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Interfaith community holds memorial Details on page 11

Indians top investors in Dubai property Details on page 42

Hindu families from Pak cross over to India

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VOL 18, No. 936

August 24, 2012

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Periodical Postage

PAK AIR BASE WITH N-LINKS ATTACKED ISLAMABAD: A group of terrorists armed with sophisticated weapons and suicide vests on August 16 stormed a key Pakistan Air Force base in Punjab province that is believed to house nuclear weapons, triggering an intense gun battle that left seven attackers and a security personnel dead.

The terrorists, some of whom were reportedly wearing military uniforms, sneaked into Kamra airbase at about 2 am despite a state of high alert at the facility.

The attackers breached at least three barriers and tried to target Saab - 2000 surveillance aircraft, news channels

reported.

Following a gun battle that lasted over three hours, seven terrorists were gunned down by commandos, a PAF spokesman told the media.

He said eight terrorists were involved in the attack.

There was no word on the fate of the remaining attacker.

The spokesman said explosives were strapped to the body of one attacker. He said the attackers were engaged by two teams of commandos.

Details on page 6

Details on page 38

Ambassador Nirupama Rao

I-Day celebrated with fervor and gaiety Details on page 9

Secret of Festival of India success Details on page 10

GOPIO team to India pleads for Diaspora

A-I non-stop Chicago-Delhi to resume

Details on page 8 Details on page 16

TCS technology awareness plan in US

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 24-25 Classifieds ------------------------- 47

Details on page 41

Community Post -------------- 12-21 Date Book -------------------------- 46 Edit Page --------------------------- 49

INDIA POST SURVEY

HealthScience Post --------- 34-37

survey@indiapost.com

Horoscope ------------------------- 28

This week’s question

Immigration Post ------------- 38-40

Are Pak nuclear sites safe?

Life Style ----------------------- 26-27 Philosophy ------------------------- 48

Last week’s result

Is the US gun policy responsible for killings?

YES 83%

NO 17%

PRIDE OF INDIA: The London Olympic Medal winners at the felicitation function, organized by the Ministry of Youth

Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4

Affairs & Sports at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on August 16. L-R Gagan Narang, Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Saina Nehwal and Yogeshwar Dutt.

Real Estate -------------------- 22-23 TechBiz Post ------------------- 41-43 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 29-31

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

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Publisher’s Diary

T

he London Olympics came to a glorious end and most athletes have gone home to rousing heroes' welcome. India this year, has found much cause for celebration - its Olympians brought home six medals, the highest number ever in its history of Olympic participation.

For a cynic, that's hardly achievement coming from a country of 1.2 billion people, which like an analyst said, is one medal for every 20 million Indians.

Economists see it differently though. For them, not just the six medals, but the very number of participants in the games, is an indicator of the country's economic progress.

It sure is. Indians are realizing that they can actually now afford to pursue their talents and hone them to be internationally competitive by demanding the right facilities and resources. As heartening as the changing economic circumstance and mindsets is - and as we pat the backs of our medal winners and shower them with monetary incentives - the fact remains that it's far from enough.

I'm not going to sermonize over the whys of India's woeful lack of sporting talent, because in the absence of intrigue over the reasons any analysis would lead to either finding faults or excuses. So it's not India that I am intrigued by. It is China.

What is it that China does - given the same challenges of region and population - that it could rise to the level of going almost neck to neck with the US in the medal tally and at times even challenging the supremacy of the Americans, merely in the span of two Olympics. China has left the likes of Russia, UK, Canada and Australia, traditionally sports-dominant nations, far behind in terms of final medal intake.

Is China's performance at the Olympics an indicator of its economic power?

It proved its might when it hosted the most spectacular of Olympic events in 2008. 2012 was a reiteration of that economic statement and I wouldn't be surprised if it outdoes the United States in 2016.

But there is more to China than just economics. It has to be national pride.

Counter that, anyone?

Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Already married?

Kareena Kapoor told a reporter she was very upset with the media making her marriage a national joke.

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Cover Story: Raid on N-base?

A group of terrorists stormed a key Pakistan Air Force base in Punjab province that is believed to house nuclear weapons.

Community: I-Day in Chicago At Daley Plaza in Chicago, hundred plus members of the community gathered to be part of the Flag hoisting ceremony.

Health: AMA lauds AAPI Jeremy Lazarus, MD, President of American Medical Association has lauded the efforts of physicians of Indian Origin.

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Life Style: Haute couture Debutante designer Siddhi Vaishnav unveiled her brand new fashion couture line in the 27th street studio, Manhattan.

Techbiz: TCS tech camp Indian software giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is expanding its 'goIT' summer camp for American students.

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Travel: Varkala Varkala, a new destination in Kerala, is for those who prefer to do absolutely nothing while holidaying.

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Pak air base with N-links attacked ISLAMABAD: A group of terrorists armed with sophisticated weapons and suicide vests on August 16 stormed a key Pakistan Air Force base in Punjab province that is believed to house nuclear weapons, triggering an intense gun battle that left seven attackers and a security personnel dead.

The terrorists, some of whom were reportedly wearing military uniforms, sneaked into Kamra airbase at about 2 am despite a state of high alert at the facility.

The attackers breached at least three barriers and tried to target Saab - 2000 surveillance aircraft, news channels reported.

Following a gun battle that lasted over three hours, seven terrorists were gunned down by commandos, a PAF spokesman told the media.

He said eight terrorists were involved in the attack.

There was no word on the fate of the remaining attacker.

The spokesman said explosives were strapped to the body of one attacker. He said the attackers were engaged by two teams of commandos.

The spokesman said one security personnel was killed and several others, including base commander Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, were injured.

Azam, who was leading the op-

The attackers breached at least three barriers and tried to target Saab 2000 surveillance aircraft. Following a gun battle seven terrorists were gunned down erations, was hit by a bullet but he is "safe and stable", the spokesman said.

Earlier reports had said two security personnel were killed.

The military's media arm told reporters that the situation at the Kamra airbase was under control and troops were conducting a

search operation to ascertain if any more terrorists were inside the complex.

The PAF spokesman said one aircraft was damaged when it was hit by a rocket - propelled grenade fired by the attackers.

He did not give details of the extent of the damage.

The attack came just two days after Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani reiterated the country's commitment to the war on terrorism.

Amid speculation about a new campaign against the Taliban in the tribal belt, Mr. Kayani said the war on terrorism was Pakistan's "own war and a just war too".

The brazen assault was described by experts as a serious security lapse as The Express Tribune newspaper had reported on August 10 that the Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan could target PAF facilities in Punjab before Eid-u-Fitr.

Citing intelligence reports, the daily reported that militants could carry out attacks on the 27th or 28th of the Islamic month of Ramzan or August 16 and 17.

No group claimed responsibil-

PM blames lack of political consensus for slow growth NEW DELHI: Battling the charge of policy paralysis in the government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has blamed lack of political consensus for slow growth and vowed to do everything to boost economy through investments while linking development processes to national security.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of historic Red Fort on the occasion of 66th Independence Day, he promised to work for reducing corruption in public life and sought the help of all political parties in passing the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill in Parliament in this regard.

During his 35-minute speech in Hindi, Singh made a host of announcements in social sector like expanding the national health scheme and electrification, undertaking skill development and assessment of teachers.

The 79-year-old economist Prime Minister also sought to encourage foreign investors, who have been apprehensive after certain recent taxation decisions, that there would be "no barriers" to investment in India.

He referred to violence in Assam and promised that the causes would be looked into and

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressing the Nation on the occasion of 66th Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort, in Delhi on August 15

steps taken to ensure that such incidents are not repeated anywhere else.

He highlighted that internal

security in the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, had improved but said the recent blasts in Pune were a reminder that more needed to be done.

In his ninth consecutive Independence Day address, only the third Prime Minister to do so after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Singh said there was a need to "introspect what remains to be done" so that "we learn from our failures and build on our successes".

"As far as creating an environment within the country for rapid economic growth is concerned, I believe that we are not being able to achieve this because of a lack of political consensus on many issues," Singh said.

"Time has now come to view the issues which affect our development processes as matters of national security," he said.

The statement assumes significance as the government has been facing the charge of policy paralysis with key economic reforms decisions, like FDI in retail, being stuck due to opposition by allies.

The Prime Minister said India was being affected by the "difficult phase" encountered by the global economy.-PTI

ity for the attack, the latest in a string of assaults on Pakistan's military installations. In the past, militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban have attacked the army's General Headquarters in

Shortly after the attack began, Geo News channel quoted its sources as saying that the attackers could have had help from elements within the airbase Rawalpindi and a key naval airbase in Karachi.

Several Western media reports in the past have said that nuclear weapons are based at the Kamra complex, which is home to an airbase and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex that assembles JF17 combat jets and drones.

As troops conducted a search operation within the airbase, residents of nearby areas were told to remain within their homes.

Large contingents of police and army soldiers cordoned off the area.

Shortly after the attack began, Geo News channel quoted its sources as saying that the attackers could have had help from elements within the airbase.

The terrorists reportedly entered the airbase from Pind Suleman Makhan, a village adjoining the PAF facility.

The PAF sought help from the army and troops from an elite antiterrorism commando unit in the garrison city of Rawalpindi were dispatched to Kamra.

Witnesses told the media they had heard intense firing and several explosions from within the airbase.

The Kamra complex and its personnel have been targeted by terrorists several times in the past.

On October 23, 2009, seven persons were killed when a suicide bomber struck a check post outside the airbase.-PTI

Indian defense bases well protected: Army Chief NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of attack by militants on a Pakistani air force base, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh has said Indian military installations are "well protected and defended".

"We have our procedures in place. All our bases are protected and there are Standard Operating Procedures and our bases are well defended," the Army Chief told reporters on the sidelines of an event to felicitate Army sports persons.

Gen Singh said the armed forces also had the "means to generate intelligence regarding

such threats that may come up to these bases".

Indian armed forces have taken several measures to strengthen their security to protect against such threats in the last few years, he said.

A group of terrorists armed with sophisticated weapons and suicide vests had stormed a key Pakistan Air Force base in Punjab province that is believed to house nuclear weapons, triggering an intense gun battle that left seven attackers and a security personnel dead.-PTI

Attended Dawood's party, but no nexus, Sanjay Dutt tells SC NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has told the Supreme Court that he had attended a dinner hosted by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Dubai before the 1993 blasts in Mumbai but denied any relationship with him.

"I have only attended a dinner at Dawood's house along with two film producers which was before the blast. Other than that I do not have any relationship," senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the star, told a bench of jus-

tices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan hearing the appeal against his conviction and 6 years imprisonment.

Salve made the submission in response to queries from the bench as to whether Dutt had attended a party hosted by Dawood as stated in his alleged confessional statement. To queries from the bench, the counsel asserted that Dutt had no relationship either with Dawood or the other alleged main conspirator Tiger Memon.-PTI

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Indians across world celebrate I-Day with gusto BEIJING/MOSCOW: Indians across the globe donned patriotic colors as they celebrated the country's 66th Independence Day, unfurling the national tricolor and organizing a series of cultural events to mark the occasion.

Indian Ambassador to China S Jaishankar hoisted the tri-color at the mission's newly constructed building in Beijing in the presence of a large number of Indian professionals and their families.

He then read out President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the gathering which was followed by cultural programs.

In Russia, the celebrations in Moscow commenced with the unfurling of the national flag by Indian envoy Ajai Malhotra. This was followed by the singing of patriotic songs by school children from the Embassy of India School, Moscow.

Several hundred members of the Indian community in Moscow and friends of India took part in the function at the Embassy, showing their love and respect for their motherland.

Similar celebratory functions were also held at the Indian Consulates General in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok, besides other venues across Russia.

In Sri Lanka, High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha hoisted the national flag at the mission's premises in Colombo in presence of a large number of audience members.

In Nepal, Ambassador Jayant Prasad hoisted the tri-color at a function held at the premises of the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. The event was attended by diplomats, members of business community, media persons, students and a large number of Indian citizens residing in Nepal.

India also gifted 20 ambulances and four buses to Nepal's different organizations and schools.

Ambassador of India to China, Dr. S. Jaishankar unfurls the national flag at the Indian Embassy in Beijing on the occasion of 66th Independence Day

Nepal's national dailies published special supplements on the occasion of the Independence Day. In Islamabad, Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal hoisted the tri-color. The children and wives of the Indian mission's staff sang patriotic songs on the occasion.

In Bangladesh, High Commissioner Pankaj Saran hoisted the tri-color on the campus of the new chancery complex in Dhaka.

Hundreds of Indians joined the celebration which included a cultural program by members of the Indian community and members of the Bangladesh Bharat Maitri Samiti.

India's national tri-color proudly fluttered atop flag poles at Indian missions across Southeast Asia in celebration of the country's Independence Day. Indian envoys in Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore,

Several hundred members of the Indian community in Moscow and friends of India took part in the function at the Embassy, showing their love and respect for their motherland. Similar celebratory functions were also held at the Indian Consulates General in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok India also donated books to 25 educational institutions and training institutions.

Similarly, Consul General of India at Birgunj Ashutoush Agrawal gifted four ambulances and one bus to different groups on behalf of India at a separate function.

the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei unfurled the flag and read out the President's address while school children sang patriotic songs.

In Thailand's capital Bangkok, folk dancers from Jodhpur enthralled the over 100 Indian expa-

triates and Thai Indians who had come for the function.

Indian Ambassador to Thailand Anil Wadhwa said the dancers were brought to showcase India's diversity and color.

The dancers wearing colorful swirling skirts balanced stacks of pots on their heads while the men in traditional attire and colorful turbans sang folk songs.

In Singapore, more than 500 Indian nationals including school children joined High Commissioner T C A Raghavan in Independence Day celebration.

Raghavan raised the Indian flag at the High Commission premises while students rendered patriotic songs. He then read out the President's address to the gathering.

In Australia, flag hoisting ceremonies were held in various parts of the country including Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Canberra. Indian diplomats unfurled the tri-color while community members sang patriotic songs.

In Canberra, High Commissioner Biren Nanda hoisted the flag at the Indian High Commission office. Flag hoisting ceremony in Melbourne was held at the official residence of Indian Consul General S K Behera.

In Israel, some 350 India enthusiasts descended to the northern coastal city Herzliya to celebrate Independence Day amid several ongoing activities to mark 20 years of Indo-Israel diplomatic ties.

Outgoing Indian envoy, Navtej Sarna, hoisted the Indian flag reading excerpts from the President's speech which was followed by cultural events.

Announcement by the Indian embassy to organize a Twenty-20 Cricket tournament with the participation of teams comprising people of Indian origin was loudly cheered by the enthusiastic youngsters present in the crowd.

ness in Nigeria and have been able to contribute to its economic development.

Defying hot weather, Indians living across the Gulf region celebrated Independence Day with joy and fervor, gathering at various embassies for flag hoisting and organizing cultural events.

Consul General of India in Dubai Sanjay Verma, unfurled the National Flag at the Consulate premises in the presence of the Indian community.

About 500 members of the Indian community from all walks of life, students, teachers, businessmen, professionals, workers and others, attended the function.

The Consul General read excerpts from the President's address to the Nation on the eve of the Independence Day. The Consul General addressed the Indian community.

The flag hoisting ceremony was also held at Indian missions in cities like Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

The Independence Day was celebrated in Kuwait at the Embassy premises by unfurling of the National Flag by Ambassador of India to Kuwait, Satish C Mehta.

This was followed by the singing of the National Anthem and

Defying hot weather, Indians living across the Gulf region celebrated Independence Day with joy and fervor, gathering at various embassies for flag hoisting and organizing cultural events. Consul General of India in Dubai Sanjay Verma, unfurled the National Flag at the Consulate premises Sarna thanked the Indian community in Israel for "actively participating and supporting the initiatives of the Indian mission" and for their contribution in strengthening bilateral ties.

In Nigeria, over 500 Indians and friends of India from all walks of life gathered at the country's High Commission in Abuja and Lagos for Independence Day celebrations.

High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mahesh Sachdev unfurled the National Flag in Abuja followed by the singing of the national anthem after which he read the speech by President of India.

In Lagos, children from the Indian Language School gave a rendering of Indian patriotic songs which was followed by refreshments and breakfast for the assembled guests.

Sachdev used the opportunity to tell the media that over 100 Indian companies are doing busi-

reading of the Address to the Nation of the President of India by the Ambassador.

Patriotic songs were sung by members of the Indian community to mark the occasion.

Similar events took place in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, Oman's capital of Muscat, Doha and Bahrain.

Leading English newspapers across the region brought out Special Supplements to mark the occasion.

Newspapers also carried the President's and Ambassador's messages.

Indians greeted each other by sending text messages and updating pictures on social media websites.

India's 66th Independence Day was celebrated by the Indian High Commission in Male as members of local Indian Community in Maldives gathered in the commission premises.-PTI

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GOPIO team to India garners support for Diaspora

GOPIO officials with PM's Principal Advisor T.K.A. Nair, L-R: Inder Singh, Nair (PMO), K N Gupta, Ashook Ramsaran India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: As part of the continuing effort to promote and address the interests and concerns of the Indian Diaspora, a delegation of the Global Organization of Indian Origin (GOPIO Int'l) executives held substantive and productive meetings with several prominent officials of the

ration with Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2013 in Kochi, India.

GOPIO delegation meeting with Dr Karan Singh, President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was helpful in the promotion of GCC programs worldwide, as well as encouraging Diaspora youths to take ad-

GOPIO officials with MOIA Minister Vayalar Ravi. L-R: K. N. Gupta, Inder Singh, Minister Ravi, Ashook Ramsaran

Sawhney who also wrote of her father's history in the Gadar Freedom Movement. Prof. Nisha Dube, Vice Chancellor of Barkatullah University in Bhopal, also plans a GGCC seminar or lecture series in 2013, as well other programs to commemorate India's freedom movement. Barkatullah University was named after Maulvi Barkatullah, a Gadar hero.

ner with OIFC and plans on partnering with CII and FICCI on several Diaspora projects of mutual interest.

At a meeting with Baleshwar Agrawal, General Secretary of Antarashtriya Sahyog Parishad, it was agreed that GOPIO would provide information and references for a library in honor of the late Dr Cheddi Jagan, former president of Guyana. Later a visit was

Each of India's foreign missions will be directed to mark the Gadar Centennial in the same manner as other significant historic events, such as the birthday of Rabindranath Tagore.

MEA Additional Secretary, Basant Gupta, also met with the GOPIO delegation and expressed support for GGCC. A meeting with MP Dr Shashi Tharoor was very productive for GGCC as well as

In Delhi, the GOPIO delegation met with Prof.

Chaman Lal of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Gadar hero descendant Dr Savitri Sawhney who also wrote of her father's history in the Gadar Freedom Movement. Prof.

Nisha Dube, Vice Chancellor of Barkatullah University in Bhopal, also plans a GGCC seminar or lecture series in 2013 GOPIO officials with Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil. L-R: Ashook Ramsaran, Inder Singh, Governor Shivraj Patil, Gadar descendant S.B, Singh and Munish Gupta

Government of India, as well as associated agencies in India. In addition, GOPIO garnered extensive support for its Gadar Centennial Commemoration among government officials, universities, and descendants of Gadar heroes, historians and interested individuals in India.

The delegation included GOPIO Chairman Inder Singh, GOPIO President Ashook Ramsaran, accompanied by Munish Gupta, GOPIO Regional Coordinator (Africa), as well as K. N. Gupta, Director, GOPIO Liaison to Government of India. GOPIO officials presented copies of a new book, Global Indian Diaspora - GOPIO Making an Impact to all officials.

The meetings were held in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Ludhiana starting on August 2 and concluded on August 9. The delegation met with Mr. T K A Nair, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed plans for GOPIO's Gadar Centennial Commemoration (GGCC) worldwide, as well as in collabo-

vantage of ICCR programs and facilities. This meeting was followed by detailed discussions and proposals given to Dr Suresh Goel, Secretary General of ICCR. GOPIO meeting with Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil on January 13 provided support for a GGCC program in Chandigarh. Also attending that meeting was Gadar hero descendant Surinder Pal Singh, a Gadar researcher and writer.

Prof. Arun Grover, Vice Chancellor of Punjab University has agreed to hold a GGCC seminar or lecture series in 2013, and made several worthwhile proposals and recommendations for Indian Diaspora engagement with academia in India.

Prof. Harish Puri, a Gadar researcher and writer of several books offered substantial support for GGCC, including use of books and materials for a planned GGCC exhibit at the PBD in Kochi, India.

In Delhi, the GOPIO delegation met with Prof. Chaman Lal of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Gadar hero descendant Dr Savitri

The GOPIO delegation held meetings on GOPIO collaboration on specific projects with Shefali Chaturvedi, Director at Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Sujata Sudarshan, CEO of Office of Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC), Dr Rajiv Kumar, Secretary General, and Nirankar Saxena, Director at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). GOPIO is a part-

made to the site of Pravasi Kendra which is under construction.

GOPIO would participate in the Diaspora materials, documentation, artifacts, etc., to be housed at PB Kendra starting in 2014 when completion is expected.

Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur expressed support for GGCC and other GOPIO projects. At a meeting with Ranjan Mathai, Foreign Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), it was agreed that GGCC would be substantially promoted.

GOPIO officials with Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur. L-R: Munish Gupta, Inder Singh, Minister Preneet Kaur, Ashook Ramsaran

forthcoming youth projects.

Productive discussions were held with G. Gurucharan, CEO and staff of Indian Centre for Migration (a society of MOIA) on several Diaspora projects in which GOPIO will collaborate. These include GGCC book production, GGCC exhibit, and ethno-graphic studies in the Diaspora, archival preservation, issues confronting the Diaspora and youth programs.

The GOPIO delegation held meetings on wide ranging issues of interests and concerns of the Indian Diaspora with Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), as GOPIO continues to expand and grow with chapters in more cities and countries. MOIA Minister Vayalar Ravi provided encouragement for GOPIO's efforts for GGCC and PBD 2013 where GCC would be prominent.

A subsequent meeting with MOIA Secretary Parvez Dewan developed collaborative steps with GOPIO to include GGCC initiatives in PBD 2013. Key highlights at PBD 2013 will be: (1) an oration, (2) a panel session, (3) an exhibit, and (4) release of Gadar Centennial Book by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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I-Day celebrated with fervor and gaiety

Ambassador Nirupama Rao paying homage to the Father of the Nation at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside the Embassy prior to the Independence Day celebrations at the Embassy Residence on August 15

WASHINGTON: India's Independence Day was celebrated in the US with traditional fervor and gaiety, which involved unfurling the national flag at the Indian diplomatic missions and an event to mark the NASDAQ Opening Bell in New York.

Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, lead the celebrations by unfurling national flag at her residence in Washington, before which she paid homage and floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

Similar functions were held at other Indian diplomatic posts including New York, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and Atlanta and the Permanent Mission of India to the UN. A number of Indian Americans turned up for the events held at the Indian diplomatic missions in the US. This past weekend, thousands of people participated in the Independence Day celebrations across the nation, the largest and impressive ones being held in cities like New Jersey, Iselin, Long Iselin, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago.

India is on its path to become a global power house, a NASDAQ official said on the occasion, as the Independence Day was celebrated inside its headquarters at the top of the Opening Bell.-PTI

Pitching for race conscious admission to universities

Consul General Prabhu Dyal rang Nasdaq opening bell on August 15

Nirupama Rao with members of the Indian Embassy community

SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: The Asian American Institute (AIA) in Chicago, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) in Los Angeles, and over 70 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations, have decided to file an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of raceconscious admissions in higher education.

In October, the Court will hear arguments in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin to determine whether the University of TexasAustin's use of race as one of many factors in its consideration of 25 percent of its total admissions pool is constitutional.

"Allowing colleges to consider racial diversity as one of many factors in a small number of admissions will promote equal opportunity and ensure that quali-

fied but socio economically disadvantaged students of color, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, have access to higher," said Stewart Kwoh, executive director at APALC Equal opportunity in higher education was also before the Court in 2003. Ruling in two University of Michigan cases (Gratz v. Bollinger & Grutter v. Bollinger), the Court upheld as constitutional universities' consideration of race as one of many factors in order to achieve educational benefits only gained through a racially and socio economically diverse student body.

Advancing Justice supports UT Austin's admissions program and disputes that the program harms Asian Americans. The amicus brief demonstrates how all students, including Asian Ameri-

cans, benefit from race-conscious admissions programs that increase campus diversity, promote cross-racial interaction cultural understanding, and prepare all students to be effective leaders in our multi-cultural society.

The brief also challenges the overemphasis on test scores in.

The over 70 groups who joined Advancing Justice's brief include national organizations, local community based groups, advocacy organizations, bar associations, business associations, academic institutions, and student organizations.

These organizations reflect the broad diversity of the AAPI community, including Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander American organizations.

Ambassador Nirupama Rao addressing the guests and reading out the President's Address to the Nation

Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams displayed the Tricolour on board the International Space Station and wished Indians on the eve of their 66th Independence Day

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Secret of Festival of India success RAKESH KAPOOR India Post News Service

FREMONT, CA: What is the secret behind the grand success of the Festival of India and Parade held here every year in the month of August? On the eve of the 20th such event, the organizing team of Federation of Indo Americans (FIA) of Northern California held a press conference where they gave out the secret: commitment and passion!

People come together from different fields with different tastes, different capabilities, different thoughts, different occupations and yet their energy works for the same goal. Their motto is the same and it becomes the synergy which can do wonders.

FIA Chairman and Convener of the event, Dr Romesh Japra was asked, being a practicing doctor and community leader, how could he take on so much burden and do things like the FIA?

At the Press Conference

anything. The dedication should be there to achieve the goals and we have people like Yogi Chugh, Dharmendra, Deepak. They were associated with me when they were really kids and now they

The ladies’ corner

Dr Japra said, "You have to be committed and passionate about

know their job. In the same way we have to catch the next genera-

tion and bring them into the mainstream. We need to form a new line of activists."

Asked about the security of the Hindu Mela and the Hindu Mandir Executives' Conference (HMEC),

said, "We are living in Fremont which is quite safe. We know that the leaders here have kept Fremont till now untouched by these kind of atrocities."

Mayor Gus Morrison nodded

Sonu Sood posing with admirers

in the wake of the killings of Sikhs at the Wisconsin gurudwara, he

saying they have been very alert on these issues here and it will

be the same way now. The third time Mayor has been a member of Fremont City Council for the last 25 years.

He said, "I have been watching FIA Festival for the last many years and day by day, the number of visitors is increasing. I really appreciate the way you people handle it. It is a lot of work and pretty hard to put together all the things.

Deepak Chhabra: FIA is getting bigger and bigger every year so how we can make it bigger in Fremont?

Gus: It is like a balloon, you press it here it will pop up there.

But still we can see the possibilities.

FIA President Rajesh Verma said that FIA is now 20 years young. "This whole body is a youth body. We always talk about the next generation in our meetings. HMEC agenda also has it and I am happy that this year's Grand Marshall Sonu Sood is a strong person and is from the next generation. He is smart and dynamic."

Vice Mayor Anu Natarajan said, "I see the 20th FIA Independence Day as a wonderful opportunity to pass on the heritage and values to the next generation. It showcases your tradition and culture.

Me and my family always wait for this festival and not even me, my sister calls from India every time to know who is going to be the Grand Marshal!"

FIA activist and Commissioner for Alameda County Kamal Nair said, "FIA is 20 years old and I am with FIA and Dr Japra's dedicated team for the last 19 years head-tohead. I love to work with the young generation. That is the age when they can adopt the culture and that can be carried on in their life."

You guys are keeping our culture alive: Sonu Sood RAKESH KAPOOR

FREMONT: People have loved the selection of young and dynamic actor Sonu Sood of Dabangg fame as the Grand Marshal this year. At the press conference, I asked him: As an actor what message you will like to give to the fellow Indians back in India?

Sonu: People here are more connected. There you have lot of celebrations but they look so scattered. They are not much focused. Here the way you are doing it is really commendable.

RK: Everybody knows that you have worked in different roles,

you are a versatile actor. You have worked in many languages like Hindi, Telugu Tamil, Kannada, so what is your next language?

Sonu: My next language will be Punjabi. I have been approached by some Punjabi directors to act in their movies and I have said yes to them as I belong to Punjab.

There is a Punjabi Film Festival to take place and I am participating in that.

This is my second visit to US Bay Area. My friend Param brought me here, in fact he invited me the first time. I never realized

that things can be done so nicely here and that too so far from India. You guys are keeping our culture alive by organizing events like Festival of India or Hindu Mela or HMEC. Thums up for what you guys are doing here.

We used to struggle in Bollywood, then in Tollywood, but it is cool here. I am planning to struggle in Hollywood now!

Sonu Sood with Dr Japra

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Interfaith community holds memorial for shooting victims India Post News Service

WASHINGTON, DC: Hundreds from many different faiths gathered in solidarity on Saturday August 11 for an act of healing at a vigil organized by the Siva Vishnu Temple and the United Hindu Jain Temples of Washington, D.C. and co-sponsored by the Hindu American Seva Charities. The memorial for the victims of the shooting at a Sikh Gurudwara in Oak Creek, Wis. was held at the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Md. "We all share the sorrow of our Sikh brothers and sisters at this time of need," said Dr. Suryanarana Siram, chair of the board of trustees of SSVT. "We must pull together as one community."

"Events like this bring all religious people together to show support and solidarity," added

Community members stand to honor victims of the shooting at a Sikh gurudwara in OakCreek, Wisconisn.

PIcs Ashwani Ramamurthy, Volunteer, SSVT

Indian Ambassador Nirupama Roy speaks about the Obama Administration's outreach in the aftermath of the tragedy

Mythili Bachu, president of the United Hindu Jain Temples of Washington D.C., which has 14 temples in the surrounding area.

"It also presents an opportunity to educate the community and take us out of ignorance. The Obama Administration has done a superb job. It's a comfort to know that they are just there."

Indian ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao spoke at the event, citing President Barack Obama's outreach to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh following the tragedy.

Gautam Raghavan, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement repeated the president's thoughts and prayers and Lt. Ravi Chaudhary reflected on the important role Sikhs have played in defending America.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas Genslar commended the Sikh community's response to the tragedy, calling it a "teaching moment" - one that shows how to respond to hatred with nonvio-

lence, peace and love.

Representatives from Governor Martin O'Malley's office and the Maryland state legislature joined Attorney General Genslar, sharing

their sympathies and comforts too. Deputy Secretary of State Rajan Natarajan, House of Delegates Majority Leader Kumar Barve and Delegate Aruna Miller were also among the speakers at the memorial.

Shekar Narasimhan of Dunn Loring, Va., a former trustee of the SSVT and a board Member of the Hindu American Seva Charities said the event brought together representatives from a variety of religions - Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, and the Ba'hai faith as well as senior representatives from the White House, Pentagon, Indian Embassy, Maryland state government and the Lanham Police Department.

"The outpouring of support from the interfaith community and political and civic leaders was overwhelming," said

Narasimhan. "This event was pulled off in less than 5 days. It was a ton of work, but well worth it. The victims of the temple shooting in Oak Creek are in our prayers."

Bhai Gurdharshan Singh, a leader in the local Sikh community embraced the outpouring of support, reflecting on the support that was received by Sikhs across the country. "Powerful are not those who destroy. Powerful are those who unite," Bhai Gurdharshan Singh said quoting Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.

Sikh priests from the Silver Spring Gurudwara led the audience in the singing of Kirtans, holy prayer songs. Jessie Singh, chair of the South Asian Commission, and Sonny Ahuja of the Silver Spring Gurudwara joined in the prayers and reflected on the

Interfaith leaders gather on stage to deliver remarks

tragedy.

Throughout the event, community leaders talked about the importance of understanding the different faiths that exist freely in the U.S. The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington distributed literature about the 11 most prominent religions in the United States, including those represented at the event.

The speakers emphasized the need to engage with one another and promote awareness in the community to prevent ignorance that leads to such acts of hatred in the future.

The event culminated in a viewing of excerpts from the PBS documentary, "The Asian and Abrahamic Religions: A Divine Encounter in America." Jerry Krell, filmmaker of the documentary, prayed with others in the audience. Officers from the Lanham Police Department shared their prayers as well, urging the community to play their part by remaining alert and reporting any suspicious activity.

Bel Leong-Hong, chair of the Democratic National Committee's Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus, was touched by the interfaith gathering.

"It was a moving experience," said Bel Leong-Hong.

Also standing in solidarity with the Sikh community at the event were Acharya Vivek from Chinmaya Niagara, Rizwan Jaka from Next Gen Adult, Clark Lowenstein from the Interfaith Conference, Ahmad Chaudhary from Ahmadiyya, Dr. Hasan Jalisi from the Maryland Muslim Council, Harshit Shah from the Jain Society, Nisim Rubin from the Jewish community and dozens of representatives from the Tamil Nadu, Buddhist, Zorastrian, Catholic, and Ba'hai communities.

Desi News India Day celebrations by Indian Consulate RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: The celebrations of India Day this time in Chicagoland commenced on a low key, speaking relatively. It was reflective of the general mood of the society buffeted by economic woes and global political turbulence.

It used to be the Chicago Mayoral office so far - that is till Mayor Richard Daley headed the City administration - that would kickoff celebrations organizing a reception at Chicago Cultural Center.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

So Cal community celebrates India Independence Day Details on page 19

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August 24, 2012

AIA takes lead in celebrating India Day in Chicagoland

Details on page 14

A-I non-stop Chicago-Delhi to resume from Sept 5 SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Air India services disrupted and routing from Chicago to New Delhi changed as a sequel to the pilot strike may be a thing of the past. The Air India management has announced it will resume non stop Chicago New Delhi flight from September 5.

It is also learnt that the daily non-stop service from JFK to New Delhi will also resume from September 5 while the Newark to Mumbai service has been restarted from August 16.

Air India Economy Class sale fares from JFK, Newark, and Chicago to India are available for departures through November 26.

Sample RT fares for travel commencing by October 31st.

Speakers (L-R) Anil Sharma, Jesse White, Salil Mishra, Ms Dorothy Brown, Naren Patel, Beena Patel

RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Rain or shine, the Indian Diaspora in Chicagoland would not miss attending the celebrations associated with Indian Independence Day. This was once

He underlined the importance of nonviolence as preached by Mahatma Gandhi in liberating India from British yoke and observed that it was equally relevant today

Details on page 16

Need to preserve and promote Sanskrit SURENDA ULLAL & MADHU PATEL

S

anskrit is an Indo-Aryan language of Hinduism and literary and scholarly language of Jainism and Buddhism. Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand.

The oldest scriptures of the Hindus, especially the Rigveda was written more than five thousand years ago in Sanskrit. This qualifies Rigvedic Sanskrit as one of the oldest languages, from which according to Indologists, English and most European languages originated.

Details on page 18

drizzling since morning turned out to be a distraction. The part of the celebration, the cultural program and speeches from the dignitaries, had to be done inside but the main part - the flag hoisting - was done outside as usual with Indian Consul General Mukta

Tomar, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, Cook County Clerk of Circuit Court Ms. Dorothy Brown, Air India Manager Rishikesh Singh, AIA President Salil Mishra and host of other members of the Indian community, actively participating.

The near three hours program was gracefully emceed by Anil Sharma, a former AIA President.

He commenced the program with singing of national anthems of India and America, followed by introducing the guests. Jesse White, in his brief speech, talked about the great collaboration between India and USA in various fields and underlined the similarities in their approach to governance and social justice.

He was followed by Salil Mishra who started his speech paying tributes to those who died at Sikh Gurudwara in Milwaukee a few

Katherine Thorat of Air India distributing Indian national flag to visitors

again in evidence at Daley Plaza in Chicago Downtown with hundred plus members of the community gathered to be part of the Flag hoisting ceremony associated with the celebration of India's 66th Independence Day on Monday, August 13.

Organized by the Association of Indians in America (AIA) Illinois chapter the event would have attracted a much larger number of attendees, including many Americans, but the continued Dignitaries on the podium.

days ago and asked those present to observe a moment's silence in their memory. He underlined the importance of non-violence as preached by Mahatma Gandhi in liberating India from British yoke and observed that it was equally relevant in the present day violent prone society.

Mishra also paid tributes to number of freedom fighters who laid their lives in gaining freedom for India.

He saluted them not only for political independence but also for providing Indians with an opportunity to gain economic independence and make the country prosperous.

The limelight in a way was stolen by Ms Dorothy Brown who donned Indian attire and looked every inch an Indian.

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FIA conducts flag hoisting and parade

Many attend vigil at St Louis gurudwara ASHWIN PATEL

L-R: Ald Debra Silverstein, AID Ameya Pawar, Sen Ira Silverstein Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) conducted flag hoisting ceremony

tional Anthem was sung by Porsha Joyce.

Among the dignitaries present were, Ald Ameya Pawar, Ald Debra Silverstein, State Senator Ira

Ranjit Ganguly also made a brief speech and underlined the importance of India Day celebrations.

The cultural program was the star attraction with performance of

L-R: Ranjit Ganguly, Ajay Agnihotri, Iftekhar Shareef and Sudhanshu ji Maharaj

under the Chairmanship of Ranjit Ganguly at Daley Plaza in the morning on Aug 15 in the presence of 250 plus members, guests and others. National Anthem was played on cassette while hoisting the National flag. American Na-

Silverstein and members as well as office bearers of FIA. President Ajay Agnihotri welcomed all those present while Iftekhar Shareef, a Trustee, recounting FIA history in brief and its achievements. One of the founding members of FIA,

FIA office bearers with invited guests and dignitaries

classical and folk dances of India.

Ananda Dance Theater presented Kuchipudi and Mohini Attam dances. Nitya Dance Theater presented two dances - Ganesh Stuti

Among the dignitaries present were, Ald Ameya Pawar, Ald Debra Silverstein, State Senator Ira Silverstein and members as well as office bearers of FIA

People attending gurudwara vigil

ST LOUIS: It was an evening of unity, resilience and optimism at the Sikh Gurudwara in St.Louis area which opened its doors for all community members for a prayer service and candlelight vigil honoring the six victims of shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.

Close to 150 members of Indian community converged at the gurudwara to show their sympathy to the victims of senseless shooting and also praying for peace to the departed souls. Representatives from Hindu Temple, Gujarati Samaj, India Association of St. Louis, Tamil Sangam and other groups were present for this event.

In remarks prepared for the vigil, Gurchain Sing Tuli, Vice president of the local temple, said, "The Sikh community of St. Louis

Close to 150 members of Indian community converged at the gurudwara to show their sympathy to the victims thanks you all for joining us and holding our hands in these difficult times, giving us courage and hope."

Gypsy and Bharat Natyam Fusion. Bollywood Fusion was presented by students of Barrington High School and Bhangada Hadipa was performed by Chicago Group.

www.indiapost.com The crowd that gathered to watch FIA Flag hoisting ceremony and cultural program

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India Day celebrations by Indian Consulate

Consul General Tomar welcomes guests

CG Mutka Tomar and Marshal Bouton addressing the gathering

RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: The celebrations of India Day this time in Chicagoland commenced on a low key, speaking relatively. It was reflective of the general mood of the society buffeted by economic woes and global political turbulence.

It used to be the Chicago Mayoral office so far - that is till Mayor Richard Daley headed the City administration - that would kickoff celebrations organizing a reception at Chicago Cultural Center. The new Mayor Rahm Emanuel turned the switch off and one of the reasons is budgetary constraints.

The new Mayor rest content with passing a congratulatory message to the Chicago Indian Consulate and greeting Indian Americans at a general celebration organized by the Consulate at the Cultural Center on Wednesday August 15 in the evening.

Congratulatory messages were also sent by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Illinois Attorney General Lis Madigan. Mayor

Emanuel's message was read by Ms Jennifer Cizenr while that from Governor Quinn was read

by Ms Rebecca Sanchez. Netttie Lasko conveyed greetings from Lisa Madigan, the Attorney General. The messages were full of general platitudes praising In-

Consulate in Chicago kept up its years long tradition of holding flag hoisting ceremony at its facility on North City Front Plaza in Chicago Down town this year.

The Indian CG Mukta Tomar unfurled the Indian tri-color with usual pomp, gaiety and dignity associated with the occasion.

Ms Mukta Tomar read out a message from the Indian President.

The Consulate had more colorful celebration in the evening which was attended by over 200

was well appreciated by all those present.

Ms Mukta Tomar, Indian CG, welcomed the guests and introduced the Keynote Speaker Marshal Bouton of Chicago Global Council. In her brief address, she touched upon the recent gunning down of Sikh worshippers at Oak Creek Gurudwara temple and felt that religious freedom is guaranteed both in India and America but the gunning down of innocents in Milwaukee

Taraknath Das Taraknath was an anti-British Bengali Indian revolutionary and internationalist scholar. He was a pioneering immigrant in the west coast of North America and discussed his plans with Tolstoy, while organizing the Asian Indian immigrants in favor of the Indian freedom movement. He was a professor of political science at Columbia University and a visiting faculty in several other universities.

She observed that Immigrants from India faced uphill task in adjusting themselves here.

They put in struggle but did not get integrated with the mainstream society Guests at CG event

dian Americans for their contributions, Indian economic growth, functioning democracy in India and Indo-Chicago ties thru sister city relation between New Delhi and Chicago.

In the morning, the Indian

Majlis artists presenting a show

guests and invitees, many Americans and Chicago elites. The event started with the singing of National Anthems of India and America. Lisa Mishra, a young Indian student sang these anthems in her beautiful voice and

showed we have miles to go to have the goal achieved in practice.

She observed that Immigrants from India faced uphill task in adjusting themselves here. They put in struggle but did not get integrated with the mainstream society. One has to view their problems and struggle, and ease their ways in getting assimilated.

Incidents like gunning in Gurudwara made the task harder, she added. Paying homage to those who died, she requested all to observe a moment's silence.

She mentioned about an Indian revolutionary Taraknath Das who had come to America in early last century to escape British persecution for his fight for Indian independence. His correspondence is now part of Indo American Heritage Museum. She urged all those present to visit the Museum and have a first hand look at the work of

She then introduced Keynote speaker Marshal, Bouton, president of Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She described him as a true friend of India who had visited India more than once.

Marshal Bouton in his address touched upon the strides that India took in the past 65 years and the problems that the country faces now. India notched huge progress in recent years registering a hefty growth rate, he said, but the recent slow down and problems like the blackout in northern part of the country pose challenges and trigger global concern.

The country, he observed, has promises to keep for its teeming youth and less advantaged segment of its population. He struck an optimistic note saying that India would survive the challenge and cited factors supporting his belief or optimism.

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A glimpse of Air India records India Post News Service

CHICAGO: There was a time in the 1950s when it took three days to reach India from USA even by air. The airlines which did the journey in 2 ½ days advertised it very heavily till Air India came on the scene in 1960 with JFK operations.

In that era, flying the 707s, Air India set flying record of under 8 hours Lon-Bom. This was unbroken for a decade to come.

Air India started its journey in 1932 in the hands of J.R.D. Tata, who is fondly referred to as the father of Indian aviation.

In the first year of full operations Tata Airlines flew 160,000 miles, carried 155 passengers and 10.71 tons of mail.

Today they fly over 13 million passengers and transport 174,000 tons.

An all first class express service to London was mounted in 1935. Soon "Slumberettes'' were introduced on this flight.

In 1962 Air India was the first all Jet fleet airline with Boeing 707-437.

Continuing this legacy Air India has ordered advanced B777s and B787s completing modernizing its fleet for international

operations.

New York was connected as early as 1960, Chicago in 1996, while Los Angeles came online in 2004 and Washington in 2009. With the planned induction of 787s west coast operation is a distinct possibility in the near future, as is operations to Australia from India.

From time to time, Air India is required to carry out evacuation of Indian sub-continent nationals due to geo-political developments with recent ones in North Africa, and major ones in the Middle East.

Guinness Book of World Record registers Air India rescue of 111,710 people in 59 days of operation as the largest civilian evacuation.

Air India was the official carrier for the XIX Commonwealth Games held at Delhi in 2010. Air India has 32 Arjuna Awards, 5 Padmashris and 2 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardees on its rolls, besides International cricketing, hockey, chess, shooting, badminton and other discipline stars.

On International Womens' Day, March 8, 2010 Air India's ultra long haul, New York non-stop flight was operated entirely by a women crew complement. On the same day

AIA takes lead in celebrating India Day in Chicagoland

AIA audience Cont’d from page 12

She talked about the stupendous growth that India notched in recent years and observed that it has become the fifth largest economy in the world and pitched for closer ties with India.

She reminisced about her recent visit to India and had wholesome praise for the Indian people. She underlined the contributions that Indian immigrants here have made to mainstream society in various fields and observed that a good number of Indian Americans work in her office. "I am proud of their work ethics," she said.

Naren Patel, a former AIA President, talked about various activities undertaken

by AIA and was profuse in his praise for the support that elected officials like Ms

Brown show to the Indian community. He welcomed the new AIA President, his successor, and said that the association would continue to work realizing its goals under his leadership.

Salil Mishra invited Indian CG to say a few words but she disappointed many among those present by not obliging.

Beena Patel, an AIA executive team member proposed a vote of thanks and mentioned the support that the elected officials like Ms Dorothy Brown extended to the Indian community thru their presence and by helping its cause.

Another highlight was a scintillating cultural program coordinated by Beena Patel, Ken Contractor and Hina Trivedi. The items presented covered Spanish style Bollywood dance, Slumber Party dance, Garba and India mix patriotic song.

21 other flights elsewhere in Air India network had the same distinguishing character as the New York operation.

This is merely a glimpse of the varied facets of Air India many of which stay undiscovered by the people, industry and media.

All point to the unity, diversity and social progress of the Indian Diaspora spread across the world.

The unique sub-continent of India with its diverse ethnicity, cultures, religion, history, language and cuisines where the modern blends gracefully with the traditional.

This needs to be experienced even by the Indian Diaspora themselves. And where else to begin but embarking on a journey with Air India.

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A-I non-stop Chicago-Delhi to resume from Sept 5 SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Air India services disrupted and routing from Chicago to New Delhi changed as a sequel to the pilot strike may be a thing of the past. The Air India management has announced it will resume non stop Chicago New Delhi flight from September 5.

It is also learnt that the daily non-stop service from JFK to New Delhi will also resume from September 5 while the Newark to Mumbai service has been restarted from August 16.

Air India Economy Class sale

fares from JFK, Newark, and Chicago to India are available for departures through November 26.

Sample RT fares for travel commencing by October 31st (incl.all taxes, airport and security fees, and fuel surcharges) are $1257.18 from JFK to Delhi, $1201.92 from Newark to Mumbai, and $1,318.58 from Chicago to Delhi.

Fares are $104 higher for departure November 1 to November 26.

There is a weekend surcharge of $52 each way for Friday and Saturday departures, and Saturday and Sunday return flights.

New Indian Consul General Harish felicitated in Dallas BABU TANGELWALA

Seniors of Chicago celebrate India Day

A group of seniors during India Day celebrations Asian Media USA Newly appointed Indian CG Harish felicitated in Dallas by Telugu community. (L-R) Dr. Bhanu Ivaturi, Chalapathi Rao Kondrakunta, Harish Parvathaneni, Mrs. Nandita Parvathaneni and Prasad Thotakura.

DALLAS, TX: Members of Dallas Telugu community gathered to welcome the newly appointed Consul General of India Parvathaneni Harish, at Pasand Irving Restaurant on Saturday, August 11.

TANA President Prasad Thotakura introduced CGI Harish to the gathering as he is the first person of Telugu origin to assume this high position in US consulate history.

Prasad Thotakura and Dr. S. Raghavendra Prasad, former TANA President, felicitated CGI

Harish with a shawl. Manju Kanneganti, TANA SW Regional Representative presented a bouquet of flowers. Chalapathi Rao Kondrakunta, TANA membership promotion Chair and Dr. Bhanumathi Ivatury, TANA Social Services Chair presented a token appreciation to CGI and his wife Nandita. Geeta Damannas, Tantex President and Suresh Manduva, Tantex President-elect also felicitated CGI by presenting a shawl and a bouquet of flowers.

CGI Harish joined the Indian

Attendees at the CG Felicitation event in Dallas

Foreign Service in 1990. He learnt Arabic at the American University of Cairo and passed the examination with distinction. He has served in the Indian Mission in Cairo and Riyadh and headed the post as Indian Representative to the Palestinian Authority stationed in Gaza City. He thereafter worked in East Asia and External Affairs. He also worked as the Joint Secretary and Officer on Special Duty to the Vice President of India. Hamid Ansari.

Harish grew up in Vijayawada, attended NSM Public School, Layola College and graduated from Osmania University, Hyderabad with a Mechanical Engineering degree.

Several members actively participated in Q&A session with CGI Harish. CGI Harish requested the gathering to submit their suggestions, ideas and complaints so that he can serve the community better. CGI Harish thanked Prasad Thotakrua for organizing a grand welcome reception at such a short notice and also thanked all for attending the event.

Chicago: Members of Indian Seniors of Chicago (ISC) met at Manav Seva Mandir on Saturday August 11 for the celebration of Independence Day, Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami and Birth-

anthem, Jana Gana Mana. This was followed by a presentation of a parade encompassing show of mighty Indian Army, Navy, Air force and paramilitary forces besides showcasing events from the struggle for independence as well as cultural traditions of the coun-

Celebrating three events - India Day, Raksha Bandhan and Janmasthami - with Garba

day of senior members.

Bipin Shah, highlighted the importance of August 15, observed that Independence was achieved thru peaceful non-violent resistance and civil disobedience led by Mahatma Gandhi and Indian National Congress. There was singing of Indian national

try were also included.

Around 135 members attended the program. The start was with prayers and chanting of Hanuman Chalisa. Bhajans appropriate to the celebration of Janmashtami were chanted led by Hema Shastri.

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India Post 17

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Lake Cruise embellished by Sudhanshu Ji satsang RAMESH SOPARAWALA & ASIAN MEDIA

Sudhanshu ji Maharaj

CHICAGO: It was an evening to remember not because Kanan Cruises took 150 plus members of the Indian community cruising in Lake Michigan - Chicago but because of the presence of one of the revered saints from India Sudhanshuji Maharaj - and his uplifting spiritual ideas and thought thru Amrit Varsha.

There was never a dull moment as the organizers headed by Sudhir Kumar and Vandana Jhingan had planned the event so beautifully with befitting decoration, elevating bhajans rendered by eminent singers Naresh Ji and Anju Ji, chanting of Sanskrit shlokas by young children, one to one interaction with Sudhanshu Ji and last but not the least, a sumptuous vegetarian dinner served by Shree Restaurant.

The cruise on Michigan Lake was the culmination of four days crowded program organized by Vishwa Jagriti Mission Chicago from August 9 to August 12 at different places in Chicagoland.

There was discourse at Hindu Mandir of Lake County (Grayslake) as well as at Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont; Meditation and Empowerment Workshop at Swami Vivekanand Spiritual Center in Lemont and at Arya Samaj in Hill View, on Friday - Saturday, and Cruise on Sunday.

Sudhanshu Ji was accompanied by his learned daughter Dr. Archika who endeared herself with the Chicagoans with her talks on meditation technique and explanation of Chakras (centers) in human body.

It was highly informative and hence, really exemplary. The cruising culmination was a bit different in that Sudhanshu Ji decided against giving a spiritual address but instead switching it into a question answer session that was enthusiastically participated by a good number of attendees.

Sudhanshu Ji displayed a rare mix of deep spiritual and scriptural knowledge with humor in responding to questions. Talking about destiny and Kama (action)

Sudhanshuji with children

he said that both played an important role in the life of human beings but over-emphasis on Kismat (destiny) should be avoided as Kismat can be changed with righteous action.

To a question on immortality of the soul and the use of the word Mrutatma, he said it was a figure of speech as it referred to a person whose soul had left a dead body. It is opposite to Jivatma re-

"There should be a fine tuning between science and spiritualism as one cannot exist without the other," he said. In this context, he cautioned against hordes of "spiritual" persons descending in America and urged caution against "incompetent" and "half-knowledged" masters. He also decried those who preyed on peoples' fears about the ill effects of planets like Mars-Saturn and shadowy

Sudhanshuji with a group of volunteers

socio religious activities and health related projects. This was in evidence when a good number of young children came forward during the cruise and chanted shlokas in praise of Guru and God. Singers Naren Ji and Anju Ji were in their element singing bhajans, songs and Shabad (a Sikh version in praise of God). The martyrs at the Gurudwara in Wisconsin were remembered and paid

The cruising culmination was a bit different in that Sudhanshu Ji decided against giving a spiritual address but instead switching it into a question answer session that was enthusiastically participated by a good number of attendees Sudhanshuji with Guru Ma and VJM spokesman Sudhir Kumar

ferring to persons still alive. Soul is neither dead nor alive. It is eternal, he said In response to a question on castes as prescribed in Manu Smruti, he said that Manu was a great king and a teacher, and that he did not inject class distinctions among four major groups as all the four groups - Brahmins, Kshtriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras - cohesively performed their functions for the good of the social body (society).

In the same way, humorously he deciphered a Tulsi Ramayan chopai that said that woman, animal, illiterate and low caste chamar deserved beating, and urged not to attach undue importance to it.

In a talk to this paper, he said that India needed a spiritual reawakening as the mad rush for 'consumerism' triggered in a way by scientific advancement was impacting adversely on values.

planets like Rahu-Ketu.

He laid repeated emphasis on picking up socially rewarding programs like spread of education, easy access to health care facilities, helping orphaned children and battered women, etc. Vishwa Jagriti Mission set up in 1991 in India has been rendering yeoman services in spheres of health thru Karuna Sindhu Hospital, complete check up camps, blood donation and eye camps besides running Maharshi Vedvyas Gurukul, organizing food Bhandara, distribution of blankets and host of religious and cultural activities. He said that since inception the health care activities of VJM have helped over 700,000 people without charging fee.

The Chicago based VJM is a national outfit of the parent body in India and it has also been rendering huge service in the spread of education of Indian culture thru

homage with observance of silence. Hari bhajans were sung by Naren and Ram Bhajans by Anju, who were accompanied by Puranji

on Tabla, Anilbhai on Manjira and Narenji on Harmonium. Neha Rathi from Boston, who is a classical singer from India, sang a bhajan.

Narenji sang a bhajan, 'Ganga Tera Pani Amrit'. Tarikbhai Parekh sang 'Ya Vidhi Manko Lagaye Prabhu Ave' and a patriotic song from Jagriti film A singer from Kirtinagar sang a special song for Swamiji: "Vahalere Avinashi, Tera Jivan Hai Din Char." Floral tributes were presented to Sudhanhuji Maharaj by representative from Divya Bhaskar and India Post, Ramesh Soparawala, TV Asia Inder Mohanji, Alok Suri from Shree Restaurant and Suresh Bodiwala, Chairman Asian Media.

There was a dance presented by a small kid Megna Bansal, and shlokas by others Sudhanshuji Maharaj was born on 2nd May 1955 in Himalayan valleys of Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. He would sit for hours in solitude chanting the holy name of the Lord. After the 'light of realization' dawned upon him, he traveled across the length and breadth of the country to have a first hand feel of the spiritual wealth of the land. It seemed like a divine call for him to spread the spell-binding depth of Indian spiritual thought to every corner of the world.

Community Across America

18 India Post

August 24, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Need to preserve and promote Sanskrit SURENDA ULLAL & MADHU PATEL

S

anskrit is an Indo-Aryan language of Hinduism and literary and scholarly language of Jainism and Buddhism.

Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand.

The oldest scriptures of the Hindus, especially the Rigveda was written more than five thousand years ago in Sanskrit. This qualifies Rigvedic Sanskrit as one of the oldest languages, from which according to Indologists,

Atharvaveda, Brahmanas, and Upanishads are traced to this early Aryan history. Scholars are of the opinion that some of the earliest stanzas of Rigveda could have originated in Iran.

The term "Sanskrit" was ethnologically meant as a refined or perfected language. Knowledge of Sanskrit signified social class and educational attainment in ancient India and the language was taught mainly to members of the higher castes, which existed alongside the Prakrit (vernaculars), which

view; however the early Sutras are Vedic. A significant form of postVedic Sanskrit is found in the Sanskrit of the Hindu epics - the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

With the advent of Islam and consequent destruction of the great universities at Nalanda and Taxila, both Sanskrit and Prakrit gradually lost their eminence.

However, because of the determination and endurance of Hindu priestly class, Buddhist and Jain scholarly support there were periodic renewals of Sanskrit. At the

continent. For example, in many parts Bharat vernacular languages were used alongside Sanskrit as the language of literature after the 13th century. And, works in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam Telugu, Bhojpuri in the North and Persian under the Moghuls flourished.

Along with the emergence of the literary use of vernacular languages, Sanskrit continued to be used in literary cultures in India, and those who could read vernacular languages could also

Creativity in Sanskrit continued without break. When the British imposed a western-style education system in India in the nineteenth century, knowledge of Sanskrit and ancient literature continued to flourish

Vedic Sanskrit is the language of the Vedas, a large collection of hymns, incantations (Samhitas), theological and religio-philosophical discussions in the Brahmanas and Upanishads Present day Sanskrit

English and most European languages originated.

Sanskrit literature encompasses a rich tradition of poetry and drama as well as scientific, technical, philosophical and dharmic texts.

Sanskrit continues to be widely used as a ceremonial language in Hindu and Buddhist religious rituals in the forms of hymns and mantras. Spoken Sanskrit is still in use in a few traditional institutions in India. It is closely related to Persian scripture, Zend Avesta.

Seeds of the Hindu sacred writings, such as Vedic texts the Samaveda, Yajurveda,

of Sanskrit as dead language by the neophytes. Sanskrit quite obviously continued to thrive as the classical and philosophic language. Recently it was recognized by the NASA as the most perfect language for use in computers. This will certainly convince most people that it is the most dynamic language. In 2009, Satyavrat Shastri became the first Sanskrit author to win the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award.

European scholarship in San-

was used by Buddhists and Jains to write their sacred documents.

Vedic Sanskrit is the language of the Vedas, a large collection of hymns, incantations (Samhitas), theological and religio-philosophical discussions in the Brahmanas and Upanishads. Modern linguists consider the metrical hymns of the Rigveda Samhita to be the earliest, composed by many authors over several centuries of oral tradition. The end of the Vedic period is marked by the composition of the Upanishads, which form the concluding part of the Vedic corpus in the traditional

Vedic Sanskrit

same time it came to be ever more exclusively associated with Hindu religious priest-craft, despite centuries of a secular aestheticism and by the resurgence of Hinduism during Gupta Period. The reestablishment of Vedic corpus was also attributed to the great Hindu intellectual and scholar, Shankaracharya, born around 8th century A.D. The decline of Sanskrit use in literary and political circles was due to a weakening of the political institutions like Gupta and Shunga dynasties. Sanskrit declined in different ways across the Indian sub-

Samuhika Varalakshmi Vratham at St Louis temple ASHWIN PATEL

read Sanskrit.

Creativity in Sanskrit continued without break. When the British imposed a western-style education system in India in the nineteenth century, knowledge of Sanskrit and ancient literature continued to flourish as the study of Sanskrit changed from a more traditional style into a form of analytical and comparative scholarship.

Sanskrit continued to be used in all forms of rites and rituals as against the perpetual branding

skrit, begun by Heinrich Roth (1620-1668) and Johann Ernst Hanxleden (1681-1731), is regarded as responsible for the discovery of the Indo-European language family by Sir William Jones.

This scholarship played an important role in the development of western philology, or historical linguistics.

Sir William Jones, speaking to the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on February 2, 1786, said.

Cont’d on page 21

MAFS seniors learn of disability benefits HARISH RAO

ST LOUIS: Hindu Temple of St. Louis celebrated Samuhika Varalakshmi Vratham. Over 80 devotees took part in in the pooja with Lakshmi idol and performed Vratham.

On August 1, Yajurveda upakarma was observed early in the morning. A number of devotees performed the thread changing ceremony.

On August 9, the temple celebrated the birth of Sri Krishna for which elaborate arrangements were made. Temple opened all day and until midnight to mark the celebration of Sri Krishna's birth.

Bhajans were performed until mid-

Young Krishna

Devotees doing Puja (Pics courtesy Hindu Temple, St.Louis)

night.

Hindu Temple will be celebrating Shri Ganesh Chaturthi on 19th

Sept, 5 pm and will be holding annual fund raising dinner on 29th Sept, 6 pm.

CHICAGO: Metropolitan Asian Family Services and UMAS seniors recently visited Disability Access Chicago 2012 Expo to get acquainted with the various options and services that the Mayor's Office has launched for the people with disabilities.

The expo was initiated by the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities at the festival hall of Navy Pier and it promoted the independence and inclusion of people with disabilities by showcasing Chicago's wide range of accessible venues, products and services.

Seniors took a keen interest in

various exhibits such as "Reporting Abuse and Neglect of Individuals with disabilities in Illinois."

They learned about the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Seniors also got acquainted with the various civil right laws designed to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities. Many disabled seniors were overwhelmed to hear about such services and products assigned by the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

At the end seniors received free goodies such as ballpoint pens, color pencils, rulers, candies, granola bars from different exhibitors.

Community/California

August 24, 2012

India Post 19

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So Cal community celebrates India Independence Day DILIP BUTANI

ORANGE, CA: The Indian community of Southern California celebrated India's 65th Independence Day on August 12 at the Rupee Room Restaurant, Orange, CA. The beautifully decorated restaurant was filled to capacity. The special guests of honor were Congressman Ed Royce, Mayor Pro Tem Dr Prakash Narain and business tycoon Sunil Tolani. Assemblyman Tony Mendoza couldn't come personally but sent his representative.

dent Amrit Bhandari who welcomed everyone and said few words about the organization. He also recognized the community leaders.

Next, vice-chairman K V Kumar introduced Ed Royce and invited him to speak. Royce condemned the Wisconsin massacre and said this was the worst thing to have happened.

He also mentioned about his trips to India and spoke about strengthening Indo-American relations. Ex VP Ajay Khetani then introduced Dr Narain who spoke about the sacri-

Royce condemned the Wisconsin massacre and said this was the worst thing to have happened. He also mentioned about his trips to India and spoke about strengthening Indo-American relations. Dr Narain spoke about the sacrifices of Indian leaders in achieving independence The program started with National Anthems of USA and India followed by lamp lighting by the guests of honor and Executive Committee members. This was followed by chanting of mantra by Pandit Siddharth Pathak. Next, everyone observed one minute silence, to mourn for victims of the tragic Wisconsin Gurudwara shootings.

Chairman Dilip Butani spoke briefly about India's Independence. He then invited Presi-

fices of Indian leaders in achieving independence. He also praised India's achievements in various fields. He then presented certificates of special recognition to Dilip Butani and Amrit Bhandari. Next, Ex VP Ramesh Ramnani spoke about Tony Mendoza and invited his representative Patrick Sunpanich, who presented the proclamation and certificates on behalf of the Assemblyman.

Dilip Butani then introduced Sunil Tolani, who, on Republic Day, was awarded Busi-

Dr Prakash Narain, Ed Royce, Ramesh Ramnani, Dilip Butani, Amrit Bhandari, Ajay Khetani, Mohan Sharma and Sunil Tolani

nessman of the Year Award. He mentioned that Sunil heads Prince Organization that owns a number of five star hotels including Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Flags-Intercontinental and others.

Sunil wished everyone on the occasion of Independence Day and spoke about his organization's involvement in social work.

Thereafter Ex VP Mohan Sharma introduced executive committee members and the invited guests. Lastly, Secretary Prakash Pancholi thanked everyone and called the artists for the cultural show.

The cultural show started with a Bollywood dance by Karishma Ramnani,

Prerna Chugani and Gehna Chugani; followed by another dance number by Bhumika Pandya and Himali Pandya. Next was a powerful Bhangra dance by Harjot Chahal, Aman Sandhu, Ramneet Ahluwalia & Pravjot Singh and the popular dancers from Gabroo Punjab Group.

Melodious music followed the dances.

The singers were the best ones in Southern California. The popular list consisted of Nauzad Sadry, Ram Tasildar, Bhawna Chawla, Ami Khetani, Sunny Suratsingh and Sunit Gupta. They kept everyone entertained for over two hours. The program was followed by a sumptuous dinner.

Vigil & prayers at Walnut gurudwara NAVIE CHEEMA

(Pics: Harvir Singh Bhatti)

O

n August 5, the world for Sikhs across America was abruptly shaken. There was fear, confu sion and most of all frustration.

Six Sikhs were murdered in their place of worship, Gurudwara, while participating in their daily prayers.

The catastrophic shooting occurred in Oak Creek, Wisconsin while morning prayers were being conducted. In light of

the shooting Sikhs have proven once again that they stand as a strong community that supports each other during their times of devastation. There have been multiple prayers and candle light vigils held nationwide including in California.

On Wednesday August 8, at Walnut Gurudwara prayers and a candle light vigil were held in order to honor the victims of the shooting. It began promptly at 6:30 pm

and included many beautiful shabads and speakers of different faiths, including Judaism and Islam.

The theme throughout the program was unity and equality between all faiths. In order to accomplish this, the gurudwara invited members of mosques and synagogues to come and pray with them. The attendees were blessed with a Jewish hymn and kind words from many non-Sikhs who expressed

their grief about the hate crime.

The representation of members of different faiths helped spread a feeling of respect for people of all faiths. This is the first time that many of those in attendance had been able to experience an atmosphere where all faiths were being respected at the same level.

There was a sense of peace that had settled deep into the event.

Cont’d on page 21

Community/California

20 India Post

August 24, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Educating America on Sikhs by the Sikhs

Ahmadiyyas condemn Sikh temple shootings

LISA ZIMMERMAN

B

India Post News Service

CHINO, CA: The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA has strongly condemned the senseless shooting of innocent worshippers at the Sikh Temple of Oak Creek, Wisconsin near Milwaukee.

"We are deeply grieved by this senseless act of violence against our Sikh brothers," stated Shamshad Nasir, Missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community chapter in Chino, California, in an interview.

"We must strive to overcome these acts of hate and focus our attention on building a broader mind and developing our relationship with others of different ideologies and backgrounds. This is how peace and understanding for others will be established. The Holy Quran condemns these acts of hatred as well. In Chapter 5 verse 33 it states: "Whosoever killed a person….it shall be as if he had killed all mankind: and whoso saved a life, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all man-

kind."

This beautiful teaching of the Holy Quran underlines the value of human life and just how grievous of a sin it is to bring death upon another fellow human being.

This brings to light that all acts of terrorism, no matter in whose name

y now we've all heard about the terrible tragedy which occurred at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin last week.

Even though this couldn't have been prevented, it is important for Americans to know who the Sikhs are. For too long the Sikhs have been equated with Muslim terrorists just because they wear turbans, and especially after Sept 11, the abuse they have suffered has escalated in this country.

Before the Wisconsin tragedy occurred, I didn't even know who the Sikhs were and I have a bachelor's and a master's degree.

Plus I've traveled around the world including India, during my time as a flight attendant on an

they believe they are doing it in, are absolutely forbidden in Islam and these acts of terrorism are, as if we are bringing death to the entire human race. At this time, the Sikh Community is in critical need of the support of the rest of the community, and we are one hundred percent there for them."

Sikhs to educate Americans about their culture. They need to be proactive to help end the discrimination and bullying. Sikhs can make documentary films and show them at college campuses or put on cultural events and parades at various city sites.

They could join inter-denominational groups and run for public office. Until the Sikhs take serious measures to educate the United States about them, America isn't going to educate itself and will continue to bask in the glory of self-imposed splendid isolation - the official US government policy until World War I after the sinking of the Lusitania

by German U boats.

India Day celebrations by Indian Consulate Cont’d from page 14

"We must strive to overcome these acts of hate and focus our attention on building a broader mind and developing our relationship with others”

international carrier.

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting some Sikhs for the first time, becoming good friends with them. Through my observations at Sikh functions and attending gurudwaras (Sikh places of worship), I discovered a wonderful, kind, and giving group of people.

Sikhs are no different than any other major religious group; they believe in one god and doing good works. Sikhs take this a step further: three times a day people can walk into a gurudwara and partake of a free meal.

Writing from an American point of view, I see a great need for

A hefty growth in the past few decades has triggered a huge change in opportunities and expectations for India's citizens, a quiet revolution of expectations should fuel new dynamism for India's growth.

Secondly India had huge diversity - much more than Europe as a whole. While European unity is still a myth, India with its huge diversity is still a nation and functioning democracy. This coupled with the talent and creativity of Indian people should lead the country again to the path of progress, he felt.

Touching upon Indo-US relations, he said that ties are grow-

ing in all spheres of activities economic, political and military.

The governmental level exchange of top people has been on increase of late. Besides, joint military exercises are also a pointer to better

only in Chicago but across the country for bringing about improved Indo-US relations.

Yet another highlight was presentation of cultural program by Majlis. A group of young and tal-

While European unity is still a myth, India with its huge diversity is still a nation and functioning democracy understanding between the two countries. Cultural exchanges and education collaboration opportunities are also on the upside, he observed. Bouton paid handsome tribute to Indian Americans not

ented artists from Chicago land brought alive the memories of old and new Bollywood thru songs of yesteryears and present time. The near three hours event ended with a good dinner to all present.

Vigil & prayers at Walnut gurudwara Cont’d from page 19

After the prayers had been completed everyone proceeded to surround the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag, with lit candles in their hands and a look of hope on their faces.

A candle light vigil is a universal sign of respect and a visual representation of a community coming together to show support and respect for one another. During the ceremony a short prayer was conducted in English in order to honor the departed. It was followed by a moment of silence and reflection. This was a well organized and meaningful community effort and it served a very noble purpose, to show respect and remember those who have lost their lives due to misplaced hate.

August 24, 2012

Community/California

India Post 21

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Need to preserve and promote Sanskrit Cont’d from page 18

"The Sanskrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful structure; more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin, and more exquisitely refined than either, yet bearing to both of them a stronger affinity."

According to Thomas R. Trautmann, after the 18th century wave of "Indomania", i.e. enthusiasm for Indian culture and for Sanskrit, as exemplified in the positions of Orientalist scholars such as Sir William Jones, certain hostility to Sanskrit and to Indian culture in general began to assert itself in Britain in the early 19th century.

The hostility was manifest by a neglect of Sanskrit in British

academia, as compared to other European countries, and was part of a general push in favor of the idea that India should be culturally, religiously and linguistically assimilated to Britain as far as possible. Traufmann considers that

cial lines.

The other was the view, that Indians constituted a "separate, inferior and unimprovable race" arisen out of their self-asserted superiority of the White Race, who took over the realm of sci-

Certain hostility to Sanskrit and to Indian culture in general began to assert itself in Britain in the early 19th century. The hostility was manifest by a neglect of Sanskrit Ricky Gill

this British hostility to Sanskrit had two separate and logically opposite sources: one was "British Indophobia", which he calls essentially on a developmentalist, progressivist, liberal, and non-ra-

ence, industry, education and asserted their leadership, especially after the Industrial Revolution that began changing the economic and political landscape of the world.

Seniors of Chicago celebrate India Day Cont’d from page 16

Chitranjan Desai talked about the two-day tour to Maharishi Vedic City, Fairfield, Iowa and July 14 picnic. Hirabhai Patel gave highlights of the recent 9-day bus tour to Las Vegas, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Next, the celebration of members birthdays in the month of

Sureshbhai Bodiwala, a guest speaker and community activist, spoke on values of volunteering service for humankind by giving various examples. Dr Chandrakant Modi spoke on Hindu/ Jain/ Sikh cremation facilities available for use by the community August were recognized with greeting cards and gift booklets

by Dr. Chandrakant Modi, president of Indian Cremation of Chicagoland. Hema Shastri gave the history, meaning and significance of Raksha Bandhan. Some of the lady

Builders & contractors endorse Ricky Gill

members performed "Garba".

Sureshbhai Bodiwala, a guest speaker and community activist, spoke on values of volunteering service for humankind by giving various examples. Dr Chandrakant Modi spoke on Hindu/Jain/ Sikh cremation facilities available for use by the community.

Jashvant Sheth gave information about the Nand Mahotsav celebration organized in Manav Seva Mandir and asked for observing two minutes' silence in memory of members Rameshbhai Gandhi, Suresh Dalal and recent Milwaukee shooting victims. The meeting concluded with a delicious lunch.

India Post News Service

LODI, CA: Associated Builders and Contractors, a leading construction trade association, has endorsed Congressional candidate Ricky Gill in California's 9th District.

"As members of Associated Builders and Contractors, we are proud to support Ricky Gill for U.S. Congress," said Dave Lagorio of Diede Construction, a Lodibased general contracting firm.

"Ricky has deep roots in the community, a strong commitment to free and fair competition in the construction industry, and a viable plan to create new economic opportunities here in San Joaquin County."

Associated Builders and Con-

tractors (ABC) is a national association with 74 chapters representing 22,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with nearly two million employees. The association supports fair and open competition, free enterprise, freedom of choice for workers concerning union membership and training programs, balanced budgets, and reasonable regulation.

ABC's membership represents all specialties within the U.S. construction industry and primarily comprises firms that perform work in the industrial and commercial sectors of the industry. The Northern California Chapter serves and represents more than 500 companies in Northern and Central California.

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„

Realty Tidbits

Lodha to rope in PEs to fund DLF land buy MUMBAI: India's largest real estate player DLF has signed a binding agreement with Mumbai-based Lodha Developers to sell its 17.5acre NTC mill land in Mumbai's Lower Parel area for Rs 2,700 crore, the two companies said. The deal is expected to be completed by end of October 2012.

To finance the acquisition, Lodha has initiated talks with a clutch of private equity players.

"We have heard from several private equity firms for equity participation in this project. We may induct an equity partner, but may not raise more than 500 crore through this," said Abhisheck Lodha, managing director, Lodha Group, which plans to fund the purchase of the land mostly though internal accruals and some amount of private equity.

According to industry officials, the company is close to receiving financial support from private equity players HDFC Property Ventures and Singapore's GIC.

„ 50,000 houses to be built for urban poor in Bihar PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced that the state government will build 50,000 houses for poor people in 28 towns of the state.

The 50,000 houses would be built under integrated housing scheme, apart from those being erected under the central project Indira Awas Yojana, the chief minister said while handing over keys of 192 newly-built houses here to beneficiaries who are urban poor.

The houses were built in Isopur and Phulwarishrief areas of the state capital.

Kumar emphasized the need for constructing earthquake- resistant houses saying a master plan was being prepared for such houses for Patna city.

He also planted trees on the occasion.

Real Estate 22

India Post

www.indiapost.com

August 24, 2012

Irregularities in land acquisition for Sangrur bypass CHANDIGARH: Scores of landowners, whose land is set to be acquired for the proposed Sangrur bypass, have allegedly discovered that the map of the proposed alignment shown to them in Sangrur SDM's office was different from the actual alignment, which the National Highway Authority of India intended to follow during construction. A plethora of complaints filed with the SDM allege that the alignment has been changed to ensure that the land of several VIPs falls on the either side of the new road.

Delhi to Agra in two and half hours

by Yamuna Expressway

U

ttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated the 165-km Yamuna Expressway, more than five years after the 2003-2007 Samajwadi Party government of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav stalled the project.

He inaugurated it through videoconferencing from his residence in Lucknow, while his uncle and Samajwadi Party general secretary, Ram Gopal Yadav, flagged off the first vehicle from Greater Noida.

Though his party was opposed to the high-speed link between Greater Noida and Agra because it was initiated by Mayawati's BSP government, Akhilesh said: "There is nothing wrong in inaugurating it. The plaque will have our names (he, his father and Ram Gopal Yadav)."

The Rs 1,2839 crore project is set to be the country's longest access-controlled expressway, cutting travel time between Greater Noida and Agra from the existing five hours to two and a half hours.

Speed limits have been set at 100 kmph for cars and 60 kmph for motorcycles and heavy vehicles.

Those found over-speeding will be stopped at one of the three toll plazas, officials said.

"I appeal to the people not to drive their vehicles at more than 100 kmph," the Chief Minister said.

Safety is the focus area, according to Jaypee Infrastructure - who built the road and owns the right to operate it for 36 years.

Kamal Ahmed, vice-president of Jaypee Infrastructure, said: "The expressway has an integrated intelligent transportation

system controlled by an underground fiber optic network. We have placed speed cameras at 31 places to catch over-speeding vehicles. This will be relayed to the toll plazas and the police posts."

gency telephone boxes and display boards, which give instructions to drivers when lanes are closed because of accidents. The entire road is lined with metal beam crash barriers.

The Rs 1,2839 crore project is set to be the country's longest access-controlled expressway, cutting travel time between Greater Noida and Agra The expressway has 25 videoincident detection systems, which relay data to the centralized command centre at Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.

These alert officials during emergency situations such as accidents and breakdowns.

Moreover, there are 164 emer-

The toll plazas have 32 lanes 16 on each carriageway.

Senior Jaypee executives said some work is still pending. "Slip roads (56 km) were to be constructed. We have promised the state government that these will be completed in the next six months.

We will also build hospitals,

schools and vocational training institutes at places such as Jikarpur, Mirzapur, Agra and Mathura along the expressway," Jaypee managing director Sameer Gaur said.

Gaur clarified that no concession on toll rates would be given to farmers of the region.

In Lucknow, the Chief Minister said service lanes must be completed at the earliest. He also reiterated that his government would withdraw court and police cases against farmers who had launched agitations against land acquisition for the project.

Akhilesh, however, made it clear that his government was not in favor of the Ganga Expressway project, which was also conceived by the Mayawati government, to link Ballia in eastern UP with Greater Noida in west.

Himachal road project in 32% cost overruns SHIMLA: Struggling to cope with a completely broken up major road for three years, the US $ 303.43 million World Bank funded Himachal Pradesh State Road Project has run into stiff costs overruns of over 32 percent and is currently being revised for additional financing needs.

A World Bank implementation and status report (June 2012) takes it on record that "the project has experienced significant cost overrun."

"The cost overrun is in upgrading works, afforestation, land acquisition, resettlement

& rehabilitation and utility shifting, Additional financing is being processed for the project," the document mentions.

When confronted with the World Bank status report, HP State Road Project director, Naresh Sharma said to Hill Post, "A case for additional financing to the tune of $ 61 million for completing the state road project is under consideration with the state government."

However, the World Bank papers differ and show that a case for $ 97.2 million (approximately Rs 534.60 Cr cost overrun Rs 55

to one dollar as on August 9, 2012 price) of additional funding is under active consideration. When approved on June 5, 2007, the project that was estimated to cost $ 303.43 million now is being revised to $ 400.63 million costing.

Funding by International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, a World Bank agency, which initially was $ 220 million would now increase by $ 61.7 million to touch $ 281.7 million and the Indian government share from $ 83.43 million to $ 118.93

million, an increase of $ 35.5 million.

The country's share of funding is to be shared by government of India and government of Himachal on a 90:10 ratio basis.

Maturity of the IBRD loan is 20 years, including a 5 year grace period.

Whereas project completion date is June 30, 2013, but the World Banks status report points out that of the 10 contract packages for upgrading 447 kms of state roads, two contracts have got delayed and would go beyond that targeted completion date.

Real Estate Post

August 24, 2012

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Kolkata Metro's ambitious expansion plan

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wenty-seven years after it created history in India, the Kolkata Metro now often disappoints the harried commuter who had learnt to take it for granted. But how about Kolkata's lifeline stretching to 110km from a humble 25km in the next three years?

No matter how stuttering the progress of work sounds, compared to the Delhi Metro, the fourfold expansion is destined to change the life and times for the Kolkata suburbia forever. Add to it the worldclass East-West Metro, which will take one from Salt Lake's Sector V to Howrah in 30 minutes flat, and Kolkata looks set for a new era in public transportation.

The Dum Dum-Kavi Subhas Metro - the country's first - carries 6 lakh passengers a day. You can zip below the traffic chaos at 55kmph and make it from the northern fringes to the southern suburbs in 49 minutes. From one axis, the Metro is well on way to be-

coming a network.

According to former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi's budget speech, five million commuters will avail of the Metro daily by 2016.

In a city where the road space is a measly 6%, this is news to cheer. "If you take a car or bus from Garia to Dum Dum. it can take you up to three hours, that too if the road is not clogged with traffic and rallies. On the Metro , it takes just 49 minutes.

Okay, it's no longer a joy ride it once used to be and you can barely breathe in the maddening crowd, but the Metro will always remain the only option. Its extension is the best thing happening to the City of Joy which has perennial logistic woes. The rapid transit linkages between the city, its suburbs and the airport ‌ What more can one ask for," said Ayan Chatterjee, an executive with a private company.

He isn't the only one to sing paeans to the Metro. Even as the number of car-owning Kolkatans

has jumped manifold since the first Metro rolled out on October 24, 1984, most of Kolkata still prefers the underground.

Gone are the days when it took the Metro 23 years to cover 17km

The extended Metro routes will practically link Barrackpore in the extreme north of Kolkata with New Garia in south and Joka in south-western fringes with Barasat via airport in the north-eastern corner (the extension beyond Tollygunge). There may be land acquisition problems, litigation and other issues that have pushed the deadline to 2016. But

Deshmukh set the ball rolling for city's makeover

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espite being hit by indefi nite delays, the Mumbai Makeover plan announced by Vilasrao Deshmukh during his first stint as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is regarded by many as the precursor for the much-needed vision for the metropolis. With a view to transforming 'Mumbai into Shanghai', Deshmukh had announced mega infrastructure initiatives worth Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2003 to be taken up in the city and completed in the decade that followed. While a large part of the plan still remains on paper, many within and outside the government do not shy away from crediting Deshmukh for initiating the makeover of not just Mumbai, but also its neighborhood.

Factors such as handling a coalition government, internal political resistance and lack of co-ordination among various government agencies in the city came in the way of Deshmukh and his plan, said Narinder Nayar, chairman of Bombay First, an NGO that worked closely with the state government for the implementation of the plan.

"An important breakthrough was the formation of the Empowered Committee that Deshmukh appointed to ensure co-ordination between government agencies and representatives of the private sector. Marine Drive beautification, modernization of the international airport, Bandra-Worli Sea Link, work on the Bandra-Kurla Complex as a financial hub and

preparation of a 40-year concept plan were some of the projects initiated during his tenure. A lot of work still remains due to innumerable delays in sanctions and lack of funding," said Nayar.

In February 2008, at the International Economic Forum (IEF) meet in Davos, Deshmukh had admitted that the pace of infrastructure development was very slow in Mumbai, as a result of which foreign investors were turning away from the city.

Controversies that surrounded Deshmukh's political career during 26/11 and the Adarsh Scam and his subsequent move to Delhi as a Union minister greatly reduced his involvement in the city Controversies that surrounded Deshmukh's political career during 26/11 and the Adarsh Scam and his subsequent move to Delhi as a Union minister greatly reduced his involvement in the city.

Deepak Parekh, chairman of HDFC and member of the Empowered Committee, said despite impediments and bottlenecks, Deshmukh understood the needs

of Maharashtra and the city. "It is sad that vital projects such as Dharavi redevelopment, which were approved during Deshmukh's tenure, are still stuck. From the interaction that I had with him, I could gather that he genuinely had a dream for the city," he said.

Sanjay Ubale, former special secretary for Mumbai makeover plans who worked closely with Deshmukh, said one of the most important changes brought about by him was filling of the financial gap by involving Central funding for Mumbai projects.

"Deshmukh was the first Chief Minister to approach the Prime Minister for funding and got Manmohan Singh's approval for funding under the JNNURM. He also started other vital city projects such as Mithi River redevelopment and improvement of suburban railway system. Failures at the administrative level, court interventions in many cases regarding rehabilitation of project affected persons and lack of political backing are some of the reasons why his vision has not been achieved in the city so far," he said.

Providing impetus to vertical growth of the city was one of the decisions for which Deshmukh was criticized. Deshmukh, with a vision to create more housing, sanctioned various high-rise buildings during his tenure but drew flak for "haphazard growth with local infrastructure development not being in sync".

funds have never flowed this smoothly ever.

The extended Metro routes will practically link Barrackpore in the extreme north of Kolkata with New Garia in south and Joka in southwestern fringes with Barasat via airport in the north-eastern corner. The Rs 4,874-crore East-West corridor interlinks between these stretches, thereby allowing the commuter criss-cross the whole of the city.

Of the extensions, the one between Joka and BBD Bag has been the fastest. It's anybody's guess that the election candidatures of two Trinamool heavyweights Partha Chatterjee and Sovan Chatterjee would have something to do with this very impressive track record. Around 85 % of the piling along this 16 .72 km route, which started two years ago, has been done (till Taratala).

Mamata got the biggest share of accolades by inaugurating the last 8km extension to New Garia (Kavi Subhas). There is no deny-

ing that the Metro got a fresh lease of life during Mamata's stint as railway minister. "The Metro was neglected for more than 25 years till Mamata-ji took the railway ministry's mantle. She has been granting project after project," a senior Metro official said.

Some say Kolkata Metro's leap has been slow compared to the Delhi Metro, which started as late as 2002 but has expanded exponentially. The Metro also faces the wrath of its once devoted passengers when schedules go haywire.

But it must be acknowledged that the passenger density of the Kolkata Metro is 6 lakh for 25km.

This huge load is its biggest adversary and its greatest challenge.

The Delhi Metro, in comparison, has a network of 184 km, covers 135 stations, but carries only about 20 lakh commuters a day. Kolkata Metro, with a base fare of Rs 4, is still our neighbor's envy and perhaps Kolkata's only hope for the future.

UP backs Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor LUCKNOW: In yet another example of the growing bonhomie between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, the UP government has decided to lend full support to the Centre in its bid to set up the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). The corridor passes through the Greater NoidaMeerut-Muzzaffarnagar region in the state. The stretch is part of the 1,483-km dedicated corridor conceptualized to boost industrial growth in the country.

Chairing a meeting of industrial department officials, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav hailed the project as "extremely crucial" for the growth of the state. The project, which envisages setting up of seven investment and 13 industrial regions between Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai and Dadri in Greater Noida, will pass through two investment regions in UP - Greater Noida and

Meerut-Muzzaffarnagar.

The ambitious project also provisions setting up of a dedicated freight corridor to an extent of 150 to 200 km on both sides of the investment region. The project becomes even more crucial for UP because the proposed east-west corridor merges at Khurja, which lies in the state.

In the first phase, the Greater Noida Development Authority (GNDA) has decided to develop Bodaki railway station, Greater Noida-Noida metro rail link, DadriVallabhgarh railway station, Noida, Greater Noida-Faridabad expressway, Logistic park/township and an auto-mart. The authority has also identified setting up of a power plant in the region as a crucial feature.

Yadav said that directions have been issued to GNDA and UPSIDC to identify a site for setting up of a hi-tech integrated industrial township in the region.

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Mashallah: Ek Tha Tiger 2 Abhi Abhi: Jism 2 3 Tum Hi Ho Bandhu: Cocktail 4 Yeh Kasoor: Jism 2 5 Yaariyaan: Cocktail 24

India Post

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August 24, 2012

6 Yeh Jism Hai Toh Kya: Jism 2 7 Saiyyara: Ek Tha Tiger

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ore than her personal life, Kareena 8 Keh Ke Lunga: Kapoor prefers the media focusing on her professional life. At the Lakme Fashion Gangs of Wasseypur Week finale show, she told a reporter she was very upset with the media making her marriage a na9 Chhi - Chha Ledar: tional joke. She wants them (media/fans) to back Gangs of Wasseypur off after a certain point.

"The wedding's on, but beyond a point, I don't 10 Kaafir Andhere: think my fans or media need to know more," said Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi Kareena.

She was so frustrated that she later on questioned the media, "What if we're already married and nobody knew? I could have been married for years and not told a soul."

The focus then shifted to her upcoming flick "Heroine" he has featured in some hit films and awaits the Bebo said, "In my career, there's release of some more big ticket ventures. Katrina been so much failure, that I don't Kaif believes life has been good so far but says think anybody is better prepared she is looking at better times ahead in her career. for it than me. But while this "I hope the best phase of my career is yet to come. movie (Heroine) is not flawless, Everything in my life has happened all unexpectedly.

I know that it will be a success.

So far all has happened for the better. Whatever hapI've seen the film's rushes and pens, it happens for the good only. God has taken I've never looked this good." care of everything so far. Everything will happen in its own time," said the 28-year-old at an event.

Now, she is set to be seen with her former real life beau Salman Khan in Ek Tha Tiger. The movie, directed by Kabir Khan, is a romantic, action thriller.

Katrina feels Salman can't handle the romantic hero avatar beyond a point. "I think right now audience likes him in the action and romantic genres and I think it works also for Salman, (but) beyond a point Salman can't handle the romantic scenes.�

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August 24, 2012

Bollywood

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irector Rajkumar Gupta of Ghanchakkar plans to shoot his lead pair Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan in busy areas of South Mumbai with secret cameras. Such locational liberties with two of the most popular stars in places like Worli, Nariman Point, Colaba and Fort, appears potentially dangerously.

Laughs Gupta, `It is suicidal. I plan to shoot with them in South Mumbai from the second week of September with secret cameras. But I can't predict how secret Emraan and Vidya's impromptu presence on the crowded streets and sites of South Mumbai can be."

Emraan and Vidya need substantial workshop training to face the camera as a loud boisterous Punjabi couple.

Says Gupta, "They play characters they've never played before. It is a challenge to them as much to them. I am sure Emraan will accommodate us as much as possible."

Usually Priyanka Chopra fasts right through Janamasthami

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riyanka Chopra is a Krishna bhakt. Usu ally, she fasts right through Janamasthami.

Even though she couldn't do that this time, courtesy a strenuous dance number she's shooting for one of her upcoming films, we hear she still managed to celebrate Lord Krishna's birthday.

Priyanka was overheard telling one of her crew members that she feels blessed being able to spend Janamashtmi in a unique way. Those on the actress' mobile phone contacts must have noticed the beautiful picture of Lord Krishna that PC had put up, along with an invocation line under it. We hear, after pack up, she performed a special puja at home for the deity, with her family.

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uch has been written about Bipasha Basu's love life recently, but the actor says she has embraced singledom.

She refutes all reports that suggests that she has moved on to greener pastures after her break-up with actor John Abraham last year. "I don't miss being in a relationship at all. I am honestly enjoying the attention because I have never been single for such a long time. I love that I don't have any responsibilities now. When I broke up, I was scared and shaken up with the attention I got. But now, I am back to what I was. I have become outgoing. I now have the luxury of spending time with my friends. Something that I missed doing earlier," says Bipasha.

So is she overwhelmed with the attention she has been getting post her break-up?

"I think it's cute," says Bipasha. "I started getting attention in school, but eventually when the boys would propose I would end up in tears. I was a phattu like that. And all these years, I was in a relationship, I was like a warrior. There are people who believe in harmless flirting, I don't ever do that, even frivolously. I know I will eventually get into a relationship, but love can't be planned. So, right now, I am having the time of my life," she says.

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India Post News Service

Designer Siddhi Vaishnav

NEW YORK: Raw silk, shimmery georgette and elegant chiffon created a regal ambience in the 27Th street studio in Manhattan, as debutante designer Siddhi Vaishnav unveiled her brand new fashion couture line. More than 150 fans came to A Tale of Two Cities, the fashion launch that introduced the world to a brand new luxury line of clothing that blends in trends from Mumbai to New York City.

Clic By Siddhi, founded and

www.indiapost.com conceptualized by Siddhi Vaishnav, weaves the rich tapestries of Southeast Asia with the cutting edge trends of the US & the UK. Clic's modus operandi is affordable affluence, where the luxury of fabrics like raw silk, georgette, and chiffon along with hand-sewn embroidery, beading, and stone work are provided at a reasonable price.

The 21 piece collection includes everything from pre-pleated saris and pant suits with capes, to churidar sets that double as dresses and customized bridal

August 24, 2012

trousseaus. Clic aims to satisfy the needs for fashionistas everywhere, whether headed to a wedding or for a glamorous night out.

Exuding high fashion and class, the label carries the tagline "because life is a red carpet™" so trend conscious clients can fulfill a fantasy sense of celebrity, if only for one night.

"I know many people have the dream of being in the spotlight and living a life full of glitz and glam-

Debutante designer's

as pockets and attached accessories add functionality to the clothing while adding a unique touch to each design.

Siddhi has designed her own clothing since the young age of 14, but with a medical science background, the world of design seemed to be just something to dabble in. The idea for her own line came about when individuals began asking for the apparel she wore at various events and over the course of a whirlwind year, Clic was born.

Using her own unique personal style and combining it with today's self-expressive fashion cli-

haute couture Designer Siddhi Vaishav and Models

our, so I wanted to create a line where I could fulfill that dream for them," says Siddhi Vaishnav of her debut collection. An integral standout in Siddhi's design is the intricate back work that is part of every ensemble. Additions such

mate, Siddhi created Clic's collections to consist of high end ensembles that are designed to be worn at events from red carpets to walking down the aisle to everything in between.

Launch event

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August 24, 2012

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Sapra Ujjwal debuts in web series India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Sapra Ujjwal is the one to be looked out for as this 24 year old director-actor makes his debut in the web series named "The Event Planners". He is also working on his first

something different to the table.

Being well versed in different languages and cultures he has a global perspective which makes him unique. As an actor he believes that an actor's job is not only to play the part he has been given but to make character come alive on the

Sapra Ujjwal

Bollywood film to be out in 2012.

From the streets of New Delhi to Los Angeles comes this talent house! Right from his days in India, acting in theatre to his joining UCLA program for acting, he has been passionate about bringing

screen so that the audience feels that they are living the film and not merely just watching it.

Back in India he has worked with Kapil Dev's NGO and has done theatre for children in rural India and on national and interna-

Debutante designer's haute couture Cont’d from page 26

Inspired by her own ideas and sense of style, Siddhi's debut collection is original and unique; putting Clic in a category of high end labels right off the runway.

A big believer in charity and community, Siddhi has partnered with Baal Dan, a non profit organization that provides education to young children in India. Clic By Siddhi will be do-

Models on the Runway

nating a portion of all yearly sales to the charity. Clic offers the convenience of being able to personalize, rent, or own any of the label's creations.

tional circuit. He has also done stage shows having footfall of over 3000 people and beyond, He

has worked with big names like Ekta Kapoor in Bollywood. He has been part of the NBC show

Outsourced and has directed videos for upcoming MTV artists in London and States.

Horoscope

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August 24, 2012

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Your Weekly Future

by Pandit Parashar

AUGUST 24TH - AUGUST 30TH (November 23 to December 22)

(March 21 to April 20)

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ars in third will help you take some courageous decisions. You will put the worries aside and try to enjoy life. Journey will be good and reenergize every body. There will be many positive and interesting developments in career. Reply will finally come and you will have the opportunity to present your case. Bank balance will grow.

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oney will just keep slipping out of your hands. You may make up your mind and let the project go in order to cut losses. Avoid any discord with spouse. Some uncertainty will clear at work and you will feel relieved. Planets favor those who have been out of job for a while. You may take a short trip with family to a nice place.

(April 21 to May 20)

Y

ou could be charging heavily on cards. Some of you will finally succeed in obtaining a big loan also. People you are working with, will not meet expectation, but have patience with them. You will be spending some quality time with children and help them buy stuff for school. There will be slight change in your earlier travel plan.

(December 22 to January 19)

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trong Venus in angle will revive hopes. There will be strong movement on career front and your worries about a child should go away from now. Health issues if any should be given top priority.

There will be big change in financial situation very soon. Do not give it another thought, accept the offer quickly.

(January 20 to February 18)

(May 21 to June 20)

D

ecision will come and in your favor. Mars in first will make you more health conscious. You will need to stay very calm or will create little mess for your self. There will be improvement on financial front just because of one big payment. You will have the chance to meet many old friends this week. A big move around the corner.

P

lans will keep changing and you may put off an important decision for another time. Keep food on regular intervals in order to avoid further complications. You may have some serious discussions with business or life partner. You will spend lots of money on children. Avoid increasing your liability at this point in life.

(February 19 to March 20)

(June 21 to July 22)

Y

ou are just inches away from breaking the bondages of the past.

Freedom from stress and a better career is nearby. Some of you will be getting ready for the upcoming big move to a better place. You will get some money back from a government agency this week. No harm in trying your hand at lottery.

(July 23 to August 22)

Y

ou will come out clean out of a very tricky situation. Mercury in second will give you many opportunities to make quick bucks.

Some one you knew intimately in the past will make a comeback in your life. Property deal will also close. You will gain more popularity in social circle and will be surrounded by admirers at the party.

E

xpect some interesting developments in life. Competition will reduce as some one will call it quit. Some one lot younger in age will be instrumental in all positive changes. Money wise things will be on the edge but end to problems become visible. You may call an old friend and try to arrange a meeting. Surprise coming via mail.

'Heroine' will catapult Arjun Rampal to bigger league

(August 23 to September 22)

Y

ou will be too excited with the changes taking place at fast speed.

Any error made in a hurry will cost you dearly, so go through twice before you hit the send button. Spouse will start paying more attention to health and may even join a club. Big payment will release the financial pressure. Stay away from any speculation and stocks.

(September 23 to October 22)

Y

ou may have to travel long distance in connection with business.

Hard work will pay off and financial gains will become visible. It will take few more weeks to have the money in pocket. You will be given another chance to prove your point and get the job. You may also win a big favor from a government agency.

(October 23 to November 22)

T

rip will benefit you in many ways. You will write many important letters. Some one close will try to take advantage of your generosity. You may receive a weak offer from a fairly new company. Most of the money will go on family and children only. It will be a good weak if working as a broker. You may make some through stocks.

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

A

rjun Rampal was born on 26th November, 1972 which makes him a Number 8 (Saturn) person in numerology. He is also ruled by Number 3 (Sagittarius - ruler Jupiter) while his destiny number adds up to Number 2 (Moon). Since he is ruled by Number 2, he is automatically ruled by Number 7 (Ketu) as these two numbers always go hand in hand.

"Arjun will now be entering the 40th year of his life which indicates health problems especially on a mental level like acute depression and loneliness" predicts astro numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi. "But luckily, the year 2012 which adds up to Number 5 (Mercury) is going to prove beneficial for Number 8 people and Arjun fits into this bracket directly".

"On the film front, his work in his next release Sudhir Mishra's 'Inkaar' would be appreciated, but it will be Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Heroine' where he's acting opposite Kareena Kapoor that would not only do well at the box office but also catapult him to a bigger league".

"For his temperament issue, I would advise him to wear a 'Pearl' on his smallest finger set in silver to attain mental peace and take his decisions in a cool, calm and a composed way. Also, he should ideally spell his name as 'Arjun Ramppal' to have a greater and long lasting impact" advices Bhavikk.

925-833-7170

website: www.parashar.com

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arkala, a new destination in Kerala, is for those who prefer to do absolutely nothing while holidaying. Due to a spillover resulting from the over saturation of Kovalam, foreigners started coming to the town about six years ago. The trend that started as a trickle became a steady flow within two years.

Today, there is a constant stream of visitors. However, because of the area's comparative inaccessibility, a large influx of 'outsiders' has not happened here. At the Varkala platform, there is no indication that this town is on many a tourist itinerary.

Tourist attractions: What makes the coastline of Varkala exceptional is its landscape. Towering cliffs that stand like silent sentinels, guarding the sparkling waters, back the beach. Highly unusual land formations, the sheerness of the cliffs, and the view from atop, simply astound the visitors.

Shining white sands, cloudless skies touching the blue water and the red soil of the hilltop, coupled with yellowgreen paddy fields, and green coconut trees, make a composite picture of the beauty and awesomeness of nature.

Nature in its pristine glory remains so untouched that to get to the secluded part of the beach, one has to either scramble over rocks during high tide or climb down the cliff.

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August 24, 2012

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What makes the coastline of Varkala exceptional is its landscape. Towering cliffs that stand like silent sentinels, guarding the sparkling waters, back the beach. Highly unusual land formations, the sheerness of the cliffs, and the view from atop, simply astound the visitors

30 India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

August 24, 2012

www.indiapost.com

SITA offers deluxe European & Russian river cruises

India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: SITA World Tours based in Encino, CA. is now providing a strong array of deluxe/ luxury River Cruises, allowing travelers the opportunity to experience the rich histories and mystical waterways of Europe and Russia.

The wide range of European River Cruises takes guests back in time, as they glide over the romantic Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers and stroll through cities such as Paris, Vienna, Budapest and Amsterdam. Other cruise destinations include Istanbul, Bulgaria, Prague, also Spanish and Portuguese regions such as Barcelona, Lisbon and Madrid. Multiple departure cities and dates allow flexibility for travelers. Other cruise destinations include Russia, Vietnam and Cambodia, and new voyages to Africa.

SITA has partnered with AmaWaterways due to the line offering more value added compo-

The most value in booking through SITA World Tours is the fact that SITA is guaranteeing special meal plans to accommodate the (Indian) traveler

nents than any other river cruise company in the industry. Value added programs are free of charge to SITA's clientele and include events such as special wine tasting evenings, folklore and musical performances, life enriching tours and cooking demos.

The River cruise vessels used are state of the art. Select vessels include state rooms featuring Twin Balcony designs as well as floor to ceiling French balconies.

Rooms are built for comfort and include complimentary Internet and Infotainment systems. All ships also include a heated swimming pool or whirlpool, Sun Deck plus many more unique design elements.

The most value in booking through SITA World Tours is the fact that SITA is guaranteeing special meal plans to accommodate the (Indian) traveler. Indian meals are available upon request and a variety of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals and delicacies will be offered.

SITA, with over seven decades of experience as a tour operator, provides deluxe and customized programs to worldwide destinations, including Africa, Asia, India, South and Central America.

Nepal bans trekking alone in Langtang area KATHMANDU: Nepal has banned trekking alone in the Langtang area following growing incidents of foreigners, mostly women, who either disappeared or murdered while trekking solo.

“The government has made it mandatory for trekkers traveling in Langtang National Park area situated in North-East Nepal, to be accompanied by either a trekking guide or a trekker,” the Tourism Ministry said in a statement.

The provision comes into effect from September 1 and it will be applicable in Langtang area only for the time being, the ministry said.

The decision was made in the

wake of growing incidents of foreigners, mostly women, disappearing mainly from the Langtang Na-

A Belgian tourist, Debbie Maveau, 23, was missing for two weeks and later her decomposed body was found at Langtang National Park in June this year tional Park area while traveling alone without the help of a guide.

A few tourists, who went for

trekking in Langtang area in the North-East Nepal disappeared recently and that has tarnished the image of the country, said a Tourism Ministry’s spokesman.

A Belgian tourist, Debbie Maveau, 23, was missing for two weeks and later her decomposed body was found at Langtang National Park in June this year.

Similarly, American tourist Lene Sessions, 22, who was threatened with sexual assault by an unidentified man in December last year while 27-year-old Briton, Zisimos Souflas, had disappeared in April when he was traveling solo in Khumbu region. -PTI

Number of Russian tourists in Goa going up PANAJI: The inflow of Russian tourists to Goa is likely to go up by almost 50 per cent compared to last year’s figure of one lakh arrivals, the Russian Consulate said here.

“The importance of Consulate is paramount since more than 1,00,000 Russian tourists visit Goa annually...The number of arrivals in Goa is expected to be increased to 1,50,000 Russians during the forthcoming season,” Alexey Novikov, Consul General of Russian Federation in Mumbai said here.

Russians became the single largest community visiting Goa,

beating the traditional visitors from UK who had topped the chart all this time.

“The rise in Russians arriving in Goa is because of the troubles in North Africa and Egypt, two of the favorite destinations of the Russian travelers,” Novikov said.

Novikov along with his deputy Alexey Mzareulov were in Goa to pay courtesy visit to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. “ We are very happy that the ties between India and Russia are strengthening through tourism.

These are two big nations which have always stood with each other,” the Consul General said. -PTI

Slowdown in West affects India tourism NEW DELHI: The slowdown in the West has affected the tourism sector as foreign exchange earnings in July registered a negative growth compared to the corresponding period last year.

The number of foreign tourists has also slowed down, with a mere 2.1 per cent growth registered in July as against 10.1 per cent increase in the same period last year.

Foreign exchange earnings during July were USD 1,512 million as compared to USD 1,603 million during July 2011, according to Tourism Ministry data.

The growth rate in foreign exchange earnings in July was minus 5.7 per cent as compared to the growth of 37.8 per cent in July 2011.

Besides slowdown, the decline in growth is partly due to substantially depreciated value of rupees in July as compared to July 2011,

said a senior ministry official.

India attracted 5.25 lakh foreign tourists in July as against 5.14 lakh in the same period last year. For-

The number of foreign tourists has also slowed down, with a mere 2.1 per cent growth registered in July as against 10.1 per cent increase in the same period last year eign tourist arrivals during January-July 2012 were 37.62 lakh as compared to 35.29 lakh in the corresponding period last year. -PTI

Kerala to promote eco-tourism in Arippa forests THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government plans to introduce more facilities for tourists at the scenic Arippa forests in the Western Ghats where travelers get a glimpse of wildlife and a unique ecosystem.

A Rs 42 lakh development program had been chalked out for the tourist destination along the Senkottah highway for the benefit of travelers, a Kerala Forests Development Corporation (KFDC) release here said.

The development plan aims at providing better accommodation facilities at the spot, which would

also be useful for travelers to nearby Thenmala and Mankayam waterfalls.

The existing guest house of the corporation at Arippa would be renovated by constructing more rooms. Night camping tents would also be set up, the release stated.

Members of the local Kani tribe would be selected as guides to help tourists explore the woods in specific locations. Besides Arippa, KFDC hoped to attract more tourists to Thenmala and Mankayam with the introduction of new facilities, which would be launched by this year-end, the release said. -PTI

Travel & Hospitality Post

August 24, 2012

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Varkala: Astounding view of beach from towering cliffs

Varkala natural spring

Varkala Tunnel Cont’d from page 29

With constant use, a path of sorts has been worn into the hill face.

However, the state government does have development plans for its inland waterways that will, in time, have an effect on the growth of Varkala.

Sivagiri Mutt is the samadhi (memorial) of Shri Narayana Guru, spiritual leader and social reformer of Kerala.

A man much ahead of his times, he propagated the idea of one caste, one religion, and one God. His discourses were conducted mainly in and around Varkala.

Located about 2.5 km from the town, on the banks of the Thiruvananthapuram-Shornur canal, Sivagiri Mutt is visited by thou-

Sivagiri Mutt is the samadhi (memorial) of Shri Narayana Guru, spiritual leader and social reformer of Kerala. A man much ahead of his times, he propagated the idea of one caste, one religion, and one God. His discourses were conducted mainly in and around Varkala sands of Hindu pilgrims, annually.

Most people, who visit Sivagiri, also make it a point to go to Janardhana Swami Temple. This temple is situated close to Varkala's beach.

Ironically enough, much before Varkala became known, interna-

Gurez residents demand eco-tourism activities SRINAGAR: The residents of Gurez valley, located near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir, have made a strong plea for opening up the area to eco-tourism activities and construction of a tunnel to ensure connectivity with the rest of the country during winter months.

The demand was made by a delegation led by local MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi during a meeting with the Committee on Environment of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly at the Tourist Reception Centre in Gurez, an official spokesman said here. “ We demand promotion of Gurez as an eco-tourism destination due to its huge scope for adventure tourism,” the residents said. Expressing grave concern over the condition of the road connecting Gurez with other parts of the state through Bandipora district headquarters, the delegation sought its improvement and strongly pleaded for construction of a tunnel from Dawar to Gurez, the spokesman said.

Gurez usually remains cut off from rest of the valley during the

winter months owing to heavy snowfall.

The delegation also expressed its displeasure over the malfunctioning communication system in the area.

While appreciating the Army’s role in countering difficulties that arise from these challenges, the delegation stressed the need for minimizing frisking by them to ensure free flow of tourists.

It also demanded jobs in dam projects, particularly the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project, the spokesman said.

The three-member Committee, headed by CPI (M) Legislator M Y Tarigami, sought detailed information from them about the number of locals, skilled and unskilled, employed in the project.

The Committee said the tourism potential of Gurez can be exploited, which would boost the economic condition of the people of the sub-division.

“The tourism promotion be managed and operated through public participation which will directly benefit the local community,” the committee observed. -PTI

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tionally, for its sandy stretch, the beach, named Papanasam, was already well known to pilgrims in Kerala.

Considered an auspicious site, during the season of Karkkidakavavu, special pujas for invoking departed souls are conducted here.

Varkala and its 3 km stretch of beach beckons the jaded and the travel weary.

How to reach: Road - Varkala can be reached from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. It is about an hour's drive from Thiruvananthapuram.

32

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August 24, 2012

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Health

Line

Lawsuit over false HIV diagnosis settled in DC WASHINGTON: A District of Columbia health clinic specializing in HIV and AIDS has settled a lawsuit that accused a staff member of mistakenly telling a patient he was HIV-positive.

The Washington Post says terms of Terry Hedgepeth's settlement with the Whitman-Walker Clinic weren't disclosed, but the agreement was reached as both sides prepared for trial.

Hedgepeth brought a $20 million lawsuit in 2005, five years after a clinic worker mistakenly wrote in his files that he had tested positive for HIV. The test was negative, but Hedgepeth didn't know that until he decided to seek alternative treatment in 2005.

His lawyer says the misdiagnosis caused post-traumatic stress.

A D.C. appeals court recently ruled that patients given incorrect information from their doctors about a life-threatening illness can sue for emotional distress.-AP

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India Post

STRATHAM, N.H.: The first New Hampshire Health Department clinic to test people for hepatitis C related to an outbreak at Exeter Hospital is opening as a new report cites the hospital for violations, saying it failed to properly maintain supervision over narcotics.

The report by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says syringes were left unattended by nurses at the cardiac catheterization laboratory. The hospital says it has now changed its policy to place syringes in a secure location, where they will remain when medication is not being administered to patients. -AP

Court approves curbs on Oriental medicines SANTA FE, N.M.: The state Court of Appeals has upheld restrictions on drugs and other substances that can be prescribed and administered by doctors of Oriental medicine.

The court ruled that the state Board of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine properly adopted its permanent regulations in 2010.

The rules govern treatments using injection therapies and the intravenous administration of substances, including amino acids and homeopathic medicines.-AP

August 24, 2012

WASHINGTON: Eating grapes may improve blood flow, reduce inflammation and decrease blood pressure in men with metabolic syndrome, a new research has claimed.

Details on page 36

AMA praises contribution of physicians of Indian origin can deny what Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, India's former Minister for Health, had said: "Indian physicians are the best in the world, be it in the US or UK thanks to the basic

First NH testing clinic for hepatitis C opens

www.indiapost.com

Grapes can boost heart health in men

AMA President speaking at AAPI 30th Annual Convention India Post News Service

WASHINGTON, DC: Physicians of Indian Origin have earned a name for themselves through their commitment and dedication to work, skills and expertise, and their profound knowledge of medicine and treatment. They are seen practicing medicine almost at every hospital or clinic, both big and small. No one

No one can deny what Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, India's former Minister for Health, had said: "Indian physicians are the best in the world, be it in the US or UK thanks to the basic education imparted in India" education imparted in India," Echoing these sentiments, Jeremy Lazarus, MD, President of American Medical Association, in

AAPI President Dr Narendra Kumar with AMA President Dr Jeremy A Lazarus

a letter to AAPI dated July 23, 2012, lauded the efforts of physicians of Indian Origin: "We admire AAPI members' initiatives in improving medical education, health care and medical research in their home country, India. We look forward to its accelerated progress in the coming years."

The leaders of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Association of Phy-

sicians of Indian origin (AAPI) applauded physicians of Indian origin for their dedicated service to their patients.

Dr. Lazarus was joined in his letter by Dr. Navin Shah, Founder and Past President of AAPI, Dr. Narendra Kumar, President, AAPI, and Dr. Jayesh Shah, Presidentelect, AAPI & Past Chair, AMAIMG Section Governing Council.

Cont’d on page 37

Doctors target gun violence as a social disease MILWAUKEE: Is a gun like a virus, a car, tobacco or alcohol?

Yes say public health experts, who in the wake of recent mass shootings in the U.S. are calling for a fresh look at gun violence as a social disease.

What is needed, they say, is a public health approach to the problem, like the highway safety measures, product changes and driving laws that slashed deaths from car crashes decades ago, even as the number of vehicles on the road rose.

One example: Guardrails are now curved to the ground instead of having sharp metal ends that stick out and pose a hazard in a crash. ``People used to spear themselves and we blamed the drivers for that,'' said Dr. Garen Wintemute, an emergency medicine professor who directs the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis.

It wasn't enough back then to curb deaths just by trying to make people better drivers, and it isn't enough now to tackle gun violence by focusing solely on the people doing the shooting, he and other doctors say.

They want a science-based, pragmatic approach based on the reality that we live in a society

in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Seven people were killed, including the gunman, and three were seriously injured.

It happened two weeks after the shooting that killed 12 people and injured 58 at a movie theater in Colorado, and two days before a man pleaded guilty to killing six people and wounding 13, including then-

About 260 million to 300 million firearms are owned by civilians in the United States; about one-third of American homes have one saturated with guns and need better ways of preventing harm from them.

The need for a new approach crystallized for one of the nation's leading gun violence experts, Dr. Stephen Hargarten. He found himself treating victims of the Sikh temple shootings at the emergency department he heads

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, in Tucson, Arizona, last year. ``What I'm struggling with is, is this the new social norm? This is what we're going to have to live with if we have more personal access to firearms,'' said Hargarten, emergency medicine chief at Froedtert Hospital and director of the Injury Research Center at the

Medical College of Wisconsin. ``We have a public health issue to discuss. Do we wait for the next outbreak or is there something we can do to prevent it?''

About 260 million to 300 million firearms are owned by civilians in the United States; about one-third of American homes have one. Guns are used in twothirds of homicides, according to the FBI. About 9 percent of all violent crimes involve a gun roughly 338,000 cases each year.

Mass shootings don't seem to be on the rise, but not all police agencies report details like the number of victims per shooting and reporting lags by more than a year, so recent trends are not known. ``The greater toll is not from these clusters but from endemic violence, the stuff that occurs every day and doesn't make the headlines,'' said Wintemute, the California researcher.

Cont’d on page 36

August 24, 2012

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W.Va. anti-obesity mascot turning up across US MORGANTOWN, W.Va.: Health has a superhero, and his West Virginia creators hope the furry green critter called Choosy will someday become as recognizable as Smokey Bear, helping prevent childhood obesity as Smokey Bear helps prevent forest fires.

Years in the making, Choosy is now on posters in Head Start offices around the country. He's got music CDs, including one released last month in Spanish.

At three pediatric clinics in South Carolina's Greenville Hospital Systems, children see him on a DVD that's constantly looping on the waiting room television. They see him again in the paper on the exam table. Then a doctor asks, ``Have you been a Choosy kid?'' ``It's like dosing in medicine: It's double- and triple-dosing the message,'' said Linda Carson, a retired West Virginia University professor who now runs the Morgantownbased health consulting company Choosy Kids LLC. Choosy is the acronym for a message to parents, teachers and everyone else who works with young children: Choose Healthy Options Often & Start Young. But to the preschoolers he's aimed at, Choosy is a colorful and potentially powerful character.

He wasn't born. He's evolved.

Carson first created something resembling a furry green heart, a symbol conveying love and health. ``The professor learned from little boys that Choosy looked like a valentine and was kind of yucky,'' she recalls with a chuckle. ``I got it, but they didn't.''

``Some think he's an alien, although they don't use that word.

They say, `He comes from another planet, a healthier planet, and he's here to teach us,''' Carson said. ``I've heard other kids just say, `Choosy is my friend.'''

Exactly what Choosy is doesn't matter. ``He stands for something,'' she

those trends by focusing on the youngest, most malleable Americans, those who have yet to form bad habits and whose circle of influence is generally limited to family, teachers and health care providers. The thinking is that if children learn to make good choices early on, they'll lead healthier lives, maintain healthier weights and per-

Choosy Kids has trained people across the U.S. and in Europe, Korea and Japan. It's got established relationships with dentists in West Virginia and Maryland, and with Head Start in Springfield, Ill., and the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine So, focus groups led to a redesign. Today, Choosy is a longlimbed creature with the footballshaped head, red ball cap and high-topped sneakers - deliberately unusual and with a limited story line so children can invent their own.

And they do. Some think Choosy is a bug. Many call it a ``he,'' but Carson agrees when little girls proclaim Choosy female.

said. ``His name and his message define him.''

Fifteen years ago, about 54 percent of West Virginians were considered obese, Carson said. Today, that rate is 68 percent. Diabetes rates have more than doubled, too, from 5.8 percent to 12 percent, while hypertension is also on the rise. ``In West Virginia,'' she said, ``we're in trouble.''

Choosy Kids wants to reverse

haps even get their parents to focus on exercise and nutrition.

Recently, Choosy Kids trained dozens of teachers from Monongalia and Kanawha counties in its ``I Am Moving, I Am Learning'' program. It recommends a cumulative 60 minutes a day of structured physical activity in short bursts for preschoolers, along with 60 minutes of unstructured exercise.

The training, which will be rolled out to more West Virginia schools next year, is part of a WVU ``Choose to Change'' project funded by a $4.8 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It encourages teachers to customize the materials and incorporate them into what they're already doing. It can be as simple as using apples to teach both counting and nutrition.

Choosy Kids has trained people across the U.S. and in Europe, Korea and Japan. It's got established relationships with dentists in West Virginia and Maryland, and with Head Start in Springfield, Ill., and the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

Kerry McKenzie, obesity prevention project coordinator at the South Carolina hospitals, is even working with babies 6-12 months old. She helped bring Choosy to more than 1,000 children in Greenville County's Head Start facilities, collecting data on its effectiveness.

In the first year, the signs from 15 Head Start centers were clear: Body mass indices for children in Greenville County either dropped or remained unchanged, McKenzie said, while the BMIs of children in two adjacent counties rose. -AP

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Grapes can boost heart health in men WASHINGTON: Eating grapes may improve blood flow, reduce inflammation and decrease blood pressure in men with metabolic syndrome, a new research has claimed.

Researchers from the University of Connecticut found that consuming grapes can lead to a reduction in key risk factors for heart disease in men with metabolic syndrome: reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow and reduced inflammation.

Natural components found in grapes, known as polyphenols, are thought to be responsible for these beneficial effects.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together - increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist or low HDL (the good cholesterol) and increased blood triglycerides - significantly increasing the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The study recruited men between 30 and 70 years of age with metabolic syndrome.

Participants were randomly assigned to consume grapes, in the

The study showed that for each of the study's subjects, grape consumption resulted in significant decreases in blood pressure, improved blood flow (greater vasodilation), and decreases in a compound associated with inflammation form of a freeze-dried whole grape powder, or a placebo powder, for

four weeks.

Then, following a 3-week "washout" period where neither grapes nor placebo were consumed, individuals were allocated to the alternate treatment.

This allowed investigators to compare the response of each individual to consumption of both the placebo and grapes.

The study showed that for each of the study's subjects, grape consumption resulted in significant decreases in blood pressure, improved blood flow (greater vasodilation), and decreases in a compound associated with inflammation.

"This further supports the accumulating evidence that grapes can positively influence heart health, and extends it to men with metabolic syndrome," principal investigator Dr Maria Luz Fernandez from the University said in a statement. -PTI

Doctors target gun violence as a social disease Cont'd from page 34

More than 73,000 emergency room visits in 2010 were for firearm-related injuries, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

At the same time, violent crime has been falling and the murder rate is less than half what it was two decades ago. And Gallup polls have shown support for stricter gun laws has been falling since 1990. Last year 55 percent of Americans said gun laws should remain the same or become more lenient.

Dr. David Satcher tried to make gun violence a public health issue when he became CDC director in 1993.

Four years later, laws that allow the carrying of concealed weapons drew attention when two women were shot at an Indianapolis restaurant after a patron's gun fell out of his pocket and accidentally fired. Ironically, the victims were health educators in town for an American Public Health Association convention.

That same year, Hargarten won a federal grant to establish the nation's first Firearm Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. ``Unlike almost all other consumer products, there is no national product safety oversight of firearms,'' he wrote in the Wisconsin Medical Journal.

That's just one aspect of a public health approach. Other elements:

''Host'' factors: What makes someone more likely to shoot, or someone more likely to be a victim. One recent study found firearm owners were more likely than those with no firearms at home to binge drink or to drink and drive, and other research has tied alcohol and

Gallup polls have shown support for stricter gun laws has been falling since 1990. Last year 55 percent of Americans said gun laws should remain the same or become more lenient gun violence. That suggests that people with driving under the influence convictions should be barred from buying a gun, Wintemute said.

Product features: Which firearms are most dangerous and why. Manufacturers could be pressured to fix design defects that let guns go off accidentally, and to add technology that allows only the owner of the gun to fire it (many police officers and others are shot with their own weapons). Bans on assault weap-

ons and multiple magazines that allow rapid and repeat firing are other possible steps. ''Environmental'' risk factors: What conditions allow or contribute to shootings. Gun shops must do background checks and refuse to sell firearms to people convicted of felonies or domestic violence misdemeanors, but those convicted of other violent misdemeanors can buy whatever they want. The rules also don't apply to private sales, which one study estimates as 40 percent of the market.

Disease patterns, observing how a problem spreads Gun ownership - a precursor to gun violence - can spread ``much like an infectious disease circulates,'' said Daniel Webster, a health policy expert and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research in Baltimore. ``There's sort of a contagion phenomenon'' after a shooting, where people feel they need to have a gun for protection or retaliation," he said.

That's already evident in the wake of the Colorado movie-theater shootings during a screening of the new Batman movie, ``The Dark Knight Rises.'' Last week, reports popped up around the nation of people bringing guns to the ``Batman'' movie. Some of them said they did so for protection.-AP

Migraines hurt your head, not brain WASHINGTON: Migraines only cause unbearable headaches and are not related to cognitive decline, a new study on women's health has found.

According to a new research

by Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), migraines, which affect about 20 per cent of the female population, are not associated with cognitive decline.

"Previous studies on migraines and cognitive decline were small and unable to identify a link between the two. Our study was large enough to draw the conclusion that migraines, while painful, are not strongly linked to cognitive decline," lead author of the study Pamela Rist said.

The research team analyzed data from the Women's Health Study, a cohort of nearly 40,000 women, 45 years and older. In this study, researchers analyzed data from 6,349 women who provided information about migraine status at baseline and then participated in cognitive testing during follow-up.

Participants were classified into four groups: no history of migraine, migraine with aura (transient neurology symptoms mostly of the visual field), migraine without aura, and past history of migraine. Cognitive testing was carried out in two year intervals up to three times.

"Compared with women with no history of migraine, those who experienced migraine with or without aura did not have significantly different rates of cognitive decline," Rist said.

Previous studies have linked this disorder to an increased risk of stroke and structural brain lesions, but it has remained unclear whether migraines had other negative consequences such as dementia or cognitive decline.

"Compared with women with no history of migraine, those who experienced migraine with or without aura did not have significantly different rates of cognitive decline" "This is an important finding for both physicians and patients.

Patients with migraine and their treating doctors should be reassured that migraine may not have long term consequences on cognitive function," Rist added.

The findings have been published in the British Medical Journal. -PTI

4 more West Nile Virus deaths confirmed BATON ROUGE, La.: State officials have confirmed four more West Nile virus deaths, bringing the total to six in Louisiana.

The Department of Health and Hospitals said 68 cases - 15 of them new - have been detected so far this year. More than half 37 - are of neuro-invasive disease, the more serious form of the virus that infects the brain and spinal cord and can cause brain damage or death. DHH said that's the highest total of neuroinvasive infections in the state since 2006.

The new infections include eight cases of neuro-invasive disease reported in Bossier, Caddo, Concordia, Jefferson, Tangipahoa, Union, Washington and Webster parishes and five cases of the milder West Nile fever reported in Livingston, Orleans, Ouachita and St. Tammany parishes.

Two new asymptomatic cases, where people had no symptoms

and only discovered the infection when they had blood work done for an unrelated reason such as blood donation, were reported from East Baton Rouge and Rapides parishes. ``The increased cases we are seeing this year are a firm reminder that West Nile Virus is a serious disease, and people need to be vigilant about protecting themselves,'' said Dr. Raoult Ratard, the state's epidemiologist. ``We know from 10 years of surveillance that this disease is active in every corner of the state, and people are at risk of getting it regardless of whether cases or deaths occurred in their parishes.

Everyone should own their own health and take precautions against mosquito bites.''

St. Tammany Parish has reported the most West Nile Virus infections so far, with six neuroinvasive disease cases, four West Nile fever cases and one asymptomatic case. -AP

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Researchers find surprises in Lake Tahoe data CARSON CITY, Nev.: An annual report detailing the status of Lake Tahoe's health and clarity has researchers rethinking some long-held assumptions and focusing on trends that may be linked to climate change. ``This last year has defied conventional wisdom in many ways,'' said Geoffrey Schladow, director of Tahoe Environmental Research Center, part of the University of California, Davis. ``The forces that drive the lake are starting to change,'' he said. ``Climate change is one of those forces. The role it's playing is evolving.''

Schladow said researchers were surprised that after the monster winter of 2010-2011, Lake Tahoe's clarity improved last year by 4.5 feet to an annual average of 68.9 feet.

Harsh winters that bring heavy runoff from snowmelt are generally believed to decrease clarity. ``In the past, very wet years have led to decreases in lake clarity, whereas we are now seeing the opposite,'' he said.

Researchers also said that the 2007 Angora Fire on Tahoe's west

shore that burned more than 3,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes has had little effect on the lake's water clarity, another surprise. ``There's always been that fear of wildfire here and what that would do for restoration efforts,'' Schladow said. But the latest re-

Schladow said researchers were surprised that after the monster winter of 2010-2011, Lake Tahoe's clarity improved last year by 4.5 feet to an annual average of 68.9 feet search suggested that ``the system is pretty resilient to the effects of fires and it will self-heal in a matter of a few years.'' ``A bigger fire would have more effects,'' he said, but noted that the data is encouraging.

The 2012 State of the Lake report, released in advance of this

year's annual Tahoe Summit at Edgewood, also calculated for the first time the lake's stability and the energy needed for mixing layers of lake water.

Researchers found that during the past 43 years, the length of time Tahoe waters are stratified during the summer into layers of different temperatures increased by almost 20 days and is likely the result of climate change, the report said. ``During the summer, Lake Tahoe and every lake gets warmer on top, while the bottom stays quite cold,'' Schladow explained. But the ecosystem also requires deep water mixing in the winter when the warm upper levels cool and sink to replenish oxygen at the deeper levels. ``We've been saying for a few years now that one of the consequences of climate change was that this mixing may take place less vigorously or not as frequently,'' Schladow said.

That could change the chemistry at the bottom of the lake, causing the release of nutrients and spur algae growth that clouds Tahoe's clarity.-AP

Health ministry objects to Plan Com draft paper for the sector NEW DELHI: The Health Ministry has raised serious objections to the Planning Commission's 12th Plan draft approach paper for the sector, which proposes enhanced role of the private sector in health care delivery.

Insisting that public spending on health be pegged at least at 2.5 per cent of the GDP, the ministry has said the same should further be enhanced to 2.85 per cent of the GDP by the end of the plan.

The plan panel has suggested merely 1.58 per cent of the GDP spending on health during the 12th Plan.

"We have told the Planning Commission that our endeavor should be to reach 2.5 per cent of the GDP target for public spending on health which should be gradually increased to 2.85 per cent by the end of the plan period," a senior Health Ministry official told PTI. Voicing concerns over the Plan panel's draft paper on health for the 12th plan, the ministry has sought strengthening of the public health system, red flagging the panel's stress on private sector involvement for health care delivery.

"We should not abdicate our responsibility to the private sector without strengthening the public health system.

Health care delivery should depend more on public health infrastructure, with the private sector only supplementing it," the Health Ministry has said in its note to the

Planning Commission.

The note further points out, "the public health system is suffering due to under investment resulting in poor infrastructure and health capacity across the country. The focus in the 12th Plan should be to strengthen the public health system".

The plan panel's proposal to expand

'Health care delivery should depend more on public health infrastructure, with the private sector only supplementing it," the Health Ministry has said in its note to the Planning Commission' the National Rural Health Mission to urban areas instead of setting up a separate National Urban Health Mission has also met with stiff resistance from the Health Ministry.

The ministry has written to the Planning Commission saying though it would welcome an overall National Health Mission, it would not compromise on a uniform rural and urban health missions under the larger umbrella. -PTI

AMA praises contribution of physicians of Indian origin Cont'd from page 34

"The members of AAPI and the AMA stand together to encourage our members to continue the tradition of giving back and participating in organized medicine as leaders for the betterment of health outcomes, medical education, medical research, and legislative advocacy efforts," Lazarus and his colleagues said in the letter.

While reminding the more than 65,000 physicians of Indian Origin, the leaders of the physicians' community said, "It is vital for physicians to not only provide state of the art care to our patients but to give back to our local and global communities."

Praising their long tradition of commitment and excellence, he went on to state, "We admire the philanthropic efforts by our physicians; many of whom are members of both the AMA and AAPI." Enumerating some of their contributions to the larger American and Indian societies, Lazarus said, " Our members have established an unprecedented professional exchange program between the physicians and researchers in the US and India, augmented medical

education curricula and established medical specialties, and emergency services in India, sponsored free medical care in the US and India through free clinics, participated in legislative days in DC, led with exemplary leadership and devotion the AMA - IMG Section and many committees with AAPI."

"It is vital for physicians to not only provide state of the art care to our patients but to give back to our local and global communities" They called upon the large Indian American physicians "to renew or join the AMA and AAPI." And they appealed to the members of these noble organizations to encourage their colleagues to join both organizations in order to "impact the future of medical education and health care."

In Brief Gathering planned at home hit by racist graffiti CONCORD, N.H.: A crowd showed up near a Concord home targeted by racist graffiti for a ``Love Your Neighbor'' rally sponsored by immigrant-led group devoted to building bridges between refugees and their new communities.

Many people wore yellow at the rally, the color of the campaign.

The gathering led by New American Africans was held at the home of an African family that was subjected to the graffiti. The program included songs and words of welcome from community leaders and members.

The family came to the U.S. from Somalia as refugees and has been living in New Hampshire for eight years.

The group held a ``Love Your Neighbor'' event in front of the Statehouse last fall when similar graffiti was found on three other homes occupied by African families. There have been no arrests. ``We need to be always ready to push back when something this horrible, this hideous happens,'' Maggie Fogarty of New American Africans told WMURTV in an interview before the gathering. -AP

Authorities detain 10 in human smuggling probe DENVER: The Colorado State Patrol has turned 10 people over to immigration officials after they stopped an SUV and two people ran from the vehicle.

Two troopers were hurt during the chase, but the injuries were not believed to be serious.

According to KCNC-TV, two suspects ran from the car and into a ravine. One suspect was arrested but police are still looking for the other suspect.

Investigators say a Colorado State Patrol officer noticed a speeding SUV on Interstate 70 west of Denver and suspected people were being smuggled. -AP

Court: NJ student aid bid wrongfully rejected NEWARK, NJ: An Americanborn high school student was wrongfully denied state tuition assistance based on the fact her mother is an illegal immigrant, a New Jersey appeals court has ruled.

Detais on page 40

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August 24, 2012

Lawyers say profiling by Arpaio's office proven PHOENIX: Attorneys who alleged systematic racial profiling in Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration patrols said they proved their case at a trial that ended recently and emphasized that the agency doesn't have adequate safeguards against singling people out based on their race. -AP

BJP alleges Cong, AIUDF encouraging illegal immigration GUWAHATI: The BJP has held the Congress and All India United Democratic Front responsible for the recent clashes in Assam, saying they encouraged illegal immigration and demanded that the Centre should immediately seal the IndoBangladesh border.

"Two parties are responsible for the current situation (in Assam). It is the Congress and the AIUDF who are encouraging illegal immigration for the sake of vote bank politics," BJP national executive member and state spokesperson Sarbananda Sonowal told reporters here.

He said LoC in Kashmir was sealed with electric fencing in one-and-half years and the 1,000 km international border in Jammu, Punjab and Rajasthan were fenced in two years.

"However, the government has not been able to seal the 272 km Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam for 27 years since the Assam Accord was signed in 1985," Sonowal said.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi explains the situation to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in the riot-affected Kokrajhar district of Assam

He said during UPA-I, the then minister of state for home Sriprakash Jaiswal had said over 57 lakh Bangladeshis illegally entered Assam, besides another 50 lakh in West Bengal, 17 lakh in Bihar and 12 lakh in Delhi.

"However, when Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was asked the other day in Parliament

about illegal immigration, he was not able to give any figure. The question is where have all the old data vanished?" Sonowal asked.

The BJP leader urged the government to urgently start work on updating the National Register of Citizens so that names of illegal immigrants could be struck off from voters lists.

During UPA-I, the then minister of state for home Sriprakash Jaiswal had said over 57 lakh Bangladeshis illegally entered Assam, besides another 50 lakh in West Bengal, 17 lakh in Bihar and 12 lakh in Delhi Regarding the allegation that NDA government of A B Vajpayee also took no action against infiltration, he said, "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is in his second term, while Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is serving his third term.

Instead of blaming their predecessors, they should take immediate action." -PTI

Hindu families from Pak cross over to India ATTARI, Amritsar: The third batch of Hindu families from Pakistan crossed over, with members claiming that minority communities were living in oppressive conditions there and urged the Indian government to facilitate immigration of Hindus and Sikhs.

Over 250 Hindus belonging to Balochistan and Sindh provinces, where the community has been the target of extortions, kidnapping and forced conversions, have crossed over to India since August 10 amid reports of exodus following the kidnapping of a Hindu girl was kidnapped in Sindh province.

The fresh batch comprises 14 people of three families including women.

A woman, on condition of anonymity, alleged that the members of minority community "were treated worst then slaves by the fundamentalist groups who kidnap females on gun point".

Struggling hard to hold back her tears, Ramandeep (42) from Balochistan said, "Many worst

A Hindu family from Pakistan arrives at the Wagah border crossing

A woman, alleged that the members of minority community "were treated worst then slaves by the fundamentalist groups who kidnap females on gun point� incidents have occurred with the minority in the Pakistan which cannot be shared publicly for the sake of future of our family".

Mukesh, who was part of the group, said, "Hindu families are

totally unsafe in Pakistan. We can't celebrate our festivals. We can't dream of visiting any of the Hindu temples.

"We can't afford to let our children go out in the streets to play

or mix with other children."

Referring to the kidnapping of the girl in Sindh, another member Vishal said it "had triggered widespread concern among the minority community and after the incident Hindus are aggressively planning for exodus".

He replied in the affirmative when asked if members of the delegation would prefer not to go back to Pakistan in such circumstances.

"Hindu girls after being kidnapped were forced to convert.

The Hindu community in Pakistan is not strong enough to raise its voice... and no doubt any disturbed Hindu family would have sought asylum in India."

Vishal said that Indian government should facilitate immigration for Pakistani Hindus and Sikhs in view of the current law and order situation there, particularly with regard to the atrocities being inflicted on minorities.

The three families run small grocery shops in Pakistan. -PTI

Immigration Post

August 24, 2012

India Post

39

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UK visa: TB screening for Indians soon LONDON: Indian citizens seeking to enter Britain for more than six months will need to be screened for tuberculosis before they are granted a visa, official sources said.

The costs of screening and subsequent treatment will be met by those people applying to come into the UK, the Home Office said, and added that the screening is specifically targeted at migrants from India and 66 other 'high risk' countries.

The tuberculosis screening program is being rolled out in the countries over the next 18 months.

Currently there are screening facilities at British airports, which will be removed under the program.

The measure is expected to save 40 million pounds. The screening requirement will be extended to applications for work visas (Tiers 1, 2 and 5 of the pointsbased system) from September 10 and student visas (Tier 4) from November 1.

Official sources said that preentry TB screening is only required if Indians are traveling to the UK for more than six months.

If the travel is for six months or less, the screening is not required.

They added that TB testing will cost Rs 1,500 (17 pounds) for the diagnostic tests and the certificate will be valid for six months.

However, if a visa applicant tests positive for TB, the person will be referred for treatment and will not be permitted to travel to the UK until that person is tested

as being free of TB. Recent figures indicate that there were over 9,000 new cases of tuberculosis in the UK in 2011, a five per cent increase on 2010.

"The program is targeted at migrants after research showed nonUK born people accounted for three quarters of all new TB cases diagnosed - 20 times higher than in the UK born population", the Home Office said.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said, "Tuberculosis is currently at its highest level in the UK for 30 years.

‘Our findings indicate that immigrants arriving in the UK from countries with high burdens of TB have a high prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection’ Pre-entry screening, followed by treatment where necessary, will help to prevent the risk of TB in the UK and will also save lives".

He added, "Removing screening facilities at airports will save the taxpayer 25 million pounds over ten years and further National Health Service (NHS) savings will be made by preventing the importation and spread of TB in the UK." "The UK Border Agency will

build on existing pre-screening undertaken by international partners including the USA, Canada and Australia, the Home Office said.

Recent research at the Imperial College London suggests that current checks at British airports were failing to detect the latent form of tuberculosis in immigrants arriving from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Professor Ajit Lalvani, Director of the Tuberculosis Research Unit at Imperial College, who led the study, said "Our findings indicate that immigrants arriving in the UK from countries with high burdens of TB have a high prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection, which is strongly associated with tuberculosis incidence in their country of origin".

He added, "UK national guidance for which groups to screen has hitherto missed most immigrants with latent infection. We've shown that by changing the threshold for screening, and including immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, we could pick up 92 per cent of imported latent TB".

The investigators found that a fifth of recent immigrants from the Indian subcontinent and almost 30 per cent from Sub-Saharan Africa are carriers of latent TB and that national screening policy, which does not include immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, has been missing 70 per cent of imported latent TB. -PTI

Fla. court denies 'stand your ground' in fan fight TALLAHASSEE, Fla.: A federal immigration agent lost his ``standyour-ground'' appeal in the stabbing of a rival fan before a college football game in Florida.

A three-judge panel rejected the appeal from University of Miami fan Edward M. Mederos, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with the Department of Homeland Security. He is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon his governmentissued knife.

Mederos claimed he acted in self-defense to protect himself and a friend, federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent Javier Ribas, during an altercation outside Florida State University's

Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee in September 2009. Derek Smith, who was unarmed, was

Mederos claimed he acted in self-defense to protect himself and a friend, F ederal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent Javier Ribas stabbed in the hand. Campus police said all three had been drinking and that Smith was not seri-

ously injured.

A trial judge in Tallahassee rejected Mederos' pretrial claim of immunity under Florida's ``stand your ground'' law, which lifts the common law requirement to retreat before using deadly force in selfdefense.

The law has come under intense scrutiny since neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman claimed self-defense after fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin at a Sanford apartment complex Feb. 26. Police and prosecutors said they did not immediately charge Zimmerman because they could not disprove his ``stand-your-ground'' claim.

Cont’d on page 42

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August 24, 2012

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Mo. woman receives deferral on immigration issue JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.: An English-born Missouri woman, who feared that she would need to leave the U.S. after her 21st birthday, instead has received a deferral that will allow her to stay.

Lauren Gray, of Trenton, has lived in northern Missouri since her parents arrived on an E-2 investor visa when she was 4 years old. However, the visa does not allow Gray to remain in the U.S. after turning 21, so she had been preparing to leave the country. Gray's application to become a permanent resident has been pending for nine years.

Gray and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill announced during a conference call that federal authorities granted a two-year deferral that can be renewed until Gray gains permanent residency.

McCaskill said Gray also would be

entitled to a work permit.

The immigration issue has received significant media attention, and Gray traveled to Washington recently to press her case. ``I was so elated. I was so happy. My future looks really bright now,'' Gray said, speaking from Trenton. She said the past week had been ``kind of crazy.''

Gray studied dance at Stephens College in Columbia and graduated in May. She had a few auditions in Branson and hopes eventually to go to California.

McCaskill, a Democrat facing a difficult re-election bid this year, said she brought up Gray's situation during a conversation with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. ``I am very pleased that she will remain in the only country she's ever

known and continue to be an important part of her community in the years ahead,'' McCaskill said. She added: ``We should be welcoming people like Lauren into our country as opposed to putting up barriers.''

Speaking to reporters at an event in Kansas City, McCaskill said she worked hard to get the deferral with assistance from Republican Congressman Sam Graves. Graves' northern Missouri congressional district includes Trenton.

The Missouri immigration case has played out after President Barack Obama announced a new rule that stops deportation proceedings against law-abiding immigrants who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children. Initially, Gray thought the change would resolve her situation but later was told it would not. -AP

Court: NJ student aid bid wrongfully rejected NEWARK, NJ: An Americanborn high school student was wrongfully denied state tuition assistance based on the fact her mother is an illegal immigrant, a New Jersey appeals court has ruled.

The appellate division of New Jersey Superior Court determined that residency requirements pertained only to the student, finding that the applicant, identified by her initials A.Z., was a U.S. citizen who had spent most of her life in New Jersey.

The American Civil Liberties

Union and a Rutgers University legal clinic, which filed the appeal on A.Z.'s behalf, said the ruling could affect hundreds, and potentially thousands of American-born New Jersey high school students who were wrongfully denied tuition aid based on their parents' immigration status. ``A hardworking U.S.-born citizen at the top of her class should be the future of the American dream, not have her dreams stunted by discrimination,'' said Alexander Shalom, policy counsel for the ACLU's

New Jersey chapter.

As a high school senior, A.Z. applied for a tuition aid grant from the state's Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. Her state aid application was rejected with the explanation that ``her parents are not legal New Jersey residents.''

The three-judge panel determined the authority was wrong in its argument that the student lived with her mother, and by extension, could not be considered legally ``domiciled'' in New Jersey, because her mother, as an illegal immigrant, was not. -AP

Fla. court denies 'stand your ground' in fan fight Cont’d from page 39

He has been charged with second-degree murder and plans to seek dismissal of the charge under the law.

The case drew local and nationwide protests because Zimmerman was not arrested for weeks after the shooting. He says Martin punched him and slammed his head against a sidewalk and he

defended himself.

In the football game case, the 1st District Court of Appeal panel unanimously upheld the trial judge's decision, saying Mederos failed to prove that he was defending himself.

District Judge William Van Nortwick wrote for the panel that the trial judge found witness testimony ``contradicts wildly.'' Mederos

contended Smith was choking Ribas but other witnesses said it was only a shoving match and that Smith was stabbed only after he and Ribas had been separated.

Van Nortwick added that Mederos still could use ``stand your ground'' as a trial defense.

District Judges Joseph Lewis and Ronald Swanson concurred in the opinion. -AP

Crime without punishment CYRUS D. MEHTA

A

dvising a client on how to answer Kafkaesque ques-tions on immigration forms regarding potential past criminality can pose a dilemma for the ethically-minded immigration attorney and the processes raises a multitude of complex issues cutting across various areas of law.

For example, the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, asks broadly "Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you have not been arrested?"

One would be hard pressed to find a person who has never committed an offense for which she has not been arrested. Multitudes of New Yorkers must have committed the offense of jay walking with full sight of a police officer who never bothered citing the offender.

Some states criminalize "fornication" (sexual intercourse between unmarried persons) despite this type of law's dubious constitutionality. New York criminalizes adultery no matter how long ago a person separated from the spouse.

Does an immigration attorney have to plumb a client's sexual past to answer the question on the N400 application? Must the lawyer then also report the client's other past potential offenses such as speeding?

The question on the I-485 application asks more narrowly if one has knowingly "committed any crime of moral turpitude ["CIMT"] or drug-related offense" which did not result in arrest.

Given the heavy litigation in this area, only a lawyer with experience could recognize a CIMT. Under the categorical approach, which requires consideration of the minimal conduct implicated by a penal law, even if one has engaged in "theft," a temporary taking of another's belongings (rather than a permanent one) may not be morally turpitudinous. See e.g. Wala v. Mukasey, 511 F.3d 102 (2d Cir. 2007).

Regarding a "drug-related offense," if your client smoked pot at a concert during college, how do you assess whether the act was a crime within that jurisdiction back then?

In a complex penal law system, requiring the prosecutor to determine the applicable law and demonstrating each element of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, without a lab test can the client know beyond a reasonable doubt that the substance was pot and not say oregano?

ABA Model Rule 3.3(a)(1) states that "[a] lawyer shall not knowingly make a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal or fail to correct a false statement of a material fact or law previously made to the tribunal by the lawyer…" Criminal penalties may attach to a lawyer who knowingly falsely prepares an application for a client. See 18 USC 1001, 18 USC 1546 or 18 USC 371.

Whether a lawyer can be accused of unethical or criminal conduct without knowing that a crime occurred is unclear; an overzealous prosecutor or bar investigator might pursue it.

The question of knowingly committing a crime for which one has never been arrested derives from INA § 212(a)(2), which makes inadmissible one who admits having committed certain crimes.

Thus, a non-citizen, including an LPR, need not have a criminal conviction to be found inadmissible; he or she can be equally snared for having admitted to the commission of a crime.

Yet, the Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") has established stringent requirements for a validly obtained admission: (1) the admitted conduct must constitute the essential elements of a crime in the jurisdiction in which it occurred; (2) the applicant must have been provided with the definition and essential elements of the crime in understandable terms prior to making the admission; and (3) the admission must have been made voluntarily. See Matter of K-, 7 I&N Dec. 594 (BIA 1957). It would be very difficult for an applicant to satisfy the requirements of an admission while completing the form.

The requirements established by the BIA to corral the unwieldy question suggests that it defies a straightforward answer. Even in what seems an obvious admission of crime - your client arrives to sign the form and reports having just killed someone, might she have committed an act of self-defense if she was in a city with a Stand Your Ground law?

This is a revised version of an article that originally appeared in AILA's Immigration Practice News (June 2012). Copyright © 2012, American Immigration Lawyers Association. All rights reserved. Reprinted, with permission, from AILA's Immigration Practice News, (June 2012), available from AILA Publications, http://agora.aila.org.

The author thanks his associate, Myriam Jaidi, for assistance on this article.

Tech News Foreign investors can claim some damage NEW DELHI: Foreign investors having stake in telecom companies whose licenses were quashed

by Supreme Court in the 2G case can seek claim for damages if the promoters are being prosecuted, according to a legal view given to the government.

Attorney General G E Vahanvati, who is learnt to have written to the government expressing this view, however, said that foreign investors cannot claim damages for cancellation of their 2G licenses by an order of the Apex Court.-PTI

Tata says no to retirement package MUMBAI: A handsome retirement package would be a welcome gift to most, but Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata turned down such a suggestion from a Tata Steel shareholder saying the company has "taken good care" of him.

"I am comfortable, company has taken good care of me," he said at the annual general meeting (AGM) of Tata Steel.

He was responding to a shareholder's request to the management to give Tata a "handsome retirement package".

This was Tata's last AGM as Chairman of Tata Steel - a company where he had started his career half a century ago in 1962.-PTI

Black money: Govt to set up 14 overseas IT offices NEW DELHI: The government will set up 14 more Income Tax Overseas Units (ITOUs) to deal with the menace of black money and keep a tab on illegal routing of funds from abroad and parking money in foreign countries.

The Finance Ministry has recently sent a detailed proposal in this regard to the Ministry of External Affairs along with the names of the countries where these ITOUs would be made operational.

India has already established ten ITOUs in its missions at Cyprus, France, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, UAE, UK, USA, Mauritius and Singapore, and the Finance Ministry and the investigation wing of IT department has found the experiment successful as "good" information has been received by Indian financial sleuths in connection with their probes.-PTI

TechBiz 41 India Post

www.indiapost.com

August 24, 2012

European rocket to launch Indian satellite GSAT-10 on Sept 22 BANGALORE: India's latest communication satellite GSAT-10 is slated to be launched from Kourou in French Guiana on September 22.

The satellite will be launched by European space consortium Arianespace's Ariane-5 rocket.

"The upcoming Ariane 5 flight with GSAT-10 and the Astra 2F satellite as its co-passenger is set for September 21 (early hours of Sept 22 in India) from Spaceport's ELA-3 launch complex. This will be Arianespace's fifth mission from French Guiana in 2012 with the heavy-lift workhorse," an Arianespace statement said.-PTI

TCS expands student technology awareness program in US WASHINGTON: Indian software giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is expanding its 'goIT' summer camp for American students, which was first started four years.

TCS's annual goIT program for students is designed to foster high school students' interest in pursuing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Since its beginning four years ago in Cincinnati, Ohio, the goIT program has reached over 2,000 students across numerous districts through in-school workshops and its summer camp. It is now being expanded to Midland, Michigan, TCS said.

"The ultimate goal of our reinvention of Michigan is to provide employers and employees with opportunities for success in the new economy, Michigan 3.0," Michigan Governor Rick Snyder welcoming the TCS program in its state.

"TCS has made a real investment in our young people and in our community through the innovative program, goIT. I look forward to its success in encourag-

ing more students to pursue STEM careers," he said.

At TCS, we know firsthand that to succeed in tomorrow's workforce, students across America must have a solid foundation in STEM and be fluent in the technologies that will power the global economy of the 21st century, said Surya Kant, President, TCS North America, UK and Europe.

career and awareness workshops, and hands-on technology education.

Throughout the school year, over 40 TCS volunteers conducted workshops and other training to introduce students to 'cuttingedge' technologies and provide IT career education. The topics covered include basic programming lessons and technology hot-topics such as Web 2.0, social media

the guidance of TCS mentors and then compete in a series of challenges, such as obstacle courses and automation activities. At the end of the summer camp, students are recognized for their achievements at a Parent-Student award ceremony.

In the coming years, TCS plans to expand goIT program's reach to more high school students throughout the US.

Since its beginning four years ago in Cincinnati, Ohio, the goIT program has reached over 2,000 students across numerous districts through in-school workshops and its summer camp. It is now being expanded to Midland, Michigan, TCS said "That is why we are so proud to expand the goIT program into new regions of the country and extend its benefits to more students and inspire them to discover their potential to be leaders in science and technology," he said.

Free for all students, TCS's goIT program provides in-school IT

and mobile technology.

During the summer camp, students participate in a series of analytical and interactive challenges surrounding the IT industry and specific computer science problems.

The highlight of the camp is a robotics competition in which student teams program robots under

Recent statistics show that over the past decade, university enrolment in STEM-related fields has decreased by over 60 per cent in the US, while in 2012 alone over 150,000 tech jobs are projected to be available leading to roughly 2.5 jobs available for every IT graduate in the US. -PTI

63 foreign proposals approved in single brand retail NEW DELHI: The government has approved 63 proposals of foreign companies, including Louis Vuitton and Marks and Spencer, for retailing in single brand in the country so far.

Various foreign brands are functioning in the retail market for the past few years, Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The single brand labels which plan to strengthen include Dolce and Gabbana, Christian Dior Couture, Marks and Spencer, Louis Vuitton and Hermes International.

In January this year, India

hiked the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap in single-brand retail to 100 per cent from 51 per cent.

"In single-brand product retailing, foreign investment up to

The government said it had received six proposals from foreign brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Promod and Damiani, for singlebrand retail trading with up to 51 per cent foreign equity partici-

In January this year, India hiked the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap in single-brand retail to 100 per cent from 51 per cent.

"In single-brand product retailing, foreign investment up to 100 per cent is permitted 100 per cent is permitted with prior government approval and subject to specified conditions," Thomas said.

pation.

Besides, the two proposals Pavers England and IKEA Group - had been received for 100 per

cent FDI in single-brand retail, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma had said.

No decision had been taken on these proposals, he had added.

"Six proposals (from Fapa Company, Samoa; Promod SAS, France; Tommy Hilfiger, The Netherlands; NA Pali Europe SARL; Brooks Brother Group, USA and Damiani International, The Netherlands), have been received for singlebrand retail trading with up to 51 per cent foreign equity participation," he said.

Till May, the total FDI equity inflows in the single brand retail trade were meager Rs 204.07 crore. -PTI

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Indians dominate foreign investor Ludhiana top contributor in Punjab's income property purchases in Dubai DUBAI: Foreign investor purchases in freehold projects in Dubai are still dominated by Indians who have retained the number one spot since foreign ownership regulations were applied, a new research has revealed.

According to the Real Estate Investment Promotion and Management Centre at the Dubai Land Department (LD), Indian investors have bought a total of 2,153 properties valued at Rs 5,670 crore (3.751 billion dirhams).

Pakistanis are at the second spot for having bought a total of 1,814 properties at Rs 4,400 crore (1.713 billion dirhams).

The research revealed that the total value of direct foreign investments in the real estate sector exceeded Rs 33,300 crore (22 billion dirhams).

The funds were pumped by foreign investors of various nationalities to buy 12,875 properties including buildings, lands, apartments and residential villas during the first half of 2012.

"The real estate sector performance is moving from strength to strength over the past two years.

The market has been attracting more foreign investors, which reflects the solid national economy and its excellent growth potentials," Majida Ali Rashid, Chair-

woman of the Real Estate Investment Promotion and Management Centre, said.

She said British investors bought a total of 1,564 properties, ranking third in terms of the number of purchased units.

Russian and Iranian investors competed for the fourth and fifth

Sultan Al Akraf, senior director of the real estate registration services at the Dubai Land Department, said the figures reflect an ongoing upside trend and a positive growth in the realty market performance.

He said the total value of real estate transactions has exceeded Rs

positions, with Iranians buying 1,057 properties while Russians bought 694 properties.

Saudi investors came sixth in terms of property ownership in Dubai, as they bought 416 units in the first half of the year, followed

by American investors who claimed the seventh position with 415 properties. Canadians came eighth as they bought 329 properties.

95,380 crore (63 billion dirhams) during the first half of the current year, representing a 21 per cent growth over the same period in 2011.

The officially documented results have been achieved through 18,953 transactions, most of which covering sale and mortgage deals, as well as a limited number of lease and mortgage portfolios and other transactions. -PTI

Reliance Life to hire 50,000 advisors this fiscal BANGKOK: Leading private sector insurer Reliance Life will hire nearly 50,000 advisors and 5,500 full-time insurance consultants this fiscal to negate any impact of high attrition and to sustain growth.

The company, part of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group's financial services arm Reliance Capital, plans to hire 5,500 full-time advisors by September 2012 itself as part of its efforts to improve customer services.

Reliance Life Insurance Company (RLIC) is planning to hire over 50,000 advisors this fiscal so that net employee addition remains positive, the company's President and Executive Director Malay Ghosh told reporters here.

The company is also focusing on hiring employees on fixed salary basis to lower the attrition rate.

"We are thinking to provide a minimum fixed salary to advisors, especially in semi-urban and rural

areas, to retain the talent and provide better services," he said, after launching a post-sales customer support initiative by the company, which would be first for any Indian insurer.

Anil Ambani

Ghosh said that Reliance Life has already hired around 7,000 advisors in April and May and the company expects the number to cross 50,000 persons in the entire fiscal, ending March 31, 2012.

The industry is facing high at-

trition rate due to a host of reasons such as slow growth and increased regulation, he said.

The company had a total of about 1.2 lakh advisors as on June 30, 2012, down over 1.5 lakh advisors in the year ago period.

More people left the organization due to challenging environment and changes in regulations, Ghosh said, while adding that the environment would continue to be challenging this fiscal.

"The life insurance industry is expected to have a moderate growth of 10 per cent in new business premium this fiscal. Growth and profitability would be driven by renewal premium from existing customers," Ghosh said.

Reliance Life's total premium (net of reinsurance) in the last quarter ended June 30, 2012 was Rs 810 crore, while total funds under management stood at Rs 18,586 crore.-PTI

CHANDIGARH: Ludhiana has Jalandhar, Sangrur, Barnala and remained at the top in terms of con- Muktsar were found having the tributing to state income with the PCI above state average which highest contribution of 14.92 per was Rs 61,894 while remaining 10 cent in 2009-10. districts were below the state avLudhiana's contribution to Net erage.

State Domestic Product (NSDP) With regard to sectoral compowas followed by Jalandhar at 8.43 sition of district income, he said per cent and Amritsar 7.43 per cent, the contribution of primary and according to district income esti- tertiary sectors declined from 35 mates released for the year 2004- per cent and 42 per cent in 2004-05 05 to 2009-10. to 33 per cent and 41 per cent, reShahid Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district has the highest Per Capita Ludhiana, Amritsar and Income (PCI) in the Jalandhar districts jointly state, the data said contributed 30.78 per cent Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar districts to state income in 2009-10, jointly contributed 30.78 whereas these districts toper cent to state income in 2009-10, whereas gether account for 17.97 per these districts together cent of the area of the state, account for 17.97 per cent of the area of the the data said state, the data said.

Among other districts, the con- spectively, in 2009-10. tribution of Barnala and Faridkot The contribution of secondary districts was minimum at 2.17 per sector has increased from 23 per cent and 2.23 per cent to NSDP cent to 26 per cent and Ludhiana, during 2009-10.

Amritsar, Jalandhar and SBS The SBS Nagar district occu- Nagar observed significant shift pied the first place in the state with in favor of the secondary sector highest PCI of Rs 85,735 in 2009- against primary sector.

10 followed by Moga, Fatehgarh In Ludhiana, particularly, the Sahib and Ludhiana. contribution of primary sector has Gurdaspur district has the low- declined from 22 per cent to 21 per est PCI at Rs 49,807 in the state. cent, whereas the contribution of During the year 2009-10 half of secondary sector has increased state's districts, including SBS significantly from 35 per cent to Nagar, Moga, Fatehgarh Sahib, 39 per cent during the period 2004Ludhiana, Kapurthala, SAS Nagar, 05 to 2009-10, he said. -PTI

Rs 49-lakh penalty on TataAIG Life Insurance NEW DELHI: Insurance regulator IRDA has slapped a penalty of Rs 49 lakh on Tata-AIG Life Insurance Company for violation of various regulatory norms.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has found lapses in various rules, including non-adherence to norms of referrals and preparation of financial statements, by the life insurance company. "...I hereby direct the insurer (Tata-AIG Life Insurance Company) to remit the penalty of Rs 49 lakh debiting shareholder's account within 15 days," IRDA Chairman J Hari Narayan said in his order.

The penalty follows an on-site inspection of Tata-AIG in August,

2010, during which the regulator found violations of the provisions and guidelines of the Insurance Act. The regulator said Tata AIG Life has made certain payments to HSBC Bank and Citibank banks in violation of IRDA's guidelines on Group Insurance policies.

The life insurer, IRDA said, was also been found violating the provisions of the norms while entering into referrals arrangement with non-banking entities and utilizing unlicensed entities.

Further, the IRDA has found lapses in the business promotion expenses under the Corporate Agency guidelines. -PTI

TechBiz Post

August 24, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Samsung launches Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet SEOUL: Samsung Electronics new tablet, unveiled in the United States, is the South Korean electronics giant's latest attempt to wrestle market share from Apple, but is not being heralded as an iPad killer.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet

original 5.3-inch Note smartphone.

Samsung, which Apple accuses of copying the design and some features of its iPad and iPhone, hopes the enlarged version of its popular phone-cum-tablet Note will resonate with consumers, and the device - with a stylus-type pen

launches in the United States, Britain and South Korea, just weeks before Samsung is expected to unwrap its revamped version of the

and split-screen feature - has picked up positive early reviews from tech bloggers.

That said, the price - $499 for

16 gigabytes of memory and WiFionly, the same as the iPad - and competition from increasingly smart phones, have left analysts doubting the new device will see off the iPad. "When you look at the price and overall consumer awareness about Samsung tablets, it's not likely to be a big success," said Park Young, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities in Seoul.

"Tablets are getting cheaper and even Apple is rumored to be preparing a cheaper iPad. Consumers also tend not to spend much on tablets any more as smartphones can do most of the entertainment functions that tablets offer."

Samsung has been keen to differentiate the Note 10.1 from rival tablets, which are primarily used to consume media - highlighting the device's ability to personalize and create. At the launch event in New York, "Moulin Rouge" movie director Baz Luhrmann and fashion designer Zac Posen were on hand to demonstrate how they use the S-Pen stylus in their work.

Singapore hospitality college to open institute in Delhi SINGAPORE: A leading hotel management training college of Singapore is planning to open an institute in New Delhi within the next one year to offer international courses at diploma levels.

"We see India as a major tourism and hotel market requiring international standard trained personals in the coming years and as such we are increasing our focus on off e r i n g courses in these fields to Indian students," Chairman and chief executive officer SHRM College, Hew Tze Yee said.

"We are looking for an Indian business partner, especially with a penchant to train and serve staff for India's hotel and restaurant sector," he told PTI. Hew said once an Indian partner is finalized for the New Delhi campus, SHRM would work out arrangements to offer international courses at diploma levels.

He noted strong demand from young Indians for such technical trainings and their aspiration to work in the tourism and hotel sector both in India and abroad.

"Our aim is to provide a costeffective training college in New Delhi with international courses in Food and Beverage and hotel management," said Hew.

Currently, SHRM has 45 Indian students, mostly from north Indian state of Punjab and some from Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, 39 students from Punjab graduated with a diploma in F&B management from the college.

The 39 were trained in various aspects by the college, which

He pointed out that many students have not been able to progress their courses further to diplomas at the Singapore centre for its high costs. "Our New Delhi campus will help reduce costs for the students as we will be taking our courses closest to their homes," he said.

has been training students from Asia for the past five years in hotel and restaurant management.

"We have especially held the ceremony marking the Indian Independence Day (Aug 15), given the large batch of our students hailing from India," he said. -PTI

India Post

43

44

India Post

Perspective

August 24, 2012

www.indiapost.com

China again 'fingering' peace and tranquility ANIL BHAT

I

n early June 2008, even as China reeled from the severe earthquake and its after shocks and accepted substantial Indian relief material, it piped up a claim on the Northern tip of Sikkim, referred to as the "Finger". The boundary here is demarcated by stone cairns, which the Chinese have objected to. India has told China that it will not allow Chinese troops into the area and that it would mean a breach of the treaty to maintain peace along the border.

This claim preceded then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to China where President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao did not meet him. Analysts say even if Vice President Xi Jinping did meet him, it was only to warn India against supporting the Tibetan cause and pointed linking of Sikkim once again to the border dispute. It means that this visit was nothing but a snub for India. No Chinese leader stated that the issue was settled.

June 16 onwards, a few days after Mukherjee's visit, it emerged from various media reports that Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) vehicle-mounted patrols and "woodcutters" intruded at least one km across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to the Finger area 60 to 72 times over the past six months.

The Chinese hegemonic pattern against India has usually been cartographic and diplomatic, followed by tactical incursions on ground. Following a series of post 1962 violent attacks by PLA at Nathula and Chola in Sikkim in September and October 1967, Indian Army responded vigorously and with artillery, the use of which was sanctioned by no less than the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, herself.

At Sumdorong Chu Valley in Arunachal Pradesh in 1984, Chinese forces realizing that Indian Army would retaliate strongly, eventually cooled down. The agreement on the maintenance of peace and tranquility along the LAC between India and China was signed at Beijing on September 7, 1993.

This agreement ended the 'eyeball to eyeball' confrontation and soon after, late General B C Joshi became the first Army Chief to visit China. He went with a huge brass urn kept in his Regiment, 2nd Lancers, which was 'brought back' from the Temple of Heaven by the British Expeditionary Force, and presented it back to the same temple as a warm gesture. While his visit was a success, it did not stop the Chinese from often entering Indian territory "looking for herbs" - a favorite excuse - or deploying surveillance stations all around India as its 'string of pearls' strategy, or targeting it with their nuclear warheads, also substantially supplied 'by private arrangement' to Pakistan.

In 2003, during then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's visit to Beijing, a PLA patrol came about 16 kms inside Indian territory and intimidated an intelligence agency's detachment claiming that it was on Chinese territory.

On Sikkim, the hegemonic pattern was altered slightly in 2004, when China quietly released a map showing Sikkim as a state of India but never ever issued a statement say-

An Indian army delegation meets its Chinese counterpart on the Indo-China border at Bum-La, Arunachal Pradesh

ing that it has accepted Sikkim as part of India. Four years later, in 2008, China again focused on Sikkim, with a claim on its Finger area, after numerous intrusions.

According to India Defense, dated May 7, 2007 (internet), BJP MP Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal Pradesh made a startling claim that China has moved 20 kilometers into the Indian territory, amounting to 9000 square kms.

"It has been continuing for a long time…I have written to Government of India and raised the issue in Parliament. The Government of India is not accepting the incursion openly. But defense personnel do acknowledge that this is happening and the Chinese are occupying our land." said Rijiju and claimed that MEA had admitted to Chinese occupation of Arunachal Pradesh.

"The Indian Government led by the Congress Party depends on outside support from the Communist Parties of India which have in the past conflicts openly supported China instead of India. Thus the Government is forced to follow indirect orders from

tary Dr LL Mehrotra commented that the discussion was not just crucial and timely, but very well thought out. "Policy cannot move along a beaten track….it needs a thorough study to determine the need for change and the degree of change - from both strategic and tactical view points."

In 1976, when Mehrotra, was Charge-deAffairs, Peking, the agreement to exchange ambassadors - stopped since 1962 - was signed.

According to him, while we mended our fences with China to some extent to maintain peace and tranquility, the Chinese still treat the border as undefined, large chunks of it remaining under Chinese control, and they openly challenge India's claim on Arunachal Pradesh.

Tibet remains the hub of China's nuclear research centers and its nuclear arsenals, which threaten every part of India.

The environmental damage to Tibet, the largest reservoir of water supply to all major river systems of North India, adversely affects India.

Indian soldiers patrolling the Indo-China border

pro-China Communists and go soft on its policy vis-a-vis China", India Defense stated.

Over 140 incursions reportedly occurred in 2007. In September 2007 at Delhi, when Friends of Tibet and India-Tibet Coordination Office jointly organized a panel discussion on "India's China Policy: Need For An Overhaul", former foreign secre-

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh calling it "India's land of the rising sun" and announcing a long overdue development package, preceded and followed again by Defense Minister A K Antony's - the latter to Tawang - provoked a prolonged reaction from China, which had already been smarting after the high level India-US Exercise Malabar-7, with

ships from India, Australia, Japan, Singapore, and the US joining up in Bay of Bengal to practice inter-operability procedures.

Dr Mohan Guruswamy of Centre for Policy Alternatives, describing his visit to China in a talk titled, "The Dragon, and the Elephant" opined that the dragon was a myth and the elephant was real. He observed that replacing MiGs from Tezpur with Sukhois was a signal to the Chinese to stay off Arunachal Pradesh and that India has also raised the budget to the Dalai Lama from 1 to Rs 10 crore.

I spoke to Brigadier (retd) MMS Bakshi, MVC, who commanded the brigade in Sikkim and to Colonel (retd) Amar Singh Assar, who commanded 17 Assam Rifles - both during 1967.

Assar, now bedridden with paralysis, recalled "…the battalion was airmaintained…even the hay for our horses and mules had to be air-dropped…The Chinese used to keep bickering about the platoon strength post at Finger Area and in one of the clashes, seven Riflemen were killed" Bakshi's recollections are indeed interesting. "…So when I took over command of this brigade at Nathula, tensions were at their peak. The Chinese defense works and our positions were facing each other just a few feet apart and both sides were keeping each other under close surveillance.

"There was no formal demarcation of the border at much of the difficult Himalayan terrain separating India from China and Tibet but at the Pass it had always been fairly clearly recognized by both sides from ancient times as the trade route passed through this Pass.

Despite this, one or two spots had somehow become disputed where the Chinese and our patrolling parties differed in their interpretation of the exact alignment even though it did not amount to a matter of more than a foot or two. It was obvious the Chinese were using this ploy on purpose to create an atmosphere of tension and conflict to reinforce their border claims.

"The well known and internationally recognized watershed principle when applied at the local ground level lends itself to conflicting interpretations - which is what the Chinese were cleverly practicing as part of a posture of intimidation. Routine patrolling on each other's home side was accepted as normal activity by both sides but to keep up the pressure, the Chinese often objected to our right to patrol and even going to the extent of asking us to vacate Sikkim which they claimed as theirs, and which formed the theme of their daily broadcasts as well.

"Thus on occasions minor scuffles would take place with neither side ready to give in to a perceived violation of the border even if it was only by inches. Many times the confrontation would take the form of sentries kicking, shouting and yelling at each other which would bring more troops on the scene from both sides. This would result in physical use of muscle power, pushing and pulling, crossing of bayonets and the odd shot being fired in the air.

Cont’d on page 45

August 24, 2012

Perspective

India Post

45

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Yoga wave in west because of science behind it SURENDRA ULLAL India Post News Service

Yoga, the ancient science of physical well being and spiritual practice continues to attract the western mind, especially the people of America. It is widely practiced here, especially by the health-conscious women. Numerous yogis and learned men and women from India contributed significantly for its popularity. Various alternative schools have also sprung up here by the indigenous enthusiasts slightly changing its methods to suit their needs.

United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the world's foremost medical research centers, has released a video which reveals the "science behind yoga".

An NIH release announcing this has said that "there is a growing body of evidence that yoga may be beneficial for lowback pain".

"Due to a growing body of evidencebased research, the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society now include a number of mind and body approaches, including yoga", the release points out.

It states that number of American adults using yoga "is on the rise as mind and body therapies are becoming increasingly integrated into the health care system".

Lauding NIH efforts in this direction, American Hindu leader Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), urged NIH to provide more funding and support for yoga research, as although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, yoga was a world heritage to be utilized and benefited by all. An estimated 20 million Americans, including many celebrities, now do yoga.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, has asked Government of India to launch a mega project to research,

the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical, Zed added.

Beginning of the Yoga is shrouded in mystery as its prevalence goes much beyond the period of the Aryans, who came to India from Iran. This clearly demonstrates that Aryavarta (land of Aryas) included a wide area from northern part of India to Iran and up to the border of Iraq. A seal found in Mohenjodaro depicts a figure akin to a Yogi sitting in Lotus posture (Padmasana), surrounded by animals indicates that Yoga's

Yoga lovers in West

preserve, and promote yoga and open a world-class institute to support the yoga research and studies around the globe.

Rajan Zed further said that yoga," whose traces go back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, was a mental and physical discipline handed down from one guru to next, for everybody to share and benefit from. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of

antiquity goes as far back as to early Dravidian period of Harappa. So also is the worship of Shiva, who is known as Pashupati and Rudra in the Vedic literature and remains till date a popular deity worshipped by Hindus across India and overseas in thousands of temples and shrines, from Nepal, Ujjain, Gokarna to Rameshwaram.

Yoga is therefore a definite system of religious and moral discipline, emphasizing truthfulness, (Satya), Non-injury (Ahimsa),

Purity (Shaucha), Sex control (Samyama), contentment and like called Yama and Niyamas, Non-stealing (Astheya), Continence (Brahmacharya), Austerity (Tapah), Swadhyaya (Self-study or inquiry), Faith in God (Ishwara Pranidhana) for a virtuous life leading to realization of the self or God (Moksha).

However, Yoga school of philosophy is attributed to Patanjali, who in fact codified the science of yoga and reduced it into writing for the benefit of posterity. The popular modern yoga however seems to be closer to Hatha Yoga, which is a process of breathing as a student learns to steady his mind sitting in Pranayama posture.

"This video provides important information on the safety and usefulness of yoga and also gives insights into how scientists study this commonly used health practice. What we're seeing from our researchers-through the application of rigorous scientific methods-suggests that yoga may help people manage certain symptoms…", NIH release adds.

NIH, an agency of United States Government headquartered in Bethesda (Maryland), which invests about $31 billion annually in medical research, traces its roots to 1887 and over 130 Nobel Prize winners have received support from it. Francis S. Collins is the Director.

China again 'fingering' peace and tranquility Cont’d from page 44

It was really an absurd and potentially explosive situation.

"Such close proximity of opposing troops in a hostile environment could easily degenerate into a shooting match in the heat of the moment. Apart from routine patrolling of the home side of the Pass by both sides, another activity was the beaming of communist propaganda on loud speakers aimed at subverting the loyalty and morale of our troops. It had become a regular feature. From our side we countered it by broadcasting the virtues of our democracy and playing Hindi film songs which were secretly enjoyed by the Chinese troops.

"This routine eventually settled down to an unwritten understanding and both sides took turns to beam their programs without jamming or interfering. Chinese propaganda was always in Hindi and they invariably had a Hindi interpreter available with their troops…Eventually, in early Sept 1967, our higher commanders in their wisdom took a high level decision to demarcate the border at the pass by laying a barbed wire fence along an alignment as per our understanding. In pursuance of this decision, an announcement was made to the Chinese informing them of our intention to lay a wire fence to demarcate the border in order to avoid any possibil-

ity of future misunderstanding.

"We made it clear that this was not meant to be a provocative step but to demonstrate our good faith. It was stressed that the prevailing hostility was not in the interest of either side who should coexist peacefully…But sadly, our higher commanders had misread the likely Chinese reaction and in a cavalier fashion gave the orders to go ahead with the operation without taking the prudent precaution of catering for an artillery fire plan to cover the activity.

"It so happened that the army commander was in Delhi those days standing in for the chief of the Army Staff who had gone abroad on an official visit to France. But it was astonishing that even the Chief was helpless without the express permission from the Prime Minister who was in Parliament at that time and could not be disturbed. Eventually, when approached she (Indira Gandhi) gave the go ahead instantly. Meanwhile, three crucial hours delay had taken place and the Chinese were relentlessly shelling us and

The Chinese are practicing the same intimidation again.

Since China's political and military objectives against India have not changed, the government should strongly consider revisiting India's stand on Tibet - which will only hot up in the years to come - and not entertain any thought on "what if Beijing links Kashmir with Tibet?"

In the event, such complacency cost us dear. I left my Headquarters at the crack of dawn to be present at the Pass to oversee the operation along with my artillery commander and a signal officer…Apparently the Divisional Commander passed on the request for artillery fire to the Corps commander located at Siliguri who in turn asked the Army Commander in Calcutta.

reaching out even to our rear areas.

"It is pertinent to say a word on the state of communications in the army prevailing at the time… when we did get the permission to use artillery, we went in with a vengeance and gave them as well as we got.

The fire fight went on for five days in all its fury. Mercifully, neither side made any effort to make an incursion into the other side's

territory and both sides began to realize the futility of this misadventure. We started getting orders to de escalate but before that our medium guns destroyed a convoy of trucks bringing Chinese reinforcements moving up the road through Chumbi Valley to reach the Pass.

"This road was clearly under the observation of our artillery observation post (OP) located at a feature named Camel's Back which was the highest and the most dominating feature in the area in our possession. Our estimate was that besides the destruction of a number of enemy vehicles, at least two hundred Chinese had perished in this engagement".

The Chinese are practicing the same intimidation again. Since China's political and military objectives against India have not changed, the government should strongly consider revisiting India's stand on Tibet - which will only hot up in the years to come - and not entertain any thought on "what if Beijing links Kashmir with Tibet?"

And if intrusions in Sikkim or elsewhere continue, then India should seriously consider stronger options. How long can India carry the burden of dead policies?

- Lt Col Anil Bhat, VSM (retd) is an independent strategic analyst, syndicated columnist and Managing Editor, WordSword Features

46

Datebook

India Post

August 24, 2012

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NEW YORK

NEW JERSEY

Upcoming

Upcoming

Sat Aug 25

Sat Aug 25

• India Independence Day Party

• NJPA Annual Picnic

Venue: K-Lounge, 30 W, 52nd St, New York Time: 11pm Contact: 724-777-8187

Venue: South Brunswick Beech Woods Park, 37 Beekman Rd, South Brunswick, Township, New Jersey Time: 12pm Contact: 732-605-9218

Sat Sept 01 • Ariz Presents DJ Aqeel Live Venue: Pranna-NYC, 79 Madison Ave, New York Time: 10pm Contact: 201-696-7222

Sat Sept 08 • Job Fair Venue: Hyatt Regency Princeton, 102 Carnegie Princeton, NJ Time: 9:00pm Contact: 732-666-4627

ILLINOIS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Upcoming

Fri Aug 24

Sat Aug 25

• Bappi Lahiri Live in Concert

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

Venue: Copernicus (Gateway) Theater, Chicago Time: 9am Contact: 630-955-1200

Sun Sep 2 • DJ Aqeel- Live in Chicago Venue: Sound-Bar, 226 W. Ontario, Chicago, IL 60610 Time: 9pm Contact: 773-490-0975

Fri Aug 31 • South Asian Singles

Sun Sept 9 • 108 Kundi Gayatri Maha Yagna

Sun Sept 23

Venue: St. Anthony’s High School Ground, 275 Wolf Hill Road, South Huntington, NY Time: 2pm to 5pm Contact: 631-940-0959

• Viva La Music Latina!

Venue: Fire N Ice- NJ, 583 Ford Ave Fords, NJ Time: 8pm Contact: 732-417-1999

Venue: Gaylord India-Near North Side, 100 E Walton St, Chicago, IL Time: 8pm Contact: 646-463-0522

Fri Sept 14 • Shreya Ghoshal Live in Concert Venue: Akoo Theatre at Rosemont, 5400, North River Road, Rosemont, IL Time: 8pm Contact: 773-764-7576

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming Sat Sept 1

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

Sun Aug 26 • Education Seminar Venue: Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA Time: 2:30pm Contact: 408-253-8300

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

Thurs Sep 13 • Dinner with Artist Spb & Chitra Venue: Ananda Bhawan, 920 E Arques Ave, Sunnyvale, CA Time: 8pm Contact: 510-796-5252

• Rudra Homam

Sat Sept 15

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

• Kids Ganesha Puja Shiva Murugan Temple

Sat Sept 8 • Grand Onam Celebrations Venue: Littleton High School Auditorium, 56 King Street, Littleton, MA Time: 12pm Contact: 978-367-8975

Sat Sept 15 • Just Duets Venue: The Hall, 125 Prospect St, Framingham Time: 7pm Contact: 978-621-8030

Venue: Concord Shiva Murugan Temple, 1803 2nd St., Concord, CA Time: 10am Contact: 484-727-8424

Sat Sept 15 • Dominican University of California Presents: Artist Reception Venue: 50 Acacia Avenue, San Rafael, California 94901 Time: 2:30pm to 4:30pm Contact: 415-482-2453

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming Fri Aug 24 & Sat Aug 25 • Celebrate Shree Krishna Janmastami with LNSO Swaminarayan Devotees, Saints and Vadtal Acharya Shree Venue: Fremont Hindu temple, 3676 Delaware drive, Fremont, CA Time: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM on Friday the 24th of August (light dinner after Shree Krishna Katha discourse on Friday), and 10 AM to 12 PM (lunch served from 12 noon to 1 PM) + 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM (Krishna Katha finishes) + Satsang Sabha from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM with Acharya Shree Rakesh Prasadji of Vadtal in celebration of the appearance of Lord Shree Krishna, following which maha-prasad will be served from 6:30 PM onwards (on 8/25/12).

Contact: 408-263-1594

Fri Sept 14 • Utsav- UCarnival Los Anglels Venue: Holiday Inn- La Mirada, 14299, Firestone blvd, La Mirada, CA Time: 2pm Contact: 510-578-8728

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 • 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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Philosophy

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W

hy should you prolong your bondage unnecessarily? Why should you not attain your divine birthright now? Why should you not break your bondage now? Delay means prolongation of your sufferings. You can break it at any moment. This is in your power. Do it now. Stand up. Gird up your loins.

Do rigorous and vigorous Sadhana and attain freedom, which is immortality or eternal bliss.

The divine within you is stronger than anything that is without you. Therefore, be not afraid of anything. Rely on your own Inner Self - the Divinity within you. Tap the source through looking within.

Improve yourself. Build your character. Purify the heart.

Develop the divine virtues.

Eradicate evil traits. Conquer all that is base in you. Endeavor to attain all that is worthy and noble. Make the lower nature the servant of the higher through discipline, Tapas, self-restraint and meditation. This is beginning of your freedom.

Become a good man first. Then control the senses. Then subdue the lower mind by the higher mind.

Then the Divine Light will descend. Only then the vessel will be able to receive and hold the divine light.

So long as your senses are not subdued or weakened, you will have to practice tapas or self-restraint, dama or pratyahara. You LESTER LEVENSON

I

remembered one evening, a beautiful balmy evening, in the mountains when I was camping with Virginia. We were both lying on the grass, both looking up at the sky, and I had my arm around her. The nirvana, the perfection of the height of happiness was right there. I was feeling how great is love for Virginia! How wonderful is knowing all this nature! How perfect a setting!

Then I saw that it was my loving her that was the cause of this happiness! Not the beauty of the setting, or being with Virginia.

Then I immediately turned to the other side. Boy it was great when she loved me! I remembered the moment when publicly this beautiful, charming girl told the world that she approved of Lester, she loved Lester-and I could feel that nice feeling of approval.

But I sensed that it was not as great as what I had just discovered.

It was not a lasting feeling. It was just for the moment. In order for me to have that feeling continuously, she had to continue saying that.

So, this momentary ego approval was not as great as the feel-

may conquer millions of persons in a battle, but you will become the greatest conqueror only if you can conquer your own lower self or mind.

Build your spiritual life on a sure foundation on the rock of divine grace and strength of character.

Take refuge in the Lord and his eternal Law. There is no power in heaven or on earth that can bar your path now. Success in Self-re-

give inner spiritual strength and develop the will-force, the power of endurance. Hence, sufferings are blessings in disguise. Spiritual life is toilsome and laborious. It demands constant vigilance and strong perseverance before substantial progress is made.

Meditation and worship are the means of evolving your potentialities and seeking a higher level of consciousness or existence.

ray of light when the meditation becomes more deep and when you rise above body-consciousness.

You have yourself build the walls of your prison-house through ignorance. You can demolish the walls through discrimination and enquiry of 'Who am I?' When an electric lamp is covered by many wrappings of cloth, there will be no bright light. When the cloth is removed one by one,

There is absolutely nothing to do or fix ever. Doing and fixing are outgrowths of imagining a separate person and a 'doer'.

-John Wheeler

Divine within you is stronger than anything outside Sufferings give inner spiritual strength and develop the will-force, the power of endurance. Hence, sufferings are blessings in disguise

Swami Sivananda

alization is certain. Failure exists not for you. There is light on your path. All is brilliant.

Purify the heart first and then climb the ladder of Yoga steadily within courage and undaunted spirit. Climb onwards swiftly. Attain Ritambhara Prajna and reach the summit of the ladder, the temple of wisdom, where the cloud of virtue or nectar drizzles from Dharmamegha Samadhi.

Sufferings purify the soul. They burn up the gross material sins and impurities. The Divinity becomes more and more manifest. Sufferings

Practice meditation persistently and calmly without haste. You will soon attain samadhi.

Only when you have purified your heart, silenced the mind, stilled the thoughts and surging emotions, withdrawn the outgoing senses, thinned out the vasanas, you can behold the glorious Atman during deep meditation.

Even a ray of your light during meditation will lighten your path.

It will give you great deal of encouragement and inner strength.

It will goad you to do more Sadhana. You will experience this

the light grows brighter and brighter. Even so, with the self-resplendent Atman which is covered by the five sheaths.

By meditation on the pure Self and practice of the 'neti-neti' doctrine, the self-luminous Atman reveals itself to the meditator.

There are four means by which perfect tranquility or emancipation can be attained. These form the highest happiness. They are: Satsanga or association with the wise, dispassion, enquiry of 'who am I?' and meditation. These form the highest happiness.

ing of loving her! As long as I was loving her, I felt so happy. But when she loved me, there were only moments of happiness when she gave me approval.

Days of further cogitation gradually revealed to me that this was correct! I was happier when I loved her than I was when I got that momentary ego-satisfaction

brings about happiness. And it was a tremendous thing because I hadn't had happiness.

And I said, 'Gee, if this is the key to happiness, I've got the greatest!' Even the hope of getting more and more happiness was a tremendous thing, because this was the number one thing I wanted-happiness.

I kept reviewing incidents from the past, and where I saw that I was not loving, I would change that feeling to loving that person. Instead of wanting them to do something for me, I would change it to my wanting to do something for them. I kept this up until I couldn't find any more incidents to work on.

Happiness is determined by our capacity to love

Lester Levenson

Her loving me was a momentary pleasure that needed constant showing and proving on her part, while my loving her was a constant happiness, as long as I was loving her

when she loved me. Her loving me was a momentary pleasure that needed constant showing and proving on her part, while my loving her was a constant happiness, as long as I was loving her.

I concluded that my happiness equated to my loving! If I could increase my loving, then I could increase my happiness! This was the first inkling I had as to what

That started me on weeks and weeks of reviewing my past love affairs. I dug up from the past, incident after incident when I thought I was loving, and I discovered that I was being nice to my girlfriends, trying to get them to love me, and that that was selfish. That was not really love. That was just wanting my ego bolstered!

This insight on love, seeing that happiness was determined by my capacity to love, was a tremendous insight. It began to free me, and any bit of freedom when you're plagued feels so good.

I knew that I was going in the right direction. I had gotten hold of a link of the chain of happiness and was determined not to let go until I had the entire chain.

Everything is a concept!!! Everything! So, who are you without concepts?

-Michael Jeffreys The very search for pleasure is the cause of pain.

-Sri Nisargadatta Consciousness cannot be known by the mind.

The mind is an object.

It does not know anything. It is itself known

by Consciousness.

- Rupert Spira Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now.

Don't try to figure anything out. Don't try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest.

-Tilopa Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you any where.

- Zen proverb

You Insure all your Valuables, all are replaceable except YOU! So Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

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Confucius Institutes in America: Soft power or propaganda?

NARAYANI BASU

S

ince their launch in 2004, the Beijing-backed Confucius Institutes have been no strangers to controversy. While their defenders liken them to the Chinese equivalents of the Goethe Institute, the Alliance Francaise and the British Council, their critics have christened them fonts of espionage and propaganda - charges which, though salacious, are still unsubstantiated.

Is the Western understanding of soft power and propaganda blurred? Is there any truth to these rumors, or is it merely a paranoid reaction to the successful exports of Chinese culture worldwide?

The Issue A US State Department directive, issued on 17 May 2012, made it clear that the credentials of Confucius Institutes across the country were under review. According to a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education, any academics at universitybased institutes who are teaching at the elementary - and secondary - school levels are violating the terms of their visas and therefore, must leave by the end of the academic year in June.

Further, after a "preliminary review", the report states, the State Department has determined that the Institutes must obtain American accreditation in order to continue to accept foreign scholars and professors as teachers.

Leading newspapers in China, including the China Daily and Shanghai Daily, have claimed that Washington is "attacking" the Institutes. The significance with which Beijing views this move is seen by a recent statement that the friendship between American and Chinese people could be harmed if the decision is not reversed.

Propaganda versus Soft Power?

Funded by an affiliate of the Chinese Ministry of Education, the mission statement of the Confucian Institutes is to "satisfy the need of people who are interested in Chinese learning all around the world, promoting the understanding of Chinese language, culture, enhancing the educational and cultural cooperation between China and the world..."

Beijing perceives these Institutes to be a strong symbol of what China can bring to the global table as far as soft power is concerned. Further, while most

Institutes are attached to universities, they do not compete with existing university programs, and are present only to augment existing language courses and cultural exchange efforts. China has pumped millions of dollars into this exercise in cultural diplomacy - creating more than 300 institutes toward a worldwide goal of 1000 by 2020.

But would they be viable fronts for espionage and propaganda? Predictably the risk to the kind of investment that Beijing has put in, if at all an exposure for hosting spies appears on the cards, is huge. Further, they offer no extra benefit to the Chinese intelligence services that China does not already possess.

The tentacles of China's secret services certainly do stretch across all sectors of society, from diplomats and businesspeople, to academics and journalists. The constant interference by the Chinese embassy in the workings of

sically means Beijing's efforts to identify friends and isolate enemies. The logic here is that true friends will identify and isolate enemies from the CCP, while hiding any hint of direct involvement by the Party itself.

A finger is now being raised at the modus operandi of the Institutes, in comparison to Western institutes. While Western Institutes are political organizations, operating outside university walls and are allowed in only when universities find their activities appropriate, the Confucius Institutes are deemed to be political organizations which wrap their real activities in the mantle of apolitical legitimacy.

So, if the aim here is to isolate the enemies, then who are the enemies in question?

They consist of largely two groups, identified often enough in the official press: the "Five Poisons" and "Western hostile forces". The former includes Tai-

Confucius Institute at University of Oregon

student associations in countries like America are proof of the fact that Beijing does keep a sharp eye on what its citizens are up to even beyond its borders.

Lastly, and far more importantly, China's prowess as far as cyberspace is concerned can provide far more important data than any that could be provided by the Institutes in question.

While these are basic reasons as to why Beijing would not jeopardize an already successful intelligence program, they are also further evidence of the fact that Western critics could be jumping the gun by labeling the Institutes fonts of propaganda and espionage.

Yet, critics of the Institutes in the West persist with their line of questioning. Of late, a far more dangerous and insidious accusation is circulating regarding the working of the Institutes. They are accused of "united front works". This is a term that harks back to republican China, but ba-

wan, separatist groups in Tibet and Xinjiang, the Falun Gong, and the dissidents who advocate democracy. The latter is often a euphemism for the US and often extended to those who foment social unrest and try to 'Westernize' China.

Conclusion Given the murkiness of the factors that lie behind these most prominent symbols of Chinese soft power, the implications of what this could mean is not yet fully clear. Certainly the programs are a legitimate means to export Chinese language and culture to the rest of the world. But given the nature of the Institutes' relationship with the Chinese government - especially in the light of the statement by Li Changchun, a party boss, that they are "an important part of China's international propaganda effort" - they do deserve to be kept under careful scrutiny.

The writer is Research Intern, CRP, IPCS

India Post Policy paralysis

T

he commonly held belief that the UPA-II government suffers from policy paralysis has just been busted by Ruchir Sharma, a Morgan Stanley executive and author of the book "Breakout Nations." He argues that the UPA-II never had a policy.

It drifted along nicely as long as the global scene was positive.

With global growth declining sharply, all major emerging markets are decelerating by the same magnitude as India. Right from the beginning, the UPA agenda was redistributing wealth but it was never focused on creating wealth. The failure of this policy is now in sharp focus because, he says, "global tailwinds are no longer lifting the economy."

If you are not producing much, what are you going to distribute? There are few incentives for production, manufacture and infrastructure in India. This is the time for India to buck the global trend going by the example of countries like China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. They did it with policies that promoted rapid urbanization and the expansion of manufacturing. There is little chance of the UPA-II government doing that as was clear from the speech of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Red Fort on Independence Day. It was the old routine of congratulating his own government on "achievements" and making the same promises that he has been making year after year.

Mr Manmohan Singh is 80 and by no means too active. He would be happy to survive the two years to the next election. Even though he knows what is to be done, he won't do it because of the constraints of a coalition which agrees on few things. Moreover, the UPA government has never made any effort to co-opt its allies into decision making. It decides first, announces and then retreats because the allies discover that they have been passed over or not consulted.

The government's claims that poverty has been reduced are not untrue. But as former chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu says although poverty has fallen in India, what is more visible are the mansions of the super rich whose incomes have grown faster, contributing to increased inequality.

Strangely, the debate in the US over Romney and Obama policies is sounding similar to the requirements in India. Obama is said to be following welfare policies and seemingly overspending on them leading to fiscal deficits. Romney on the other hand promises to cut spending on welfare and encourage private industry by giving them tax cuts. In India too the government is overspending on welfare measures. However it isn't doing too much good to the poor as the relief meant for them hardly reaches them because of leakage and corruption about which the government is not willing to do anything. The Romney like prescription is to stop splurging on welfare measures and instead focus on encouraging industrialization which will in turn produce jobs and growth which will trickle down to the poor as well. The fact is, whatever policies may be adopted, what is needed is a sincerity to push them through so that their effect is felt on the populace. What happens in India is half measures and populist subsidies which in any case do not reach the beneficiaries.

In an analysis of the progress made by countries which won independence in the 1940s and 1950s, it is instructive to note that they have all made better progress than India, although when they started at the time of their independence they were way behind.

These countries, like South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia have become aspirational for India, setting in stark relief the failure of India's long term economic policies.

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