India Post_07-31-2009 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Kalathra gets support for NY City Council Details on page 12

Parl furor over frisking of Kalam by US airline Details on page 9

Pak Supreme Court summons Musharraf Details on page 8

Court says Kasab trial to continue Details on page 9

Lawmakers back Sikh soldiers' right Details on page 10

Guidebook with Aussie visa for students Details on page 9

US-Pak row over Taliban, release of LeT chief

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VOL 15, No. 778

July 31, 2009

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Periodical Postage

INDIA, U.S. AGREE ON END-USE MONITORING Cinton visit achievement under fire in Parliament

NEW DELHI: India and the US have reached an End-Use Monitoring pact on defense equipment and technology as they vowed to push their strategic ties with Washington giving an assurance that its policy on enrichment and reprocessing technology will not affect New Delhi. However, the agreement immediately came under fire in India's Parliament with Opposition MPs alleging "compromising" of national sovereignty by allowing US inspection of military installations. Denying the charge, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the new agreement only systematizes ad hoc arrangements for individual defense procurements from the USA entered into by previous governments.

Obama invites Manmohan for first State visit Details on page 6

Army, ISI want role in talks with India Details on page 8

SAJA confers annual journalism awards Details on page 9

Dr Krishna Bhatta is back in India Post

e’d like to share our joy with readers that the popular Philosophy column on Gita by Dr Krishna Bhatta is back from this week. The first part in the series appears on page 53.

NO FRISKING OF MY BAG PLEASE: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New Delhi on July 20

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CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 22-23 Classifieds --------------------- 48-51

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Community Post -------------- 12-20

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

Is the end-user agreement compromising India’s sovereignty? Last week’s result

Is it right to delink talks and Pak action on terror? YES 23%

NO 77%

Indian Americans flay NYT edit SRIREKHA N. CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

program, Indo-Pak relations, Kashmir to environment. Particularly ticked off was Maryland State Delegate Kumar Barve, who came out with an unusual rebuttal to the NYT editorial last week. "The editorial of the New York Times on the occasion of Secretary of State Clinton's visit is too appalling to ignore," he said. Details on page 8

Date Book -------------------------- 52 Edit Page --------------------------- 54 HealthScience Post --------- 38-39 Horoscope ------------------------- 43 Immigration Post ------------- 44-47 Life Style ----------------------- 24-30 Philosophy ------------------------- 53 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate ------------------------ 37 TechBiz Post ------------------- 40-41 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 31-34

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ecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's visit to India last week was interesting, I thought, though not nearly as newsworthy as was hyped in the India media. While the defense deals, furthering of the nuclear agreement and general carrying forward of strategic alliance and cooperation on common issues were a given, what I thought interesting was the way India stood its ground in not allowing Secretary Clinton to talk it down on the issues of environment (capping carbon emissions) and dialogue with Pakistan. While the Secretary of State had to concede, on both counts, that the US would not try to pressure India, India's message on the issue resonated loud and clear and found merit in media across the United States. The Wall Street Journal said: "Let's hope the Administration was paying attention to India's environment minister when he told Mrs. Clinton a thing or two about climate policy…" The Christian Science Monitor said: On the vital issues of climate change and a possible bilateral free-trade agreement, however, India and the Obama administration remain far apart. In my own view, I felt that on the issue of Pakistan-backed terrorist activities in India, Clinton's symbolic stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai (which was the prime target of the 26/11 terror attacks) was lost when in one of her many media interviews she referred to the perpetrators as "non-state actors". For me personally it is appalling that the US continues to take a blinkered view on the issue. India, in its new-found economic confidence, has learnt to hold its own against the global super powers and so it is with the United States and perhaps it is these differences amidst the many concurrences that will keep the two countries tied in mutual respect. If anything, America's recognition of India as a crucial partner is evident in the fact that it has invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a guest at the White House in November, making him the first foreign leader to make such a visit under the Obama administration.

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Bollywood Film on Kareena? Chhote Nawab Saif Ali Khan has lashed out at filmmakers trying to capitalize on Kareena's love life.

Cover Story: Clinton visit India and the US have reached an EndUse Monitoring pact on defense equipment and technology.

Community: Support for Kalathara

NY City Council candidate Stanley J. Kalathara gained support from all ethnic groups from District 25 in Queens.

Health: Health care row Republican Party is accusing President Barack Obama of conducting “risky experimentation” with health care.

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Travel: Dalhousie The gorgeous Dalhousie town is much quieter than the other two famous hill stations in HP (Shimla and Manali).

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India, US agree on end-use monitoring Cinton visit achievement under fire in Parliament

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on July 20

Denying the charge, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the new agreement only systematizes ad hoc arrangements for individual defense procurements from the USA entered into by previous governments. After a hectic day of meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and talks with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the two countries have agreed to set up a strategic

Clinton said Singh had informed her about India's decision to allocate two sites for US civil nuclear reactors

India says no to legally binding emission targets India Post News service

NEW DELHI: Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has made it clear that although India will not accept legally binding emission reduction targets, it was not oblivious to its responsibilities in the context of the incremental addition to greenhouse gases. Addressing climate change and achieving economic growth are compatible goals, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters. The US is eyeing the Copenhagen summit in December that seeks to reach a new international pact on climate change to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Differences between developed countries and India and China are the main stumbling block in reaching the new agree-

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Indian Minister for Forests and Environment Jairam Ramesh enjoy a light moment during a press conference at the ITC Green Center Building in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi on July 19

ment. Even with 8-9 per cent GDP growth every year for the next decade or two, our per capita

emissions will be well below that of developed country averages, said Ramesh.

dialogue at the level of Foreign Ministers to be based on five pillars of cooperation. The two sides also decided to step up cooperation in fight against terrorism and other global challenges like climate change and global economic meltdown as they discussed a wide range of issues, including Pakistan. The two sides reached a significant agreement on End-User Monitoring, providing for verification of military equipment and technology acquired by India from the US. It is aimed at preventing transfer to third countries. The agreement that will pave the way for Indian procurement of US Defense technology and equipment was, however, not signed. Another pact, which was finalized but not signed, was Technical Safeguards Agreement which will permit the launch of civil or noncommercial satellites containing US components on Indian space launch vehicles. Krishna and Clinton signed an agreement on creation of a Science and Technology Endowment Board. . Reflecting the US' desire to broaden and deepen ties with India, President Barack Obama has invited Singh to Washington on November 24, making the first State visit during the new administration. Clinton said Singh had informed her about India's decision to allocate two sites for US civil nuclear reactors. "This will advance the pace of Indo-US civil nuclear agreement which will facilitate billions of dollars in US reactor exports in creating jobs in both the US and India as well as creating the muchneeded energy in India," she said. Addressing a joint press conference with Krishna after their hour-long talks, she hoped India would be ready for the Liabilities Agreement in the nuclear field. To a question, she said the recent resolution of G-8 countries to curb transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology and equipment would not "undermine" the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, to which the Obama administration was committed. "We have just completed a civil nuclear deal with India. So if it (ENR transfer) is done within the appropriate channels and carefully safeguarded, as it is in the case of India, that is appropriate," the Secretary of State said. "But we are very much opposed to unauthorized and inappropriate transfers that unfortunately can take place by certain

countries or non state actors doing so. So there is a right way to do it and there is wrong way to do it," she said. Clinton added that the US is "seeking advice and suggestions from India about how we can prevent the unauthorized and dangerous transfer of nuke technology and material which poses a threat to the entire world". She recalled Obama's message that the Indo-US cooperation would be the "driver of progress in the 21st century". "We share a common trait by rolling up our sleeves and getting things done," she said.-PTI

Obama invites PM for first state visit NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been invited to Washington by President Barack Obama for the first state visit of his Administration and he will be there on November 24 in a sign of "importance" the US attaches to its ties with India. Obama's invitation to Singhthe first foreign leader to get the honor in the new presidencywas extended by visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she met the Prime Minister here this afternoon on the fifth and concluding day of her visit to India. Obama assumed office on January 20 this year. "As a sign of importance of this relationship(with India) to the US, I was pleased to extend an invitation to Prime Minister Singh from President Obama inviting Prime Minister Singh to Washington on November 24 for the first state visit of our new administration," Clinton told a press conference here flanked by External Affairs Ministrer S M Krishna. "At a time when the headlines are filled with challenges the relationship between US and India is a good news story. In our new administration it's going to get even better," she added. Clinton said the invitation demonstrated that the US was committed to a strong relationship with New Delhi. Former Indian Ambassador to the US Lalit Mansingh said Obama's invitation to Singh to be the first state guest of his administration was a "major development.-PTI

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Krishna explains EUMA pact with US NEW DELHI: The government sought to dismiss Opposition apprehensions in the Lok Sabha on the end-user monitoring agreement (EUMA) with the US, maintaining that it was "systematizing ad hoc arrangements" for individual defense procurements done earlier. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, in a suo-motu statement on US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit, said, "We have agreed on the end-use monitoring arrangements that will henceforth be referred to in letters of acceptance for Indian procurement of US defense technology and equipment. "This systematizes ad hoc arrangements for individual defense procurements from the USA entered into by previous governments," he said. His statement came soon after the House witnessed a sharp at-

India Post News Service

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Indian Minister for External Affairs S. M. Krishna share a light moment as they exchange document folders after a signing of agreements ceremony at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on July 20

tack by the Opposition on the EUMA, which they charged compromised country's security and sovereignty.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the minister's statement, almost entire Opposition walked out of the House.-PTI

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi welcomes US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as Congress leaders Karan Singh and Rahul Gandhi look on prior to a meeting in New Delhi on July 20

Defense pact with US under fire in Parliament NEW DELHI: Under attack from the Opposition for "compromising" national sovereignty by agreeing to allow US inspection of military installations, the government has asserted it has not bargained India's interest by going in for the End-User Monitoring Agreement with America. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said "nobody should have anxiety" about the national interest being "surrendered". However, he said the government has to keep negotiating and "bargaining" if India wants highend defense technology and equipment. In identical statements in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, he gave an overview of the agreements

US-India achieve breakthrough on key defense deal

reached with the US during the visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "We have agreed on the end-use monitoring arrangements that will henceforth be referred to in letters of acceptance for Indian procurement of US defense technology and equipment. This systematizes ad hoc arrangements for individual defense procurements from the USA entered into by previous governments," the minister said. However, the Opposition, including BJP and Left parties, dubbed the agreement as "surrendering" national sovereignty and staged walkout in both the Houses. In the Lok Sabha, Advani expressed anguish over Krishna not clarifying concerns of the opposition with

regard to EUMA. He also called for amendments to the Constitution to ensure important agreements signed by the government are ratified by Parliament, like in the US. He said it was unimaginable that an outsider would monitor the use of defense equipment bought by India. Terming EUMA as a surrender to the US, CPI-M leader Basudeb Acharia said: "We did not want this statement..." Departing from the convention of not giving clarifications on government statements in the Lok Sabha, Krishna said he was surprised by interpretation by the Opposition to the bilateral understanding and there was "nothing extraordinary" in it.-PTI

competitively bidding for India's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender, valued at more than $10 billion. This procurement by India is one of the largest fighter aircraft deals on the horizon anywhere, and will upgrade the paradigm in relations between US and Indian defense companies. Lockheed and Boeing are competing in this procurement against Russia's Mig-35, France's Dassault Lockheed Rafale, Sweden's Saab Gripen and the Eurofighter Ty-

NEW YORK: In a significant step that puts decades of Cold War baggage behind the world's two largest democracies, the United States and India have achieved consensus on a key bilateral agreement that promises to bolster the US and India as reliable partners for the long future in the sensitive areas of defense and security trade. This bilateral breakthrough achieving consensus on language regarding End Use Monitoring (EUM) - was finalized during Secretary of India has budgeted as much State Hillary Rodham Clinton's official visit to as $40 billion through 2012 to New Delhi. Such an agreement will enable procure "best technologies" defense and security for the upgrade of its trade between the US and India as never be- defense establishment fore, and will facilitate the participation of US companies in supporting India in phoon. The winning company will not transforming its military and homeonly provide 126 fighter aircraft to land security apparatus. India has budgeted as much as the Indian Airforce, but will also $40 billion through 2012 to procure assist the Indian Airforce in its ca"best technologies" for the up- pabilities to train, sustain and maingrade of its defense establishment. tain this new fleet, locking-in a long This figure does not include the term partnership with the Indian Air millions budgeted to upgrade Force and other India companies. The EUM Agreement with India India's homeland security infrawill also enable other U.S. defense structure. End Use Monitoring, required companies to be more proactive in under US law, is a strong indication participating in India's defense and of President Obama's commitment security market, providing the Into the US-India strategic partner- dian government a range of highship, which is now achieving tan- end technology and defense items ranging from helicopters to recongible and concrete traction. "Agreement on EUM, besides naissance aircraft, as well as night opening the door to increased de- vision gear to border protection fense trade and security coopera- equipment. "In the wake of the tragic terrortion, indicates a high level of trust and cooperation between the ist attacks in Mumbai, the United United States and India," said Ron States defense industry looks forSomers, President of the US-India ward to working closely with India Business Council, the Washington- to enhance its domestic security based trade group that has cham- structure by providing the latest pioned for an EUM agreement be- high-end equipment and services," tween United States and India for said Ron Somers. "A successful EUM conclusion ensures continued support â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Agreement on EUM, besides and cooperation between our two countries opening the door to increased in this sensitive, strategic sector." defense trade and security While successful cooperation, indicates a completion of EUM negotiations is a positive high level of trust and step in the right direction, cooperationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; USIBC is aware that more still needs to be the last three years. "Agreement on done in this important sector. On EUM language signals that both the top of USIBC's agenda is raisthe United States and India are looking the FDI cap in defense to 49% ing to share the latest and best and successfully refining India's American technology and sys- defense offset requirements so American firms can provide full tems." Lockheed Martin and The value to India's goal of modernizBoeing Company stand to be ben- ing defense production and buildeficiaries as a result of this latest ing-out India's prowess in defense development. Both companies are manufacturing.

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Indian Americans flay NYT edit SRIREKHA N. CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: A recent editorial of the New York Times - published on the eve of Secretary Hillary Clinton's visit to India - has been raising the heckles of Indian American thought leaders for its blatantly condescending and patronizing tone on issues ranging from India's nuclear program, Indo-Pak relations, Kashmir to environment. Particularly ticked off was Maryland State Delegate Kumar Barve, who came out an unusual rebuttal to the NYT editorial last week. "The editorial of the New York Times on the occasion of Secretary of State Clinton's visit is too appalling to ignore," he said. "It contains a factual error in its very first sentence when it describes the Republic of India as a "longtime nuclear scofflaw". Actually, no. India never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty because it felt it discriminated against third-world counties. The Times is free to disagree with this policy, but it ought to at least agree that one can only be a scofflaw if a law, or in this case a treaty agreement is violated. India has done nothing of the sort." Barve takes issue with the article for chiding India for undermining international negotiations that it deemed were not in its favor, including ones relating to global warming. "What major, secular multi-party democracy does this remind us of? The United

States, perhaps?" he asks. "They ask for India to "take more responsibility" internationally." The editorial then gets to IndoPakistan relations. After a brief compliment to India for not retaliating for the Mumbai terror attacks (the way America or any other nation would) it then places the blame for bad relations squarely on India's shoulders. The Times then demands that if the Kashmir problem cannot be settled, then surely India could do more to negotiate in other areas.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It contains a factual error in its very first sentence when it describes the Republic of India as a "longtime nuclear scofflawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Barve's reaction to this is, "Really? Exactly when has India shown an unwillingness to negotiate during its 62-year-history?" The Times also implied that India is partly to blame for the nuclear weapons program in Iran. "I think it is important for us to remember a little recent history. India never signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, but chose to abide by all of its provisions on, well, non-proliferation," Barve rebuts. "This is in stark contrast to, ahem, Pakistan. India lives next door to a nuclear armed

China; a nation that has still not relinquished territory annexed after the war it initiated against India in 1962. She also lives next door to Pakistan, a theocratic state which initiated every conflict the two counties have had, including the most recent military attack in the Kargil region of Kashmir. Pakistan now passively allows home grown terrorists to plan attacks against the Indian Parliament building, Indian airliners and most recently Mumbai tourists, especially if those tourists are Americans or Jews. But, apparently it is the responsibility of India to allay the fears of Pakistan according to the Times." As an Indian American, Barve says the Times' opinion "is a jolt to the senses" and a reminder that "there are still many who maintain an outdated, cold-warera mentality about the subcontinent". "Unfortunately there are too many people in positions of influence who form their opinions not on a study of recent history, but instead upon unquestioned prejudices in popular media," Barve says. As a last word, Barve says, "India is as an imperfect but successful secular, multi-ethnic, representative Democracy beset on all sides by threats. It is important to remember that this reality is not widely accepted even today. But, to me the most troubling aspect of the article was not to be found in the blatant and un-

Army, ISI want role in talks with India ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency have launched concerted efforts to be involved in talks with India. Diplomatic and other sources say the two organizations believe they can play a role because they are intrinsically linked to policymaking in Pakistan. ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha, a trusted aide of powerful army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has been involved in the move and reportedly brought up the matter during a meeting with the three defense advisers in the Indian High Commission earlier this month, the sources told PTI. Pasha suggested to the defense advisors representing India's army, navy and air forces during the meeting held on July 3 that the ISI and the Pakistan Army should find a place in bilateral talks as they played a key role in

helping the foreign ministry formulate its policies, diplomatic and other sources said. Over the past few weeks, members of the Pakistani security establishment have privately sounded out Pakistani journalists about the need for the ISI and the army to have a

ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha, a trusted aide of powerful army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has been involved in the move role in talks with India. The journalists were told that talks with India would be more meaningful if New Delhi was in "direct contact" with the ISI and the army as they were the real "power centers" in Pakistan.

Officials of the Indian High Commission refused to comment on the development. The Pakistan Army spokesman too could not be reached for a reaction. . However, sources said there was a problem of "disconnect" in the proposal mooted by the Pakistani establishment. "In India, the intelligence agencies and the army only act in an advisory capacity by briefing the External Affairs Ministry and other departments for talks with Pakistan. They do not make decisions and they have no direct role in the dialogue unless the talks are on security-related issues like Siachen or Sir Creek," a senior official, who did not want to be named, said. "On the Pakistani side, it is a totally different ballgame as the military and ISI are very much a part of decision-making and policy formulation," he said.-PTI

professional factual errors or omissions. It was the tone. How haughty, how condescending, how arrogant and patronizing. How like the British Raj." Reacting to the NYT editorial, Sumit Ganguly, a Visiting Scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University pointed out in an article on Forbes.Com, to the fitting reply given by the Indian Minister of State for Environments and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, to the edi-

The most troubling aspect of the article was not to be found in the blatant and unprofessional factual errors or omissions. It was the tone torial hectoring India to assume a greater burden of responsibility in addressing global emissions. Ramesh bluntly stated that India was not about to sacrifice much-needed economic growth to meet American expectations on global climate change targets. During her visit to New Delhi, a chastened Secretary Clinton was forced to concede that the US would not try to induce India to meet specific goals at the cost of growth. "Similarly, the tired rant of The

New York Times that India was not doing enough on the nonproliferation front also received an appropriate rebuff," Ganguly wrote. "Secretary Clinton, no doubt to the dismay of the nonproliferation zealots in her party (and on the Times editorial board), announced that the US had selected two sites for locating American nuclear power plants. Earlier this week, the US State Department had also announced that it would begin negotiations with India in Vienna over the question of the reprocessing of spent fuel." Ganguly further writes: "The New York Times' editors tend to refract all their analyses of Indian defense acquisitions through the utterly anachronistic Cold War prism of Indo-Pakistani relations. They appear to be congenitally incapable of recognizing that India's principal and long-term security concern is not the increasingly decrepit state of Pakistan but the militarily and economically robust People's Republic of China." Following Secretary Clinton's visit to India, Ganguly hopes that the Obama administration will now see India in all its facets and appreciate its growing importance to the US. "The Secretary, during her visit, invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a state visit in November of this year. One can only hope that The New York Times' editorial board will not be as liberal in dispensing its patronizing advice as his visit nears," he says in his article.

Pak Supreme Court summons Musharraf ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Supreme Court has asked former President Pervez Musharraf to appear before it and explain his action of imposing emergency in November 2007 and deposing over 60 members of the country's superior judiciary. A 14-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who was superceded along with many other by Musharraf, issued the notice while reviewing a decision made by the former President's hand-picked judges that validated the emergency and the sacking of the judges. The bench asked Musharraf to appear in person or through counsel on July 29, the date for the next hearing of the matter. Musharraf's close aide and former Attorney General Malik

Qayyum told reporters that if the former President sought his advice, he would tell him to get a lawyer to represent him in the apex court. Musharraf is currently in Britain. The former army chief left Pakistan over three months ago, saying he intended to travel to several countries to deliver lectures and address leading think tanks. Over the past few months, he has visited Saudi Arabia, the US and several European countries. The issue of the emergency and sacking of judges came up while the apex court was hearing a constitutional petition seeking the regularization of services of two judges of the Sindh High Court. The case was later adjourned by the court till July 29.-PTI

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Furor in Parliament over frisking SAJA confers annual of Kalam by US airline journalism awards NEW DELHI: Frisking of former President A P J Abdul Kalam by the staff of America's Continental Airline caused uproar in Parliament after which the government registered an FIR here against the "concerned staff" of the airlines. 77-year-old Kalam was frisked in violation of the mandatory protocol at Delhi International airport before he was to board the Newark-bound Continental Airline flight on April 21. The staff of the airline frisked him after which he was allowed to board the plane. The incident was roundly condemned in Parliament where Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel described the act as "unpardonable" and assured "corrective action".

A P J Abdul Kalam

Later, a case was registered after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) approached the police against the staff of the American airliner for carrying out pre-embarkation body check of Kalam, which is in gross violation of a BCAS circular which exempts specified VVIPs/VIPs from security checks. "The BCAS has registered an FIR with the SHO, IGI Airport Police Station, against all the concerned staff of the Continental Airlines under Section 11A of Aircraft Act, 1934, for willful violation of the directions issued by BCAS," an official statement said. Under the Act, the punishment is two years imprisonment or fine up to Rs 10 lakh or both, if found guilty.

India denies receiving dossier on Pak charges NEW DELHI: India has denied having received any dossier from Pakistan about its alleged involvement in terrorist acts there, including one on the Sri Lankan team, a day after media reports in Islamabad claimed that a dossier was given to New Delhi on the issue. "We have not received any such dossier," sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told PTI here. The Dawn, a leading Pakistani English daily, had claimed that Islamabad has handed over to New Delhi a dossier containing "comprehensive evidence" of Indian involvement in several terrorist acts on its soil, including the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March. The dossier with proof of "India's involvement in subversive

activities in Pakistan" was handed over by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh during their re-

‘It was not good on Pakistan's part to do anything like this if they want to take the relationship with India forward’ cent meeting at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the newspaper claimed quoting sources as saying. Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor described

the charges of India's involvement in terrorist acts as "preposterous" and said "it is not wise for us to react to media reports. "But we don't believe that deflecting responsibilities for things that are happening in the disfunctioning of the state to their neighbors who have conducted themselves very differently is a very healthy practice." Denying that India has received any dossier from Pakistan, Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur said, "No such dossier was given in Egypt...It is entirely wrong." Asked if the government sees these charges as a game, she said it was not good on Pakistan's part to do anything like this if they want to take the relationship with India forward.-PTI

Indian students to get guidebook with Aussie visa MELBOURNE: As part of the efforts to project it as a safe destination for Indian students in the wake of attacks on the community, Australia is planning to hand out a comprehensive guide containing up-to-date information about the country to students along with visa. The new booklet 'Guide to studying and living in Australia' aims at ensuring that every student leaving India for Australia has upto-date information on the life and society there "that helps them to

mingle and gel with the new culture." A spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told PTI that Australia is taking a very serious note of its image as a safe destination for international students apart from portraying itself a high quality education provider. The spokesperson said Australia also has pledged towards working to bring perpetrators of the attacks on Indians to justice, respond to these crimes and protect stu-

dents and other members of the community. The moves comes in the wake of a series of racially- motivated attacks on Indian students in Down Under. The government has also decided to hold a two-day International Student Roundtable in Canberra on September 14 to hear directly from students about their views. The concerns raised in the Roundtable will then be considered by Ministers at the inaugural Ministerial Council on Tertiary Education in November.-PTI

India Post News Service

Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008 and the end of the decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka. This year, SAJA received more than 220 entries in 10 categories. Winners were selected by 40 judges who generously volunteered their time. SAJA also awarded $11,500 in scholarships to five graduate students and two undergraduates who have demonstrated a strong interested in pursuing journalism. Among the other winners were NYT's Anand Giridharadas for Outstanding business story about South Asia (for his story:

NEW YORK: The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has conferred the annual Daniel Pearl Award, named after the Wall Street Journal reporter kidnapped and killed in Pakistan in 2002, on Kris Hundley of the St. Petersburg Times and David Montero of Frontline/WORLD. The Daniel Pearl Award for outstanding reporting about South Asia, or South Asians in North America was awarded to Hundley for his story 'Testing Grounds: Our medicine at what cost' and on Montero for his story 'Pakistan: State of Emergency'. The winners in various categories were ‘The judges had an incredibly recognized at a gala dinner at Columbia Univer- difficult time narrowing down sity on July 11. The awards were part of the entries and selecting the SAJA's 15th Anniversary Convention & Ca- winners,’ said Jigar Mehta, reer Expo, which was SAJA Awards Chair headlined by religion scholar and author Dr. Reza Aslan and CUNY journalism Indian to the Core, and an Oliprofessor and blogger Jeff Jarvis garch); NPR's Sandip Roy for and attended by more than 500 Outstanding arts, culture, or travel journalists and guests from across story (for the story: A Nod to Arranged Marriage this Wedding the US and Canada. "The judges had an incredibly Season); National Review's difficult time narrowing down the Jonathan Foreman for Outstandentries and selecting the win- ing editorial/commentary on ners," said Jigar Mehta, SAJA South Asia (for The Real Bhutto: Awards Chair and a video pro- Against the Mythmaking); and ducer at The New York Times. AP's Emilio Morenatti for his Out"The quality and range of the win- standing photograph 'Praying in ners and finalists reflect the level Exile'. Yaroslav Trofimov, Geeta of attention that media organizations are paying to South Asia Anand, Peter Wonacott & Matand to the South Asian Diaspora." thew Rosenberg of The Wall Street In addition to the categories Journal were awarded for their that have been awarded for sev- coverage of the Mumbai Attacks eral years, SAJA instituted two and The National Post's Stewart one-time categories to reflect ma- Bell was awarded for his coverjor events of the past year: the age of the conflict in Sri Lanka.

Court says Kasab trial to continue MUMBAI: A special court conducting the 26/11 terror attack trial took on record the plea of guilt made by arrested Pakistani gunman Mohammad Ajmal Kasab and said proceedings in the case will continue. Special Judge M L Tahilyani in his speaking order said the court has come to a conclusion that Kasab's statement should be taken on record and considered at an appropriate stage as evidence. The court instructed the prosecution to continue with the trial and produce witnesses. In a dramatic development, Kasab had pleaded guilty on July 20 and admitted his guilt regard-

ing his involvement in terror strikes at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and other locations. The judge, explaining his decision to Kasab said, "Aap ke khilaaf 86 charges frame kiye the. Apne sab nahin kabule hain, lekin gunaah kabool kiya hai. Isiliye court ne decision liya hai ki yeh case chalega. (There were 86 charges framed against you. You have not pleaded guilty to all of them and only to the basic offence. That is why the court has taken the decision to continue with the trial)." To this, Kasab just said "Theek hai. (All right).-PTI

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Krishna calls for co-operation Indian held for soliciting through Internet to end terrorism

India Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna (5-L) flanked by his counterparts from Hor Namhong (4-L) from Cambodia and Hassan Wirajuda (6-L) from Indonesia and others of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), at the Thai resort of Phuket

PHUKET, Thailand: Raising the pitch for concerted and joint fight against terrorism, India has pressed for "cooperative regional approaches" to defeat the scourge and early adoption by the UN of an international convention against terror. "International terrorism, transnational crime and disaster mitigation are all areas which require cooperative regional approaches and could be considered as part of our common effort," External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said while addressing the East Asia Summit of Foreign Ministers. "I would like to point out that tackling of international terrorism requires concerted and cooperative approach," he said. In this context, he said the early

adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the UN General Assembly would go a long way in dealing with the menace. The summit emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation among the countries of the region in combating terrorism and extremism. The meeting strongly condemned the bombings in two Jakarta hotels and termed the attack as "unjustifiable". Reminding the world about the Mumbai attacks, Krishna said terrorism was a threat to open societies and underlined the necessity of exchange of information and intelligence. The threat to our countries from the menace of international terrorism has, unfortunately, increased in recent times. The terrorist attack on our finan-

cial capital, Mumbai, in 2008, leading to the loss of hundreds of innocent Indian and foreign lives shook not just our region, but the world as a whole, for the complete disregard of human decency," Krishna said. Emphasizing that terrorism threatens democratic and open societies," Krishna said "International solidarity is necessary in order to combat this scourge effectively". Referring to the 2003 Bali Joint Declaration of ASEAN nations to cooperate in combating international terrorism, Krishna said "In the light of such terrorist attacks, it is appropriate that we exchange information and intelligence and develop more effective counter-terrorism initiatives, to enable sustainable development of our region.-PTI

Lawmakers back Sikh soldiers' right on turbans WASHINGTON: A growing demand in the US to allow Sikh soldiers' right to wear turbans has received the powerful backing from some lawmakers who have written "dear colleague" letters to their fellow congressmen. Two lawmakers have written "dear colleague" letters asking other Congressmen to write to the Defense Secretary to allow Sikh youths to serve in the military with their turban. "We are writing to request that you join us in signing the attached letter that we are sending to Secretary (Robert) Gates regarding a fundamental issue of fairness, justice, and religious freedom: the right of Sikh Americans to abide by their religious articles of faith while serving in the United States Armed Forces," wrote Congressmen Rodney Frelinghuysen and Carolyn

Maloney in the letters. Frelinghuysen and Maloney said two commissioned Army officers, Captain Kamaljeet S Kalsi

The Congressmen have joined a nationwide campaign launched by Sikh Coalition urging Pentagon to change its current law, which prohibits a Sikh from joining the US Army with his turban and Captain Tejdeep S Rattan from New Jersey and New York respectively - were not being permitted to continue their service while wearing a turban and keep-

ing an unshorn beard, both required tenets of the Sikh religion. "Earlier this month, we sent letters to Secretary (Robert) Gates regarding our respective constituents' requests for accommodation and urged him to reconsider the policies that prevent Sikh Americans from freely serving in our Armed Forces (enclosed)," they said. . "We now ask that you support our efforts and urge Secretary Gates to allow all Sikhs to serve our military with their articles of faith intact," the Congressmen said. The Congressmen have joined a nationwide campaign launched by Sikh Coalition urging Pentagon to change its current law, which prohibits a Sikh from joining the US Army with his turban. The Pentagon has said it is reviewing its current policy.-PTI

WASHINGTON: In possibly the first such case involving an Indian in the US, police in Pennsylvania have arrested an Indian engineer on charges of using Internet for soliciting young girls for sex. In a statement, the Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett said Nityanand Gopalika, 30, here on a work visa, allegedly used an Internet chat room to approach what he believed was a 13-year old girl from the Pittsburgh area. The "girl" was actually an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit. According to the criminal complaint filed by the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit, Gopalika engaged in a series of chats over several days question-

ing the girl about her sexual experience and describing the sex acts he wished to engage in. Gopalika is also accused of sending the girl two web cam videos that showed him nude or masturbating in front of his computer. Gopalika was arrested on July 1 when he arrived at a predetermined meeting location. Following a search of his vehicle, agents seized two laptop computers, a digital camera, a cell phone allegedly containing a partially completed text message to the "child," directions to the meeting location and a bag of condoms. Gopalika was preliminarily arraigned on July 1 and lodged in the Butler County Jail in lieu of USD 15,000 cash bail. -PTI

US-Pak row over Taliban, release of LeT chief WASHINGTON: New fissures have cropped up in America's alliance with Pakistan as Islamabad is opposing fresh US military push into southern Afghanistan and the two sides are also having "deep disagreement" over the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). The fissures are coming at a critical juncture when thousands of new American forces are arriving in the region to confront Taliban in their Afghan strongholds of Helmand, Kandhar and nearby provinces. Pakistani officials are objecting to the US-led war against terrorism in the southern provinces of Afghanistan raising the bogey that the offensive would push the Taliban terrorists into their Balochistan province. The officials argue that Pakistani troops are engaged in flushing out the militants in the Swat Valley and adjoining areas, and do

not have reserves to prevent the Taliban militants from entering Balochistan, The New York Times reported in a lead story. The paper said it was briefed by Pakistan's ISI senior officials for two hours on conditions of anonymity with the main theme being, "The surge in Afghanistan will further reinforce the perception of a foreign occupation of Afghanistan". . Islamabad and Washington also have disagreement over the release of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of LeT. The paper said Pakistani intelligence officials claimed that Saeed was freed as its government had failed to convince the courts that he should be kept in custody. There should be no effort to imprison Saeed again because he was just an ideologue who did not have an anti-Pakistani agenda, officials claimed.-PTI

Gen. Kapoor meets Admiral Mullen in US WASHINGTON: Army Chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor met US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and is understood to have discussed issues related to defense cooperation between the two countries. Kapoor, who is currently on a visit here, met Mullen and his counterpart George W Casey at the Pentagon and is believed to have discussed bilateral issues

matters related to the region. The two sides are understood to have deliberated on contemporary strategic issues, including AfPak policy and regional security situation. The discussions are also believed to have delved on the IndoUS defense cooperation, including joint training and exercises, exchanges and military equipment cooperation.-PTI

July 31, 2009

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Desi News Spiritual guide Prem Siddharth in Chicago HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: Indian spiritual master Acharya Prem Siddharth was recently in Chicago delivering a talk at the Rosemont Convention Center. The topic was 'Benefits of Meditation'. This was part of his threemonth long US and Jamaica tour to participate in various Vedanta forums, deliver talks on Vedantic teachings and conduct retreats and camps for self-development.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

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Kartarpur Sahib Corridor event on Indo-Pak border Details on page 20

July 31, 2009

Kalathra gathers support for NY City Council candidature

Details on page 13

Seminar on Ishvashya Upanishad India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: A seminar on Vedanta Philosophy specifically covering Isavashya Upanishad was organized by UPFF at Palm Desert Resort and Country Club from June 28 through July 5. Ishavashya Upanishad which is a Mantra Upanishad, a highest level of Vedanta philosophy, was explained in a very detailed and simplified form by Swami Tadrupanand. Details on page 18

Anand Jon faces Goliath of prosecutors LOS ANGELES: Anand Jon's entire family seems to be on the government agents' hit list. In fact, the prosecution / LA District Attorney's Office even dragged Anand Jon's mother, Shashi Abraham, onto the stand. "The undisputed facts that came out at the motion for a new trial hearing is that we have a juror who committed perjury during that hearing, had sexual interests in the defendant's sister during deliberations, and in fact, had two lengthy calls with his sister during deliberations to advance those interests. Details on page 18

Stanley J. Kalathara (right) with Ralph Rivera, Supporter from Spanish Community India Post News Service

NEW YORK: New York City Council candidate Advocate Stanley J. Kalathara gained substantial support from all ethnic groups from District 25 in Queens. His supporters from various communities in Corona, Jack-

son Heights, Queens Blvd, Rego Park and Northern Blvd obtained more than 4200 signatures from the registered voters supporting his candidacy in District 25 in Queens. Obtaining signatures from voters is considered to be one of the major hurdles and takes several

Stanley with supporters

days of hard work by several volunteers who know the community and its voters. Kalathra is emerging as a favorite among the other three candidates with diverse community members pledging their support to him to win in the upcoming primary election in September.

Kalathra's supporters, along with many political leaders and community activists, gathered at Natives Restaurant Hall on Northern Blvd recently to celebrate the signature drive and honor the efforts of those who made it possible. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

Meet discusses spiritual science of Hinduism India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Forum For Hindu Awakening held the first Hinduism Meet in North America, on Ashadh Krushna Ekadashi Kaliyug 5111 (July 18, 2009) at the Durga Mandir in Washington DC. It was enthusiastically attended

NEW YORK by around 100 Hindus and Americans attending from various states of North America and Canada. The meet aimed to promote understanding of the unique spiritual science and scientific history underlying Hinduism; awakening to the misconceptions about Hindu-

ism; living simple practices and concepts of Hinduism in day-today life; and preserving the sanctity of Hinduism from denigration and malpractices. This historic event was inau-

explained to the Dharma Sabha attendees. At the meet, the Vishwa Hindu Ratna award was presented to Rajan Zed, Dr. M.G. Prasad, Dr. Kusum Vyas, Dewang Gadoya and

He advised parents to spend more time with their children, even if one parent or grandparent has to stay home and tell them stories about Hinduism gurated as per Hindu tradition by the blowing of the conch, recitation of auspicious verses, recitation of Vedic mantras and lighting of an oil lamp. The spiritual science behind all these actions was

Maya Jairam for their selfless and dedicated efforts for the cause of Hindu Dharma. Rajan Zed, an acclaimed IndoAmerican Hindu statesman the main issue in the US is that Hindu

children lack pride in who they are - that they are Hindus and Indians. "That is what we need to create, pride in being a Hindu," he said. "It is very important to preserve and stick to your Indian name and not change it to an American name." He advised parents to spend more time with their children, even if one parent or grandparent has to stay home and tell them stories about Hinduism. He stressed that parents should study a few books on Hinduism and be strong in their faith and that if the base was strong they can visit other religious institutions. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

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Meet discusses spiritual science of Hinduism Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 12

"It is better if the parents take the kids to religious institutions of other faiths, rather than the kids themselves going and getting attracted to it," he said and advised that children not be forced but given the basics of Hinduism and allowed to learn to love and practice it by themselves. Dr. M.G.Prasad, a spiritual disciple of seer-yogi Sriranga Sadguru, founder of Ashtanga Yoga Vidnyana Mandiram, Mysore, India who teaches recitation of Sanskrit prayers, Vedic chanting, Hindu scriptures and practices for children, youth and adults, spoke about the multi-faceted Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma). He used a power point presentation to depict the vastness of Hinduism. The presentation covered the four objectives of life and the 4 stages of life. He said that all the things we do should be in alignment to the goal of attaining God. He also spoke about various Vedic mantras and how they are recited (Ghana path) and their effect on people. He also spoke on Ashtanga Yoga and how to integrate body, mind and spirit to reach Samadhi where total mind merges with atman (God). He also spoke of the science behind the Hindu temple and the science behind the various objects held by the various gods and goddesses and the significance of their postures as depicted in idols. Dr. Kusum Vyas who is the founder and coordinator of the international Save Rama Sethu Campaign, spoke about Ramsethu - the challenges and accomplishments. She mentioned that the campaign was being discussed in

London and that there it was declared that the Gulf of Mannar, where the Ram Sethu is, is World's first international sacred site. She is working very hard at convincing the Indian government that it's a win-win situation for all to keep the Ram Sethu intact. Maya Jairam of the Spiritual Science Research Foundation has been doing spiritual practice under the guidance of the Spiritual Science Research Foundation, or SSRF,

He also spoke about various Vedic mantras and how they are recited (Ghana path) and their effect on people. He also spoke on Ashtanga Yoga and how to integrate body, mind and spirit to reach Samadhi where total mind merges with atman (God) since October of 2001. In her free time, she shares SSRF's research findings by conducting workshops in her area, having also conducted series of classes for children, as well. She is also an active board member of the City of Fort Collins' Human Relations Commission. Speaking of Spiritual research and importance of Spiritual dimension showed the science behind spiritual experiences and the importance of Saints in an individual's life. (For details logon to: indiapost.com)

Kalathra gathers support for NY City Council candidature Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 12

Present on the occasion were Ralph Rivera, a political activist and former city council candidate, Morshad Alam, community activist, author and former candidate for State legislature, Mike Chang, politician from Chinese community, Tamana, a political activist from Bangladeshi community, Thomas T Oommen, President, Indian Christian Forum and Advocate Appan Menon. "We see a rainbow in Stanley's support, and that is a great winning sign for anyone who wants seek an office in New York," said Rivera. Thanking his supporters Kalathra said, "I accomplished the American dream and now I want

to return my service to the community. In this election I do not accept tax payers' funds to run for the election. I have several political friends in the Democratic Party, but I will not ask their support to run the campaign, because I trust and believe I have your support to win this election." "I want change in the present system of governing and pledge to challenge the corrupt political system all over," he continued. "I am not in any one's pocket, I stand for you, no matter where you are from we all need to prosper. Selfserving politicians should be out. This election and my candidacy is a political movement to change the way politicians' serve the community."

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Spiritual guide Acharya Prem Siddharth in Chicago HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: Indian spiritual to Rajoguna), Sankuchitatvam important to relieve the mind of master Acharya Prem Siddharth (extreme narrow-minded nature) its misgivings by introducing was recently in Chicago deliver- and Praakrutatvam (uncultured or four complimentary solutions ing a talk at the Rosemont Con- not completely cultured nature). Chitta Prasadam (Relaxation), vention Center. The topic was The mind plays a crucial part Chitta Ekagratha (Focus or 'Benefits of Meditation'. in the assimilation of the teach- unwavered attention), Chitta This was part of his three-month long US and Jamaica tour to participate in various Vedanta forums, deliver talks on Vedantic teachings and conduct retreats and camps for selfdevelopment. Inaugurating his talk with a sloka by Bhartruhari, Gurudev explained the need for taking time out of our busy lives to be part of such spiritual gatherings that help us contemplate on the teachings of Vedanta. He elaborated on the meaning Spiritual guide Acharya Prem Siddharth with his local host Prasad Yelamanchi of the sloka: "With every moveVaisalyam (Broad-mindedness) ment of the sun, life is becoming and Chitta Samskaram (Refineshorter, but the world has become The talk was well ment or cultured state). Meditaa lunatic asylum with minds detion aids in this preparation and luded and inebriated by the inattended and apprethus helps the spiritual aspirants toxication of sloth and slumber ciated for enlightenfor Vedanta. and does not realize this". The talk was well attended and In his talk Prem Sidhharth ing the audience on appreciated for enlightening the cleared many improper notions audience on the value of meditaabout meditation, its role and practhe value of meditation and the need for its regular tice by explaining the real aspects tion and the need for practice. A befitting end to the of meditation based on the teachspiritual extravaganza was given ings of the Upanishads, its regular practice by Yelamanchi Prasad, spiritual Bhagavad Gita and Adi committee president who preSankaracharya's commentary. He identified the four misgivings of ings from a Guru since his sented the spiritual guide with a the human mind and human intel- thoughts conveyed through memento and thanked him for lect as Ashanti (lack of peace), words are consumed by the mind blessing the audience with an enVikshiptata (wavering mind due as thoughts again. Therefore it is riching experience.

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July 31, 2009

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Murti Pran Pratishtha at the first Shaktipith of US HARISH RAO India Post News Service

ITASCA: With over 1500 ardent devotees of Gayatri from Chicagoland and States like Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas and Florida converging on to Itasca Gayatri temple to be part of grand Pran Pratishta of Murti of Goddess Gayatri, the celebration turned out to be an affair to remember. Pran Pratistha was conducted at the hands of Dr Pranav Pandya, the Vice Chancellor of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, in truly Vedic style with the chanting of Gayatri and Vedic Mantras and the performance of Gayatri Yagna. It was for the first time that the idol of the size and décor - hand carved from pure white marble of about 5 feet high and weighing about 2000 pounds- was formally installed with the Shashtra ordained rituals. Dr Pandya flew from India specially for the event as this

Gayatri Arati

would be the first of its type Gayatri Shaktipeeth in North America and he did want to share the joy and devotion of the Gayatri devotees. Chicagoland now has the distinction of establishing the first Gayatri Shaktipith of North America In his address to more then 1500

Kalash Yatra during Murti Pratistha celebration

Pran Pratistha was conducted at the hands of Dr Pranav Pandya, the Vice Chancellor of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya

devotees, he said that this great facility will prove to be very important and useful for the community residing in the area. Over hundred year ago a Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda came and won the hearts of westerners with his beautiful address at the World Parliament. The time has come for India

and Indian spiritual masters to give the world once again a much needed lead and direction. India could be JagatGuru. This Chicago center will be a satellite center of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya. Cont’d on page 20

Spiritual touch necessary MAFS opens a new Senior Center to cure depression SURESH BODIWALA

ANUPAMA PATEL

CHICAGO: "Depression triggered by stress will be on top of the list of debilitating diseases globally, relegating even heart ailments and diabetes to lower places by 2015" said Dr. Pranav Pandya, Director and Head of All World Gayatri Pariwar. Addressing a well attended meet on Stress Management organized by Gayatri Gyan Mandir at Waterford Banquet Hall in Elm Hurst (a Chicago south west suburb), he said that conscious efforts need to be

ercise which would include Yogic Asana, Meditation, Panama and prayers. He vouched for regular Shavasan - a relaxing posture among different Yogic Asanas- for relieving tension, and stretching exercises. He talked about different factors that cause stress, the most important today being economic uncertainty. . "People do get worried about their jobs and their financial liabilities," he said. This calls for "spiritual handling" of the situation as some of the

Sitting on the right Dr Pranav Pandya, head of worldwide Gayatri Pariwar with former chief minister of Gujarat Keshubhai Patel. Standing behind them are (L-R) Harendra Mangrola, Gayatri Gyan Mandir activist, Naren Patel, AIA President and Dinesh Gandhi Chicagoland banker

made to get over the problem before the problem gets over us. He underlined the importance of spiritual touch along with healthy diet and regular exercise. "Ignoring spiritual aspect in treatment of this widespread disease would be self defeating. The spiritual factor is the root to be tended first before we reach the stem, branches and leaves," he observed. He pitched for a healthy diet, regular ex-

He pitched for a healthy diet, regular exercise which would include Yogic Asana, Meditation, Panama and prayers. He vouched for regular Shavasan - a relaxing posture among different Yogic Asanas

external factors are beyond our control. "Ups and downs in life are a normal phenomenon and once we understand, the mind will strike a balance of its own, and stresstriggered depression would not affect us," he pointed out. He advocated discretion in selection of food and talked down the intake of junk food and heavy dinner at night. Cont’d on page 20

CHICAGO: Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS) opened a new Senior Center in Carol Stream, a north side suburb of Chicago, to meet the needs of local elderly population despite the budget cuts from some of the governmental agencies. The launch of this fifth center of MAFS was done with the lighting of a lamp followed by a puja in which local elected officials, MAFS board members, community leaders and over 250 seniors participated. Among the dignitaries in the attendance included Frank Saverino, the Mayor of Carol Stream, Joseph Breinig, Village Manager of Carol Stream, Rodney Craig, the Mayor of Hanover Park, Linda Jackson, the Mayor of Glendale Heights, Lucia Jones, Executive Director, Area Agency on Aging Northeast, Marylyn Krolak, the Executive Director of Senior Citizens Council DuPage County,

Leaders, the case managers from DuPage County were present on the occasion.

Habibur Durrani, playing sitar

MAFS's Board President Dr Farida Jafri, welcomed the guests and thanked them for their participation and support. Board Members Shanker Prasad Bhatt, Dr Pratima Shah, Dr Shila

Guests with MAFS office bearers - (L-R) Pramod Kumar, the CFO of MAFS, Frank Saverino, the Mayor of Carol Stream, Linda Jackson, the Mayor of Glendale Heights, Rodney Craig, the Mayor of Hanover Park, Dr Pratima Shah, a Board Member of MAFS, Mrs Santosh Kumar, Executive Director of MAFS, Vasanti Bhatt, Gira Ethindra, the Manager of Carol Stream Site, Dr Farida Jafri, the President of MAFS, Ms. M Shefali, and in the back Joseph Breinig, Village Manager of Carol Stream

Janet Simonds, Nutrition manager, DuPage Senior Citizens Council, Marta Perera, Executive Director of Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly besides, Dr C.M. Modi and Dinab Modi, Niles Township Community

Shah and Vasanti Bhatt expressed happiness to have seniors, government officials and community leaders to support the growth of MAFS. Cont’d on page 43

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Syed Monty set to create entertainment history MOHAMMAD GHOUSE

CHICAGO: For the first time, an all Bollywood stars and singers show is being staged at two populous cities in USA- Houston and Chicago - under the aegis of South Asian Carnival. One of the prime movers behind the venture is Syed Monty, a young Gujarati Muslim entrepreneur. For the first time top notch film heroes and heroines- Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Diya Mirza and Gulshan Groverwill be on stage to meet and greet their thousands of fans. They will be accompanied by a host of singers from Bollywood and Pakistani filmdom, starting from Kumar Sanu, Krishna, Ali Jafar, Amanat Ali, Salamat Mohamamd, Smita Parikh, Nisha Jain, Sujata and Rachana, among others. Additional attraction is a live fashion show by front ranking designers from India and Pakistan. Syed Monty said he would announce the names two days before the presentation as "that

would be an enormous surprise for young and old alike." Besides, the two days of Carnival will have a very large number of booths vending jewelry, textiles, handicrafts items, food products and ready to eat food items, and other types of services. The show in Chicago, the place that Monty has been living since his coming to America in early eighties, will be at the prestigious Rosemont Theater while in Houston it will be at Reliant Arena. The two days of Carnival will coincide with the India Day celebrations across USA, and obviously it would overshadow all other celebrations. Syed Monty hails from Navsari. He came to Chicago in early eighties for pursuing higher studies. He attended school and colleges here, but he had a burning desire to do something for himself and of course, for the community. In mid eighties, Amitabh Bachchan had come for the first time in Chicago and Monty was at his show at Lane Technical High School. He

Ekal Vidyalaya benefit concert raises $160,000 TEJ DESAI

decided there and then that one day he would organize a show featuring Bachchan. His dream came true when last year he hosted the Big Show with Big Bs- Amitabh,

Additional attraction is a live fashion show by front ranking designers from India and Pakistan. Syed Monty said he would announce the names two days before the presentation Abhishek, Jaya Bhaduri and Aishwarya Rai - with the largest gathering of fans and Bollywood goers. Monty however, wanted to do something that nobody has ever done- to bring big names in

Bollywood on one stage and let the fans greet and meet them, and at the same time enjoy a grand feast of music and shopping. His dream is again coming true and the

Syed Monty

artists are slated to be here in mid August. Usually, the entry for the top Bollywood artists show is a hefty one- ranging from $40 to $400 per ticket. Monty wanted even an average middle class fan also to come

and meet- greet the artists. The entry this time is only $25 and the show will be for the whole day starting 10 am. "All the artists we have announced will come and perform. They will meet individually as many fans as possible but greet all of them," he said with pride. Expectations are that both days put together, over 40,000 fans would be there at each of the centers- Chicago and Houston, says Raju Shah, a spokesman. Monty is being helped by another Gujarati businessman - Dhitu Bhagwakar, the owner of a movie theater in DesPlaines near Chicago. Monty has enlisted the support of Altaf and Farhat Huseein who have been in the entertainment field for many years. It is a big joint venture and the team effort is necessary for success, he said. In a talk to this paper, Monty said that he has many such grandiose schemes in his mind. "Let us go step by step. By the time I quit, we will have carved out our names in the entertainment field here," he said.

Teens' bid to promote Indian culture & values HARISH RAO

Baweja Group at Ekal concert (L-R) Ashok Pandey, Sushil Baweja, Preet Prerna and J Pandey

CHICAGO: Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF) benefit concert held last week at Forest View center in Arlington Heights, a Chicago suburb, helped raise the organization close to $160,000. Around 475 people attended the event. The chief guests were Shri and Smt Om Gupta. Amrit Mittal welcomed the artists on the stage. Shital Shah and Ashish Gupta were the Masters of Ceremony. Anil Bhat, EVF regional director briefed the audience about activities of the organization. The fundraising event started with prayers. India fame Sushil Baweja and his artist group enthralled the audience with their melodious rendering of songs, ghazals and bhajans. Baweja has won many awards in India and abroad. Ashok Pandey a renowned tabla maestro, Preet Prerana and Jaydeep Pandey, playback singers in many Indian movies, won the hearts of all

present through their masterly presentations. The vote of thanks was given by Dr. Hasmukhbhai Shah. The EVF is an independent non-government and non-profit (501-3C) global organization that facilitates the development of oneteacher schools in tribal-rural ar-

India fame Sushil Baweja and his artist group enthralled the audience with their melodious rendering of songs eas. The main activities include health care, development, empowerment, and basic education The Ekal movement reaches to the tribal and rural areas of India. Empowerment through education includes non-formal education and multi-grade education.

CHICAGO: Two Indian high school girls - Ashika Karla and Ritika Ratsogi- have set up an Indian Teen Council with a view to promoting Indian values and culture among second generation youth besides offering help and guidance for choosing career and pursuit of higher studies. ITC has its temporary HQ in West Chicago, a suburb in Illinois. Ashika Karla is a 12th grader at Saint Charles East High school in St. Charles, IL while Ritika Ratsogi is a 10th grader at Saint Charles East High school in St. Charles, IL - Ashika is the founder President and Ritika is Vice President of the Council. The nascent organization in the words of Ashika "meets good response from other Indian teens in our area as well as from North and south west suburbs of Chicago, and we hope to be doing well for Indian teens across Chicagoland before branching out to others parts of the country." The goal of the organization, she said, "is to promote our culture in the community amongst Indian youth where it seems cultural values are not taken very strongly. We want to do this in a different way, not by preaching our values but acting upon them. In addition, we will be a full-

Ritika Ratsogi, ITC Vice President and Ashika Karla, ITC President

fledged group that helps and guides Indian teens in other im-

The nascent organization in the words of Ashika â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;meets good response from other Indian teens in our area as well as from North and south west suburbs of Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; portant matters in life such as careers and education. We want to

be an active group by partnering up with other Indian organizations or community leaders, and volunteering together as a group at Indian community events." The first and foremost task is to bring the teens together and then talk about promoting Indian values and way of life in a way that the young generation would like, want, and most importantly, understand, she said. The first event for the Council will be a career seminar where Indians from different fields (such as medical, business, engineering, journalism etc.) would be invited to address an open audience of teens.

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July 31, 2009

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NetIP-NY and Lend-A-Hand India partner in India projects India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) - New York and Lend-A-Hand India, a New York based non-profit announced a partnership to support social and economic development in India. As the first initiative, NetIP has pledged to support the girls' scholarship program of Lend-A-Hand India. Through this scholarship program, 300 girls from six villages in India will attend the vocational training program while they are pursuing their high school education. "It is a win-win proposition for both NetIP and Lend-A-Hand India" said Rita Bagai, NetIP-NY President. "NetIP-NY's mission is not only to support the professional development of its own constituency, but also provide its constituency with the ability to give back to the community. This partnership with Lend-A-Hand India, with its presence in New York and at the ground in India gives NetIPNY's members unique opportunity to experience the community development first hand" "We are very excited with the launch of Lend-A-Hand India's

partnership with NetIP-NY and looking forward to many more initiatives to come in the future" said Sunanda Mane, President and cofounder of Lend-A-Hand India. In addition to the scholarship program, NetIP-NY is also supporting LAHI's marathon training program which offers participants guaranteed entry into the sold out New York City Marathon and runners in

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It is a win-win proposition for both NetIP and Lend-A-Hand Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Rita Bagai, NetIP-NY President return for raising funds for LAHI. Lend-A-Hand India (LAHI) offers rural high school students the opportunity to attain education through a multi-skill vocational training program, Introduction to Basic Technology (IBT). Within this program, students learn multiple vocational skills by working with case studies in their communities. These scenarios include poultry farming, domestic electric

wiring, tailoring, nursing assistance, construction, irrigation, and pathological analysis etc. These skills were carefully selected to ensure a broad spectrum of job and self employment opportunities available in rural areas. Through this versatile curriculum, LAHI seeks to address gender issues that prevail throughout rural Indian communities. Specifically, both males and females receive the same training to equip females with traditional "male skills." This alleviates any disadvantage that females may have in their vocation. Launched in 2005, the IBT vocational training program is currently operational in 50 schools in Maharashtra, serving approximately 8,000 girls and boys. LAHI's future goal is to spread this program in multiple states. To reach this goal, LAHI is soliciting collaboration from grassroot nonprofits, such as NetIP-NY working in the education sector and support from people who want to give back to the community. (For details logon to: indiapost.com)

Judge finds evidence against hate attacker India Post News Service

NEW YORK: In a Queens Family Court criminal trial, Judge Fran Lubow has found evidence against Student Doe, a Richmond Hill High School student whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, for violently attacking Jagmohan Singh Premi, a fellow student at the high school, in June 2008. On June 3, 2008, Student Doe attempted to remove Jagmohan's patka (small turban) and pulled at his beard, both of which are articles of Jagmohan's Sikh faith. Student Doe then punched Jagmohan repeatedly, including in the face, while holding a key with the pointed end protruding from his fist. As a result of the attack, Jagmohan, among other things, suffered a large laceration under his left eye. Student Doe had a long history of tormenting and harassing Jagmohan, which was known to Jagmohan's teachers and to Richmond Hill High School. In fact, on several occasions, Jagmohan's father brought the harassment to the attention of teachers at the school and sought their assistance in protecting his son. The high school did nothing.

Following the June 2008 incident, juvenile proceedings were instituted against by the City of New York in Queens Family Court before Judge Lubow. After a trial, which included testimony from Jagmohan, Judge Lubow issued her findings. Judge Lubow specifically found against Jagmohan's attacker on three of the four counts in the pe-

On June 3, 2008, Student Doe attempted to remove Jagmohan's patka (small turban) and pulled at his beard tition: 1) Assault in the Second Degree, charged as a Hate Crime; 2) Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree; and 3) Criminal Possession of Weapon in the Fourth Degree. The sentencing hearing in this matter is scheduled for September 9 before Judge Lubow in Queens Family Court. Student Doe faces a maximum of 18 months in juvenile detention.

Community Across America

July 31, 2009

India Post 17

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Leuva Patidar Samaj celebrates 20th anniversary NALINI RAJA PATEL India Post News Service

NASHVILLE, TN: The Gaylord Opryland Convention Center here was buzzing with activity as almost 3,000 Leuva Patidars embarked from all over the USA to celebrate

Dahyabhai Patel with wife and others

20th anniversary of their association - Leuva Patidar Samaj (LPS) of USA. When most major corporations are cutting back and shying away from big gatherings, this association proved this their most successful and profitable convention with highest at-

Tennessee tendance ever and with over 150 vendors showcasing their goods ranging from hotel supplies to clothing and jewelry. Celebrating from small hotel venues to the Gaylord Opryland was a success story in itself, defying all odds of a downturn economy. With a theme like ""Preserving Our Culture for Future Generations" this was the 7th national LPS convention with an agenda that included activities for young and old alike. Among the activities were: • Senior citizens treated to visits to vari-

ous temples in the Nashville area, as well as bhajan kirtan programs at the venue itself. • Children under 9 were treated to magic show, teachings on religion, puppet show, etc. • Youths 10-15 years of age - Urban Active Class, "What is Leuva" • Teens 16-20 - Kaplan Class and Mothers Against Drinking and Driving session (MADD) • Adults 21-35 - Matrimonial Ice Breakers and class of Leuva at Work Place Women had self defense workshop and yoga meditation session Dahyabhai Patel, President, gave a brief address of achievements during his tenure. He was proud to mention that he traveled to 27 different cities to hold regional meetings with members and has successfully made over 350 lifetime members and has appointed area representatives to hold local LPS events. Also, the original LPS newsletter Samaj Darpan, which was running at a loss has now changed its name to Leuva Connection and is self-sufficient. The scholarship foundation started by CM Patel in the year 2000 with a vision to educate Leuva youth has awarded over $70,000 since inception to 25 outstanding students. Members pledged over $250,000 at this event which brings the balance of scholarship fund to almost $900.000. Only the interest gets paid to students. Also, lifetime membership has grown to almost 1,300. Keynote speakers included the likes of Chris Gardner of Pursuit of Happiness fame who gave an inspiring story about his personal life and how he transformed it from rags to riches. His humility was proven when he reluctantly did an interview with Barbara Walters, after which he was hounded by press wherever he went. One very strong bond he felt with this

community was that this was a very closeknit, family oriented association. This was reminiscent of his homeless days when he just had his son by his side. Gardner is currently promoting his second book, "Start Where You Are: Life Lessons In Getting From Where You Are To Where You Want to Be". Jayesh (Jay) Patel, Convention Chair, Gunvant (Gary) Prema and Sunil (Neal) Patel, Convention Co-Chairs, urged all to attend the trade show and thanked the vendors and sponsors for supporting this event.

ing to hear from members that we have given so many people interest and a sense of belonging in LPS again. All this could not have happened without the help of my volunteers" said Jayesh Patel to this reporter. Rajeev Ranjan, Counselor (Community

Members pledged over $250,000 at this event which brings the balance of scholarship fund to almost $900.000. Only the interest gets paid to students

Chris Gardner

Grand sponsors for this event were Best Western, Choice Hotels International, JTB Furniture and First Call. "It is a great feel-

Krish Dhanam

Affairs), Embassy of India in Washington, spoke briefly to the audience and congratulated LPS members for their achievements and success in this country. Guest speaker for the second day was Krish Dhanam, motivational speaker, consultant, trainer, and author of "The American Dream from an Indian Heart". A native of India and with a vision to succeed, Dhanam speaks on issues of faith, freedom, discipline, dignity, pride, work ethics and relationships and facilitates workshops and conducts seminars all over the world. He had words of wisdom for parents and children and also shared some of his touching moments with his family. A panel discussion of "Past, Present and Future "was held by young and old panelists with Dr. Vijay Mehta as moderator. Various topics such as, marriage, religion, caste barriers, etc (For details logon to: indiapost.com)

Guru Poornima celebrated at Yoga Vedanta Ashram India Post News Service

MATAWAN, NJ: The full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashad is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Poornima, a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyasa. Guru Poornima is the celebration of the sacred bond between the Guru and the disciple. It was a magnificent scene

New Jersey when 108 Kund Maha Yagna was performed by more than 1000 people along with their family and especially children. It reminded of the rich Vedic culture of India. This Yagna was performed for happy, healthy and peaceful family life as well as to inculcate Vedic Sanskars in children. Under the guidance of learned Brahmins offering of

Dance in progress

Ghee and Havan Samagris were made to the Fire while chanting Gayatri Mantra, Maha MritunanJay Mantra as well as special mantra given by Sant Asaramji Bapu for removing obstacles in Life - "Om Hrim Om". It is believed that the vibrations

created by mantra recitation and Yagna can cure illness of both, the body and mind. It is Hindu faith that by performing Yagna, the layers of sanskaars and negative energy get washed away and the pure self shines through. Sant Asaramji Bapu blessed the audience with his heart moving

Padukaji Poojan

spiritual discourse via live video conference. Following which there was meditation, Kirtan and children of the Baal Sanskar did a dance recital as well as performed the "Baal Kanda" of Rama from the Ramayan. Ashram has also organized a four-day Children

Summer Camp from July 30 to August 2, 9 am to 5 pm. Over 1000 children have taken benefit of this summer camp over the last seven years, where they learned yoga, pranayam, meditation, character building exercises, prayers and arts/crafts while having fun.

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July 31, 2009

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Swami Tadrupanand conducts seminar on Ishvashya Upanishad

India Post News Service

is a Mantra Upanishad, a highest level of Vedanta philosophy, was explained in a very detailed and simplified form by Swami Tadrupanand. Swamiji spends most of his time at his ashram in Himalayas and in his Manan ashram on the banks of Narmada River near Bharuch

(Gujarat). His discourses in India are attended by thousands of people. It is normally very difficult to get close to him in India and exchange question and answers. However, due to some good fortune he accepted the invitation to come to America and teach the highest level of Vedanta philoso-

phy. The seminar at Palm Desert Resort and Country Club was attended by forty Mumukshus and some fourteen children. Some of the Mumukshus came from as far as New Jersey, North Carolina and Florida and Scotland, Europe. Swamiji conducted two sessions on Ishavashya Upnishad

and one session of question-answers for seven days. The attendees were also instructed how to properly read and sing the twelfth and fifteenth adhyaya of Geeta. It was a wonderful and relaxed environment in which all young and adults learned and absorbed the mysteries of Vedanta philosophy.

Anand Jon faces Goliath of prosecutors As they now also target his sister, Sanjana, for exposing the juror misconduct resulting in an unfair trial LOS ANGELES: Anand Jon's entire family seems to be on the government agents' hit list. In fact, the prosecution / LA District Attorney's Office even dragged Anand Jon's mother, Shashi Abraham, onto the stand. "The undisputed facts that came out at the motion for a new trial hearing is that we have a juror who committed perjury during that hearing, had sexual interests in the defendant's sister during deliberations, and in fact, had two lengthy calls with his sister during deliberations to advance those interests. But for the interception of the juror by the DA Investigator after the trial, the intent of that juror would have been captured. It is clear the defendant did not have an impartial jury of twelve and sentencing him to life in prison on this record is a travesty of justice," says attorney Ronald Richards. The prosecution admitted in their July 2, filing with the court that they had to do "massive amounts of convincing" in the first trial with each of these "so-called victims" and that "it would be a grave mistake to assume that they would be willing to participate in another trial." Sanjana's investigator, Russell Greene is anticipating

that at least one or more of the "socalled victims" will listen to their conscience and reach out to him. Fact is, if even a single one of these women who testified on the stand changes her mind and chooses to support Anand Jon the entire case could be thrown out

"Defendants have a right to have their cases heard by 12 impartial jurors. To win a new trial, defense attorneys need to show that just one juror committed misconduct that prevented a fair trial," said Jean Rosenbluth, a law professor at USC and a former federal

It is clear the defendant did not have an impartial jury of twelve and sentencing him to life in prison on this record is a travesty of justice," says attorney Ronald Richards Anand Jon

and Anand Jon would walk free immediately. Greene is counting on any one of the juror's who could help bring the truth out especially with the bizarre behavior and dramatic change of the juror during the trial. Anyone who comes forward could help bring justice, even now.

prosecutor who continued, "â&#x20AC;Śwhy does it matter what this one juror did? [because that's] how our system works." (LA Times) People all over the world were outraged last week as despite overwhelming evidence and the court acknowledging juror mis-

conduct, Judge Wesley denied Anand Jon a new trial defying all logic, common sense and the law. "I am confident Anand Jon will win on appeal but an innocent man should not have to wait that long," says defense attorney Leonard Levine, who is helping Anand Jon prepare motions for a new trial to be reconsidered immediately. Levine argued, "This prosecution never intended to allow the justice system to give Anand Jon a fair trial. This prosecution hijacked this juror in an attempt to derail the jury system and in the process of doing that this prosecution violated the very integrity of our justice system. This court should not reward this prosecution's efforts to subvert our judicial system." "This juror has been proven to be a lovesick perjurer who clearly was unstable, acted erratically during deliberations and likely changed his vote when Anand Jon's sister Sanjana would not meet him alone. The recording and transcript reveal a clear sexual intent and more importantly [the juror] states, 'I'll do every possible thing I can do to help. Every possible thing.'" This is, by law and common sense, not a fair and im-

partial juror. "Everything Sanjana has stated and testified has been confirmed as unimpeached, credible evidence which has not been rebutted by the prosecution." "Everything the juror has stated under oath has been proven to be a lie (and acknowledged by the court as 'not credible' qualifying clearly as 'juror misconduct'.)" "The nerve of this prosecution to put the onus of misconduct on Sanjana, who has been their target throughout by false accusation and character assassination. The prosecution conduct in sabotaging, conspiring to destroy potentially exculpatory evidence intentionally should result in their adverse inference and consequences while simultaneously granting a new trial for Anand Jon." In the Anand Jon case over a dozen prosecution witnesses were proven to lie under oath yet they faced no consequences and no charges. Numerous cops and DA's destroyed evidence and intimidated witnesses, yet they too suffered no consequences besides some superficial comments (for show) of being "troubled" and "not happy" and were let off the hook by Judge Wesley. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 19

July 31, 2009

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Cherdi Kala Kirtan Jetha performs in LA India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA: Last week the Los Angeles Sikh community hosted the Cherdi Kala Kirtan Jetha of Amritsar, India. This group of young graduates from Miri Piri Academy in Cherta, near Amritsar, was inspired to study classical kirtan by Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi Ji. They have achieved a level of skill in classical Gurbani kirtan that has allowed them the highest honor of playing kirtan at Harimandir Sahib, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. Sada Sat Simran Singh Khalsa, Harimandirjot Singh Khalsa, Gurujagat Singh Khalsa (absent on this tour due to illness) Hargobind Singh Khalsa and Ajai Singh Khalsa are all Sikhs from America who have for the last nine years studied kirtan under the direction of Ustad Narinder Singh Sandhu. Narinder Singh Ji is a Professor of Indian Classical Music at Guru Nanak Dev University, an Ustad Ji of the Talwandi Gharana lineage of classical music and has taught classical music at Miri Piri Academy for the last eight years. He himself recently visited the US and performed kirtan at the Hacienda de Guru Ram Das, headquarters of the Sikh Dharma International, in Espanola, New Mexico. During Cherdi Kala's visit to Los Angeles, the kirtan jetha really lived up to their name which translates as 'Ever-Rising Spirit.' They began their Los Angeles tour on Tuesday July 14th with a kirtan program featuring a musical Rehiras (evening prayer) at Guru Ram Das Ashram. July 15 and 16, the Jetha was hosted by the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple of Buena Park, CA, where they played for an hour each evening. This was the second year that the Cherdi Kala Jetha has played kirtan at the Buena Park Gurdwara. The sadh sangat came in large numbers on both evenings. July 17 they performed at the Sikh Gurdwara of Los Angeles, in North Hollywood. The first shabd they played that evening was

7/11 celebrates 82 years

by Kabir Ji, "Nahi Chhodo Re Baabaa Raam Naam." In this shabd Kabir Ji tells the story of Prahlad, the child-saint who confronted his school teacher asking him, "Why do you not teach me lessons of my God, Baba Raam." What a beautiful melody this shabd was sung to. It was composed by the grandfather of Ustad Narinder Singh Ji and had a captivating sound and feeling. On Saturday morning the Jetha performed kirtan in the Amrit Vela, the early morning meditation and simran practice at Yoga West; the yoga center under the management of the Guru Ram Das Ashram com-

During Cherdi Kala's visit to Los Angeles, the kirtan jetha really lived up to their name which translates as 'EverRising Spirit.' They began their Los Angeles tour with a kirtan program featuring a musical Rehiras at Guru Ram Das Ashram munity in West Los Angeles. Their visit concluded Sunday morning with two kirtans; first, again at Guru Ram Das Ashram and afterward at the Sikh Study Circle, Vermont Gurdwara of Los Angeles which was the first gurdwara founded in Los Angeles in 1969. Here as in all the other gurdwaras where the jetha performed kirtan they were honored with saropas, robes of honor, for their exemplary service in performing their devotional kirtan in the tradition of the Guru's Court. Every place they went most graciously received by each gurdwara and they were acknowledged for their dedication and service in inspiring others to learn gurbani.

L-R: Rehana Sultan, Favia and Latifa Khan

JS BEDI India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: The 7/11 corporation celebrated its 82nd anniversary last weekend. Each franchise nationwide had its own celebration. In the city of Riverside Franchise no 15515 at 9580 Magnolia Ave, owned by Latifa Khan did things in a different way. The focus was on kids. There was a jumper, face painting and other games. They also served over 2000 free "Slurpies" and gave gifts to customers. There was also a cheerleaders' team from a neighboring school. Originally from Bangladesh, Latifa is amongst the few South Asian women to be in this business. She runs this with help from her Manager Rehana Sultan. The company had its origins in 1927 in Dallas, Texas, USA, when an employee of Southland Ice Company, Joe C. Thompson,

Joe C. Thompson eventually bought the Southland Ice Company and turned it into the Southland Corporation which oversaw several locations which opened up in the Dallas area. Initially, these stores were open from 7 am to 11 pm, hours unprecedented in their length, hence the name. The company began to use the 7-Eleven name in 1946. By 1952, 7-Eleven opened its 100th store. It was incorporated as the The Southland Corporation in 1961. In 1962, 7-Eleven first experimented with a 24-hour schedule in Austin, Texas. In 1963, 24-hour stores were established in Las Vegas, Fort Worth, and Dallas. In the 1980s, the company ran into financial difficulties and was rescued from bankruptcy by Ito-Yokado, its largest franchisee. In 1987, John Philip Thompson, the CEO of 7-Eleven, completed a $5.2 billion management buyout of the company his father had founded. The buyout suffered from the

Anand Jon faces Goliath of prosecutors Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 17

If Sanjana had gone and had sex with the power abusing Alvin Dymally then she would not have been facing any jail time and would have at the very least gotten a mistrial for her brother. Now she's been punished for doing the right thing and this court is using her as a target to blindside a new trial for Anand Jon. What Sanjana did or didn't do is not the issue here. This is about juror misconduct and clearly juror Alvin Dymally was not a fair and impartial juror as guaranteed by the constitution for every man and woman accused of a crime. It is unfair for any judge to speculate and assume that no prejudice existed when clearly all actual evidence available is Sanjana's credible and unimpeached testimony when she stated under oath the facts. As she stated the communication was proven to be during the trial (which juror Dymally lied about and was impeached on). Dymally's perjury and juror misconduct was acknowledged by the court.

The communication was initiated by Dymally and Sanjana responded out of fear 6 days AFTER this initial contact by the juror. And it was not limited to his sexual advances as he was caught on tape saying "I will do everything in my power possible to help." In fact both Sanjana and Dymally testified as well as Dymally even confirmed to DA investigators that he discussed "case related materials" with Sanjana. Sanjana rejected juror Dymally on November 3, 2008. The jury began deliberating on November 4, 2008. Dymally clearly did not walk in to deliberations as a fair and impartial juror as the law requires. How this judge speculates that this was harmless and concluded that this was not prejudicial is mind-boggling. The prosecution offered nothing to rebut this evidence. In review of the records, Judge Wesley, who ironically was once one of the most brilliant defense attorneys in CA, has ruled repeatedly and overwhelmingly in favor of the prosecution in this case. (For details logon to: indiapost.com)

The store with the Jumper

started selling milk, eggs and bread from an ice dock. The original location was an improvised storefront at Southland Ice Company, an icemanufacturing plant owned by John Jefferson Green. Although small grocery stores and general merchandisers were present in the immediate area, the manager of the ice plant, Joe C. Thompson, discovered that selling convenience items such as bread and milk was popular due to the ice's ability to preserve the items. This significantly cut back on need to travel long distances to the grocery stores for basic items.

1987 stock market crash and after failing initially to raise high yield debt financing, the company was required to offer a portion of the company's stock as an inducement to invest in the company's bonds. The Japanese company gained a controlling share of 7-Eleven in 1991, during the Japanese asset bubble of the early 1990s. Ito-Yokado formed Seven & I Holdings Co and 7-Eleven became its subsidiary in 2005. In 2007, Seven & I Holdings announced they would be expanding their American operations, with an additional 1,000 7Eleven stores in the US.

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July 31, 2009

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Spiritual touch necessary Kartarpur Sahib Corridor event on Indo-Pak border to cure depression Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

"Prefer heavy breakfast in the morning that would keep you energetic you the whole day", he said. A Gold medalist Dr. Pandya qualified for US medical services in 1975 but shunned this lucrative opening in his quest for spiritual studies and advancement. At the behest of his Guru Acharya Shree Ram Sharma, he went to Himalayas for Sadhna and has been devoting his time for the spread of Guru's message of universal love and peace. As a futurist, he is optimistic and visualizes bright future for mankind but underlines the utmost importance of purity of mind and action as preached by his Guru and Indian Shastras. He was in Chicago to attend the Murti and Pran Pratishtha of Goddess Gayatri at Gayatri Mandir in Itasca, one of the biggest in USA. Earlier, Prof. Pramod Bhatnagar welcomed the guests among whom were former chief minister of Gujarat, Keshubhai Patel, and elites from Chicagoland. Kishore Rana, a Gayatri Pariwar activist from Wisconsin introduced Dr. Pranav Pandya to the audience. Parth Mangrola, a youth leader in the Pariwar, also talked about Dr. Pandya and various activities undertaken by the Gayatri Gyan Mandir, including the annual Youth Camp. Incidentally, Dr. Pandya has been

making all round efforts to get the youth involved in Pragya Swadhyay movement. He pointed out that a relatively large percentage of the group attending Santikunj complex for spiritual healing, talk and studies of Indian philosophy fall in the age group below 45. Prof. Pramod Bhatnagar also introduced two Gayatri artists, Omkar Patidar and Raj Kumar Vaishnav, who enthralled the audience with their melodious rendering of devotional song in praise of Goddess Gayatri. After an enlightening speech, Dr. Pandya attended the question answer session. He then honored former chief minister of Gujarat Keshubhai Patel with a plaque and presented Dinesh Gandhi a Chicago Banker, Naresh Patel, a Chicagoland community activist and president of Association of Indian Americans and Ketan Patel, a businessman and Natwarsinh Goyal for their support to Gayatri Gyan Mandir with bouquets of flowers. Keshubhai Patel in his brief address in Hindi hoped that the message of universal brotherhood as preached by Gayatri Pariwar activists and Guru Acharya Sharma would usher in peace and prosperity in the world. Ketan Sheth, yet another Gayatri Pariwar activist, proposed a vote of thanks and this was followed by sumptuous dinner from India House restaurant.

Murti Pran Pratishtha at the first Shaktipith of US Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

This center has been imparting teaching in Yoga, Indian culture and tradition and this should get momentum in coming years with continuous support and guidance from Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (www.dsvv.org). After flying non stop for 15 hours from Delhi, Dr Pranav Pandyaji landed at O'Hare airport at 5 am. He was received by Gayatri Pariwar President Harendra Mangrola, Narendra Desai, Dr Kishor Rana and other Pariwar members. He attended all the events planned throughout the day from 9:30 am till 10 pm. Guru Purnima was also celebrated by giving Gurudiksha to a large number of participants including visitors from Ohio, Indiana, Florida and Texas. Chicago Gayatri Pariwar kids and a group of lady members including Vandana Mangrola, Mita Desai, Sandhya Patel, Shila Patel conducted kalash yatra in the neighborhood while chanting Gayatri Mantra and making the whole environment divine for the occasion. Youth of Gayatri Pariwar (YOG) and volunteers conducted the event with great enthusiasm and responsibility. It was in 2007 that a group of Gayatri devotees- Gayatri Pariwar Chicago- bought a church and started the activities with support and guid-

ance from Shantikunj, Hardwar, India. This has now blossomed into the first Gayatri Shaktipith of North America with the help and donation of $2 million from community. At sharp 11 am Dr Pranav Pandyaji himself conducted Murti Pran Pratishtha puja (prayers) with das snana (bath), prana

Gayatri Yagya in progress

avaham, prana shthrikaran and sodasupchara puja. Saints from Shantikunj Hardwar Prof. Bhatnagarji, Ramesh Tiwariji and Chhabiramji assisted in Puja. President of care and care foundation, Dr Sonal Patel, Natvarsinh Gohil president Sumit Construction, Mrs and Mr Dinesh Gandhi, President Republic Bank. Mrs and Mr Ashok Pandya performed puja as yajman. Devotees were in tears with love towards the mesmerizing murti (idol) of goddess Gayatri.

Terisikhi team with Bay Area local team India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: TeriSikhi, along with other international organizations, is organizing "The Bridge of Harmony - A Passage to Peace - Kartarpur Sahib Corridor event at International Border, Dera Baba Nanak, District Gurdaspur, Punjab India on November 7. People of different faiths from around the globe are being invited to participate in Guru Nanak's message of peace and brotherhood of mankind. The function will be on the Indian side of the border as well as on the Pakistani side of the border and will be visible and audible to both sides. The intent of the organizers to foster

better, stronger bonds with "our brothers and sisters on the other side of the border." Also bring to light the need to open an international corridor from the Indian side to the Pakistani side so that people can pay their respect at Kartarpur Sahib. The organizers have dubbed this the Magic Mile, as it will be the first mile in the world that people will walk from one side of the border to the other in true sprit of trust and harmony. TeriSikhi, a non-profit organization, has embarked on a 20-million signature campaign to urge both countries to open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus are signing up a petition to open Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from all around the world.

July 31, 2009

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6 Manmohini Morey - Yuvvraaj

1 Guzarish - Ghajini

7 Husn Hai - Wafaa

2 Haule Haule - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

8 Jaane Kyun Singers - Dostana

3 Tere Naina - CC@C

9 Sapnon Se Bhare Naina - Luck By

4 Bekha - Ghajini

Chance

5 Kaisa Ye Raaz Hai - Raaz

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July 31, 2009

10 Tu Ne Re - Victory

ith mystery still shrouding the famous Kareena-Shahid split, the idea of watching a jilted love triangle based on Kareena-Shahid and Saif onscreen did stir interest among audiences. But as engrossing and spicy as it may sound, Chhote Nawab is not amused. Unlike his leading lady and her ex-flame Shahid, who have opted to stay mum on the subject, Saif Ali Khan has lashed out at filmmakers trying to capitalize on Bebo's love life. Passionate as ever on subjects involving Bebo, the actor is breathing fire on reports that his lady's love life has influenced a movie 'Secret Life of Kareena'. Appalled and strangely amused, Saif said, "I am a little upset that my character is called Saifee. It should have had a cooler name, Sameer or something like that. But honestly, on a more serious note, it can be very offensive for Kareena. I think it is a tasteless thing to do, trying to get excitement and publicity based on Kareena`s life. Abroad, people do write tacky stories based on celebrities` lives, but this is India. I also read on the net that the main character of the film is supposed to be a prostitute; I think that`s not funny at all. I am half amused and half disgusted."

idya Balan may be amidst good looking men from tinsel town but it seems she doesn't really fancy the Bollywood types. Vidya Balan thinks cricketer Zahir Khan is the hottest! "He is the hottest cricketer on the block, he may be quiet, but he seems to be a strong man from within" is what Vidya told a popular tabloid. Now considering that Zahir is not single any longer and will be tying the knot soon, will this mean that Vidya's hot property will be taken away? And Vidya has not just taken to cricket but also cricketers. We wonder what Zahir has to say about his latest fan from the tinsel town!

aif Ali Khan is charged up when he talks about his next film, Agent Vinod. Not only because he relishes the idea of playing out childhood fantasies as a secret agent with toys for boys, he's also excited about the title being his contribution as a producer. He admits that it is in the realm of tacky cool, which is a source of amusement and intrigue for him. Saif says, "With 'Agent Vinod', I got a sense of cinema which I've grown up with. To me, there's something outstanding about that title, because it is almostâ&#x20AC;Ś almost a little tacky today." It reminds him of cinema where Mithun and company took the kitschy to a cult level. He says with boyish excitement, "It takes us back to the 1970s. It takes us back to the cross between Vinod Khanna and Mithun Chakraborty. Think Suraksha. Think dark glasses. Or the Great Gambler. This film is not that. The feeling it brings is what people will subliminally get."

Bollywood

July 31, 2009

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hahid Kapoor has adopted his father, the illustrious Pankaj Kapoor's mode of acting to play the double role of Guddu and Charlie in Vishal Bhardwaj's Kaminey. Pankaj had played a double role in Anubhav Sinha's Dus. When Vishal who has directed Pankaj in The Blue Umbrella and the short-film on AIDS Blood Brothers, invited Shahid to play the morally-incompatible twins, Shahid apparently studied the way his father played the part. Amole Gupte who is Shahid's co-actor in Kaminey says he has never witnessed such diligence. "When Shahid played Guddu he had to assume Guddu's stammer. He completely internalized all of the character's traits, including the stammer so that there's nothing caricatural about the character." On the sets Shahid never withdrew into his vanity van. "He stayed on the set throughout, kept absorbing the ambience, the sweaty milieu in which Guddu and Charlie had to function in their own separate ways. I know Pankaj works the same way. And I truly believe Shahid has inherited Pankaj's ability and style of performing without seeming to act. It is definitely in his DNA," says Amole who has earlier worked with Aamir Khan in Taare Zameen Par. Amole rates Shahid in Kaminey as a benchmark in male performances. "I don't think a double role has been done like this before. Shahid has entered Guddu and Charlie's world. Naseer and Pankaj apart I know very few actors who could've done what he has."

hah Rukh Khan is now a doctor. He has been awarded a doctorate from the Bedfordshire University in the UK for his contribution to arts and culture. "The honour brought me a lot of joy,'' says SRK and laugh, "It makes me feel slightly older when someone calls me Dr Shah Rukh Khan.'' Describing his time on the podium where he received the honour, he says, "Wearing that square cap with tassels tilted to the left, brought images of the heroes of the 70s; it was an oft-repeated thing in films those days. I didn't know whether etiquette required me to take Aryan and Suhana along for the convocation ceremony. So I left the children behind.'' Happily, Gauri was by his side when he received the honour. "I sincerely hope my parents could have watched this... and I hope it was a proud moment for them, wherever they are,'' SRK says emotionally.

he is one of the reigning stars in Bollywood, but Priyanka Chopra says she was a very bad actress when she debuted with Andaaz six years ago. In an interview she says, "I feel like I'm 20 years into my career because I've done so much work in such a short time. When I look back, it's been only five-six years since I've been in the film industry. I've never received any formal training in acting or cinema nor do I belong to a film family; so for me, the biggest achievement is that my hard work and my family's support have led me to the place I'm in today. I take great pride in that." "I think I was a terrible actress when I started off as compared to what I'm now. I still have a lot to learn, but I believe that I've grown as an actress and I evolve constantly. I always had the hunger to learn and become better at what I do - just like a sponge, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible." Priyanka is very excited about Kaminey because it's path breaking cinema. What's Your Rashee was a huge challenge where "I play 12 different characters in it, something that hasn't really been done in Indian cinema before and the fact that I'll be a part of history in the making is very scary. Pyaar Impossible is a sweet, cool story where I have a glamorous look and contemporary character."

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July 31, 2009

theater, the rides, game house, and coolers all around the property full of cool drinks and treats. That sunny afternoon amidst an outdoor lunch prepared by Michael Jackson's chef, Jackson personally requested to meet Nisha and hear her sing live. Nisha was then led into a private library where Jackson awaited. Of the experience of meeting one of her pop idols, Nisha says she was nervous as there is simply no one more legendary than the King of Pop. However, she says she was immediately put at ease upon meeting him experiencing his warm, friendly and pleasant demeanor. They engaged in conversation, Michael being the gracious host, asking how her stay was going. Nisha told him the Ranch was wonderful and the family was having a great time. Then it was all business. Michael

Nisha and family quickly became comfortable on the Ranch. They enjoyed the movie theater, the rides, game house, and coolers all around the property full of cool drinks and treats asked her to get up and sing. He even had a specific song request -Whitney Houston's "I will Always Love You". Nisha stood up and began a song, also one of her favorites. As Nisha sang, Jackson closed his eyes and clenched his fists while smiling in sheer excitement and amazement. In an unprecedented move, Jackson decided he wanted to record with Nisha and embark on a world tour with her, which would be his final tour and Nisha's debut to the world as MJ's protege. These plans would of course be de-

SELINA KATARIA

hat began as a chance encounter in a fair parking lot ended up with a fairy tale trip to Neverland

Nisha Kataria with MJ

and a jump start to the career of an aspiring musician. Nisha Kataria was leaving the Arizona State Fair with her mom, dad, brother and sister one hot Phoenix summer. Her family

asked her to sing as they walked the couple of blocks to the car, but she refused. They pleaded with her to sing till she finally obliged and began her rendition of a Celine Dion song. Never did she realize that heeding her family's request would land her at one of the most famous landmark celebrity homes in the world. At that moment, a man chased Nisha down the street saying he was impressed by her voice. She exchanged contact information with him and never gave it a second thought. As fate would take a hand, Nisha received the call of a lifetime a few months later. It turns out the man at the state fair had managed to get her demo CD to the King of Pop himself, who in turn was very impressed and wanted to meet her. This was something he had never done with an unestablished artist before. Thus began the journey to Neverland. Nisha and family in tow packed the SUV and headed for Los Olivos, all the while pinching themselves and questioning what was happening. It never seemed real until they approached the gates of Neverland, complete with the beautiful pink flamingos in the entrance, the train circling the property and the King of Pop himself. Nisha and family quickly became comfortable on the Ranch. They enjoyed the movie

railed by Jackson's legal troubles in 2005, however, Nisha would still live at Neverland for a couple of months and get to know him on a personal level.

In preparation for the world tour, Nisha and her mother moved in to a guest unit at the Ranch. In her short stay at Neverland, Nisha recorded an unreleased duet with the King of pop himself, as well as prepared in his private dance studios for a tour. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 30

July 31, 2009

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Sita Sings the Blues released on DVD Proceeds from the exhibition will help raise money for the film's ongoing distribution campaign into a forest, only to be kidnapped by an evil king from Sri Lanka. Despite remaining faithful to her husband, Sita is put through many tests. Nina (the filmmaker Nina Paley herself) is an artist who finds parallels in Sita's life when her husband - in India on a work project - decides to break up their marriage and dump her via email. Three hilarious IndoNina Paley India Post News Service

NEW YORK: FilmKaravan, in partnership with Vista India Digital Media, has released its first DVD -- the beautifully animated and wittily narrated debut feature film from Nina Paley, 'Sita Sings The Blues' -- through Amazon, Netflix and a vast network of South Asian wholesale stores nationwide. Brimming with charm, humor and a soundtrack com-

prised entirely of haunting vocals from 1920s jazz legend, Annette Hanshaw, whose old jazz and blues recordings give voice to Sita, this adult-friendly cartoon offers a personal and thoroughly modern adaptation of the great Indian epic, The Ramayana. The film juxtaposes multiple narrative and visual styles to tell the tale of Hindu Goddess and leading lady, Sita, a dutiful wife who follows her husband Rama on a 14 year exile

A scene from the film

Sita drops jewelry

nesian shadow puppets with Indian accents - linking the popularity of the Ramayana from India all the way to the Far East - narrate both the

ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this stunningly animated interpretation of the epic tale. At a DVD release party at the Interieurs showroom in Tribeca, FilmKaravan presented an exhibition of Paley's original water-colors -- works of art that formed the basis and inspiration for the film's lively animation, on display for the first-time. Proceeds from the exhibition will help raise money for the film's ongoing distribution campaign, which has been launched as a wholly grass-roots effort by FilmKaravan and Paley. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 27

July 31, 2009

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Sita Sings the Blues released on DVD Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 26

"Elements of Blue" is a subset of Nina Paley's paintings that are the basis of the animation in 'Sita Sings the Blues'. They are the genesis of the characters, the personalities, the hope, the pathos, the stories and the resolutions. They provide a window into the intersection at which visual art meets and transforms into film, says Mathew of the work. The film boasts an excellent cast of voices, comprising actors and non-actors such as comedian, Aladdin Ullah, and director-actor, Manish Acharya (Loins of Punjab), while notable musicians like Rudresh Mahanthappa provide a versatile and energetic musical background. "Paley has produced a highly entertaining yet moving vision of the Ramayana, a huge accomplishment for the first-time filmmaker. We are so proud to get behind it at this stage, in order to bring it to the masses," said Payal Sethi of FilmKaravan. Paley's struggle as a filmmaker has been no less dramatic than her self- portrait in the film.

by a handful of Big Media corporations. When it was time to find distribution, Paley went into debt to pay the exorbitant license fees she was quoted. The film is now 100% legal, but the experience led Paley to eschew copy-restricting her own work, and instead encourage the audience to share it. This "copyleft" campaign has allowed the film to be enjoyed

was picked up by FilmKaravan and Vista India digital Media, as part of their larger joint efforts to provide digital distribution for South-Asian independent cinema on various online platforms, such as Indiepix, The Reframe Project and Netflix, Amazon. Sita Sings the Blues will be joining the ranks of other titles that will also be available through these same distribution

Ravana approaching Sita

After suffering the demise of her marriage she channeled her outrage for five years behind a computer, adding remarkable depth

sibly the hardest battle of them all in her attempt to secure distribution. Eventually, she came face to face with the gods of

The film boasts an excellent cast of voices, comprising actors and non-actors such as comedian, Aladdin Ullah, and director-actor, Manish Acharya (Loins of Punjab) Rama meets Hanuman

to her characters, despite using only 2D animation. She spent her entire life savings on the film and then single-handedly produced, designed and marketed it to film festivals, finally confronting pos-

copyright and could not pass through their mighty gates. Although Annette Hanshaw's recordings are in the Public Domain, the song compositions and lyrics are owned

by a growing audience and now, they will also be able to enjoy additional access through the wide distribution networks of Amazon and Netflix. The film

channels, including Mira Nair's AIDS JaaGO, Arindam Nandy's "Via Darjeeling" and Gitanjali Rao's "The Printed Rainbow," among others.

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'Achchamundu! Achchamundu!' set for theatrical release India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: 'Achchamundu! Achchamundu!' a Project East West-A LLC production, was released in theatres in North America on July 17. This independent Tamil film, which has been in the making for two years in New Jersey features notable cast including Sneha and Prasanna from South India and Emmy Award winner John Shea of 'Smallville' fame, who play the lead roles. "Cinema is an excellent medium capable of transcending language and social boundaries. Audiences from various parts of the world have appreciated the cross-cultural cast and a universal theme of this film. Its most recent success

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;There are a lot of novel elements in this film that we think the audiences would appreciate if they watched it in theatersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

A scene from the film

at the Shanghai International Film Festival is a testament to that," said the debutant director of the

film Arun Vaidyanathan. "There are a lot of novel elements in this film that we think the

audiences would appreciate if they watched it in theaters. For example, the DTS 5.1 Surround Sound and the most advanced technology of Digital Cinema Projection systems including English subtitles would surely enhance the viewing pleasure for audiences," said the Producers of the film Asma Hashmi and Ramzan Lakhani.

Vaidyanthan was the creative mind behind making the film, which revolves around a South Indian Tamil immigrant family living in the US and the result of its desire to adapt certain cultural values to assimilate into the American fabric. "It's an attempt to marry the storytelling of the East with the Western Style of film making," Vaidyanathan commented on making of the film. A c h c h a m u n d u ! Achchamundu! is produced by Ananth Govindhan, Arun Vaidyanathan, Asma Hashmi, Ramzan Lakhani and P. Srinivasan. The film was released on July 17 in New Jersey, California, Illinois, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, Virginia, and Ontario, Canada.

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TORONTO: Sixteen finalists have been selected for competition in the nineteenth annual Miss India-Canada Event. The prestigious title carries with it numerous awards and prizes. Included are a RoundTrip Ticket to India, Hotel Accommodation, Diamond Set, Movado Watch, Cash Scholarships, and many more prizes. During their three-day stay of activities, the 16 finalists will have an exciting and rewarding experience. 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. Once again, Rogers will give their customers the opportunity to text and vote for their favourite contestant. Contestants' photographs and inforContâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 24

Of Jackson's work ethic, Nisha describes him as a genius with a very specific musical vision. They would practice each note to

Nisha with MJ

perfection and Jackson would spend hours rehearsing those dance moves that first put him on the map in the 80's. But it wasn't all work and no play. Nisha and Kamlesh describe the stay as bet-

16 dazzling finalists for Miss India-Canada event

Last year's top 16 Finalists

mation on how to vote will be placed online at: www.MissIndiaCanada.com beginning August 7. The contest will end August 19. The winner of the 'Rogers People's Choice Award' will be announced at the show. Furthermore, after the contest, one smart phone will be given to a voter who will be randomly selected by Rogers. Other sponsors include: Om Financial, India Tourism, Payal Convention Centre, Bigen Speedy Hair Colour, Eglinton Carpet, Dream Party Decor, and Nestle Noir Chocolate, to name a few. The 16 finalists will compete for the title onstage on Saturday, August 22 - 5:30 pm at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, culminating in the crowning of Miss IndiaCanada 2009.

From nowhere to Neverland ter than a five star world class hotel. Every morning they enjoyed horse back rides on the ranch, go-carting on the paved sidewalks, the latest movies in the theatre, and freshly prepared meals by the chef. They even enjoyed a widely publicized birthday bash, in which the entire family was invited. Michael Jackson's 45th birthday party at the ranch was a star studded event. Celebrities such as Ashanti and Chris Tucker attended. Despite the well established musicians at the event, it was Nisha who sang at the birthday party. Again, by special request, she sang "I will always love you" at the end of the evening as the cake was cut. It turns out Jackson even had

a taste for East Indian fashion. One evening, Nisha and Kamlesh ventured out to Los Angeles Artesia Boulevard in a private chauffuered Mercedes. They spent the entire day browsing the latest fashions to bring back for Jackson and his children. When they finally returned, Jackson couldn't contain his excitement.

"Did you bring me those bindhis?" he asked excitedly as he pointed to his forehead. Well known for his appreciation of world cultures, Jackson was thoroughly pleased with his kurta pyjama for him and his son, as well a as a lehenga for his daughter. The fairy tale would eventually come to an end. Nisha and Kamy packed up and went home one weekend for what was supposed to be a short stay. But then accusations of child molestation reared their ugly head and plans of the world tour came to an abrupt halt. MJ became engulfed in his trial which lasted several months, and then moved to Bahrain. Nisha is now enjoying a solo career, having success overseas. She has been the opening act for European boy band Westlife and has performed for thousands. But she credits Jackson for her success. She says his musical genius and dedication has been an inspiration to her. She says she will never forget the experiences and private moments she shared wtih Jackson, and the stay of a lifetime she enjoyed at Neverland Ranch.

alhousie is a popular hill station in Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh. The gorgeous Dalhousie town is much quieter than the other two famous hill stations in Himachal Pradesh (Shimla and Manali). It is situated in and around five beautiful and densely wooded hills Kathlag, Potreyn, Terah, Bakrota and Bhangora ranging from 1525 meters (5000 ft.) to 2738 mts. (7800 ft.) on the western foot of the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas. Established in 1854, Dalhousie has one of the most spectacular settings for a hill station, with its snow capped peaks, bracing climate, colorful valleys, old British

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31 India Post

The hill station is famous not only for its magnificent beauty, but also for the ancient temples, colonial buildings, mall roads, churches and temples buildings etc. During peak season, over 700 tourists visit this hill station in a day. Dalhousie was developed on land purchased by the British in1853 from the Raja of the Princely State, Chamba and was made into a sanatorium and hill resort of the British. The settlement was named after the erstwhile Viceroy of India, Lord Dalhousie (1848-56). The hill station is famous not only for its magnificent beauty, but also for the ancient temples, colonial buildings, mall roads, churches and temples of which some of them are now declared as heritage monuments. During the pre-parti-

tion days, distinguished personalities like Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru used to visit Dalhousie. Nehru quotes Dalhousie as "One of the finest hill stations from the beauty point of view, climate and agreeable surroundings. This serene resort still has a touch of the British occupancy with its colonial style buildings and houses remaining intact. Along with this, the veneer of Tibetan culture has added a touch of the exotic to Dalhousie. Huge rocks carved in low relief and painted in the Tibetan style are seen along roadsides. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 33

Indian culture showcased at Incredible India event India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: India Tourism, LA organized a two-day Cultural Festival at the Grove here on July 18 & 19 to mark "Visit India Year 2009". The event started at 10.00 am with two Yoga lessons of half hour duration each. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 32

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Himachal plans 'cemetery tourism' for foreigners

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SHIMLA: With many foreigners having been buried in Himachal Pradesh when Shimla used to be the summer capital of the British Raj, the government is planning 'cemetery tourism' to attract their kin to the hill state. The Department of Tourism is in the process of documenting cemeteries of Britishers across the state which would be compiled in a book and also put on its website,

its secretary Manisha Nanda told PTI. The survey work for documentation is over and compilation exercise is in progress, she added. A number of Britishers and other foreigners died and were buried in different parts of the state during the Raj, including Shimla, Dalhousie, Kasauli and Mcleodganj. Among them was Viceroy Lord

Elegan who came to India in 1862 and died in 1863. According to his last wish, he was buried in Mcleodganj, 22 km from Dharamsala. Dr John Hatichen, who had opened the first leprosy hospital in Chamba, has his grave there. More than 400 British soldiers who died in a devastating earthquake in Kangra in 1905, were laid to rest in Mcleodganj. -PTI

Indian culture showcased at Incredible India event Cont’d from page 31

This was followed by showcasing different faces of Indian culture to the American people. Bollywood dances along with dance lessons and Indian music were a great attraction. Indian handicrafts, jewellery, clothing, mehndi and henna tattoos were a big draw too. Tea India provided free Indian tea to the visitors and the Whole Foods Store (the largest organic food store) supplied Indian snacks to the attendees during the day. Kingfisher Airlines provided Kingfisher Beer to the public for tasting. At dusk Bollywood films with songs were shown on a big Screen and the show ended at 22.00 hrs. Two free tickets in economy class on Los Angeles- India-Los Angeles sectors via Kuala Lumpur

were provided by Malaysia Airlines to the lucky winners from the raffle draw. India tourism Los Angeles had a beautifully decorated booth on which Incredible brochures with all varieties of posters were dis-

tributed to the Public. The two-day festival drew several thousand high spending visitors. India Tourism office in Los Angeles proposes to organize more such shows on the West Coast.

J&K Government seeks support to promote tourism SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has sought cooperation from all stake holders associated with tourism to bring it at par with international standards. "The government has initiated many measures for promoting tourism industry and is looking forward for cooperation from all stake holders associated with tourism trade for bringing the industry at par with the international standards," state Tourism minister Nawang Rigzin Jora said, while interacting with representatives of House boat Association here. Referring to the demands of the Association, the minister said a dockyard would be constructed to repair house boats at an estimated cost of Rs 1.20 crore at Srinagar. -PTI

July 31, 2009

Travel & Hospitality Post www.indiapost.com

Dalhousie: Cool, quiet and spectacular Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 31

A Central School, a small prayer hall and a Handicraft Centre selling mainly carpets and prayer mats is being run by the Tibetans in middle Bakrota Hill. The three level Malls which were laid in the early 1860s in Dalhousie are roads in and around Moti Tibba, Potreyn hill and Bakrota hills which remain the main centers of activity in Dalhousie. G.P.O square is the heart of Dalhousie town where most of the good restaurants, hotels, banks handicraft emporia, Tibetan market etc are located. Attractions Subhash Baoli Spring: Not far from the G.P.O (General Post Office) Square along the G.P.O. JandriGaht Road, Subhash Baoliis an easy climb and offers good views of the snow capped mountains. Surrounded by majestic cedar trees, this spring is a natural water body which has been named after the great Freedom fighter (revolutionary) of Indian politics, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. It is said that, he spent seven months here during his stay in Dalhousie in 1937.

Panchpula (Five Bridges): Three kilometers from the G.P.O square is another pretty spot where the water from the natural tank in Dayankund peak flows down a narrow valley passing five little bridges. The Panchpula stream is the main source of water supply to Dalhousie. This place is also famous for the monument built in memory of the great freedom fighter Sardar Ajit Singh, uncle of martyr Bhagat Singh, at the point where several streams meet.

Satdhara (7 springs): One of the prime attractions in Dalhousie, on the way to Panchpula, is Satdhara, the famous seven hot water springs containing mica and

300 mts. from Gandhi Chowk, holds great significance for the disciples of Radha Swami sect of Beas (Punjab). How to get there:

other minerals and noted for their medicinal properties. It's a picturesque place where one can go for a walk and enjoy the natural beauty. Bakrota Hills (5km): The Bakrota Mall (2085 m) in the Bakrota hills is a popular walking circuit in Dalhousie. From the mall there are spectacular views of the snow covered mountains.

Air: There is no direct flight to Dalhousie. To reach Dalhousie you have to travel by air to the nearest airport and drive by road. Train: The nearest narrow gauge railhead is Kangra (18 Km). The nearest broad gauge station Pathankot, (90 Km), is linked to major towns. Road: Dalhousie is also well connected by road to Chamba (56 kms), Delhi (570 kms), Shimla (332 kms), Chandigarh (300 kms), Mandi (250 kms), Manali (360 kms), Amritsar (190 kms) and Jammu (190 kms). Best Time to Visit: Between April and July and between September and October

Bara Pather (4 km): Enroute to Kalatope is the temple of Bhulwani Matha, in the village of Ahla at the foothills of Dayan Kund peak. The annual fair held in July is a popular holiday attraction. Laxmi Narayan Temple: This 150 year old temple located in Sadar Bazar approximately 200 mtrs. from Subhash Chowk is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Radha Swami Satsang Bhawan: Radha Swami Satsang Bhawan situated near Moti Tibba,

India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

July 31, 2009

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Bangladesh wants to join Buddhist circuit KOLKATA: Bangladesh wants to develop a Buddhist circuit tourism jointly with India and Nepal to promote its Paharpur monastery which, it claimed, is one of the largest monasteries in the Indian sub-continent. "The matter was taken up at a BIMSTEC meet and a proposal has been made for creating a heritage path to promote Buddhist circuit tourism involving Bangladesh, India and Nepal," Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Joint Secretary Samena Begum said here. She said the Somapura Vihara, a UNESCO world heritage site, is a Buddhist monastery dating from the late eighth century located at the south of the Himalayas in north-west Bangladesh.

"Located deep in the Bangladesh countryside, the trip to Paharpur itself is a pleasure passing through lush green fields and beautiful villages," she said. The monastery is built as a quadrangle measuring 281 meters on each side and consist of 177 monastic cells. Apart from the Paharpur monastery, Bangladesh also boasts of the largest mangrove Sunderbans and Cox Bazar beach, she said at a press meet to promote tourism to India's eastern neighbor at the Travel and Tourism Fair being held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here. A number of other countries have also put up stalls at the well-attended fair apart from most of the state tourism departments and private operators. -PTI

Nepal to attract million tourists every year NEW DELHI: Nepal is aiming to attract one million tourists annually by 2011 as the country looks for ways to revive the tourism sector, which has been hit by political unrest in recent times. As part of their efforts, the Nepalese authorities are banking on various programs, including extensive campaigns and quiz competitions to promote the nation as an attractive tourism destination. "We expect one million people to visit Nepal every year by 2011 and to increase

tourism, the Nepal government has initiated many programs. "We are celebrating Nepal Destination Year, a tourism campaign till 2011 and expect to attract more tourists from India as well," Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, Minister Economic, Embassy of Nepal in India, said. Currently, about half a million tourists visit Nepal every year. Adhikari said that they would be organizing quiz competitions for school children in India and winners would get a chance to visit Nepal. -PTI

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Realty Tidbits

Maytas Infra sells stakes in two projects

Real Estate

n a bid to tide over its financial crisis, Maytas Infrastructure, the listed company promoted by Satyam Computers' B Ramalinga Raju, has decided to sell part of its shareholding in Cyberabad Expressway Pvt Ltd and Hyderabad Expressway Pvt Ltd to Terra Projects Ltd, a company owned by the Kolkata-based Neco group. Maytas which owns 50 per cent in each of these companies that will operate on a Build, Operate, Transfer [BOT] basis, is initially selling 36 per cent to Terra Projects. It is required to retain at least 14 per cent in these companies during the construction period, under the concession agreement with the Andhra government. Once construction is complete, it will reduce shareholding in these two companies to six per cent.

Â&#x201E; Centre looks at foreign funds for road building NEW DELHI: The government is looking at foreign investors to fund as much as half of the $20billion a year it has earmarked for road building. Building roads has become a priority for the new Congress-led government as it aims to generate demand across the country and Transport Minister Kamal Nath 's appointment is seen by analysts as an attempt to push that agenda harder. Road construction activity in the previous Congress administration got mired in bureaucratic hurdles and funding delays. "We are looking at all funds. We are looking at sovereign wealth funds. We are looking at private equity. We are looking at pension funds," Nath said.

Â&#x201E; HDFC hopeful of 25 per cent growth in home loans

DFC, housing sector finance company expects up to 25 per cent growth in the retail home loans portfolio this fiscal owing to good demand in non-metro cities. At the same time, home loan seekers may see lower interest rates in the coming few months if the cost of borrowings for the company comes down. Barring parts of Delhi and Mumbai, realty prices have corrected by 15-30 per cent, spurring home loan demand and raising the hopes of bankers. "Our business has picked up significantly.

37 India Post

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July 31, 2009

Nano homes to be more affordable NEW DELHI: The future seems brighter for low-cost housing sector because the finance minister did open a small door that could potentially lead to savings in the construction of commercial buildings and affordable homes. In his Budget speech, the finance minister said, "The construction industry has represented that they are facing difficulties on account of withdrawal of exemption on goods manufactured at site.

New appraisal code causes chaos MARCIE GEFFNER

he new "code of conduct" that was supposed to pro tect lenders and borrowers from faulty appraisals has caused higher costs, delays and considerable chaos in home sales and loan refinances. Mortgage brokers, appraisers and real estate agents are up in arms over the new rules, which dictate how lenders select an appraiser when they originate certain home loans. Few borrowers care much, if at all, about how appraisers are hired or paid, but those borrowers whose loans have been delayed or derailed due to the new rules may take a very keen interest, indeed. At the center of the controversy is the Home Valuation Code of Conduct, or HVCC, which outlines appraisal-related practices lenders must follow with respect to so-called conventional or conforming loans that they want to sell to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The practices are intended to reduce the incidence of appraisal fraud and prevent inappropriate pressure being placed on appraisers to inflate home valuations. The code, which became effective May 1, does not apply to "FHA loans," which are insured by the Federal Housing Administration, or "VA loans," which are guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have both posted FAQs about the code.) New rules protect borrowers

from inflated appraisals David Feldman, president of First American eAppraiseIT, an appraisal software and management company in Irvine, Calif., says the code is "very good for borrowers" because the new practices will help to ensure that home valuations will be "less inappropriately influenced." "(Homebuyers) don't want to pay too much, and they want to pay the right price," he says. "For refinances, if you were hoping for a 'higher value,' prior to the code,

Borrowers should be concerned, Stafford says, because "a lackadaisical effort on an appraisal can easily create a value that is 10 percent lower than it should be if there was any pressure, you might have gotten it or not. Now that will be lessened, so it protects borrowers from themselves." That may prove beneficial, yet the code also has created other unintended consequences in these areas: The accuracy and credibility of an appraisal should be the borrowers' chief concern. Appraisal management companies, or AMCs, which now perform more than half of the appraisals nationwide, contract with tens of thousands of appraisers but typically assign jobs only to several thousand,

Realty firms claim most of QIP funds

oreign institutional inves tors may have poured more money into Qualified Institutional Placements (QIPs) of companies than into the secondary markets, over the past two months. While QIP offers have raked in Rs 11,900 crore since May, net FII purchases of Indian stocks stand at just Rs 9,500 crore in the same period. So what drew, institutional investors to QIPs?. Market players advance reasons ranging from a fancy for the Indian realty sector to the prospect of short-term

who complete their work "quickly and with good quality and good service," Feldman says. John Stafford, a loan officer with Reliant Mortgage in Dallas, takes exception to such claims. He says there are two types of appraisers: the "slap-dash" kind, who base their valuations on the first comparable sales they can find, and the more competent kind, who "work very hard to get the absolute best value, but fair value within the regulations as they are." Borrowers should be con-

gains. Realty companies -prominent among them Indianbulls Real Estate, Unitech and Housing Development &Infrastructure Ltd- have together soaked up nearly twothirds of the above sums raised through QIPs. Investors see latent demand in the Indian realty sector. Conversely, market players believe that the record mop-ups by QIPs are not an indication of longterm FII interest in the India story. We need to see the response to the large IPOs set to hit the market later this month.

cerned, Stafford says, because "a lackadaisical effort on an appraisal can easily create a value that is 10 percent lower than it should be." An artificially low value can kill a home purchase transaction if the appraisal doesn't support the sales price or derail a loan refinance if the appraisal results in a higher loan-to-value ratio and, consequently, a less attractive interest rate. The timeliness of an appraisal is also a prime concern for borrowers because they typically need to meet the time frame of a purchasecontract contingency or interest rate lock. Rob Carter, a Realtor with ZipRealty in Washington, D.C., believes the code has introduced much more uncertainty into the appraisal process.

"We are all used to knowing when the appraisal is going to get done and what the outcome is going to be," he says. "It's a little frustrating when you don't know." Feldman disputes the notion that the code has caused delays. "The turnaround has not been affected even a twitch," he says. Borrowers are also naturally concerned about the cost of an appraisal. Stafford says appraisals have become more expensive as a result of the code because lenders had relied more heavily on automated valuation models, or AVMs, or so-called drive-by appraisals, which required only a confirmation that the home hadn't vanished from the property. Now, he says, lenders are more inclined to require a full appraisal, which is more costly. Moreover, borrowers may now be required to pay for an appraisal upfront, which means they'll be paying out-of-pocket for that expense even if the loan doesn't close. Borrowers also may have to pay for a second appraisal if the first proves problematic or they want to switch their application to a different lender. The code allows appraisals to be transferred, but lenders aren't required to facilitate that and must make sure an incoming appraisal complies with the code. A related issue is whether appraisers should be better compensated for their services. Feldman admits they're paid significantly less for jobs they're assigned through AMCs, but he believes their pay is a "cultural question" that shouldn't concern borrowers.

Â&#x201E; Health

Line

Budget chief sees progress in health care overhaul WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's budget director is playing down reports that lawmakers are bogged down over the health care overhaul. Peter Orszag says good progress is being made toward Obama's goal of a bill in August. He says it's important that Congress agree on a proposal that doesn't add to the deficit, as Obama has demanded. The president has said he will not sign a bill that adds to the deficit. Finding a way to pay for the health care overhaul is the focus of House and Senate members working on legislation to send to Obama. -AP

Â&#x201E; Conn. lawmakers override healthcare bills HARTFORD, Conn.: The Democratic-controlled General Assembly in Connecticut has overridden seven of Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell's 20 vetoes, including one that lays groundwork for a universal health care system in the state. An eighth bill that would have opened the state's health insurance plan to small businesses and others was overturned in the House of Representatives, but failed in the Senate. Another health care bill lawmakers approved extends health care benefits to 600 contracted workers who maintain state buildings. -AP

Â&#x201E; House panel OKs new long-term care program WASHINGTON: A House committee has approved a new voluntary insurance program meant to help families with the costs of long-term health care. The measure was OK'd on voice vote by the House Energy and Commerce Committee as an amendment to a sweeping health care overhaul bill. A similar measure was approved by the Senate's health committee. The Obama administration supports the concept but it still would need approval from the full House and Senate. The program would be financed by a voluntary payroll deduction which would pay a modest daily cash benefit meant to help people pay for services to allow them to stay in their homes later in life. Republicans raised concerns about long-term costs. -AP

Health Science 38

India Post

July 31, 2009

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PIRG discusses health costs and small businesses EVANSTON, Ill.: Rising health care costs are tough on Illinois' small businesses, a new report says. Details and suggested remedies are on tap at meeting outside a small business in Evanston, the Walsh Natural Health store. -AP

Opposition Republicans attack Obama on health care WASHINGTON: The chairman of the opposition Republican Party is accusing President Barack Obama of conducting ``risky experimentation'' with his health care proposals, saying they will hurt the economy and force millions to drop their current coverage. Michael Steele, in remarks at the National Press Club, also said the president, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and key congressional committee chairmen are part of a ``cabal'' that wants to implement government-run health care. ``Obama-Pelosi want to start building a colossal, closed health care system where Washington decides. Republicans want and support an open health care system where patients and doctors make the decisions,'' Steele said. The Republican chairman is making his speech at a time when Obama is struggling to advance his trademark health care proposal after a period of evident progress. Two of three House committees have approved their portions of the bill, while one of two Senate panels have acted. But conservative Democrats have raised objections to some

elements of the legislation, and efforts in the Senate to reach a bipartisan agreement have yet to bear fruit. Obama's attempt to impose an early August deadline on both the House and Senate for passage of legislation is in jeopardy. Obama has repeatedly said he does not favor a government-run health care system. Legislation taking shape in the House envisions private insurance companies selling coverage in competition with the government. Even so, numerous Republicans in Congress continue to level the

President Barack Obama

stop at nothing to remind voters about the risky experimentation going on in Washington,'' the

'Republicans want and support an open health care system where patients and doctors make the decisions' accusation at Obama and congressional Democrats, and Steele did so in sharply critical terms. ``Many Democrats outside of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Waxman cabal know that voters won't stand for these kinds of foolish prescriptions for our health care. We do too. That's why Republicans will

party chairman said. Harry Reid is Senate majority leader; Rep. Henry Waxman is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Both are Democrats. The United States is the only developed nation that does not have a comprehensive national health care plan for all its citizens,

and Obama campaigned on a promise of offering affordable health care to all Americans. About 50 million of America's 300 million people are without health insurance. The government provides coverage for the poor and elderly, but most Americans rely on private insurance, usually received through their employers. Republican officials said they were supplementing Steele's speech with a round of television advertising designed to oppose government-run health care. No details were immediately available on the areas where the commercials would run or their cost. In his speech, Steele broadened his attack beyond health care to question Obama's truthfulness. The president ``tells us he doesn't want to spend more than we have, he doesn't want the deficit to go up, he doesn't want to live off borrowed money. But he also told us he didn't want to run an auto company. President Obama justifies this spending by saying the devil made him do it. He doesn't want to spend trillions we can't afford, but he says he just can't help it,'' Steele said. -AP

Governors resist added federal expenses on health BILOXI, Miss.: Many of the nation's governors have said they don't want Congress to force states to pick up extra expenses, from health care to national security. Democrats and Republicans attending the summer convention of the National Governors Association said state budgets are already strained by recession. Governors meet twice yearly to seek bipartisan consensus on issues affecting their states, including federal mandates for shared programs such as the Medicaid health insurance program for the needy. Only 25 governors attended the weekend meeting as some stayed home to tackle budgets. During discussions about health care, several governors

said they worry federal legislation could push billions of dollars in new expenses on their states for Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the needy. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, said he believes some officials have ``noble goals'' of ex-

... environment, transportation, education, public safety, all the other things that we as states do,'' Perdue said. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat, said too much of the discussion in Congress now is about the cost of

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he likes President Barack Obama's plan to use public and private options for health care panding coverage to more people who are currently uninsured. But he said Congress should not pass legislation that force states to pick up extra expenses. "If we're asked to pick up on state increased costs in health care, it's going to take away from

health care. "If we're not also talking about how do we get better, higher quality health care to the people of this nation, I think we lose them in the process,'' he said. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he likes President Barack Obama's plan to use pub-

lic and private options for health care, but he worries Congress will dilute the plan and pass billions in new expenses on to states. ``We can't afford that, and that's not acceptable,'' Richardson said. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told governors to prepare in case there's a resurgence of swine flu in the nation this fall. She said state leaders should talk to education officials about preventing the disease's spread among children and being ready for schools to offer continued learning at home if they are forced to temporarily close. Obama has said US swine flu vaccinations could begin in October with children among the first to receive them.-AP

Health Science Post

July 31, 2009

India Post 39

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Regulators hear concerns over Oakland voters pass pot tax to boost city coffers mercury storage site GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.: Colorado's health director told federal regulators he has serious concerns about a proposed mercury storage site in western Colorado. James Martin gave the Department of Energy a statement saying the federal government would have to prove the facility would not hurt air and water quality before the state would allow the facility to be built in Colorado. ``While we will maintain an open mind and will participate constructively throughout this process, we enter it with substantial skepticism that this is an appropriate site for the long-term disposal of elemental mercury,'' Martin said. Martin said many of the routes to the disposal site cross the Colorado River, which could endanger water supplies for millions of people across the West. He said the federal government needs to mitigate the risk of accidents to a major waterway, and prove it can care for the wastes ``into perpetuity.'' The hearing was the first of seven meetings by the U.S. Department of Energy involving a

proposal to store 17,000 tons of hazardous mercury near a federal dump site for uranium wastes south of Grand Junction. Other proposed sites and hearings include the Idaho National Laboratory, the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington State, Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada, Kansas City Plant in Mis-

Martin said many of the routes to the disposal site cross the Colorado River, which could endanger water supplies for millions souri, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, and Waste Control Specialists in Andrews, Texas. Bill Levitan, director of compliance for the DOE's office of environmental management, said potential contamination of the river would be included in the environmental impact statement, which is

in the preliminary phases. Nancy Terrill told DOE officials that she has lived in Colorado for 35 years, and was diagnosed with mercury poisoning six years ago. She said she never handled mercury or worked with mercury, and blamed it on air or water pollution. She said the disease was debilitating, causing serious neurological disorders that cost thousands of dollars to clean from her bloodstream. ``I'm here to tell you it's real,'' she said. Rob Fiedler, Delta County emergency services manager, said his department is not equipped to deal with a serious mercury spill. He said the nearest qualified hazardous materials technician is 18 miles away in Grand Junction. Levitan said a decision is expected by late next year. The agency is looking for storage sites because mercury exports will be banned beginning in 2013. The Department of Energy is accepting public comments through Aug. 17 as part of the process of developing an environmental impact statement. -AP

OAKLAND, Calif.: Oakland residents overwhelmingly voted to approve a first-of-its kind tax on medical marijuana sold at the city's four cannabis dispensaries. Preliminary election results showed the measure passing with 80 percent of the vote, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. The dispensary tax was one of four measures in a vote-by-mail special election aimed at raising money for the cash-strapped city. All four measures won, but Measure F had the highest level of support. Scheduled to take effect on New Year's Day, the measure created a special business tax rate for the pot clubs, which now pay the same $1.20 for every $1,000 in gross sales applied to all retail businesses. The new rate will be $18. Oakland's auditor estimates that based on annual sales of $17.5 million for the four clubs, it will generate an estimated $294,000 for city coffers in its first year. Pot club owners, who openly sell pot over the counter under the 1996 state ballot measure that legalized medical marijuana use in

California, proposed Measure F as a way to further legitimize their establishments. ``It's good business and good for the community,'' said Richard Lee, who owns the Coffee Shop SR-71 dispensary and Oaksterdam University, a trade school for budding dispensary workers. The measure had no formal opposition; in November 2004, a ballot initiative that required Oakland

Scheduled to take effect on New Year's Day, the measure created a special business tax rate for the pot clubs police to make arresting adults using marijuana for personal use their lowest priority passed with 63 percent of the vote. Support for Measure F was expected to be just as strong. As a result and given the mail-in nature of the election, there was little campaign activity, according to Lee. -AP

Tech News L & T to invest Rs 1,500 cr in power, port projects

TechBiz

arsen and Toubro plans to in vest Rs 1,500 crore this fiscal in its projects relating to power, including equipment manufacturing, shipyard and port development. The company has already invested Rs 1500 crore in these programmes, the total project cost of which is about Rs 12,500 crore. According to L&T sources, L&T's share here would be about Rs 4,000 crore with the balance bank-rolled. The company would invest Rs 1,000 crore more next fiscal and thereafter would be completed with bank assistance. Adani Power, a part of the Ahmedabad-based Adani group, announced that its initial public offering will open on July 28. The IPO aims at raising around Rs 3,000 crore to finance its proposed power projects in the country. The book-built issue, consisting of 301.65 million equity shares, will close on July 31.

Technology GIS mapping of all districts

he Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (Yashada) will map all the districts in the state using the Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. According to the director general of Yashada, V Ramani, the mapping of all districts would not only bring about transparency but also help in decentralised planning and better monitoring of all programmes. A pilot project has been undertaken for preparing detailed GIS maps of Pune and Nandurbar districts.

40 India Post

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July 31, 2009

Rel Infra emerges highest bidder for 5 airports MUMBAI: Anil Ambani Group company Reliance Infrastructure has said it has emerged as the highest bidder to develop and operate five non-metro airports in Maharashtra. Speaking at the 80th annual general meeting of the company here, Chairman Anil Ambani told shareholders that the company has emerged as the highest bidder to develop and operate airports at Nanded, Latur, Yavatmal, Baramati and Osmanabad. He said the company has also been shortlisted to bid for several other non-metro airports in the country. The Centre has set a target of modernizing 35 non-metro airports in the country through public-private partnership. -PTI

Adlabs' subsidiary restores Apollo 11 footage for NASA India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Lowry Digital, a subsidiary of Adlabs Films Ltd., India, and a member of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has completed the initial phase of the restoration of footage sent back to Earth from Apollo 11, including man's first steps on the moon, as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the mission this month. NASA commissioned Lowry Digital to restore roughly two-and-a-half hours of material that astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin captured during their 1969 expedition. The preliminary restoration includes highlight sequences such as Armstrong's famous descent of the ladder and the planting of the American flag. The overall restoration is ongoing, and images will continue to be refined, with a planned completion in September. A sneak peek of the footage was presented by NASA at a press conference on July 16 in Washington, D.C., at the Newseum ( h t t p : / / w w w. n a s a . g o v / apollo40th). "Lowry Digital's unparalleled proprietary technology and expe-

rience in repairing moving images was essential to achieving NASA's goals for the restoration," says Lowry Digital COO Mike Inchalik. "Given that the original recordings did not survive, our ability to recover picture detail and eliminate increased noise and other artifacts introduced later was

says Richard Nafzger, an engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who oversaw television processing at the ground tracking sites during Apollo 11. The team at Lowry Digital also developed a number of specifically tailored solutions to address

The preliminary restoration includes highlight sequences such as Armstrong's famous descent of the ladder and the planting of the American flag crucial. The disparate source elements each had their own unique issues, and we developed new tools to address them." "We're delighted by the progress we've seen so far, and all of us at NASA are excited by the possibilities that Lowry Digital's technology is bringing to the restoration of this historic event,"

to the unique problems of the Apollo 11 images. Some issues were introduced in the original photography, others in the transmission and recordings. Further flaws were introduced in the translation to other formats and media, and still others are the result of the media aging. The project is also historically

resonant in that company founder John Lowry worked with NASA back in the 1970s to improve images, as they were sent back live from the Apollo 16 and 17 missions. The ideas and methods used then formed the seed that grew into The Lowry Process. "This work for NASA represents the first real effort to apply Lowry Digital's proprietary image processing technology and repair tools outside the entertainment space," adds Inchalik. "The underlying science that John Lowry first invented is now so much more advanced at Lowry Digital, and it applies just as well to the scientific, medical, security and military fields. We're excited by those opportunities." Lowry Digital is delivering the restored images in HD format to NASA. Lowry Digital is a state-of-theart postproduction resource that utilizes proprietary image process-

Dhake Industries scores double in awards ASHOK JAIN

PLYMOUTH: For the second consecutive year, I Dhake Industries has been selected for the 2009 Best of Plymouth Award in the

Plymouth MI, Ashley Carter Selection Committee Chair US Local Business Association, said "I'm sure that your selection as a 2009 Award Winner is a reflection of the

Award has been designed for display at your place of business" The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local busi-

Nationwide, only 1 in 70 (1.4%) 2008 Award recipients qualified as 2009 Award Winners

The Award

Paint category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA). Nationwide, only 1 in 70 (1.4%) 2008 Award recipients qualified as 2009 Award Winners. In a communication addressed to Arjun Dhake, CEO Dhake Industries in

hard work of not only yourself, but of many people that have supported your business and contributed to the subsequent success of your organization. Congratulations on your selection to such an elite group of small businesses. " He further added that "in recognition of your achievement, a special 2009 Best of Plymouth

Arjun Dhake and B D Dhake

nesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

TechBiz Post

July 31, 2009

India Post

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Reliance Infra to undertake slew of projects MUMBAI: Anil Ambani Group Company Reliance Infrastructure is set to execute a slew of projects -- from power to roads and from airports to cement and even information technology -- over the next few years. The company, which posted a net profit of Rs 1,139 crore and sales of Rs 11,000 crore last financial year, has either bagged many important projects or emerged as preferred bidder in some of the projects. The company, with cash on hand worth Rs 10,000 crore, is sensing a huge require-

ment of funds to execute various projects. It has got an additional capital infusion of Rs 4,300 crore with promoter group subscribing to 4.29 crore convertible warrants during the year. Speaking to shareholders at the 80th Annual General Meeting of Reliance Infrastructure here, Chairman Anil Ambani said the fresh infusion will enhance the company's net worth to over Rs 16,000 crore and raises borrowing capacity, even at debt equity ratio of 2:1, to Rs 32,000 crore.

The company has received approvals from the board and shareholders to further increase the capital base through the QIP route if required, he said. Reliance Infrastructure is working on

projects worth Rs 13,500 crore and there are another Rs 15,000 crore worth of projects where the company is a preferred bidder and waiting for letter of award, Ambani said. -PTI

Vadodara firm launches new venture VADODARA: Om International, a company which works in the field of immigration and student visas, has launched a new software and media venture for catering to growing demands of IT services In India and abroad. "Through Om Informedia Solutions (OIMS) our efforts will be to cater to the growing demands of IT services particularly in offshore development countries of Australia, Malaysia, UK, Sweden, Singapore and many more," OIMS Chairman Vishal Shah told PTI after the venture's launch here. Om International, launched in 2002 with head office in the city, has 25 branches in

India and abroad. "Our mission is to incorporate novel ideas in the software development projects of the clients and deliver valuable services," Shah said. OMIS will offer the services in software consulting and development, web design and development, graphics and printing solutions, media solutions and entertainment service, animation, education and HR placement services among others. Om International also announced launching of another enterprise, Om Institute of Business and Technology (OIBT), with Malaysia-based Limkokwing University as partner. -PTI

Electronic spot market for farmers in Punjab, Haryana by Nov CHANDIGARH: Farmers in Punjab and Haryana may soon have a new platform to market their produce as the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL)is planning to launch electronic spot trading in these two states by November this year. "We are expecting to offer our spot trading services for agricultural produce in Punjab and Haryana by November after obtaining licenses shortly from the concerned authorities," NSEL Managing Director and CEO Anjani Sinha told PTI.

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SHIMLA: Malaysia-based TJ Harmoni has evinced interest to invest in infrastructure, power, among other sectors in Himachal Pradesh. According to an official release, a team of the Malaysian company met Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal here and showed their interest to invest in the state. The CM said the state would be exploring possibilities of taking benefit of the multinational Malaysian company in different sectors, the release said. He said development of multistoried parking lots with latest technology was one of the projects which could be considered for allotment to the company on built operate own and transfer (BOOT) basis, keeping in view its need in all major towns of the state. -PTI

NSEL, which is promoted by Financial Technologies India Ltd and National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India Ltd, would initially introduce spot market for wheat, paddy and mustard products, he said. The electronic spot market is good news for farmers as it will do away with intermediation and improve marketing efficiency, thereby increasing the income of farmers without raising the consumer-paid price. -PTI

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Horoscope

July 31, 2009

India Post

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ARIES Mar 21-Apr 20 You will try to solve an important issue involving a child. You may hear some more rumors at work. People will be more demanding, relax something good is going to come out of this whole change. You may travel to a nice place with family this week. Irregular food habits may upset the stomach. Expenses will not leave you alone.

LEO Jul 23-Aug 22 Do not loose concentration and confidence at all. Major changes just few weeks away. You will not be given too many choices and asked for quick decisions. Business will improve and you will make new and permanent clients. Spouse will give good ideas but you may just ignore them right now. You will be going on an important trip.

SAGITTARIUS

July 31 to August 6

Nov 23-Dec 22 It is going to be an expensive week but the money will go on good reasons. Venus in seventh may get you involved in an exciting relationship. Traveling will be beneficial. You may take family out for dinner and movies. Do not expect quick results but continue your efforts. Some thing huge is shaping up.

MAFS opens a new Senior Center Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

Mrs. Santosh Kumar, the Executive Director of MAFS thanked Marylin Krolak for supporting nutrition sites in Carol Stream, Roselle, and Lombard. She also thanked CLESE for helping the agency with legal and government process ever since the beginning of the agency. She acknowledged the role of Dr Farida Jafri, Dr Pratima Shah, Dr Shila Shah, and Shankaer Bhatt for their time and moral support. She thanked the officials of State Department of Aging and Area Agencies on Aging for providing resources to continue the programs despite of the budgetary cuts. Frank Saverino, the Mayor of Carol Stream was glad to be at the center and participate in the event. He complimented Mrs. Kumar for offering services to the seniors in his area. Rodney Craig, the Mayor of Hanover Park was delighted to be part of the opening and promise to provide support in MAFS programs. Ms Linda Jackson, the mayor of Glendale Heights was very pleased to see the big crowd

of seniors and community member on this occasion. Lucia Jones, Executive Director of Northeast area Agency on Aging admired Ms Kumar's commitment to serve seniors despite of financial challenges. She told the seniors this is their center and it works because they come here. She explained that tough decisions for partial budget cuts were made by the elected officials of State of Illinois because there is not enough revenue to cover the cost of the programs. She conveyed that the homecare services are designed to help seniors stay in their homes for as long as possible. Marta Parera, Executive Director of Coalition of Limited Speaking, spoke about the long association of MAFS in serving elderly with linguistic barriers. Mrs. Kumar announced that annual fundraiser will be held on August 8. She advised the seniors to encourage their families and friends to attend and contribute generously. There was delicious lunch and great music and entertainment by Shahzad Ahmed and Habibur Durrani.

TAURUS Apr 21-May 20 Little exercises will bring health issues under controls. Venus in second continues to improve finances. You will not have to make much effort to make extra money. Visit to a holy place will bring more peace in mind. Ignore people whose job is to irritate you. Some of you will be getting ready to relocate to a nice and warmer location.

VIRGO Aug 23-Sept 22 You may need to go out of your way in order to please boss and stay in his good books. An older family member will need extra medical care. You may have to make repeated attempts to get the job done. Some body with long experience will show interest in your product and ask for details. Avert legal procedures if possible.

CAPRICORN Dec 23-Jan 19 You will be firm and not allow anyone to take undue advantage. You will be given very limited choice and will have no other way but to accept the offer. You will seek advice from another matured person. Legal matters will get delayed for no reason. It will take little more time for the financial stability to return in life.

GEMINI May 21-Jun 20 You will put all worries aside and try to enjoy life with family and friends. People around will notice the change in your personality. It will be better to dispose off money making stocks and wait for two weeks to buy them back. You will spend time on cleaning your desk and go through mail gathering dust for some time.

LIBRA Sept 23-Oct 22 There will be several interesting developments in life. Suspense will be over and things will stabilize at work. Property deal will finally happen and some of you will start packing. Planets will bring confidence back. You may change your mind on last minute and avoid going to a party. You will spend lots of money on children.

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18 This is the correct time to strike and launch your projects with full force. Quickly you will realize that you have the necessary edge over competitors. A big reunion is about to take place in the house. Do not take a chance with weather and eat food at regular intervals. Financial gains will be larger than expected.

CANCER Jun 21-Jul 22 You will need to do lots of juggling in order to meet your financial commitments. You will also sign an important contract this week. Keep your emotions under check as people will make several attempts to cause irritation. Drink chilled water before making any important decision. Things will continue to improve at work.

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 22 Hard work will start to pay off. You will be called for second interview. Career wise, planets promise great success in coming months. It's the financial commitments which are rapidly increasing. Idea of obtaining a loan will also cross your mind. You may severe your relations with charity because of lack of time.

PISCES Feb 19-Mar 20 Things will again start moving in positive direction and the money is on its way. You may also receive some clearance from a government agency. Quality of your product will prove that you have the edge over your opponents. You will try to call few old friends and arrange a small get together. Pleasant surprise coming via mail.

In Brief Immigration coalition to hold forum PITTSFIELD, Mass.: The Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition is holding meetings with immigrants statewide about federal and state immigration reforms. The group is holding a community forum in Pittsfield to update residents on pending legislation and possible reform proposals. Hilary Greene, director of the Berkshire Immigration Center, said participants will discuss the proposals, dispel myths and rally community members around reform. A coalition of immigrant advocates, business leaders and state officials submitted a list of recommendations for reforms to Gov. Deval Patrick earlier this month. The governor's office has yet to make that report public. -AP

Homeland Security chief pushes for reform MONTEREY, Calif.: The nation's security chief used a speech in Monterey to push for immigration reform. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told an annual gathering of federal judges and court officials that immigration reform is on the top of her list of pressing issues. Napolitano told the opening of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference in Monterey that she will be involved in the drafting of reform legislation being pushed by the Obama administration. She urged the judges and officials in attendance to weigh in with their congressional representatives before an open hearing process begins this fall. -AP

Some Utah employers starting use of E-Verify SALT LAKE CITY: Utah employers who have contracts with state or local government agencies are now required to use the EVerify system to check the legal status of workers. The requirement became law on July 1 with the implementation of Senate Bill 81, an immigration measure. Starting in September, employers who want to work with federal agencies will also have to use the electronic system. The program is a free Webbased system operated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. -AP

Immigration 44

India Post

July 31, 2009

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Sale of Iowa kosher slaughterhouse approved IOWA CITY, Iowa: A bankruptcy judge approved the sale of a kosher slaughterhouse that was subject to a massive immigration raid last year that led to the arrests of 389 people. Details on page 47

DC is home to fifth largest South Asian population in country India Post News Service

NEW YORK: As the South Asian community nationwide and in the Washington DC area continues to grow, the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC) and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) on July 20, released the findings from a new report, entitled Washington DeSi: South Asians in the Nation's Capital, to an audience of government and community stakeholders. In response to the lack of information about the South Asian community in the Washington DC metropolitan region - home to the nation's fifth largest South Asian population - APALRC and SAALT launched the South Asian Community Empowerment (SACE) project in early 2009 that included a multi-language needs assessment, focus groups, interviews, and relationship-building with community organizations. Washington DeSi provides find-

ings from surveys of nearly 200 South Asians living or working in DC, as well as trends gathered from focus groups and interviews. "South Asians are the second largest Asian ethnic group in the District of Columbia. Our community includes young professionals, domestic workers, and small

for the economic and social empowerment of South Asians in the District: removing barriers to service provision; addressing and reducing claims of bias and discrimination; and increasing civic engagement. Of the many note-worthy findings in the report are that nearly

‘Our community includes young professionals, domestic workers, and small business owners, with various income levels, immigration statuses, and a range of concerns,’ explained Deepa Iyer, Executive Director of SAALT business owners, with various income levels, immigration statuses, and a range of concerns," explained Deepa Iyer, Executive Director of SAALT. The findings in Washington DeSi serve as an important starting point for further dialogue and movement among government and community stakeholders around three main priorities areas

3 out of 10 South Asians surveyed reported unfair treatment when dealing with law enforcement officials or government authorities, while a third of survey respondents had experienced unfair treatment while working or when frequenting stores, banks or restaurants. In addition, the report provides narratives of situations faced by

segments of working class South Asians, including taxi drivers, restaurant workers, and the growing population of South Asian domestic workers in the District. "Through our project, we know that South Asians need access to information and resources related to health care, legal services, financial education and vocational training. In addition, South Asians identified public safety, discrimination, and access to government resources as areas of concern," noted Nadia Firozvi, Staff Attorney at the APALRC. The report also provides recommendations for government agencies, community stakeholders, philanthropic institutions and service providers. Key recommendations include providing culturally and linguistically accessible information to South Asians in the District, broadening the outreach of government agencies, and developing the community-based infrastructure in the Washington DC metropolitan region.

Revocation of I-140 petition trumps portability CYRUS D. MEHTA

s the Employment-based categories remain hopelessly backlogged, especially for those born in India and China in the Employment-based Second Preference (EB-2) and for the entire world in the Employment-Based Third Preference (EB3), the only silver lining is the ability of the applicant to exercise portability under INA § 204(j). Under INA § 204(j), an I-140 petition remains valid even if the alien has changed employers or jobs so long as an application for adjustment of status has been filed and remains unadjudicated for 180 days or more and that the applicant has changed jobs or employers in the same or similar occupational classification as the job for which the petition was filed. Stated simply, an applicant for adjustment of status (Form I-485) can move to a new employer or change positions with the same employer who filed the I-140 peti-

tion as long as the new position is in a same or similar occupation as the original position. This individual who has changed jobs can still continue to enjoy the benefits of the I-485 application and the ability to obtain permanent residency. § 204(j), thus, allows one not to be imprisoned with an employer or in one position if an ad-

Ninth Circuit, Herrera v. USCIS, No. 08-55493, 2009 WL 1911596 (C.A. 9 (Cal.)), 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 14592, unfortunately, may render adjustment applicants who have exercised portability under INA § 204(j) more vulnerable. In Herrera v. USCIS, the petitioner in this case, Herrera, was the beneficiary of an approved I-140

A delay of more than 180 days may be caused either due to inefficiency with USCIS, due the retrogression in visa numbers justment application is pending for more than 180 days. A delay of more than 180 days may be caused either due to inefficiency with United States Immigration and Citizenship Services ("USCIS"), or more recently, due the retrogression in visa numbers in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories. A recent decision from the

petition, which was filed under INA § 203(b) (1) (C) as an alien who seeks to work for a company "in the capacity that is managerial or executive." At Herrera's adjustment of status interview, the examining officer discovered that she was not truly employed in a managerial or executive capacity for the petitioning employer.

The employer who filed the I140 petition, Jugendstil, did not manufacture furniture, as it stated in the I-140 petition, but rather, engaged in interior designing services. Following the adjustment interview, and long after the adjustment application was pending for more than 180 days, Herrera exercised portability to a new employer. Unfortunately, a few months after she had exercised portability, the California Service Center ("CSC") issued a notice of intent to revoke Herrera's previously approved I-140 petition. This notice, which was sent to the prior employer that filed the I-140 petition, alleged that Herrera did not work in a managerial or executive capacity due to the size of the petitioning entity (which had only 7 employees) and also because of her lack of managerial or executive job duties, which included visits to client sites. Cont’d on page 47

Immigration Post

July 31, 2009

India Post

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New Australian immigration rules make residency tough

Legal status of US workers' an immigration issue WASHINGTON: The Senate Democrat leading the push for immigration changes said here verifying the legal status of workers will require citizens and immigrants to prove they are legally eligible to hold jobs in the US. Sen. Charles Schumer, chairman of the immigration subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he envisions a workforce verification system that relies on an electronic identifier, known as biometrics, such as fingerprints. ``In order to completely prevent future waves of illegal immigration, we must recognize that no matter what we do on the border and at our ports of entry, jobs are what draw illegal immigrants to the United States,'' Schumer said. -AP

for all other occupations on the Skilled Occupation List," the department said, adding that research has shown that migrants proficient in English have better employment outcomes. Earlier, international students, including Indians, who completed courses in hairdressing and cookery were getting extra migration points towards applications for per-

People applying for the General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas overseas will have to pass a test manent residency because the two trades were included on the Migration Occupations in Demand List. When asked if cookery and hairdressing courses wherein Indian students were enrolled in large numbers were removed from the list, a spokesperson from Immigration Department told PTI that "unless applicants with these qualifications are sponsored by an employer or state/territory government, their applications for perma-

nent residency are not being processed as a priority." The new changes were part of the government's plan to take up a task of constructing a long-term planning framework for migration. Last month, Australian Government also announced reducing permanent skilled migrant intake for 200910 Migration Program, in response to the continued economic slowdown, according to Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans. "The Government remains committed to a strong migration program but unemployment in Australia is expected to increase as the economy slows," Evans said. The migration intake in the coming year reflects the economic climate while ensuring employers can gain access to skilled professionals in industries still experiencing skills shortages, he said. "The reduction is being achieved through a cutback in places for the general skilled category rather than in the high-demand employer-sponsored category or in areas in which Australia has critical skills shortages," Evans said. -PTI

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MELBOURNE: Thousands of Indian students enrolled in vocational courses like cookery and hairdressing, which till now allowed a "fast track" to permanent residency, will have to sit for a test requiring "competent" English language skills while applying to live and work in Australia. "Trades people applying to live and work in Australia permanently from July one will require increased English language skills," according to new immigration policy changes issued by the Australian Immigration Department The change will mean that people applying for the General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas overseas will have to pass a test showing they have competent English. In the past, the pass mark was based on vocational English, a lower standard. "Trades people lodging skilled migration visa applications overseas will be required to meet the new English language level under International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. "This change will bring traderelated occupations in line with the English language level required

India Post

Immigration Post

July 31, 2009

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Colo to get access to federal data on immigrants DENVER: Colorado wants its local police officers to have access to federal immigration and criminal databases to more quickly identify illegal immigrants during jail bookings - a plan advocacy groups say could trigger racial profiling. Colorado plans to join the Secure Communities program run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It allows police to check fingerprints of people under arrest against FBI criminal history records and Department of Homeland Security immigration records. ICE is notified of any matches and deportation priority is given to those charged with murder, rape, kidnapping and robbery. Currently, Colorado police agencies don't have access to im-

migration records. They can notify ICE when they suspect someone is undocumented, and federal officials check their records and

ICE issues guidelines to participating agencies, but it's up to the states to oversee their police, Rusnok said tell police whether that's the case. Secure Communities operates in 70 jurisdictions in Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. The Harris County Sheriff's Office

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in Houston was one of the first to test the program in February 2007, and ICE hopes to take it nationwide by 2013. Immigrant advocates say it could give police a pretext to arrest suspected undocumented immigrants. ``We think the program is really problematic,'' said Joan Friedland, immigration policy director with the Los Angelesbased National Immigration Law Center. ``It's a program that's just been announced through press releases and fact sheets on the ICE Web site. It doesn't have any regulation.'' Carl Rusnok, an ICE spokesman, responded by saying that ``there's no racial profiling involved because everyone is screened'' by agencies participating in the program. It's unclear how ICE will focus on deporting the most serious criminal suspects, said Cynthia Buiza, policy and advocacy director at the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. She called the program ``deceptively benign'' and questioned who will monitor Secure Communities to ensure there are no abuses. Rusnok said that's up to ICE and local law enforcement and that ICE must report to Congress each quarter on the program. ICE issues guidelines to participating agencies, but it's up to the states to oversee their police, Rusnok added. Since October, 445,000 people have had their fingerprints screened under Secure Communities, and 56,300 have matched DHS databases, ICE said in a report. -AP

July 31, 2009

Immigration Post

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Sale of Iowa kosher slaughterhouse approved IOWA CITY, Iowa: A bankruptcy judge owed after declaring bankruptcy into one corapproved the sale of a kosher slaughter- poration. Since SHF Industries took on house that was subject to a massive immi- Agriprocessors' $21 million in debt at a siggration raid last year that led to the arrests nificantly cheaper price it now owns the comof 389 people. pany assets valued at about $25 million. Judge Paul J. Kilburg, in U.S. Bankruptcy The sale also included assets in New Court in Cedar Rapids, approved the $8.5 mil- York and Florida; the assets in those states lion sale of Agriprocessors, Inc., to SHF In- and Iowa have served as collateral for the dustries, a company formed in two loans from St. LouisMay by Canadian plastics The sale ends based First Bank and MLIC manufacturer Hershey FriedAsset Holding of New York man and his son-in-law, months of specula- City, which is affiliated with Daniel Hirsch. Metropolitan Life Insurance. tion about the The sale ends months of Bankruptcy trustee Joe speculation about the future future of the plant Sarachek has said the of the plant in Postville, in Postville, about Agriprocessors assets in about 150 miles northeast of 150 miles northeast the sale are worth about $25 Des Moines. million. The plant, which has now of Des Moines The sale was expected to has about 100 full-time workbe completed last week, but ers, will continue producing kosher meat, a technicality concerning the sale agreeFriedman has said. He did not immediately ment held up the proceedings. respond to a phone message Monday seekSHF Industries will take on the ing comment. meatpacking operation, all the trademarks Hirsch will be the SHF's managing director, and brands of the Agriprocessors kosher according to court papers. SHF Industries meat operation, and may ``investigate and bought Agriprocessors in an auction for $8.5 evaluate'' buying some of Rubashkin's holdmillion, putting all the money Agriprocessors ings in Postville, including his bankrupt real

Revocation of I-140 petition trumps portability Cont’d from page 44

The CSC ultimately revoked the I-140 petition after giving Jugendstil an opportunity to respond. This indeed is anomalous, since the original I-140 petitioner, after the alien has exercised portability, may not have an incentive to respond. However, in this case, Jugendstil did appear to have an incentive to respond (and litigate the matter) as Herrera had "ported" to Bay Area Bumpers, an affiliate of Jugendstil. The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) affirmed the denial, and so did the federal district court.

At issue in Herrera v. USCIS was whether the government's authority to revoke an I-140 petition under INA § 205 survived portability under INA § 204(j). INA § 205 states, "The Secretary of Homeland Security may, at any time, for what he deems to be good and sufficient cause, revoke the approval of any petition approved by him under section 204. Such revocation shall be effective as of the date of approval of any such petition." (To be continued) * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

estate firm, Nevel Properties. As a condition of the sale, SHF Industries had to disclose any relationship with Agriprocessors or Rubashkin. In the disclosure document, Hirsch denied any relationship to either and said neither would have an ownership interest in the plant or

SHF Industries after the sale. Hirsch also said in the disclosure document that the company will adopt ``a comprehensive screening and compliance program'' to make sure the company is complying with immigration laws, but Hirsch wasn't specific about how he'd achieve this. -AP

Classifieds

India Post

July 31, 2009

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MATRIMONIALS

For Classifieds Ads Call

BRIDEGROOM WANTED

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Classifieds

July 31, 2009

India Post 49

www.indiapost.com

Experienced book keeper needed

OWNER OPERATORS WANTED WITH OR

RESTAURANT FOR SALE

WITHOUT TRAILER, WEEKLY

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Classifieds

India Post

July 31, 2009

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PAYROLL ACCOUNTANT WANTED Currently seeking payroll clerks and accountants. Job comes with great benefits,Applicants should kindly e-mail resumes or inquiries to Guiseppina Cavaliere.

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Motel Manager Wanted Immediate Hiring for Experience Couple to Manage Independent Motel in Needles, CA Salary + Free Living Accommodation Call : 310-464-7750

or 562-858-3109

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July 31, 2009

India Post 51

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Executive Chef San Francisco based restaurant looking for a EXECUTIVE CHEF/culinary graduate. Must have 10 YEARS of experience.

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NEWS on your desktop

www.indiapost.com

Tel: (515) 265 7525 / Cell (515) 554 2131

FOR SALE Hotel property in Manhattan NYChelsea .50,000 sq ft Build able .50x100 lot Up to 24 Stories high Price $13 Million J/V possible. Only serious buyersPlease. Email DennisD@citysitesny.com

Datebook

India Post

July 31, 2009

www.indiapost.com

NEW YORK Upcoming

WASHINGTON DC Upcoming

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming

Wed Aug 5

Fri Aug 14

• Inner Engineering

Every 4th Sat every Month

Mon June 29 to Mon Aug 6

• Jisne Lahore Nahin Dekha - Play

Venue: Center Point Studios, 324 Lafayette St, New York Contact: 516-857-6743

• Durga Mata Ka Jagaran

Venue: Terrace Theater, 2700 F Street, Washington DC Contact: 240-354-1127 Time: 7:30pm Highlights: Jisne Lahore Nahin Dekha" is a highly acclaimed Hindi drama set in 1947 during the time of partition. The story depicts the strength of human relationships in an atmosphere charged with communal hatred, intolerance, and vendetta.

Venue: 2335 S. Diamond Bar Boulevard, DBC Center, Diamond Bar, CA Time: 6:30pm Contact: 909-519-1579, 626-810-2345

• Ohlone for Kids (and Teens) Summer Enrichment Program

Thurs Aug 6 • Desi Bridal Expo Venue: Huntington Hilton, 598 Broad Hollow Road, Melville, New York Time: 5:30pm to 10pm Contact: 888-METRO-E-X

Fri July 31 to Sun Aug 2

Sat Aug 8

• Family Conference 2009

• Bollywood Divas Nite Venue: Colden Center, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, New York Time: 8pm Contact: (718)200-9311 Highlights: Rakhi Sawant, Koena Mitra, Tanushree Dutta and Preeti Jhangiani

Venue: Free Methodist Camp Grounds, 15712 Peach Orchard Rd, Silverspring, Maryland Time: 6pm to 1pm Contact: 301-404-8198 Highlights: Conference speakers : Dr. Sam Kamaleson (English) & Pastor Elisha Samavedam (Telugu)

ILLINOIS Upcoming

NEW JERSEY Upcoming

Venue: Ohlone College, 43600 Mission Blvd. in Fremont, Contact: www.ohloneforkids.com

Fri July 31 Every Sat (start from Sat Aug 8)

• The Art of Living

• Gurukul Classes for Children

Venue: Zen Center, 308 Page Street, Cross Street: Laguna, San Francisco, California Contact: 415-896-4902

Venue: Sindhu Center, South California Time: 2pm to 4pm Contact: 818-541-1754 & 909-576-1114 Highlights: Children between the ages of 5 and 18. Children will be taught the Fundamentals of Hinduism, Prayers, Shlokas, Bhajans and Values of our culture.

Sun Aug 2 • Jashn-E-Rahman

Sat Aug 1

Venue: JCNC Auditorium, 722 South Main St, Milpitas, CA Time: 3:30pm to 6:30pm Contact: 408-660-3739

• My India: A free guided talk & slide presentation by Etan Doronne

Wed Aug 5

Venue: Fairview Branch Library, 2101, Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA Time: 1pm Contact: 310-450-0443

• Karma Yoga Lecture Series Venue: Fremont Hindu Temple, 3676 Delaware Drive, Fremont, California Contact: (510) 659-0655

Fri July 31

Sun Aug 16

Fri Aug 7

Thurs Aug 6

• Sonu Nigam - Explosion 2009 Concert

• Ashtottarsat Shreemad Bhagwat Katha

• Miss India America 2009

• Full Moon Meditation

Venue: Rosemont Theater, 5400 N. River Rd, Rosemont, Illinois Time: 8:30pm Contact: 773-764-7576 Admission: $35, $ 49, $69, $89, VIP, VVIP Highlights: Sonu Niigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Hard Kaur First Time Ever Together Live in Concert

Venue: Artesia High School, 12108 E. Del Amo Blvd., Lakewood, CA Time: Sunday Aug 16- 2pm to 3:30pm Pothi Yatra Pooja, 4pm Katha Starts, 7pm Aarati & Maha Prasad, Mon Aug 17- 3pm to 5pm Shiv Maha Puja, 5pm Katha Starts, 8pm Aarati & Maha Prasad, Tues Aug 18- 5pm to 6pm Maha Prasad, 6pm Katha Starts, 8:30pm Aarati, Sat Aug 22- 1pm to 3pm Cultural Programs, 3pm 108 Thakorji's Puja Archan by Tulsiji followed by Purnahuti, 7pm Maha Prasad, Sat Aug 22- 8:30pm to 12:30pm Health Fair Contact: 714-484-0404

Venue: Hilton Hotel, 701 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA Time: 5pm Highlights: Cheetah Girls Singer KIELY WILLIAMS, Bollywood Actress MALLIKA SHERAWAT, Battlestar Galactica REKHA SHARMA and many other confirmed celebrities.

Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church, 131 Mountain Way, Morris Plains, New Jersey Time: 7pm Contact: 305-297-8367

Thurs Aug 13 • Shri Krishna Janmashtami

Sun Aug 2

Venue: Bharat Sevashram Sangha, 3490 Rt. 27, Kendall Park, New Jersey Time: 6pm to 9:30pm Contact: 732-422-8880

• Mauli Dave Live Performance by Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Venue: India House Banquet, 1521 W Schaumburg Rd, Schaumburg, Illinois Contact: 630-904-5157

BOSTON Upcoming

Fri July 31 • Avaniee's Jewelry Show

Wed Aug 5 to Sat Aug 8

Venue: Holiday Inn, 2175 West Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill, New Jersey Time: 11am Contact: 516-279-6350

• Vacation Bible School Venue: TAMIL UCC, 1840, Westchester Blvd, Westchester, IL Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm Contact: 630-414-0656

HINDU TEMPLE & CULTURAL CENTER 3676 Delaware Drive, Fremont, CA, 94538

(510) 659-0655

Weekly Services Open M-F 8:30 AM-1PM, 4 PM-8 PM, Sat & Sun 8:30 AM to 8 PM DAILY AARATI 9 AM MORNINGS AND 7:30 PM EVENINGS. Sunday Services: 11am to 1pm, Aarti at 1:15pm followed by Prasad & Pritibhoj EARLY MORNING Bhajans by Khanna, Surendra @ 10 AM DATE

BHAJAN GROUP (11 AM - 11:45 AM)

PRAVACHAN (12 PM - 1PM) PRITIBHOJ (1:30 PM - 3:00 PM)

08/02/09

MAHANT JI

SWAMI AADHATMANAND JI

ANKUR & KAVYA JAIN

08/16/09

BARTHI JOSHI

KESHAV JI MAHARAJ

RAMESH IYER

UPCOMING TEMPLE EVENTS YOGA CLASS: MON.-FRI. 7 TO 8 AM SAT. 8 TO 9 AM GEETA CLASS: SAT. 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM Gayatri Mantra Saturday - 11 AM - To 12 PM by Gayatri Pariwar Contact: Naresh Sethi (For Jagrata). TEL: 510-825-1927, 510-487-2544

Sundar Kand Ka Paath on 3rd Saturday of everymonth from 10:30 am to 12: 00 pm

• Bollywood Nights Venue: Taj Boston, 15 Arlington Street, Boston, Massachusetts Contact: 617-598-5255

Sun Aug 2

VEDIC DHARMA SAMAJ

www.fremonttemple.org Tel:

Fri July 31

• Bhavayami Raghu Ramam Venue: Littleton High School Auditorium, Littleton, Massachusetts Time: 5pm Contact: 978-392-4677

Sun Aug 9 • Annual India Day Venue: Italian-American Cultural Center, Worcester, Massachusetts Contact: 508-842-9795

Sun Aug 16 • Krishna Festival Venue: Himanshu & Shweta Vakil, 4 Cheery Tree Drive, Norton, Massachusetts Time: 11am to 2pm Contact: 508.285.5891

VIRGINIA Upcoming Sat Aug 1 • Asian Festival Venue: Lake Newport Tennis Park, 11452 Baron Cameron Ave, Reston, Virginia Contact: 703-589-4144 Highlights: India is the featured country at the sixth Annual Asian Festival. More than 30 local restaurants will serve all kinds of food. The event will be presented in 3 stages. One stage is set aside for an "Asian Idol" contest; another showcases various cultural performances; and a third is reserved for music and dance demonstrations, including instrumental music, comedy skits, fusion music and dance.

Sat Aug 1 • Janaki Rangarajan performs Bharatanatyam Venue: 11452 Baron Cameron Avenue, Reston, Virginia Time: 4:15pm Contact: (703) 642-9558

Wed Aug 5 • Balaram Jayanti Venue: Hare Krishna Temple, 10310 Oaklyn Drive, Potomac, Maryland Time: 6:30pm to 9pm Contact: 301-299-2100 Highlights: Program includes completely ecstatic kirtans/ bhajans, abhishek, prasadam feast, discourse by HH Romapada Swami.

PHILADELPHIA Upcoming

HOUSTON Upcoming

Sat Aug 15 • Festival Of India ABHISHEKA: MON: 6:30 PM SHIVJI, FRI: 6:30 PM LAKSHAMIJI, SAT: 10 AM BALAJI, SUN: 6:30 PM GANESHJI & NAVAGRAHA

Venue: Great Plaza, Penn's Landing Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Time: 1pm Contact: (215-579-6336)

Sat Aug 1 TO PARTICIPATE IN

Mata Ka Jaagran 8/55/09, 7:00 pm - 10 pm Janamashtmi celebration on 8-8-09 from 6 pm to 12 Midnight

TEMPLE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES CONTACT:

SUNDAY, 1:15 PM FREE CONSULTATION WITH DR. PAWAN CHADHA

510-659-0655

AND DR. MRS. NOOTAN CHADHA

• SVT Youth Camp 2009 Venue: Slippery Rock University Campus, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania Time: 9am Contact: (412) 373-3380

Sat Aug 22

IN THE NEW YEAR BECOME: TEMPLE TRUSTEE - $1501, LIFE MEMBER - $ 501, YEARLY MEMBER - $ 101

• Sri Sankaran Namboothiri Carnatic Vocal Concert

REGULAR PROGRAMS & POOJAS & RITUALS: FOR ALL INFO CALL TEMPLE ADMINISTRATOR AT: (510) 659-0655. SASHTRIJI: (510) 490-8979, BHUSHAN KUMAR JI - 510-862-5834 GOVIND SRINIVASAN: (510) 226-6479 WEDNESDAYS: RAMAYAN KATHA (KISHIKINDHA KAND) BY SHASTRIJI. SUNDAYS AFTER AARTI FREE CONSULTATION WITH DR. PAWAN CHADHA SUNDER KAND KA PATH EVERY 3RD SATURDAY AT 10 AM TO 12 NOON. CALL TEMPLE (510)569-0655 (HANUMAN CHALISA) EVERY TUESDAY 7:30 PM AARATI FOLLOWED BY PRASAD AND PRITIBHOJ. SENIOR CITIZENS MEET WEDNESDAYS 10AM TO 1PM BHAJANS & DISCOURSES. For sponsoring Pritibhoj Anita Kapoor, Contact: 510-659-0655 VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.FREMONTTEMPLE.ORG AND VISIT GALLERY

Venue: Chinmaya Vrindavan, 95 Cranbury Neck Road, Cranbury Time: 6:30pm to 9pm Contact: 732-792-9715

Sat Sept 5 • Indo American Fair 2009 Venue: Mercer County Park, West Windsor, New Jersey Time: 11am to 7pm Contact: 609-275-1334

Sun Aug 2 • Lal Salam Venue: Wortham Center, 500 Texas Street, Houston Time: 5pm Contact: 832-860-3200

Mon Aug 3 • Houston Ganeshotsav Venue: Houston Ganeshotsav 2008, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478-1130, Sugarland, Texas Time: 6:30pm to 10pm Contact: 281-568-9520

Fri Aug 14 • Memories of Ghantasala Venue: Maharaja Restaurant, 9593 Country Creek Dr, Houston, Texas Contact: 281-480-1209

Sat Aug 15 • India Fest 2009 Venue: George Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de Las Americas, Houston Time: 11am to 10pm Contact: 713-542-2779

Philosophy

July 31, 2009

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Page Sponsored by Sahanis

harma has three faces and twelve padas (feet). The three faces are: 1. Concept of Dharma 2. Indicators of Dharma …dharma is like a Dow or Sensex index…there is no fixed right number…it goes up or it goes down. 3. There are measures and processes to achieve an uptrend in Dharma Dharma is not just a concept which is abstract and good for philosophical discussions. Dharma is relevant in our lives. Many people ask this question as to how Dharma is relevant in our lives. What can we do about Dharma? When we do not really understand what Dharma means? We have talked about it before and tried to understand how Dharma is a value system of the infrastructure that is here to support our lives. Today we will ex-

he Secret Doctrine is the accumulated Wisdom of the Ages, and its cosmogony alone is the most stupendous and elaborate system: e.g., even in the exotericism of the Puranas. But such is the mysterious power of Occult symbolism, that the facts which have actually occupied countless generations of initiated seers and prophets to marshal, to set down and explain, in the bewildering series of evolutionary progress, are all recorded on a few pages of geometrical signs and glyphs. The flashing gaze of those seers has penetrated into the very kernel of matter, and recorded the soul of things there, where an ordinary profane, however learned, would have perceived but the external work of form. But modern science believes not in the "soul of things," and hence will reject the whole system of ancient cosmogony. It is useless to say that the system in question is no fancy of one or several isolated individuals. That it is the uninterrupted record covering thousands of genera-

plore Dharma from a much more practical aspect so that we can try to live a life consistent with upholding of this essence. We will look at what you and I can do to make this concept come alive. We need to bring understanding of Dharma in modern times. There is no other word or concept that describes what Dharma really means. Right and wrong do not address our social needs. Justice also does not get close. Democracy is just utilitarian. The world today has a limitation of words without use of this word Dharma. Therefore, I am bringing

D for Development A child is born in a family. Family is part of a society. This society forms a nation. Nations form our world. How does this world support this newborn child? Is the infrastructure nourishing for a sound development of this child? That is what Krishna is concerned about. If the child develops properly and is well supported, he will contribute to the structure of the society and thereby to the world to enhance this infrastructure so that it becomes better for the next child that comes to this world. He is also going to support his elders who become part of the

ter and nourishment to thrive. The world has to develop as a whole. Krishna is concerned not only about what we can see but also about what we cannot see. The part of journey that we can see is from birth to death. We do not see what happens between death and birth. Much happens there as well. How do the souls find a proper family to take birth into? Buddha said that he will come back as Maitreya. The story is that Maitreya cannot find a proper family and the surrounding. There is no dearth of Saddam Hussains and Bin

How is Dharma relevant in our lives?

DR KRISHNA BHATTA

It is not only important for a human child to be able to grow in a healthy fashion. A proper development of the animal world and nature as a whole around is also important

this topic again for further elaboration and discussion. Here are the twelve padas: DHARMA D for Development & Divine H for Happiness & Harmony A for Aspiration & Admiration R for Relativity & Right and Wrong M for Middle Path & Meditation A for Acceptance & Awareness

outgoing generation when he is young and alive. It is not only important for a human child to be able to grow in a healthy fashion. A proper development of the animal world and nature as a whole around is important. A rose flower should get a nice bed to thrive. A river should get proper bed to flow. The land should get enough wa-

Ladens. They have no problem finding a place for birth. But, a Buddha has trouble finding appropriate surrounding. Krishna wants to change the whole infrastructure of his times. Everything had become supportive at the time for growth of people like Duryodhana and Kansa. That had to change. (To be continued)

Wisdom recorded in geometrical signs and glyphs

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich. -Tao Te Ching

When your last breath arrives,Grammar can do nothing. - Adi Shankara

I am neither male nor female, nor am I sexless. I am the Peaceful One, whose form is self-effulgent, powerful radiance. - Guru Nanak

The magnetic needle always points to the north, and hence it is that sailing vessel does not lose her direction. So long as the heart of man is directed towards God, he cannot be lost in the ocean of worldliness. - Ramakrishna

HELENA PETROVNA BLAVATSKY

tions of Seers whose respective experiences were made to test and to verify the traditions passed orally by one early race to another, of the teachings of higher and exalted beings, who watched over the childhood of Humanity.

independent visions of great adepts; i.e., men who have developed and perfected their physical, mental, psychic, and spiritual organizations to the utmost possible degree. No vision of one adept was accepted till it was checked and con-

No vision of one adept was accepted till it was checked and confirmed by the visions so obtained as to stand as independent evidence of other adepts, and by centuries of experiences That for long ages, the "Wise Men" of the Fifth Race, of the stock saved and rescued from the last cataclysm and shifting of continents, had passed their lives in learning, not teaching. How did they do so? It is answered: by checking, testing, and verifying in every department of nature the traditions of old by the

firmed by the visions so obtained as to stand as independent evidence of other adepts, and by centuries of experiences. The fundamental Law in that system, the central point from which all emerged, around and toward which all gravitates, and upon which is hung the philosophy of

the rest, is the One homogeneous divine SUBSTANCE-PRINCIPLE, the one radical cause. It is called "Substance-Principle," for it becomes "substance" on the plane of the manifested Universe, an illusion, while it remains a "principle" in the beginningless and endless abstract, visible and invisible SPACE. It is the omnipresent Reality: impersonal, because it contains all and everything. Its impersonality is the fundamental conception of the System. It is latent in every atom in the Universe, and is the Universe itself. Excerpted from the Secret Doctrine of Madame Blavatsky whose 178th birth anniversary falls on July 31

There exists only the present instant... a Now which always and without end is itself new. There is no yesterday nor any tomorrow, but only Now, as it was a thousand years ago and as it will be a thousand years hence. - Meister Eckhart

A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain? - Kahlil Gibran

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July 31, 2009

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A dialogue to nowhere? D SUBA CHANDRAN

he meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan - Manmohan Singh and Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on July 16 resulted in a joint statement, signalling the resumption of the composite dialogue, which was stalled after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). The joint statement's declaration of the two countries' "resolve to fight terrorism and to cooperate with each other to this end" is political rhetoric and a big joke. Can India and Pakistan really co-

President of Pakistan himself confessed, Islamabad in the past has used militancy as a state strategy vis-Ă -vis its neighbours. Has this policy changed now? How can India and Afghanistan, which have been at the receiving end of Pakistan's militancy strategy believe that Islamabad has a changed perspective now on the use of terrorism as a state strategy? Two parameters are worth considering from an Indian perspective, to find out whether Pakistan has changed its strategy. First, Pakistan's policy and strategies towards the LeT, which many con-

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the 15th NAM summit in Egypt

operate to fight terrorism, especially, when a four year-old composite dialogue that kicked off in 2004, was broken off by the terrorist attack last November? Consider the recent record in the last one decade between India and Pakistan. In 1999, Pakistan sent it troops in the guise of mujahideen (remember the Afghan mujahideen in J&K immediately after Partition) into Kargil, resulting in a limited war between the two countries. In 2001, Pakistan-based terrorists led by the Lashkar and Jaish almost succeeded in entering the Indian Parliament, which resulted in a year-long military stand-off along the Indo-Pak border. Since the composite dialogue started, there were terrorist attacks in New Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad - all of them considered to be involving militants based in Pakistan. Leaving history aside, however, both Prime Ministers have resolved "to fight terrorism and to cooperate with each other to this end." The entire civilised world should wish both the Prime Ministers well, for this is an ideal, none can find fault with. Will this work, in reality? The threat to the two countries cooperating with each other on terrorism emanates, mainly from Pakistan. As Asif Ali Zardari, the

sider as the main organization, based in Pakistan responsible for terrorist atrocities in India. True, as the Lahore High Court has concluded, the Lashkar may not be involved in terrorist activi-

How can India and Afghanistan, which have been at the receiving end of Pakistan's militancy strategy, believe that Islamabad has a changed perspective now on the use of terrorism as a state strategy? ties within Pakistan, but how is Islamabad going to respond to the organisation's activities in India? Will Islamabad take any real action against the LeT, or hide behind excuses that India is not providing adequate proof? Action against the LeT should be a political decision, if Pakistan really wants to fight terrorism and cooperate with India. What proof did the US give to Pakistan, for the latter to take a U-turn against

the Taliban and al Qaeda? The second parameter to judge Pakistan's seriousness will be related to how the proposed joint mechanism to fight terrorism between the two countries progresses. Will "the two countriesâ&#x20AC;Ś share real time, credible and actionable information on any future terrorist threats," as claimed by the two leaders in the joint statement? When it comes to the US, there is an extensive cooperation between the ISI and the CIA, especially relating to those captured al Qaeda militants, who were silently shipped to Guantanamo Bay, with no questions asked. Will Pakistan pursue a similar strategy with those individuals, on whose names there have been red corner notices from Interpol? If either of the above is not taking place, one can be reasonably sure, that the main section of the joint statement is simply rhetoric and goes against the first sentence of the statement that the "Prime Minister Singh reiterated the need to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice." A nation that fails to learn from the mistakes of the past and let the killers of its citizens go unpunished is unlikely to raise its prestige either at the international level or at the national level, amongst its own citizens. Nor does it deserve to be respected, whatever may be, as some strategists fondly refer to, "the larger picture." The joint statement also states that "action on terrorism should not be linked to the Composite Dialogue process and these should not be bracketed." What does this mean? After repeatedly stating that terrorist attack in Mumbai as the primary reason for suspending the composite dialogue, if India has to agree to such a statement, what does this refer to? Does this mean, India's stopping the dialogue was a mistake? Or is India hinting that, New Delhi would not derail the composite dialogue, even if there are some more terrorist attacks on Indian soil? In the last part of the joint statement, both leaders "agreed that the real challenge is development and the elimination of poverty" and that they "are resolved to eliminate those factors which prevent our countries from realizing their full potential." This is again nothing but pure rhetoric. Rickshaw-wallahs in Lahore and Delhi will know this; one does not need a learned man like Manmohan Singh to reiterate this simple fact, that too in a joint statement at the highest level. The writer is Deputy Director, IPCS

India Post Reassuring visit

here were apprehensions with the coming of the Obama administration that the special ties that George Bush had forged with India would be allowed to lapse into neglect. There is no doubt that the US is preoccupied with China for economic reasons and with Pakistan for strategic reasons. Where does India figure in these calculations was made clear by the five-day high profile visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton which began with the symbolic gesture of her staying at the 9/11 terror attack hit Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai and ended with flagging Obama's invitation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an official visit beginning November 24. "The very fact that President Obama has invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make the first state visit of the new administration is an indication of how importantly we view India," Clinton emphasized. That is indeed an honor. But is India being mollified with such sops? Clinton made a special effort to show that the US was willing to go an extra mile with India. She clarified sharply that Washington was not opposed to transfer of nuclear enrichment and reprocessing technologies to India. In a departure from End User monitoring agreements with other countries, she indicated America has agreed not to have a unilateral right to inspect India's military bases or the military equipment it sells to India. Among the other pluses from the visit, both sides agreed to step up co-ordination on counter-terrorism. Two agreements were 'signed' for joint R&D in science and technology and launching of US components on board Indian space vehicles. The nnewly configured CEO forum was set meet later this year to expand the role of private sector in strengthening collaboration. While the UPA government was seeing the military pact with the US as a diplomatic victory, the Opposition, in a revisiting of Cold War suspicions, erupted in Parliament alleging India has "mortgaged sovereignty to the US" by allowing Americans to inspect sensitive military equipment. The government's denial failed to cut any ice. On the other end of the spectrum, there are sections in the US suspicious of the "concessions" being given to India Some respected political observers are pointing to the need for charting new paths with a purpose to break out of old logjams in our international relations. They see such an attempt in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's willingness to have Balochistan mentioned in the joint statement with Pakistan. "We have nothing to hide," the PM is reported to have asserted. The End Users Agreement with the US is another such breakthrough move of Manmohan Singh who believes India cannot progress by sticking to its old fears. As the intense Af-Pak drama plays out in India's neighborhood, its consequences will have a far-reaching impact on India. Washington has thrown all it can into Afghanistan with a view to carving an early solution. New Delhi has been advised to be nimble enough to adapt and protect its own high stakes in the North Western region in the changing scenario. On the vexatious issue of climate change, Clinton was told India would not commit to a deal requiring it to meet targets to reduce emissions at the cost of economic growth. Clinton pointed out there is way to eradicate poverty and develop sustainability that will lower significantly the carbon footprint. What could assuage India's susceptibilities is a bilateral deal in which Washington gives it access to clean technologies as well as funds for climate adaptation and mitigation.

July 31, 2009

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