IndiaPost_08-03-2012 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Congressman Gary Ackerman

Rao lauds role of retiring Ackerman

VOL 18, No. 933

August 3, 2012

50¢

Periodical Postage

PRANAB SWORN IN TH 13 PRESIDENT

Ranee Ramaswamy

Obama gives key post to Indian American Details on page 6

Amitabh carries Olympic torch in London

Details on page 8 Details on page 7

Magsaysay award for TN rural worker

Modi refuses to apologize for 2002 riots

Details on page 7 Details on page 7

Indian-origin doctor defies death in UK

Indian-origin law student sues Preet Bharara

Details on page 6

Details on page 9

Hillary Clinton congratulates Mukherjee

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 34-35 Classifieds ------------------------- 47 Community Post -------------- 10-19 Date Book -------------------------- 46

Details on page 6

Edit Page --------------------------- 49

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

Pranab will be a more political President? Last week’s result

Bigger star: Rajesh Khanna or Amitabh Bachchan? YES 48%

NO 52

FROM TWELFTH TO THIRTEENTH: India's outgoing President Pratibha Patil presents a bouquet of flowers to newly elected President Pranab Mukherjee during an elaborate display of pomp and circumstance at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Ms Patil's husband Devisingh Shekhawat is also seen in the picture.

HealthScience Post --------- 36-39 Horoscope ------------------------- 20 Immigration Post ------------- 40-43

NEW DELHI: Assuming office as the 13th President, Pranab Mukherjee on July 25 pledged to protect the Constitution not just in word but also in spirit as the office demands he rises above personal or partisan interests. Making a brief acceptance speech after being sworn-in as President in the Central Hall of Parliament, he termed corruption as an "evil" and said the greed of a few cannot

be allowed to hijack the progress of the nation. "The principal responsibility of this office is to function as the guardian of our Constitution. I will strive, as I said on oath, to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution not just in word but also in spirit," Mukherjee said in his acceptance speech after he assumed the highest constitutional post at an impressive ceremony. Details on page 6

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

India ---------------------------------- 28 Life Style ----------------------- 24-27 Philosophy ------------------------- 48 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 5 Real Estate -------------------- 44-45 TechBiz Post ------------------- 21-23 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 29-31

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ell there we go again… putting guns in the hands of crazy loonies like James Holmes and crying over needlessly spilt blood. What's worse, the entire nation is crying over it like as if it was an alien invasion that killed precious Americans. The world is watching with a sense of pity at the idiocy of Americans who wage wars against perceived enemies but are helpless against their own people who can't seem to differentiate between guns and toys. Isn't it déjà vu? I mean, every time a deranged individual in this country goes on a rampage randomly killing people just because he decides he is not happy with himself and has a gun in his hand, and the collective psyche of the nation goes into a denial mode. They mourn on camera, light candles and leave stuffed teddy bears at the site of the carnage, try to dissect and analyze the psyche of the killer, but do not tell themselves that maybe it is their fault too that they allow their children access to these killing machines. And oh, pardon my cynicism, but these "events" of mass killing have suddenly found tremendous political value. And in this election year, President Obama has found a ready role as 'Consoler-in-chief', leading the nation in its mourning. Ironies never cease when it comes to Americans and guns - for the entire premise of guns being sold for self-defense, I am yet to hear of an instance where a righteous individual went on a killing spree against armed robbers or terrorists to defend himself in his backyard. I've asked the question 'why' too many times and however redundant my incredulous question might be, I will not stop asking till I understand why Americans don't realize that they are their own enemy. What we need to do is wage a war against our own homegrown mercenaries who sell these killing machines and thereby perhaps killed more Americans on American soil than some faceless terrorists in an Afghani cave.

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Priyanka surprise Anurag Basu reveals that if Ranbir Kapoor would have said NO to the film, “Barfi” wouldn’t have been made.

Cover Story: 13th President Assuming office as President, Pranab Mukherjee pledged to protect the Constitution not just in word but also in spirit.

Community: Exchange program Indiana University's Schools of Optometry and Medicine are creating a new academic exchange program with hospitals in India.

India: School acquired South India based The Indian Public School has acquired California-based The South Hill Academy of Los Angeles.

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Life Style: India in Museum Walk into the galleries of Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and there'd be a hint of India somewhere.

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Travel: Kullu Kullu, located in the charming Kullu valley, is famous for its temples and the annual Dussehra festival.

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August 3, 2012

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Pranab sworn in 13 President of India th

strive, as I said on oath, to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution not just in word but also in spirit," Mukherjee said in his acceptance speech after he assumed the highest constitutional post at an impressive cer-

The Chief Justice of India, Justice S.H. Kapadia administering the oath of the office of the President of India to Pranab Mukherjee at a swearing-in ceremony in the central hall of Parliament, in New Delhi on July 25

Making a brief acceptance speech after being sworn-in as President in the Central Hall of Parliament, he termed corruption as an "evil" and said the greed of a few cannot be allowed to hijack the progress of the nation. "The principal responsibility of this office is to function as the guardian of our Constitution. I will

emony. His speech was punctuated by repeated thumping of desks and applause. "I am deeply moved by the high honor you have accorded to me. Such honor exalts the occupant of this office, even as it demands that he rises above personal or partisan interests in the service of

the national good," he said. "There is no greater reward for a public servant than to be elected the first citizen of our republic," Mukherjee said. The veteran leader reminded the gathering whose majority included top leaders of political parties, MPs, chief ministers and governors that "We are all, across the divide of party and region, partners at the altar of our motherland". "A modern nation is built on some basic fundamentals: democracy or equal rights for every citizen; secularism or equal freedom to every faith; equality of every region and language; gender equality and perhaps most important of all economic equity. For our development to be real, the poorest of our land must feel that they are part of the narrative of rising India," Mukherjee said. Touching on the issue of corruption, he said the weight of office sometimes becomes a burden on dreams. The news is not always cheerful. "Corruption is an evil that can depress the nation's mood and sap its progress. We cannot allow our progress to be hijacked by the greed of a few," he said. Calling for erasing poverty from the dictionary of modern India, he said, "There is no humiliation more abusive than hunger. Trickle-down theories do not address the legitimate aspirations of the poor. We must lift those at the bottom.

"Our national mission must continue to be what it was when the generation of Mahatama Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, B R Ambedkar and Maulana Azad offered us a tryst with destiny: to eliminate the curse of poverty, and create such opportunities for the young that they can take India forward by quantum leap," he said. He stressed that India's true story is the partnership of people

industrialists and service-providers, soldiers and civilians." Dubbing terrorism as the "fourth world war", Mukherjee said it is a world war because it can raise its head anywhere in the world. Mukherjee said that India has been on the frontlines of this war long before many other recognized its vicious depth or poisonous consequences and expressed confidence that the country "will not be deflected in its

Calling for erasing poverty from the dictionary of modern India, he said, "There is no humiliation more abusive than hunger. Trickle-down theories do not address the legitimate aspirations of the poor maintaining "our wealth has been created by farmers and workers,

mission by noxious practitioners of terror".-PTI

Clinton congratulates Mukherjee WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has congratulated Pranab Mukherjee on being sworn in as the 13th President of India saying he has been a strong partner to American and the American people. "I want to congratulate President Mukherjee on his swearing-in as the 13th President of India. President Mukherjee has been a strong partner to America and the American people, working throughout his ca-

reer to deepen our cooperation on a wide range of issues," Clinton said in a statement. "I look forward to continuing to work with the government and people of India. Together we will build on our shared democratic values, strengthen this relationship even more and create a brighter future for both our people," said Clinton, who maintained a close relationship with Mukherjee. -PTI

Indian-origin doctor defies death in UK Obama nominates Indian LONDON: An Indian-origin doctor, who came to the UK in 1966 and went on to excel in medical practice to win royal honors, has hit the headlines by defying death by being cured of cancer even though he was given few months to live. Rami Seth, who studied Medicine in New Delhi, also held his own 'wake' to party and bid goodbye to his family and friends, only to survive after an Indianorigin doctor-colleague advised him to take an old cancer drug that only works in around one in five patients. Doctors in Nottingham told Seth, 70, that he had few weeks to live when he was diagnosed with four tumors in his liver in 2005. He held the 'goodbye' party for friends and family the same year in Cytyside Cafe at Nottingham City Hospital. But he started taking the old cancer drug called beta interferon after a chance conversation with colleague professor Poulam Patel.

The drug shrank his tumor to the point where surgeons could remove it. Seth said: "Professor Patel told me of this very old anti-cancer drug which only works in around one in five patients. I thought I

Rami Seth

had nothing to lose, so I gave it a try." He was earlier diagnosed with cancer in his left kidney when he was 61 years old in June 2004.

He was operated on by a colleague at the City Hospital in the urology department and his left kidney was removed. But within a year, the cancer had returned to his liver and a large vein in the abdomen known as the inferior vena cava. Doctors then told him the tumors could not be removed by surgery. After Seth started injecting himself three times a week for ten months, the t u m o r s shrank. He was then operated in 2006 and removed the remaining cancer from his liver and the vein. But cancer was again detected in his right lung in 2009. -PTI

American to key post WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has appointed another Indian American to a key administration post, by announcing his intent to nominate, Ranee Ramaswamy, as a member of the prestigious National Council on the Arts. "These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be valued additions to my Administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead," Obama said in a statement as he announced the nomination of more than half a dozen key administration posts. Founder and Co-Artistic Director of the Ragamala Dance Company, Ramaswamy has been a master choreographer, performer, and teacher of Bharatanatyam dance since 1978. Her work has been commis-

sioned by the Walker Art Center, American Composers Forum, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and has been supported by the National Dance Project and the Joyce Foundation. Ramaswamy's tours have been highlighted by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the American Dance Festival, and the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai, India. Among her numerous grants and awards are 14 McKnight Fellowships, a Bush Foundation Choreography Fellowship, and an Artist Exploration Fund grant from Arts International. She is the recipient of the 2011 McKnight Distinguished Artist Award and was named "2011 Artist of the Year" (with co-director Aparna Ramaswamy) by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She earned a BA in Fine Arts from the University of Madras. -PTI

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Amitabh Bachchan carries Olympic torch in London LONDON: Amid loud cheers from hundreds of his fans, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan on July 26 carried the Olympic torch at Southwark here, a day before the opening ceremony of the sporting spectacle. The 69-year-old actor in a white

Moon and NRI businessman Laxmi Mittal were among others who were part of the relay team. "OK!! Here it is: Have been invited by London Olympic Organizing Committee to carry the torch in the relay tomorrow ... Honored to be asked to carry the

Bachchan is not the only celebrity to lend the Indian touch to the 2012 London Olympics. Indian music maestro A R Rahman teamed up with his 'Slumdog Millionaire' director Danny Boyle to compose a track for the inaugural event.

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan (C) carries the Olympic flame in London on July 26, one day before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games

track suit covered a 300-metre distance running and walking occasionally and waved at the cheering crowd, as the Olympic Games torch relay entered the 69th day on Thursday. Ahead of his participation in the relay, Bachchan said it was a "proud moment" for him and the country to be invited to carry the Olympic flame. UN Secretary General Ban Ki

Olympic Torch in London at Southwark around 10:30 AM !! A proud moment for me and country," Bachchan had tweeted. The 32.7 mile long relay of the Olympic flame on its final leg has participation of legendary personalities from all over the world and all walks of life, including Lawrence Dallaglio, Lewis Moody, Jim Anderson, Phil Packer, Darren Fitzpatrick and Tom Davis.

"It's a track in Punjabi celebrating the Indian influence in the UK. It's a part of a medley in the Olympics opening ceremony, according to Danny Boyle's creative wishes!" Rahman had written on his Facebook page. Indian music composer Ilaiyaraaja's song is also set to feature in the medley of music tracks to be used in the inaugural program.-PTI

Magsaysay award for TN rural worker CHENNAI: Noting that the Francis told PTI over phone. activities and start micro enterMagsaysay award has transHailing from a modest back- prises, create savings accounts formed him into a "known warrior" ground and equipped with a de- and secure reliable loans. from an unknown one, At present there are Kulandei Francis said over 8000 SHGs across he would like to be a three districts of He described role model for others Krishnagiri, the honor as a to emulate his village Dharmapuri and development project. Vellore, supported by "pleasant The lone Indian IVDP. shock," saying among six award reBoth Francis's wife he wants more cipients, he described and daughter play the honor as a "pleasprominent roles in runpeople to ant shock," saying he ning his organization. emulate his wants more people to The Magsaysay Integrated emulate his Integrated Foundation had said Village Development that Francis was being Village DevelProject in Krishnagiri recognized for "his viopment Project sionary zeal, his prodistrict in Tamil Nadu. Kulandei Francis "I was pleasantly found faith in commushocked. From an unknown war- gree from Annamalai University, nity energies, and his sustained rior, I have today become a known Francis started IVDP in 1979 and programs in pursuing the holistic warrior and am happy that this has helped establish Self Help economic empowerment of thouaward comes in as recognition of Groups that supported poverty- sands of women and their fami35 years of my work," 65-year-old stricken women engage in group lies in rural India."-PTI

Modi refuses to apologize for 2002 riots AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who had steadfastly declined to answer questions on his alleged role in the post-Godhra violence, has refused to apologies for the riots and instead would prefer to be hanged if found guilty. "Whatever I had said at that time you can check that. In 2004, I had given an interview in which I had said why should I apologies. If my government had done this, I should be hanged in public in such a way that it remains a lesson for the next 100 years so that nobody dares to do it (such a crime)," he has said in an interview published in Urdu weekly Nai Duniya. Though much of what Modi has said had been said on earlier occasions, it is significant that he had given an interview to an Urdu weekly, edited by Shahid Siddiqui, a former MP who is now with Samajwadi Party.

He was asked a question whether he was prepared to apologies for the post-Godhra riots in which more than 1,000 people, majority of them Muslims, were killed like Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh apologized for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Modi said in the interview that those who were talking about his apology were fanning trouble. "If Modi had committed the crime then hang him. But if I am being accused because of political compulsion, then I have no answer." Asked if he felt sad about what had happened and whether he felt like regretting or apologizing, the Chief Minister said "what is the meaning of apology now. I took responsibility then, regretted what had happened and I apologized. You can see what I had said in 2002." He accused the media of having done injustice to him for last 10 years and they should apologies to him.-PTI

Centre conspiring against Narendra Modi: BJP NEW DELHI: The BJP has charged the Congress-led Centre with conspiring against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi by trying to malign him during the past decade. "There is an attempt by this government to defame the Gujarat Chief Minister and the Gujarat government. It is a well-planned conspiracy...to malign the BJP government which is doing good work (in Gujarat) and has put forth Gujarat as a model state in the country," BJP leader Rajnath Singh said. The former BJP President was reacting to Modi's interview to an Urdu daily in which he said he

should be hanged if he was found guilty in post-Godhra riots. Singh said "no one has held him (Modi) guilty. No court has held him guilty. There is no question of hanging." "He is being deliberately troubled by this government. There is an attempt by the central government to malign him (Modi) and Gujarat government." Rajnath Singh, however, said such attempts by Congress will not help and nor continue for long. "Despite their best efforts in the last ten years, they have not been successful in defaming the Chief Minister and Gujarat," he said.-PTI

Cong dares Modi to let an FIR be lodged NEW DELHI: Ridiculing Narendra Modi's remark that he should be hanged if found guilty in Godhra riots case, Congress has dared the Gujarat Chief Minister to allow an FIR to be lodged against him if he really wanted an investigation to proceed against him. "If FIR has not been filed against the chief minister of the state for the last 12 years, how do you hold him guilty...who is go-

ing to hang him," senior party leader Kapil Sibal told reporters here. Sibal felt the statement given by Modi to an Urdu daily was made keeping the forthcoming Gujarat elections in mind. "I was surprised to see the statement because you have to follow a procedure before being proved guilty...the statement has been given keeping the Gujarat elections in mind. -PTI

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August 3, 2012

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Rao lauds Ackerman's role in strengthening Indo-US ties India Post News Service

WASHINGTON: At a reception hosted in honor of retiring Congressman Gary Ackerman, Ambassador Nirupama Rao paid glowing tributes to him as a friend of India. "For us in India," Ms Rao said, "Mr. Ackerman stands for all that defines the India-U.S. relationship today - as a strong partnership based on common values and shared strategic interests. Congressman Ackerman's support and encouragement has remained a tremendous source of strength in our efforts to promote IndiaU.S. relations for the last almost two decades now. "He stood by India when India-U.S. relations did not generate as much excitement or appear as significant as they do today. He spoke of the importance and potential of our partnership at a time when it was difficult to imagine that we would achieve the depth and expanse in our relationship as we do today. His contributions to the historic India-U.S. civil nuclear agreement is widely recognized and deeply appreciated in India. She said, "Congressman Ackerman always spoke with conviction about India's strengths and with sensitivity to her concerns. When our Parliament was attacked on December 13, 2001, and again when Mumbai came under the siege of terrorists crossing borders into India in November 2008 , Congressman Ackerman was there as the leading voice from the U.S. empathizing with and expressing support to our countrymen. After the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, Congressman Ackerman wrote to Prime Minister Vajpayee, "As Members of the United States Congress, we were particularly affected by the fact that this atrocity occurred at one of the world's most prominent institutions of democracy". He added, "As we continue our shared commitment to end the scourge of terrorism, we shall help to ensure that the victims of the Parliament attack shall not have died in vain." In a statement in the U.S. Congress after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, Mr. Ackerman said: "This attack was not the first terrorist incident in India, nor even in Mumbai. Long before September 11, India already had an unfortunately long history of combating terrorists and has seen far too many of its citizens and even its leaders killed by terrorism. But I don't think we should simply add the latest outrage to the long list of similar outrages. The attack in Mumbai had

Ambassador Nirupama Rao addressing the guests at a reception hosted in honor of Congressman Gary Ackerman at the Embassy Residence on July 19

some significant characteristics to it that require us all to sit up and take notice." His vision of India-U.S. part-

Assistant Secretary for State for South & Central Asian Affairs Mr. Robert Blake addressing the guests at the reception

nership, though, is not merely through the prism of the threat of terrorism faced by our two democracies. In one of his statements, Mr. Ackerman noted, "While In-

dia and the United States are united as democracies that have been the victims of horrendous terrorist violenceâ&#x20AC;Ś, our relationship is by no means limited to our alliance in the war on terrorism." Congressman Ackerman saw in India a natural partner. During a Congressional hearing on South Asia last year, he described India as "The brightest light in South Asia's constellation and the strategic centre of gravity for the region". He added, "As the world's largest democracy, India is a natural partner for the United States". Perhaps the biggest contribution of Congressman Ackerman to India-U.S. relations was the untiring commitment and the personal dedication with which he led and shaped the "Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans" in the House of Representatives. The fact that the India Caucuses - both in the House and the Senate - are today regarded as the largest country-specific caucuses is a tribute to Mr. Ackerman's vision for our relationship and a vindication of the confidence he reposed in the potential of our partnership. He saw the

Congressman Gary Ackerman addressing the guests

power of people in our engagement and recognized the value of working with the Indian American community much ahead of time. It was in recognition of this seminal role he played in building strong bridges of friendship between the oldest and largest democracies in the world that the Government of India honored Mr. Ackerman with Padma Bhushan -

well, Mr. Ackerman will always remain an embodiment of friendship, bipartisanship, civility and humility. And of course, his smiling face and the white carnation boutonniere that he sported each day are an integral part of that imagery! "But we also believe that outside Congress and after you retire, you will continue to guide us and support our endeavors to-

Congressman Ackerman saw in India a natural partner. During a Congressional hearing on South Asia last year, he described India as "The brightest light in South Asia's constellation and the strategic centre of gravity for the region". He added, "As the world's largest democracy, India is a natural partner for the United Statesâ&#x20AC;? one of India's highest civilian awards - in 2002. Ms Rao said, "As we celebrate Mr. Ackerman's rich contributions to both the United States and India, and to their peoples, we know we will miss him in the Congress. For those of us who know him

wards the causes you held so dear to your heart and will continue to play an important role in this unfolding saga of a great partnership between our countries built upon common values, converging interests, and a shared vision of the world."

Guests in attendance at a reception hosted in honor of Congressman Gary Ackerman at the Embassy Residence on July 19

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IATA calls for competitive approach to resolve aviation crisis KRISHAN SHARMA India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for an "India Inc." approach to resolve India's aviation crisis and improve competitiveness to drive economic and social benefits. IATA's Director General and CEO Tony Tyler in his keynote address at a Confederation of Indian Industry conference, said "Indian aviation is in a multi-faceted crisis. Before aviation can deliver greater benefits to the Indian economy, this crisis must be resolved with coordinated public policies. It's time for a grand plan to build India's aviation future and thereby strengthen the Indian economy. To do that, we need an 'India Inc.' approach that addresses the crippling issues of high costs, exorbitant taxes and insufficient infrastructure." Dr Subhash Goyal, President India Association of Tour Operators, in his address regretted that India had no aviation policy. It was a chaotic situation in the absence of a coherent policy. In order to devise such a policy he rec-

From Left: Ankur Bhatia, Member, CII National Committee on Civil Aviation & Executive Director, The Bird Group; Centre: Tony Tyler, Director General & CEO, International Air Transport Association (IATA); Right: Naresh Goyal, Member, CII National Committee on Civil Aviation & Chairman, Jet Airways (India) Pvt. Limited.

lion passengers annually. Looking ahead, if Indians traveled as much as Americans, we would see a market potential of over 2 billion travelers," said Tyler. Despite this great potential, India's airline industry is struggling financially. Indian airline losses

To operate Delhi's airport, DIAL pays 46% of top line revenue to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as a concession fee, much of which is used to subsidize other public sector airports. "This is in contravention of international standards, distorts competition and compromises Delhi's cost competitiveness," ommended a coordination committee of all stake holders to be set up. This could include airport authorities, airline owners, government bodies, hotel people, tourist and airline agencies. Such a grouping could then work towards strengthening India's aviation. He was also critical of the taxation policies of the government. The operational cost of airlines was very high even within the country. Because of this high taxation people preferred to travel abroad than fly within India. The taxation policies of India should be comparable with other countries, he said. IATA Chief Tyler said, "Aviation in India supports 1.7 million jobs, 0.5% of GDP and 90% of international tourist arrivals. "That's impressive but it could and will be much more. Today, India is a market of about 100 mil-

approached $2 billion for the year ended March 2012, after losing an estimated $3.5 billion over the three previous years. He said, "India's airports are becoming increasingly expensive. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) approved a 346% increase in charges at Delhi Airport effective from May 2012. The increase will add over $400 million in operating costs for airlines providing connectivity to India through Delhi. "An increase of this magnitude will impact travel demand by 5-7%. That's bad for airlines, for passengers, for Delhi International Airport Private Limited (DIAL), for the Delhi hub, for Delhi as a city and indeed for India and its economy as a whole. We need to focus on how to make Delhi a more competitive airport,

a successful hub and a major driver of economic growth," said Tyler. To operate Delhi's airport, DIAL pays 46% of top line revenue to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as a concession fee, much of which is used to subsidize other public sector airports. "This is in contravention of international standards, distorts competition and compromises Delhi's cost competitiveness," said Tyler. Tyler said many Indian Ministries see aviation as a revenue source, rather than as a revenue generator. The Ministry of Finance imposes a service tax on air tickets, landing and navigation charges. This contravenes International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) policies. India's airlines are also taxed on domes-

Dr Subhash Goyal, President India Association of Tour Operators

tic fuel that can add an additional 30% to the fuel bill. On top of that is an excise duty of 8.2%. As a result, fuel is about 45% of total

operating costs for Indian carriers, compared to a global average of 33%. "Taxes may provide short-term gain for finance ministries at various levels of government but they are compromising the initiatives and strategic priorities of other ministries," said Tyler. India's Commerce Ministry wants to increase India's exports to $500 billion by 2013-14 - double the 2010-11 level. The Tourism Ministry is targeting 10 million tourists by 2017 nearly double the 5.7 million arrivals expected this year. "Reducing the tax burden on connectivity will be a critical element of success for both these efforts with more competitive business travel, more cost-efficient shipping and a more inviting welcome for 90% of international tourists who arrive by air," said Tyler. Tyler called for expedited work to expand capacity in Mumbai. "A new airport is needed in Mumbai or economic opportunities will be lost. I am pleased to see that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has recognized the urgency of the situation and thrown his weight behind moving the Navi Mumbai airport project forward on a fast track. The 12th Indian Five Year Plan projects 274 million passengers flying in 2017. A 'super-fast track' way forward may have to be developed to meet that expectation," said Tyler. On Air India, Tyler said tough measures need to be taken to make Air India "survive and thrive." He asked the government to take a cue from the merger of two state-owned Japanese carriers which slashed jobs and operations to come out of bankruptcy.

Indian-origin law student sues Preet Bharara NEW YORK: An Indian-origin law student has sued Manhattan's top federal prosecutor Preet Bharara and the US Justice Department claiming she was unlawfully questioned and her cell phone confiscated after she sent letters to the presiding judge during Rajat Gupta's insider trading trial. 24-year-old Benula Bensam, who regularly attended the trial of ex-McKinsey head Gupta, filed a 16-page lawsuit against Bharara, prosecutors Reed

Brodsky, Richard Tarlowe and the US Marshals Service in US District Court here this month. In the lawsuit she alleges that she was subjected to "unreasonable search and seizure for unlawful stop, detention, interrogation, seizure of property, search of property, search of communications and demand for identification." She is representing herself in the lawsuit. Bensam had got into trouble during Gupta trial last month after she sent three letters to Judge Jed Rakoff on the case.

A law student at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law, Bensam said she had taken a class on federal rules of evidence during her last semester and the letters to Rakoff focused on the various evidentiary rulings he had made in the case and were not intended to influence him. She said in the lawsuit that she wanted to "understand the process of litigation" and intended to follow the case on a "general level".-PTI

Desi News Festival of Indian Dance to delight NY India Post News Service

Kohinoor comes to Chicago with diamond shine RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

Uma Sengupta receives big endorsement India Post News Service

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

Details on page 18

10 India Post

Details on page 16

www.indiapost.com

August 3, 2012

Indiana collaboration in optometry with four Indian hospitals HARISH RAO

BLOOMINGTON, Ind: Indiana University's Schools of Optometry and Medicine are creating a new academic exchange program - the Indo-US Exchange Program for Optometry and Ophthalmology - with four eye institutes and hospitals in India.

IU President Michael A. McRobbie, after leading an IU delegation to India in September-October last year, spoke on research collaboration between the two countries during the U.S. State Department's US-India Higher Education Dialogue in Washington, D.C. The two-year pilot program will provide the opportunity for IU School of Optometry residents to enhance postgraduate training with a month long trip to eye institutes and hospitals in Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad (India). In turn, eye care professionals from participating institutions in India will spend one month in the US

Khorana scholars pictured above are, clockwise from back row, left, Diyva Ganapathi Sankara, Sachin Sethi, Priyadarshina Ravindran, Niveditha Damodaren, Devanshi Khare and Swati Varshney

visiting the IU School of Optometry in Bloomington and the Glick Eye Institute at the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis. The new exchange program builds on IU's growing academic relationship with educational and research institutions in India. Last month, IU's School of Public and Environmental Affairs announced a new partnership with the Admin-

istrative Staff College of India, and IU President Michael A. McRobbie, after leading an IU delegation to India in September-October last year, spoke on research collaboration between the two countries during the U.S. State Department's US-India Higher Education Dialogue in Washington, D.C. Partnerships already exist be-

tween Jindal Global University and SPEA, the Kelley School of Business and the IU Maurer School of Law, and IU also houses the Madhusudan and Kiran C. Dhar India Studies Program, which promotes original research and innovative teaching on all aspects of the Indian subcontinent. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 12

FIA parade will be graced by Aftab, officials SURENDRA ULLAL

FLUSHING, QUEENS, NY: 25th Assembly District Leader Mrs. Uma Sengupta is a longtime Democratic activist and civic leader. Born in Kolkata, India and immigrating to the United States in 1970, she is the first woman of Indian origin to become an elected official in New York State. She marked her sixth run for the 25th Assembly District Leader through a "Campaign Kick Off Event," at the beautiful, Worlds Fair Marina Banquet & Restaurant outdoor premises, Flushing, NY.

Is the Indian American family changing?

India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Bollywood actor Aftab Shivdasani will be participating in India Day Parade being organized by the Federation of Indian Associations, Chicago, here in mid August, according to Iftekhar Shareef, FIA Trustee. Besides Aftab, there will be a number of elected officials from the City of Chicago and State of Illinois, says Ajay Agnihotri, FIA President. This year the parade will attract lot of Indian-Americans as well as well other communities to Devon Ave for a variety of rea-

sons. This is in the light of the fact that FIA will be providing lot

FIA will be providing lot of entertainment to people of all ages, including attraction for kids with the presence of clowns, the Tall Man walking around and so many new additions of entertainment to people of all ages, including attraction for kids

Aftab Shivdasani

with the presence of clowns, the Tall Man walking around and so many new additions. FIA-Chicago is always committed to promote Devon Ave to be the main hub of ethnic community. Agnihotri added that FIA-Chicago is constantly addressing issues of concern to the business community of Devon Ave whether it is related to adequate security, law and order, parking and promoting businesses in the area around Devon Ave, Gandhi Marg and /or Jinnah Marg. Keerthi Ravoori, FIA Vice President, said all are cordially invited to attend the Parade.

Community Across America

August 3, 2012

India Post 11

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Cricket legend and MP Azharuddin feted SURENDER ULLAL India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Host of the evening Iftekhar Shareef along with Federation of Indian Associations [FIA] and American Telugu Association [ATA] leaders, members of Hyderabad community, friends and cricket fans

and on behalf of the constituents of Moradabad, UP. Sohan Joshi, Trustee of FIA, praised Mohammed Azharuddin as the cricketing star of India who crowned the cricket game with his extraordinary knocks. ATA leaders Hanumanth Reddy, Founder-Trustee of American Telugu Association [ATA]

Azharuddin is a legendary cricketer whose distinguished career is replete with remarkable episodes of great knocks with the bat joined at the public reception in honor of visiting cricketing legend and Member of Parliament Mohammed Azharuddin at the Northshore Banquet Hall in Chicago recently. Iftekhar Shareef, FIA Trustee Chairman and Ajai Agnihotri, FIA President welcomed the guests. Shareef introduced Mohammed Azharuddin, MP from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh as a legendary cricketer whose distinguished career is replete with remarkable episodes of great knocks with the bat. He said Azharuddin is playing an effective role as a people's representative addressing their aspirations and needs. Earlier, Keerthi Kumar Ravoori said Azhar has not only led the Indian team to triumphant victories sometimes under difficult circumstances but even as MP he is sparing no effort to work hard for

presented floral bouquet, Karunakar Madhavaram, President-elect of American Telugu Association [ATA] thanked him for attending ATA convention in

A group of admirers headed by FIA Trustee Iftekhar Shareef with Mohd Azharuddin at Chicago reception

Atlanta. Among others greeting him were Kalyan Anandula, President of Telugu Association of Greater Chicago [TAGC] and Chi-

AQ SIDDIQUI India Post News Service

TORONTO: Mohammad Azharuddin attracted a large number of Hyderabadi community members in Toronto on a recent visit. He was invited as the chief guest for a fundraiser event to support Peace Services, a welfare organization for elders and youths. Azharuddin proved that he was still the magnet for overseas

Indian community as more than 200 people attended the Peace Services fundraiser at Shingar Banquet Hall, Brampton, Ontario. Almost everyone was keen to meet Azharuddin on one to one basis. Azharuddin was accompanied by Iftekhar Shareef, the FIA trustee and a Chicago community activist. The Indian Hyderabadi community in Toronto extended warm greetings to Azharuddin and Shareef. The fundraiser

India Post News Service

CHICAGO: It was a pleasant surprise for staff and customers of Evia Travel Inc as Mohammad Azharuddin, Member of Parliament and former Captain of Indian cricket team visited Evia Travel's

Azharuddin remarked that the agency has come a long way assisting North America new premises at 5862 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago. He was accompanied by Iftekhar Shareef, wellknown Indian community leader and FIA senior trustee. Iftekhar Shareef mentioned that Evia Travel has successfully catered to Indian Hyderabadi com-

Minhaj Akhtar, Secretary of FIA, proposing a vote of thanks. The event was attended by a large number of community members.

Azharuddin boosts Toronto fundraiser

Azharuddin visits Evia Travel

Desi community in

cago Telugu leaders Narender Chemarla and Satyaranarayana Reddy. The reception concluded with

Azharuddin visits Evia Travel in Chicago

munity and Pakistani community for all travel needs. As an approved agent by Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Evia Travel has facilitated many families to perform Umrah on way to India or Pakistan. Mohammad Azharuddin, who had earlier visited Evia Travel in 2007 remarked that the agency has come a long way assisting Desi community in North America.

Having an old acquaintance with the owner of Evia Travel, A.Q. Siddiqui, an ex-Air India Hyderabad employee, Azharuddin remarked he remembered Siddiqui taking care of his PTA ticketing in 90's when there were no e-ticketing methods. Iftekhar Shareef introduced Faizan and other staff members to Azharuddin. Siddiqui was however away for Umrah and trip to India.

Mohd Azharuddin and Iftekhar Shareef at Toronto event

event was organized by members of Peace Services (Prevention of Elder Abuse and Community Education Services). Moiz Khan, President, Peace Services received the guests and spoke about the activities of Peace Services. He informed that since 2007 Peace Services is catering to welfare programs for seniors and new immigrants. Welfare programs included free computer classes, health awareness seminars for elders and spoken English classes for all. However, the organization focused on welfare of elders; help provide food and shelter to neglected elders and educate their young family members about the importance of elders. Iftekhar Shareef expressed his excitement at meeting the Indian Hyderabadi community in Toronto. He said when members of Peace Services approached him to get Azharuddin for the event; he could not refuse in view of the noble cause under-

taken by the organization. Azharuddin also emphasized that he could not refuse to Iftekhar Shareef, though it was time for hectic political activities in India. He, however remarked that

Azharuddin also emphasized that he could not refuse to Iftekhar Shareef, though it was time for hectic political activities in India Canada was always a tough ground for him, but the event offered an opportunity to meet old schoolmates and friends from Hyderabad. As the fundraiser event concluded, there was a beeline of Azharuddin fans eager to see him and have a photograph with him.

12 India Post

Community Across America

Festival of Indian Dance to delight NY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance was launched by the Indo-American Arts Council in 2008 to promote Indian dance in New York City, the global capital for dance. It is a premier event that brings Indian and India-inspired dance in an array of forms, old and new to New York City. Concerts feature performances traditional and experimental, classical and post-modern, folk and popular. For three decades, in an act The New York Times describes as one of "singular generosity," Battery Dance Company has offered the Downtown Dance Festival, the city's longest-running free public dance festival. The 31st annual iteration of the festival will take place over eight days this year, August 11-17, with performances at the Lawn at Battery Park and One New York Plaza. One of the highlights of the festival is the 5th edition of Erasing Borders of Indian Dance Outdoors, which has been curated by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) and will be presented on Friday, August 17 from noon to 2 p.m. at One New York Plaza. The program will include Bageshree Vaze performing Kathak, Jaikishore & Padmavani Mosilikanti performing Kuchipudi, Mayuri Dance Company presenting Bhangra, Sonali Skandan & Jiva Dance performing Bharata Natyam, alongside the Chhau Dance Company sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). IAAC gratefully acknowledges its partnership with The Battery Dance Company and the Downtown Dance Festival, with gener-

ous support provided by Applecore Hotels and the ICCR. Alastair Macaulay of New York Times had this to say about the festival: "Each August now brings one of the highlights of the New York dance calendar in, of all places, the Financial District at lunchtime: namely, the Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance open-air performance…presented by the Indo-American Arts Council. “What makes it marvellous isn't necessarily the quality of the dance (the event is an anthology of Indian styles) or the authenticity of its delivery (most of the mu-

For three decades, in an act The New York Times describes as one of "singular generosity," Battery Dance Company has offered the Downtown Dance Festival sic is taped and considerably amplified) but its sheer incongruity. You see people of various races stopping in their tracks to watch, or gazing down from their office windows, while dancers in traditional Indian costume perform dances from the other side of the world, against a backdrop of New York skyscrapers and a soundscape of urban noise… “The event's other great virtue is its diversity of styles, new and old, and deriving from different geographical regions. And since few of us in the West see a great deal of any Indian dance form, it all adds to our collective knowledge."

August 3, 2012

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Community leaders honor Grace Meng

Seated: SM Kathuria, Dr. Parveen Chopra, Dr. Nita Jain, Honorable Grace Meng, Roshan Gera,Dr. B KMehta Standing: Samir Chopra, Kris Ram, Amit Shah, Neil Ojha India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Leaders of the South Asian community met to laud and support Grace Meng poised to be the first Asian American to be elected as a member of Congress from the State of New York. Ms. Meng currently serves in the Assembly on the Banking, Small Business and Labor Committee and if elected will be replacing Congressman Gary Ackerman as leader in the 5th Congressional District. Mr. Ackerman gloriously served for the past three decades and leads the Congressional Cau-

cus of India and Indian Americans. Samir Chopra said, " Grace's public service record is incredible as she has championed the needs

ington to represent our community." Dr. Parveen Chopra, Said " Ms. Meng comes from a family where sacrifice and community service

Ms. Meng currently serves in the Assembly on the Banking, Small Business and Labor Committee and if elected will be replacing Congressman Gary Ackerman of our community and selflessly fought for the rights of the underprivileged, it is our privilege to have able leaders headed to Wash-

has been ingrained in her since childhood, we look forward to her serving the Queens community with distinction."

Indiana collaboration in optometry with four Indian hospitals Cont’d from page 10

Through IU's participation in the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum-supported Khorana Program for Scholars, named after India-born, Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Hargobind Khorana, six Indian students are undertaking research at IU for 10 weeks this summer. IU School of Optometry Dean Joseph A. Bonanno added that this type of exchange program is unique to optometric residencies and therefore is expected to attract individuals looking for a diverse experience. Eight eye care professionals from India and eight IU optometry residents will participate in the exchange program during the first two years, at which point additional optometry and ophthalmology institutions within the US will be invited to join the IU program. Participating institutions in India are Sankara Nethralaya, a nonprofit eye institute in

Chennai, LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, and Hinduja Hospital and Shroff Eye Hospital, both in Mumbai. Principal investigators for IU are Drs. Sarita Soni, Jeffrey Perotti (IU Optometry) and Louis Cantor (Glick Eye Institute).

IU and its Indian partners will provide about 70 percent of the estimated $410,000 cost of the two-year pilot program, with the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum providing the remaining support. The Indo-US Science and

Eight eye care professionals from India and eight IU optometry residents will participate in the exchange program during the first two years, at which point additional optometry and ophthalmology institutions within the US will be invited to join the IU program Sarita Soni, professor of optometry and vice provost for research at IU Bloomington, said that the "future goals include the development of a long-term relationship facilitating the exchange of ideas on clinical care and the development of collaborative research in vision."

Technology Forum, established under an agreement between the U.S. and India governments, is a not-for-profit society promoting collaborations in science, technology, engineering and biomedical research through interaction among government, academia and industry.

August 3, 2012

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India Post 13

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MahaRudra Abhishek with 121 Pandits in Vedic City JAMES GREG

Indian seniors group in IOWA

IOWA: The atmosphere was surcharged with bliss and silence on Sunday, July 22 as 96 members of the Indian Senior Group of Chicago witnessed a MahaRudra Abhishek with 121 pandits in Maharishi Vedic City, IA. The pandits are among the 1000 pandits in Maharishi Vedic City who have been specially trained for the purpose of creating invincibility for the US and India. The historic visit was organized by CV Desai. The group arrived Saturday afternoon at the Argiro Student Union of Maharishi University of Management (accredited through PhD level with students from over 90 countries.) Jon Lipman, AIA, talked about the principles of Vaastu architecture based on Sthpatya Veda, the Upaveda of Atharva Veda. The group asked brilliant questions, and Dr Lipman gave brilliant answers on the importance of eastern entrances,

Neuroscientist Fred Travis, PhD, gave a live demonstration of the brain waves of grad student Vivek Iyyer practicing Transcendental Meditation. Dr Travis told of the three major types of meditation brahmasthans, and correct proportions. Dr Lipman, the main architect on campus, mentioned about the "fortune-creating" nature of Maharishi Vastu homes and buildings. Neuroscientist Fred Travis, PhD, gave a live demonstration of the brain waves of grad student Vivek Iyyer practicing Transcendental Meditation. Dr Travis told of the three major types of medita-

tion and their correlated brain wave patterns. Oft-practiced "Focused Attention" activates the brain centers concerned with focusing, and vibrates at 40-50 cycles per second. This patterns are found in techniques that involve concentration and control. The second pattern of theta activity at 6-8 cycles per second, is associated with contemplation and is seen in mindfulness and Vipasanna meditations. Thirdly, Transcendental Meditation uniquely represents a new pattern of functioning which simultaneously enlivens all areas of the brain, "whole brain thinking." In particular, the pre-frontal cortex, the "CEO" of the brain, shows highly coherent Alpha-1 activity throughout the TM practice. Uniquely, this technique is ef-

A section of the audience

fortless; Dr Travis calls this "Automatic Self-Transcending" and labeled it a major state of consciousness, different from waking, dreaming and sleeping, or "turiya", the "samadhi" laid out by Maharishi Patanjali in his cognition of "Yoga Sutras". During the practice of TM, the body achieves a state of rest much deeper than the deepest point of sleep, also contributing to the cascade of health benefits, including less utilization of medical interventions. The group enjoyed Q and A with Dr Travis, including the indepth on Transcendental Meditation (of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) before and the principles behind building Vaastu buildings. Rasik Shah, one of the attendees, observed "One of the things I noticed was the degree of spiri-

tuality was correlated with different brain wave frequencies and patterns (alpha, gamma, theta).' "We will never forget the hos-

Transcendental Meditation uniquely represents a new pattern of functioning which simultaneously enlivens all areas of the brain, "whole brain thinking" pitality shown by hosts including James Greg, Bob and Carol Markowitz, Eloise Raymond, and others. It was unbelievable, "said CV Desai

The group was thrilled with tours of the Vaastu homes in Maharishi Vedic City, and saw the vast greenhouses where Vedic organic, non-GMO food is grown 24/ 7/365 and sold to Whole Foods, etc., in Chicago and Des Moines. Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment is one of the top private schools in the US. Its Principal, Richard Beall, outlined how all children begin and end the school day with Transcendental Meditation (TM). This makes the students relaxed, attentive, and socially mature. The students win many national and international competitions. The next MahaRudra yagya is scheduled on the Vedic Visitors Weekend on Sept 21-23. Space is highly limited, and bookings are done on a first-come, first-served basis.

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August 3, 2012

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Kohinoor comes to Chicago with traditional diamond shine

From left to right: Sanjiv Wadhera, Kohinoor Sales Manager, Rajan Kapoor, COO, Ravi Kapoor President, Prag International, Rajesh Asrani, Kohinoor Branch Manager

RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Kohinoor is coming to Chicago - not the unmatched diamond that was snatched form Indian rulers by the British 200 years ago - but Kohinoor Foods that seeks to offer the best that India could offer on platter. Serving sixty countries across the globe, Kohinoor had come to USA over a decade ago operating from East coast. The burgeoning Indian market and its teaming up with McCormick of USA induced the management to broaden their vision and cultivate not only the ethnic sub-continent Indian customer but also the mainstream Americans besides reaching out to these buyers by branching out to other cities. Chicago is one such destination and many more would come down the line. Briefing the Indian media on the eve of launching the Chicago facility, Rajan Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer, said that Kohinoor Foods is synonymous with the fine taste of India in its authentic form. It has become a household name not only in India but in other parts of the world USA, UK, Austrialia, Japan, Dubai and Af-

rica - catering to all kinds of consumers with its Basmati rice, ready to eat products, cookin sauces, cooking pastes, spices, seasonings and frozen food. He said that the company management is gearing to attend to the need of consumers worldwide for frozen food. "The demand for frozen food is virtually doubling every four

Kohinoor products and logo

intact for everyone to savor, he pointed out He also pointed out that the consumer now a days is getting more health conscious and with this end in view his company is coming out with innovative products that last long, have no additives, have low sodium content and are made with cooking media like olive oil. "This trend has been

"After treating food connoisseurs with authentic traditional aged Basmati rice, Kohinoor foods added more members to the family keeping in mind the fast changing consumer trends of gluten free, 100% vegetarian, low sodium, kosher & halal foods - from ready to eat Indian curries, specially cooked in olive oil, the cook-in sauces, cooking paste to spices, seasoning and frozen food," he added years and we would not like to lag behind in meeting consumer needs," he said. Housing a freezer full of the highest quality and most nutritious authentic Indian foods, the range lets you choose from a wide variety. Processed and packed with up-to-the-minute technology, the range has its nutritive value and flavor

steadily evolving over the past decade and the need of healthy vegetarian food and growing awareness of the relationship between diet and health has driven consumers, and in turn Kohinoor, to look at food that meets this criteria," he said "After treating food connoisseurs with

authentic traditional aged Basmati rice, Kohinoor foods added more members to the family keeping in mind the fast changing consumer trends of gluten free, 100% vegetarian, low sodium, kosher & halal foods - from ready to eat Indian curries, specially cooked in olive oil, the cook-in sauces, cooking paste to spices, seasoning and frozen food," he added. Kohinoor's line of products wouldn't be complete without its exclusive range of spices. Sourced straight from the heart of spice land, Kohinoor Foods presents a spellbinding range of authentic Indian spices. These spices are a perfect union of authenticity and careful selection from the fields. 100% pure and natural, without any additives, these spices come to you with a complete quality assurance. They are processed in a state-of-the-art plant which houses one of the world's best spice processing technologies, according to Rajan Kapoor The company has launched its Chicago distribution center and facility - Prag International - in Elk Grove Village, a northwest Chicago suburb. It is mentored by Ravi Kapoor, President. Rajesh Asrani is the Kohinoor Branch Manager while Sanjiv Vadhera is sales manager.

Indian origin physician on Sevak Mission to India SUDHIR VYAS

NEW YORK: American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Drs Thakor G. Patel, Padmini Balagopal and Ranjita Misra did a study in four rural villages in India and determined that access to care and preventive care was a huge problem along with a high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. Four studies in rural Alamarathupatti, Samiyarpatti and Pillayar Natham in the state of Tamilnadu and another in the village of Karakhadi, in the state of Gujarat showed villagers had marginal access to health care and that there were no primary health care centers that could manage the chronic diseases. Seventy per cent of the population in India lives in the villages (700 million people) and the impor-

tance of educating and delivering healthcare to this large base of India in its resource-poor settings is an urgent and viable issue. Largescale efforts to improve general awareness about diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, its risk factors, and to promote healthy lifestyles, must be undertaken. Appalled by this sordid state of affairs, a young Indian origin physician, Dr Raj Patel, is determined to contribute his mite to alleviate this problem and as a first step in this direction has embarked on a six-day trip to India visiting six villages in six districts in the State of Gujarat for a first hand understanding of the problem and compiling data for future course of action. In a talk to this paper, Dr Raj said that this was part of Sevak

project and that he will be traveling to at least six villages during the trip. The villages to be covered are Agiya village (Sabarkantha district), Manek Champa (Banaskantha district), Bhadrod (Bhavnagar district), Karakhdi (Vadodara), Galiba (Bharuch district) and Chipady (Kheda district). "My role as a US physician "will be to gather information with the help from the Sevak volunteers who reside in each of the six villages. I will be collecting data on how and where villagers get their care and how far they have to travel. I will be monitoring prevalence of Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus and see availability of medications for these diseases.

A young Indian origin physician, Dr Raj Patel, is determined to contribute his mite to alleviate this problem and as a first step in this direction has embarked on a six-day trip to India visiting six villages in six districts in the State of Gujarat for a first hand understanding of the problem and compiling data for future course of action Dr Raj Patel

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 15

Community Across America

August 3, 2012

India Post 15

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New Gayatri Upasana CD launched SURI SWAMI

CHICAGO: Global Gayatri Pariwar Chicago and Gayatri Shaktipeeth Chicago celebrated Gurupurnima festival with 108 Kundi Gayatri Yagya on Sunday 15 July, from 11am to 2pm at Desplaines Lake Opeka Park. Chief Guest Mafatbhai Patel, CEO of Patel Brothers, Honorable guest Santosh Kumar, CEO of MAFS and Invited guests Sohanbhai Joshi, Haribhai Patel, President of Bharatiya Senior Center of Chicago, inaugurated souvenir book Mahakal ki Mahakranti and new audio CD Gayatri Upasna. The audio CD "Gayatri Upasana" is a collection of 8 melodious bhajans sung by Manish Khullar, a disciple of Rajan-Sajan Mishra and Dr. Kusum Devi, dis-

gaining peace, meditation, health and prosperity. Rakeshbhai & Falguniben Thakkar, Mahendrabhai & Surekhaben Patel, Kamleshbhai & Nayanaben Patel were main yajmans of the Yagya. All the devotees including main yajmans offered their Gaaytri Mantra aahutiis. With the blessings of Pujya Gurudev, Vandniya Matajee & Gayatri Mata, the environment turned to spiritual bliss. Pragya Sangeet, lecture and description of mantras was done by Dr Kusumben along with Manish Khullar. Gayatri Mantra's tantric Aahuti was recited by Rajnibhai Modi. The decoration work was highly appreciated, which was Chief Guest Mafatbhai Patel (Center) with Hon Guest Ms Santosh Kumar, H Patel, Sohan Joshi and Kusumben Patel

Indian origin physician on Sevak Mission to India Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

Devotees during Gurupurnima celebrations at Gayatri Shaktipeeth in DesPlaines

ciple of Pandit Shree Ram Sharma Acharya. The CD contains not only bhajans but also teach how to live the life with devotion by

done by a team of hard working persons like Dalubhai, Nanubhai, Shashikantbhai Patel & others. Arvindbhai Darji, Hemantbhai

Chandel helped in kitchen arrangement. Dilipbhai expressed thanks to all supporters on behalf of Global Gayatri Pariwar.

New Air India Midwest Chief feted

Newly appointed Air India Midwest Chief Rishikant Singh was feted in Chicago recently by a group of community members headed by Jagdish Khatwani, head of ISP, at Tifin on Devon Avenue, Chicago. Another highlight of the event was a farewell to the outgoing Air India Midwest Manager Jude Crasto who has endeared himself among members of India community. Rishikant Singh in his remarks said that he would address any problem faced by Air India travelers and would reach out to members of community wholeheartedly. The event was attended, among others, by Dr M Kapadia, a community activist and head of Prism Medical Center, Nand Kapur, former head of AIA, Ramesh Soparawala, India Post Resident Editor and J Khatwani, the host. Kapur welcomed the guests and also proposed a vote of thanks. From L to R Dr Kapadia, Rishikant Singh, Nand Kapur, Jagdish Khatwani, Ramesh Soparawala and Jude Crasto.

I will be monitoring addiction to habits such as smoking, tobacco chewing and alcohol," he said Besides, he will gather information on number of pregnant patients screened for diabetes and hypertension, number of vaccinated children, changes in the Chulas with outside ventilation, number of new toilets because of education provided by Sevak and the number of patients referred for treatment. Dr Raj has been awarded Outstanding Service Award for Young Physician- American Association

of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI-NJ/NY Charitable Foundation) - April 2011 He has chaired Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) and presented papers about the future of healthcare pertaining to young physicians, residents and medical students, New Delhi, India 2011 & Jersey City, NJ -2012 He has been the President of Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO), Young Physicians Section, since 2010. Dr Raj has also participated in HIV and Hepatitis C clinical trials at Dr. Jihad Slim- Saint Michaels Medical Center, Newark NJ.

Community Across America

16 India Post

August 3, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Uma Sengupta receives big endorsement for re-election India Post News Service

New York City Comptroller John Liu, Assemblyman Bill Scarborough, Assemblyman Grace Meng who is the Democratic candidate for the Congress, David Weprin, Manhattan District Leader, and Jenifer Rajkumar, the second district leader of Indian heritage in New York City. Also in attendance was former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson & Former councilwoman Melinda Katz. Many

Congresswoman Maloney spoke of the importance of women in politics and the importance of minority groups having representation in the political arena to ensure their needs are heard 25th Assembly District Leader through a "Campaign Kick Off Event," at the beautiful, Worlds Fair Marina Banquet & Restaurant outdoor premises, Flushing, NY. Mrs Sengupta received a significant endorsement with the presence at the event of elected officials like Congressman Joe Crowley, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, New York State Senator Malcolm Smith & Toby Stavisky,

community members and Indian American professionals also attended the event to show support. Dr. Ujwala Shah, Lady of Ceremonies for the event, introduced the guest speakers as each had an incredible story and great reverence to share about the time and efforts that Uma Sengupta has accomplished for the community over her years as District Leader. Congressman Joe Crowley shared,

Uma Sengupta receives significant endorsement by Congress members Joe Crowley & Carolyn Maloney, NY State Senators Malcolm Smith & Toby Stavisky & Assembly members Grace Meng & Bill Scarborough, NYC Comptroller John Liu, Former Comptroller Bill Thompson & Former NYC Councilwoman Melinda Katz

"Every time I see District Leader Uma Sengupta she is only asking for help for others, never for herself. In all the years I have known and worked with her, she only works for others. She is a true angel on earth." Congresswoman Maloney spoke of the importance of women in politics and the importance of minority groups having representation in the political arena to ensure their needs are heard by

Gujarati Samaj picnic In St Louis ASHWIN PATEL

Guj Samaj members at the annual picnic

ST LOUIS: Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis organized their annual picnic at McDonald Park on Saturday July 21. Close to 200 members, friends, and well-wishers participated. This is an annual affair with the

Scarborough. District Leader Uma Sengupta concluded the event noting her mission for the next two years: "We all have to work together and make it possible for one of our community members to be a future candidate for public office. Unless we are united we cannot achieve this goal. Together, we can make a difference for our community and I hope to continue this partnership in the future with your support."

$ 1.7 million raised at Romney fundraiser

Adult group members and ladies enjoying Bhuttas

Batata Vada, Corn water melons, Corn, Ice Snow cone as the participants started arriving at the picnic site. Throughout the event, Indian games and sports, such as cricket, volleyball, water balloons and

Young girls at the picnic and women preparing food

Samaj. Beisdes a full scale social interaction and games, the highlight of the picnic was enchanting and mouth watering food. The food team was ready with Dalvada,

elected officials. New York City Comptroller John Liu stated, "Working with District Leader Uma Sengupta over the years has been a sincere pleasure. She is a true voice for the community, working for the people, and attaining great results." New York State Malcolm Smith said "I fully endorse District Leader Uma Sengupta. We need her and she will win" and the same support was echoed by Assemblyman

other enjoyable items were played. Indian food was served to all members included Dal Dhikri, Puri, Rice, Raita. The picnic was enjoyed by all the guests due to dedication

and hard work by members, volunteers and officers of Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis. The next big event for the Samaj will be Navratri celebration at St. Ann Community Center from Oct 20. Gujarati Samaj of St. Louis came into existence in 1984 with the efforts of some community leaders to preserve, protect and personify our eastern values, to make our children participate in celebrating our festivals, and to provide platform to all Gujaratis to come together to meet, greet, entertain and celebrate our heritage. Gujarati Samaj arranges programs to commemorate important Gujarati festivals and events and invites dignitaries and artists from Gujarat and India to perform for the benefit of the members.

Gov Romney & Dr. Sampat Shivangi India Post News Service

JACKSON, MS: A glittering fundraising event was held in Jackson, MS on July 16 for Governor Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for the President of United States Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi headed as State Campaign Chairman. Dr Sampat Shivangi, the only Indian American, served as Event Chair with others for Governor Mitt Romney's fundraising event. Dr Shivangi is also a delegate at the upcoming RNC Convention in Tampa, FL to be held from Aug 25-30, to officially nominate Gov. Romney as Republican

Candidate for Presidency. A whopping $ 1.7 million were raised at this event which is one of the highest funds raised by a comparatively small state like Mississippi. Governor Romney was upbeat on his chances of victory as citizens of this country have been disillusioned on promises unfulfilled by President Obama and his message of change and hope are still far from reality. Governor Romney promised to set the economy of the country on the right path and create jobs. He declared that he is close to Romney Victory, amidst thunderous applause.

Community Across America

August 3, 2012

India Post 17

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Spell Bee's NJ & DC winners announced India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: The 2012 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee continued its 11 city tour with two events in the New Jersey & DC Metro areas. With a huge turnout this year as well, the bee attracted some top

In New Jersey, Sriram Hathwar from Painted Post, NY was the regional champ and Ameya Hadap from Cranbury, NJ was the first runner up while Shreyan Das from Bridgewater, NJ was second runner up talent as well as young and new spellers that competed for the coveted prizes and titles. "It is very heartening to see that each year we get fresh faces and new talent which is a continuing testimony to our community's

DC METRO WINNERS: (From L to R) Second Runner Up Tejhas Muthusanyl of Glen Allen, VA; Regional Champ 9-year old Roshni Kainthan of Morris Plains, NJ; First Runner Up Ankith Laichetty of Glen Allen, VA alongside Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee.

strength in this craft," said Rahul Walia, Founder - South Asian Spelling Bee. In New Jersey, Sriram Hathwar from Painted Post, NY was the regional champ and Ameya Hadap from Cranbury, NJ was the first runner up while Shreyan Das from Bridgewater, NJ was second runner up. "It was truly a privilege to be among so many talented children. Passing down values and educa-

tion are important in our community, so I'm proud to not only help families secure financial security, but also to help them enjoy fun, family events like the South Asian Spelling Bee," said Sam Mukherjee, financial services representative, Gateway Capitol Financial, an office of MetLife. In DC Metro, 9 year-old Roshni Kainthan from Morris Plains, NJ was declared the regional champ

Owners urged to pay 2010 property taxes MADHU PATEL

CHICAGO: Owners of homes and other real property who have not paid property taxes for 2010 (originally payable in 2011) should pay immediately to avoid having their taxes offered for auction at the Annual Tax Sale which begins August 3, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said here. Pappas said owners with unpaid bills for tax year 2010 should go to her office's website, cookcountytreasurer.com, and pay electronically. Payment can also be made at Chase banks with a certified check, cashier's check or money order. The Tax Sale is a four-day auction at which tax buyers bid on unpaid taxes, this year for 2010 bills (mailed in 2011). If the owner does not redeem, the tax buyer can ask a court for title to the property. Owners redeeming taxes from buyers face penalties and interest costs. Currently, the taxes for some 59,000 properties are delinquent. To alert owners, earlier last month the Treasurer's Office pub-

NEW YORK: The Indian National Overseas Congress, USA has sent hearty congratulations to Pranab Mukherjee, on his election as the 13th President of India. In a message, George Abraham, President of INOC said, "Mr Mukherjee is one of the most seasoned politicians in India and his experience and breadth of knowledge about

and Ankith Laichetty from Glen Allen, VA was first runner up while Tejhas Muthusanyl from Glen Allen, VA was second runner up. "Congratulations to all of the families who took part in this year's competition. As the title sponsor of the Spelling Bee for the fourth consecutive year, we are excited to see the growing number of fami-

lies who come out to enjoy the event and learn more about how to prepare for the rising cost of college," said Devang Patel, financial services Representative, financial planner, Patel Financial Group, an Office of MetLife. The winners received cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 respectively.

Spell Bee adds Seattle to competition

lished delinquency lists in newspapers and sent notices by certified mail to the owners. Pappas noted that owners should make sure they pay any delinquent tax bill first, before paying the newly issued Second In-

Pappas said owners with unpaid bills for tax year 2010 should go to her office's website, cookcountytreasurer.com, and pay electronically stallment bill. "Unsure owners should go to cookcountytreasurer.com and check their payment status," Pappas said. If they find a delinquency, they can stay on the website and pay electronically, Pappas said.

INOC congratulates Pranab Mukherjee India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY WINNERS: (From L to R) Daisy Walia, Director - Grassroots & Events, Touchdown Media Inc.; Niteka Mokal, Director - PR & Media Services, Touchdown Media Inc. with Second Runner Up Shreyan Das of Bridgewater, NJ; Regional Champ Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, NY; First Runner Up Ameya Hadap of Cranbury, NJ alongside Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee.

the country will make him one of the great Presidents ever to occupy that office.' He added, 'The President has a powerful bully pulpit where he can speak over the political noise to inspire and motivate a new generation. I am certain that all members of the Diaspora, and Congress party supporters in US in particular, wish him well for a very successful term".

SEATTLE WINNERS: (From L to R) First Runner Up Anushka Nair of Lake Oswego, OR alongside Regional Champ Suvansh Sanjeev of Bellevue, WA; Second Runner Up Nikhilesh Kumar of Gold River, CA with Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee. India Post News Service

SEATTLE, WA: The 2012 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee continued its 11 city tour with the Seattle Regional - a new city added to the roster in 2012. With a fantastic turnout, the bee attracted some top talent as well as young and new spellers that competed for the coveted prizes and titles. "We were excited to bring the Bee to Seattle and look forward to more talent from the area", said Rahul Walia, Founder, South Asian Spelling Bee. In Seattle, Suvansh Sanjeev from Bellevue, WA was the regional champ and

Anushka Nair from Lake Oswego, OR was the first runner up while Nikhilesh Kumar from Gold River, CA was second runner up. "As the title sponsor of the Spelling Bee for the fourth consecutive year, MetLife congratulates all of the families who participated in this year's event. It was great to have such talented children participate and to share information with the parents about how they can prepare for the rising cost of college," said Jeremy Taylor, CFP, Financial Planner, with the Financial Planning Division, An Office of MetLife, in Bellevue, WA. The winners received cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 respectively.

18 India Post

Community/California

August 3, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Is the Indian American family changing? PREM KISHORE

n increasing number of young adults will be taking care of elderly parents in the next few years - and that is not going to be a simple process. Where will the senior members in the family live? Do they move in with the children? If the children have transferable jobs, what happens? Do they uproot themselves and start all over again, adjusting to a new climate, a new environment? Will the daughter-in-law/son in-law cope with long term illness? Some parents insist on staying with the son. What happens to the wife's parents? What if they do not have a son and wish to stay with the daughter? Is it possible for everyone to stay together? How do you take care of sick parents when you have a job and children? Aging - no matter how beautifully you age - can be fraught with frustration, bitterness, anger and resentment. A possible solution to this may be investing in a gated IndianAmerican community, like a cottage retirement center. Indian American professionals on the brink of retirement are already planning these projects; this may come with a swimming pool, a club room, tennis courts, a shopping center, a pharmacy and a place of worship. There are choices offering flexibility of care and service. Older people often like to stay on their own in a safe and supporting community. However, this may be an expensive project and many people will not be able to afford it. An Indian told me very honestly that she could not envisage living only with Indians and singing bhajans. She said she came to America to live in a diverse community. This idea of communal living was unappealing to her. Another option. Retirement

sets voluntarily or were pressured to do so. One never knows but despite the distressing scenarios, there are also many Indian-Americans who cherish their parents, honor and respect them, and remember with gratitude the sacrifices of the parents. They look after them with great care, whether they stay with them or elsewhere.

homes are becoming popular and a boon to those who wish to improve the quality of life as they grow older. There are homes to suit different budgets. One such is the Housing Urban Development Program run by the Federal Government. The rent is calculated as a percentage of your income, (30%) although it may vary from state to state. There are different eligibility requirements, but there are long waiting lists. The World of Retirement Homesâ&#x20AC;Ś My work in California involved qualifying seniors for subsidized housing, the HUD program. It was in the process of interviewing applicants and families that I was startled to find that aging was fraught with heartrending problems. Here was this 62-year-old Indian-American widow sobbing her heart out and pleading for accommodation. Her story was that she was being treated cruelly by the daughter-in-law and wished to live independently. She complained that she was never taken out on the

weekends, the grandchildren barely spoke to her and when she was ill, she was terrified to tell her son. Her daughter-in-law resented her presence, and thought she was not doing her fair share of work in household duties. The daughter-in-law also wanted her own parents to stay with her. She also had a different story to tell, of a possibly domineering mother-in-law who was always finding fault, being possessive about her son, demanding a particular diet or frowning on late night parties. The truth is some-

Perhaps the parents have willed away their assets voluntarily or were pressured to do so. One never knows but despite the distressing scenarios, there are also many Indian-Americans who cherish their parents, honor and respect them, and remember with gratitude the sacrifices of the parents where in between. Meanwhile, the lady needed counseling and help. There were many such stories. Indian-American couples wanted to live independently but since they received assistance from the Government around $ 1000, their children took the money and insisted the parents/in-laws live with them. Oprah visiting the widows in northern India comes to mind. When Oprah asked if the children ever visited, she was told they did arrive once a month to collect the widowed mother's pension! Aging Parents, New Life Storiesâ&#x20AC;Ś Here in America, even some

well-to-do children find the extra money helpful and keep parents in the home, using them as baby sitters and to do a number of household tasks. Many grandparents relish the role but there are an equal number of people who want to relax in their old age, travel a little, enjoy the company of other seniors and not monitor the babies, cook, and sit in front of the TV. Some Indian seniors have told me that "It is a traditional Indian thing to stay with children. What will our relatives back in India think if we live in a retirement home?" This couple came to me with their daughter who sincerely wanted them to live with her family. But the couple was adamant. They cherished their independence, needed privacy and did not want to live in a son-in-law's home. Unfortunately, they had tried to live with the son, but his wife resented their presence and there were bitter fights. So they left that home and were seeking housing. All went well and they moved into a housing facility. A few months later, the man fell down and broke his hip. His wife did not drive so the daughter had to take time off from work and not only take him up and down to the hospital but prepare food and bring it over. A month later the man needed surgery and there was an endless round of hospital visits, caring, transporting. The daughter wished they lived in her home which might have been more convenient, but they declined. The daughter called her life a living nightmare. Her brother could not help as he lived in Santa Barbara and she was in Los Angeles. Some couples do exploit the system and insist they do not have any bank accounts to take advantage of the government largess. And yet the sons and daughters appear quite wealthy and have top professional jobs. Perhaps the parents have willed away their as-

Tips For Starting Over Some suggestions for those who find themselves isolated and abandoned: Try to find a Day Care Center; there are over 2000 of them in the country sponsored by the Government. Transport is provided. Here you will meet seniors, play board-games, cards, listen to music, watch dance performances, read books, or join a discussion group. And you even get a wellbalanced meal. There is free counseling and even therapy. If you are active you can volunteer at the local school, library, hospital, museum or place of worship. This may be a problem for those who cannot drive or do not have a car. Some cities have Senior Gatherings once a month where a light meal is provided; people meet and listen to a talk on health, or issues pertaining to aging. This happens on a Saturday so some member of the family can do the drop off and the pickup. My friend Urmila Mukherjee has been getting a group together for over 15 years. They come from all regions of India and at any meeting you can hear a dozen languages. She recently took them on a cruise to Ensenada from Los Angeles, and another trip to Hawaii is in the works. If you can drive seniors or carpool you can attend classes at the community college. Try Taichi, yoga, listen to a lecture on astronomy or world events. You can enroll for craft classes. Most classes are free. Or mentor a young student or tutor. Start a cookery class. Learn the computer. Browse websites that kindle your interest or passion. Offer to speak on India in your grand-children's school. At the age of 80, my friend Prativadi Narasimhan acts in plays, travels 200 miles to do a HariKatha performance, has appeared in various commercials and even does a stint on the Jimmy Kimmel show. He rocks. So can you! By embracing new roles, parents and children can reinvent the Indian-American family. (Prem Kishore is a writer at large, passionate about audio work, reading for the blind, and has authored India: A Culinary Journey (Hippocrene) to be published shortly. This article was first published online in the column 'Lassi With Lavinia'))

Community/California

August 3, 2012

India Post 19

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United Sikh fundraiser for eye operations LISA ZIMMERMAN India Post News Service

DIAMOND BAR, CA: The eyes are one of the most precious parts of the body. Without sight, we would never see the faces of our loved ones, the beauty of a glorious sunset, a flower blooming, or works of art which are everywhere. At an Indian restaurant in Diamond Bar, California, the United Sikh Mission held a fundraiser for its eye operation facilities. These camps offer free eye exams, spectacles, operations, medicine, and eye drops. Many people who were previously blind or had limited eyesight can now see. The mission runs 24 camps and in 2011, 13,515 people visited a facility, 8835 patients received eyeglasses, and 1605 operations were performed. Asha Sharma, emcee of the event, congratulated the donors and sponsors and introduced Chief Guest Dr Amarjit Singh Marwaha. Dr Marwaha came to America as a dentist and is a professor at USC (University of Southern California). He stressed that it is the duty of the attendees of this event to help the underprivileged. The first eye hospital in Sudharna was founded by him and is still going strong. Believing a good education is key, he also thinks the gurudwaras need to run these institutions. By donating money to these eye clinics, Dr Marwaha stated, "You're giving

... om e t i r st.c W s er diapo d a Re w.in ww

e all have very fond memories of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, his Azad Sena and Captain Lakshmi. We hold Netaji and Lakshmi Ji in high respect and regard, and we also have huge respect for those who joined Netaji Azad Sena. I had long desired to see Lakshmi Ji since Netaji was no more. During my visit to Kanpur in March 2011, I met Captain Lakshmi Sehgal. When I was informed about her being in Kanpur, I called her around 8 pm. In spite of her being not well and it being bed time, I was lucky, she agreed to meet me. We had such a wonderful

light to people who can see you." Amit Gosain grandson of Satpal Gosain and former Health Minister of Punjab, welcomed all the guests. Eminent cardiologist Dr Amrit Singh spoke about the satisfaction of seeing the happiness of those who regain their sight after being treated at one of the eye camps. His plan is to open an eye hospital in Punjab to serve more people. The cost of sponsoring an eye camp in India is $5,000 and it only costs $50 to pay for an eye surgery. The eloquent Asha Sharma gave a speech punctuated by poetry and couplets. She addressed the substance abuse problem in Punjab and appealed to the Diaspora to fight against it and congratulated the United Sikhs for its efforts in this direction. She emphasized the United Sikh Mission: combating substance abuse, the well being of girls, and provid-

ing meals to the attendants/relatives of the patients. S. Iqbal Singh Samra, business-

United Sikh Mission. S Pritam Singh lamented the practice of some organizations

Sikhs make up 2.4% of India's population, and yet 33% of India's income tax is paid by them, forty five percent of the army are Sikhs and 66% of charities are run and funded by the Sikhs man and philanthropist, mentioned the lack of media coverage of the work accomplished by the

which use up donated funds using the excuse of "overhead costs". This means the recipients

receive only 20-30% of the donations. Baljit Kaur Toor enlightened the attendees with some interesting statistics regarding the Sikh community: Sikhs make up 2.4% of India's population, and yet 33% of India's income tax is paid by them, forty five percent of the army are Sikhs and 66% of charities are run and funded by the Sikhs. The Golden Temple is the biggest charity kitchen in the world. Over 25,000 people are fed daily 24/7. Indeed it is a dynamic community. The last speaker was the documentary filmmaker, Michael Singh who showed his film about the eye camps. For several months out of every year, he spent time in Punjab, going to the deep remote villages, where he was asked to convey the needs of these people. There was presentation of plaques and awards and the evening ended with music and dancing.

Lakshmi Sehgal, a tribute meeting. I have no political untouchability, so ideological differences did not hinder our conversation. I informed her about my research about Indian revolutionaries abroad in general and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in particular. Rather than going to bed, she was curious to know more about Netaji Subhash Bose. When I disclosed contents in declassified files about Netaji, she had tears in her eyes. Captain Lakshmi held my hands and told me, "While today people give importance to film stars, cricket players and politicians, you are doing nice work." I told her, "This is my duty as an Indian, and this is my way to pay tribute to freedom fighters". During the conversation she said to me that she did not like the partition of India and the

D i s c l a i m e r

: -

I n d i a

P o s t

d o e s

Lakshmi Sehgal

Communist party made a mistake by supporting partition. n o t

e n d o r s e

o p i n i o n s

She complained about my short visit to Kanpur and asked e x p r e s s e d

i n

t h e

me to visit her again, spend a day with her. She had a lot of things about INA in general, and especially about Netaji, to talk about. She promised to give her private papers about Netaji for research. Unfortunately, I could not visit Kanpur or Lakshmi Ji during my visit to India in 2012. "Freedom comes in three forms," the diminutive doctor went on to say on camera in her unadorned and direct manner. "The first is political emancipation from the conqueror, the second is economic [emancipation] and the third is socialâ&#x20AC;Ś India has only achieved the first." With Captain Lakshmi's passing, India has lost an indefatigable fighter for the economic and social emancipations. Sridhar Damle Chicago

l e t t e r s .

Horoscope

20 India Post

August 3, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar

AUGUST 03RD - AUGUST 09TH (November 23 to December 22)

(March 21 to April 20)

usiness will pick up all of a sudden and planets will help those seeking a job. Exalted Saturn in angle will have your professional goals become a reality. Favorable outcome and some money through legal channels also possible. You will be spending money on family and some noble cause this week. Don't be scared and try your luck with stocks or lottery this week.

eople in business will have better sales. You may receive a small raise this week. Extra time spent on phone will be worth it and you will be successful in saving some money right away. You should continue to work on your plans as success in just a few weeks away. Some of you may decide to join a short term program to kind of update your knowledge.

(April 21 to May 20)

(December 22 to January 19)

upiter will bless you with the wisdom of making right choices in life. Money will keep pouring in from all directions and you will go out and buy some nice cloths or perfumes for your self. Improvements you had been waiting for in career for past couple of months will finally take place. People trying to create problem will disappear from scene all of a sudden.

hanges you had been eagerly awaiting for in career, will finally take place and you will receive the confirmation in black and white. You will attend a big social event this week and get to meet many old friends. You will also study some useful material to update your knowledge. Property deal can also go through. (January 20 to February 18)

(May 21 to June 20)

lanets are on your side to make things happen in big way. Projects stuck for quite some time will start moving in the right direction causing lots of excitement. Some of you will be getting ready to move to another location with lots of greenery around. Spouse may not agree on all your ideas so be patient.

uck is definitely on your side so expect positive developments on all fronts. New opportunity will knock at your door and you will not take much time to accept it. Business may require little more investment this week. Strong Venus in first will keep your cheerful and you will plan some thing exciting with the family. People who promised to help will keep up their words.

(February 19 to March 20)

(June 21 to July 22)

oney will come and quickly disappear. Your projects will need more than earlier projected. You will try to contact many old friends to seek help and some advice too. Spouse may not be able to handle the pressure and may have to seek medical advice. You may apply for a job with a well known company and wait for response. No harm in trying your hands at lottery.

oney will go on upgrading your home. You may have to deal with a government agency to resolve some confusion. Things will get more relaxing at work and you will finish an important project well ahead of deadline. Do not be nervous and stick to your plans. An old friend will be very helpful and keep up his words. You may travel to a nice place with family this weekend. (July 23 to August 22)

aturn's transit in third will cause major improvements in life. Financial pressure will disappear all of a sudden. Some of you may start another venture all by your self this time. Legal matters will get resolved without any difficulty. Some of you may be getting ready to relocate to a better place this week. A loan application will be accepted without any difficulty. (August 23 to September 22)

ou will be investing lots of money in a project, which is a sure thing. Other side will make the final commitment. Legal matters will take a favorable turn and you will have a clear indication of the outcome. You will have the opportunity to spend some quality time with some important people this week. Be careful when handling any heavy machinery or tools. (September 23 to October 22)

resence of favorable planet Saturn in your sign will bring big relief in life. Some of you will be moving to a better place in near future. Mind will be more settled. A child giving some trouble in the past and not listening, will change and start paying attention from now and on. Money wise it will be another expensive week. (October 23 to November 22)

nd this could be the beginning of a long legal battle for people prone to litigation. Try to negotiate and go for quick compromise if possible. It will be still better to seek opinion from professionals before you make any big move. People out of job for quite some time will lay their hands on a lot less paying one. You may visit a holy place with family this week.

Great ups & downs in life for Sunny Leone

unny Leone, born as Karen Malhotra on May 13, 1981, is a popular pornstar and is now breaking into Bollywood. Her life will be very complicated and full of unexpected twists and turns. Being a Virgo, she is endowed with many virtues and special skills. She is talented, possesses subtle mental powers and has a rich memory and good command in many languages. She will have a great aptitude for detail and will have a very practical outlook to view people and things in their proper perspective. The Year 2012 will bring great ups and downs in her life. She will get many opportunities to become more popular. As she is running through her last phase of Saturn's Sade Sate, she will have to face challenges and have to pass through many hardships. These planetary combinations indicate phase of stress and mental tension as she may be exploited professionally and cheated by well known personalities of the industry. Destiny indicates a bright future for her as an actress in Bollywood. Whenever she is facing problems, opposition and gossips, Mars will protect her. She has the characteristics of a tigress. Year 2012 will bring great journeys and her life will be full of enthusiasm but right now struggle will be part of life, making her almost a shuttle cock. But later she will have the place of Katrina Kaif in Bollywood. Her upcoming Bollywood movie Jism2 will make her a hit worldwide.

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

925-833-7170

website: www.parashar.com

Tech News Indian IT major Infosys ranks high BANGALORE: Indian Information Technology giant Infosys has been ranked second on 'The 2012 Global Outsourcing 100 List', compiled annually by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP). The company was recognized for its notable performance across all four survey assessment categories including size and growth, customer references, organizational competencies, and management capabilities, a top Infosys official said here. "Our new ranking on this year's Global Outsourcing 100 list is a validation that our Infosys 3.0 strategy is gaining traction and providing value to our customers," Infosys Vice President (Strategic Global S -PTI

M&M launches Maxximo Mini Van VX LUCKNOW: Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has announced the launch of its multi-purpose diesel van - Maxximo Mini Van VX - here. Maxximo Mini Van VX - the latest offering on the technologically superior Maxximo platform, comes with the first sliding door equipped with best-in-class comfort and safety features and powered by the advanced C2 CRDe fuel-efficient diesel engine, the company said.-PTI

Political dynamics slowing decisionmaking: Mittal NEW DELHI: NRI billionaire and ArcelorMittal chief Lakshmi Mittal once again criticized the decision-making in India, saying that changing political dynamics have made it slow. "There has been a slowdown in some of the processes in India. Every one understands the political dynamics developing in the country has slowed down the decision-making process and some of the approvals in the country," he said in a conference call while announcing ArcelorMittal's second quarter results. He, however, clarified that he is not critical of India but the slow decision making process in the country is hurting the sentiments. "I have not been critical of India. What I have stated is the situation that things have clearly slowed down, influenced by the global economic crisis as well as some of the internal issues of the country," he said.-PTI

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Swipe launches tablet PC with 3D facility MUMBAI: California-based Swipe Telecom has launched a range of tablets here, including the country's "first 3D tablet". The tablets are priced in the range of Rs 5,999 to Rs 6,999, while the one with phone facility is priced at Rs 8,999. The company claims that these are the fastest and lightest devices in the category. Swipe Telecom Founder and Chief executive Shripal Gandhi said the domestic tablet PC market was 0.95 million units or Rs 2,200 crore in value last year, but is expected to touch 2.2 million units this year.-PTI

August 3, 2012

Apple CEO loves India but won't invest there NEW YORK: Technology giant Apple has said the multi-layered distribution network in India works against the company's interests and it sees higher potential elsewhere in the "intermediate term". "I love India, but I believe Apple has some higher potential in the intermediate term in some other countries," Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in an earnings conference call with analysts. He was responding to queries why Apple is not more successful in India and what was his outlook for the company's growth in the country. Cook said this does not mean Apple is not putting emphasis in India. "We have a business there and the business is growing but the

multi-layered distribution there really adds to the cost of getting products to market," said Cook,

Tim Cook

who took over as the CEO of Apple Inc last year after its founder Steve Jobs withdrew himself from running the company on

Apple, the world's largest company by market value, is bestknown for hardware products including the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, "I love India, but I bethe iPhone and the lieve Apple has some iPad. Apple reported higher potential in the third-quarter profit intermediate term in that did not meet the expectations of Wall some other countries," Street. The company Apple CEO Tim Cook said profit rose to USD 8.8 billion from has said in an USD 7.3 billion a year earnings conference ago, and USD 35 billion in revenue. call with analysts Apple sold 26 million iPhones, up 28 dia "but my own perspective is per cent over the last year, four that in the intermediate term there million Mac computers, a two per will be larger opportunities outside cent jump, and 17 million iPads, an increase of 84 per cent. -PTI of (India)". a day-to-day basis due to illness. The Apple CEO said his company will continue to focus on In-

HC intervention helps Ashok Amritraj get back FDs CHENNAI: The intervention of the Madras High Court has made it possible for Ashok Amritraj, brother of former tennis star Vijay Amritraj, to get back Rs 6.35 crore placed in seven Fixed Deposits (FDs) in a nationalized bank for a year, besides interest. Justice N Kirubakaran slammed a city branch of Canara Bank for "falsehood, suppressing material facts and attempting to mislead and prevent the court from rendering justice properly" and slapped it with exemplary cost of Rs 50,000 payable to the Chief Justice Relief Fund within two weeks from the date of receipt of the order. Stating that the bank, which was expected to place facts before the court, should not be allowed to go scot-free, he said the exemplary costs was a deterrent measure.

Ashok Amritraj

"Otherwise, for every mistake committed by the bank officials, the depositors would be denied of their amounts, which will not be in the interest of public." "If this could happen to a celebrity like the petitioner, what would be the fate of a layman depositor?" the Judge said.

Amritraj submitted he had deposited Rs 6.35 crore on August 8, 2010, in the banks as FDs for a year through his authorized manager Anis A Abid. The Bank had issued six receipts for Rs 95 lakh each and one for Rs 65 lakh. The deposit was to mature on August 13, 2011, and he was to receive a total amount of Rs 6.80 crore. Amritraj said he was made to run from pillar to post when he approached the bank through Abid for the amount due to him on maturity of the FDs. He sent two letters to the bank and, after receiving no response, issued a notice dated August 31. Despite a communication from RBI through the office of Banking Ombudsman, no step was taken by the bank to make the payment, he said. Hence the present petition. -PTI

NIIT University begins industry linked session NEEMRANA, Rajasthan: In an initiative to produce industryready professionals, NIIT University has started its first full BTech batch to prepare students through special training-based modules to help ease talent and skills shortage in the country. Over 200 BTech scholars of the batch joined a four-year academic course at the NIIT University here, about 100 km from Delhi, which has been declared as the country's greenest campus. NIIT University (NU) chose the scholars through a NU scholar search program from school campuses and selected the new batch from out of thousands of applicants in a special initiative in higher education, NIIT Chairman Rajendra Pawar said here. The program also aims to reduce the stress among students during admission season by providing early admission based on the marks in Class 10 and 12.-PTI

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Narendra Modi meets Suzuki chief in Tokyo TOKYO: As he pitches for greater investment from Japan, west Indian state Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Suzuki Motors Chairman Osamu Suzuki, and discussed investment opportunities in the state. Modi took a bullet train from Tokyo to Hamamatsu, where Suzuki is headquartered, and visited its plant where he met Indian engineers working for the Japanese auto major. During a meeting, the two discussed investment opportunities and Suzuki assured him that he would bring more industrialists to Gujarat. Suzuki said 500 Indian workers would be trained in Japan before being deployed at its Gujarat plant, said a statement from Gujarat's information office. During his four-day visit, Modi highlighted the investment friendly environment in Gujarat and cited examples of Bombardier and Nano to illustrate the swift system of clearances in the state. Modi also tried his hand at playing the Japanese musical instrument Koto as he attended a lunch hosted for him. Earlier in Tokyo, Modi had condemned recent violence at Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant, stating such incidents should not happen anywhere in the world. He also met Japanese Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and discussed with him high speed Metro Rail connectivity between Ahmedabad, Dholera and

Bhavanagar, as well as air connectivity between Tokyo and Ahmedabad to make visits from Japan to investment destinations in his state easier. Political stability Speaking at an investment seminar of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) here, Modi said political stability has ensured

terms of economic ties between Gujarat and Japan, Modi said his government wants to create a "mini Japan" in the state. "Japan has strength of experience; Gujarat has a power of enterprise. Japan has technology; Gujarat has a talent to absorb it. Japan has a keenness of discipline; Gujarat has zeal of perfor-

Gujarat chief minister Nerendra Modi (left) with Suzuki Motor Corp. chairman and chief executive, Osamu Suzuki

policy consistency in the west Indian state of Gujarat helping investments pour in to the state. Two Japanese Special Economic Zones - a Hitachi plant at Dahej and Maruti Suzuki's car-manufacturing project in Mehsana district - are coming up in the state, said Modi. "The people of Gujarat are extremely mature and due to political stability, there is consistency in policy, which increases confidence and investment in Gujarat," he said. Highlighting the potential in

mance. We can change not only Asia's but world's future together," Modi said. The Gujarat Chief Minister also said Japan's strength lies in intelligence processes while India's strength is in its intelligent young minds. When combined, they can do wonders and play a major role in 21st century becoming Asia's century, he added. "In addition, India's 120 crore population can make it an attractive market for almost any product," Modi said. -PTI

'No airline could lose its permit for not paying staff' NEW DELHI: The controversy over former DGCA chief's reported recommendation to suspend Kingfisher's flying license refused to die down with the government saying that no airline could lose its permit for failing to pay its staff. "There are no regulatory framework anywhere in the world allowing cancellation of the license of airlines merely for failing to pay salaries to the staff," Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement. It said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been regularly monitoring the safety related issues of all airlines. "The Director General has also decided to quarterly monitor the safety records of airlines as per the

industry norms," it said. The statement came in the wake of Indigo Airlines promoter Rahul Bhatia's charges that the government was tinkering with aviation policies for a "select few". Terming the allegations as "uncalled for and baseless", the Civil Aviation Ministry release said it was performing its functions in an objective, fair and transparent manner without discrimination against any airlines. In response to Bhatia's charges that the government was relentlessly trying to keep inefficient private operators in business, it said, "The Ministry also clarifies that the private operators were not being provided any financial sup-

port directly or indirectly but have been allowed to perform as per market forces." The government, in reply to IndiGo Managing Director's claim that his zero debt company was pitched against the airline (Air India) which was getting sop after sop, said, "It being owner of Air India it was well within its rights to promote the national carrier and prepare it for competition." Bhatia had also alleged favoritism in traffic route allocations, to which the government said it is clarified that all requests have been dealt with objectively in a fair manner so that every applicant airline gets its share as per its demand without prejudice.-PTI

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Facebook user base soars to 50 mn in India HYDERABAD: Facebook has said its user base in India has grown from 8 million in 2010 to 50 million now and most of the people access the site through mobile phones, prompting it to rethink its business model. While for other countries it was the desktop which was first used to get in to the portal, in case of India it was the mobile phone, said Kirthiga Reddy, Facebook Director online operations and head of office - India. Most of the people in the US started on desktop and moved to mobile, she said, adding that India is causing the company to rethink its model. "Because many people are going to Facebook first on mobile and they might never go to desktop again," Reddy said. The situation has prompted Facebook to come out with many

innovations so that the site can be accessed through any mobile phone, she added. "Facebook had a user-base of 8 million when it started its office in India in 2010. It has grown to 50 million users since then," Reddy

said, adding that currently translation in India is available in eight languages. "Globally, we have many users that contributed for translation of local languages. Translate tool is open for a few other languages,"

she said. Replying to a query, she said as per studies children below 13 tend to access Facebook when their parents are using the site. "Our policy is that children below 13 years of age are not allowed... We have taken that very seriously. Anytime someone is being reported being under 13 (of age), we immediately look into that and take action. There is a lot of education and initiatives we engage in," she added. According to the information available in Facebook official site, it had 901 million active users at the end of March 2012, and approximately 80 per cent of these monthly active users were outside the US and Canada. Facebook is available in more than 70 languages. -PTI

FDI inflows witnessed sharp dip in May NEW DELHI: Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India declined sharply for the second month in a row in May with inflows slipping to USD 1.32 billion from USD 4.66 billion in the year-ago period, reflecting the impact of slowing global economy. Experts have attributed the contraction in inflows to global and domestic economic problems and suggested the government to push big-ticket reforms to restore the confidence of global investors. "Decisions like allowing FDI in multi-brand retail and permitting foreign airlines to buy stake in domestic carriers would help in attracting more and more FDI," Ficci Secretary General Rajiv Kumar said. The decline in FDI comes at a time when India's economic growth slipped to nine-year low of 6.5 per cent in 2011-12. Foreign inflows in April dipped to USD 1.85 billion from USD 3.12 billion in April 2011. Contraction in FDI will keep the balance of payments under pressure and could also impact the rupee. If the prices of commodity and oil increases globally, a weaker

domestic currency will add to inflationary pressures. The sectors which received large FDI inflows in May include services (USD 754 million), pharmaceuticals (USD 401 million), construction (USD 181 million) and

The sectors which received large FDI inflows in May include services (USD 754 million), pharmaceuticals (USD 401 million), construction (USD 181 million) and power (USD 100 million) power (USD 100 million). In May 2012, India received the highest FDI from Mauritius (USD 1.12 billion million) followed by the Netherlands (USD 409 million), the UK (USD 378 million), Singapore (USD 231 million) and Cyprus (USD 177 million), the official added.-PTI

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August 3, 2012

The Nizam of Hyderabad's gold embroidered shoe in Bata Shoe Museum

A Jamini Roy painting in Royal Ontario Museum

PREETI VERMA LAL

he crowd inside Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) was milling; excited children were gaggling over the colossal dinosaur fossil arched from the atrium and art lovers were ogling at the largest collection of Chinese artifacts outside China. I was jostling with the crowd; in the cacophony I could barely hear the narrative of David Grafstein, the guide. I was hurrying past the dinosaurs; I was looking for Kunti. I knew she was somewhere in the Sir Christopher Ondaatjee Gallery of South Asia. The wait at the elevator was too long; I scurried up the staircase. And then I saw her - Kunti, sitting on an empty bottle rack; her skin indigo blue, her body unclothed, her hands stretched in mudra. This Kunti, however, is not from mythology. She is Navjot Altaf's teakwood and metal sculpture that stands out in the South Asia gallery of ROM. This Kunti is real; she was conceived out of pandemonium that artist Altaf heard one day. Outside her house, a woman called Kunti was being thrashed by men who assumed she was a witch. The art born out of that ruthless moment now sits as ROM's prized possession.

An ancient paduka in Bata Shoe Museum

INDIA FOUND

IN TORONTO'S MUSEUMS

and 19th centuries. During IIFA in Toronto, ROM mounted Bollywod Cinema Showcards, a stunning array of vintage Bollywood showcards and advertisements assembled for the first time in Canada. Between June 2011 and 2012, visitors gazed at Indian painted photographs that dated from 1860s, a few decades after the invention of photography to the modern-day interpretation of painted photography. BATA SHOE MUSEUM: In ROM, I was soaking in the artistic heritage of India. A few blocks away I was to set foot on more of India. Yes, foot. Literally. In Bata Shoe

Pics Preeti Verma Lal

Navjot Altafâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kunti in Royal Ontario Museum

A Mughal couple painting

wood and metal, some decoratively etched; others almost monastic in their simplicity. Embroidered mojris adding color to Museum's nearly 13,000 shoe collection which is the life work of Sonja Bata, wife of Thomas J Bata, the scion of Bata Shoe Company. However, what took my breath away was a pair of shoes that is currently valued at - hold your breath - $ 160,000. The 1760 pair of mojari made of gold, silk, leather and encrusted with ruby, diamonds, emerald and sapphire belonged to the former Nizam of Hyderabad. The fully

In ROM, there is more of India than the indigo blue Kunti. There's 12-14th century bronze Nataraja from Tamil Nadu; a painted, mordant-dyed cotton tabby from Coromandel that was specifically made for the European market in early 18th century; an ancient stone Yogini; a Lady in Moonlight photograph by Pushpamala N which is heavily inspired by Ravi Varma; Jamini Roy's Untitled (dancing gopi) painted in 1950s. That is not all, though. There are artifacts that lie at the heart of the rituals of Himalayan Buddhism and 5th century head of a Bodhisattva (stucco) from Gandhara (now Pakistan). Walk into ROM galleries and there'd be a hint of India somewhere. In 2010, ROM showcased the Ragamala: Garland of Melodies, an exhibit that explored Ragamala paintings, a South Indian style of painting that was a rage between 16th

What took my breath away was a pair of shoes that is currently valued at - hold your breath - $ 160,000. The 1760 pair of mojari made of gold, silk, leather and encrusted with ruby, diamonds, emerald and sapphire belonged to the former Nizam of Hyderabad. The sole has a lining of apricot colored silk and velvet. Museum, the biggest and perhaps the sole museum in North America dedicated to the history of footwear, there was more of India waiting. An 1840 saffron pair of mojris worn by a temple dancer in Rajasthan embellished with beads, brass bells and golden zardozi. A 19th century pure silver filigreed mule with leaf and vine motifs that was common as dowry for brides. An 18th century paduka from Jaipur with high stilts and gold toe knobs. A pair of simple thong slipper worn by The Dalai Lama. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's black pumps that was donated by Rajiv Gandhi. Century-old padukas in

zardozi gold embroidered shoes with wide upturned curled back toes and brown leather sole has a lining of apricot colored silk and velvet. The slight wedge heels have silver braids; the throat is embellished with floral gold medallion set with emerald, ruby and diamond gems. The Nizam's mojaris are so exquisite that it would put even the priciest jewellery to shame. This, however, is not the most expensive artifact of Bata Shoe Museum. But ask Sonja Bata and she'd confess that the Nizam's mojaris are priceless, a piece of history from India, a country which still has a town called Batanagar; a country that she still loves!

August 3, 2012

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HIT NEW SINGLES

for free every month S

Suvah Entertainment is a music production company based in Los Angeles, CA. It's main focus is to produce commercial music by unlocking the doors for new tal-

India Post News Service

uvah Entertainment is now offering a free download every month of their hit new singles! Available on lead singer Musafir Ludhianvi's website http://

Suvah Entertainment is the brainchild of Vivek Malhotra and Amit Apte who have over 10 years of experience in the music industry. They are committed to discovering, developing the best talent www.MusafirLudhianvi.com and his Facebook page http://www.Facebook.com/ Musafir0161 the world can enjoy a hot new song every month.

Apte and Brainstorm

ent and breaking the musical boundaries. With recent performances at "Match Made in Heaven, A benefit for CureSonia", "Straight Outta Chandigarh," and "Indian Summer" Suvah Entertainment is becoming the talk of the musical world. Their new single Laaray was recently featured on Urbandesi Radio as well as Asian XL, both well renowned radio stations in the

Anupam Kher to be honored at Miss India-Canada 2012

India Post News Service

TORONTO: Internationally renowned Bollywood actor Anupam Kher will be the Celebrity Guest of Honor and will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 22nd annual Miss IndiaCanada Event. Anupam Kher is best remembered for movies like Karma, Lamhe, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maara, Khosla Ka Ghosla and A Wednesday, etc. Mr Kher went international when he worked with acclaimed directors

such as Gurinder Chaddha, David O Russell, Ang Lee and Woody Allen. He is the only Indian actor to have shared screen space with the legendary actor Robert De Niro. Moreover, he has been showered with innumerable accolades and awards - he holds the distinction of winning no less than 8 Filmfare awards in a row. His critical and commercial success in over 100 plays and almost 450 films stand testament to the drive and passion that catapulted the Padma Shri awardee to the heights of being considered one of the greatest actors of contemporary cinema. Recently, Mr Kher detailed his philosophy and authored his first book on life coaching titled The Best Thing About You is You! The book was endorsed by many celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan and Oprah Winfrey, and is a best-seller. This year's Miss India-Canada show is presented by Big Magic International, a division of Reliance Broadcast Network Limited. Big Magic International is India's first variety entertainment channel for Hindi speaking markets, featuring locally relevant entertainment across humor, reality shows, action, fiction, movies, events and sports. The event is co-presented by Brita, and is supported by: Wind, Suhaag.com, Om Financial, and Cuisine of India to name a few. The 16 finalists will compete for the title on-stage on Saturday, August 18 culminating in the crowning of Miss India-Canada 2012. To view this year's finalists, visit: www.MissIndiaCanada.com.

United Kingdom Suvah Entertainment is the brainchild of Vivek Malhotra and Amit Apte who have over 10 years of experience in the music industry. They are committed to discovering, developing the best talent and producing world class music for their artists. Lead singer Musafir Ludhianvi started singing very early in his life. After moving to the U.S.A his singing career took a backseat, but he never stopped writing. From Ghazals, Shayiri to full Punjabi and

Hindi songs, Musafir never stopped. After writing the simple lyrics to "Raahey Jaande", Musafir's music career began. After meeting Brainstorm a.k.a Vivek Malhotra the two teamed up to create a Punjabi and Hip hop fusion sound unlike any other. Brainstorm who also began writing at a young age, wrote his first "flow" at only 15. Never shy in front of the camera Brainstorm has performed at over 1,000 events. Apt. E (Amit Apte), is what some would call a musical genius. After college Apt. E wrote and produced demos for local singers as well as toured the acoustic music scene in the Bay area. After moving to Los Angeles he released his debut CD "In Your Eyes."

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Techniques and philosophy behind Egyptian pyramids India Post News Service

HOBOKEN, NJ: In "Journey to Giza", Dhan, the author, creates a fascinating historical novel that revisits the construction of the ancient Egyptian pyramids. The book is narrated in the first-person voice of a laborer working on the construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza, who sets out to reveal just how it was done. Beyond explaining the architectural mystery, the narrator plumbs the larger philosophical mystery of why the pyramids were built at all, and the result is a fascinating, existential journey into why we exist and strive.

Dhan draws on his years of research into the construction of the pyramids in "Journey to Giza." Through the narrator, he re-

the funeral procession and how the ceiling beams, in what is known as the Queens' Chamber, were never cantilevered. In fact,

Beyond explaining the architectural mystery, the narrator plumbs the larger philosophical mystery of why the pyramids were built at all, and the result is a fascinating, existential journey into why we exist and strive veals his own theories on how these amazing structures were built. He shows how the Grand Gallery lay unobstructed during

the author argues that the Queens' Chamber is really much larger, with its original dimensions obscured by fill stone.

Lastly, he tackles how ancient workmen penetrated the east wall of the Queens' Chamber to retrieve a statue that stood within. Beyond the construction details, the ancient laborer surmises man must be an irrational being to have attempted the building of such a vast pyramid system.

Dhan was born in Jersey City, NJ. He served in the Army as a machine gunner. During this time, he developed the capacity to write in short, effective bursts. "Journey to Giza" is a novel born of his lifelong fascination with the ancient Egyptian pyramids, including the construction techniques and the philosophical implications He reconciles himself to spending years building the Great Pyramid by concluding man seeks after the "possibilities within impossibilities." Later, Dhan also comes to understand that to create a new society the old one must be destroyed. "Journey to Giza" is a historical novel that will appeal to pyramid buffs, hobby Egyptologists and anyone who has ever marveled at these wonders of the ancient world and wished to understand the methodology used in their construction. Dhan was born in Jersey City, NJ. He served in the Army as a machine gunner. During this time, he developed the capacity to write in short, effective bursts. "Journey to Giza" is a novel born of his lifelong fascination with the ancient Egyptian pyramids, including the construction techniques and the philosophical implications.

August 3, 2012

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'LIFE! CAMERA ACTION' It is for the first time that an independent feature film has been released and distributed for the audience worldwide exclusively via Facebook. This should be a sigh of relief for many independent moviemakers

ON FACEBOOK ering us with the tools to unleash our imagination," says Gupta who is a MBA graduate and comes from a family of entrepreneurs.

receiving over 12,000 likes in just 3 days, and picked up substantial viewership among its audience on Facebook.

Gupta knew that looking for conventional distribution would be futile and took matters into his own hands. He has released the film worldwide in partnership with Boston-based new media company Gigaplex, Inc. After the release, the film made an instant buzz on its official Facebook page, by

'Life! Camera Action' was recently named as 'One of the top 10 outstanding movies made by Indian Americans' by Silicon India. The list included 'The Sixth Sense,' 'Unbreakable' (M. Night Shyamalan), 'Mississippi Masala,' 'The Namesake' (Mira Nair), 'Earth,' and 'Fire' (Deepa Mehta).

Rohit Gupta India Post News Service

here are numerous promotions, even by major studios, using online distribution to build buzz about their projects or simply to get their films to as many people as possible, but to release a film via Facebook is a completely new avenue. One such film 'Life! Camera Action' - an internationally acclaimed, numerous award winning, film-festival favorite feature film - has recently released worldwide exclusively for Facebook users. It is produced and directed by Indian filmmaker, Rohit Gupta who has also co-written the film with LA based writer/director/lyricist Amanda Sodhi. Filled with dreams and ambition, 'Life! Camera Action'

is a moving story of a young girl in pursuit of her dreams of becoming a filmmaker against all odds. It is for the first time that an independent feature film has been released and distributed for the audience worldwide exclusively via Facebook. This should be a sigh of relief

for many independent moviemakers who are left to wonder if their films will ever see the light of the day. With this new avenue, they can turn their investment in to a profitable venture by reaching audiences around the world quickly with just few clicks. "Thanks to technology for empow-

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Indian Public School acquires Los Angeles school HEMA TRIVEDI India Post News Service

MUMBAI: South India based The Indian Public School (TIPS) has acquired California-based The South Hill Academy of Los Angeles for $ 10 million to create a truly global network of international schools. TIPS is currently operating a chain of International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in India with a student base of over 5000. Founded in 1957, South Hills Academy is one of the prestigious educational institutions in the US. It's pursuit of academic excellence and well-rounded character education has shaped the lives of scores of students who are leading illustrious lives in their chosen profession. Some of their noteworthy alumni include global entrepreneurs, scientists, academicians, Hollywood producers, musicians, sports stars, media personalities, etc. The South Hill Academy joined the TIPS group of schools following the floating of 100% owned subsidiary in the US to own and operate the academy. Commenting on US presence, Ashok Kumar, Chairman, TIPS

Indian Public School

avers, "Our mission is to nurture inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who are engaged citizens of the World. We feel that it is not possible to provide a truly global exposure to the students unless you have a truly international presence. Partnering with foreign schools for student exchange programs or relying on virtual exchanges has its limitations and will not equal the real world interactions students can get through your own infrastructure." "For instance, with our direct US presence, we can achieve seamless integration of delivery

Children at IP School

of courses. Students on our Indian campuses can opt for continuing their studies in the US for

'We feel that it is not possible to provide a truly global exposure to the students unless you have a truly international presence' two or three months in an academic year to get US exposure, without losing continuity in edu-

cation. We also run structured student and faculty exchange programs aimed at contextualizing the meaning and relevance of their knowledge accumulated on a global platform." Kumar added that the core academic program followed in TIPS is a global program in every sense of the word. The curriculum followed by TIPS students in India is identical to what students learn at TIPS South Hill Academy in US. Being a part of the international network, faculty members in India and US too get an opportunity to interact with their peers in other campuses, as

they are involved in lesson planning, content creation and delivery of courses. This ensures any child in any country in any city in our school network is globally competitive. Gilbert James, Executive Director of South Hills Academy, said that this takeover by an international network from an emerging economy like India is a good opportunity for the children to gain valuable international exposure and understand global realities. "India is recognized as a knowledge leader and is respected for its values and skills," he added.

Arab devotees sing & perform at Sai Ashram MADHU PATEL

PUTTAPARTHI: It is highly spiritualizing and elevating to see the concept of "sarva dharma sadbhavana" being enveloped in the sacred precincts of Sai Baba Ashram, Prashanti Nilayam with Islamic fervor, as devotees from Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and United Arab Emirates joined thousands of Satya Sai devotees proving that true devotion transcends all differences among men. It is as if the vision of Nanakdev, Sant Kabir, Ramakrishna Paramhams, Narayan Guru and scores of saints and philosophers beginning from Upanishadic non-dualism in spirit and reality engulfed the sacred land of Puttaparthi with a message of One Caste, One Religion and One God. The Sai Kulwant hall in front of the stage was decorated with flags from all the participating nations. A crescent was visible atop the Sanctum Sanctorum. A large contingent of devotees in green scarves representing the color of peace have been very active in Prasanthi

Nilayam. Members of the group have joined the students for morning bhajans since July 7. The green scarved army with the message of peace from the heartland of Islam performed a concert entitled `Sarva Dharma Swaroopa Sai` on the 10th of July exalting the five cardinal human values - Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanti (Peace), Prema (Love), and Ahimsa (NonViolence) which Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba embodied. The program consisted of 6 Arabic songs followed by Bhajans. All the participants were blessed with clothes. Special prasadam consisting of dry fruits and nuts along with a photograph of the Sanctum Sanctorum and pamphlets with the Teachings of Islam gleaned from Bhagawan's discourses was distributed to the assembly. Sri Sathya Sai Baba is one of the great spiritual figure, mystic and philanthropist. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi who is one of the greatest Gurus in the tradition of Rishis. His

teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs. The materializations of holy ash and other small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches by Sathya Sai Baba were a source of both fame and controversy;

The green scarved army with the message of peace from the heartland of Islam performed a concert entitled `Sarva Dharma Swaroopa Sai` on the 10th of July devotees considered them signs of divinity, while skeptics viewed them as simple conjuring tricks. In 1940, Sathya Sai Baba proclaimed himself to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi. As a child, he was described as "unusually intelligent" and charitable, though not an exceptional stu-

dent, as his interests were more of a spiritual nature. In 1944, a temple was built near the village of Puttaparthi. The construction of Prashanthi Nilayam, the current ashram, began in 1948 and was completed in 1950.

Madhu Patel

In March 1995 Sathya Sai Baba started a project to provide drinking water to 1.2 million people in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. In 2001 he established another free Super Speciality hospital in Bangalore to benefit the poor. In April 1999 he

inaugurated the Ananda Nilayam Mandir in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Sai Baba passed away on Easter Sunday, 24 April at 7:40 IST, aged 85. An estimated 500,000 people attended the burial, among them the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, Congresspresident Sonia Gandhi, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers S. M. Krishna as well as other political leaders and prominent figures. On Sathya Sai Baba's 80th birthday celebration, it was reported that well over a million people attended, including 13,000 delegates from India and 180 other countries. Sathya Sai Baba supported a variety of free educational institutions, hospitals, and other charitable works in over 166 countries. Sri Sathya Sai University has three campuses, one at Puttaparthi for men, one at Whitefield, Bangalore for men and one at Anantapur for women. Madhu Patel is Founding President of NRI Press Club, Chicago

29 India Post

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August 3, 2012

This town is famous

ullu is located in the charming Kullu valley and is set amongst the back drop of the mighty Himalayas. This town is famous for its temples and the annual Dussehra festival, both of which attract thousands of tourists. It is also known for its handicrafts. Kullu is in the central part of the state of Himachal Pradesh in the northern region of India. It is located amidst the Himalayas at an altitude of 1200 m above sea level at the confluence of Beas and Sarvari rivers. It is 240 km north of Shimla. The weather in Kullu

is alpine. Summers (April-June) are mild and winters are cold (November-February). It experiences southwestern monsoon rains in July-September. The best time to visit Kullu is in summers, between April and June. It is also visited in October during the Dussehra festival. History: Formerly, the Kullu valley was known as Kulanthapitha, meaning the end of the habitable world. The earliest recorded information of this area goes back to 1st century AD, when this valley began to be inhabited. In the medieval period, Kullu and the area around it was ruled by a number of local rulers. The Kullu valley was isolated from other parts of the country for many centuries until it came under British rule. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 30

for its temples and the annual Dussehra festival, both of which attract thousands of tourists. It is also known for its handicrafts

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Supreme Court bans tourism activity in tiger reserves NEW DELHI: Stepping in to conserve the big cat, the Supreme Court has directed that there shall be no tourism activity in any of the core zones of tiger reserves across the country. A bench of justices Swatanter Kumar and Ibrahim Kalifulla also warned of contempt proceedings and imposition of exemplary costs on states which failed to notify the buffer zones in their respective tiger reserves. "We make it clear that till final directions are issued by this court, the core zones or core areas in the tiger reserves will not be used for tourism," the bench said in its order. The apex court was also furious that several states despite its earlier directions of April 4 and July 10 had failed to notify the buffer zones in their respective reserves and warned that if they failed to comply within three weeks the defaulting states shall be saddled with a cost of Rs 50,000 each, recoverable from the Principal Secretary, Forest of the state concerned. The apex court also imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 each on Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Maharashtra and Jharkhand for not complying with its directions. However, counsel for Arunachal Pradesh and Jharkhand stated that they were ready with the notification and would file appropriate affidavits during the course of the day.

The image of a tiger captured in the monitoring cameras installed in Sathyamangalam forests in Erode district.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by conservationist Ajay Dubey demanding removal of commercial tourism activities from core or critical tiger habitats in the tiger reserves. On July 10, the apex court had granted two more weeks "as last opportunity" to states which had defaulted in notifying buffer zones around tiger reserves to regulate commercialization of revenue land around big cat habitats and help preserve the endangered species.

On April 4, the court had asked Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra to notify the zones within three months. Rajasthan had informed the court that it had notified the zones. Under Section 38(b) and Explanation 1 and 2 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the states have to notify the list of core and buffer areas of tiger reserves under their respective jurisdiction.

Under the Act, buffer zones are the areas peripheral to the critical tiger habitats or core areas providing supplementary habitats for dispersing tigers and offering scope for co-existence of human activity. The buffer zones constitute the fringe areas of tiger reserves up to a distance of 10 kms. It has been alleged in the PIL that in violation of the conservation norms, authorities in various states had permitted largescale construction of hotels, resorts and tourism projects, thereby gravely disturbing wildlife activities. Terming it as a landmark decision, Dubey, who has been fighting this legal battle for over two years, said it will help in ensuring tiger conservation plan in the reserves. "The state governments will have to submit a tiger conservation plan to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The decision will help in checking poaching and other illegal activities and add to the growth of wild cats," Dubey told PTI from Bhopal. He had in September 2010 moved Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking declaration of buffer zones, ban on tourism in core areas and implementation of tiger conservation plan. "The petition was, however, rejected by the MP HC. Then we moved Supreme Court. The decision is a landmark verdict for the protection of wild cats in the country," Dubey added. -PTI

Kullu: Temples, festivals and trekking too

Dussehra festival Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 29

Tourist attractions: Kullu is famous for its temples and festivals. The main tourist attraction of Kullu is the Raghunath Temple, dedicated to Lord Ram, who is one of the principal deities of the Hindu religious pantheon and the patron deity of the entire Kullu valley. Raja Jagat Singh, the erstwhile ruler of Kullu, built this temple in 1660 to atone for his wrongdoings. He obtained a statue of Lord Ram from Ayodhya and established it within this temple. Jagannathi Devi Temple or the Bekhli temple is 3 km from Kullu and is located in the village of Bekhli. It is a stiff 1Â˝-hour climb to reach this temple, but it provides a panoramic view of Kullu. The Bijli

Mahadev Temple is located on a spur at a height of 2460 m. True to its name, the temple is often stuck by lightning (bijli, lightning). Places around: There are a number of shrines around Kullu. The Basheshwar Mahadev Temple at Bajura, 15 km from Kullu, is famous for its exquisite carvings. The Vaishno Devi Temple (4 km) and the Vishnu Temple at Dayar (12 km) are other important shrines worth visiting. There are a number of tourist spots as well. The small town of Manikaran (45 km) is famous for its hot sulphur springs. It is located at an altitude of 1737 m in the Parvati River valley. These hot springs are famous for their healing powers. This place is revered by both Hindus and the Sikhs.

Travelers can visit the Shri Ramchandra Temple and the Shri Guru Nanak Devji Gurdwara in

Raisom (13 km), on the banks of river Beas, is a good site for trekking. The town of Naggar (23 km) was the erstwhile capital of the state of Kullu for more than 1,400 years Manikaran. Manikaran offers hiking and trekking facilities to the tourists.

Kaisdhar (15 km) and Kasol (42 km), the latter located amidst pine forests, are important picnic spots. Shoja (69 km), at an altitude of 2692 m, offers the traveler a breathtaking view of the entire Kullu valley. Raisom (13 km), on the banks of river Beas, is a good site for trekking. The town of Naggar (23 km) was the erstwhile capital of the state of Kullu for more than 1,400 years. There are a number of historic monuments and temples in this town. Kullu attracts the adventureseeking tourist by offering trekking and hiking trails in and around the valley. Stretches of River Beas are also used for white-water rafting. Fairs & festivals: The festival

of Dussehra, which marks the victory of good over evil, is celebrated all over India in the month of October. However, Dussehra in Kullu valley is special. It begins when Dussehra festivities in other parts of the country are over. The main event of this festival is taking out of Lord Raghunath's (local version of Lord Ram) idol through the streets on a palanquin carried by pilgrims. The procession also has villagers dancing in traditional attire. How to reach: The nearest airport is at Bhuntar, which is 10 km south of Kullu. The nearest railhead is at Jogindernagar (95 km). Kullu has a good road link with Shimla, Delhi, Chandigarh, Mandi, Manali, Manikaran, Naggar, Bajura, and Dharamshala.

August 3, 2012

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Aus-India air route needs 3.45 lakh seats NEW DELHI: With airlines like Air India planning to launch nonstop flights to Australia in a few months, a study has estimated that the growth in air traffic between the two countries would require an additional 3,45,000 seats by 2020. Currently, there are no direct flights between the two countries and most Indian travelers pass through Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur to visit Australia. "It is estimated that an extra 345,000 seats will be required by 2020 to meet the expected demand from India," the study by Tourism Australia said, adding that its aviation development strategy would focus on developing air traffic from Delhi and Mumbai. Indian and Australian airlines, at present, serve the route through code-share arrangement, though "sufficient capacity is available for airlines of both sides to commence services should they choose to," the report said. Air India plans to launch nonstop flights to Melbourne and Sydney this October end. Keeping the demand in mind, Tourism Australia would work with Indian and other carriers to identify opportunities for the Australia-India route and provide partnership solutions to facilitate growth of Indian tourism in Australia, Tourism Australia MD An-

drew McEvoy said. "In the short-term, the focus will be on Delhi and Mumbai, ensuring marketing and distribution are optimized. Four additional cities have been identified for possible targeted marketing and strengthening of distribution. By focusing resources more tightly, better marketing cut through is expected to have greater impact in the two major centers," the study said.

2011. By 2020, this market has the potential to contribute between AUD 1.9 and AUD 2.3 billion annually," the report said. Starting from a low base of 41,000 in 2000, Indian arrivals 'Down Under' grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 12.3 per cent to reach 148,200 visitors in 2011. "In the tourism 2020 projections, India has the second fastest rate of growth, behind China, however from a much smaller

"In the short-term, the focus will be on Delhi and Mumbai, ensuring marketing and distribution are optimized. Four additional cities have been identified for possible targeted marketing and strengthening of distribution” It said India was expected to contribute up to 1.9 billion Australian dollars (AUD) annually to Australia's tourism market over the next eight years, it said, while identifying the target customer as "affluent, mid-life travelers who are self-employed, highly qualified and senior executives at multinational companies." India, which is Australia's 10th most valuable inbound tourism market, contributed "AUD 867 million to the Australian economy in

base," it said. At present, the report said, the number of Indian visitors for holiday is smaller - only 19 per cent of visitors compared to the average of 44 per cent of visitors from other countries. Tourism Australia is the Australian government agency responsible for attracting international visitors to Australia and encouraging Australians to travel domestically, both for leisure and business events. -PTI

Accreditation certificate to Delhi spa NEW DELHI: Seeking to promote wellness tourism in the country, the Tourism Ministry has handed over national accreditation certificate to a Delhi-based luxury spa. Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai handed over the National

tion certificate given to a hotel spa in the country. "India has always been known for its rich heritage of wellness traditions and has enormous possibilities to offer to wellness seekers," Sahai said.

Union Tourism Minister, Subodh Kant Sahai handing over the NABH accreditation certificate to the Chairman, Redisson Group of Hotels, Prem Kapoor, in New Delhi on July 20.

Accreditation Board for Hospital and Healthcare Providers (NABH) certificate to the 'R' Spa at the Radisson Blue Hotel here. This is the first ever accredita-

Quality of service involved in tourism plays an important role in the process of delivery of the products. Service quality is an intangible but crucial area of interest to

travel service providers, he said. The Tourism Ministry has identified wellness tourism as one of the niche tourism product. The Indian system of healing along with yoga has been well highlighted in the Incredible India campaigns. The Ministry in association with NABH had organized three sensitization workshops to encourage the wellness centers to adopt accreditations, the minister said. Following this, the NABH has accredited six wellness centers including spas and five applications for accreditation are in the pipeline. Sahai also informed that three Ayurveda hospitals have also been accredited while 11 applications are under process. A committee on wellness tourism has been constituted to discuss various matters relating to development and promotion of wellness tourism, he said. The Global Spa and Wellness Summit has chosen India as the host country for its annual conference in 2013. -PTI

Jumeirah hotels group to enter India DUBAI: Luxury hotels major Jumeirah Group is in talks with a number of potential partners to enter India, according to a media report. City-based Jumeirah Group is the operator of the iconic Burj AlArab hotel. Discussions are taking place with a number of potential partners for developing projects, including developers in India, the report said. These partners are interested in bringing Jumeirah to Delhi, Mumbai and other key destinations, Jumeirah Group Vice- President (Corporate Communications) Piers Schreiber was quoted as saying by daily 'Arabian Business'. "India is a sector of strategic importance for Jumeirah Group, both as a source market for guests to our global portfolio of luxury properties and as a target location for our development plans," Schreiber said. Earlier this month, the UAE and India signed an agreement to double the flow of tourists between the two countries. Around 6.29 million tourists from the Gulf visited India last year

and India's Tourism Ministry has said that it is looking to increase the share of foreign visitors from 0.6 per cent to one per cent by 2016. India gets just over six million tourists every year and the gov-

"India is a sector of strategic importance for Jumeirah Group, both as a source market for guests to our global portfolio of luxury properties and as a target location for our development plans” ernment wants to double this number by the year 2015, Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai had said here during his recent visit. Jumeirah Group, part of government-owned Dubai Holding, has agreements to manage around 50 hotels. -PTI

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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

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irector of "Barfi", Anurag Basu reveals that if Ranbir Kapoor would have said NO to the film, "Barfi" wouldn't have been made. Said Basu in a statement, "If Ranbir wouldn't have done this movie, I wouldn't have made it. I always had Ranbir in my mind for this role. Even on the day when I was writing the 10th page of the script." Barfi is a romantic comedy, revolving around a boy named Murphy, whom everyone calls Barfi. Though he is physically challenged, he is quite a charmer and is ever ready with "n" number of pranks in his head.

August 3, 2012 Priyanka too, has a very strong role in the film. What's interesting is that, Anurag Basu was not very sure about PC. Though Priyanka felt that she could play the part, more so since she had played complex characters, Anurag was busy hunting for a newer face." A three-day workshop was conducted about which no one else knew other than Basu and PC. "Well, all I can say is that hum dono ka iss workshop ke baad darr nikal gaya tha", smiles Basu, "Honestly both of us were apprehensive and credit goes to Priyanka

new love story is blooming in Bollywood and this time it is between Bollywood's next door girl Prachi Desai and 'Bol Bachchan' director Rohit Shetty. Prachi and Rohit came close during the shooting of 'Bol Bachchan' and since then they are going strong. Their relationship went much ahead than expected. Off late grapevine buzzed that the director has even started living with the actress leaving behind his wife and two children. After the film shoot, Rohit would spend much time with the actress. Their proximity stunned the crew members of 'Bol Bachchan'. During Jaipur shooting, the director even took his actress for a romantic dinner. They would spend hours together on and off the sets and their chemistry raised many eyebrows. It is believed that Rohit Shetty's married life is not running smooth. He has problems with his wife. Prachi stepped into 'Bol Bachchan' after Genelia D'Souza walked out.

1 Tum Hi Ho Bandhu: Cocktail 2 Mukhtasar: Teri Meri Kahaani 3 Humse Pyaar Karle Tu: TMK 4 Second Hand Jawani: Cocktail 5 Daru Desi: Cocktail 6 Thats All I Really Wanna Do: TMK 7 Dhadang Dhang: Rowdy Rathore 8 Aa Re Pritam Pyaare: Rowdy Rathore 9 Chinta Ta Ta Chita Chita: Rowdy Rathore 10 Jiya Tu Bihar Ke Lala: Gangs Of Wasseypur that she participated in the workshop as if she was preparing for her first film. Trust me; she is going to surprise everyone. I am sure even she herself will be surprised since she doesn't know what she has given to the film."

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August 3, 2012

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SMOKELESS

TRAILER

hirish Kunder's Joker will not only see Chitrangda Singh debut as an item girl. The actress will also make her playback singing debut with the film. According to a source close to the venture, along with Chitrangda's item number Kaafirana, another song that was 'leaked' online, became the talking point of the film. The song I Want Fakht You became viral online and its popularity made the filmmakers think. "Shirish was very keen on acquiring a U certificate for the trailer of his film. When the censor board objected to the word 'fakht' in the song, they changed it to 'just'. But the song had already become pretty famous. So, Shirish decided to make a remix version of the song," said the source. And that's how Chitrangda came into the picture. The actress will now record portions of the song originally voiced by Sunidhi Chauhan for the remix.

UNSEXY KAPOOR

ll you female fans out there, you may find Ranbir Kapoor hot & sexy but this chocolate boy doesn't really find himself sexy. Ranbir said at a recent event, "I don't consider myself sexy, but if you say so, I can take it as a compliment". Ranbir Kapoor inaugurated Director Pritish Nandy's latest book called 'Stuck at 1/40' at Crossword, Kems Corner, Mumbai. The book is about romantic poems which Ranbir found engaging. He said, "If I had this book at my younger age, I would have used it to SMS my girlfriends & flirt with them. Anyway, it's never too late and I will always keep this book with myself. This book teaches you love, romance so just read it" he said.

PLAYBACK SINGH

he shots of Kareena Kapoor smoking in the trailer of the film 'Heroine' have been censored. All the scenes where Kareena is blowing smoke in the air have been blurred out. The Censor board says there will not be any smoking scene because the 'disclaimer' is not there in the trailer. In the full length film, there has to be a disclaimer at the beginning and at the interval of the film. However Bebo shot a smoking scene earlier in one of her films 'Chameli' where she played a prostitute. She was critically appreciated for this role. 'Heroine' is said to be Kareena's most ambitious project.

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FDA approves Onyx blood cancer drug Kyprolis WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration is approving a new blood cancer drug from Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. for patients whose disease has not responded to at least two other drugs. Kyprolis treats multiple myeloma, a form of cancer that causes tumors in the bone marrow and prevents the production of normal blood cells. Patients with the disease have low red blood cell counts and are more likely to experience infections and excessive bleeding. The FDA approved the drug based on a study showing 23 percent of patients experienced a full or partial disappearance of their tumor after taking the drug. The effect typically lasted about 7.8 months. -AP

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OKLAHOMA CITY: Oklahoma health officials say word of a possible whooping cough epidemic combined with a state law regarding vaccinations has sharply increased the demand for vaccinations against the highly contagious disease. Beckham County Health Department director Karen Weaver said that the department has provided 386 vaccinations during July up from an average of 40 to 50. The state is not seeing an increase in whooping cough or pertussis cases being reported in other states. -AP

4 new cases of West Nile virus confirmed BATON ROUGE, La.: Louisiana's health department says four new cases of West Nile virus bring this year's total to 14. It says the new cases include the year's third nervous system infection - the infection's most dangerous form. That patient is in St. Tammany Parish; earlier neuroinvasive cases were reported in Rapides and Vernon parishes. The other new cases were in Bossier and East and West Baton Rouge parishes. They include one patient with flu-like West Nile fever and two people without symptoms, found in blood donor screening. That brings the total to eight cases without symptoms and three with fever. -AP

August 3, 2012

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho: The Panhandle Health District in northern Idaho is offering incentives for parents in the heavily mined Silver Valley to have their children tested for lead poisoning. -AP

India is diabetic, cardiac and cancer capital of world: Pratap Reddy

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New Jersey Deputy Speaker Upendra Chivukula addressing the physicians India Post News Service

NEW YORK: India is fast becoming world's capital of diabetes, cardio vascular diseases and cancer. Its time government and physicians of Indian-origin jointly devised an action plan to reverse this trend, said Dr Pratap C. Reddy, President of Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO). Addressing the two-day midyear conference of GAPIO at Westin New Port Hotel and Convention Center, New Jersey, at-

tended by Indian-origin physicians from different parts of the globe, Dr Reddy said its common to see people as young as 30 dying of cardiac arrest due to change in lifestyle and stress. Stressing the importance of regular check up from the age of 25, he said lifestyle diseases bring down productivity of the nation and cripple the economy. The Confederation of Indian Industry and the GAPIO have conducted seminars on the subject of increasing access to healthcare in India and over 1.3 million Indian-origin physicians living outside India should get themselves involved in a big way to heal the nation, he said.

AAPI President Dr Narendra Kumar, GAPIO Vice President Dr Sanku Rao, GAPIO President Dr Pratap C Reddy, BAPIO President Dr Ramesh Mehta and Joint Secretary of GAPIO Dr Anupam Sibal

Apollo Hospitals Group in India and abroad, said. New Jersey Assembly Deputy

Indian-Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in New Jersey with 52 percent growth rate and as per the latest survey, the State accounts for 8.3 percent of Asian-Americans "Their contribution will make a huge difference in improving healthcare and reaching out to the underprivileged sections of the community," Dr Reddy, founder-chairman of

Speaker Upendra Chivukula, who is running for the US Congress, spoke at the grand gala banquet on the second day, praising the services of Indian-American phy-

sicians in providing healthcare to the people of the US even in the remotest areas. He said Indian-Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in New Jersey with 52 percent growth rate and as per the latest survey, the State accounts for 8.3 percent of Asian-Americans. Despite the clout, American politicians treat Indian-Americans as ATMs as they are very generous in writing checks for campaign funds but never ask anything in return except photo-op sessions. Cont'd on page 39

AIDS conference: Critical turning point for HIV WASHINGTON: From dark days to a critical turning point in the AIDS epidemic: The landscape has changed dramatically in the two decades since the world's largest AIDS conference last met in the United States. Back in 1990, the first good medicines were still a few years away. Before they arrived, caring for patients with HIV was like ``putting Band-Aids on hemorrhages,'' said the leading U.S. AIDS researcher, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fast forward: Today's anti-AIDS drugs work so well they not only give people with HIV a near-normal life expectancy, they offer a double whammy - making those patients less likely to infect other people. On July 22, the International AIDS Conference opened in the U.S. capital with the goal of ``turning the tide'' on HIV. Even without a vaccine or a cure, the goal is to finally stem the spread of the virus, using that so-called ``treatment as prevention'' and some

other powerful protections. ``There is no excuse, scientifically, to say we cannot do it,'' Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health, told reporters. But the challenge that more than 20,000 scientists, doctors, people living with HIV and policy-makers will grapple with is how to get to

cares? We have the treatment, I hear now that HIV is a chronic condition,''' a worried French Nobel laureate Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, codiscoverer of HIV, told The Associated Press. ``I really think there is not the same political commitment as it was in the past.'' That political commitment must expand to fight laws that are driv-

Organizers said the aim of the ``Keep the Promise'' march was to remind world leaders and policymakers that AIDS remains a threat to global health what the Obama administration calls an AIDS-free generation. Where's the money? What works best in different countries and cultures? And with HIV increasingly an epidemic of the poor and the marginalized, will countries find the will to invest in the most vulnerable? ``Rich countries think, `Who

ing some of the populations most at risk gay and bisexual men, sex workers and injecting drug users away from programs that could help protect them from getting or spreading HIV, said Michel Sidibe, director of UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS program. ``It's outrageous that in 2012, when we have everything to beat

this epidemic, that we still have to fight prejudice, stigma, exclusion,'' he said. More than 1,000 people, many of them living with HIV, marched through downtown Washington to urge the public and policy-makers to pay attention to a disease that, in the U.S., doesn't get much publicity anymore. Organizers said the aim of the ``Keep the Promise'' march was to remind world leaders and policymakers that AIDS remains a threat to global health. Marchers used red umbrellas to create a human red ribbon in advance of the march. Some carried balloons in the shape of globes as they marched, and others carried signs reading ``Test & Treat Now'' and ``Yes we can control AIDS.'' ``The war against AIDS has not been won and now is not the time to retreat,'' said AIDS Healthcare Foundation president Michael Weinstein in an interview. Cont'd on page 39

August 3, 2012

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Hepatitis is closer than you think, says WHO

India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: WHO estimates that more than 5 million people in the WHO South-East Asia Region will die from the consequences of viral hepatitis in the next 10 years. There are an estimated 100 million people living with chronic hepatitis B infection and 30 million people with chronic hepatitis C infection in the Region. WHO World Hepatitis Day was observed on 28 July to increase the awareness and understanding of viral hepatitis and the diseases that it causes. Hepatitis means "inflammation of the liver". Seven types of viruses can cause viral hepatitis, called hepatitis A to G. Of these, the most common causes of infection are with one of four viruses: hepatitis A, B, C and E. All of these viruses can cause an acute illness with symptoms last-

ing several weeks, including yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice); dark urine; extreme fatigue; nausea; vomiting and abdominal pain. Because of the asymptomatic nature of chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C, most people infected with these are not aware

resources and effort. Good surveillance is essential. Infant immunization coverage for hepatitis B must reach levels greater than 95%" said Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. "It should be mandatory for all blood

'We need widespread public awareness campaigns, targeted at health and social workers as well as the general public, to increase awareness about the risk of viral hepatitis' of their status until they have symptoms of cirrhosis or liver cancer many years later. About 65% of those with hepatitis B and 75% of those with hepatitis C do not know they are infected. An effective vaccine has been available to prevent hepatitis B since 1982. "Viral hepatitis must be given greater priority in terms of both

and blood products to be screened for hepatitis B and C" he added. Hepatitis A and hepatitis E are also serious health problems. Approximately 12 million cases of hepatitis E infection occur annually in the region, which accounts for more than half the global burden. These levels of infection, especially when they often occur in

the context of outbreaks are a serious cause for concern. Both diseases thrive in unsanitary conditions where they are transmitted through the consumption of contaminated food or water. In most countries in SouthEast Asia, increased development has led to rapid urbanization and crowded, overpopulated cities where conditions are perfect for the spread of these viruses. "The quality of hepatitis testing in public and private laboratories needs to be monitored. We need widespread public awareness campaigns, targeted at health and social workers as well as the general public, to increase awareness about the risk of viral hepatitis" said Dr Plianbangchang. To address this important public health challenge, WHO is developing a strategy for the prevention and control of viral hepatitis in South-East Asia. To support this initiative, the UN health agency brought health experts from 11 countries together to help finalize the six 'pillars' of this strategy, which address the areas of policy, planning and resource mobilization; surveillance, prevention and control, education, medical care and treatment and research.

Aurobindo Pharma gets US nod to launch anti-diabetic drug HYDERABAD: Hyderabadbased drugmaker Aurobindo Pharma says it was all set to launch anti-diabetic drug Metformin Hydrochloride extended release tablets in 500mg and 750mg strengths in the US markets following final approval from US drug regulator Food & Drug Administration (USFDA). Metformin Hydrochloride is a generic version of Bristol Myers Squibb's Glucophage XR brand that is used to improve glycemic control in patients suffering from type-2 diabetes and has annual sales of around US$230 million. The company said the product had been approved for sales in the US market out of its Unit III formulations facility in Hyderabad, which till recently was under an import ban by USFDA. The US drug watchdog had slapped an import ban on the unit last year after an inspection revealed the plant's packaging facilities were not up to mark in terms of good manufacturing practices. Following USFDA's inspection of the unit in March this year, the company has recently started getting the US drug regulator's approvals for drugs like blood thinner clopidogrel and psychiatric drug Quetiapine.

Health Science Post

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August 3, 2012

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2 UC Davis surgeons banned from human research SACRAMENTO, CA: Two University of California, Davis neurosurgeons have been banned from performing medical research on humans after they were accused of experimenting on dying brain cancer patients without university permission, the Sacramento Bee reported. J. Paul Muizelaar and Rudolph Schrot were banned from any research on humans after the university told the federal government that both surgeons took part in what the school termed ``serious and continuing noncompliance'' with federal regulations, the newspaper said. Muizelaar, the department chairman at the university's School of Medicine since 1997, was ordered last fall to ``immediately cease and desist'' from any research involving human subjects, according to documents obtained by The Bee. Schrot, an assistant professor and neurosurgeon at the university, has worked under Muizelaar for the past 13 years. The documents show the two doctors received the consent of three terminally ill patients with malignant brain tumors to introduce bacteria into their open head wounds, under the theory that

postoperative infections might prolong their lives. After an inquiry from The Bee last year, university officials launched an investigation and determined that two of the patients

very seriously,'' Lewin told The Bee. ``That's why we self-reported'' to the FDA. Muizelaar, 65, responded to the report by telling The Bee that he and Schrot believed the

`serious and repeated noncompliance' is misleading.'' Muizelaar and Schrot also told The Bee that all three patients, in consultation with their families, gave their consent for

J. Paul Muizelaar

The documents show the two doctors received the consent of three terminally ill patients with malignant brain tumors to introduce bacteria into their open head wounds, under the theory that postoperative infections might prolong their lives

Rudolph Schrot

developed sepsis and died, according to newspaper. In an eight-page letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October, Harris Lewin, the university's vice chancellor for research notified the agency about the doctors' work, claiming that they had sidestepped procedures in introducing the bacteria into live patients' head wounds. ``We really take these matters

FDA had given its permission for the experiments. He described the ban as an ``overreaction'' by the university. ``And I understand it,'' he said. ``There are people who blatantly break the rules that endanger all of their research programs. We certainly didn't blatantly trample any rules.'' Schrot, 44, told The Bee in an email that ``the determination of

the treatments. The documents obtained by The Bee showed that the first patient died six weeks later after the tumor progressed. The university later determined that the patient also had developed sepsis, a lifethreatening illness in which the body responds severely to bacteria or germs. The second patient who underwent the procedure in 2010, was

still alive when Lewin wrote his letter to the FDA in October 2011. That patient was described as having a reduction in the brain tumor but also suffered a wound infection and was given antibiotics 10 months after being intentionally infected. The patient has since died, Muizelaar said. The third patient, who underwent surgery in 2011, soon developed sepsis and meningitis and died. Muizelaar, who remains as neurological surgery department chairman and was honored this spring at an endowment ceremony for his appointment to the Julian R. Youmans endowed chair in neurological surgery, said he and Schrot had no financial incentive or underlying motive for the research. Alleged violations involving experimental drugs or devices can have serious consequences for institutions and doctors, with possible enforcement actions including warning letters and the disqualifying of researchers from further clinical studies. An FDA spokeswoman said she could not comment on the UC Davis case, or whether it would trigger a federal investigation. -AP

India should have bigger warning on tobacco products NEW DELHI: India should introduce plain packaging of tobacco products with increased size of pictorial health warning carrying gory pictures to mitigate the tobacco epidemic, according to recommendations by a task force, which presented a policy document to the government. The Australia-India Institute (AII) Taskforce on Tobacco Control said that over 70 per cent people in a survey sought introduction of plain packaging of cigarette products with amendments in the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). The policy document - 'The Case for Plain Packaging Made Plain - From Australia to the Indian People: Assessing the SocioPolitical Scenario of Introducing Plain Packaging as a Policy Intervention', said plain packaging legislation seeks to remove extraneous colors, embossing and misleading elements on tobacco packs. It said the "badge value" of all forms of tobacco product packaging should be eliminated and suggested the brand and product names can be used in a standardized, prescribed style, font and color. Supporting increase in size of

pictorial health warnings on plain packaging with colorful gory pictures such as those of 'cancer victims', the document suggested that packaging of tobacco products should be grey in color which should be "least attractive". Rajya Sabha MP J D Seelam released the policy document and a

bacco users, India faces one of the largest public health threats in the world from tobacco-related diseases. The policy document recommended that plain packaging could help bring down tobacco usage by increasing the effect of pictorial warnings.

terial differences, we have been able to flag the issue of tobacco control. We are moving ahead. Let's see how plain packaging can be introduced." As per plain packaging legislation in Australia, packaging of cigarette and hand-rolled cigarettes cannot have colors, embossing,

"We have a huge young population addicted to tobacco. Plain packaging, particularly the Australian case study, can be an example for India," Shakuntala Gamlin, joint secretary in the Ministry of Health said. She said, "Despite inter-minis-

logos, brand images and promotional information. Australia is the first country to legislate plain packaging of all tobacco products, enforced from December 1, 2012. New Zealand and the United Kingdom have also initiated similar discussions.

Attractive packaging, images, colors, and logos entice impressionable consumers into addiction -many of them illiterate, and most of them young, the document said, adding that plain packaging also amplifies the effect of pictorial health warnings related policy brief in the presence of Special Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Keshav Desiraju and WHO Representative to India Nata Menabde. Nearly a million Indians die each year from consuming tobacco and with nearly 275 million to-

The document said despite advertising and sponsorship bans on tobacco firms, the package itself continues to be a potent tool to promote brands and lure new users. Attractive packaging, images, colors, and logos entice impressionable consumers into addiction -- many of them illiterate, and most of them young, the document said, adding that plain packaging also amplifies the effect of pictorial health warnings that depict the serious health risks of consuming tobacco. Co-chaired by K Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and Rob Moodie, Professor in Public Health, University of Melbourne, the Taskforce recommends that India can introduce plain packaging of tobacco products as part of a comprehensive approach to mitigate tobacco epidemic. The Taskforce includes tobacco control experts from PHFI, the Nossal Institute of Global Health at the University of Melbourne, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth). -PTI

Health Science Post

August 3, 2012

India Post

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AIDS conference: Critical turning point for HIV Cont'd from page 36

Weinstein's Los Angelesbased group organized the march, which began near the Washington Monument. He said that despite financial hardships worldwide, the struggle against AIDS needs to keep advancing. Weinstein's organization called for the funding of programs that fight AIDS and lower prices on AIDS drugs. They also are pressing for universal access to condoms and increased rapid HIV testing. Comedian Margaret Cho, civil rights leader Al Sharpton, former United Nations ambassador Andrew Young, and radio cohosts Tavis Smiley and Cornel West spoke to the crowd before the march. Musician Wyclef Jean also performed. The AIDS conference, remarkable for giving a forum not just to leading scientists but to everyday people who live with HIV, hasn't returned to the U.S. since 1990, in protest of the longtime ban on people with the virus entering the country. The Obama administration lifted the travel ban in 2010, finishing a process begun under the Bush administration. Not lifted

was a ban on sex workers and injecting drug users, and protesters briefly interrupted the opening news conference to decry their absence from the meeting. The conference comes at a time when scientists increasingly say they have powerful new tools to add to tried-and-true condoms. Studies show treatment-as-pre-

Other goals include getting more HIVinfected pregnant women treated to protect their babies, and getting more men circumcised in developing countries vention, treating HIV right away rather than after someone is sick, lowers patients' chances of spreading the virus through sex by a stunning 96 percent. Already, Fauci said regions that are pushing to get more people tested and rushed into treatment are starting to see infections drop, from San Francisco and Washington to part

of South Africa. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just approved a daily AIDS medicine, Truvada, for use by healthy people hoping to lower the risk of infection by a sexual partner. Hard-hit poor countries are grappling with how to get that protection to their highest-risk populations. Other goals include getting more HIV-infected pregnant women treated to protect their babies, and getting more men circumcised in developing countries to protect them from heterosexual infection. But the hurdles are huge. Since the first reports of AIDS surfaced 31 years ago, a staggering 30 million people have died from the virus and 34.2 million now are living with HIV around the world. There's still no cure and no vaccine. For every person who starts treatment, two more are becoming infected. In poor countries, a record 8 million people are getting HIV drugs, but the United Nations says it will take up to $24 billion a year $7 billion more than is being spent now to reach those most in need. -AP

India is diabetic, cardiac and cancer capital of world: Pratap Reddy Cont'd from page 36

Time has come for the 3.4 million Indian-Americans to have a strong presence at the US House of Representatives since Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal won in 2005, he said. Dr Narendra Kumar, AAPI President, Dr Sanku Rao, Vice President of GAPIO and past AAPI President, Dr Ramesh Mehta, president of British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) and Secretary General of GAPIO and Dr Anupam Sibal, joint secretary of GAPIO highlighted the role of the organization in the Indian Diaspora. Dr Hemant Patel, former president of AAPI and President of AAPI Tri-State Charitable Foundation that has co-sponsored the conference, also spoke. Preetha Reddy, managing director of Apollo Hospitals, Dr Rajan Madhok, Dr Raj Patel, Dr Anita Kaul, Dr Om P. Ganda, Dr Prakash Paragi and Dr Akshat Jain spoke on various topics of interest to physicians. Major Jeffery Bass of US Army and Dr Vani Rao, associate professor of Psychiatry at John Hopkins Medical Center made a presentation and invited Indian-American physicians, especially psychiatrists, to work with war veterans in treating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and depression. Anwar Feroz Siddiqi of Johnson and Johnson and advisor/coordinator of the

conference said the two-day event discussed development of web nodal to connect to Indian physicians all over the world and offering volunteering opportunities in improving healthcare in India. It also strengthened the collaboration between GAPIO and AAPI, considered the

Major Jeffery Bass of US Army and Dr Vani Rao, associate professor of Psychiatry at John Hopkins Medical Center made a presentation and invited Indian-American physicians, especially psychiatrists, to work with war veterans in treating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and depression largest Indian-American medical association in the US. The healthcare projects of GAPIO in India enjoy the support Ministry of Health, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs of the Government of India and state governments.

Juneau man survives bout of flesh-eating bacteria JUNEAU, Alaska: A Juneau man is recovering from a horrific attack from flesh-eating bacteria, and will keep his badly damaged arm, his wife told the Juneau Empire. Ruben Pereyra cut his left hand in what appeared to be a relatively minor accident a month ago, but somehow developed a case of necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating bacterial, said wife Ana Pereyra. They had feared Pereyra was going to lose his arm, and he had even given doctors at Harborview permission to amputate if they needed to stop the progression of the disease, she said. ``They were able save his arm, but he's a lefty and his left arm is now too stiff to use,'' she told the Juneau Empire. Over the last month in the hospital skin grafts have been done, but she said doctors have told them that damage to the tendons may take two years and extensive rehabilitation before they're again functional. The good news, she said, is that the bone and muscle is good, and that doctors were able to halt the spread of the bacteria. The Pereyras are now worried

that Ruben won't be able to resume his job as a school bus driver, and that their insurance is not adequate to cover their medical expenses. An account has been set up at Wells Fargo Bank to help the family. The trust account is named

"They were able save his arm, but he's a lefty and his left arm is now too stiff to use,'' she told the Juneau Empire for account number 7632926452, Alaska Man R.P. 2012 Trust, she said. Necrotizing fasciitis has been in the news lately after Aimee Copeland, a Georgia college student, lost several limbs to the rare disease. Pereyra was sent from Juneau to Seattle for the specialized treatment after doctors at Bartlett Regional Hospital suspected the fast-expanding infection might be flesh-eating bacteria. -AP

In Brief India is Australia's largest source of permanent migrants NEW DELHI: India has become Australia's largest source of permanent migrants, surpassing China and United Kingdom. "Indian migrants comprised a total of 29,018 places or 15.7 per cent of the total migration program of 185,000 places under the 201112 permanent migration program," said a release issued by the Australian High Commission here. The development was greeted by Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese who said, "For the first time, India is Australia's largest source of permanent migrants." The release said India has surpassed China and the United Kingdom as the largest source of permanent migrants. Commenting on the figures, Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Bowen said that while "Indian community has made a valuable contribution to economic, social and cultural life in Australia, and I know this will continue with more Indians choosing to make their home here". The release said seven of the top 10 source countries in Australia's during 2011-12 migration program from Asia are India, China, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. Skilled migration accounted for over two-thirds of Australia's total migration program, the release said. -PTI

Immigration authorities arrest 44 in Illinois CHICAGO: Immigration authorities say they arrested 44 men in the Chicago area during a recent five-day operation. Most of those arrested have convictions for drug-connected crimes, burglary and fraud. Others targeted for arrest were previous deportees who re-entered the United States illegally, which is a felony offense. Those arrested are from Mexico, Poland, Guatemala, the Philippines, Mongolia and Slovakia. The arrests are part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's efforts to remove criminal aliens and flagrant immigration law violators from the country. Ricardo Wong of the immigration enforcement agency says arresting and removing convicted criminal aliens can ``immediately improve the safety of our communities.'' Those arrested include a 24year-old Mexican national previously convicted of burglary and a 43-year-old a Polish national previously convicted of a drug crime. -AP

Immigration 40

India Post

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August 3, 2012

Romney had mixed record on immigration in Mass. BOSTON: Mitt Romney adopted a mixed bag of immigration policies during his four years as Massachusetts governor. He fought against in-state college tuition rates for illegal immigrants, pushed hard to give state troopers expanded powers to arrest those in the country illegally, and championed English-only classes for bilingual education students. Yet Romney also showed a more compassionate side, personally interceding on behalf of an immigrant teacher facing deportation whose case drew heavy news coverage across the state. In 2004, Romney signed into law a requirement that immigration judges warn non-citizen defendants that pleading guilty to certain crimes could ultimately lead to their deportation. Romney has recommended more funding for English as a Second Language programs because he wanted to help newcomers to this country become better equipped to compete for jobs by learning English, his campaign noted. Romney's varied record on immigration after being elected governor in 2002 could help shed light

on how he'd tackle the issue if he becomes president. ``Mitt Romney's view is that immigration is what built this country and that we should encourage legal immigration, but that we are

Candidate Romney has presented differing profiles during the 2012 campaign. He struck a hard line during the GOP primary season as he courted conservative voters, but softened his rhetoric on immigration after

Romney's tough talk bothered many immigrants. Instead of emphasizing the plight of illegal immigrants, he focused on the consequences illegal immigration has for US jobs Mitt Romney

also a nation of laws and that we should say no to illegal immigration,'' Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said in an e-mailed statement. ``This very simple view is what informed Mitt Romney's policies as governor.''

emerging as the likely Republican nominee, seeking to gain ground with Latino voters critical to his chances in the fall against President Barack Obama. Romney's campaign is working to woo Hispanics who have supported Democrats in previous presidential elections. Their support is expected to be critical in

battleground states such as Nevada, Florida, Virginia and Colorado, where significant populations with Mexican and Central American origins are especially worried about immigration policy. Heading into the leadoff Iowa caucuses in January and facing the challenge of winning over the right-wing GOP base, Romney vowed to veto the so-called DREAM Act, a bill backed by Democrats that would create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Romney's tough talk bothered many immigrants. Instead of emphasizing the plight of illegal immigrants, he focused on the consequences illegal immigration has for U.S. jobs. He hasn't said whether he would reverse Obama's decision this year to stop deporting some illegal immigrants who came to the US as children. Romney has said Obama's executive order to allow some of them to obtain work permits and stay in the US was problematic because it can be reversed by subsequent presidents. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 43

A good bill saddled with a bad amendment MYRIAM JAIDI

s Cyrus Mehta noted in his December 7, 2011 blogpost regarding H.R. 3012, "How Fair is the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act?" (www.cyrusmehta.com), although not a perfect bill, H.R. 3012 passed the House in November 2011 by a landslide. The bill, as passed by the House, would eliminate the employmentbased per country cap entirely by 2015 and raise the family-sponsored per-country cap from 7% to 15%. The passage of this bill by a margin of 389-15 signaled the strong bipartisan concern with the significant inequities in the immigrant visa system with regard to individuals from certain countries, especially individuals from India and China sponsored for employment-based immigrant visas. Al-

though the country limits addressed by H.R. 3012 were originally enacted for all countries, these limits have resulted in mindboggling wait times for people from India and China. For example, for Indians in the

deeply concerned with repairing our country's dysfunctional and unfair immigration system, especially at a time when economic and global realities require the United States to reform the system to facilitate our ability to compete more

Although the country limits addressed by H.R. 3012 were originally enacted for all countries, these limits have resulted in mind-boggling wait times for people from India and China employment-based third preference (EB-3) category, some have estimated the wait times could be up to 70 years! The landslide, bi-partisan passage of H.R. 3012 in the House was also proof positive that Congress, despite the gridlock and often seething partisanship, is in fact

effectively in the global economy. Both our "home-grown" and imported talent will mutually benefit from more reasonable access to visas for highly-skilled immigrant (and nonimmigrant) workers, as many U.S. business leaders such as Bill Gates have attested. Further proof of that fact is the strong sup-

port of entrepreneurs, both foreign and domestic, by the Obama Administration, as demonstrated by the Start-Up America and Entrepreneurs in Residence initiatives. Then along came Senator Grassley's hold on the bill in December 2011. After extensive negotiations, on July 11, 2012, Senator Grassley lifted his hold. To remove the hold, senators in favor of the original bill reached what may well be a sort of "Faustian bargain" with Senator Grassley. In order to agree to lift the hold on the bill, Senator Grassley demanded provisions that could severely hamper the already difficult H-1B nonimmigrant visa process and, in tandem with that, hamper U.S. businesses and their ability to compete in the global economy. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 41

Immigration Post

August 3, 2012

India Post

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Top official defends Obama's immigration policy WASHINGTON: The head of the Homeland Security Department is defending President Barack Obama's decision to stop deporting many illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and let them apply for work permits. ``Our nation's immigration laws must be enforced in a strong and sensible manner,'' Janet Napolitano said in prepared remarks submitted to the House Judiciary Committee. ``But they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case.'' In the remarks, Napolitano described the plan and defended the administration's decision. The secretary was appearing before Congress for the first time since the plan was announced. Obama announced in June that he was easing immigration laws by executive order for many illegal immigrants brought to the country as children. Under the policy change, illegal immigrants would be eligible to avoid deportation if they can prove they are 30 years old or younger, have been in the United States at least five years, arrived before they turned 16, graduated from a U.S. high school or earned an equivalent degree or are currently in school and do not have a criminal record. They can also ap-

ply for a work permit that will be good for two years, with no limit on how many times it can be renewed. The policy change could affect more than a million illegal immigrants and partially achieves the goals of the so-called DREAM Act, legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for many young illegal immigrants. Napolitano has said her department has broad authority to use

‘Time and again the Department of Homeland Security has gone out of its way to avoid the enforcement of immigration laws’ discretion when deciding which illegal immigrants to deport, and said that the recent Supreme Court decision striking down much of border state Arizona's strict immigration law backs up that authority. ``Indeed as the Supreme Court noted in its recent decision on the Arizona immigration law, `a special feature of the removal system is the broad discretion exercised by immigration officials,''' Napolitano said.

Republicans have widely criticized the program, calling it ``backdoor amnesty'' that circumvents the will of Congress. Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, a Republican from border state Texas, has been among the harshest critics of the administration's immigration enforcement policies. ``The administration's amnesty agenda is a win for illegal immigrants but a loss for Americans,'' Smith said in his prepared opening statement. ``Time and again the Department of Homeland Security has gone out of its way to avoid the enforcement of immigration laws. The Department of Homeland Security's policy of non-enforcement will continue to cost innocent Americans their jobs.'' Smith also said that he worried that giving illegal immigrants the right to legally work in the United States would harm an already struggling economy. He also questioned how DHS officials intended to combat fraud. ``The Obama administration's amnesty is also a magnet for fraud,'' Smith said. ``Many illegal immigrants will falsely claim they came to the U.S. as children and this administration refuses to take the steps necessary to check whether their claims are true or not.'' -AP

A good bill saddled with a bad amendment Cont’d from page 40

So, what's the big deal? This is what Senator Grassley had to say about the amendment he proposed: [T]here is agreement to include in H.R. 3012 provisions that give greater authority to program overseers to investigate visa fraud and abuse. Specifically, there will be language authorizing the Department of Labor to better review labor condition applications and investigate fraud and misrepresentation by employers. There is also agreement to include a provision allowing the Federal Government to do annual compliance audits of employers who bring in foreign workers through the H-1B visa program. I appreciate the willingness of other members to work with me to include measures that will help us combat visa fraud, and ultimately protect more American workers. Sounds fine, right? Protect American workers, combat fraud, what's wrong with that? There is of course nothing wrong with protecting American workers and preventing fraud. Supporters of the

amendment seem to frame their support in the same way that people who criticize the Constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures and self-incrimination frame those criticisms: if companies are not doing anything wrong, they have nothing to fear, right, from a search, seizure or questioning? Senator Grassley's description of his proposed amendment is something of a gross oversimplification. First of all, the amendment covers issues already addressed by existing law so query whether the amendment will serve any constructive purpose. The Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA") and implementing regulations, as well as the related rules promulgated by the Department of Labor ("DOL") addressing the process of obtaining approval of a labor condition application ("LCA"), the necessary first step of the H-1B sponsorship process, already include extensive protections for American workers and provisions to search out and punish fraud, if it does occur. Just to name a few examples, the existing rules require notice

to "U.S. workers" (which, pursuant to the DOL regulations at 20 C.F.R. § 655.715, include citizens or nationals of the United States as well as green card holders, refugees, asylees, or "an immigrant otherwise authorized (by the INA or by DHS) to be employed in the United States" - it is unclear who Senator Grassley's term "American workers" includes), provide minimums for offered salaries to ensure that such salaries do not undercut the salaries of U.S. workers, and where employers are "H1B dependent", the rules require, if such employers offer a salary of less than $60,000 per year, that they attest, and when called upon to do so, demonstrate, that they have made good faith efforts to recruit U.S. workers for the offered position (see 20 C.F.R. § 655.738-655.739)). Penalties for violations of the rules are already included in the statute and governing regulations (see INA § 212(n) (2) (C)). (To be continued) * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

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Immigration Post

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August 3, 2012

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Va. wants tough immigration curb; it's already law RICHMOND, Va.: The results of the recent Quinnipiac Poll question on immigration were clear and loud: Virginia wants a tough Arizona-style ``show me your papers'' law allowing police to check the legal status of people stopped or arrested for other reasons. By almost a 2-to-1 ratio, registered Virginia voters surveyed by the respected Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said they favor an Arizona-style crackdown - at least the police checks provision of Arizona's sweeping law that wasn't voided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Guess what: Virginia put a version of that law in place in 2008, two years before Arizona. It requires Virginia officers to check every person they arrest and take into custody to determine whether they are in the United States legally. Virginia long ago mandated checks on arrests and in many other circumstances, including admission to a state hospital, to obtain a driver's license, Medicaid benefits and, in some cases, employment. There are dozens of provisions in Virginia's statutes aimed at isolating illegal immigrants. Some go back generations. With an economy still in its sickbed four years after a frightful meltdown, a federal government pilling up $4

billion in new debt daily, and jobs easy to lose and hard to find, paranoia and anger find an easy foil in immigrants, particularly undocumented ones. And as Quinnipiac found, it stirs powerful feelings that politicians can harness to push for more - even sometimes redundant - restrictive laws targeting immigrants. When asked if they supported the Arizona model allowing police to verify the legal status of people stopped or arrested, 64 percent of the 1,673 registered voters surveyed said yes and 31 percent said no while 5 percent offered no answer. The survey, based on telephone interviews, was conducted from July 10-16 and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points. Asked if Virginia should implement the same policy, 62 percent said yes, 34 percent said no and 4 percent didn't know. Prince William County, which has a rich blend of Hispanic and other ethnic groups and has been on the front lines of skirmishes over immigration policy for years, tried a similar approach several years ago, but jettisoned it as a budget-buster. In a twist, when poll respondents were asked what they

thought of President Barack Obama's decision to allow young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children to obtain work permits and avoid deportation, 53 percent favored the decision to 40 percent who did not with 7 percent undecided.

By almost a 2-to-1 ratio, registered Virginia voters surveyed by the respected Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said they favor an Arizonastyle crackdown - at least the police checks provision For the past two years, conservative Republican House of Delegates members from Prince William County - Virginia's premiere testing ground on immigration issues - have unsuccessfully pushed bills that restate and make marginal advances to Virginia's 4year-old check-on-arrest law. ``Some people say that what's on the books is already sufficient, but this clarifies the language and makes it more specific,'' said Del.

Scott Lingamfelter, who sponsored the bill in 2011. Del. Richard Anderson, R-Woodbridge, carried the bill this year. But Lingamfelter, who has announced his candidacy for the 2013 lieutenant governor election, conceded that police ``can already make the checks right now. Any locality in the state can do it. It's considered acceptable police work.'' This recent poll means the bill is probably bound for another encore before Virginia's GOP-ruled House and Senate starting in January, Lingamfelter said. Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, the newly installed executive director of the Virginia ACLU who has spent years lobbying the General Assembly on behalf of Latinos and other immigrant groups, voices frustration over it. ``We have at least 50 laws on the books that directly affect immigrants, many of which require some sort of check on immigration status,'' she said. In the Legislature, she said, ``the first reaction (to the poll) is, 'Well, we need to do something to respond to this public concern.' Well, no you don't because you already have.'' And in more ways than one might imagine, according to a list

UK acts after key SC ruling on immigration LONDON: Britain's immigration rules in force since November 2008 were rushed to the House of Lords after the Supreme Court ruled in a major judgment that they were illegal because they had never been before Parliament. The Home Office was forced to take emergency action after judges upheld a complaint by a Pakistan national, who had been refused further leave to remain in the UK, that the list of skilled occupations used under the points-based system had not been scrutinized by Parliament. The court's ruling was described by Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, as a "hammer blow" to the points-based immigration system. It was not clear if applications refused under rules that were not scrutinized by parliament could appeal against the decisions. The Home Office placed in the House of Lords over 70 'Statement of Changes to Immigration Rules' since 2003. It said the changes had come into effect, and had been made following the Supreme Court judgment. "The changes will not affect the way we consider applications. They support our ongoing work

to simplify the immigration system and ensure that existing policy and guidance is transferred into the Immigration Rules where necessary," the Home Office said. The Parliament's Scrutiny Committee is required to examine all changes to immigration rules. In its judgment, the Supreme Court said the occupation list which applied to the decision in Alvi's case was clearly part of the

today." Lord Dyson, agreeing with Lord Hope's leading judgment, criticized the modern immigration system: "It is... a striking fact that the immigration rules are already hugely cumbersome. The complexity of the machinery for immigration control has (rightly) been the subject of frequent criticism and is in urgent need of attention."

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This judgment delivers a hammer blow to the points based system. The court is very clear that ministers must place rules before parliament for proper scrutinyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; immigration rules that needed to be examined by Parliament, because MPs and peers wanted a say in how immigration was being controlled. Lord Hope, the lead justice in the case, said he recognized the judgment could create a huge workload for Parliamentarians. He said: "The situation that has created this problem is so far removed from what it was in 1971 that one wonders whether the system that was designed over 40 years ago is still fit for its purpose

According to Vaz, "thousands" of people would be left unsure as to whether they would be able to remain in the UK as a result of the decision. He said: "This judgment delivers a hammer blow to the points based system. The court is very clear that ministers must place rules before parliament for proper scrutiny. Their failure to do so over a number of years leaves the immigration system open to ridicule." The court ruled in the case re-

lated to Pakistan national Hussain Zulfiquar Alvi that ministers could not bar foreign workers unless rules used to do so had been shown to Parliament. The ruling concerns the 'shortage occupations list' used by the Home Office to control migration of foreign workers skilled in occupations that were in demand in the country. The ruling is likely to have an impact on cases that had been refused after 2008. Hussain Zulfiquar Alvi came to the UK in 2003 as a student and stayed on after his studies to become a physiotherapy assistant. In 2009, he applied for further leave to remain under revised rules for migrant workers called the Points-Based System. The system, which came into force in 2008, uses points to calculate which migrants have the most skills and would be of most benefit to the UK. The Home Office said Alvi could not stay because he did not have enough skills to earn sufficient points. However, Alvi said the decision was unlawful because Parliament had not actually scrutinized the specific Home Office-set rules relating to his occupation. -PTI

Gastanaga gleaned from Virginia's statutes. The Department of Mental Health, under a law enacted before 1950 during the time of the state's shameful experiment with the discredited pseudoscience of eugenics, must determine the nationality of anyone admitted to a state facility and to report to federal immigration authorities anyone found to be an ``alien.'' Sheriffs and the Department of Corrections are required under another pre-1950 law to identify ``criminal aliens'' in the state's jails and prisons and report them. ``We've been at this a long time,'' Gastanaga said. Politically, a tough line on illegal immigrants has been generally good for Republicans, said political consultant and retired Virginia Commonwealth University political science professor Robert D. Holsworth. They have to be careful, however, not to overdose on it. ``On one hand, you have a 2to-1 majority in a poll showing people favor a show-your-papers law,'' Holsworth said. But the electoral consequences of enacting ever more strident illegal immigration laws could be damage to the GOP's prospects among the fastgrowing ethnic and minority populations, he said. -AP

Top UK business leaders for change in student visas LONDON: Britain's most prominent business leaders - including Indian-origin Karan Bilimoria of Cobra Beer - have appealed to Prime Minister David Cameron to remove foreign students from official immigration figures to avoid choking off a valuable source of wealth and skills. In a letter published in The Sunday Times, the 37 business leaders warn that visa restrictions designed to bring net immigration below 100,000 a year will deter wealthy foreigners from outside the European Union. Among those calling on Cameron to reverse the policy are Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP; Lord Jones, former director-general of the Confederation of British Industry and trade minister; and Lord Bilimoria, the Cobra beer co-founder who came to Britain as a student. The leaders say in the letter that Britain needs "to be able to attract the best minds from around the world" and that the country needs "to send a clear message that genuine international students are welcome to study in the UK." -PTI

Immigration Post

August 3, 2012

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Romney had mixed record on Emails show racial bias in immigration law immigration in Mass. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 40

Complaining that the nation's immigration laws have become a ``muddle,'' Romney has called for a national strategy and pledged he would tackle immigration during his first year in office. He's stressed his support for giving legal status to illegal immigrants who serve in the military. He favors a US-Mexico border fence. But he's also vowed to ``staple a green card'' to the diplomas of immigrants who receive advanced degrees. Romney supports establishing an immigration-status verification system for employers and he would punish them if they hire non-citizens who do not prove their legal status. He backs more visas for holders of advanced degrees in math, science and engineering who have U.S. job offers, and he would award permanent residency to foreign students who graduate from U.S. schools with a degree in those fields. As governor, Romney generally opposed initiatives favored by immigration advocates, although they occasionally found common ground. One of Romney's more contentious decisions came late in his term in 2006 when he signed an agreement with federal authorities allowing Massachusetts State Police troopers to arrest and seek deportation of suspected illegal aliens they encounter during their normal duties.

Immigration activists opposed the initiative, saying it would drive a wedge between immigrants and police, discouraging them from reporting crimes or seeking critical services. Shortly after taking office Romney's Democratic successor, Gov. Deval Patrick, rescinded the agreement, saying he wanted to free troopers to focus on gun, gang and drug crimes. Romney also pushed for changes to the state's decadeslong bilingual education system.

Shortly after taking office Romney's Democratic successor, Gov. Deval Patrick, rescinded the agreement, saying he wanted to free troopers to focus on gun, gang and drug crimes Massachusetts was the first state to adopt bilingual education, but during his 2002 campaign Romney embraced an ``English immersion'' ballot question aimed at replacing two-way bilingual education with one-year, all-English classes intended to move non-English speakers into regular classes as quickly as possible. Some Hispanic and immigration advocates opposed the measure,

which won wide public support, but Romney fought against efforts to delay implementation of the English-only classes. He ultimately lost one battle when lawmakers in the Democraticcontrolled Legislature created some exemptions to the law and later overrode Romney's veto of those exemptions. Romney accused lawmakers of ``unfathomable arrogance'' and flouting the will of voters. Immigration advocates found a rare moment of agreement with Romney in 2004 when he signed into law the requirement that immigration judges warn non-citizen defendants that pleading guilty to certain crimes could ultimately lead to their deportation, even if they were currently in the country legally. ``That was one positive thing that happened during his term,'' said Eva Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. She said that victory was overshadowed by other stances, like Romney's opposition to allowing illegal immigrants brought to the country as children to pay the same tuition rates at state colleges as legal Massachusetts residents. ``Overall he has been consistent in his misconception about immigration. We never found him to have a big vision about reform on immigration issues,'' she said. ``He lacks understanding and focuses more on politics than policy.'' -AP

Indiana City sees many high-skilled immigrants COLUMBUS, Ind.: Companies based in a central Indiana city are hiring a greater percentage of people with visas for high-skilled foreign workers than any place in the U.S. other than California's Silicon Valley, according to a new study. A majority of the nearly 630 of the H-1B visas visas obtained by companies in Columbus went to Cummins Inc. and LHP Software, The Republic reported. A report by the Washingtonbased Brookings Institution think tank said Columbus employers in the past two years requested 14.6 such visas per 1,000 workers, trailing only the 17.1 per 1,000 workers sought in the San Jose area. In the most recent allotment, Cummins obtained 300 H-1B visas, including about 210 for the engine maker's Columbus-area facilities. ``There's just not enough U.S.born talent to satisfy the demand in the labor market,'' said Lorrie Meyer, executive director of global talent management for Cummins.

She said the ability to hire such immigrant workers is important because about half of the country's college graduates from science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs are foreign-born. Cummins also wants a diversified workforce that reflects its customers and suppliers around the world, in part because international students bring different experiences and language skills to the company, Meyer said. George Devidze, in-house counsel for LHP Software, is a native of the former Soviet republic of Georgia who remained in the United States under an H-1B visa after graduating from Indiana University's law school in Indianapolis. Devidze, who's now a U.S. citizen, said the company faces a major constraint on its growth because of the difficulty in hiring engineers despite aggressive recruitment efforts.

``If we could find 80 or 90 qualified people, we'd hire all of them,'' he said. For the most recent fiscal year, the company obtained 80 visas, Devidze said. Nearly all of LHP's visas go to international students who are graduating from U.S. colleges. Raj Patil, a native of India, joined LHP last month after graduating from Clemson University with a master's degree in mechanical engineering. -AP

PHOENIX: Opponents of Arizona's hardline immigration enforcement law contend that emails sent, received and forwarded by a former legislator, who championed the law, support allegations it was racially motivated. Dozens of emails are cited in a new legal effort by the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups to block police from enforcing the Arizona law's so-called ``show me your papers'' provision recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The groups said the emails and other material reveal that ex-Sen. Russell Pearce and other supporters of the law known as SB1070 embraced discriminatory views and bent the truth about immigration-related matters, setting the stage for enactment of a law that the groups contend will lead to racial profiling if enforced. Russell is the architect of Arizona's immigration law. The use of the emails in the court filing was reported by The Arizona Republic. Pearce denied discriminatory intent in championing the law, telling The Associated Press that the civil rights groups falsely portray him as a racist and that the law includes protections against racial profiling. ``Nobody wants to talk about that,'' he said. ``I've been attacked for years. I don't expect it to stop.'' The motion cited dozens of emails that were sent, received or forwarded by Pearce. Many of the emails asserted costs and troubles associated with illegal immigration, including crime and increased demand for public services such as education and health care. Pearce has made countless public statements to that effect in recent years, while repeatedly saying he just wants federal and state officials to enforce laws against illegal immigration. In one article forwarded by Pearce from one of his email accounts to another in 2006, a commentator spoke of the United States ``facing an overwhelming illegal alien invasion'' in which Hispanic illegal immigrants were ``ar-

rogantly corrupting our unifying national language while actively disrespecting our culture, society and country.'' A 2007 email sent from Pearce's legislative email account to a personal Pearce account said illegal immigration of Spanish-speakers puts the country's status as an English-speaking country at risk. ``It's like importing leper colonies and hope we don't catch leprosy,'' the email stated. ``It's like importing thousands of Islamic jihadists and hope they adapt to the American dream.'' The five-page email contained multiple references to conditions in Arizona, but Pearce said the leprosy reference was from material written by a man in Colorado.

Pearce denied discriminatory intent in championing the law, saying the civil rights groups falsely portray him as a racist and that the law includes protections against racial profiling ``I forward a lot of his stuff. Much of it is right on,'' Pearce said. The Arizona law's so-called ``papers'' provision requires police to check the immigration status of people they stop for other reasons if there is reasonable suspicion the people are in the country illegally. The high court on June 25 rejected the Obama administration's argument that the provision was unconstitutional because federal law trumps state law. But the civil rights group now argues that it should be blocked because Latinos in Arizona would face systematic racial profiling and unreasonably long detentions. The civil rights groups' motion argues that discriminatory intent by legislative supporters of the law would help prove that it violates the Constitution's right to equal protection under the law. -AP

Realty Tidbits

Real estate prices in Mumbai unlikely to fall MUMBAI: Real estate prices in Mumbai are unlikely to fall due to limited supply, real estate developer Oberoi Realty said. "All input costs and raw material costs are going up and supply is constrained due to lack of approvals. Unless supply increases, the real estate prices in the city are unlikely to fall," company Chairman and Managing Director Vikas Oberoi told reporters here. The company has a portfolio of 35 completed projects across Mumbai with about 20 mn sq ft to be developed in the near future, he said, adding that the company is confident of launching its Worli and Mulund projects in Mumbai in FY2012-13. Oberoi pointed out that following the court order, the company is now 100 per cent owner of the Worli property and it is awaiting Commissioner's approval. The company is also developing a 3 million sq ft project at Mulund, he said. The company' consolidated revenue rose by 7.31 per cent to Rs 230.79 crore for the first quarter of the current fiscal ended June as against Rs 215.07 crore in the year-ago period. -PTI

Make tree space mandatory in development plans AHMEDABAD: The forest department, in order to improve environmental status of the city, has decided to convert wasteland or common land in urban spaces into well-planted green areas. If there was shortage of such land, a city could utilize the vacant land in the areas situated on the periphery, under the urban development authorities, an official from the department said. The official added that they were likely to suggest that expansion of a city or establishment of new society should be permitted after approval of tree plantation plan in adequate area, say about at least 15 per cent of the area under development. Also the social forestry department intended to permit terrace gardening to improve green space and also planting tall seedlings of suitable species in large pits. Frequent watering and application of fertilizer could ensure that plants turn into trees in two years. The existing patches of natural and man-made urban forest, like Victoria Park and Indroda Park, should be preserved and managed as important recreational and educational centers, the department has suggested.

Real Estate 44

India Post

www.indiapost.com

August 3, 2012

Rs 90 crore for development of 9 villages GURGAON: The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has got an approval from the state government sanctioning an expenditure of Rs 90 crore for the development of nine villages falling under the corporation limits. The municipal corporation will have the responsibility for the progressive development of the villages as well as for providing basic infrastructure like sewerage, water, roads and electricity in the villages.

How to market your home to foreign buyers POLYANA DA COSTA

re you trying to find a buyer for your home? Try marketing it to the world. International homebuyers are eager to invest in the United States and may be willing to pay top dollar for your property. But don't expect them to simply knock on your door and hand you a briefcase filled with money. To make your home appealing to foreign buyers, you'll have to do a little more than hire the average real estate agent, says Michael Xylas, a New York attorney who often represents buyers from various parts of the world. "Align yourself with a broker who has ties with foreign buyers," says Xylas, a partner in the real estate and banking department at Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson LLP. "Ask brokers if they have the ability to place advertising in the country (you're targeting) and if they will have a website dedicated to the property with a virtual tour." One of the main reasons foreign buyers give up on buying a home in the United States is that they are not able to find the property they want, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors that profiles international homebuying activity in the United States. Online exposure It is crucial to have your house listed for sale online with multiple photos and videos of the home and

they look for properties that are easily rentable, in desirable areas, with high rates of return." Mortgages for foreign buyers Most international buyers pay cash, but many want a mortgage - including investors and those buying vacation homes. You may think it's impossible for a foreign buyer to get a mortgage these days, given the current tight lending requirements. But it's not. A few lenders offer mortgages for foreign buyers who make a down payment of at least 30 percent. Explain the basics You can improve your chances of selling if you do whatever you can to make it easy for foreign buyers, Xylas says. list the property on websites that market homes for sale globally and nationally. Even if the property is listed only on Realtor.com, make sure there's enough information and pictures on the listing to attract international buyers, she says. "Foreign buyers do look at Realtor.com and other real estate websites," says Da Silva, who recently has sold homes to buyers from Brazil, China and Canada. The buyers found her listings through the Internet, she says. Hiring an agent who is certified to work with international buyers helps, she says. "But there is no one-size-fits-all on foreign buyers, as every country has its own cus-

Highlights :• Find a real estate broker with ties to foreign buyers. • International buyers depend heavily on photos and videos in listings. • Be aware of cultural differences when you market your home internationally. the neighborhood, says Patty Da Silva, owner of Green Realty Properties in Davie, Fla. "Foreign buyers are looking for great pictures and videos of the property because most of the time they're not here to physically see them," Da Silva says. Agents who specialize in working with foreign buyers normally

toms." Which country should you target? Who do you think would like your home better? A Chinese buyer or a Russian? You can try guessing, but that's not the best way to decide which nationalities you should target

when marketing your home for sale. Consider the area where the home is, the price, and even how the economy is doing in the countries where potential buyers come from. Foreigners tend to cluster. The NAR report says Mexican buyers tend to purchase in the Southwest, while California has a lot of Asian buyers and the East Coast attracts Europeans. Florida is the state with the most foreign buyers. Most international buyers in Florida come from Canada, followed by Brazilians. Why sell to a foreign buyer? International buyers who live outside the United States invested more than $41 billion in the U.S. housing market during a 12-month period that ended in March 2012, according to the latest foreign buyer report by the NAR. Another $41 billion was spent by buyers who had recently moved to the United States from other countries and those with long-term visas. Foreign buyers paid an average of $315,000 per home in 2011, in comparison to the overall U.S. average of $218,000 per home, the report shows. That doesn't mean international buyers are willing to overpay, Da Silva says. "There's a myth that foreign buyers will just come in with cash and pay more than what the property is worth, but that's not true," Da Silva says. "They look for a bargain, like everyone else, and

You may think it's impossible for a foreign buyer to get a mortgage these days, given the current tight lending requirements. But it's not. A few lenders offer mortgages for foreign buyers who make a down payment of at least 30 percent That includes presenting information in a way that's easier for the buyer to understand and explaining basics that are not so obvious to a foreign buyer because of cultural differences, says Baro Shalizi, a real estate agent in Santa Fe, N.M. "Simple things like changing the square footage to square meters," he says. "Explaining how the process works, how inspections work." In many countries, appliances are not included in the sale of a home, he says. Even these basics must be explained. "A lot of times when I tell my (foreign) clients the appliances are staying, they are like, 'Really?'" Courtesy Bankrate.com

Real Estate Post

August 3, 2012

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Hindujas to foray into India's real estate sector LONDON: The Hinduja Group, with a global presence in core sectors like oil and gas, automotive, power, IT, banking and finance, has announced a major foray into the real estate sector in India involving an investment of up to USD 15 billion. Just back from a visit to India, the Group Chairman S P Hinduja said here that the Indian economy "with its underlying strengths could become a beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak global environment." The Group has acquired a land bank of over 3,500 acres in metros like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore for development of integrated residential and commercial townships, SEZs, with hospitality, healthcare and related facilities, he said. These projects will involve an investment of USD 10 billion to USD 15 billion over the next five years, according to Hinduja. The group was also looking at a portfolio of 10,000 MW in the power sector in the medium-term, he said. Implementation of a 1000 MW project is already under progress, Hinduja said. Expressing optimism over the state of the Indian economy, Hinduja said its fundamentals remained strong and it has the potential to bounce back to high growth of 8 to 9 per cent per annum. "The slowdown currently experienced by the economy is largely due to external conditions and not, as a section of the business community and media say, by coalition politics, lack of leadership, corruption etc," he said. Hinduja said that the ruling and opposition parties in India were united in their resolve to reverse the present deceleration of

growth momentum and make India more competitive in the global economy. He also noted that India continued to enjoy great credibility in international forums and among global leaders, "which is a major plus." The leading UK-based industrialist said that non-resident Indians (NRIs) continue

"The main causes of generation of black money have been the requirement for funds to meet the expenses of political parties and to fight elections at local/state/national levels; the need for making illicit payments to secure government contracts and influence government policies etc," he said to repose confidence in the country with their remittances touching around USD 60 billion last year, the highest for the developing countries, including China. He is also confident that India will go for more of economic reforms and liberalization and will not revert to a state-led model. Hinduja also highlighted the challenge faced by India from the menace of corruption and black money. "The main causes of generation of black

money have been the requirement for funds to meet the expenses of political parties and to fight elections at local/state/national levels; the need for making illicit payments to secure government contracts and influence government policies etc," he said. "This is a cancer which must be addressed. Unstructured, non-institutional

Hindujas Group Chairman S P Hinduja

political funding is the root of corruption in India. Electoral reforms may be introduced to regularize and make political parties accountable for funds received," he said. He also said that state funding of political parties' election expenditure can be part of a large scheme of political, electoral and taxation reform to stop the flow of money into parallel economy. He pointed out that many developed countries have opted for 20-30 per cent tax

New Gurgaon emerging as 'Destination Next'

f you think prime locations in the NCR have hit the roof and you missed the dream rally in having a reasonably priced home, there is no reason to look at the secondary locations. In an expanding National Capital Region (NCR) while some of the locations deter you due to its less appreciation potential or controversies galore, then probably your property hunt has not led you to the destination next of the regionNew Gurgaon. Even during the cautious phase of property transactions in recent past when the market was treading cautiously with negative reports in the wake of developments at Noida Extension, and the buyers looking for answer to decent housing solutions without compromising with their ever increasing aspirations, New Gurgaon registered the highest transactions, appreciating capital value and most importantly new launches. Almost all the leading realtors like DLF, Emaar, BPTP, Raheja, Ansals, Vatika, SS Group, Tulip Infrastructure, India Bulls Real

Estate, among others have increased a sizeable presence in New Gurgaon, of late. On the given parameters of locational advantage New Gurgaon scores over its peer locations in Noida Extension, Faridabad or NH 58 in terms of

Neeraj Bansal, Director, Risk Consulting at KPMG India says though prices are similar to those for developments in Noida; New Gurgaon has the potential for providing competition to Noida Master Plan Development, improved connectivity to Delhi, infrastructure and density of population. Northern periphery road that will connect Dwarka to Delhi and

southern periphery road will connect to Delhi and Faridabad is giving an edge to New Gurgaon. KMP expressway is also in close proximity and Metro has been planned till Manesar as per MPD 2021 of Gurgaon. The moot point today among the real estate analysts is whether New Gurgaon is the Destination Next in the NCR property. Neeraj Bansal, Director, Risk Consulting at KPMG India says though prices are similar to those for developments in Noida; New Gurgaon has the potential for providing competition to Noida. "New Gurgaon is predominantly marketed as affordable and mid-income housing catchment. A large portion of demand for midsized housing in Gurgaon has been diverted to this region. The area has good potential as a future residential hub, which can make it a favorable destination for MNCs in the future. However, the completion of infrastructure development will finally boost demand for commercial office space in this sector," says Bansal.

to make black money stashed abroad accountable. "India could also consider entering into similar agreements with foreign countries so that the unaccounted wealth abroad can come to India and taxed. Such funds could help reduce India's burgeoning fiscal deficit," he said. Hinduja also highlighted the challenge faced by India from the menace of corruption and black money. "The main causes of generation of black money have been the requirement for funds to meet the expenses of political parties and to fight elections at local/state/national levels; the need for making illicit payments to secure government contracts and influence government policies etc," he said. "This is a cancer which must be addressed. Unstructured, non-institutional political funding is the root of corruption in India. Electoral reforms may be introduced to regularize and make political parties accountable for funds received," he said. He also said that state funding of political parties' election expenditure can be part of a large scheme of political, electoral and taxation reform to stop the flow of money into parallel economy. He pointed out that many developed countries have opted for 20-30 per cent tax to make black money stashed abroad accountable. "India could also consider entering into similar agreements with foreign countries so that the unaccounted wealth abroad can come to India and taxed. Such funds could help reduce India's burgeoning fiscal deficit," he said. -PTI

Pune corpn says river beds not encroached PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has claimed that river beds in city limits were completely free of encroachment. "There are no encroachments on the Mula, Mutha and the Ramnadi that flow through city limits. Hence, the question of action against encroachments does not arise," the civic administration said before the general body (GB) meeting. The civic administration was

responding to Shiv Sena corporator Prithviraj Sutar's query that came up for discussion on the July agenda of the GB meeting. Sutar had sought information on rivers, encroachments and the actions taken by the civic body. The administration made the claims in a written reply. As the GB meeting was adjourned to pay condolences to actor Rajesh Khanna and others who demised this month, the issue was not debated.

Datebook

46 India Post

August 3, 2012

www.indiapost.com

NEW YORK

NEW JERSEY

Upcoming

Thurs Aug 9

Sun Aug 5

• A Tale of Two CityesClicBySiddhi Fashion Launch

• India Mela NJ

Venue: 28 on 27 Studio, 28 W 27th St, New York, NY 10010 Time: 7:30pm Contact: www.clicbysiddhi.com

Fri Aug 17 • 5th Edition of the IAAC Erasing Borders of Indian Dance Festival Venue: 2One New York Plaza (Water and Whitehall Streets) Time: 12pm to 2pm Highlights: Bageshree Vaze - Kathak (Toronto, Canada), Jaikishore & Padmavani Mosilikanti - Kuchipudi (Chennai, India), Mayuri Dance Group - Bhangra (Petrozavodsk, Russia), Sonali Skandan & Jiva Dance - Bharata Natyam (New York City), Chhau Dance Group - Chhau (New Delhi, India).

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

Sun Aug 19 • Indepence Day Mela Venue: Garden State Expo Center, 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, New Jersey Time: 11am Contact: 732-900-3136

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

ILLINOIS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

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

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

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming Thurs Aug 9 • Sri Krishna Janamasthami Venue: Atlanta Hare Krishna Temple. 1287 Ponce De Leon Ave, NE Atlanta, GA Time: 9am Contact: 404-377-8680

Sun Aug 19 • Festival of India Venue: IACA Grounds,. 1281 Cooper Lake Rd, SE, Smyrna, GA Time: 8am Contact: 678-485-7302

Sat Sept 1 • Rudra Homam Venue: Ashland, 24-28 Concord St Ashland, MA Time: 8am Contact: 508-380-4516

Upcoming Sat July 28 to Sun Aug 5

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

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

Sat Aug 11

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

• Symphony Silicon Valley's 2012 Free Outdoor Summer Music Festival Venue: City Hall, Council District 8 200 E. Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor San Jose, California Contact: (408) 535-4908

Sat Aug 4 & Sun Aug 5 • 58th Annual San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society Show Venue: Building One. One Avenue of the Palms, San Francisco. Time: 4am to 6pm Contact: (415) 867-8411

Sat Aug 11

Sat Aug 18

• Gurdas Maan Live in Concert

• 20th Annual pageant Miss India California 2012

Venue: Center for the Performing Arts, 255, Almaden Blvd, San Jose, CA Time: 7pm Contact: 209-604-2543

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

Sat Aug 25 • Miss India America 2012 W/Mr. & Mrs India America Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1221 Chess Dr., San Mateo, CA Time: 6pm Contact: 415-810-7450

Venue: Long Beach Hilton, 701 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA Time: 6pm Contact: info@spiritofindia.com

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

Fri Oct 19 • Royal Drummers and Dancers of Burundi Venue: Palace Theater, 61 Atlantic St. Stamford, CT 06901 Time: 8pm Contact: 203-325-4466

Fri Nov 2 Sat Sept 1 • Shri Krishna Vyjayanti Venue: Carrington Hall, 1201 Brewster Ave, Redwood City, CA Time: 7pm Contact: 510-364-6095

• Spirituals to Funk Venue: Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St. Stamford, CT 06901 Time: 8pm Contact: 203-322-9862 Highlights: Dr John And 5-time Grammy award winners Blind boys of Alabama.

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Notice is hereby given that sealed competitive bids will be accepted in the office of the GSA-Purchasing Department, County of Alameda, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907, Oakland, CA 94612 NETWORKING BIDDERS CONFERENCES for RFQ #901006 Forensic Toxicology Testing Services North County - Monday, August 6, 2012, 10:00 a.m. at General Services Agency, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Room 1107, 11th Floor, Oakland, CA and South County - Tuesday, August 7, 2012, 2:00 p.m. at Fremont Library, 2450 Stevenson Blvd., Administration Building, Conference Room 3, Fremont, CA Responses Due by 2:00 pm on September 11, 2012 County Contact: Jeannise Gonzalez (510) 208-9612 or via email: jeannise.gonzalez@acgov.org Attendance at Networking Conference is Non-mandatory. Specifications regarding the above may be obtained at the Alameda County GSA Current Contracting Opportunities Internet website at www.acgov.org. 08/03/12 CNS-2350837#

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Philosophy

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ll seeking is futile. Sentient beings are attached to forms and so seek externally for Buddhahood. By their very seeking they lose it. There is no way to Buddhahood, and, as such, cannot be studied: You must not allow this name (The Way) to lead you into forming a mental concept of a road. Seeking enlightenment is a roadblock to its realization. What is necessary is to avoid attachment of any kind and any form of seeking. If you would only rid yourselves of the concepts of ordinary and Enlightened, you would find that there is no other Buddha than the Buddha in your own Mind. â&#x20AC;ŚThe arising and the elimination of illusion are both illusory. Illusion is not something rooted in Reality; it exists because of your dualistic thinking. If you will only cease to indulge in opposed concepts such as 'ordinary' and 'Enlightened', illusion will cease of itself. No activity is the gateway but all who reach this gate fear to enter. One must, then, enter it with the suddenness of a knife-thrust. To the great majority of people, the moon is the moon and the trees are the trees. The next stage (not really higher than the first) is to perceive that moon and trees are not at all what they seem to be, since "all is the One Mind."

JEFF FOSTER

he search for home goes so very, very deep in the human psyche. Throughout all human history it has expressed itself in every single facet of our lives - in our art, our music, our science, our mathematics, our literature, our philosophy, in our quest for love, in our spirituality. Male and female seek each other, try to complete themselves through sexual union. We seek our 'soul mates', search for our 'other halves' who will complete us. In our cosmic homesickness we seek union with God, with Spirit, with Nature, with the guru. We buy houses together and magically transform them into homes, and after a long, exhausting day at kindergarten, or at the office, we just want to go home, back to mother, back to our loved ones, back to sleep, back to the cosmic womb. We populate landmasses, create countries, and call them our homeland, our motherland, our fatherland. We fight and die to protect our homeland - the land that we love, the land our ancestors were born in and died in. We wander in the wilderness for a thousand years and long for the prom-

When this stage is achieved, we have the concept of a vast uniformity in which all distinctions are void; and, to some adepts, this concept may come as an actual perception, as "real" to them as the moon and the trees before. It is said that, when Enlightenment really comes, the moon is again very much the moon and the trees exactly trees; but with a difference, for the Enlightened man is capable

of conceptual thought in a flash.... But whether they transcend conceptual thought by a longer or shorter way, the result is a state of BEING: there is no practicing and no action of realizing. That there is nothing which can be attained is not idle talk; it is the truth. Perception If you students of the Way seek to progress through seeing, hearing, feeling and knowing, when

source of everything, shines forever and on all with the brilliance of its own perfection. But the people of the world do not awake to it, regarding only that which sees, hears, feels and knows as mind.... If they would only eliminate all conceptual thought in a flash, that source-substance would manifest itself like a sun. Fear Ordinary people look to their

Seeking enlightenment is a roadblock to its realization

Huang Po

If you would only rid yourselves of the concepts of ordinary and Enlightened, you would find that there is no other Buddha than the Buddha in your own Mind. â&#x20AC;ŚThe arising and the elimination of illusion are both illusory

of perceiving both unity and multiplicity without the least contradiction between them! Conceptual Thinking To make use of your minds to think conceptually is to leave the substance [of Mind, Buddha] and attach yourselves to form. The Mind is no mind of conceptual thought, and it is completely detached from form.... There are those who, upon hearing this teaching, rid themselves

you are deprived of your perceptions, your ways to Mind will be cut off and you will find nowhere to enter. Do not keep them nor abandon them nor dwell in them nor cleave to them. Above, below and around you, all is spontaneously existing, for there is nowhere which is outside Buddha-Mind. Only awake to the One Mind and there is nothing whatever to be attained. This pure Mind, the

surroundings, while followers of the Way look to Mind, but the true Dharma is to forget them both. The former is easy enough, the latter very difficult. Men are afraid to forget their minds, fearing to fall through the Void with nothing to stay their fall. They do not know that the Void is not really void, but the realm of the real Dharma. Huang Po was a Ch'an Buddhist, Chinese master of Zen Buddhism, born circa 750-800.

ised land, for our heaven on earth, for our Jerusalem. Characters in novels, in plays, in movies, journey far away from home, discover who they really are and return home, somehow changed, somehow the same. We love our movies, our television shows, to end with a tearful homecoming, a tearful reunion, and the

In art, the interplay of foreground and background, light and shade, positive and negative space creates tension, drama. Our longing for resolution makes the artwork compelling. Perhaps it is the same longing that has driven mathematicians, philosophers, physicists, for all of human history, to seek some kind of grand,

We are told that even the universe is expanding and contracting - somehow seeking equilibrium, seeking home. Yin and yang, light and dark, creation and destruction, tension and resolution, contraction and release - this is the heartbeat of the cosmos, the heartbeat of all art, music, literature, spirituality,

Home is not a place, thing or person - it is rest The spiritual seeker leaves home in search of enlightenment, and returns home again, only to discover that the enlightenment he sought was there from the beginning story of the one who never came home haunts us like anything. In The Wizard of Oz, a young girl leaves her colorless home, goes on an incredible journey, meets various facets of herself, and returns to the same place - but now she sees what's really there. As children, we are homesick when we are away from home for too long, away from the ones we love.

unified, all-encompassing theory of reality, to find wholeness in the chaos, to find love in the midst of devastation. The spiritual seeker leaves home in search of enlightenment, and returns home again, only to discover that the enlightenment he sought was there from the beginning. When people die we say they have 'gone home', or found a new home where they can rest eternally.

Jeff Foster

the beat of our very own hearts, which must come to rest eventually. All things long to come to rest. It is no wonder that at its root the word 'home' means 'rest' or 'lie down'. Home is not a place, a thing, or a person - it is rest. Jeff Foster is author and speaker influenced by Advaita, Sufism and Zen holding meetings and retreats in UK, Europe and USA.

Action cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance -Adi Shankaracharya The Gita does not teach the disinterested performance of duties but the following of the divine life -Sri Aurobindo To live with effort is evil; to me it is an abomination, if I may use a strong word. -J. Krishnamurti Nirvana is not a trance state where nothing is experienced but the 'ground' (or source) of moment to moment living. -Colin Drake Here is just emptiness. There is no getting my ego out of the way, and all that stuff. There is just the seeing, shining in great brilliance and clarity. -Douglas Harding Monotony is the law of nature. Look at the monotonous manner in which the sun rises. The monotony of necessary occupations is exhilarating and lifegiving. -Gandhi

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Understanding Iran's policy towards Afghan refugees ARYAMAN BHATNAGAR

ran hosts close to 2.5 million Afghan refugees - both registered and unregistered. Iran recently announced its willingness to sign an agreement with Afghanistan and Pakistan which would put an end to the forceful deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan. In light of this pending agreement, this commentary seeks to understand the approach of the Iranian government towards the Afghan refugee population. Has the attitude of the Iranian government towards the refugees hardened over the years? Historical background Iran followed an 'open door' policy towards refugees throughout the period of Soviet occupation in the 1980s. Ayatollah Khomeini wanted Iran to be seen as a champion of oppressed Muslims and to spread the message of Islam having no frontiers. As a result, the Islamic Republic considered it a 'religious duty' to protect the Afghans from a 'godless Communist government'. They were granted the status of mohajerin or 'involuntary religious migrant' and were entitled to a number of advantages and privileges. They were not confined to refugee camps, and were allowed to settle down on the outskirts of towns and cities. Changing attitude Following the death of Khomeini, Iran's strategic outlook began to be guided more by pragmatism and ground realities than ideology. It is this pragmatism that transformed its perception of Afghan refugees from 'religious migrants' to 'immigrants'; from deserving co-religionists to a social and economic burden. The fall of the Communist government in Afghanistan ended any ideological and emotional obligations the Iranian state had. It is for this reason that the attitude towards Afghan refugees has undergone a significant change since the 1990s from integration to repatriation and prevention of future flows due to continuing instability and uncertainty in Afghanistan. The Iranian government has been attempting to induce repatriation by imposing several restrictions on Afghan refugees and taking steps to increase their cost of living in the country. Such measures include the cutback of subsidies on healthcare, unemployment insurance and access to free education, and passage of laws pro-

hibiting Iranians from hiring undocumented Afghans. Simultaneously, the number of work permits issued by the government to Afghan refugees has been cut drastically and the cost for renewing the previously issued permits has been hiked. This has made more Afghan refugees susceptible to deportation. There has also been a substantial increase in the number of 'Afghan-free provinces' with them being prohibited from living in certain Iranian provinces or cities the most recent being Mazandaran province. These measures have been denounced as being racist and discriminatory by critics of the government. Iran has carried out a number of forcible repatriation drives in recent years and though it claims that it only seeks to deport unregistered refugees, there are reports

ghan refugees have often been accused by Iranian workers and labor organizations of stealing jobs by underbidding them and are seen as unfair recipients of the limited social services and resources. The lack of integration of Afghans into the Iranian society largely an outcome of government measures - creates further suspicion and distrust against them, which has occasionally flared into mob attacks on Afghan settlements. Consequently it is provinces with high unemployment and related social problems that have become 'Afghan-free'.

Geopolitics Despite the burden associated with sustaining such large numbers of refugees and their regular deportation, it would be wrong to assume that Iran would want to deport the entire Afghan refugee population. Afghan refugees continue to form an important part of Iran's unorganized economy, especially the construction and other labor intensive sectors. However, it is the potential for using Afghan refugees as a political tool to exacerbate instability in Afghanistan and thereby wreck NATO plans that tends to increase their strategic importance for Iran. Iran is aware that Afghanistan is not yet in a position to accommodate a large number of returnees and mass deportations can trigger major problems for the An Iranian guard watches over Afghan Afghan government. refugees awaiting deportation. For instance, in 2007, citing the deportation of Afghans Iran had forcibly repatriated over with proper legal documents. eighty thousand Afghans, which The economic situation in Iran triggered a major humanitarian crihas influenced the government's sis and led to the dismissal of two attitude towards the refugees. The ministers in Karzai's government. UNHCR Global Report for 2011 The deportation of refugees is also claimed that the deteriorating therefore a threat that Iran readily economic environment presented issues whenever Afghanistan's difficulties in sustaining a large policies displease Tehran. The latrefugee population in Iran. The est of these threats was issued foltask of maintaining such a large lowing the signing of the US-Afrefugee problem poses a severe ghan Strategic Partnership Agreestrain on national resources - esti- ment in May 2012. mated cost at US$ 2 billion a year. Iran's announcement of its deMoreover, the lack of proportion- cision to sign the agreement on ate international assistance acts as refugees should be seen in light a further burden. of its desire to retain a residual The government's perception refugee population in the future, has also been shaped by the which can be used to increase its socio-economic problems associ- leverage over the Afghan governated with the refugees. Unemploy- ment. ment, especially among the Iranian The writer is Research Officer, youth, has been on the rise. Af- IPCS

India Post Bigger underachiever

n a cover resembling that of Time magazine, India's Outlook magazine has called Barack Obama "The Underachiever." In an earlier issue, the Time magazine had used the same epithet for India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. So was it tit for tat? The tag happens to be appropriate for both the leaders. Both leaders held promise but failed on delivery. Of the two Manmohan Singh has particularly shown lack of spine. Instead of taking up important issues with allies, he has buckled at the first sign of opposition from supporting parties like that of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool. Obama is known to have tried but backed off on many issues mainly because the Republican Party has moved too far to the right, making the business of government impossible. Considering the financial crisis he walked into, his domestic achievements are significant. In fact he still seems a better electoral bet against rival Romney but Manmohan Singh seems to have burnt all his boats. The competition here is between who is the bigger underachiever. Obama was first-timer on the job. He had no experience. He had not been a Governor even. He relied mostly on rhetoric like "Yes, we can," which worked at a time when George Bush had become a liability even for the Republicans. Obama tried what he could but was frustrated by the section of Americans who hate seeing a non-white as their President. On healthcare he succeeded where many of his predecessors had failed, and not for want of trying. But even his signature 'Obamacare' would be in danger in case he fails to win a second term. The partisanship in Washington is at its peak and the scare-mongers are in business. At such a time rhetoric of the previous kind is not going to work. Obama has tried to shore up the economy but the jobless list seems to be growing which has discouraged many of his supporters. It may not be all his doing but he can't but pay for the mistakes of the previous regime. There can be a case that his own Democratic party is not overly enthused by him. The support for his measures and even his healthcare reform has not received the kind of backing he expected. Compared to Obama, Manmohan Singh doesn't even seem to be trying. He appears living paralyzed at 7 Race Course Road. No initiative proceeds from him as he has to wait for the signal from Madam Sonia Gandhi. The office of India's Prime Minister has been diminished with his presence or, or more appropriately, absence. He is unable to take a single decision without it being withdrawn soon after either from opposition by some churlish small supporting party or by Madam's lack of enthusiasm. Madam has a super cabinet of her own, called the National Advisory Council (NAC) which imposes decisions on the government and Manmohan Singh has to implement them without questioning the cost or the feasibility. And all the time there is the shadow of heir apparent Rahul Gandhi falling on him, even further circumscribing his ability to act. Also, he has no friends among the allies as he has not even constituted a coordination committee wherein he could consult them on policy options. The way of Congress functioning remains taking decisions first and the allies coming to know of them from the media. No wonder there is tension with the allies. The Congress has never taken its partners into confidence. This can cost them dearly as the 2014 verdict is expected to be even more fractious than the present one.

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