Hsin Puppet Theatre Museum, when Noel Saxena, Country Head, Taiwan Tourism Bureau representation office in India, interrupted my art. And my dream of becoming a deft puppeteer. "Lalu?" Did I hear him right? Or, were my ears ringing in Taiwan's capital? "Hsuan Tsang is also there?" Saxena continued. Wasn't I in Taiwan? So, why was so much Indianness falling my way? My geography - and facts were getting addled, until Saxena cleared all semantic and historical haze. The Lalu is a 5-star resort in Sun Moon Lake, one of the most scenic spots in Taiwan. And yes, in Yuchih County, there is a temple dedicated to Hsuan Tsang, the Chinese Buddhist scholar who traveled in India between 629 and 645 in search of Buddhist scriptures. Even on a sweltering afternoon, Taiwan looked pretty with its lush paddy fields and guava orchards rife with the aroma of ripe fruits. Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan's largest water body and perhaps the favorite haunt of honeymooning couples. The Lalu is hemmed by the lake, the beefy mountains standing as sentinels, ribbons of mist adding a smoky intrigue. The 5star resort's quiet is legendary, its landscape magnificent. As I hopped off into the porch, a caged canary trilled. My heart twitched for the caged bird, but I was soon distracted. "Namaste, mera naam Rajesh Mishra hai. Taiwan mein aapka swagat hai." I heard a greeting in an oh! so

Bihari drawl. Honestly, I thought my ears were ringing, once again. I, however, was wrong again. By the sculpted lion in the porch, in an all-white ensemble stood Dr Rajesh Mishra, the yoga guru of The Lalu. Mishra, an alumni of Munger School of Yoga, holds a doctoral degree from Bhagalpur

University, both in Bihar and is the proud winner of the prestigious 2011 Yoga and Spiritual Education Award of World Spiritual Parliament. Mishra has been the in-house yoga teacher at The Lalu for almost a year. His day begins with teaching yoga asanas to hotel guests in the morning. No, no one needs to bring along the sticky mat; he teaches yoga in an infinity pool. Mind it, this is no ordinary pool - The Lalu boasts of the largest warm water swimming pool in Taiwan. His yoga lessons also include asanas, pranayam, meditation and relaxation. According to Mishra, "Taiwanese are very peace loving people and the tranquility of Sun Moon Lake is the perfect setting for spiritual relaxation. Here, the guests are very keen on learning the asanas; they specially enjoy water yoga and the 'cleaning' breakfast that is cooked in Lalu's kitchen." After the yoga session, there is a cleansing breakfast waiting - a breakfast that adheres to the principles of ayurveda. Soon, it was time for me to head to Taipei, and that afternoon I was ready to shun the noodles and sun cake, Taiwan's most famous

cake pastry, and dig into the Indian options. I, however, was skeptical. Indian food in Taiwan? That seemed too far-fetched a hope. But, I could not have been more wrong. In Taipei, I was spoilt for Indian food choices. I order tandoori dishes in Tandoor, head to Saffron in Shilin District. I thought these two were more

a trump card out of this sleeve. Bollywood Restaurant was booked for dinner - a restaurant where non-vegetarians throng to have Mughlai Chicken and vegetarians love their ladleful of Dal Makhni. I will not be the only one surprised at the Indianness that lives harmoniously in Taiwan. More and more Indians are adding Tai-

According to Mishra, "Taiwanese are very peace loving people and the tranquility of Sun Moon Lake is the perfect setting for spiritual relaxation. Here, the guests are very keen on learning the asanas; they specially enjoy water yoga and the 'cleaning' breakfast that is cooked in Lalu's kitchen” than enough options, till I looked at the names of other Indian restaurants in Taiwan: Masala House, Kolkata Curry Restaurant, Café India, Alan's Kitchen, Dazzle Indian Curry, Red Chilli Indian Restaurant, Andrew Indian Restaurant, Indian Cuisine… I was going breathless reading about the signature dishes of each, till Francis Hu, the local guide, pulled

wan on their travel itinerary. According to Saxena, in the last quarter of 2011, there has been an 11% increase in visitor arrivals from India. He is expecting at least 1015% growth in inbound tourism from the Indian market. I am back from Taiwan. But now that I have had a taste of Indianness in the beautiful island, I am ready to go again. Soon.

Yoga in The Lalu hotel

Desi News Path to happiness within oneself: Mukundananda Asian Media USA

CHICAGO, IL: The quest for spiritual happiness is a practical necessity, not a lofty ideal, and it is within our own self and not something outside to get it, according to Swami Mukundananda who finished a seven-day residence program Saturday, July 14 at the Meadows Club, Rolling Meadows, a northwest Chicago suburb. The program "Path to Happiness" ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 6 to 9 p.m. July 8 through 14. The series was free and open to public. Attended by 1500+ devotees through the seven days, the program was a great success. Details on page 14

Biggest Konkani Sammelan held in New Jersey India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: The 8th Konkani Sammelan was held in Edison, New Jersey from 29th June to 1st July. Led by its President Dr. Gopal Bhandarkar, this three day cultural extravaganza saw more than 1800 attendees from India, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the USA. Host to the biggest Sammelan till date, the state of New Jersey pulled out all stops and put together an eclectic set of programs catering to its culturally rich and diversified audience. The Chief Guest of this cultural potpourri was T.V Mohandas Pai (ex-CFO of Infosys and chair of Manipal Universal Learning).

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

Details on page 18

12 India Post

www.indiapost.com

RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: A friend of India and Indian Americans, US Congressman Robert Dold (IL-10) has endeared himself further with the Indian American community with his

strumental with other Congressional members to introduce a bill in the Congress that would let the students pursuing higher education in this country to stay here and get work permit. The legal requirement at present is that the students finishing their studies

"It is an honor to serve on this important caucus. I appreciate the input my Indian Advisory Board has given me to better serve the Indian community in the 10th Congressional District, and I look forward to working together to strengthen the US-Indian relationship in Congress" decision to be a member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. Dold has worked to strengthen the US-India relationship in Congress and his office meets regularly with his Indian Advisory Board. Very recently he was in-

have to go back to their respective countries of origin. This measure, along with other potential immigrants, will benefit a number of Indian students who come to this country for higher education. He also indicated to the Indian media here recently

Congressman Robert Dold

that he was keen to go to India at the earliest opportunity and was all for promoting close India US relationship in all spheres of activities - economic, political, military and health related matters. With regard to his recent announcement joining Indian caucus in US Congress, he said, "It is an honor to serve on this important caucus. I appreciate the input my Indian Advisory Board has given me to better serve the Indian com-

munity in the 10th Congressional District, and I look forward to working together to strengthen the US-Indian relationship in Congress." Rep. Dold is a small business owner and he has faced many of the challenges confronting business leaders today and is using that firsthand experience in Washington to help find ways to create more jobs and strengthen the economy.

Chicago Sister Cities Festival from Aug 6 SURENDRA ULLAL

Raunak Mela at Hari Om Mandir Asian Media USA

Details on page 16

July 27, 2012

Dold joins Caucus on India & Indian Americans

Details on page 15

2nd Anniversary celebrations at Gayatri Chetna Center

Smita Shah, Chair Chicago-Delhi Sister cities

CHICAGO: Celebrating the cultural vibrancy of Chicago's robust relationships with cities around the world, Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI) has salted its seventh annual Chicago Sister Cities International Festival August 6-10 from 10:30 a.m.5:30 p.m. at Daley Plaza in Downtown Chicago. A rich variety of authentic ethnic food, merchandise and entertainment will enliven the downtown Loop with the tastes, sights and sounds of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods born from cities throughout the global community. The Festival's live musical and dance performances take place from 12 noon-1 pm each day. The festival is free and open to

the public. From the viewpoint of Indian American community, the Festival assumes importance in that Chicago and Delhi are Sister Cities and the chair for this program is Ms Smita Shah, a front ranking Indian woman activist. She worked hard to promote closer ties not only

ethnic roots. By branching out to a present a total of 28 sister cities around the world since its first partnership with Warsaw, Poland, CSCI represents Chicago as a global city to the world with the largest program of its kind in the United States. Each year since 2006, the Chi-

From the viewpoint of Indian American community, the Festival assumes importance in that Chicago and Delhi are Sister Cities and the chair for this program is Ms Smita Shah, a front ranking Indian woman activist between Chicago and Delhi but also between the two countries, India and USA, thru this program. Since its inception in 1960, CSCI has been building cultural, social and economic connections between Chicago and the world that continue to enrich the city's

cago Sister Cities International Festival has created an international village filled with food, music, dance and merchants in an annual recognition of these accomplishments. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

Community Across America

July 27, 2012

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Farewell reception for CG Sanjiv Arora

India Post 13

Catholics back Hindus over trivializing of Kali SURENDRA ULLAL

BABU TANGEWALA

Rajan Zed with Charles T. Durante

Members of Indian community give fond farewell to CG Arora (left) in Dallas. Seen in the pic Prasad Totukara presenting a plaque to CG

DALLAS TX: India Association of North Texas (IANT), Greater Dallas Indo American Chamber of Commerce GDIACC) and the Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC) hosted a grand farewell reception to Consul General of India (Houston) Sanjiv Arora on Sunday, July 15 at FunAsiA Banquet Hall in Richardson, TX. The Banquet reception was attended by several Indian American community leaders. CGI Sanjiv Arora will be shortly joining as Ambassador of India to Qatar. Sunil Maini, President of GDIACC welcomed the gathering. Sridhar Reddy Korsapati, President of IANT, Prasad Thotakura, General Secretary of IAFC, Taiyab

Kundawala, Vice President of IAFC, AK Mago Founder Chair of GDIACC, Shabnam Modgil, BOT

The Banquet reception was attended by several Indian American community leaders. CGI Sanjiv Arora will be shortly joining as Ambassador of India to Qatar Chair of IANT spoke on the occasion and recalled the interactions with CGI and his office.

Sunil Mainii offers vote of thanks

Sanjiv Arora thanked the Indian American community of DFW metropolis for extending their support to him and his staff over three years in many community activities. On behalf of the Indian American community, IANT, IAFC and GDIACC officials felicitated CGI Arora with a bouquet of flowers, shawl and a plaque. Arora appreciated the vibrant Indian community of DFW for arranging the reception. He recalled his close relationship with different Indian cultural and business organizations of North Texas region. He presented a token of appreciation to Sridhar Korsapati, AK Mago and Prasad Thotakura. The event ended with a vote of thanks by Sunil Mani, President of GDIACC.

Chicago Sister Cities Festival from Aug 6 Cont’d from page 12

On Wednesday, August 8, the festival will celebrate "Chicago Consular Corps Day" in honor of the 80 countries that make up Chicago's Consular Corps and to commemorate the all-inclusive international relationships that CSCI creates around the world. This year's festival also includes a special photography exhibition in the lobby of the Daley Center presented by the Osaka, Japan Committee of CSCI and called Kizuna: The Bonds of Emotion. Chicago Sister Cities International provides leadership to develop, manage and coordinate comprehensive programs and projects with Chicago's sister cities. It aims to increase international trade, promote economic development and support exchanges in the fields of arts and culture, edu-

cation, health, social services, environment and technology with its sister cities for the benefit of the City of Chicago, its residents and businesses. There are 28 sister cities of Chicago. Apart from Delhi, they include: Accra, Ghana (1989); Amman, Jordan (2004); Athens,

Africa (1997); Galway, Ireland (1997); Gothenburg, Sweden (1987); Hamburg, Germany (1994); Kyiv, Ukraine (1991); Lahore, Pakistan (2007); Lucerne, Switzerland (1998); Mexico City, Mexico (1991); Milan, Italy (1973); Moscow, Russia (1997); Osaka, Japan (1973); Paris, France (1996);

CHICAGO: Roman Catholics have come out in support of Hindus who are upset at the inappropriate depiction of goddess Kali and other Hindu deities by the Georgia (USA) online games developer Hi-Rez Studios in the upcoming online action video game

"Respect for religious practice and belief is a basic tenet of our land. When using religious images in commercial media basic respect calls for understanding the spiritual significance behind those images” SMITE. Father Charles T. Durante, well known Roman Catholic leader in Nevada (USA), in a statement, said: "Respect for religious practice and belief is a basic tenet of our land. When using religious images in commercial media basic

respect calls for understanding the spiritual significance behind those images. I hope that understanding and respect will bring a mutual agreement honoring these Hindu concerns." Jews and Buddhists have already supported the cause of pro-

Nand Kapur

testing Hindus with statements issued by prominent Jewish leader in Western USA Rabbi Elizabeth W. Beyer and distinguished Buddhist leader from Nevada Reverend Jikai' Phil Bryan recently.

This year's festival also includes a special photography exhibition in the lobby of the Daley Center presented by the Osaka, Japan Committee of CSCI and called Kizuna: The Bonds of Emotion Greece (1997); Belgrade, Serbia (2005); Birmingham, England (1993); Bogota, Colombia (2009); Busan, Republic of Korea (2007); Casablanca, Morocco (1982); Delhi, India (2001); Durban, South

Petach Tikva, Israel (1994); Prague, Czech Republic (1990); Shanghai, China (1985); Shenyang, China (1985); Toronto, Canada (1991); Vilnius, Lithuania (1993); and Warsaw, Poland (1960).

Sohan Joshi doing Arati of Goddess

Cont’d on page 17

Community Across America

14 India Post

July 27, 2012

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Path to happiness within oneself: Mukundananda Asian Media USA

Swamiji with children

nois. Swami Ji discussed and taught breathing techniques, body relaxation and proper diet. His particular form of yoga includes

The Mayor of Rolling Meadows, Tom Rooney, was so impressed that he presented a Proclamation to Swami Ji for bringing spirituality to the city. He appreciated the message and commented how Swami Ji has been instrumental in breaking the cultural, religious and mental barriers

A group of participants at Swamiji's program in Rolling Meadows

instrumental in breaking the cultural, religious and mental barriers by reaching out to everybody and making the world a better place. Swami Mukundananda meets one's expectations of a holy man from India - a

serene countenance, flowing saffron robe, a high forehead marked with Tilak. But he is also a highly educated person with an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, India's front ranking business school. He was a mechanical engineer be-

fore he renounced his position, at age 23, to pursue a life of spiritual devotion. In addition to lecturing at Hindu temples around the country, he has spoken to staff at Google headquarters in California and the Kellogg School of Management in Illi-

spiritual exercises, a component he says, is neglected by most yoga studios in the United States. Swami Ji will be back in Chicago Land area in July 2013 with another electrifying program.

AIPAC opposes House resolution against Modi India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The American-Indian Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) President Jagdish Sewhani met with Congressman Steve Chabot, Chairman of the House SubCommittee of Foreign Affairs and Southeast Asia, and informed him that the Indian American community strongly opposed H.Res. 569. He submitted a formal memorandum to him. H.Res.569 was introduced by Congressman Keith Ellison which formally recognizes the tenth anniversary of the tragic communal violence in Gujarat, India. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 16

Nitan Kanade, Congressman Steve Chabot, Jagdish Sewhani.

Community Across America

July 27, 2012

India Post 15

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Biggest Konkani Sammelan held in NJ

President Dr. Gopal Bhandarkar and Pratibha Bhandarkar. (Pic: Sunil Shanbhag) India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: The 8th Konkani Sammelan was held in Edison, New Jersey from 29th June to 1st July.

Award to Dr. José Periera from Real Estate Baron Dayanand Pai, Vice President Ravi V. Shenoy. (Pic:Vivek Shenoy)

(President, World Konkani Center), Ram Mohan (director), Mahalaxmi Shenoy (famous classical singer), Amrita Rao (Bollywood actress) and Arun

every successive generation makes an attempt to speak the tongue. The entire community is united in its efforts and hope that the language continues to be the

Shyam Benegal, Director Kalpana Lajmi, Actress Amrita Rao. (Pic: Sunil Shanbhag)

Led by its President Dr. Gopal Bhandarkar, this three day cultural extravaganza saw more than 1800 attendees from India, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the USA. Host to the biggest Sammelan till date, the state of New Jersey pulled out all stops and put together an eclectic set of programs catering to its culturally rich and diversified audience. The Chief Guest of this cultural potpourri was T.V Mohandas Pai (ex-CFO of Infosys and chair of Manipal Universal Learning), who flew in from India to be part of the Sammelan festivities. His passionate and articulate speech exhorted all attendees to respect their heritage, nurture their culture and pass on its legacy to the next generation. Other featured speakers and delegates included Padma Vibhushan and member of Rajya Sabha Shyam Benegal (famous director and winner of numerous awards), Basti Vaman Shenoy

Ubhayakar (Konkani Vidhwaan). An offshoot of every Sammelan is the inherent sense of pride for the mother tongue and efforts made to ensure its survival far away from homeland. While a systematic and organizational focus is essential for chronicling the growth and succession of the language in parts, its real flavor and essence can only be retained if

unifying force that binds the community, its cultural legacies and its denizens together. Konkanis have made a mark in almost every field and the commu-

lence and a source of pride for the entire community. The 2012 awardees were selected after much deliberation and care. Nominations were called from the frater-

Konkanis Got Talent show. (Pic: Sunil Shanbhag)

Konkanis have made a mark in almost every field and the community, as a whole, has every reason to be proud

Classical singer Mahalaxmi Shenoy. (Pic: Sunil Shanbhag)

Chief Guest, T.V. Mohandas Pai, former CEO of Infosys. (Pic: Sunil Shanbhag)

nity, as a whole, has every reason to be proud of its trend setting entrepreneurs, leaders, educationists, entertainers, sportspersons etc. To recognize and encourage exceptional Konkanis, awards were distributed to 15 achievers in various fields. These Awards institutionalized during earlier Sammelans have become synonymous with excel-

nity and after a systematic due diligence process, selections were made based on majority votes received from the Awards Committee. Award winners include, Dr.José Pereira, Dr. B.Jayant Baliga, Mr. Vasanth Bhat, Executive Committee Members of the 2008 Konkani Sammelan, Dr. Mohandas Kini and Late Dr. T. M. A. Pai. Cont’d on page 19

Young Konkani artists. (Pic: Sunil Shanbhag)

16 India Post

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Raunak Mela at Hari Om Mandir AIPAC opposes House

resolution against Modi

Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Hari Om Mandir in Medniana, a northwest suburb of Chicago, organized its annual "Raunak Mela-2012" on Sunday July 8 from 11 am to 5 pm where members, friends, and well-wishers participated in large numbers. There was lot of fun activities for all age groups. For kids games like X-Box, WII & PS2 were set up. For younger kids there was moonwalk. There were food and merchandise stalls, music, Antakshari competition, Health Fair and much more. Antakshari attracted both male and female singers The food items included hot Chana Bhatura prepared onsite, Fried Rice and Manchurian, snack items like Papdi Chat, Pani Puri, Noodles, Samosa/ Tikki chat, Sindhi Pakora, Bhelpuri etc. For healthy eating there were sprouts. All the food was prepared and donated by the members of Hindu Society. Volunteers manned the stalls. For dessert there was mango and

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

Dr Dhingra examining a patient at Helath Fair at Raunak Mela

Pista Kulfi. The drinks included varieties of juices and soft drinks. Dr. Om Dhingra and Dr. Ramesh Dhingra organized the Annual Health camp. Several people received Blood Sugar, EKG and Blood Pressure checkup. An interesting outcome of the Mela was that a relatively young person streamed in for checking and it was found that he was suffering from cardio vascular problem. . He was rushed to hospital.

Raunak Mela is an annual fair at Hari Om Mandir. The Mandir located at DuPage County, has statues of all major Indian gods and goddesses. Every Sunday there is a Havan and general congregation followed by Aarti and Bhojan Prasad. On every first Saturday of the month there is Devi Jagran from 7 - 10pm. Every Monday there is Shiv Puja and every Tuesday Hanuman Challisa Path.

Children having fun at Raunak Mela

Jagdish Sewhani informed Congressman Steve Chabot that H.Res. 569, pejoratively described as "Recognizing the tenth anniversary of the tragic communal violence in Gujarat, India," is not only biased and misleading, but also deceitful in its motive. It is driven by mendacious intent to tarnish the image of Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat. Keith Ellison has repeated the politically motivated lies and allegations by the anti-Modi lobby in India and America. He claimed there was not a single person who could prove that the state government was culpable, or can prove that the riots were a genocide or a massacre. The memorandum said the riots were, in fact, spontaneous. It said the roasting alive of 57 innocent people by extremist Muslims on the Godhra Railway Station was the last straw which triggered the Hindus to take on the law. In a written reply in Parliament on May 11, 2011, Union Minister of State for Home Shriprakash Jaiswal, a member of the Congress Party, stated that 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed in the Gujarat riots. Hence, it was neither a genocide nor a massacre, as falsely stated by Keith Ellison. It said, Keith Ellison has quoted a 2002 "Human Rights Watch Report" blaming rioters, possibly Hindus, to gain the sympathy of credulous and naĂŻve Americans while skillfully ignoring the burn-

White House briefing on Sikh civil rights India Post News Service

Washington, DC: Jakaras were heard in the White House during a briefing on Sikh civil rights issues in the heart of the federal government. The briefing, a historic first, was organized in collaboration with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the White House Office of Public Engagement at the request of the Sikh Coalition. Approximately 50 activists from around the United States attended the briefing. Leaders from New York, California, New Jersey, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and even Canada traveled to Washington for the event. The assembled group included Advocates from the 2011 and 2012 classes of the Sikh Coalition's Sikh Advocate Academy. They began their day with an early morning tour of the beauti-

ful East Wing of the White House. In the East Wing, the assembled leaders had a chance to view celebrated spaces such as the room in which President Thomas Jefferson first held cabinet meet-

Leaders from New York, California, New Jersey, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and even Canada traveled to Washington for the event ings and the Blue Room which remains the reception room of the White House. The leaders and activists then proceeded to the Eisenhower Ex-

ecutive Office Building for a firstever briefing on Sikh civil rights issues. Commissioner Chai Feldblum of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Kimberly Walton, Assistant Administrator of theTransportation Security Administration; and John DiPaulo of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education talked about the federal government's efforts to combat employment discrimination, airport profiling, and school bullying respectively.

In addition, Karen Chaves, Policy Advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, spoke about the work of the Initiative to address Sikh and broader Asian American and Pacific Islander concerns. The assembled community members enthusiastically questioned federal agency officials after each of their presentations. They shared critical feedback and ideas on how the federal government can better connect with and serve the Sikh community.

ing alive of 57 innocent men, women and children at the Godhra Railway Station on the night of February 27, 2002 by a mob of "2000 Islamists who had hatched a diabolical conspiracy to unleash the reign of rape, murder and loot on the peaceful Hindus who have suffered unprecedented brutalities at the hands of Islam for thousands of years." Keith Ellison has used subterfuge and cunningness in hiding the most important fact that a couple of weeks ago, the Chief Minister of Gujarat was given a clean chit by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court of India. According to "India Today" on May 20, 2002, the number of people killed in Gujarat riots is 972 (both Hindus and Muslims) and includes 57 Hindus burnt by Islamists at Godhra station. This cannot be

In a written reply in Parliament on May 11, 2011, Union Minister of State for Home Shriprakash Jaiswal, a member of the Congress Party, stated that 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed in the Gujarat riots. Hence, it was neither a genocide nor a massacre, as falsely stated by Keith Ellison described as "massacre", 'genocide" or "pogram". It was indubitably a riot between aggressive and violent Muslims and suppressed and non-violent Hindus. On the impartiality of Modi government, one Muslim newspaper "Milli Gazette" in its June 115, 2005 issue stated that "Millions of Indian rupees were paid by the state government to the kith and kin of the people affected by communal riots." In this connection, it drew attention to a scientific field study conducted by Justice D.S. Tewatia under the banner of the "Council for International Affairs and Human Rights" which has stated in its report that "The strategy [of inimical forces] is to keep India engaged in communal and caste strife so that the nation's focus on development is diffused and its endeavor to emerge as a superpower is thwarted."

Community Across America

July 27, 2012

India Post 17

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'Bring Sight' party by Children's Hope Juniors India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Children's Hope India (CHI) Junior Board, known as "CH2" has grown up with the organization and plans to celebrate Children Hope's 20th anniversary this year in a big way! These young NYC professionals who want to give back to their culture are hosting a charity event at the Empire Room inside the Empire State Building on Thursday, July 26 at 6:00 pm. All proceeds from this annual CH2 fundraiser will go towards restoring vision for the visually handicapped children in India. This project is in collaboration with the K.K. Eye Institute in Pune, India. Approximately 15,000 children will be screened in rural Maharashtra under this program. Vitamin A supplementation, Spectacles and Eye Surgeries will be provided to prevent and correct blindness. Each year the CH2 arm of Children's Hope India initiates and hosts a fun-filled gathering of young Tri-State professionals to benefit one of CHI's projects/collaborations. Past events have happened at noted venues such as The Trump World Bar and Vermillion. As CH2's influence expands, these events continue to grow bigger and better!

Last year's fundraising event at The Trump World Bar in New York City attracted more than 200 guests and raised over $9,000. With 72,000 villages and 400 million people living in areas of India off the power grid, CH2 teamed up with Project Chirag and students from HR College in Mumbai, India to light up an entire village in Maharashtra by purchasing, assembling and installing solar panels and lanterns in 4 community areas and 50 village homes. This year's event aims to benefit a similar noble cause to light up the lives of children with the gift of sight! This is made possible by compassionate donors with their generous funding of treatments and surgeries providing hope to these children for a brighter future. CH2 plans to host about 300 people at this year's summer soiree. This fun-filled event will have everyone dancing to the beat of music served up by the world renowned DJ Kucha. Guests will get to indulge in food from top Indian restaurants CafĂŠ Spice and Mehtaphor, followed by a Dessert Bar from AMR Catering. A special shopping bazaar will feature Satya jewelry, Luv the World T-shirts and designer shawls from Sonika.

Catholics back Hindus over trivializing of Kali Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 13

While Rabbi Beyer asked the video game company "to avoid trivializing the deeply held beliefs of Hindus by changing the product accordingly", Reverend Bryan commented: "Shame on the gamemakers for denigrating these Supreme Beings". Indian Americans across the country have taken a united stand against periodic desecration of Hindu deities by the marketers of consumer products here. Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism who spearheaded this protest, urged Alpharetta headquartered developer Hi-Rez Studios to remove Kali and other Hindu gods from the game as it trivialized the highly revered deities of Hinduism. He stressed that in a videogame set-up, the player would control the movements of goddess Kali and other Hindu deities, while in reality the devotees put the destinies of themselves in the hands of their deities. Nand Kapur, former president of AIA, said he is sick of elements in this enlightened society who show scant respect for the religious belies of the fellow citizens. "If this type of desecration had hurt the militant types of people, there would have been a huge hue and cry and burning of the game or the literature. Hindus are tolerant and peace loving people and they get hurt the most as their protest is civilized and non-violent," he said.

Sohan Joshi a former president of FIA, observed that the portrayal of goddess Kali, who was highly revered by Hindus, appeared like a porn star in the SMITE version shown on the company website, which was quite distressing to all the devotees of the goddess. Rajan Zed argued that re-imaging Hindu scriptures and deities

While Rabbi Beyer asked the video game company "to avoid trivializing the deeply held beliefs of Hindus by changing the product accordingly", Reverend Bryan commented: "Shame on the game-makers for denigrating these Supreme Beings" for commercial or other agenda was extremely inappropriate as it hurt the devotees. Controlling and manipulating goddess Kali and other Hindu deities with a joystick/ button/keyboard/mouse was denigration. Goddess Kali and other Hindu deities were meant to be worshipped in temples and home shrines and not meant to be reduced to just a "caricature" in a video game.

Punjabi Sports Festival on Aug 4 RAJINDER SINGH MAGO

CHICAGO: Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) has slated its 18th annual Sports Festival on Saturday August 4 at Falcon Park Recreation Center in Palatine, a north side suburb of Chicago. The PCS Chicago Basketball and Volleyball tournaments will be held indoors in the courts of the new stateof-the-art air-conditioned facilities at Falcon Park from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Entrance is free for the tournament spectators. All are welcome to enjoy the games. Ten Basketball and eight Volleyball qualified team registrations will be accepted on first come first serve basis to limit the tournament to one day. The PCS Chicago Basketball and Volleyball Championship Cups, first prize of $500 and the second prize of $250 along with individual player trophies will be awarded to the winners and the runners-up of each sport. Last date to register teams is July 29 and the registration fee is $50 per team which includes lunch for the participating team players.

Community/California

18 India Post

July 27, 2012

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2nd Anniversary celebrations at Gayatri Chetna Center

Dr. Pandya recognized the services. (L-R): Sitting in chair Dr. O.P. Sharma, Standing from left Mahesh Bhatt, Raju Patel, in the center Dr. Pranav Pandya, on right Kaushik Patel, Anil Parekh and Swami Servadevananda, Director of Vedanta Society. India Post News Service

ANAHEIM, CA: It was a significantly auspicious weekend in the history of the Gayatri Chetna Center (GCC) in Anaheim, as hundreds of members of the All World Gayatri Pariwar and Indian community members poured into the center to celebrate three major events starting on July 13 and spilling over to July 14. As part of its decorations, the visitors were greeted with banners sporting

was a grand sponsor for these two murtis and pratistha event. Keynote Speaker Dr. Pranav Pandya spoke on Surya Shakti Sadhana. More than 800 people attended this evening event in the large pavilion at Gayatri Chetna Center. The idea behind organizing the cultural night was to provide a platform for youth to showcase their talent and efforts, particularly in the field of preserving and learning our heritage. Though targeted mainly for youth, participants in the cultural

Garba dance. From left Hema Trivedi, Taruna Tanki, Rita Thaker, Bhavana Patel, Sumitra Patel, Leena Bhatt. From right Jaymini Mehta, Mina Bhatt, Kushum Patel, Aruna Bhatt, Bhranti Patel, Pragna Dave. Center Camy Patel, Sangeeta Shelat, Mona Parekh, Jyoti Patel.

years. The aim of this program is to help groom overall personality of the children, while equipping them with ancient knowledge of our scriptures, and our roots and culture. Many children from the Baal Sanskaar Shaala participated in the cultural night, and their performance was applauded by all. The entire program was coordinated and anchored by Niki Bhatt, Pragya Sharma, Arti Bhatt and Amar Bhatt. During this cultural program, Dr. Pranav Pandya gave scientific

event was the conduct of the 108 Kundiya Gayatri Mahayagya for which a large pavilion had been set up to create a Yagyasala with a stage at one end from which Dr. Pranav Pandya, Head of All World Gayatri Pariwar and saints from Gayatri Tirth, Shantikunj, Hardwar India could lead the rituals with instructions to 225 couples and

More than 225 families sitting in front of Havan Kunda perfoming rituals

During this cultural program, Dr. Pranav Pandya gave scientific reasoning for achieving great power from the Sun and how your day to day progress becomes more powerful and beneficial spiritually as well materially. He urged everyone to recite Gayatri Mantra and Surya Gayatri Mantra every morning at the time of sun rise and offer oblation by offering water

program came from all ages and all walks of life, including small children to grandmothers. Their excitement, zeal, and dedication to put up their best performance deserves a special mention, as they endured rigorous practice schedule, inclement weather, and even power outage during their live performance. Gayatri Chetna Center has been offering Baal Sanskaar Shaala classes (Sunday school) for children for past two

their families seated in the enclosure with a agni kund placed in front of them. The Saturday program began with a Kalash Yatra in which the ladies participated by carrying the sacred Kalash, javaras, Gayatri Mantra Lekhan books and scriptures on their heads in a procession through the streets surrounding the Center. It was a colorful scene as it wound its way around led by the saints and officials with

several inspirational messages and sayings throughout the premises. "Gayatri Chetna Center, Anaheim, under the banner of All World Gayati Pariwar India, celebrated its second anniversary on July 13-14. Dr. Pranav Pandya, head of Gayatri Pariwar, graced the event with his presence. The festivities began on Friday July 13th morning with a Ganeshji and Hanumanji murti pratistha poojan and sthapan. Bhanubhai Thaker

reasoning for achieving great power from the Sun and how your day to day progress becomes more powerful and beneficial spiritually as well materially. He urged everyone to recite Gayatri Mantra and Surya Gayatri Mantra every morning at the time of sun rise and offer oblation by offering water facing the east with meditation and feeling of imbibing spiritual energy to increase vitality in one's body. The highlight of the two day

the Indian and American flags fluttering in the breeze at the head of the march. Before it began Saint Dr. OP Sharma, conducted a poojan to purify the kalashes. Once the ladies had ceremoniously placed the kalash on the stage and at each Havan Kunda, Dr. Pranav Pandya, turned everyone's attention to the performing of the 108 Kundiya Gayatri Mahayagya and Surya Shakati Sadhana Varsha poojan. The proceedings commenced with the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra 24 times followed by a mellifluous devotional song sung by Saint Govind Patidar who continued to captivate the worshippers with his rich voice throughout the yagya with his renditions, ably supported on the tabla by Puskar Raj. The rituals were performed under the guidance of Dr. Pranav Pandya who accompanied his instructions with a discourse which covered the concept of the Gayatri Pariwar - Vichar Kranti Abhiyan which he said is to nurture and nourish a large growing family which constantly strives to 'think right and do right.' His emphasis throughout the ceremony was on the immense power of positive thought, the cultivation of concentration and the need for action through service and love, all of which he illustrated with anecdotes from the life of Gurudev Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya Ji and Mata Bhagvati Devi Sharna Ji, the founders of this mission. Before lighting the fire he assured everyone they should not fear that smoke from the fire would pollute the atmosphere. Scientific testing of samples of air over an area of a yagna showed a significant reduction in pollutants. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 19

Community/California

July 27, 2012

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Hindu invocation for Stockton City Council India Post News Service

STOCKTON CITY,CA: Stockton City Council in California (USA) had its first Hindu invocation on July 10. The city was incorporated nearly 162 years ago. Rajan Zed, Hindu leader and scholar, who delivered invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the City Council, commented in the beginning of the prayer: "It is a historical and special invocation as we are invoking God through ancient Sanskrit scriptures to help City of Stockton to come out even stronger through these challenging times." After Sanskrit delivery, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, read the English translation of the prayer. Rajan Zed recited from the RigVeda, the oldest scripture of the world, and from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both sacred to the Hindus. He ended the prayer with "Om", the mystical syllable. Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Zed said "Asato ma sadgamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir

gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya", which he then translated as "Lead me from the unreal to the Real, Lead me from darkness to Light, and Lead me from death to Immortality." Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita,

Starting as a muddystreet gold-rush camp and incorporated in 1850, Stockton is now known as "California's Sunrise Seaport" and contains 49 historical landmarks and has received "AllAmerica City" award and named "Best Tree City" Zed urged council members to keep the welfare of the people of city always in mind. Rajan Zed presented a copy of Bhagavad-Gita to Mayor Ann Johnston, who welcomed and

thanked Zed. Council members, city employees and public were seen standing in prayer mode with their heads bowed down during this invocation. Starting as a muddy-street gold-rush camp and incorporated in 1850, Stockton is now known as "California's Sunrise Seaport" and contains 49 historical landmarks and has received "AllAmerica City" award and named "Best Tree City". Areas around Stockton grow asparagus, cherries, tomatoes, walnuts, almonds, grapes, etc., and produces prizewinning wines. About 40 motion pictures have been filmed in Stockton including "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (Steven Spielberg) and it is known for its annual Asparagus Festival, Haggin Museum, University of the Pacific, and USA's first Sikh Gurdwara (established 1912). Kathy Miller is Vice Mayor and Bob Deis is the City Manager of Stockton where about 22% population is Asian. Prominent people associated with it include singer Chris Isaak, author Maxine Hong Kingston, and baseball player Dallas Braden.

IIT BHU Global Alumni Meet in Sept MANU VORA

NAPERVILLE, CA: The IIT BHU Global Alumni Association (IBGAA) has slated its second Global Mega Meet in the Bay Area on Saturday, September 22. The full-day Meet is planned at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA. The Meet will include keynote address by

noted alumni Dr. Satish K. Tripathi, President, University at Buffalo, NY and Dr. Pankaj Chandra, Director, IIM Bangalore and panel discussion on important topics. Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Dr. Lalji Singh and Director of the IIT BHU, Prof. Dhananjai Pandey

will be the Chief Guests at the Bay Area Meet. The program will contain a fun filled walk down the memory lane with cocktails and dinner. Participation of alumni from all over the United States, India, and other countries is expected. Well over 100 participants have already registered.

2nd Anniversary celebrations at Gayatri Chetna Center Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 18

Water had less bacteria and the soil showed increased productivity. The chief guest for the event Swami Servadevananda Ji, Director of Vedanta Society, in his address emphasized on "youth focusing on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda". Mr. Avdhesh Agrawal, successful business person in Southern California and his wife Usha Agrawal, supporter of Gayatri Chetna Center, were recognized by Dr. Pandya, and Board Members. Mr. Prasad Narayan, Mayor, City of Cypress offered the recognizing certificate to Dr. Pandya for his mass teaching of Scientific Spirituality to youth around the

world. Ed Royce, US House of Representative, Jim Edwards, Mayor, City of Cerritos, Tony Mendoza, Member of California State Assembly, Don Knabe, Supervisor, County of Los Angeles sent their messages and Certificate of Recognition for outstanding performance and community leader to Mahesh Bhatt, Kaushik Patel, Raju Patel and Anil Parekh. Ikshwaku Oza read all the certificates and Dr. Pandya offered them with appreciation of their services through Gayatri Chetna Center. Dr. Pandya also recognizes the dedicated Ladies group who are performing regular Sanskars and volunteer services to support the Gayatri Center. The privilege of heading the

maha yagna from the stage was endowed on Shanker Barot and his wife Niruben who have voluntarily devoted themselves to the service of the Gayatri Chetna Center. Many individuals, volunteers like Andy Shah for photography, Vinay Kumar and Girish Gohil for operating audio mike system, and most importantly all the ladies volunteers, Bal Shashkar Shala teachers, were named and recognized by Coordinator Mahesh Bhatt during the event, with one of the most important being the 84 year old Chinubhai Thaker, who started the All World Gayatri Chetna Center in Los Angeles in 1976. He stays at the Gayatri Chetna Center to dedicate his time in the service and care of the location.

India Post 19

Gill trumps McNerney fundraising total India Post News Service

LODI, CA: Financial reports show that Congressional candidate Ricky Gill (R-Lodi) again outraised incumbent Congressman Jerry McNerney (DPleasanton) by a significant margin in the quarter that ended on June 30. Gill's $475,000 haul in the second quarter trumped McNerney's total of $317,000. Gill now has outraised McNerney in four out of five quarters, dating to the second quarter of 2011, and has outraised the incumbent overall. Gill also continued significantly to outraise McNerney within the district, where the incumbent con-

sistently has struggled. In the second quarter, Gill raised over 10 times more than McNerney from contributors who live in the 9th District, bringing in more than $170,000 to McNerney's $15,000 from in-district donors. "Jerry McNerney's stunningly low level of local support begs the question of whether he chose the wrong district," said Gill consultant James Fisfis. "McNerney may be kicking himself for running in the 9th District - rather than running against Pete Stark in the district where he actually lives -- as it's becoming increasingly clear that local voters aren't interested in outsourcing their Congressman."

Biggest Konkani Sammelan held in NJ Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 15

Excellence Awards were given to Ms. Kavita Baliga (Music), Dr. Vijya Balse (Performing Arts), Dr. Narayan H Nayak (Visual Arts), Dr. Krishna Shenoy (Research), Dr. Prasad Kadle (Technology), Dr. Annapoorna Kini (Professional Achievement), Dr. Shyam J Kamath (Education), Ms. Priyanka Kamath (Sports) and Ms. Aishwarya Raja (Outstanding Youth). The wide array of entertainment programs showcased talented Konkanis that enthralled and entertained the audience in equal measure. A dramatic, vivid and stimulating opening ceremony awed the audience and captured the essence of the entire Sammelan in dance form. "Ammi Kon", the opening song signifies Konkani pride, its history and the spirit of the community as a whole. The convention also brought together a judicious mix of workshops and cultural programs that beguiled and captivated the imagination and interest of this multi-faceted, demographically diverse audience. Appeasing 1800 palates is no mean feat and the organizers were well ahead of this learning curve. Authentic Konkani cuisine was arranged during all meals and the rich aromas wafting throughout the Sammelan venue gave stiff competition to the impressive lineup of dignitaries and celebrities vying for attention. The aesthetic quotient of the convention hall was deftly transformed into an extraordinarily beautiful and dramatic venue under the inspired vision of event planners "Elegant Affairs". A dedicated team of 60 volun-

teers has been instrumental in steering this convention to its success. Taking on this onerous task a year and a half ago, Dr. Gopal Bhandarkar, reached out to local Konkanis to step forward and assist him in making the Konkani Sammelan 2012, a grand success. The Executive Committee comprising Mr. Ravi Shenoy (Sammelan Vice- President), Dr.

The wide array of entertainment programs showcased talented Konkanis that enthralled and entertained the audience in equal measure. A dramatic, vivid and stimulating opening ceremony awed the audience and captured the essence of the entire Sammelan in dance form Vasudev Nayak, Mr. Damodar Baliga and Mrs. Nina Padukone have led a focused and determined team of volunteers who have devoted countless hours selflessly over the past year. Tech savvy, professional and energetic, these volunteer teams have worked seamlessly and in tandem to accomplish their goal and give credence to their Sammelan motto, "Connecting Konkanis Heart to Heart, Home Away from Home."

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

India Post

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July 27, 2012

here are on-off rumors linking Priyanka Chopra with Shahid Kapoor. What's the current update on their relationship status? "Shahid's one of the nicest guys I've met in my life. We hardly have a moment where we get bored of each other." How does she define 'nice'? "A nice guy is someone who puts other people before him and respects everyone. He has to be thoughtful, sensitive and intelligent. How many people do that? It is difficult to find genuine guys today who are kind-hearted and believe in giving. Very few guys are 'nice' that way," she says. Don-2 and Agneepath both were hits and yet people talked about how Priyanka had miniscule roles in the films. Priyanka says, "If the producer gives me even five scenes, I will do justice to them. I had eight scenes in Kaminey which is lesser than my screen time in Agneepath. Yet people liked the film and loved my chemistry with Shahid (Kapoor). Big budget films belong to the heroes. Don-2 is a SRK film, Agneepath or Krrish are Hrithik films. But the upside is I also get to do films like Fashion, Saat Khoon Maaf or Kaminey. If I do only meaningful cinema then people will ask me why I am not doing big budget films. It's a great time to be part of the industry now, as I get to do a mix of both kinds of cinema."

1 Tum Hi Ho Bandhu: Cocktail 2 Mukhtasar: Teri Meri Kahaani 3 Humse Pyaar Karle Tu: TMK 4 Second Hand Jawani: Cocktail 5 Daru Desi: Cocktail 6 Thats All I Really Wanna Do: TMK 7 Dhadang Dhang: Rowdy Rathore 8 Aa Re Pritam Pyaare: Rowdy Rathore 9 Chinta Ta Ta Chita Chita: Rowdy Rathore 10 Jiya Tu Bihar Ke Lala: Gangs Of Wasseypur

f what we've heard is true, former US president Bill Clinton took responsibility of looking after Salman while the latter was busy shooting for his upcoming film, "Ek Tha Tiger" in Dublin. It so happened that while Salman was in Dublin shooting, Bill Clinton happened to visit the city. Both were allotted rooms on the same floor in a hotel. Salman, as we know, is world famous. His fans are spread across the world. What actually happened was, at odd hours, a few of Sallu's hardcore fans tried forcing their way just to get a glimpse of the actor. Seeing this, Clinton's staff was stunned and came to Sallu's rescue. It didn't end there. The staff also took charge of Salman's security for the three days he was in Dublin. "I was staying on the same floor and to sanitize the area, they had to take care of Salman's personal security too. It was amazing," said director of the film Kabir Khan.

EASY ENTRY M

ost of the star kids get an easy entry in Bollywood. The latest one to join the gang is Aamir Khan and Reena Dutta's 17-year-old son Junaid. He is assisting Raj Kumar Hirani on his next project 'Peekay', in which father Aamir and Anushka Sharma play the lead roles. Shooting of the film will begin by the end of this year. Reports say Junaid has already started work and is traveling across the country to find the perfect locations for the film. It was Raj Kumar Hirani who offered Junaid to be his first assistant. Hirani and Aamir earlier worked together for '3 Idiots' and both of them bond really well. Junaid is said to have a lot of knowledge about filmmaking and music. And the team of 'Peekay' is flattered with his eye for perfection. Probably he has got this quality from his father.

Bollywood

July 27, 2012

India Post 21

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RANI'S LAVANI W

e've seen Katrina Kaif grooving to a Lavani item number, "Chikni Chameli", in Agneepath, Vidya Balan in "Mala Jau De" in "Ferrari Ki Sawaari" and now, the new item girl in town, to move to a Lavani number is the beautiful Rani Mukherjee. The song is choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant. Sachin Kundalkar, director of the film said, "Rani does three item numbers in her dream in 'Aiyya'. In this film, the girl has this habit of dreaming. One of her item numbers is a Lavani song, again in her dream." "She was quite good with her Lavani dance. She shared a great equation with Vaibhavi Merchant. She did rehearsals on the sets. So it's a rapid, classical, sensuous Lavani song," he added. The film is titled "Aiyya" and is co-produced by Anurag Kashyap and Viacom 18. Rani Mukherjee plays a Marathi girl who finds a man desirable because he smells good. She is paired opposite southern star Prithvi Raj. Kundalkar added, "Anurag Kashyap liked the film".

Talent vs hard work

he first song from Ek Tha Tiger - Mashallah - is just out and people are saying Salman has given tough competition to Katrina with his moves. Reacting Salman says, "Katrina is damn good in the song. I am getting there. Just think what will happen the next time we come together, if it happens." Katrina joins in, "What takes us five days' rehearsals to do, Salman does it in one minute. So I had to work extra, extra, extra hard." Salman agrees, "Katrina is very hard-working. She rehearses for fiveseven days for every song and also works hard on every scene. So that success rate and appreciation she enjoys today is actually due to her hard work. I have the talent side and hence don't have to work very hard. That's why at times I look so bad on screen."

HIGH PRAISE F

ilmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who has apparently been spotted several times with actor Ranbir Kapoor, has triggered off a series of speculations. Grapevine has it that the actor is being considered for the filmmaker's ambitious film Paani, whose lead actor apparently had been finalized as Hrithik Roshan. Several rumors are floating around: the filmmaker is perhaps planning another film with Ranbir, or speculation that the young actor is being added to the cast of Paani. While the filmmaker is known not to divulge anything about his films, he, probably did feel the need to clear the air around his meetings with the actor. "Press asking y I've been seen w/Ranbir Kapoor. I really enjoy listenin 2 him. Future of Indian Cinema safe in this breed of new stars," he tweeted on a social networking site on the weekend. While he's letting everyone know how highly he thinks of Ranbir and his generation of actors, there's no word on the status of Paani. Last heard, Shekhar was figuring out the details of the film. He had earlier made its formal announcement at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010, but it is yet to go on the floors.

India Post News Service

reida Pinto's acclaimed new film TRISHNA is now playing in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington D.C. The actress was also invited to appear on Conan O'Brien's popular late night talk show Conan where she discussed her new film. Pinto sat down to talk about her latest film TRISHNA in the interview below. Q: Take us through the process of how you became involved in the project. What attracted you to it and to the role of Trishna? A: When I was told that Michael Winterbottom would like to meet me to discuss his new film project, I obviously jumped on the opportunity. He is one of those rare directors who makes films by boldly attempting and embracing any given genre. I was already familiar with Thomas Hardy's

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independent project and Trishna came along. Q: Who is Trishna? A: According to our story, Trishna is the nineteen year-old daughter of a rickshaw driver. Since she's had a taste of a little education, she doesn't entirely conform or fit into the tradi-

July 27, 2012

given a good English middle school education. That's something that she wishes she could have continued as well. She meets Jay while working at the hotel and

FREIDA'S TRISHNA

just enjoy being together, uninhibited, in the city of Mumbai. They really discover each other during this time and are passionately in love. This is where Trishna, although she misses her family, is a lot more relaxed with Jay. The last phase is the most complex one of the story where Trishna has to face the inevitability of her fate

Hardy's Tess set in contemporary India

19th century novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles and the idea of having it set in contemporary India was absolutely brilliant and apt. I was pining to sink my teeth into a hardcore

tional mould of thinking that her parents belong to. She leaves school and works at a hotel near her hometown of Ossian in Rajasthan to bring more money into the household. She is, however, determined to ensure that her younger siblings are

A scene from the film

falls in love with him and has a sometimes blissful, but mostly tumultuous relationship with him, which eventually leads us into their tragedy. Q: Tell us about Trishna's personal journey. A: Trishna for me, is the epitome of purity and suffering. Her jour-

with Jay and the fact that she would never be able to rise from her social class/status to be on the same level as him. In a way she would always have to submit to him in society. However, in their private moments while the love still exists, it slowly turns into sadistic torture especially for Trishna, which she swal-

Trishna is constantly torn between her desire to adopt Jay's modernism and urbanity which to some extent she does, and the traditional family values and rural roots that she finds hard to ignore ney can be divided into the three phases within the film. The first is her mundane family life in Ossian which starts changing only after she meets Jay. An unspoken passionate tension and subtle seduction rule this phase. The second phase is what I called "the Happy Phase" where both Jay and Trishna get temporary freedom from everything class-related, where they can

lows as a bitter pill. Finally, she is pushed over the edge and that's when she decides she cannot take it anymore. Trishna is constantly torn between her desire to adopt Jay's modernism and urbanity which to some extent she does, and the traditional family values and rural roots that she finds hard to ignore. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 26

July 27, 2012

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16 finalists selected for Miss India-Canada Event and wellness, creating conscious change is in the fabric of our DNA. We are really looking forward to the event in August as well as strengthening our relationship with Canada's vibrant South Asian community." The Miss India-Canada event

India Post News Service

TORONTO, Canada: Sixteen finalists have been selected for competition in the twenty second annual Miss India-Canada Event, which will be co-presented by Brita. The prestigious title carries with it numerous awards and prizes. Included are a round-trip ticket to India, hotel accommodation, diamond set, laptop, cash scholarships, and many more prizes. During their three-day stay of activities, the 16 finalists will have an exciting and rewarding experience. Soula Kioussis, VP of Marketing, The Clorox Company of Canada, said, "Canada is proud to be the sponsor of Miss IndiaCanada 2012. We believe that everyone has a duty to make this world a better place. Whether it's through reducing bottled water waste or advocating for health

nadian mosaic. Other sponsors include: Om Financial, Cuisine of India, Bigen Speedy Hair Color, Josephine's Jewellery, Eglinton Carpet, Solomon Rothbart Goodman LLP, Dream Party Decor, Excel Funds, Ruby's Oasis, and Vasanti Cosmet-

The Miss India-Canada event is unique in many ways - delegates are judged on their Indian Dress, Evening Gown, Talent, and their ability to speak in public. The show is focused on Indian arts and culture and at the same time blending into the Canadian mosaic

Renowned actress Lisa Ray watches as Anchal Sharma, MIC 2010 crowns the new reigning Miss IndiaCanada, Akhina Mooken. Photo courtesy: M. Sagoo

is unique in many ways - delegates are judged on their Indian Dress, Evening Gown, Talent, and their ability to speak in public. The show is focused on Indian arts and culture and at the same time blending into the Ca-

ics, to name a few. The 16 finalists will compete for the title on-stage on Saturday, August 18, 5:30m at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, culminating in the Crowning of Miss India-Canada 2012.

Miss India Connecticut Pageant on September 9 India Post News Service

NEW HAVEN, CT: Diva America is hosting the third Miss India Connecticut Pageant on September 9 in New Haven, at the Shubert Theater with the theme Unity in Diversity. This years' pageant is supported by Gujarati Association of Connecticut. The organizers are expecting a sold out event with 1400 people attending the show. AmeriCares, a non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, has joined as a partner organization. The winner will have the opportunity to travel on a chartered flight to Guatemala on September 29 as part of AmeriCares Airlift Benefit. The winner will get a first-hand look at AmeriCares aid programs in Guatemala by visiting hospitals, clinics and social service agencies the Stamford-based charity supports. AmeriCares President and CEO Curt Welling will serve as one of the judges at the pageant. Miss India Connecticut is not only a beauty pageant but also a movement to bring a greater assimilation of Indian Americans with local American community. "We believe that respecting other cultures, respecting other religions and getting respected for our own is the way to live in peace and harmony. Keeping that as a motto, the pageant's theme this year has been set as Unity in Diversity", said Diva America President, Mrs. Anita Bhat. Miss India Connecticut is also the first beauty pageant to intro-

Group Photo with Curt Welling, President and CEO of AmeriCares with Diva America organizers. (L-R) Harry Patel, Babita Naik, Meera Banta, Anita Bhat, Curt Welling, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Shalini Madaras, Shobha Adige

duce BMI (Body Mass Index) as one of the selection criteria for the contestants. "We believe that Fashion Industry influences our next generation in their attitude

could help reduce obesity, anorexia, bulimia, low self-esteem and depression amongst the next generation. If we succeed in bringing about this change in other beauty

The winner will get a first-hand look at AmeriCares aid programs in Guatemala by visiting hospitals, clinics and social service agencies the Stamford-based charity supports towards health and fitness. To target the Fashion Industry, we have introduced BMI and we hope that by bringing this awareness, we

pageants, it will be historical!" Mrs. Bhat commented. Governor Malloy, the Mayor of Stamford at that time was the Chief

Guest of Miss India Connecticut pageant in 2009. Current Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia hosted the 2010 pageant at the Palace Theatre in Stamford. Indian Consul General Prabhu Dayal, Congressman Jim Himes, Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei, then State Senator Andrew McDonald, were some of the guests in the past pageants. Diva has been involving different local Indian community groups, universities, policy makers and elected officials to bring credibility to its show. This year's show has been supported by many community groups. Miss India Connecticut Pageant has been endorsed by CAPI

(Connecticut Association of Physicians of Indian Origin), AAPI (American Association of Physician of Indian Origin) and GOPIO (Global Organization of People of Indian Origin) Youth Council. Diva team is proud to present a spectacular show with Indian classical, Bollywood, and folk music and dances to show case magical India. Indian master chef Prasad Chirnomula, the culinary visionary and the owner of Thali & Oaxaca Kitchen, will be sponsoring the cocktail reception. AmeriCares and Kick for Nick Foundation are the two charities supported by Miss India CT Pageant.

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July 27, 2012 www.indiapost.com

Akshay helps his student enter Bollywood

ollywood megastar and Martial Arts supremo Akshay Kumar has once again shown his caring nature by offering to act in the debut film of his onetime Martial Arts student, Prateek. Akshay and Prateek first met when Akshay starred in the 1992 hit Deedar, which was directed by Prateek's grandfather and acclaimed director Pramod Chakravorty. During breaks in the filming, Akshay trained his protĂŠgĂŠ in the discipline of Martial Arts. "When Akshay was shooting for my granddad's film Deedar, he taught me Martial Arts. I stopped training and he also

got busy with his film career. But I have always been close to him," says Prateek. Now Prateek, a budding Bollywood actor and director, has penned and starred in his debut project, 'From Sydney With Love', which he has made under his family production banner of Pramod Films. Akshay has offered to perform a cameo in the film and has also helped to launch the film's music soundtrack. Speaking about the project, Prateek said: "Akshay supporting me is a huge deal". He added: "Akshay has promised to work with me in my next venture. So after 'From Sydney With Love', we will look at a suitable script.

July 27, 2012

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Sean Paul readies for maiden India tour NEW DELHI: World-famous Jamaican reggae artist Sean Paul is set for his maiden India visit and he will perform across the country starting November 1. He promises to regale the audience with his hits and more as the concert coincides with the festive season here. "India, get ready for my live show. The wait is finally over and now, for the first time ever, I'm excited to bring my live show to India. I can't wait for my fans to join me where I'll be performing all of your favorites and some new songs from my latest album," Sean Paul said in a statement. He is expected to belt out his hits Get busy, Gimme the light, I'm still in love with you, Give it up to me, Baby boy and Never gonna be the same, to name a few. The international music sensation and pop star has set out on multiple international summer tours in support of his last two albums Imperial Blazeand Tomahawk Technique. The Indian edition of Sean Paul Live In Concert is being presented and managed by Blue Note Enter-

tainment, a promotion and event management company, which is foraying into the concert space for the first time. The concerts are being strategies on a concept based on Diwali, which falls on November 13 this

year, said Fardeen Shirazi, creative head, Blue Note Entertainment. "Interestingly our stage set-up and decor will comprise of mirrors, lights and crystals, something that hasn't been explored before in India. We promise to give all his fans in India a night to remember," he said. -PTI

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July 27, 2012 www.indiapost.com

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 22

Therein lies her conflict. She does find it very liberating when Jay comes back looking for her and takes her to Mumbai. But there's a certain sadness in the fact that she never fully fits into that setting but is nonetheless happy to try. When Jay finally takes her back to Rajasthan after finding out that she has been hiding a secret from him, she is in a way made to accept the unfairness that she has always been subjected to. To sum up her journey throughout the film in short, she's almost there but never really there. Q: Tell us about her relationship with Jay. A: Jay in our film is the embodiment of both Angel and Alec in

Freida's Trishna Hardy's Tess set in contemporary India

has an optimism that is absolutely admirable but also quite intense. He knew I didn't speak Marvadi at all but somehow thought since I spoke Hindi I would be able to speak and improvise in Marvadi as well. It obviously scared the living delights out of me and forced me to find a method to pick up the language in less than 20 days! I didn't have a dialect coach on set so I had to prepare myself fully for whatever could be thrown at me. I think in that sense, he ex-

I was not playing Tess in England or Mumbai, so I had to keep it as authentic to the Rajasthani setting as possible. In terms of skills, I learnt to speak a bit of Marvadi and of course learning the traditional Rajasthani dance moves was fun. Can milking cows and goats also be considered a skill? I think yes! Q: The role of Trishna is huge and required flexibility and versatility, which you excelled at. What were the biggest challenges and biggest joys of the shoot? A: It has been by far my biggest and most demanding role and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. The

way he functions. I believe that's his way of pushing himself to do better and excel. His ability to communicate his ideas and at the same time be open to debate made it very easy and a memorable experience to work with him. Q: Michael has compared the England of the 19th Century during Tess' time with the new India that's emerging (industrialization, urbanization, education). Do you agree? How have you seen India change in recent years and how in particular, has it changed for women like Trishna? A: It is quite true and I never

When she finally does tell him about the pregnancy, his image of her being a symbol of "ultimate purity" comes down like a house of cards and they move into a very sadistic phase of their relationship

Hardy's novel. Trishna's purity is alluring to Jay but it's that very quality he ends up exploiting in his Alec phase. It's a very passionate relationship filled with sexual tension, awe and a certain admiration for each other. But they are almost like each other's forbidden fruit. Trishna would probably only dream of falling in love with someone like Jay and only in her wildest dreams would she ever imagine it to be a reciprocal feeling. There is a lot of shyness and passivity in the way she handles her side of the relationship with him never knowing how much she could actually open up. So when she finally does tell him about the pregnancy, his image of her being a symbol of "ultimate purity" comes down like a house of cards and they move into a very sadistic phase of their relationship where she continues to be even more passive which irks Jay further and in turn he keeps provoking her to get her to react. It's a doomed romance. Q: How different was the shooting experience and working with Michael, compared to your other films? A: Michael has a very distinctive style of filming. He is not afraid of getting his hands dirty in a way that he can be fully involved in the story and encourages and expects us to do the same. He also

pected our homework to be thorough and for us to be as prepared as he always is. That quality made me think a lot more independently as an actor and to be able to make the set more organic rather than contrived. He likes working with a very intimate set - very few people where you don't feel like it's a movie set. He is very flexible and invites the actors to come up with their own ideas to enhance the scenes. Every film has had its own unique and wonderful experience but this is what is unique about Michael. Q: What sort of preparation and research did you do and what other skills did you have to learn? You do a lot of dancingâ&#x20AC;Ś A: Oh yes - the dancing! I accompanied one of the crew members on a recce a month before we started filming to get a better sense of the culture I was going to dive into. It's obviously not enough to just be an Indian to play this character. Rajasthan is vastly different from Mumbai. I met a lot of families, young girls working at hotels, recorded videos and audio tapes, went to local schools, spoke to students there and got interesting insights on their dreams and aspirations and the hurdles they come across in accomplishing those dreams. For me, my research consisted of studying people.

biggest challenge was adopting Trishna's passivity which is not necessarily her strength or weakness, it is both. Many times Michael had to remind me during certain scenes not to respond and join in every conversation but rather be the observer and absorber. That's very difficult for a chatty girl like me who is always ready with a response! But through the course of the filming process it started falling into place - the frustration, the internalisation of the pain she feels that ultimately pushes her over the edge. For me it was almost like her passivity was a must to understanding her suffering. Working with a team that introduced a guerilla style of filmmaking to me was a complete joy and I cannot say I wasn't ready for it. I was more than happy to embrace it. The simplicity of our living conditions in Ossian made it easier for me to feel closer to Trishna. I found it very interesting that we didn't just work with professional actors. The family playing Trishna's family in the film were a real Rajasthani family from Ossian (except for those playing my mother and father). It was like the saying "go with the flow" for most part but with an obvious direction. Q: How was it working with Riz? A: There is something absolutely earthy and raw about the way he performs. He takes every moment as it is given to him; he feels it inside out and delivers with impact. He can be very hard on himself sometimes but that's the

really paid attention to that comparison, till I had to justify to myself why TRISHNA would be the perfect Indian Rajasthani adaptation. It definitely is. India has changed in a lot of ways and in some ways there is still the need for more change. Education is slowly trickling into most remote villages of India and the importance of educating the girl-child is also coming to the forefront. There are still a few rigid ways and blind faith beliefs, social class system and casteism that serve as hindrances in a few small towns and villages in the interiors of the country but despite that conscious efforts are being made to ensure that the need for basic education to children male and female is met and ad-

equate support to see it through is provided for. The Thar English Medium Primary School in Ossian that lent their support in the preproduction process of the film is one such example of the educational change in rural areas. As far as cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore etc go, there is an incredibly distinctive change. Technology and modernisation has improved the quality of life, and education has become on a par with the international standards if not better. The manner in which India's economy has seen an unprecedented boom in the last one and half decades and particularly in the last four to five years has a lot in common to the industrial revolution of England. There is also considerable growth and development of "home grown MNCs" in India. Besides the open door policy that allows foreign investment in India, we also have our own corporate giants like the Tata group, the Birla group, the Ambani group that have made a mark in the business and entertainment world not just in India but also overseas. And of course as far as changing role of woman in society goes , the fact that the current President of India is a woman is quite a shining example. Q: Michael has drawn similarities between Thomas Hardy's storytelling and Bollywood films (melodrama, love, poor girl falling in love with rich man and being carried away). Can you see that? A: Absolutely. Essentially it can be viewed as a typical Bollywood story - the themes and the definite melodrama in it. Even some of Hardy's lines can find a direct parallel to some of the Bollywood films, especially when Angel returns from Brazil to find her as a mistress to Alec and Tess tells him "It's too late, it's too late". It's reality that is heightened with tools like melodrama.

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Lalgarh palace

his desert city of Rajasthan (India's north-western province) is an eye-catching site of well-fed camels and citadels. Being near to Delhi, it had to withstand the worst of Mughal invasions during earlier times. The exotic camel safaris, its gorgeous forts and the worship of thousands of holy rats at Mata Kali temple are some of the most interesting aspects of Bikaner. The camel festival held in the month of January is also an event worth witnessing if one wants to get the actual color of the place. Bikaner is situated in the north of Rajasthan. The city, just like Jodhpur, is surrounded by great walls. It has Ganganagar and Hanumangarh in its north and Churu on its east. Nagaur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer are in its south while in the western part it has the neighboring country Pakistan. It is situated on a slightly higher place (altitude 237 meters) and has an arid climate most of the year. Due to the geographic location of the city, it was one of the most important trade centers for traders of west-central Asia. History: Just like the history of the entire state, Bikaner also has its own glorious past. It has examples of courage, motivation and happiness. It was in 1488 that a Rathore Prince, Rao Bikaji (a descendant of the founder of Jodhpur, Rao Jodhaji), established his kingdom here. It has faced many foreign intrusions and fought a number of wars with the Mughals and the British.

Karni Mata temple

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 29 Laxmi Nath temple

Laxmi Niwas Palace

Travel & Hospitality Post

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July 27, 2012

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Monsoon tourism in Rajasthan KOTA, Rajasthan: The rocky parched landscape of Hadoti region of Rajasthan turns into verdant green during the rainy season with the tourist city of Bundi converting into a hill station of sorts and raising the prospects of monsoon tourism. Enveloped by the Aravalli hills that are dotted with thick greenery along with waterfalls and brooks of crystal water, the city of Bundi that lies in the heart of the Hadoti region comprising Kota, Jhalawar and Baran districts offers abundant for the promotion of monsoon tourism The monsoon generally enters into Rajasthan in first week of July through Hadouti and provides relief to the perspiring and scorching heat of May and June and lashes on till end of September. The waterfalls at Bheemlat, a cave temple of Lord Shiva in the gorge at Ramseshwaram, the Bardha Dam, Dhobra on the hill top of Taragarh and the baolis (step-wells) in Bundi, are the key spots that are major attractions during the rainy season. Chattaneshwar, Karneshwar, Alina Dam, Gabernath, Kota Barrage, Chambal garden and Rana Pratap Sager Dam in Kota and

Sita bari, Kapil Dhara waterfall, Paratapghar, Ramgarh temple also called 'Khajuraho of Rajasthan' are the spots of spontaneous beauty and tranquility in Baran district. The Deputy Director, Tourism Department, Kota division N L Alawada says, "The monsoons can prove to be boon for tourism promotion in Hadouti as it is the only region in Rajasthan with the green

Aravalli hills several waterfalls and fountains. Time to time, we have forwarded proposals to the government for promoting monsoon tourism in Hadouti. Since larger area of natural landscapes fall in forest area, so eco tourism also needs to be promoted in the region." "Such spontaneous water falls in large

At Bheemlat, a cave temple of Lord Shiva in the gorge at Ramseshwaram, the Bardha Dam, Dhobra on the hill top of Taragarh and the baolis (step-wells) in Bundi, are the key spots that are major attractions during the rainy season

number and green hills can nowhere be found in the desert state," says Mukendra National Park Committee Fateh Singh Bhati pointing out that Bundi and Kota are the best destinations in Rajasthan for monsoon tourism. He recommends transport facilities to natural sites for the tourists and called upon the government to promote it so that it can be shaped up into an industry. In the current month about 255 foreign tourists have visited Bundi, according to the Assistant Tourist Officer, Bundi Prem Shanker. A total of 8,495 foreigners and 26,892 domestic tourists had visited Bundi till May this year, adds Shanker. Mahaveer Barva, a journalist and wildlife writer from Baran regrets besides Bundi other districts of Hadouti have not yet been taken on tourism map and added monsoon tourism and eco tourism can be big industry in the region. Wildlife activist and naturalist Vittal Sanadhaya points out that a proposal was prepared two years ago to promote monsoon tourism in Hadouti but there were no concrete steps towards implementing it. -PTI

Omanis opting for India for medical tourism DUBAI: India is fast becoming a favorite destination for Omanis seeking advanced medicare, with the number of visas being issued for India witnessing a significant rise. The number of medical visas issued to Omanis from January 1 to June 30 this year has jumped three times and that of other kinds of visas went up 30 per cent when compared to the same period last year, according to the Times of Oman report. "There was a tremendous increase in the number of all kinds of visas issued to Omanis during the first half 2012. The statistics reveal that India is turning into a prime destination for Omanis who opt for advanced treatment and also want to have a glimpse of the rich Indian cultural heritage," a senior official from the Indian embassy in Muscat was quoted as saying

by the newspaper. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and New Delhi are the top five destinations where Omanis visited for medical treatment during the last six months.

cilities, experienced medics, affordable and quality nursing facilities, cheap medicines, and traditional healthcare centers. This has led to a rush in medical tourism," the official said.

"I took my wife for allergy treatment to Kerala a few weeks ago. She received the best available treatment and now she is fine. The facilities are world-class and treatment quite cheap," Fahad Al-Kharousi, an oil company employee said. "The processing of official papers for going to India for medical purposes is much easier compared to any other country "The rise in the number of medical visas shows that India is turning into a medicare hub. India has state-of-the-art medical fa-

The Indian Embassy in Muscat issues medical, tourism, business and student visas for Omanis who seek treatment for car-

Golf caddy training program launched NEW DELHI: The Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI) and Ministry of Tourism has launched the "Incredible India golf caddy training program" to create employment opportunities for the underprivileged section of the society. The initiative, a part of the Ministry's "Hunar se Rozgaar" campaign, aims towards skill development for aspiring Golf Assistants. This program will identify prospective candidates to be trained as golf assistants and the short listed candidates will undergo an extensive and detailed training program of six weeks on various

aspects of golf. The training module would focus more towards practical learning about the game of golf along with some necessary theoretical classes, to enable quicker and stronger understanding about the sport to the aspiring golf assistants. The primary objective of the program is to create a pool of certified Golf Assistants who can assist national and international golfers during golf tours in India. The candidates need to have a minimum education till class eight and should be between the age of 18 and 28. The DLF Golf Club has volunteered to train the women

Golf Assistants - a first ever initiative as this would be the first lot of trained women golf assistants that the country would have. "WGAI has always believed in women empowerment and with this initiative, which is the first training of its kind in India, we look to benefit the women who want to make a career in golf but don't have the resources," said Kavita Singh, President, Women's Golf Association of India. "This is a beginning of a process and I am confident that we will be able to create a huge pool of employable caddies, which will further open other avenues for them." -PTI

diovascular, gastroenterology, orthopedic, oncology, ophthalmology and dental ailments. "After their return from India, many Omanis say that due to cultural similarities and historical ties, they feel they are at home," the official said. "I took my wife for allergy treatment to Kerala a few weeks ago. She received the best available treatment and now she is fine. The facilities are world-class and treatment quite cheap," Fahad Al-Kharousi, an oil company employee said. "The processing of official papers for going to India for medical purposes is much easier compared to any other country. Moreover, the facilities we get there are the best," he said. Local agencies say visa enquiries for treatment in India are very high in Oman. -PTI

Jobs for one lakh youth in tourism industry GURGAON: With millions of foreign tourists visiting the country annually, the Union Government has decided to provide jobs to one lakh youths through tourism industry during the current financial year. While launching 'Incredible India golf caddy training program' in association with the Ministry of Tourism at DLF Golf Course here, Tourism additional secretary Sanjay Kothari said the union government has fixed a target of providing employment to one lakh youths through tourism industry during the current finan-

cial year. During 2011-12, the ministry had generated employment for 33,000 youths in the country, he informed. This policy is in conformity with the resolution passed by the heads of Nations of 20 developed countries, recognizing tourism as a vehicle for job creation, poverty reduction and economic growth, the Special Secretary added. A total number of 6.29 million foreign tourists visited India last year and the Union Government has planned to double the figure within five years, he added. -PTI

July 27, 2012

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Bikaner: Site of gorgeous forts & exotic camel safaris Cont’d from page 27

Tourist attractions: Junagarh fort was built by a Mughal army general, Raja Rai Singh, in 1593. The courtyard of the fort along with the balcony, kiosks and windows are perfect examples of the artisanship of that time. The beautiful cutworks and dots on the red stones and the marbles are fascinating. The various parts

The Gajanir Palace and the wildlife sanctuary, 32 km from the main city, is also a place worth visiting. A large number of wild species are available like the nilgai, wild boar, chinkara, etc. This place was the summer resort of the former kings of the palace - the Dewan-i-khas, the Phool Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Badal Mahal and Anup Mahal - reflect the glorious architecture of Bikaner. Lalgarh Palace, built by Maharaja Ganaga Singh in memory of his father, is situated 3 km north of Bikaner city. The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation as part of their tourism promotion program has converted some portions of the palace into tourist hotels. Other parts of the palace have been converted into a museum named as the Sadul Museum to preserve the

Karni Mata temple

glory of the yesteryears of Rajasthan in general and Bikaner in particular. Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum is one of the best museums of Rajasthan with some fabulous collections of antiques and artilleries. The Bhandasar Jain Temple, dedicated to the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, is also a place worth visiting. The Camel Research Farm carries out breeding and training of camels - the only fighting force and medium of transportation in the past. Places around: The temple of Mata Karni and Goddess Durga is a must-visit place to experience the rare sight of rats being worshiped in thousands. The Gajanir Palace and the wildlife sanctuary, 32 km from the main city, is also a place worth visiting. A large number of wild spe-

Gangaur Festival

cies are available like the nilgai, wild boar, chinkara, etc. This place was the summer resort of the former kings. Shiv Bari Temple, just 6 km away from the main city, is a wellcurved and neatly worked out temple. It has a bronze Nandi statue and a Shiva lingam. Kalibangan is an archeological site containing remains of the preHarappan and Harappan civilizations. This is a much-recommended site for historians and others who want to gain an insight into India's rich heritage. Besides these, there are several places of pilgrimage like Kolayatji, Devikund, etc., which are famous among the religious. Fairs & festivals: To know the local hues and colors of Bikaner, one has to witness the local fairs and festivals. The Camel Festival, held in the month of January, is the most excit-

Fishermen rule Goa shores when rains shut tourism PANAJI: When rains render picturesque Colva beach in South Goa out of reach for tourists, it is the time for the local fishermen to have their piece of pie which is otherwise denied to them by the advent of tourism. For this reason, Custodio D'Souza, 54, likes monsoon even though rains shrink his earnings by almost half. "There are no shacks. There are no tourists. The village gets back its glory of yesteryears when it was a typical fishermen's hamlet," reminisces D'Souza, holding a broken piece of fishing net in his hand, while gazing emptily at the gusty waves awashing the shore. Custodio is among several other traditional fishermen of Colava village for whom the advent of tour-

ism did not augur well. Even as footfalls grew steadily on Colva beach, the fate of the indigenous community took a differ-

Despite growing mechanization, several families in Colva village still rely on traditional fishing methods as a vital occupation ent rather a tragic turn. The beach got flooded with people with everyone reaping benefits from Sunshine tourism. While some set up beach shacks, others started water sports even as the

space for traditional canoes shrunk miserably. "Colva beach is wiped out from the tourism map during the rain. Few people come here. The beach is left open for the traditional fishermen, the original occupants," Custodio says wearing a sarcastic smile. He said that fishing takes a back seat during rains when canoes are shifted to small palm-leaves thatched huts lined up along the shore. "We put the net from the shore itself without going much deep into water. We get good catch but not as much as we used to get after fishing with canoes," Custodio says. Despite growing mechanization, several families in Colva village still rely on traditional fishing methods as a vital occupation.-PTI

ing festival. Competitions related to camels like camel races, milking, dancing, etc., make this festival even more interesting. Kolayat is the holy festival when people take a dip in holy water of the Kolayat Lake. It normally takes place on the full-moon night of the Hindu month Kartik (November). Gangaur Festival, dedicated to Goddess Parvati, is an 18-day spring festival celebrated during

the month of April. How to reach Air - Bikaner is well connected with the nearby towns and cities of importance. Jodhpur is the nearest airport. Rail - Bikaner has a number of train links to connect it with the major cities of India. Road - It is also linked with the big and small cities of India by the national highways and other roadways.

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In Brief Lawsuit targets Ariz. law on nonabortion funding PHOENIX: Planned Parenthood Arizona is suing to try to block enforcement of a new Arizona law that would bar abortion providers from receiving public funding for health services other than abortion. The abortion provider sued state officials in federal court in Phoenix. The suit contends the new law taking effect Aug. 2 violates federal law on Medicaid patients' rights and also several constitutional rights. A spokeswoman for Arizona's Medicaid program says officials haven't yet seen the suit and cannot immediately comment. Arizona already bars using public money for abortion, but supporters of the new law have said they wanted to make sure the state provides no indirect support for abortion. -AP

Smuggling guide pleads guilty in death TUCSON, Ariz.: A Mexican man has pleaded guilty to being a smuggling guide in the death of an illegal immigrant last year in southern Arizona. Federal prosecutors said that 51-year-old Hiliberto JimenezPalacios pleaded guilty to transportation of an illegal immigrant. He's scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 21. Jimenez-Palacios was indicted by a grand jury in Tucson last July. Prosecutors say JimenezPalacios led five illegal immigrants across the Arizona border and through the desert in late June 2011. But the group lacked adequate supplies of food and water to complete the multi-day hike in triple-digit heat. -AP

States to get more access to immigration data OLYMPIA, Wash.: Federal officials are expanding access to an immigration database so that several states can use it to cleanse voter rolls. The Homeland Security Department first notified Florida officials last week that they could check to see if registered voters are actually noncitizens who should not be eligible to cast a ballot. State officials said that Homeland Security representatives are now offering similar access to other states who had been requesting the information. -AP

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Gessler moving fast on citizenship database DENVER: Colorado's top elections officer is rushing to use a federal immigration database to eliminate ineligible voters in the coming weeks as a deadline looms. -AP

Rising visa costs may pinch IT companies' profits NEW DELHI: Indian IT companies, including market leaders TCS and Infosys, may have to bear huge costs towards employee visa fees going ahead, which in turn can put pressure on their profit margins. Difficult visa norms, particularly in the US - one of the most important markets for the Indian software companies - have already made an adverse impact on their operating margins in the first quarter of the current fiscal and the trend is likely to continue in the coming quarters. The companies are being hit hard by the double whammy of higher visa rejection rate and increased visa costs, but the changing dynamics of the outsourcing business might lead to the Indian IT companies seeking even larger number of visas for their employees going ahead, experts say. India's largest software firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has applied for 5,900 H-1B visas for the US this year, up 1,400 from last year's 4,500 applications. TCS' executive vice-president and global human resources head

Among Indian companies, Infosys incurred USD 7 million in visa costs during the quarter ended March 31, 2012. However, these costs could vary by a wide margin Ajoy Mukherjee said the company is now looking at more H-1B visas, given the higher risks of visa rejections in the L1 category. According to officials at industry body Nasscom, the visa rejection rates are as high as 40 per cent in the US. The grouping has expressed concern about the issue in the past and has been involved in discussion with the US administration seeking further clarity in

regulations and interpretations pertaining to visa rules. For Indian IT firms, the most common visa categories are L1 (meant for intra-company transfers of employees to the US offices from other locations) and H-1B (non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations). The fees were raised for both the categories in August 2010,

while changes are being anticipated in the immigration rules of the US. The US accounts for about 60 per cent of the Indian IT sector's overall revenues. As a result, Indian companies account for a significant portion of the professional visa applications in the US. Among Indian companies, Infosys incurred USD 7 million in visa costs during the quarter ended March 31, 2012. However, these costs could vary by a wide margin, as the number of available visas in the US tends to vary substantially from quarter to quarter. Infosys' visa costs were as high as USD 15 million in July-September quarter of 2011. The company incurred total visa charges of Rs 202 crore (0.6 per cent of revenue) last fiscal ended March 31, 2012 up from Rs 184 crore in FY2011. Announcing its first quarter results last week, TCS chief N Chandrasekaran said the company's margin was impacted by factors like wage increases and higher visa fees on account of a "significant number of visas" it had applied for. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 33

Accepting unrefuted, unsupported govt assertions-II DAVID A. ISAACSON

(Continued from last week) ne of the reasons that at our firm, and I suspect at most other firms practicing in the area of immigration law, prospective clients are asked to bring to the initial consultation any and all documents that may shed light on their immigration history, is that the vague recollection of a layperson regarding what formal program he or she may have entered under some time ago, and what may have happened since, is not particularly likely to be reliable when it is not backed up by documentation. Immigration law is incredibly complex. In softcover book form, the Immigration and Nationality Act alone is nearly four hundred pages long, and the related Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regula-

tions is more than one thousand pages in length. There are also other federal regulations that relate to immigration law, various administrative handbooks of different agencies (such as the State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual, or the

happened in a particular case. Moreover, not only the regulations and handbooks but the Immigration and Nationality Act itself can change frequently over time. The current version of the Visa Waiver Program, for example, was

A non-lawyer who has gone through the immigration process will often mistake one status or legal mechanism for another Adjudicator's Field Manual and Inspector's Field Manual of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Customs and Border Protection respectively), and other government policy memoranda that will also sometimes need to be reviewed in order to determine precisely what has

created by the Visa Waiver Permanent Program Act in October 2000, as explained by a 2004 Congressional Research Service report (see page 9)-- that is, the current version of the VWP was created by statute after Ms. Vera's September 2000 entry into the United States.

Because of the complicated nature of the immigration system as it exists today, and because of the equally convoluted history underlying today's version of the immigration system, a non-lawyer who has gone through the immigration process will often mistake one status or legal mechanism for another. In this field, fallible memory is often no substitute for actual paperwork. That is particularly so when one is trying to reconstruct events that happened more than a decade ago. While it is sometimes the case that one must rely on human memory because no paperwork was issued at the time of a particular admission (such as when a car is "waved through" at a border post, which Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 33

Immigration Post

July 27, 2012

India Post

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Rising visa costs may pinch IT companies' profits Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 32

Similar comments were made by Infosys and iGate while announcing their financial results. Infosys CEO S D Shibulal said, "Infosys is also facing difficult visa norms and is being forced to spend more on visas to ship techies to the US. Hence, the rise in visa expense and employee costs resulted in a decline in margins in the first quarter of the financial year 2013." The US had raised visa fee in 2010, a move that India has been protesting against at different forums. Indian companies like TCS, Infosys and Wipro have been affected by the US action on visa fee hike for professionals. With unemployment rates still high in the US and Presidential Elections nearby, antioutsourcing voices are gaining traction that could impact business of Indian IT firms. Indian

firms, on the other hand, are ramping up their onshore presence to counter such situations. The US Chamber of Commerce, along with some Indian and American companies including TCS, Wipro, Accenture and Cognizant, recently wrote to the US President Barack Obama, seeking easing of rules for getting L1 visas. The companies, in their letter, claimed that long delays and a high rejection rate for L1 visas were making it very difficult to do business in the US. IT companies, including Infosys and Wipro, have been regularly listing visa-related issues as potential risk factors for their operations in their various regulatory filings. Infosys said in one such recent filing that a vast majority of its employees were Indian nationals and most of its projects

require a portion of the work to be completed at the client's location. "The ability of our technology professionals to work in the United States, Europe and in other countries depends on the ability to obtain the necessary visas and work permits," it said. As of March 31, 2012, the majority of Infosys' technology professionals in the US held either H-1B visas (approximately 10,115 persons), which allow the employee to remain in the US for up to six years, or L-1 visas (approximately 1,988 persons), which allow the employee to stay in the US only temporarily. Although there is no limit to new L-1 visas, there is a limit to the aggregate number of new H1B visas that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services may approve in any fiscal year which is 85,000 annually. -PTI

PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law

Accepting unrefuted, unsupported govt assertions-II Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 32

is still an admission for purposes of adjustment of status as explained by the Board of Immigration Appeals in Matter of Quilantan), that is different from relying on memory when government paperwork should exist according to the government's theory of the case, but the government simply cannot find it. The path taken by Ms. Vera's case demonstrates why it is problematic to assume the truth of facts not explicitly conceded by a particular noncitizen, in the absence of records showing the truth of those facts, simply because those facts appear most consistent with the orderly functioning of the immigration system and the noncitizen is not sure of their falsity. While it is perhaps understandable that the Court of Appeals for

the Third Circuit chose to rely on facts confidently asserted by the government and seemingly not disputed by Ms. Vera or her thencounsel prior to the Court's original decision, the ultimate outcome of the case demonstrates that government assertions about someone's immigration status are not necessarily true just because the subject of the assertions cannot with assurance recognize them as false. Immigration law is sufficiently complex that it is easy for laypeople and even government bodies to make mistakes. One important way to guard against a mistaken reconstruction of significant details of a case's history is to insist that the government prove its allegations are true, rather than merely assuming them to be true because an immigrant is unable to state with certainty that those allegations are false. Par-

ticularly when the right to a full and fair hearing regarding one's potential removal is at stake, the better approach, as the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held in Galluzzo v. Holder, 633 F.3d 111, 115 (2d Cir. 2011), quoting from Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458, 464 (1938), is to "indulge every reasonable presumption against waiver of fundamental constitutional rights." If the government cannot produce documentation proving that a particular person actually entered under the VWP and actually signed a valid waiver of her right to contest removal, then the government should not be permitted to remove that person without a hearing. * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

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Anti-ageing pills closer to reality

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pill that alleviates the worst aspects of ageing could be closer than we think, an expert says. In fact, a drug already licensed to treat cancer is getting the results scientists are after, in animals. Professor Dame Linda Partridge, the director of the Institute of Ageing at University College London, said that when mice were fed the drug rapamycin, they lived longer, the Age reported. But the drug also offered protection against neurodegenerative diseases, which are closely linked to ageing. "Ageing is the main risk factor for all these horrible killer and chronic conditions - dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer," Professor Partridge said. "What we are trying to do here is hit the underlying ageing process itself through understanding mechanisms to protect against all these things at once, rather than treating them piecemeal." "Rapamycin is beginning to look like a proof of principle that that kind of approach is going to work." However, the drug - a natural product initially discovered in the soil of Easter Island - is also believed to have a downside.

Â&#x201E; Gait could be early sign of Alzheimer's Subtle changes in the way a person walks can be an early warning sign of cognitive decline and a signal for advanced testing, researchers reported at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Vancouver, Canada. The findings are the first to link a physical symptom to the disease, which up until now required doctors to begin a diagnosis by focusing on cognition and administering lengthy neurological exams. The evidence in the five studies is "robust," experts say. They note walking changes can occur even before cognition decline surfaces. The presentation on the opening day of a week of meetings follows a plan the U.S. government announced in May to help train doctors in earlier detection and to find a cure by 2025. "Monitoring deterioration and other changes in a person's gait is ideal because it doesn't require any expensive technology or take a lot of time to assess," says Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer for the Alzheimer's Association. -Courtesy USA Today

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Genetically modified bacteria prevents malaria transmission WASHINGTON: In a breakthrough, US scientists have genetically modified a bacterium to kill the parasite that causes malaria before it infects humans. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute said their breakthrough could help prevent mosquitoes from transmitting malaria to humans. Malaria kills over 800,000 people worldwide every year, most of them are children. In the new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers modified the bacterium, called Pantoea agglomerans, to secrete proteins that are toxic to the malaria parasite, but not harmful to the mosquito or humans. The bacterium is commonly found in the mosquito's midgut. It was found that the modified bacteria were 98 per cent effective in reducing the malaria parasite burden in the insects, the researchers said.

tion of mosquitoes carrying parasites (prevalence) decreased by up to 84 per cent. "We demonstrate the use of an engineered symbiotic bacterium to

"In the past, we worked to genetically modify mosquitoes to resist malaria, but geneticmodification of bacteria is a simpler approach," Prof Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, who led the research, said in a statement. "The ultimate goal is to completely prevent the mosquito from spreading the malaria parasite to

people," he noted. Jacobs-Lorena and his team found that the engineered P. agglomerans strains inhibited development of the deadliest human malaria parasite "Plasmodium falciparum" and rodent malaria parasite "Plasmodium berghei" by up to 98 per cent within the mosquito. The propor-

The bacterium is commonly found in the mosquito's midgut. It was found that the modified bacteria were 98 per cent effective in reducing the malaria parasite burden in the insects, the researchers said interfere with the development of P. falciparum in the mosquito. "These findings provide the foundation for the use of genetically modified symbiotic bacteria as a powerful tool to combat malaria," added Jacobs-Lorena. -PTI

No state-run health exchange: Parnell JUNEAU, Alaska: Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell has rejected the idea of a state-run health insurance exchange under the federal health care law, saying ``federally mandated programs should be paid for by federal dollars.'' An exchange is a marketplace for coverage options. Under the federal health care law, the government can step in and establish exchanges in states where none exist. Parnell last year angered some Democratic state lawmakers by refusing to apply for federal funds to help set up an exchange. In February 2011, he said the state would pursue lawful, market-based solutions of its own, including looking at the potential for an exchange without the ``shiny but poisonous apple'' of federal dollars and mandates ``that create federal dependency and control.'' Parnell's decision was announced shortly after the state health department released a

consultant's report on exchange design options and costs. The report, by Public Consulting Group, modeled the cost of an exchange at $6.7 million, and recommended consideration of such things as a consumer administrative fee and advertising revenue to help cover

the cost. The analysis was based on a potential exchange enrollment of 77,000. The report made no firm recommendation on the route the state should take. ``If there was no political debate or controversy regarding health insurance exchanges,

PCG would recommend the State consider initially implementing a state-federal partnership model with transition to a state-based exchange in 2016 or later,'' it said. Later, the report said: ``However, to date it is impossible to separate out the political impacts and clearly identify the actual cost of a statefederal partnership, so there remain too many unknowns for PCG to make a recommendation.'' The report was dated June 21, a week before the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the federal health care law. In a statement, Parnell said using state funds and personnel to design and implement an exchange is the most expensive option before the state. ``It doesn't make sense to spend Alaskans' dollars to set up an exchange when so much uncertainty exists about how to implement it and how to gain federal approval,'' he said. -AP

July 27, 2012

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Highly anticipated weight-loss pill wins approval WASHINGTON: A new weightloss pill that many doctors consider the most effective of a new generation of anti-obesity drugs has got the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. The pill, called Qsymia, was approved for patients who are overweight or obese and also have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol. The drug offers hope for those who have failed to lose weight in other ways, but its path to approval also underscores how difficult it has been for drugmakers to find obesity treatments that are safe and effective. The drug's maker, Vivus Inc., said it plans to bring the drug to market in the fourth quarter of this year. It hasn't yet decided what the pills will cost. In testing, the drug made led patients to lose more weight than two other weight-loss pills recently review by the FDA. Patients taking Qsymia for a year lost 6.7 percent of their body weight in one study and 8.9 percent in another study, the FDA said. The company said patients on the strongest formulation tested lost nearly 11 percent of their weight.

Despite its impressive performance in clinical trials, Qsymia is not exactly a scientific breakthrough. The drug is actually a combination of two older drugs long known to help with weight loss: phentermine and topirimate. Phentermine is a stimulant that

``We now know there are multiple pathways that determine how much energy we take in every day,'' said Dr. Tim Garvey of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. ``If you intervene on one pathway it's hard to make much of a difference, you really need to attack multiple

With U.S. obesity rates nearing 35 percent of the adult population, many doctors have called on the FDA to approve new weight-loss treatments. But a long line of prescription diet pills have been associated with dangerous side effects, particularly heart problems.

The FDA's approvals of Qsymia and Belviq suggest a new willingness to make weight-loss medications available, even in the face of lingering safety issues suppresses the appetite, and has long been used for short-term weight loss. Topiramate is an anticonvulsant, sold by Johnson & Johnson as Topamax, that makes people feel more satisfied after eating. Researchers say the innovation of Qsymia lies in targeting more than one of the brain signals that drive people to overeat.

mechanisms to get a pronounced effect.'' Garvey helped conduct several pivotal trials of the drug. Qsymia is the second weightloss drug approved by the FDA in less than a month, following Arena Pharmaceutical's pill Belviq in late June. Previously the agency had not approved a new drug for longterm weight loss since 1999.

In 1997, the popular diet drug combination fen-phen was linked to heart valve damage. The cocktail of phentermine and fenfluramine was a popular weight-loss combination prescribed by doctors, though it was never approved by the FDA. Fenfluramine was eventually withdrawn from the market. Other safety failures for diet pills have continued to pile up in recent

years. In 2010, Abbott Laboratories withdrew its drug Meridia after a study showed it increased risks for heart attack and stroke. The FDA's approvals of Qsymia and Belviq suggest a new willingness to make weight-loss medications available, even in the face of lingering safety issues. The FDA initially rejected Vivus' drug in 2010 over concerns that it can cause birth defects if taken by pregnant women. The agency laid out a risk-management plan specifically designed to minimize the chance of the women becoming pregnant while using the drug. It recommends that women of childbearing age test negative for pregnancy before starting the drug and take a monthly pregnancy test while taking it. The agency also said patients with recent or unstable heart disease or stroke aren't good candidates for the drug because its effect on heart rates in those patients is not known. Vivus has to do studies of the heart effects of Qsymia, the FDA said. Analysts estimate the new pill could garner more than $1 billion in sales by 2016, though Mountain View, Calif.-based Vivus plans a slow rollout. -AP

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July 27, 2012

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Scientists develop 'roller' Comedy tour in aid of Save A Mother to keep back flexible

cientists might have found a revolu tionary way to cure back pain. Tiny, artificial rollers, which mimic the flexibility of the spine! Developed by a team at Brigham Young University in the U.S., the "roller" when inserted in the spine replaces damaged discs and provides the same range of movement as the real one. The replacement disc has a rolling action to allow the spine to move in different directions. It's intended as an alternative to fusion, where bones either side of the damaged disc area are welded together to reduce pain, the Daily Mail reported. Spinal discs, which contain a gel-like substance, help, cushion the vertebrae during movement. While they are critical for movement, the discs can become the source of back pain when they degenerate. Treatment ranges from painkillers and physiotherapy, to different types of surgery. One of the most common forms is spinal fusion, in which the vertebrae on either side of the damaged disc are welded together to make one solid bone. However, the operation can limit the flexibility of the spine and restrict movement. To overcome this problem, the Brigham team designed and developed the artificial roller that can move forwards and backwards, as well as side to side.

The device is inserted between the vertebra and disc - tiny spikes in the plates anchor it in place, leaving the roller unimpeded. Early tests on animals and human spines suggest that the device does provide significantly more flexibility than standard disc replacement.

'We welcome news of this new implant. Disc replacement allows a close approximation to the normal spine by allowing it to remain flexible, however new designs need adequate testing' The researchers are now using the device in larger clinical trials. If they are successful, they hope to launch the technology in the next three years. Commenting on the technology, Jane Tadman of Arthritis Research U.K. said: "We welcome news of this new implant. Disc replacement allows a close approximation to the normal spine by allowing it to remain flexible, however new designs need adequate testing."

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Save A Mother and Comedian Anish Shah have announced a Comedy Tour to raise $100,000 in support of their maternal mortality reduction program. Save A Mother is a nonprofit organization that provides an aggressive health literacy program that trains volunteer village health activists to educate, empower and connect pregnant women to public health systems in India. Philanthropist and Actress Shabana Azmi, a longtime supporter of Save a Mother, says "Maternal mortality rates in India are possibly the highest in the world after Africa. The number of women we lose due to pregnancy related issue in one week in India is more then all of Europe in one year." Save A Mother has teamed up with New York based comedian Anish Shah to launch the No Laughing Matter Comedy Tour, a 3 city tour, culminating in the release of a 1 hour online comedy special which will be available for download at a minimal fee donated entirely to the organization. The 3 city comedy tour kicked off on Mother's Day in Chicago with celebrity guest, Parvesh Cheena, from "Outsourced" and raised $4,500. The tour continues at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles on August 15th, India's Independence Day, followed by a performance at NYC's premiere comedy club, Carolines on Broadway on September 13th. A successful comedian as well as a Yale MBA and McKinsey consultant, Anish Shah has taken a year off from the corpo-

rate world to donate his time and talent to Save A Mother. He will be joined on stage by other celebrity guests in both LA and NYC trying their hands at comedy! Social Activist and Actor, Anupam Kher, supporter of Save A Mother, said "Every year women die in India while giving birth; it's ironic while they give birth to a new life, their own life finishes. By helping Save a Mother, you are helping mothers that are finishing their life at a very young age." Since 2008, Save A Mother has worked in approximately 1000 villages in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where maternal

and child deaths are amongst the highest in the world. Volunteer village health activists take responsibility for their communities, educating, empowering and connecting pregnant women to public health systems. Save a Mother field workers have helped reduce maternal deaths by 91% and neonatal deaths by 57% in less than 3 years and achieved this at the cost of $100 per village per year. This program has now being replicated by other NGOs in 50 districts of Uttar Pradesh with funds from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF.

US approves anti-HIV drug

he U.S. Food and Drug Administra tion made history this week as it gave its first ever nod for an anti-HIV drug, Truvada, to pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences. Yet the move was greeted with scepticism in some quarters, particularly from AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the U.S.' largest HIV/AIDS non-profit medical provider, which described the FDA decision as "reckless." Truvada is known chemically as a fixeddose, daily intake combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Since 2004 it has been marketed as a treatment for those already infected with HIV. However beginning in 2010, clinical studies demonstrated that the drug could prevent people from contracting the infection in the first place. According to some public health advocates these studies show that Truvada could be a preventive measure for high-risk individuals such as those with HIV-positive partners - only when combined with sexual health counseling and the use of condoms. In particular reports cited a three-year study showing that a daily intake of Truvada reduced the "risk of infection in

healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 per cent when accompanied by condoms and counseling." In 2011 another study found that Truvada reduced infection by 75 per cent in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected, according to reports. However Michael Weinstein, co-founder and president of AHF, argued that healthy individuals should be required to show proof of a negative HIV test before getting Truvada as a prevention medicine. "If it's that important, why isn't it a requirement?'' he was quoted as saying. One of Mr. Weinstein's biggest concerns is that close to 21 per cent of HIVpositive individuals in the U.S. were said to be unaware of their infection. If they did not get tested before taking Truvada as prevention, "there is a possibility that the HIV strains they have could become resistant to treatment - and that they might spread these strains unknowingly to their partners." Also the requirement that it be taken daily may be too onerous and skipped dosages could thus lead to further risk that drug-resistant HIV strains may emerge, the AHF has noted.

Tech News Decision on Boeing compensation package soon BANGALORE: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs would "very soon" clear a "compensation package" to be paid by Boeing to Air India for delay in delivery of three Dreamliners, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has said. A note on the compensation package has been circulated and comments on it from Finance and Law Ministries are awaited, Singh told reporters here. "Three planes are ready and a compensation package has to be cleared by CCEA", he said, adding, a decision on it would be taken "very soon".-PTI

Facebook launches App Center in India

acebook has launched its application centre, called App Center in India. App Center is now available to everyone in the US, Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK, according to a post on the company's official blog. To go to the App Center, a user has to click on the left side of the home page. Users are directed to the App Center on clicking. Once in the App Center, a user can choose various apps from several categories that include music, photos, games, news, videos, entertainment, sports, travel and tourism.

iStream bags internet rights for India-Lanka series

Stream.com, India's First Online Video Service has acquired the exclusive live streaming and video on demand rights for India for the Micromax Cup India-Sri Lanka series starting July 21, in Sri Lanka. With the Indian team out of action for 4 months, this series has been one of the most anticipated ones, and will see them pitted against the Lankans in 5 ODIs and 1 T20. Sri Lanka is one of India's favorite hunting grounds with a record of winning 67 matches out of the total 76 played. The deal was signed with Sporty Solutionz, which has got exclusive Internet and mobile rights for this series from Ten Sports. All the 6 day-night matches starting at 2:30 pm will be streamed live on iStream.com, and will also be available on demand for a month after the tournament.

TechBiz 37 India Post

www.indiapost.com

July 27, 2012

Microsoft launches latest Microsoft Office

icrosoft Corp. has launched the customer preview of the new Microsoft Office, available at office.com/preview. The next release features an intuitive design that works beautifully with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard across new Windows devices, including tablets. The new Office is social and unlocks modern scenarios in reading, note-taking, meetings and communications and will be delivered to subscribers through a cloud service that is always up to date. "We are taking bold steps at Microsoft." Microsoft Corp. CEO Ballmer said at the press conference in San Francisco.”

Inspiring the industrialization of Rajasthan quality power and availability of stitutes here relating to IT sector. create at least 100,000 jobs for the low cost manpower. Dr Sameen Sharma, a prominent youth in this sector. Mr Rajendra Bhanawat was a cardiologist from USA, had set up IP: Have you done any road of a muti-speciality shows to promote the state as an ajasthan State Industrial topper Development & Invest- Udaipur Univer- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW hospital in Jaipur. investment destination? And if so, Earlier, many of when and where did this take ment Corporation Ltd sity in B.Sc. and the Non Resi- place? (RICCO) has played a catalytic role was awarded a RB: In the past we have done in the industrial development of Gold Medal. As a professional, in dent Rajasthanis living abroad had Rajasthan. It has been an impor- all his postings, he has left marks invested in several projects in- road shows mainly in the stonerelated industry alongside FICCI. tant part of Rajasthan's growth of success combined with moral cluding the marble industry. story by attracting investors with values, integrity and dedication IP: Are any major US corpora- We have also participated in a road show in China and are looking for friendly land acquisition and fi- wherever he went. He has made tions coming to Rajasthan? corporations like RSMDC, RTDC, RB: There is a steady flow of them to come and invest in nancial assistance schemes. As an infrastructure developer and Rajasthan Small Industries US companies that are coming Rajasthan. Many of them are inRIICO has 26 regional offices all Corporation, etc. quality produc- here. One among them is terested in setting up industries over Rajasthan which administer ing and profit generating indus- Compucom; they have set up a in education, health and tourism. the development of land related tries with his able and dedicated unit in Bhiwadi. IP: What about infrastructure for industrialization. leadership. He has authored a number of other countries? It has so far developed 322 IndusRB: One of the trial Areas by acquiring about articles and poems. He has visited United States, and countries in major countries 66054 acres of land. It has also embarked upon cre- Africa, South America, Europe and that have set up industries here is Japan. They have Highlighting why Rajasthan is a good destina- acquired almost 1156 acres in tion for investors, he lists the major reasons Neemrana for setas: the state's peaceful law and order situating up ceramic tion, stable policies, availability of land at and solar related industries. They reasonable price, pro-active administration, have plans to furcontinuous and good quality power and ther extend it to another 700 acres. availability of low cost manpower We are also setation of special purpose Industrial Asia several times for training and ting up 1800 acres near Giloth for ceParks with excellent infrastructure other professional assignments. In an exclusive interview with ramics and glass facilities. Guiding this industrialization of India Post he talked about invest- industry as soon RIICO MD Rajendra Bhanawat Rajasthan with his inspiring lead- ment in Rajasthan, particularly by as we get clearership is RICCO Managing Direc- NRIs. The following are excerpts ance from the Environment Min- IP: How about issues relating to power and other basic infrastrucistry. tor Mr Rajendra Bhanawat. High- from the interview: lighting why Rajasthan is a good India Post: Have any NRIs in- IP: Are there any PPP projects ture? RB: The power situation in destination for investors, he lists vested in the State of Rajasthan? proposed by the State? Rajendra Bhanawat: There are RB: RIICO recently allocated Rajasthan, as you know, is much the major reasons as: the state's peaceful law and order situation, several of them that had come ear- more than 250 acres under better than in other states. The stable policies, availability of land lier. But most recently, within the Rajasthan Integrated Apparell tariffs are the same as in other at reasonable price, pro-active ad- last two to three years, Mr L M special projects zone near states. Cont’d on page 38 ministration, continuous and good Mittal had set up educational in- Bhiwadi. We are hoping this will KRISHAN SHARMA

India Post News Service

India staff under scanner in HSBC probe WASHINGTON: HSBC's staff in India have come under the scanner for deficiencies in their role as "offshore reviewers" of the global banking giant's compliance to safety mechanism against money laundering and terrorist financing. A probe by the US Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found that HSBC's

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance Department, which included employees in India, was highly inadequately staffed. Besides, deficiencies were found in the quality of the work done by HSBC's "offshore reviewers in India", who were used for clearing a major backlog of suspected transaction alerts at the bank.

More than one-third of the alerts already resolved by the Indian reviewers and others "had to be re-done" after an independent assessment by the OCC (the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which is the bank's primary federal regulator in the country). The probe further found that an OCC visit to India in 2007 had

revealed "Weak Monitoring Procedures" in the bank's internal control systems. At a hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on the matter here, HSBC apologized for its mistakes and gave its "absolute commitment" to fix the problems. Cont’d on page 38

TechBiz Post

38 India Post

July 27, 2012

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Global Indian Business Meet in New York from Sept 20 India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Global Indian business leaders, renowned knowledge experts, investors, key government leaders and financial officials from many countries including various Indian states, Africa, Middle East and the Caribbean are converging on Manhattan for the Global Indian Business Meet 2012 in two months. This 3day conference is being organized

enables Indian-run businesses and organizations world-wide to impact the global economy. "From New York to New Delhi, Boston to Bangalore, Chicago to Chennai and from Manhattan to Mumbai India and Indians are on the world business community's radar," says Kanchan Banerjee, Chairman of New Global Indian platform and a GIBM 2012 Convener. "This business conference is very unique; and in a way it will

"This business conference is very unique; and in a way it will be the first time ever where Indian-origin entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors, along with representatives of various Indian and US states and several countries, are coming together under one platform to work together to explore potentials and opportunities" to explain and explore how Indianrun organizations are overcoming the odds to succeed and grow in the competitive global economy. GIBM 2012, which will be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square in New York City from September 20-23, will examine the drive, passion, work ethic, innovation and strategy that energize India's emerging market and

be the first time ever where Indianorigin entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors, along with representatives of various Indian and US states and several countries, are coming together under one platform to work together to explore potentials and opportunities." Among the featured speakers and presenters are Mr. Anand

Sharma, the Indian Commerce Minister; Lord Meghnad Desai from the London School of Economics; the head of South Asia Initiatives at Harvard Business School, Professor Tarun Khanna; technology and thought leader Sam Pitroda, and many other knowledgeable business leaders, including Desh Deshpande, Ajit Manocha, Harish Hande, Narayana Murthy, Lakshmi Mittal, Swadesh Chatterjee, and Vijay Eswaran. Number of pioneering young entrepreneurs and business leaders are also participating. The Global Indian Business Meet is focused on five main areas: Business Leaders' Summit: Focusing on the Indian growth story and how Indian-origin CEOs from around the world have faced the global economic slowdown; conveying and exploring the recovery and growth strategies they adopted to help them succeed. Entrepreneurs' Summit: Focusing on the success stories of Indian-origin entrepreneurs in various sectors, and the summit will allow current and future young entrepreneurs to learn from leaders and peers through networking, direct interaction and connect with investors and business leaders. Investors Summit: Focusing on businesses led by Indians from

US think tank appeals India to raise FDI cap in defense WASHINGTON: In order to boost defense trade, India should raise the foreign direct investment limit from 26 per cent to over 50 per cent in the sector, an eminent United State think tank has appealed. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) recommended the United States to undertake a comprehensive policy review to determine how to assist India with developing its defense industrial base through co-production and co-development projects. CSIS in a report urged India and the United States to designate one individual within their respective governments as the points of contact for bilateral defense trade. "India should increase FDI to over 50 per cent to incentivise companies to enter the Indian defense market. "An arrangement where US companies invest in Indian defense industry could provide a win-win for both the United States

and India by improving India's defense industry while providing US companies a potential source of lower-cost manufacturing for defense products," CSIS said in a

"The United States should focus on continuing equipment sales with an eye toward more frequent customization of its products for Indian use, and employ commercial solutions” report. The US think-tank also said India should abolish "No Cost, No Commitment trials," for all vendors. Eliminating this requirement could greatly reduce the cost of

purchased defense equipment for India. "India should take steps to assure the United States that it can adequately protect sensitive technologies provided to India. Such steps could include detailed information on physical and personnel security measures employed by India to protect transferred technology," it said. "Refrain from pressuring India about defense agreements (CISMOA, LSA, BECA) in the near to mid-term. Given India's reluctance to developing interoperability with the United States, it makes little sense to pursue these agreements," it said. "The United States should focus on continuing equipment sales with an eye toward more frequent customization of its products for Indian use, and employ commercial solutions for items that do not require India to sign defense agreements or adhere to one of the four multilateral regimes," CSIS said. -PTI

around the globe, including interaction with venture capitalists, angel investors, bankers, and institutional financiers, bringing together those seeking funding and those looking for investment opportunities. India Business Opportunities Summit: Focusing on the leading states of India and their provinces as preferred destinations for investment, including their policies and incentives, and their focus areas/sectors. Partnership Summit: An opportunity to explore and allow for in-

ternational, country, state and city level partnerships from around the world. ABOUT NEW GLOBAL INDIAN: Global Indian Business Meet 2012, www.GIBM2012.org, is organized by the New Global Indian (NGI) Foundation in partnership and with the support of many East Indian CEOs, MDs, trade bodies and associations. It will bring together business leaders, academics, investors and entrepreneurs from south, east and central Asia, US, the Middle East, UK, and South Africa.

India staff under scanner in HSBC probe Cont’d from page 37

The 340-page investigation report found HSBC to have used its US bank (HSBC US Bank or HBUS) as a gateway into the US financial system to provide US dollar services to clients while "playing fast and loose with US banking rules," Senator Carl Levin, the Chairman of the subcommittee, said. The investigations found that HSBC, with its headquarters in London, allowed affiliates in countries such as Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh to move billions of dollars in suspect funds into the US without adequate controls. Besides, HSBC in 2009 authorized its affiliate to supply Indian rupees to Saudi Arabia's Al Rajhi Bank, which, the report said, has links to financing terrorism. The report also said that Al Rajhi Bank handled IIRO's (International Islamic Relief Organization) "charitable contributions in-

tended to benefit suicide bombers by directing Al Igatha Journal advertisements ... in Somalia, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines." It cited a lawsuit to say that charitable organizations such as the IIRO use banks like Al Rajhi Bank to "gather donations that fund terrorism and terrorist activities" under the guise of IIRO funds labeled and designated for purposes such as 'war and disaster' or 'sponsor a child'. HSBC has also been accused of indulging in various questionable transactions with entities from countries like Mexico, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Syria, Cuba, Sudan, Burma, Cayman Islands, Japan and Russia. Specifically, the bank has been alleged to have provided US dollars and banking services to some banks in Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh despite links to terrorist financing.-PTI

Inspiring the industrialization of Rajasthan Cont’d from page 37

Mr Shrikant Badve, Managing Director of Badve group in Pune, Maharashtra, recently applied to RICCO with plans to set up an auto parts industry in Rajasthan. We approached Mr Badve for his comments on his experience of investing in Rajasthan. He was very happy with the response. He said, "My experience has been extremely good. We were impressed with the hospitality, the welcome and the eagerness with which they responded to our project offer. “ The response was very very fast. Within two weeks of apply-

ing we got the appointment letter. There was no problem at all in land acquisition. "Ours is an industrial house called Badve Group based in Pune, Maharashtra and we are setting up an auto parts industry in Tapookara, Bhiwadi, Rajasthan." Bhiwadi, in Rajasthan's Alwar district, has of late developed into a modern city. It is the fastest growing industrial town on the outskirts of Delhi. A prime industrial town of the NCR and Rajasthan, Bhiwadi is spread over nearly 5,300 acres and it has around 2,500 industries operating.

TechBiz Post

July 27, 2012

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Hooda invites Korean cos to invest in Haryana CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has invited Korean companies to invest in the state. While calling upon the Korean companies to invest in Haryana, Hooda said the state offers many opportunities and is taking all possible steps to upgrade its physical infrastructure. "We want Korean companies to help us realize this objective and take benefit from the opportunities available in Haryana", he added. He said that the economic prudence and long-term strategic planning, effective implementation regime have given impetus to a steady expansion of trade and investment opportunities in Haryana. The Chief Minister was addressing a two-day International Conference 'India-Korea Relations: Past and Present.' Hooda said Korean companies

have considerable presence in the state through 36 technical and financial collaborations catalyzing an investment of about Rs 280 crore.

He said that Korean investment in India stood at around three billion US dollars and the Indian companies have also invested around one billion US dollars in South Korea A number of products such as cotton yarn fabrics, auto parts, electrical goods are being exported to South Korea by industrial units of Haryana. Speaking on the occasion, Am-

New OECD rule to allow easy exchange of tax info PARIS: In a major boost to combat the menace of black money across the world, top financial body OECD has amended its rules on obtaining classified tax information by partner countries. It has allowed a member country to obtain information about a group of tax payers from another country without verifying their identities separately. India would also benefit from this change in rule, which is widely

This article stands for the international standard on exchange of information related to financial data, including instances of black money and money laundering. "The OECD has updated Article 26 of the OECD model tax convention, which sets out the international standard on exchange of information. "The standard provides for information exchange on request, where the information is foreseeably relevant for the administration of the taxes of the re"The standard provides for questing party, regardinformation exchange on less of bank secrecy request, where the informa- and a domestic tax interest," the OECD said tion is foreseeably relevant in a statement. for the administration of the The statement added the amendment taxes of the requesting explicitly allows for party, regardless of bank group requests which secrecy and a domestic was not the norm earlier. tax interest," the OECD "This means that tax said in a statement authorities are able to ask for information on seen as a step to increase tax trans- a group of taxpayers, without parency between nations. naming them individually, as The French capital based Or- long as the request is not a 'fishganization for Economic Coopera- ing expedition'. This update reption and Development (OECD) resents a step forward towards said that it has updated the Ar- more transparency," the OECD's ticle 26 of the model tax conven- Centre for Tax Policy said in the tion in this regard. statement. -PTI

bassador of the Republic of Korea Kim Joong- Keun said most of the Korean companies are rooted in Haryana. The Korean Government wanted to adopt a village, "when I asked which state should be selected, I was told to look for in Haryana as it was the best option," he added. Kim Joong- Keun said, "economically strong India commanded the respect of the region as also the world at large". He said that Korean investment in India stood at around three billion US dollars and the Indian companies have also invested around one billion US dollars in South Korea. He added that Korean companies were keen to bring more investment in India and they have identified civil nuclear power, ship building and defense industry as the new sectors for future investments. -PTI

India for international synergy in space missions MYSORE: India is aiming for more international synergy to assuage the huge costs and enormous human resources involved in taking up space missions, ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan has said. "India is aiming for international synergy in space missions. Collaborating, partnering and international synergy will be a winwin for all space stakeholders to fight huge costs and enormous human and related resources in taking up space missions," he said. Radhakrishnan said low-cost access to space is the mantra for taking up future missions as most countries are facing resource constraints and other limitations. "The international synergy will cut cost of access to space resources and exploring inter-planetary solar system," he said on the inaugural day of the 39th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (Cospar 2012) being held here. He said safety and security of space-based assets are vital to improve the quality of life and quench human thirst to unravel the mystery enveloping the universe. ISRO is also striving for sustaining and enriching its founding fathers' vision, which is peoplecentric, with emphasis on self-reliance in space technologies.-PTI

India Post

Horoscope

40 India Post

July 27, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar

JULY 27TH - AUGUST 02ND (November 23 to December 22)

(March 21 to April 20)

ind will be slightly restless as you will keep looking for solutions to an issue involving a child. Things will get more challenging at work as well in business also but if you be firm the ultimate victory is yours. Its a favorable week for job seekers as malefic planets in sixth can help them lay their hands over a nice job this week.

ighting spirits will get many things done this week. People will try to slow you down but will not succeed. You may go on a short trip to meet someone for a day. Meeting will go very well and relationship will get stronger. Deal will get you large chunk of money in immediate future. You have some money coming through legal channel also.

(April 21 to May 20)

(December 22 to January 19)

enus in second will help you pick rich rewards for the efforts made in the past. You will start to pay more attention to your health and make some drastic changes in diet. Bachelors may start a new relationship with some one from a different culture. You will get to spend some quality time with children and will attend a social event this week.

his could be major turning point in your life. Planets will take you towards financial freedom and all your dreams are about to become reality. A new member will be added in the family in near future. Some of you will be starting another big assignment soon. There will be major and positive developments in ongoing legal battle with victory in sight. (January 20 to February 18)

(May 21 to June 20)

reedom from earlier bondages and restrictions is in sight. You will finally make up your mind and get set to implement your plans on hold since November last year. You will gain an edge over your opponents and business competition. Over the counter medication will cure the health issue.

oney wise it looks like a very promising week. You will put all worries aside and enjoy life with family and may make a short trip to a nice place. Divine protection will help you overcome all obstacles in daily life. You will also sign an important document that will bring big improvement in finances for a long duration. Mail will bring some good news.

(February 19 to March 20)

(June 21 to July 22)

ou will start to feel the impact of some commitments made recently. You will be working extra hours in order to meet the pressure of deadline. Mind will be full of bright ideas but the right team to implement them will be hard to gather. Children will make some plans to go out for movies and dinner at a nice place. You may call some one for advice.

t will be an expensive week but the money will go on going out with family and possible a short trip to a nice place. You may also buy some fine quality items for yourself.Money will show up on time as expected. You will continue to make intelligent choices in career and people in business will experience better sales. You will loose some weight also. (July 23 to August 22)

ou may be seriously looking for a change and start looking for people who can take over your project. Things will stay on the edge as far as the money is concerned and you will need to do lots of juggling in order to meet your commitments this week. If you are ready to move the opportunity is all yours. Have patience as things are about to change. (August 23 to September 22)

ecision will be hard but you will not have too many choices. Things on hold in the past in career will again rolling in the right direction. You may start little exercise at home or start going to a gym to improve health. You will agree to a proposal given by a close friend and start gathering the funds. You may visit a holy place on some ones advice. (September 23 to October 22)

ou will have a clear picture of many positive changes about to take place in life and once again you will be on the roll. Expenses will not leave you alone yet and you may continue to replace some items in the house on spouse's advice. You will feel more confident and keep working on your plans more aggressively. (October 23 to November 22)

ou may need to put your foot down in order to claim what was supposed to come last November. You will continue to make progress as far as money is concerned and may make some money through stocks also this week. Many people will benefit from your expertise and you will find new vendors to supply you stuff on cheaper and lot better terms.

End of the year will be much better for Priyanka

riyanka Chopra, one of the most sought after actresses of Bollywood today was born on July 18, 1982. She was being written off as an actress after her movies failed at the box office at the start of her career. But in the year 2008 she was back with a bang. Priyanka Chopra is a Cancerian and she has all the traits, which are normally associated with a Cancer woman. She is sincere and has a positive attitude toward life and is always there to help others who are less fortunate than her. She was born on the 18th day of the month hence, her ruling number is 9. Her lucky days are Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. The planet Mars governs this number and those who are born under this number are said to be very beautiful and courageous. They are also very lucky as far as career and finance is concerned. The year 2012 is predicted to be a busy one for Priyanka. There will be extra work and she must learn to handle the pressure without being frustrated. Her love life will improve this year. Even though a new relationship is not indicated, she will meet some very interesting people. The end of the year will be much better for Priyanka. Critics will appreciate her performance once again and she is also likely to bag some very important projects. These new projects will take her career to greater heights.

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

925-833-7170

website: www.parashar.com

Datebook

July 27, 2012

India Post 41

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NEW YORK

NEW JERSEY

Upcoming

Sat July 28

• The 2012 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee-NY

• Shradhaa Foundation Annual Event

Venue: Hofstra University Student Center, 200 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY Time: 10:30am Contact: 848-248-4139

Venue: North Brunswick township High School Auditorium, 98 Raider Rd North Brunswick Township, NJ Time: 5pm Contact: 732-713-1419

Thurs Aug 2 • Bollywood Night

Sun Aug 5

Venue: Taj Lounge, 48 W 21st St, New York Time: 7:30pm Contact: 212-620-3033

• India Mela NJ

Sun Aug 12 • India Fest 2012 Venue: Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1717 Motor Pkwy, Hauppauge, NY Time: 12pm Contact: 917-715-2883

Venue: Ukrainian Hall, 550 Davidson Ave, Farklin Township, NJ Time: 1pm Contact: 732-763-0118

Sun Sept 23 • Viva La Music Latina! Venue: Fire N Ice- NJ, 583 Ford Ave Fords, NJ Time: 8pm Contact: 732-417-1999

ILLINOIS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Sun Aug 5 & Sun Aug 19 • Bhagat Puran Singh’s 20th Barsi Venue Aug 5: Illinois Sikh Community Center, 2131 Creekside Dr. Wheaton, IL Contact: 630-510-9700 Venue Aug 19: Sikh Religious Society, 1280 Winnetka St., Palatine IL Contact: 847-358-1117 Time: 9:30am Highlights: Celebration starts with Asa Di Vaar followed by Bhog Sdharan Paath, Kirtan and Tribute.

Sat Aug 11 • Sayanotsavam-Classical Hindustani Music Concert Venue: Temple Main Hall, Lord Balaji Sanidhi, IL Time: 6:45pm Contact: balajicultural.committee@gmail.com Highlights: Vocal and Harmonium by Mita ramani, Sunish Mittal, Muthuswamy Bharadwaj & Tabla Shridhar V. Andurkar.

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming Sat July 28 • Comedy Superstars in USA Venue: Joseph Keefe Tech Auditorium, 750 Winter St, Framingham, MA Time: 6pm Contact: 781-365-1707

Sun July 29 • Annual Potluck Summer Picnic Venue: Larz Anderson Park, 292-334, Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA Time: 3pm

Sat July 28 & Sun July 29 • Sanskriti Music and Dance Festival Venue: Amador Theater, 1155 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton,CA, 94566 Contact: contact@sanskriti.org Highlights: Inaugural Musical Program, Opening Ceremony, Vilolin Recital, Santoor Recital, "Music Meets Bells", "Windows of The World", Documentary, Kathak Recital Classical Vocal & A Journey Through Thumris.

Fri Aug 3 • The Quest Unsaid Venue: CounterPulse, 1310 Mission St, San Francisco, CA Time: 8pm Contact: 877-297-6805

Thrus Aug 9 • Sri Krishna Janamastami Venue: Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir, 1235 Reamwood Ave, Sunnyvale, CA Time: 10pm Contact: 408-657-8485

Sat Aug 11 • Gurdas Maan Live in Concert Venue: Center for the Performing Arts, 255, Almaden Blvd, San Jose, CA Time: 7pm Contact: 209-604-2543

Sun Aug 19 • India-Independence Day Celebration Venue: Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E Remington Dr., Sunnyvale, CA Time: 11am Contact: 408-431-3524

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming Sat July 28 • Pt. Chitresh Das performs traditional solo at the Sanskriti Festival in Pleasanton Venue: Amador Theater - Pleasanton,CA Time: 8:30pm Contact: 415-333-9000

Sat July 28 • Babbu Maan-Live Concert Venue: Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Time: 7:30pm Contact: 714-412-0877

Fri July 27 to Sun July 29 • The Inward Journey: A Weekend Retreat with Swami Baneshananda Venue: Vivekananda Monastery & Retreat, 6723 122nd Ave., Ganges, MI Time: 8pm Contact: 269-543-4545

Sat Aug 18 • 20th Annual pageant Miss India California 2012 Venue: Long Beach Hilton, 701 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA Time: 6pm Contact: info@spiritofindia.com

Thurs Sept 27 • Ballet Folklorico De Mexico Venue: Palace Theater, 61 Atlantic St. Stamford, CT 06901 Time: 8pm Contact: 203-325-4466

Sat Aug 25

Fri Oct 19

• Rudra Homam

• Miss India America 2012 W/Mr. & Mrs India America

• Royal Drummers and Dancers of Burundi

Venue: Ashland, 24-28 Concord St Ashland, MA Time: 8am Contact: 508-380-4516

Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1221 Chess Dr., San Mateo, CA Time: 6pm Contact: 415-810-7450

Sat Sept 1

Venue: Palace Theater, 61 Atlantic St. Stamford, CT 06901 Time: 8pm Contact: 203-325-4466

Classifieds

India Post

July 27, 2012

www.indiapost.com

NAME CHANGE

I Aparna Prem (as given name in passport) D/o Premlal resident of 575 W Madison St, Apt 2905, Chicago IL 60661, holder of Indian Passport no J4733054 issued on 09/05/ 2011 at Cochin intend to declare that I have changed my name as Aparna (given name) Prem (surname) for all purposes.

I Arun Satyan (given name in passport) S/o Sathyaseelan Velayudhan resident of 575 W Madison St, Apt 2905, Chicago IL 60661, holder of Indian Passport no F0214116 issued on 21/09/2004 at Trivandrum intend to declare that I have changed my name as Arun (given name) Satyan (surname) for all purposes.

Notice is hereby given that sealed competitive bids will be accepted in the office of the GSA-Purchasing Department, County of Alameda, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907, Oakland, CA 94612 NETWORKING BIDDERS CONFERENCES for RFQ #900998 Highland Hospital (ATR) Project (Phase 1) Medical Equipment: Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) System North Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Tuesday, July 31, 2012, 2:00 p.m. at General Services Agency, Room 1107, 11th Floor, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA and South Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Wednesday, August 1, 2012, 10:00 a.m. at Castro Valley Library, Canyon Room, 3600 Norbridge Avenue, Castro Valley, CA Responses Due by 2:00 pm on August 29, 2012 County Contact: Kai Moore (510) 2084882 or via email: kai.moore@acgov.org Attendance at Networking Conference is Non-mandatory. Specifications regarding the above may be obtained at the Alameda County GSA Current Contracting Opportunities Internet website at www.acgov.org. 7/27/12 CNS-2347226#

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Philosophy

July 27, 2012

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ahisñutva is the capacity to cheerfully, if not happily, put up with difficult situations. Why cheerfully? Because 'putting up with' is not enough. Whether you like it or not, putting up with something is always going to be there. Suppose it's hot. If someone says that you have to put up with the heat whether you like it or not, you have to put up with that person. But cheerfully putting up is what is required. And that is possible. We have to learn how to put an end to this emotional shivering. To go on complaining about it will only increase the discomfort. Instead, you say, "Yes, this is how it is, period." That is different. Suppose there is pain. You can create further pain by what I call 'lumping'. It is like this. One person goes to the doctor and says, "I am in great pain," and the doctor asks, "What kind of pain?" "Oh I have body pain." And then goes on to saying it is only in the leg. Where in the leg? Not the whole leg, on the knee only. Where on the knee, and finally the exact spot of pain is identified. Why do you say, "I am in pain"? Why this lumping? If you have to learn how to cheerfully face an unpleasant situation, and for this, naturally, you have to learn how to avoid lumping.

HELENA PETROVNA BLAVATSKY

n his "Revelation," speaking of divine mysteries expressed by means of letters and numbers, Alone Marcus (the chief of the Marcosians, 2nd century) narrates how the "Supreme Tetrad came down unto me (him) from the region which cannot be seen nor named, in a female form, because the world would have been unable to bear her appearing under a male figure," and revealed to him "the generation of the universe, untold before to either gods or men." This first sentence already contains a double meaning. Why should a female figure be more easily borne or listened to by the world than a male figure? On the very face of it this appears nonsensical. Withal it is quite simple and clear to one who is acquainted with the mystery-language. Esoteric Philosophy, or the Secret Wisdom, was symbolized by a female form, while a male figure stood for the Unveiled mystery. Hence, the world not being ready to receive, could not bear it, and the Revelation of Marcus had to be given allegorically. Then he writes: "When first the Inconceivable, the Beingless and Sexless (the

It is like trouble shooting. The problem first has to be identified. You lump things together like this, you cannot have titiksa (forbearance); if you don't, you will have titiksä. It is that simple. You have to learn how to cheerfully face an unpleasant situation, and for this, naturally, you have to learn how to avoid lumping. It is like trouble shooting. When there is trouble, the prob-

is not always hot. It is hot between twelve and three o'clock, so between twelve and three o'clock you don't go out; it is easy. That it is hot between twelve and three o'clock is entirely different. You only have to deal with these three hours, which is easier than the generalized situation of being hot. "It is hot; Oh! India is very difficult to deal with." These leaves are difficult! The coconut is difficult!

stance. When you just acknowledge that and act accordingly, titiksä becomes easy. When we find that certain things are inevitable, we have to accept that. If it is inevitable, what can you do? So you accept it. When you accept it, you acknowledge that this is how it is, and do what you can do. Accepting it does not mean that you should not

It is possible to face difficult situations, cheerfully You have to learn how to cheerfully face an unpleasant situation, and for this, naturally, you have to learn how to avoid lumping. It is like trouble shooting

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

lem first has to be identified, and then solved. Suppose in a business there is a loss. They try to find out what is the problem-is it here, is it there, what is the problem, where is the loophole? Then they find out one or two areas where there is leakage of funds, and block them. Otherwise they will be saying, "I am losing, I am losing," without knowing what is going on. But here, you zoom in on the whole thing and don't lump anything. Yes, it is hot, but then again, it

The birds are difficult! The earth is difficult! The sky is difficult! Tell me, what is difficult! Don't lump it, "Oh India is difficult; America is easy." What is easy, tell me, in America! Saying that India is difficult is all too much to say. India is not difficult. Maybe certain areas are difficult - who says they are not, but then, if you pinpoint the area, if you are able to discern the area of difficulty, then you can deal with it. You cannot simply drink water from the tap, for in-

do anything about it, if you can. You acknowledge it and then do what is to be done. And there is a certain cheerfulness, so we don't go about complaining all the time. These are all certain attitudes that make life simple. We have to simplify our living, otherwise it becomes more and more complex. Simple living doesn't mean that you should live on a shoe string, but if it is O.K. for you, that may also be part of your lifestyle.

Kabalistic Ain-Soph) began to be in labour (i.e., when the hour of manifesting Itself had struck) and desired that Its Ineffable should be born (the first Logos, or AEon, or Aion), and its invisible should be clothed with form, its mouth opened and uttered the word like unto itself. This word (logos) manifested itself in the form of the Invisible One.

Each letter has its own accent and way of writing, but neither understands nor ever beholds that form of the whole Name, - no; not even the power of the letter that stands next to Itself (to the Beingless and the Inconceivable.) All these sounds when united are the collective Beingless, unbegotten AEon, and these are

words! The Tetradshows to Marcus the Truth in the shape of a naked woman, and letters every limb of that figure, calling her head [[omega]], her neck [[psi]], shoulders and hands [[gamma]], and [[chi]], etc., etc. In this Sephira is easily recognised, the Crown (Kether)

Secret Wisdom was symbolized by a female form

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

The uttering of the (ineffable) name (through the word) came to pass in this manner. He (the Supreme Logos) uttered the first word of his name, which is a syllable of four letters. Then the second syllable was added, also of four letters. Then the third, composed of ten letters; and after this the fourth, which contains twelve letters. The whole name consists thus of thirty letters and of four syllables.

This word (logos) manifested itself in the form of the Invisible One. The uttering of the (ineffable) name (through the word) came to pass in this manner the Angels that are ever beholding the face of the Father (the Logos, the "second God," who stands next God, "the Inconceivable," according to Philo). This is as plain as ancient esoteric secrecy would make it. It is as Kabalistic, but less veiled than the Zohar in which the mystic names or attributes are also four syllabled, twelve, forty-two, and even seventy-two syllabled

or head being numbered one; the brain or Chochmah, 2; the heart, or Intelligence (Binah), 3; and the other seven Sephiroth representing the limbs of the body. The Sephirothal Tree is the Universe, and Adam Kadmon represents it in the West as Brahma represents it in India. The 181st birth anniversary of HP Blavatsky will be observed on July 31

You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. -Swami Vivekananda Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact. -Ralph Waldo Emerson The funny thing about enlightenment is that when it is authentic, there is no one to claim it. Enlightenment is very ordinary; it is nothing special. -Adyashanti In today's rush we all think too much - seek too much - want too much - and forget about the joy of just being. -Eckhart Tolle Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today. -Seneca You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere. -Ursula K. LeGuin Perhaps then, some day far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. -Rainer Maria Rilke

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Implications of Pak Cruise missiles for India SHANE A. MASON

f recent missile tests are any indication, cruise missiles, rather than ballistic missiles, appear to be taking an increasingly more prominent role in Pakistan's strategic force posture. The Babur (Hatf-7) land-attack cruise missile was inducted in 2010, and has been tested three times since. Pakistan's newest cruise missile - the air-launched Ra'ad (Hatf-8) has been tested four times in all, including on 31 May, and is due to be handed over to the armed forces in the not-too-distant future. Official Pakistani statements following the cruise missile tests have emphasized their "strategic" function. Instead of carrying conventional warheads, the cruise missiles are engineered to deliver either conventional or nuclear payloads. If it can overcome significant technological hurdles - including miniaturizing nuclear warheads Pakistan clearly envisions a nuclear role for its cruise missile program. In light of the strategic aspirations for the Babur and Ra'ad, how will Pakistan's new and growing cruise missile arsenal influence India's strategic behavior? What Pakistan's cruise missiles mean for India Ultimately, Pakistan's nuclearcapable cruise missiles have the potential to complicate India's decision-making calculus and even constrain Indian strategic behavior. First, Pakistan's cruise missiles will pose a serious challenge to India's fledgling missile defense system. Cruise missiles are virtually undetectable and highly survivable, even in the face of modern missile defenses. The first few weeks of the 2003 Iraq War demonstrated that sophisticated missile defenses could shoot down ballistic missiles with relative ease, but faced a significantly more difficult task in preventing a cruise missile strike. This is not to say that cruise missiles can never be shot down or that they are perfectly invulnerable. Several U.S. cruise missiles veered wildly off-course - in a guidance-system failure called "clobbering" - during its missile campaign against Afghanistan in 1998 and during the Iraq War. Additionally, cruise missile defense, unlike ballistic missile defense, is relatively new and technologies developed to deal with this threat are likely to emerge in the coming years. Nevertheless, these shortcomings are superseded by the tremendous advantages cruise missiles have over ballistic missiles in de-

feating existing missile defenses. If the goal of India's missile defense system has been to bait Pakistan into an economically ruinous arms race - as some suggest the U.S. did with the Soviet Union in the 1980s - then it appears to be succeeding. But at what cost to India's security? Going down this path can only lead to a weaker, poorer, less-stable Pakistani state with more fissile material, nuclear warheads, and missiles. This result - an even more heavily-armed, less-stable Pakistan - is clearly not in India's interests. Second, the addition of cruise missiles to Pakistan's arsenal can obscure the distinction between tactical and strategic weapons, thereby complicating nuclear signaling by creating a degree of uncertainty in the minds of Indian decision-makers. Nuclear signaling involves the preparation or movement of nuclear weapons in order to communicate to the adversary that a

ereignty, even if it means abrogating on previous commitments. Babur, Ra'ad, and thinking about war in South Block The credibility of Pakistan's nuclear deterrent, augmented by its new strategic cruise missile program, will likely steer India towards an increasingly prudent military posture. Due to its numerical and geographic advantage over Pakistan - which would almost certainly lead to an Indian victory in a conventional engagement - India would like to create a firewall between conventional and strategic operations, keeping nuclear weapons out of any future conflict with Pakistan. Pakistan, however, will not allow this to happen. Instead, Islamabad has done everything including eschewing a no-first use doctrine, developing the Nasr short-range ballistic missile, and operational sing nuclear-capable cruise missiles like the Babur and

The Babur Cruise missile

situation has escalated to the point where these weapons may be used. Signaling works best in a setting where the message being communicated between adversaries is explicit and clear. Since the Babur and Ra'ad cruise missiles can be used in a conventional or nuclear role, Indian decision-makers may mistakenly view conventional preparations as strategic ones, or vice versa. This confusion would likely lead India's armed forces to avoid taking any unnecessary risks, like penetrating deep into Pakistani territory, crossing the Line of Control, and the use of airpower. On the other hand, this ambiguity may provoke the opposite response. To eliminate a perceived Pakistani threat, New Delhi may disregard its long-standing no first-use pledge and use nuclear weapons in an offensive, rather than a defensive, fashion. Although this scenario appears extremely unlikely, states will do what they must to protect their sov-

Ra'ad - to give the Army the tools to quickly turn a conventional attack from India into a nuclear crisis. The Babur and Ra'ad have brought the fundamental dilemma in Indian defense planning vis-Ă vis Pakistan into sharp relief. That is, India's armed forces - conventionally superior to Pakistan - must be used in a way that punishes the adversary, yet falls short of crossing one of Islamabad's nuclear red-lines. This must be done as Pakistan remains ambiguous about what its nuclear thresholds actually are and threatens nuclear retaliation. Furthermore, when Pakistan's newest weapons systems are deployed, they will, especially, be vulnerable to theft from terrorist groups - a non-trivial concern. Clearly, cruise missiles make an existing challenge to Indian defense planning more complex. The writer is Graduate Research Assistant, Monterey Institute of International Studies Monterey, CA. Courtesy IPCS

India Post Ideal President?

aswant Singh looks presidential, behaves presidential, speaks presidential but he is unlikely to be even Vice-President although the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has thrown his hat in the ring for that post. In an ideal situation he could have been President of India on grounds of behavior alone. He speaks as if from up there, like an oracle. And his quips become quotable. "Agar umeed na hoti to umeedvaar kyon hote," he told a reporter who asked about his chances. Would he have been a wise President? His book on Jinnah raised lot of controversy. The then BJP President even threw him out of the party for that misdemeanor. His role as Foreign Minister when the Indian plane was hijacked to Kandahar is questioned. Could he have refused to free the terrorists that the hijackers demanded? It would have put in danger the life of the passengers in the plane. It was a collective decision of the NDA government to free the terrorists who included the dreaded Masood Azhar. They had the backing of almost the entire nation in this move as images on TV showed the plight of the passengers. As an able administrator, he was trusted by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who entrusted him with the Finance portfolio even though the RSS was strongly opposed to him. It is clear that Jaswant Singh is not an RSS man, that is why he finds insufficient support in the party. He belongs to that ideal category that we as Indians crave a rightist in ideology without the baggage of RSS or Hindutva. He is a self-described liberal democrat. The policies of such a man with moderate political views would attract even the youth to the party if the BJP were to become a rightist party for administrative reasons and not for religious reasons. In fact Jaswant Singh can be an ideal candidate for even Prime Ministership. He is an independent but responsible thinker. As Finance Minister until the defeat of the Vajpayee government in May 2004 he was instrumental in defining and pushing through market-friendly reforms of the government. Singh is a skilled diplomat and negotiator. He is widely respected for his handling of relations with the United States which were strained after the1998 Indian nuclear tests but which ameliorated soon after, culminating in the visit of US President Bill Clinton to India. His role as a negotiator and diplomat during talks with the United States has been acknowledged by his then U.S. counterpart Strobe Talbott. Jaswant Singh is 74 and even if by some quirk of fate he is elected Vice President, he will be 79 by the time he can once again become aspirant for the post of President. The unlikelihood of that happening doesn't detract from the fact that man-to-man his stature is much above that of the present incumbent, Hamid Ansari. He is a former army officer who has headed finance, defense and external affairs ministries, authored books and even served as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Hamid Ansari's credentials don't go beyond an ambassador and vice-chancellor. Even though the contest is only in name, heavily weighted against him, it would have been better if the NDA had nominated him to contest against Pranab Mukherjee for the most respected office. In either case he is going to lose but his campaigning would have been worth reporting; his words emanating from his wisdom and his behavior from his dignity. He doesn't have a chance for either of the two posts but if it were to happen, it would have enhanced the stature of this position and that of India in the comity of nations.

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