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VOL 22, No. 1147

September 23, 2016

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INDIA TO EXPOSE PAK IN WORLD FORUMS

PIO researcher wins $4,000 award

China concerned but no reference to Pakistan

Anti-Pakistan protests rock Jammu city

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World leaders in solidarity with India

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

Can Pakistan be shamed by providing evidence?

Last week’s result

Does UN have a role in Kashmir?

YES 13%

NO 87%

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Sharif seeks US role in Kashmir dispute

Bugti to apply for asylum in India 'soon'

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China slams EU for meeting Dalai Lama

John Kerry with Nawaz Sharif

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WEIGHING OPTIONS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairing a High Level Meeting in the wake of Uri terror attack, in New Delhi on September 19. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Miniater Arun Jaitley and Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar are also seen

NEW DELHI: Determined to use a calibrated, multi-lay- ister Manohar Parrikar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, NSA ered and strategic response to Uri attack, India is likely to Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and expose Pakistan before the world community by furnish- other top officials to discuss India's response. ing it with actionable evidence regarding its sponsoring Top brass of the government is convinced that India of terrorism and press for isolating the nation. has to launch a calibrated, multi-layered and strategic reIndia is also planning to hand over to Pakistan evi- sponse and expose Pakistan in international forums like dence of the four terrorists using Pakithe UN, whose General Assembly is in stani-marked weapons, food, energy session, official sources said.

US wants Pakistan drinks and GPS trackers which they As part of the plans, the Director carried to enter Jammu and Kashmir General of Military Operations will to deal with all from across the Line of Control. hand over all the evidence linking Indications in this regard came afPakistan's involvement in Uri attack to terror groups ter Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his Pakistani counterpart shortly. a nearly two-hour meeting with Home Details on page 5 Details on page 5 Minister Rajnath Singh, Defense Min-

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ith about a month and half left for the big Election Day, it appears to be anybody's game - and perhaps an unfair game for the voters. Not all election days are as easy as the one in 2008. An overwhelming majority of Americans knew who they wanted as President. Unfortunately, not this time.

Which is sad really, because, the country does have the choice to create history all over again like in 2008. For the first time in this country a woman has a fighting chance of becoming President, and if she does not now, then an entire generation may have to go by before it finds another woman or man for that matter, who is as qualified, as experienced, as committed as Hillary Clinton.

Last week, at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner in the capital, President Obama desperately urged Americans to vote; even if it was not out of love for Hillary, but in a bid to save his own legacy from being obliterated by someone who couldn't care for what it meant for America to have its first Black President.

But then that's how warped politics are. It beats me how the common people get caught up in the rhetoric. In perceptions. And in image projections. Where the media could otherwise help, they perpetuate just that - rhetoric, perceptions and image projections. Like, Hillary can never be trusted; she needs to "loosen up"; she's status quo, etc. And Trump is a bigot, a misogynist, and clueless.

From the media, I don't get any more than this about them.

To me Hillary's transgressions, if they can be called that, are less sinful when I consider Trump who doesn't think anything before plugging his hotel at a campaign speech where he was being endorsed by veterans. Seriously, I would be worried if he was sitting in the chair of Commander-in-Chief.

It's too late now to go Libertarian. So I hear there's this obscure little 'Obama for third term' bandwagon that's doing the rounds. Wonder if I can hop on. It wasn't such a bad ride these past eight years. Let's admit it already.

Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com

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India to expose Pak in world forums NEW DELHI: Determined to use a calibrated, multi-layered and strategic response to Uri attack, India is likely to expose Pakistan before the world community by furnishing it with actionable evidence regarding its sponsoring of terrorism and press for isolating the nation.

India is also planning to hand over to Pakistan evidence of the four terrorists using Pakistanimarked weapons, food, energy drinks and GPS trackers which they carried to enter Jammu and Kashmir from across the Line of Control.

Indications in this regard came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a nearly two-hour meeting with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, NSA Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and other top officials to discuss India's response.

Top brass of the government is convinced that India has to launch a calibrated, multi-layered and strategic response and expose Pakistan in international forums like the UN, whose General Assembly is in session, official

sources said.

As part of the plans, the Director General of Military Operations will hand over all the evidence linking Pakistan's involvement in Uri attack to his Pakistani counterpart shortly.

At the meeting where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was conspicuously absent, the top security brass briefed the Prime Minister on the prevailing ground situation in Kashmir Valley in the wake of the terror attack at a Brigade Headquarters in Uri, the sources said.

The Defense Minister and the Army Chief, who visited Kashmir after the terror attack, also apprised the Prime Minister about their observations, they said.

of our own choosing.

The Army also said it has the desired capability to respond to any blatant acts of aggression and violence as deemed appropriate by us.

ing terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after the attack that left 18 soldiers dead and over two dozen injured.

"The Indian Army has displayed considerable restraint while handling the terrorist situation both along the Line of Control and in hinterland.

However, we have the desired capability to respond to such blatant acts of aggression and violence as deemed appropriate by us," Lt Gen Singh said in a statement to the media at the South Block.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling on President Pranab Mukherjee, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, "We reserve in New Delhi on September 19 the right to respond to any Army's response The remarks by Director Gen- act of the adversary at the time Meanwhile, the Indian Army eral of Military Operations, Lt Gen and place of our own choosing," has said it reserves the right to Ranbir Singh came at a time when he added. respond to any cross-border ter- some security experts and politiLt Gen Singh's remark was idenror attack "at the time and place cal leaders have called for target- tical to the statement given by then Army chief Gen Bikram Singh in 2013 after the January 8 violation of the Line of Control (LoC) in which one jawan was beheaded and the other had his throat slit.

"We'll give them a fitting reply...we will respond at a time and place of our choosing," he had said.

Following the Pathankot attack earlier this year, Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar had also said the same.

However, top Army sources told PTI that action will be taken but nature and timing of it will not be revealed at the moment.

"There should be an element of surprise which is not there at the moment as Pakistan will be prepared for retaliation. The Indian Army of Army base camp in Uri course has its strategy in place

and will do its job," the sources said.

Parrikar had been briefed by the Northern Army and Chinar Corps Commanders Lt Gen DS Hooda and Lt Gen Satish Dua respectively at Srinagar about the incident and the operation launched to neutralize the terrorists.

The briefing included discussions on the soft points and how the terrorists managed to get in.

Defense sources had said possible "action plan" was also discussed about how the Army can respond to the attack.

Sources said the decision will be taken at a higher level on the kind of action to be taken but this would be highly confidential.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said the total recoveries from the slain terrorists is four AK 47 rifles, four Under Barrel Grenade Launchers, 39 Under Barrel Grenade Launcher grenades, five hand grenades, two radio sets, two GPSs, two map sheets, two matrix sheets, one mobile phone and a large number of food and medicine packets having Pakistani markings.

Lt Gen Singh said infiltration attempts by terrorists have shown a marked increase in comparison to the past 3-4 years.

"In 2016, there have been 17 infiltration bids eliminated by the Indian Army along the Line of Control. Of a total of 110 terrorists eliminated in J&K, 31 have been killed while they were attempting to cross the Line of Control," he said.

It actually indicates a desperate attempt from across the Line of Control to infiltrate more terrorists into Kashmir with a view to create disturbance and foment unrest in our area, he added.

The officer said the last two infiltration attempts - September 11 in Poonch and September 18 at Uri - were successfully thwarted by the Indian Army by killing of four terrorists in each of the operations. -PTI

US wants Pak to deal with terror groups NEW YORK: The US has said it will continue to press Pakistan to take "additional steps" to deal with terror groups seeking refuge within its borders, hours after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sought American help to resolve bilateral issues between India and Pakistan.

Sharif met US Secretary of State John Kerry and raised the issue of alleged human rights violations and killings in Kashmir.

US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said at a press briefing just hours after the bilateral meeting between Kerry and Sharif that the US want to see more progress from Pakistan in dealing with the terror groups effectively.

Toner told reporters at the briefing at the New York Foreign Press Centre that US-Pakistan is "obviously a very important relationship.

"There's a lot on the bilateral

agenda but also on the regional agenda," he said when asked about the Sharif- Kerry meeting.

He said the two sides are expected to discuss ongoing efforts

by Pakistan at economic reform, "but certainly security will also be on the agenda, and we'll continue to urge Pakistan to take additional steps to deal with all of the terrorist threats that it faces on its own territory but also those groups that

frankly, that seek refuge or safe refuge within Pakistan's borders and how to deal with those groups in an effective way.

"We've seen some progress; we want to see more, and I think moving forward we'll just continue to work closely and try to encourage greater counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan but also within the region," Toner said.

Cont’d on page 8

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China concerned but no reference to Pak BEIJING: Skirting direct reference to Pakistan and JeM, China has voiced concern over "escalation" of tensions and "rising temperatures" in Kashmir after the Uri terror attack and called on India and Pakistan to resolve their differences through dialogue.

"We have noted relevant reports. We are shocked by this attack," Chinese Foreign Ministry

ment in Pathankot attack.

Referring to the Uri attack in which 18 soldiers were killed and several injured, Lu said "we want to express our deep sympathies and condolences to the affected families and the injured".

"China opposes and strongly condemns all forms of terrorism.

We are concerned about this escalation and rising temperatures

It needs the concerted efforts of all countries concerned to ensure the smooth running of this corridor." "At the same time I need to stress that recently in this region, especially in Kashmir region, there has been some escalation of tensions," he said spokesperson Lu Kang told media briefing here when asked about Beijing's reaction to Uri attack and India's charge that Pakistan-based militant group Jaishe-Muhammad (JeM) is behind it.

JeM has special significance as Beijing has put a technical hold over India's efforts to bring about a UN ban on the outfit's leader Masood Azhar for his involve-

surrounding Kashmir situation," he said.

"We hope relevant parties will have dialogue and consultation to resolve their differences and enhance counter terrorism cooperation," Lu said, without directly referring to India and Pakistan.

"Only this way can they safeguard peace and security in their region," he said.

Lu also voiced concern over the fallout of the Uri attack on the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through the PoK and said the project, in which China is investing considerable amount of resources, needs concerted efforts from all countries for its success.

Asked how China sees the impact of the escalation of violence on the CPEC, Lu said: "The building of the corridor is to drive the development of the regional countries. It needs the concerted efforts of all countries concerned to ensure the smooth running of this corridor." "At the same time I need to stress that recently in this region, especially in Kashmir region, there has been some escalation of tensions," he said.

"Our position is that we hope all relevant parties can work together and remain committed to resolving these disputes through peaceful consultations and jointly maintain the peace and stability of the region.

"This in final analysis is conducive and will bring benefits to China, India, Pakistan and all the regional countries," he said. -PTI

Bugti to apply for asylum in India 'soon' GENEVA: Exiled Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti, who is leading the Baloch movement against Pakistan, has said he will apply for asylum in India soon and many other leaders from Balochistan may follow suit.

The leader of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) also said his party will approach International Criminal Court against former and current Pakistani Army Generals including Pervez Musharraf, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Raheel Sharif besides top brass of ISI for the atrocities on people of Balochistan.

Giving details of decisions taken at BRP's Central Committee meeting, Bugti said the party will seek help of India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to file a case

against China at the International Court of Justice as Beijing was "involved" along with Pakistan in unleashing violence on Baloch people.

Bugti, the grandson of Baloch

Brahamdagh Bugti

nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti who was killed by Pakistan forces 10 years ago, said he will file the asylum application to the Indian government through the country's embassy here.

"We have decided to formally file asylum papers to Indian Gov-

ernment soon. We will follow the legal process for the application," Bugti told reporters here. He is currently living in exile in Switzerland.

The BRP leader appealed to India to come out with a policy initiative so that people facing "atrocities" in Balochistan can come and feel secure in India. He said many more Baloch leaders may seek asylum in India and added "we will see who all will need asylum (in India)".

He said the Central Committee of BRP has decided to file cases at the International Criminal Court against all retired and serving Pakistani generals who were involved in human rights violation in Balochistan in the last 12 years.

"BRP chapters in London, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland will file individual cases against all former and current Pakistani army generals and ISI brass involved human rights violations against our people," he said.-PTI

World community expresses solidarity with India NEW DELHI: Russia, France, Canada and Afghanistan have joined several other countries in condemning the Uri attack which claimed the lives of 18 Army personnel even as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hoped that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Expressing their solidarity with India in its hour of loss, the coun-

The Deputy Spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development in Paris said, "After that of Pathankot earlier this year, this attack reminds us that India, like France, is a victim of terrorism.

"More than ever before, we remain at the side of our strategic partner, India, for fighting this scourge. As underscored by the

Students take part in a candle light vigil to pray for soldiers killed in a Uri terror attack, in Patna on September 19

tries said they stand with the Gov- President of the French Republic ernment of India in the fight during his India visit in January against terrorism. this year, all countries must effecRussian Foreign Ministry, in a tively combat terrorism emanating statement, said, "Regarding the from their territory or from territoPathankot Indian air base attack ries under their control." in January 2016, we are very conHe also asserted that nothing cerned about the terrorist attacks can justify terrorism, which must near the Line of Control. We are be combated everywhere with the also concerned about the fact that, same determination. according to New Delhi, the Army Hoping that the perpetrators of base near Uri was attacked from the crime would be brought to Pakistani territory. justice, the UN Secretary General "We believe that this criminal said re-establishing stability and act will be investigated properly, preventing any further loss of life and that its organizers and perpe- will be the priority of "all intrators will be held accountable. volved".

We confirm our continued support Acting High Commissioner for for the Indian government's Canada to India Jess Dutton said, counter-terrorism efforts."

"The Government of Canada exCondemning the attack, France tends condolences to the victims said it "remains at India's side in the combat against terrorism. It Condemning the attack, calls on every State to fight effectively against France said it "remains at terrorist groups operating on their territory or India's side in the combat from their territory against other coun- against terrorism tries."

France also recalls the importance it attaches to and their families. We are appalled bringing calm and the peaceful by these attacks and stand with settlement of disputes in the re- the Government of India in the gion of Kashmir, a French Foreign fight against terrorism."

Ministry statement said.

Condemning the attack, France called for decisive ac- Afghanistan's Ambassador to Intion to be taken, in accordance dia Shaida Abdali said the counwith international law, against the tries that use terrorism as instruterrorist groups targeting India, ment of foreign policy, should not particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, only be isolated but also held acJaish-e-Mohammed and Hizb-ul- countable for taking away innoMujahideen. cent lives.-PTI

September 23, 2016

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Sharif seeks US role in Kashmir dispute NEW YORK: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sought help from the US to resolve tensions between India and Pakistan, as he raised the issue of alleged human rights

Sharif told Kerry that he "still remember President (Bill) Clinton's promise that US will play its role to help out in resolving bilateral disputes and issues between Pa-

perity.

Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Pakistan's envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi and US Special Representative for Af-Pak Richard Olson were also present at the meeting.

According to the statement, Sharif said that terrorists' infrastructure had been dismantled and they were on the run due to the indiscriminate action against all terrorist groups.

"The national resolve against terrorism and extremism is unflinching," the US Secretary of State John Kerry sits with Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif during a bilateral meeting September 19 statement said, citing Sharif. violations and killings in Kashmir. kistan and India."

Discussing the situation in AfSharif met US Secretary of State "I expect US Administration ghanistan with Kerry, Sharif John Kerry here during which he and Secretary Kerry to use his stressed the need for meaningful raised the Kashmir issue. good offices to help in resolving engagement with Afghanistan, the "The Prime Minister said that bilateral issues between Pakistan statement said. more than 107 people have been and India," the statement quoted Sharif, who is here to attend the assassinated in Kashmir, thou- Sharif as saying.

71th Session of United Nations sands injured and worst human Sharif said Pakistan has always General Assembly, earlier called on rights violations are being com- fought terrorism as a moral obli- the permanent members of the UN mitted at the state level," accord- gation and he has always reached Security Council to demand that ing to a readout of the meeting out to neighboring countries for India should be forced to stop its issued by Pakistan. regional peace, stability and pros- alleged brutalities in Kashmir.-PTI

Hurriyat leader asks UN, OIC to press India SRINAGAR: Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has appealed to the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to press India for an "unconditional and transparent" dialogue with all stakeholders for the

India to enable a genuine, unconditional and transparent dialogue with all stakeholders i.e. India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir," he said in a letter to the OIC. The separatist leader, who is under arrest at Cheshma Shahi sub jail for the past 24 days, has

The Hurriyat chairman said there should be "no reprisal or intimidation" of the people of Kashmir so that they can discuss and express their political aspirations in public spaces resolution of Kashmir issue.

"Hurriyat Conference believes that an alternative path to work out the modalities of a resolution is through dialogue.

"It (Hurriyat) fervently appeals to the OIC to support this demand and urges the UN and the international community to prevail upon

been invited by the OIC to attend its annual Foreign Ministers' meet to be held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York later this month.

He reiterated that certain steps need to be taken for creating a conducive atmosphere for the dia-

logue over the Kashmir issue.

"Immediately stop killing, torture and arbitrary arrests of Kashmiri civilians and release all political prisoners.

Remove arbitrary and draconian laws and conditions such as the Disturbed Areas act, Public Safety Act and others," he said.

The Hurriyat chairman said there should be "no reprisal or intimidation" of the people of Kashmir so that they can discuss and express their political aspirations in public spaces.

"The use of firearms and pellet guns on unarmed protesters should be stopped. Start demilitarizing all of Kashmir and revoke impunity laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)," he said.

"Most importantly, recognize the right of Kashmiri people to determine their own political future," he added. -PTI

Pak Army chief meets top commanders ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif met his top commanders and said the military was "watchful" towards the security imperatives of the country in the wake of "hostile narrative" by India after terrorists killed 18 Indian soldiers in Kashmir.

The Corps Commanders' Conference - held in Rawalpindi and chaired by Gen Sharif - reviewed external and internal security situation and operational prepared-

are fully cognizant and closely watching the latest happenings in the region and their impact on the security of Pakistan," the statement said.

"Armed forces of Pakistan are fully prepared to respond to entire spectrum of direct and indirect threats," he said, expressing his satisfaction over operational preparedness of the army.

"Pakistan's armed forces together with our resilient nation

Pakistan Army General Raheel Sharif presides over corps commander's conference in Rawalpindi on September 19

ness of the army, the army said in a statement.

"Taking note of a hostile narrative being propagated by India, COAS (Gen Sharif) said that we

have surmounted every challenge and will thwart any sinister design against integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan in future as well," Gen Sharif said during the meeting.-PTI

US wants Pak to deal with terror groups Cont’d from page 5

In his meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Sharif again raised the Kashmir issue and asked the British leader to play her role in convincing India to stop the use of force against the people in the region.

Sharif said Pakistan's support for Kashmiri people in their legitimate struggle for self determination and its commitment to the Kashmir cause are non-negotiable, according to information released by the Pakistani mission.

"We will not disappoint our Kashmiri brethren at any cost; we will keep on reminding the international community of its decades old commitments that have not been honored till today," he said.

Sharif said human rights violations and state oppression is at its peak in Kashmir and it is the duty of the international community to "ask India to immediately end state atrocities on innocent and defenseless Kashmiri

people".

He said the people of Jammu & Kashmir must be allowed to choose their destiny and longstanding resolutions of the UNSC on the right to self determination of the Kashmiri people need to be implemented.

He added that "if the international community does not succeed in asking India to immediately end state oppression on the people in Jammu & Kashmir, India will be encouraged to increase the intensity of the continuing state atrocities."

Meanwhile, as a practice, Pakistan's officials do not allow Indian media to attend press briefings by Pakistan Foreign Secretary and other officials accompanying Sharif or any other events that they host.

In previous years too, Indian journalists have been asked by Pakistani officials to wait outside the briefing room while senior officials with the PM address their media. -PTI

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Anti-Pak protests rock Jammu city JAMMU: Massive protests were held here against the terrorist attack on an army base in North Kashmir's Uri town in which 18 soldiers were killed with protestors burning Pakistani flags and its effigies.

College and university students, lawyers, political parties, traders and various other organizations took out separate protest rallies in solidarity with the army and against the Pakistan for "aiding and abetting terrorism".

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) activists took out a rally from the Press Club area of the city and held protest demonstrations amid anti-Pakistan slogans.

They also burnt the effigy of Pakistan and demanded the country should be declared as "terrorist state".

"We demand that Pakistan should be declared as a terrorist state. Pakistan and its militants are attacking security forces and creating unrest in Kashmir. They are responsible for terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir," JKNPP Chairman Harsh Dev Singh told reporters.

Dubbing the neighboring country as a "threat to the peace in South Asian region", JKNNP leader castigated Pakistan for pushing fidayeens' to carry out terror attacks on the security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir,

besides "endorsing support to secessionists in the Valley".

Singh lambasted Pakistan for its "malicious and mischievous" designs in sponsoring militant at-

ate peace and harmony in the state and the country".

The JKNPP leader said Pakistan's "notoriety" had now assumed "alarming proportions"

and deadliest" terror attack on the Indian Army in last two decades and unveiled the "nefarious designs of the belligerent neighbor to destabilize India".

Students of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during a protest against attack on Indian amry camp in Uri near the Line of Control, in Jammu on September 19

tacks on defense installations in the state and abetting terror attacks across the country.

Condemning the attack on the Army Brigade headquarters in Uri, he accused Pakistan for "pushing militants into our territory to viti-

as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had on the eve of Eid announced "to continue its support to secessionists and other disruptive forces in Kashmir".

Singh said the statement was followed by the most "cowardly

He alleged Pakistan has not been "mending ways" despite repeated warnings at appropriate forums and held the "rogue country responsible for the ongoing mayhem in Kashmir which had left thousands of security person-

nel injured".

Singh said it was high time that India should launch a "full throttle campaign" against Pakistan at international level for latter's interference in India's internal matters.

The activists of right wing party Shiv Sena also held protest at Bari Brahmana and Sunderbani area against Pakistan.

The Protest was led by state president of the party Dimpy Kohli.

Speaking on the occasion, Kohli targeted Pakistan for its "mischievous designs" in sponsoring militant attacks on Indian defense bases, besides aiding secessionists in Kashmir.

He asked Central government to "act tough and give a befitting reply to Pakistan without wasting time".

National Conference Student Union also held protest demonstration and accused BJP of "just giving statements and not doing enough to stop such attacks".

ABVP organized a 'Tiranga Rally' from the Jammu University up to Vikram Chowk and more than 500 students and scholars participated in it.

The students of MAM, SPMC and GGMC colleges carried out separate rallies against Pakistan and burnt Pak flags amid anti-Pakistan slogans. -PTI

Hypocrisy towards terrorism will not do: India UNITED NATIONS: Describing terrorism as an "existential threat", India has said that "hypocrisy" towards the menace is unacceptable and underlined that terrorism is the "principle cause" of the large-scale refugee movement.

"It is important to stress that today the geo-politics of the crisis points and proves that terrorism is the principle cause of refugee movements. Can we ignore this fact, we cannot. We do so at our peril," Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said in his address to the UN General Assembly's first-ever Summit for Refugees and Migrants here.

Akbar asserted that terrorism

is an "existential threat" and "hypocrisy towards this crisis will not do."

He underscored that for the millions of people fleeing conflict, war and poverty, terrorism is not characterized as good or bad.

M J Akbar

"There is no good terrorism or bad terrorism and if you do not know the answer to this question, all you have to do is ask the refugee if he considers any terrorism to be good or bad," Akbar said.

Stressing that terrorism is the "biggest danger" to human rights, Akbar said large movements of people across borders serve as a reminder that the world has become a global village.

"We can only prosper or perish together, it is best that we learn to live in peace, prosperity and amity," he said.

Underlining that "prevention is better than cure", Akbar said the international community has to address issues like terrorism, prevent armed conflict and facilitate development, which will help ensure people are not forced to flee their homeland.

"We have to find out what drives them towards seeking refuge. Prevention is better than cure.

Perhaps prevention is the only cure," he said adding that preventing armed conflict, countering terrorism, building and sustaining peace to facilitating sustainable development and governance will prevent people from being forced to leave their homeland.

Terming the present refugee

crisis as "unprecedented," Akbar said the number of people on the move globally is estimated at close to 250 million or one in every 30 persons and three-fourths of all refugees come from just 11 countries.

Akbar noted that it is disconcerting that just seven countries host more than half of all refugees

said.

He said the problem of the refugee crisis has been with the world for a very long time.

"Refugees are as old as war.

The first consequence of war is death and the second is refugees.

There is another kind of person seeking a new haven - the migrant driven by a second cruelty, hun-

"It is important to stress that today the geopolitics of the crisis points and proves that terrorism is the principle cause of refugee movements. Can we ignore this fact, we cannot. We do so at our peril," Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said and now almost 90 per cent of all refugees are hosted in developing nations.

He said it is wrong to assume that host nations do not want refugees.

"It is assumed that only host nations do not want refugees. I ask do refugees also want to become refugees. They don't," he

ger or economic aspiration, and both phenomenon are visible in the present crisis."

Akbar referred to India's "long history" of welcoming people seeking refuge from conflict, war, tyranny and poverty. "India offers refuge not because it has a large bank balance but because it has a large heart," he said.-PTI

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Paintings of hope invited from Pak, India India Post News Service

Founder-Tehreek-e-Niswan), Raza Rumi (Sr Pakistani journalist and Author-Delhi by Heart), Dr Ayesha Siddiqa (Political analyst, former Director of Naval Research of Pakistan Navy), Dr Dhananjay Tripathi (Academician at South Asian University), Dr Farzana Bari (Academician - Quaide-Azam University), P a n k a j Chaturvedi (Hindi Columnist), N i s a r A h m e d Chaudhary ( S o u t h Asian Fraternity Pakistan), Ram Mohan Rai (Social Activist), Dr Zahid Shahab Ahmed (Academician NUST Pakistan), Kuldeep Nayar (veteran journalist and writer), Meenakshi Chhabra (Prof of Conflict Studies - USA) and

NEW DELHI: At a time when once again, India and Pakistan have drifted away from each other, students of both sides are ready to send message to foster peace and friendship.

Aaghaz-e-Dosti, an Indo-Pak Friendship Initiative, has invited students from India and Pakistan to send their paintings of peace for the 5th Indo-Pak Peace Calendar. School students from grade 8 to 12 will be sending their paintings on the theme 'Indo-Pak Peace'. Best 6 paintings from each side (India and Pakistan) will be selected to be included in the Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2017 that will be released in DecemberJanuary in various cities of India and Pakistan through public events.

Schools or students may send their paintings in India and Pakistan till 30th September, informed Aliya Harir, Convener (Pakistan) of Aaghaz-e-Dosti. Devika Mittal, Convener (India) said that along with these 12 paintings, 12 peace messages are also be included of eminent academicians, activists, writers etc.

During the last four years messages have been received from personalities like Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy (Pakistani Nuclear Physicist and Adviser to UN Secretary General on Disarmament), Ms Tara Gandhi (Granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi), Beena Sarwar (Pakistani journalist and documentary Sample of last year's calendar maker), Admiral (Retd) Ramdas (Former Navy many other eminent persons.

Chief of India), Awais Sheikh (Pa- Messages have also been rekistani advocate of Sarabjit ceived from 12 film directors of Singh), Asma Jahangir (Pakistani India and Pakistan including human rights activist), Syed Ketan Mehta, Aparna Sen, Salman Chishty (Gaddi Nasheen- Mehreen Jabbar, Nikhil Advani, Ajmer Sharif Shrine), Ram Mohan Bejoy Nambiar, Siraj-ul-Haque, Rai (Hali Panipati Trust India), Shahbaz Sumar, Tanuja Chandra, Lalita Ramdas (Peace activist In- Khid Ahmed, Tigmanshu Dhulia, dia), Anwer Jafrey (Theatre artist Sabiha Sumar, Meenu Gaur and Pakistan), Satyapal (Secretary Farzad through a collaboration General of South Asian Frater- with zeal for unity initiative.

Ravi Nitesh, one of the founder nity), Saeeda Diep (Chairperson, IPSS Lahore), Prof Chaman Lal members, said that these calen(Former Prof JNU), Sheema dars have been released in Delhi, Kirmani (Pakistani theatre artist, Islamabad, Panipat, Lahore,

Ayodhya, Peshawar, Nashik and many other places in India and Pakistan. Aaghaz-e-Dosti receives hundreds of paintings each year from various locations in India and Pakistan and during all these years, they have received

paintings from almost all states of India and all provinces of Pakistan.

Madhulika V Narsimhan who heads Delhi Chapter of Aaghaze-Dosti informed that this year Aaghaz-e-Dosti is planning to have a peace exhibition also along with calendar release event. "In this exhibition, we will showcase letters and greetings that were exchanged between Indian and Pakistani students through our other programs." Last year they had a special screening of Ketan Mehta's Toba Tek Singh. This year too they are planning to do something creative to sensitize the participants towards peace.

With the ground team of Aaghaz-e-Dosti that has spread through more than 15 chapters in India and Pakistan and two international chapters, mostly led by young women peace activists, the initiative is ready for its fifth year peace calendar. This year, the calendar will be released in more places. Tentatively these places would be Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Panipat, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Aligarh, Ahmedabad, Vadodra and Varanasi in India and Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Toba Tek Singh and Islamabad.

Along with many other ground initiatives that includes Aman Chaupals, Peace Workshops, Discussions, Letters and Greeting card exchange, Classroom to Classroom connect and others, Aaghaz-e-Dosti is continuously working towards peace building on people to people level.

Aaghaz-e-Dosti is completely youth led and voluntary initiative that works on no cost model for volunteers.

India raises atrocities in Balochistan at UNHRC GENEVA: In a blunt message, Sindh where members of the India has asked Pakistan to stop Muttahida Qaumi Movement supporting terrorism and vacate are routinely abducted and illegal occupation of Pakistan- killed, India said selective but Occupied Kashmir as it high- extremely opaque and highlighted human rights violations handed use of force by Pakistani in Balochistan, Khyber- authorities has affected civilian Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh and populations on a large scale. persecution of minorities inUnderlining that more than cluding Hindus. one million people remain dis"We, once again, ask Paki- placed as a result of the current stan to stop inciting and sup- and past armed conflicts in the porting violence and terrorism northwest of Pakistan, India in any part of India and refrain said, "Pakistan will be well-adfrom meddling in our internal vised to focus its energies on affairs in any manner. setting its own house in order We call upon the Council to and acting against the perpeurge Pakistan to fulfill its obli- trators of terrorist attacks on its gation to vacate illegal occupa- neighbors instead of ritually tion of Pakistan Occupied Kash- raking up alleged human rights mir," India said in its right to violations elsewhere." reply at the 33rd Session of the Earlier, making a statement UN Human Rights Council at the session here, India called (HRC) here. upon the Council to urge PakiIt said Pakistan continues to stan to put an end to cross-bortest the patience as well as wis- der infiltration; dismantle the dom of the Council with its un- terrorism infrastructure; and ceasing false-narrative backed stop acting as an epicenter of by fabricated facts and figures terrorism. about Jammu & Kashmir.

India said it firmly believes "Pakistan has had territorial that a policy of "zero tolerance" ambitions over Kashmir since 1947 that has The fundamental reason found concrete exfor disturbances in Kashmir pression in the aggression it em- is cross-border terrorism barked on in 1947, 1965 and 1999. As promoted by Pakistan, on date, Pakistan it added is in illegal and forcible occupation of 78,000 sq kms (approx) against terrorism is as much an of Indian territory in Jammu & international obligation as it is a Kashmir," it said. commitment to its own people.

The fundamental reason for "It is time that moral and madisturbances in Kashmir is terial support provided by Pakicross-border terrorism pro- stan to the perpetrators of this moted by Pakistan, it added. continuing heinous violence on Raising human rights viola- the Indian soil should attract this tions in Pakistan, India said, Council s attention," India said.

"The people of Balochistan, Raising once again the "blaamongst other provinces, have tant abuse and violation of hubeen waging for decades a bit- man rights in the Pakistan-octer and brave struggle against cupied Kashmir and in other their daily abuse and torture. parts of Pakistan, including "Religious and sectarian mi- Balochistan", India said it was norities such as Hindus, Chris- adversely impacting the stabiltians, Shias, Ahmaddiyas, ity of the entire region.

Ismailis and others continue to "Pakistan's continued misface discrimination, persecution treatment of large parts of its and targeted attacks in Paki- own population has created a stan. Places of worship belong- cauldron of tumult that has being to minorities have been de- gun to jeopardize the safety and stroyed and vandalized. Blas- security of its neighboring phemy laws remain in force and countries," the statement said. are disproportionately used Asserting that the acts of teragainst religious minorities." rorism are the most egregious Noting that various interna- violations of human rights as tional organizations have docu- they rob their victims of the most mented how enforced disap- fundamental of human rights pearances continue with impu- the right to life, India said this nity, particularly in Balochistan, should be clear to any impartial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and observer of the issue.-PTI

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Indian-origin scientist bags $500,000 award WASHINGTON: An Indianorigin scientist has bagged the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize worth USD 500,000 for his groundbreaking inventions to create solutions to improve lives globally.

Nasik-born Ramesh Raskar, 46, is founder of the Camera Culture research group at the MIT Media Lab and an Associate Professor

proving our world with practical yet innovative solutions," a media release said.

With more than 75 patents to his name, and having written more than 120 reviewed publications, Raskar is the co-inventor of radical imaging solutions including Femto-photography, an ultra-fast imaging system that can see around corners; low-cost eye-care

"Raskar is a multi-faceted leader as an inventor, educator, change maker and exemplar connector. In addition to creating his own remarkable inventions, he is working to connect communities and inventors all over the world to create positive change, said Stephanie Couch, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program of Media Arts and Sciences.

"Raskar is the winner of the 2016 USD 500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for his groundbreaking inventions, commitment to youth mentorship, and dedication to im-

solutions for the developing world; and a camera that allows users to read pages of a book without opening the cover.

Seeking to catalyze change on a massive scale by launching plat-

forms that empower inventors to create solutions to improve lives globally, he combines the best of the academic and entrepreneurial worlds to achieve milestones in improving the lives and health of people in industrial and developing societies, the announcement said.

The annual Lemelson-MIT Prize honors outstanding mid-career inventors improving the world through technological invention and demonstrating a commitment to mentorship in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

"Raskar is a multi-faceted leader as an inventor, educator, change maker and exemplar connector. In addition to creating his own remarkable inventions, he is working to connect communities and inventors all over the world to create positive change, said Stephanie Couch, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program.

Raskar told MIT News that he plans to use a portion of the prize money to launch a new effort using peer-to-peer invention platforms that offer new approaches

for helping young people in multiple countries to co-invent in a collaborative way.

"Everyone has the power to solve problems and through peerto-peer co-invention and purposeful collaboration, we can solve

per-human abilities to visually interact with the world via cameras that can see the unseen and displays that can alter the sense of reality.

He founded the Camera Culture Group at the MIT Media Lab in

Ramesh Raskar

problems that will impact billions of lives," he said.

Raskar said he was always fascinated with the idea of using su-

2008, where he focused on creating imaging devices for analyzing light transport in computational imaging.

PIO researcher wins $4,000 award BOSTON: A 28-year-old Indian-origin MIT scientist has won a prestigious award for his research on radio waves, solving a problem that had stumped scientists for almost 150 years and enabling a host of new applications from Internet of Things connec-

PhD from Stanford University in the US, will receive the award in November in California.

"Let's say you are shouting at someone and they are shouting at you. Neither of you can hear the other, because you are both shouting in the same frequency,"

"Dinesh's work enables a whole host of new applications, from extremely low-power Internet of Things connectivity to motion tracking," said Sachin Katti, Bharadia's PhD advisor at Stanford."It has the potential to be used for important future applications tivity to motion tracking.

Dinesh Bharadia, a graduate of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, was honored with the 2016 Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award that carries a cash prize of USD 4,000.

Bharadia's research disproved a long-held assumption that it is "generally not possible for a radio to receive and transmit on the same frequency band because of the interference that results."

His work culminated in making full-duplex radios a reality through the development of effective self-interference cancellation technology.

Bharadia, who pursued his

said Bharadia, currently a researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. "The noise in your ears (interference) from your own shout prevents you from hearing the other person. That's a good analogy for why radios have needed to use two different frequencies to transmit and receive simultaneously," he said.

"It's also why solving the challenge of developing 'full duplex radios' effectively doubles the amount of available spectrum," Bharadia said.

The problem is more difficult than it sounds, said Bharadia.

First, the interference is extremely strong - nearly a hundred billion times stronger than the signal that the radio might be trying to receive.

The resulting interference depends on the environment and its reflectors, changing in realtime as people move around.

Typical radios (eg WiFi) span many frequencies and use multi-antenna syst e m s .

Bharadia was able to demonstrate systems that overcame all these obstacles.

He turned full-duplex radios into a commercial reality by inventing new formulas that could in real-time, model the non-linear, time-varying self-interference as well as analog and digital self-interference cancellation circuits to

apply the model to the known transmitted signal and cancel the self-interference.

The analogue cancellation fil-

of Things connectivity to motion tracking," said Sachin Katti, Bharadia's PhD advisor at Stanford.

Dinesh Bharadia

ter Bharadia developed, also unleashed the potential for many more applications. The unique architecture had to allow cancellation in all environments.

"Dinesh's work enables a whole host of new applications, from extremely low-power Internet

"It has the potential to be used for important future applications such as building novel wireless imaging that can enable driverless cars in severe weather scenarios, help blind people to navigate indoors, and much more," Katti said.-PTI

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British Indian MP heads Tory group LONDON: Indian-origin British MP Shailesh Vara has been appointed co-chairman of the Conservative Friends of India group that aims to build better links between the Diaspora and the party.

The 56-year-old Gujarati-origin MP joins co-chair Indian-origin businessman Ranjit Singh Baxi in the group, which is affiliated to UK's ruling Conservative Party.

"The relationship between the Conservative Party and the Indian Diaspora continues to grow closer by the day and I look forward to furthering that aim," Vara said.

"There is much work to be done, both in terms of deepening the Conservative Party's relationship with the British Indian Diaspora and strengthening our very close links with India," he said.

Vara's appointment follows the recent ministerial reshuffle under British Prime Minister Theresa May, when Indian-origin MP Alok Sharma, who had been the Conservative Friends of India (CF-India) co-chairman, was made Minister for Asia at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Sharma is now working with UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson to build links with India following Brexit, CF-India said in a statement.

"We have an exciting program

of events and activity planned for the coming year and we can do nothing but accelerate with the sound advice and ideas of one of the most senior Indian-origin politicians in the UK," said Baxi.

and Pensions.

In 2014, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the Indian government in recognition of his work in promoting closer ties between the UK and India.

Shailesh Vara

"Shailesh is someone who will give time and effort to whatever task is in hand and we are looking forward to working with him," he added.

Under former Prime Minister David Cameron, Vara had served as a justice minister and minister in the UK's Department for Work

Patrick McLoughlin, Conservative Party chairman, said: "I am pleased that Shailesh Vara has been appointed Co-Chairman of CF India. He is a very able and versatile politician who has held a variety of government roles in the past and will bring to CF India a wealth of experience." -PTI

Envoy praises Indian community in UK LONDON: The Indian community in the UK, accounting for two per cent of the population is contributing six per cent to the GDP of Britain, thus playing a "very significant" role in building bilateral relations, the Indian envoy here said.

"India is the third largest investor in the UK and one of the major

The US is the biggest investor to the UK followed by China.

Sarna complimented the 1.5 million strong Indian community in UK for their positive contribution to the British society.

"Today the Indian community here is a major factor in India-UK relations. The Indian community has also made its presence in poli-

Dr Rami Ranger, a leading businessman who is the winner of the Queen's award eight times - six times for Business and twice personally for services to British Business and the British Asian Community - received a shield creators of jobs in the UK," India's High Commissioner to the UK Navtej Singh Sarna said.

Though Indian community accounts for 2 per cent of the population it contribute 6 per cent to the country's GDP, Sarna said at a function where three Indian-origin businessmen were honored for their contributions to the society.

tics with his representation in the House of Commons and House Lords," Sarna said.

Dr Rami Ranger, a leading businessman who is the winner of the Queen's award eight times - six times for Business and twice personally for services to British Business and the British Asian Community - received a shield in

recognition of his services to the community and business.

Ranger set up his first business in 1987 with a mere 2 pounds capital. He is now at the helm of two of Britain's fastest growing companies with an annual turnover in excess of 200 million pounds.

The other two honored at the Annual Dinner of Friends Circle International at the Radisson Portman Hotel were Atul Pathak, one of the UK's most successful franchise entrepreneurs running twenty-nine McDonald's restaurants across London and Krishan Ralleigh, Chief Editor of India Link International, a magazine he founded in 1993.

Pathak opened his first McDonald's in 2003 and now employs more than 2,500 staff who between them serve over 18 million customers a year.

Ralleigh was founding member and general secretary of the Hindu Cultural Society in London, before becoming general secretary and president of the Hindu Centre London.-PTI

CVC to attend SAARC meet in Pakistan NEW DELHI: Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary will attend a meeting of anti-corruption agencies of SAARC nations in Pakistan later this month, when such a meeting is being held for the first time.

The meeting is intended to discuss cooperation and assistance in probing corruption cases among eight SAARC countries, official sources said here.

Pakistan's apex anticorruption body - National Accountability Bureau - is coordinating the meeting to be held between September 25 and 27 in Islamabad.

This will be the first meeting where the authorities will discuss ways to set up 'SAARC anti-corruption forum', they said.

The Ministry of External Affairs is understood to have given its approval for India's representation in the meeting.

"The CVC will be attending the meeting on SAARC anti-corruption forum in Islamabad. The members will meet to discuss and resolve against corruption by creating public awareness and taking other matters," a source said.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a grouping of eight member countries - India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

K V Chowdary

The meeting assumes significance as there is no body for the SAARC nations to take help from any member nation in corruption matters. Usually, any request for such probes are processed via Home Ministry under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), the sources said.

The members will try to work out ways to extend cooperation to each other in matters related to anti-corruption and black money, among others, they said. -PTI

China slams EU for meeting Dalai Lama BEIJING: China has slammed India since he escaped China afthe European Parliament leaders ter the failed uprising of 1959. for receiving the Dalai Lama and China opposes the Dalai warned that the meeting between Lama's visits in any name or cathem has harmed Beijing's "core pacity to any country or organiinterests" in Tibet. zation to engage in It was reported separatist activithat European Parties, Lu said. China liament President is also opposed to Martin Schulz and any contact beElmar Brok, chairtween the Dalai man of the parliaLama and officials mentary commitfrom any country tee on foreign afor organization. fairs, met with the China-EU ties Dalai Lama on Separe at a new stage, tember 15 despite and relations bestrong opposition tween the parliafrom the Chinese ments are sound, Dalai Lama side. but the meeting be"They have broken the prom- tween the European Parliament's ises the EU made to China on Ti- leaders and the Dalai Lama harms bet," spokesperson Lu Kang told China's core interests and the poa press conference. litical foundation of inter-parlia"Tibet issues are core interests mentary communication, Lu said. of China," Lu said, stressing that China demands that the EU the Chinese government is firmly side take measures to nullify the against separatism. negative effects of the meeting, Dalai Lama has been living in he said. -PTI

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Aus gallery returns three sculptures to India CANBERRA: Australia has returned to India three sculptures, including a third century rock carving, which were stolen and smuggled out of the country.

Arts Minister Mitch Fifield handed over artifacts - Seated Buddha, a 900-year-old stone statue of Goddess Pratyangira and a third century rock carving of Worshippers of Buddha - to Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma at Canberra-based prestigious National Gallery of Australia (NGA).

Receiving the artifacts, Sharma said that the gesture of returning art pieces has taken the relationship to a new level as the artworks carried an emotional value for India.

"Our sincere thanks to government of Australia and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister Fifield and the National Gallery of Australia for the gesture of returning these three antiquities, which will carry a big message of the relations between two countries," Sharma said, adding that the artworks will now be placed in National Museum in India.

The NGA had bought the arti-

facts allegedly from disgraced art dealer Subhash Kapoor in 2005.

Kapoor is currently lodged in Trichy Central Prison.

Australian Arts Minister Mitch Fifield handed over two sculptures to Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma

"This is the ethical demonstration of NGA...This process in which Indian and Australian governments are working together is a testimony of quality and health of the bilateral relations," Fifield said, adding there were at least seven more objects in questions which the NGA is currently probing.

Air India crew held for smuggling drug to US NEW DELHI: A cabin crew member of national carrier Air India has been arrested at international airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle about 300 bottles of a banned drug to the US. The crew member, who was intending to depart to New York, was intercepted by the customs officials. On his personal and baggage search, 300 bottles of 'Phensedyl new cough Linctus 50 ml' were allegedly recovered.

The cough syrup contains banned substance 'codeine phosphate', which is commonly

used by drug addicts, a senior customs official at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) said.

These bottles have been seized and the crew, who is in his early thirties, has been arrested, he said.

"We will also write to Air India about their crew's involvement in this incident," the official said.

The cough syrup is not expensive and is sold around Rs 60 per bottle in retail market. The codeine-based syrups are in great demands in some countries among drug addicts as they are psychotropic, he said. -PTI

India test fires long range surface-to-air missile BALASORE, Odisha: In a bid to galvanize its air defense capabilities, India has successfully test fired a new, long range surfaceto-air missile jointly developed with Israel from a defense base off Odisha coast.

The long range missile, a product of a joint venture between India and Israel, was test launched from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur near here, a DRDO official said.

The ceremony was also attended by Indian High Commissioner Navdeep Suri. The ceremony took place in the gallery

The trial was successful and some more rounds of test are expected to be conducted shortly, the DRDO scientist said.

"Apart from the missile, the system includes a Multi Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar (MF STAR) for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile," the official said, adding the missile along with MF-STAR would provide the users the capability to neutralize any aerial threats.-PTI

which houses almost 5,000 pieces of Asian art.

Last year, the NGA research

team examined new photographic evidence from the French Institute of Pondicherry that indicated a sculpture of Goddess Pratyangira which was bought for USD 247,500 was in India in 1974.

This contradicts the dealer-supplied provenance, suggesting the NGA was supplied with false documentation and it was likely to have been illegally exported from India.

It is believed that the work has now been reported missing to the Idol Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police, NGA said.

The Buddha carving was bought for USD 595,000 and the NGA was provided with and had verified new photographic evidence that indicates the sculpture was in India as late as 1990s.

"This new evidence means the NGA cannot legally or ethically retain these works, and returning them to India is unquestionably

the right thing to do," NGA Director Gerard Vaughan said.

In 2014, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi two antique statues of Hindu deities which were stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu before being bought by art galleries in Australia.

In June this year, the US had returned over 200 cultural artifacts estimated at USD 100 million to India.

Meanwhile, Sharma also met Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Keith Pitt MP and discussed various bilateral issues of mutual interest.

Sharma, who is on an official visit to Australia from September 18 to September 20, yesterday attended an event in connection with 'Confluence-the Festival of India' at the iconic Sydney Opera House. -PTI

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Desi News 'Sunehri Yadein' celebrates Golden Era music directors India Post News Service

NEWARK, CA Peter Sahjani and Dahya Mistry of Star Entertainment presented their live band Golden Era Musical Journey "Sunehri Yadein" event on Friday September 9 at Chandni Restaurant in Newark, CA. The show started at 8:15 pm with the video projection on Tributes to the Golden Era Music Directors, Naushad Ali, Shanker Jaikishan, Madan Mohan, Laxmikant Pyarelal, O P Nayar, SD Burman and RD Burman, which was managed by Nikhil Jindal.

The accomplished singers of the Bay Area Mandeep Singh, Vikas Singh, Geetesh Iyer, Anuja Surlaker, Ria Nilawar, and Puja Purandare, along with popular Pakistani guest singer Arif Rizvi sang soulfully and rocked the entire house.

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16 India Post

11-year old's book selected for Book Festival Details on page 22

September 23, 2016

Worshipped by thousands, Devon Ka Raja leaves, promising early return

Lord Ganesh prayer and celebrations on the final - Visarjan Day. Pics Asian Media USA

Details on page 18

RAMESH SOPARAWALA

India destination for innovation, says TiE MADHU PATEL

CHICAGO: India is now increasingly seen as a destination for innovation and digital transformation mainly due to some of its recently launched initiatives like 'Startup India' and 'Digital India', American entrepreneurs and venture capitalists from the Mid-West have said.

"India is now being viewed increasingly as a destination for innovation and digital transformation," said Bala Palamadai, president of TiE Midwest and founderCEO of Bizofit during a meeting of TiE Midwest Chapter here.

Details on page 19

Subramaniam Swamy enthralls with his brilliance

India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Devon Ka Raja Lord Ganesh - came and left badding adieu to his large number of followers after a brief visit and promising that He will be back again next year around the same time. This was greeted with a chorus of joyous cry Ganpati Bappa Moria!

This was the sight at 2623 W Devon Avenue where Devon Ka Raja stayed during his brief visit that ended on Thursday September 15. This marked the culmination of the 10-day Ganesh Festival hosted by the Regal Foundation, a Chicago based no profit organization.

Each day of the festival was celebrated with twice daily aartis, daily evening pujas dedicated to a different deity, and each night culminating with Garba, a traditional celebratory dance.

The last day celebration was a sight to watch. Despite it being a

whole heartedly for his coming back next year to bless them and their loved ones.

The Ganesh Visarjan parade along Devon Ave was a mini mela with hundreds of worshipers chanting, dancing and playing

Udupi Palace, Uma Sarees, Sukhadia's Sweets, New Taj Appliances, Sahil, India Sari Palace, Resham's Handicrafts, My Niketan, Punjabi Dhaba, Hi-India Newspaper, Lakshmi Jewelers, Patel Handicrafts, Patel Brothers,

Each day of the festival was celebrated with twice daily aartis, daily evening pujas dedicated to a different deity, and each night culminating with Garba, a traditional celebratory dance.

and worshipers bid Ganesh a final farewell as they submerged Him into water. Local businesses along with many volunteers dedicated hours of assistance, offerings of sweets, food and flowers, and praise to the Lord Ganesha, without whom this event would have met the success that it deserved.

Ganesh Chaturthi celebration next year will begin on August 28, 2017. Visit their website for more information:www.devonkaraja.com In addition to hosting the annual Ganesh Chauturthi, Regal

PRASAD THOTUKARA

PLANO, Dallas: India's identity as Hindu is similar to USA's identity as 'Anglo-Saxon Caucasian Protestant Christian.' This may be irksome for citizens from various races and religions, but it persists, and in the same vein India is home for people practicing various religions, but its broader identity is still Hindu, observed Dr Subramanian Swamy addressing a packed hall in Plano (Dallas area), Texas last week.

Details on page 21

Lord Ganesh procession

working day, hundreds of Lord Ganesh devotees flocked from all parts of Chicagoland to Devon Avenue to be part of the huge crowd of followers bidding adieu to Devon Ka Raja and also pray

with Gulal (a color). Along the route, Lord Ganesh showered the surrounding businesses and homes with His blessings, pausing for a special prayer offered by Regal Traders, Hindi Lover's Club,

Fresh Farms International Market, Andaaz Jewelers, Joy Allukas, Kamdar Plaza, Raj Jewels, Vitha Jewels, NP Jewelers, Uru-Swati, and Sari Sapne.

After the procession the priest

Foundation is striving to meet the needs of the community by establishing a permanent Ganesh Temple on Devon Ave. For more information visit www.shreeganeshtempleofchicago.com

September 23, 2016

Community Across America

India Post 17

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Sadhguru delivers unique insights into life GEETHA PATIL

BOSTON: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, world celebrated yogi and committed humanitarian, addressed thousands assembled at the huge history-rich with stateof-the-art facility Back Bay Events Center, Boston on Saturday September 17.

Sadhguru delivered fresh and unique insights into many aspects

lent potentialities of mind at this event arranged by Isha Foundation.

Sadhguru is well known in India and abroad for his humanitarian, educational, and environmental projects, is on his North American tour to launch his first book for western readers, 'Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy,'

this system helps create a framework of inner stability to those who become engineers of a joyful life. Sadhguru said that in his signature book, he narrated the personal experiences and deep insights that have transformed his own life and consciousness. More than that, he spoke to the audience about some procedures for

published by the Spiegel & Grau, New York.

Sadhguru presented a refined guide for self-empowerment based on the teaching and principles of classical yoga. According to him,

Sadhguru will be in San Jose on Oct 2 India Post News Service

SAN JOSE, CA: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, world renowned yogi and visionary humanitarian is touring 17 cities during his North American Fall Tour with an event planned in San Jose on Oct 2, 2-4pm. Sadhguru will offer refreshing and unique insights into many aspects of life, ranging from the mundane to the ultimate.

Being in Sadhguru's presence creates an extraordinary opportunity to experience one's natural state of freedom, love and limitless joy. It is an opportunity to meet, mingle, meditate and have your unanswered questions answered, according to a press note issued by Isha Foundation.

Sadhguru is known around the world for the large-scale humanitarian, educational, and environmental projects carried out by Isha Foundation, which he founded in 1992. He has been an honored

guest and speaker at places such as the United Nations, The World Economic Forum, Harvard, Wharton, Microsoft, TED, Google, and more.

The tour will launch Sadhguru's first book for western readers, Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy (Spiegel & Grau). Sadhguru presents a sophisticated guide to self-empowerment based on the teaching and principles of classical yoga. This system is a means to create a framework of inner stability, helping those who practice become architects of a joyful life.

A yogi lives life in this expansive state and in this transformative book Sadhguru tells the story of his own awakening, from a boy with an unusual affinity for the natural world, to a young daredevil who crossed the Indian continent on his motorcycle.

Cont’d on page 19

for coming and making the event a grand success. The program started and ended with melodious songs by the Sounds of Isha.

Their rhythmic drum beating made the audiences' meditation experi-

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev addressing a large audience in Boston

A section of the audience at Sadhguru meet

of life, ranging from the everyday to the ultimate. The Bostonian audience had an opportunity to meet, mingle, meditate, have their unanswered questions answered, and realize one's natural benevo-

his ideas across. He guided the audience in simple, little exercises that would help create a more simple and joyful life. Most of the advice presented was very downto-earth and the audience re-

personal transformation that are drawn from the venerable teachings of his yogic masters, who still continue to inspire him.

Sadhguru talked very methodically about how meditation, diet, physical exercise, ways of living, and yoga help in the Inner Engineering process. He shared his funny and inspiring stories to get

mained very much engaged and engrossed. At the end of the program he got down from the stage and walked amongst the big crowd.

Isha Volunteers from Boston organized the event very meticulously. The audience was amiably welcomed to a gorgeous afternoon event and thanked profusely

ence a unique one.

Appreciation was expressed for the contribution made by the singers and drum player, as well as to all the volunteers for their time, work, and help in putting this great event together. Tillinger's representatives were also thanked and recognized for arranging the pleasant ambience of the venue for the event.

18 India Post

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September 23, 2016

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'Sunehri Yadein' celebrates Golden Era music directors India Post News Service

NEWARK, CA Peter Sahjani and Dahya Mistry of Star Entertainment presented their live band Golden Era Musical Journey "Sunehri Yadein" event on Friday September 9 at Chandni Restaurant in Newark, CA. The show started at 8:15 pm with the video projection on Tributes to the Golden Era Music Di-

rectors, Naushad Ali, Shanker Jaikishan, Madan Mohan, Laxmikant Pyarelal, O P Nayar, SD Burman and RD Burman, which was managed by Nikhil Jindal.

The accomplished singers of the Bay Area Mandeep Singh, Vikas Singh, Geetesh Iyer, Anuja Surlaker, Ria Nilawar, and Puja Purandare, along with popular Pakistani guest singer Arif Rizvi sang soulfully and rocked the entire

house Young singer Geetsh Iyer got a standing ovation for his mesmerizing solo song "Ek Chatur Naar Karke Singar" from movie Padosan.

Elena thrilled the audience with her dances numbers starting with "Chalte Chalte" from hit movie Pakeezah and "Hothon Pe Aise Baat" from movie "Jewel Thief".

The NKD Arts dance group headed by Deepak Arora entertained the au- and dessert. Popular Anchor was supported by Ray and Kay dience with their medley dances Sunny Moza entertained the au- Walia. numbers from Golden Era movies dience throughout the evening.

The event videographer was of Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan.

The concluding songs Medley left a lasting impression on the audience making them dance non-stop.

The Melody Makers Live band team inc l u d e d Rajeshvar Singh on guitar, Rohit Singh on keyboard, Ashu (L-R) Geetesh Iyer, Organizer Peter Sahjani, singers Mandeep Singh, Vikas Singh, Singh on dholak Anuja Surlaker, Ria Nilawar and Puja Punrandare and Hivayat Ali on drums, along The platinum sponsor of the Kumar Joshi along with photogwith another known keyboard player Vikas Salvi . The sound sys- event was Fremont based Cosmic raphers Azmi Gill, Venu Nath, tem was provided by popular Automotive. Other sponsors were Kiara Klicks and Kumar Joshi.

PNG Jewelers, Mountain Mike's, Edwin Singh.

The media partners of the event Chandni Restaurant's scrump- B& B Entertainment, Chaat & were are 1550 AM Radio Zindagi, tious dinner included veg & non- Curry, Park Balluchi, and Janki Azmi Gill of US Urdu newspaper, veg dishes along with appetizers Patel of JTeam Realtor. The event India Post, and Ind TV USA.

Jam packed Chandni Restaurant

September 23, 2016

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India Post 19

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India destination for innovation, says TiE MADHU PATEL

CHICAGO: India is now increasingly seen as a destination for innovation and digital transformation mainly due to some of its recently launched initiatives like 'Startup India' and 'Digital India', American entrepreneurs and venture capitalists from the Mid-West have said.

"India is now being viewed increasingly as a destination for innovation and digital transformation," said Bala Palamadai, president of TiE Midwest and founderCEO of Bizofit during a meeting of TiE Midwest Chapter here.

The Consul General of India in Chicago, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, said the ambitious 'Startup India' program launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to fill gaps in the economy for the growth and development of startups and to boost digital entrepreneurship at the grassroots. "'Startup India' has brought lots of positivity among the entrepreneurs in India and as of now

India has the third largest number of startups globally," he said.

Neeru Arora, chief information officer and chief knowledge officer, Aon Corporation, elaborated the role of her organization in promoting entrepreneurship.

Narendra Kale, Serial Entrepreneur and Founder of Bhau Institute, Pune, who has contributed to formulation of policies pertaining to startups and innovation in India, narrated his own journey of becoming business person by following a disciplined approach and taking risks while promoting entrepreneurship in his life.

Among others who addressed the event were Piyush Singh, CEO, Terrene Labs, N. Shridhar, Mg. Director, Pegasus Fininvest Advisory & Director Hiranandani Group, Ms. Nin Desai, CEO, Nin Ventures and .

There was a lively question-answer session at the end of the seminar.

Business Seminar participants

Sadhguru will be in San Jose on Oct 2 Cont’d from page 17

less than a life of joy.

"By any measure, Sadhguru is a remarkable man. For countless people around the world, he is a luminous spiritual guide. He is too a pragmatic social activist and compassionate campaigner for human rights, for universal education and for global peace and

Today, as a spiritual teacher revered in India and beyond, Sadhguru lights the path for millions.

In this accessible and engaging book, Sadhguru presents a philosophical and practical introduction to the power and profundity of yoga - as he puts it, "not as acrobatics or metaphysics, but as an empirical science that makes you the master of your own destiny, the architect of your own inner bliss. In short, this book is a road-map to joy - an invitation to each one of you to turn from an armSadhguru Jaggi Vasudev chair reader into a dynamic participant on an ecstatic wellbeing. In this signature book, he sets out the personal experijourney inward."

Inner Engineering presents a ences and deep insights that have new way of thinking about our transformed his own life and conagency and our humanity and the sciousness. More than that, he opportunity to achieve nothing offers a practiced program for per-

sonal transformation that also draws from the venerable teachings of the yogic masters who continue to inspire him. Throughout the ages there have been no more insistent questions than who we are and what our purpose is in living at all. Contrarian and consistent, ancient and contemporary.

Inner Engineering is a loving invitation to live our best lives and a profound reassurance of why and

how we can."

-Sir Ken Robinson "Inner Engineering is a fascinating read of Sadhguru's insights and his teaching. If you are ready, it is a tool to help awaken your own inner intelligence, the ultimate and supreme genius that mirrors the wisdom of the cosmos."

- Deepak Chopra "I am inspired by

Sadhguru's capacity for joy, his exuberance for life, and the depth and breadth of his curiosity and knowledge. His book is filled with moments of wonder, awe, and intellectual challenge. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in self-transformation."

-Mark Hyman, MD, Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, and New York Times bestselling author

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20 India Post

September 23, 2016

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Winston-Salem temple foundation on Oct 7 India Post News Service

WINSTON SALEM, NC: Sri Mata Hindu Temple of WinstonSalem has slated a four-day foundation ceremony beginning October 7 on its 7.5 acres plot in Clemmons (North Carolina). It is

hit with over 60 shotgun blasts.

The ceremony includes Sanku Staapana, which will be held on October 10 evening during the auspicious time designated between 5:21 pm to 6:46 pm. This Temple, to be built in a traditional way, "would promote community

held on June 11, 2015; and Kumbhabishekam is planned in May next.

Sri Lalithaambika will be the presiding deity with shrine at the center, while four intercardinal directions will have the shrines for Sri Ganapathy, Sri Aditya, Sri

North Carolina temple

the first Hindu temple of Forsyth County.

Hindu community is enthusiastic and moving forward with Temple plans unmoved by the incident in July last year in which a planned temple in Clemmons was

welfare and the welfare of the world", according to a temple announcement, which adds that they "received City/County's permit to build our temple in August 2016".

Ground Breaking Ceremony (Bhoomi Puja) of the Temple was

Maha Vishnu (Balaji) and Sri Shiva (shivalingam). Shrines for Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Shirdi Sai Baba are also planned in phase one which includes 3,600-square-foot sanctum. Estimated cost of all eight shrines will be $335,000, in-

Belgium brewery apologizes over Ganesha icon SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Indians across Chicaogland and across the globe have welcomed Belgium brewery, The Musketeers, rendering apology for using Lord Ganesh as icon representing its Jack's Precious IPA beer.

Google translation of brewery's (headquartered in Ursel, East Flanders) statement in Dutch, responding to criticism

by Hindu community, published on their website, said: "The brewery wants to apologize when they unwittingly hurt a community"; and added that the beer label is "in no way intended to hurt anyone".

Lord Ganesh's image was shown on Jack's Precious IPA (Alcohol: 5.9%, EBC: 20, IBU: 50) beer label carrying chef knife in one hand and sausage like object on the other, and brewery's trade mark symbol on his head; a product of Ursel (East Flanders, Belgium) headquartered The Mus-

keteers Brewery.

A group of Indian Americans here were highly upset and a protest spearheaded by Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, against the Lord Ganesha image on Jack's Precious

IPA beer label was lodged with the firm. They have now welcomed the brewery's apology, calling it a step in the positive direction.

Rajan also pitched that the brewery should immediately withdraw the image of Lord Ganesha from the beer label, which was

highly inappropriate.

If the Musketeers brewery continued to use Lord Ganesha icon on their beer, they were thinking of approaching the Commission on Marketing and Advertising of Belgium chapter of International Chamber of Commerce, Rajan Zed pointed out.

Lord Ganesha's image carrying chef knife in one hand and sausage like object on the other and brewery's trade mark symbol on his head continued to be shown on Jack's Precious IPA beer label on brewery's website.

Zed had said that inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

cluding $75,000 for Sri Lalithaambika shrine alone.

The Temple, a collaboration of Om Hindu Organization of North Carolina and Sri Mata Shaktipeetham, is offering opportunity to become a Founder Trustee at minimum contribution of $10,000. According to Temple website, "A Hindu Temple stands for Tranquility, Education, Meditation, Purification, Love and Engagement."

The construction will be undertaken in three phases, with total cost amounting to about one million USD. When completed, besides sanctuary, it will have a cultural hall for community activities, a dining hall, rooms for educational-cultural-religious classes, Swami Rajendran, Vice Chairman, indicated.

The Temple, when built, will reportedly serve about 500 families who had been travelling to Charlotte (about 75 miles), Cary (about 107 miles) and Morrisville (about

103 miles) for services; besides worshipping in home shrines.

Krishna Surabhi is the Secretary.

Commending this determination on the part of the community, Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that the 2015 temple sign shooting incident was shocking for the hard-working and peaceful Hindu communityand keeping the focus on worship and advancing forward with temple plans need to be universally supported Rajan Zed urged North Carolina Governor Patrick L. McCrory, Forsyth County Board of Commissioners Chairman David R. Plyler and Clemmons Mayor Nickolas Nelson to participate in the foundation ceremony to reassure the area Hindus. He also pitched for educating Americans about Hinduism, the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents; and try to remove misconceptions, if any, about it.

Hindu Americans condemn Uri attack India Post News Service

and end of terrorism in their homeland prior to contemplating a return.

"The ability of groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad to operate freely and with impunity in Pakistan are a direct indication of state sponsored terrorism by the country's intelligence services and military apparatus," said Samir Kalra, Esq., HAF Se-

WASHINGTON, DC: Hindu Americans have condemned the deadly terror attack in India's state of Jammu and Kashmir that left 18 Indian Army personnel dead in the town of Uri this past weekend.

The attack on a military base was allegedly carried out by J a i s h - e Mohammad, a Pakistan-based militant "The attack that transpired group and a U.S. designated Foreign on Saturday prevents the full Terrorist Organiza- reintegration of Kashmiri tion, believed to receive military and Pandits in the Valley, destalogistical support bilizes the region from the Pakistani army. Earlier this year, Jaish-e-Mohammad carried nior Director and Human Rights out a similar attack on an Indian Fellow.

"The attack that transpired on Air Force base in Pathankot, Saturday prevents the full reinPunjab.

Since 1989, a militant insur- tegration of Kashmiri Pandits in gency supported by Pakistan's the Valley, destabilizes the reInter-Services Intelligence gion as a whole, and deprives agency has left thousands of ordinary civilians of a sense of Hindus dead, and has driven out safety and security. We welcome more than 350,000 people from the global community's condemthe Kashmiri Pandit community nation of this attack, and from the Kashmir Valley. Many strongly urge these nations to of these Hindus are still lan- designate Pakistan as a state guishing in refugee camps in the sponsor of terrorism and deploy Jammu region and Delhi, wait- sanctions to end this reckless ing for a restoration of normalcy behavior," he said.

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September 23, 2016

India Post 21

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Subramaniam Swamy enthralls with his brilliance PRASAD THOTUKARA

PLANO, Dallas: India's identity as Hindu is similar to USA's identity as 'Anglo-Saxon Caucasian Protestant Christian.' This may be irksome for citizens from various races and religions, but it persists, and in the same vein India is home for people practicing various religions, but its broader identity is still Hindu, observed Dr Subramanian Swamy addressing a packed hall in Plano (Dallas area), Texas last week.

The Indian MP and a senior BJP leader, Dr Swamy visited Dallas on an invitation from Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) to speak on "The Government control of Temples in India" on Tuesday, September 13.

It so happens that Dr Swamy's birthday falls on September 15 and the organizers decided to conclude the event with cake cutting. Shri Gaur from Seva International has felicitated Dr Swamy with a shawl.

Addressing an audience of about 600 people, Dr Swamy in a brilliant speech covered various topics that are dear to all Hindus such as the history and significance of Hindu temples; need for the preservation of Hindu values; difference between Hindu

Dr Subramaniam Swamy addressing the Dallas audience, and (left) being honored and recognized at the event

active volunteer who served as Master of Ceremony for the evening, thanked everyone for coming. Hari Ramasubbu started the program with invocation prayers. This was followed by Lighting the Lamps at the altar

by Dr Swamy and attendees from various organizations in and around Dallas.

Gopal then introduced Dr Prakasa Rao Velagapudi, the Founder and President of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation which organized the event in collaboration with various Hindu faith based organizations in and around Dallas area. Dr Velagapudi spoke about the origin of GHHF and Dr Swamy and Gopal Ponangi some of its activities temples and Christian churches and over the last ten years. He then introduced mosques; illegal occupation and construc- Dr Swamy as a lone ranger, and one-man tion of Babri Masjid; legal battle to con- army making the difference in uplifting the struct Rama Temple in Ayodhya, the birth moral compass in India and fighting to upplace of Lord Rama; efforts to repeal of the root corruption and cronies.

Dr Swamy addressed the gathering by Endowment Act in the Supreme Court and the potential problems Hindus may face af- vividly describing the process that makes ter Hindu temples are freed from govern- Hindu temples sacred by doing Pranaprathishta puja to convert Murthy ment control.

Welcoming the gathering, Gopal Ponangi, into a God. Once they are sanctified, they

A section of the audience

cannot be removed since life is infused in the Murthy. Even the British courts have agreed to this process. He said churches and mosques are only places of congregation; they can be removed and shifted with no recourse. Saudi Arabia has demolished hundreds of mosques to widen the roads and construction of apartments.

He pointed out that Muslims must accept their Hindu ancestry to live in peace and harmony since all the people in India, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed, and state, have the same DNA. All Muslims should agree to build temples in

Mathura, Ayodhya and Varanasi, otherwise we should make a case to repossess 2000 Hindu Temples that were converted into mosques.

Since investigation has revealed the existence of Rama Temple before the construction of Babri Masjid based on scientific evidence, efforts must be made to build Rama Temple as soon as possible. He wants to see the construction of Rama Temple completed by the end of 2017 since it is also the agenda of BJP. Cont’d on page 23

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September 23, 2016

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Disabled Muslim Army veteran harassed India Post News Service

M

ohamed Abbas, a disabled U.S. Army veteran working at the Department of Defense's Marine Depart-

Mohamed Abbas

ment Maintenance Command Production Plant, was accused by a co-worker of threatening to blow up the base following the San Bernardino attack in December 9, 2015.

The following day, he reportedly went to work and was denied entry onto the base. He called his

supervisor and discovered that he was placed on administrative leave and banned from the base after being falsely accused of making threats. On December 10, his desk at work was raided by the Marine Corps Police Department and Bomb Squad.

The military's Criminal Investigation Department conducted an investigation and determined the allegations were unfounded. Statements the alleged witness provided to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and (NCIS) were determined to be inconsistent. No action was taken against the person who made the false accusations.

Abbas returned to work in February 2016.

Abbas has worked as a tools and parts attendant at the base since 2010 and alleges that harassment directed toward him began four years ago.

His work locker was reportedly vandalized with the word "raghead." He scratched it out and did not report it out of fear of retribution. He says he would

routinely receive comments from co-workers who would ask questions such as, "When are you going to blow the place up?"

On September 1, his locker in the men's restroom was vandalized again with "terrorist" and "raghead" graffiti. He reported the incident to a security supervisor who took pictures but did not call police. Abbas called military base police himself, but said despite his efforts to resolve these issues, "they don't go anywhere." Abbas has filed two cases with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

CAIR-LA has reached out to Detective Lopez at the Barstow Marine Corps Police Department who said the investigation is ongoing and it is undecided whether the case will be treated as a hate crime.

11-year old's book selected for Book Festival India Post News Service

SACRAMENTO, CA: Akshaj Mehta (11) is believed to be the

senter for the two-day event.

Akshaj donates all the proceeds of his books to Children Charity.

In Super Mouse, a mouse with super powers goes on a daring adventure to save Mousecity from Cheese Monster. His other books are "ETron" (a pre teen Novel) about relationship between a 21year old and his grandparents who want him to join military. "ETron 2" is a sequel to E-Tron.

Akshaj was announced Hometown Hero for KFBK Radio because of his Charity work.

Akshaj Mehta

youngest Indian American author.

He has written 5 books and 3 have been published. His first book 'Super Mouse' has been selected for Scholar Share Book Festival to be held at Fairytale Town in Sacramento on September 24 and 25. He is the youngest author and pre-

Islamic scholar sentenced for sex crime DILIPKUMAR PATEL

Vandalized locker

Seniors visit temples A group of Indian community Seniors led by Hema Shastri greeted the onset of Shravanmanth recently by visiting six temples in Chicago land. Close to 52 seniors participated in the day long jaunt, says Hema.

An Islamic scholar Mohammed while forcing them sit on his lap.

Abdullah Saleem (77), accused of Cook County Attorney sources molesting an underage girl and a said the student was 14 when female employee, was sentenced Saleem began to abuse her in to 24 months' probation after 2001. The following year, the girl pleading guilty to sex abuse. reported the abuse to a school Saleem who had founded the official, but nothing happened.

Institute for Islamic Education 27 Saleem, regarded an erudite years ago in Elgin,cannot be scholar with hugely conservative within 500 views on sofeet of any cial behavschool - iniors, had a cluding the good followone he ing in his founded 27 community years ago, made up except to largely of Isworship at lamic immiits affiliated grants from mosque.

India and PaHe must kistan. He also register used to esas a sex ofpouse a code fender for conduct that the rest of would inhis life. Bevolve sepaMohammed Abdullah Saleem sides, he is ration beforbidden to tween genbe in the presence of females of ders and would discourage even any age, except relatives, without hand-shaking. The institute, another adult female present. which provides boarding to some Saleem was accused of repeat- students, runs separate programs edly fondling a young woman who for girls and boys. His downfall worked for him at the school, as has shocked many of his followwell as a student who was a mi- ers and Islamic community memnor at the time, in some cases bers.

Community Across America

September 23, 2016

India Post 23

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Support a Child program gets a boost

Emcee Gauri Chandra, organizer Sanjay Kaul, and a section of the audience India Post News Service

BOSTON: Support-A-Child (SAC) program is a flagship project of the Vishwa Hindu Council of America (VHPA) that organized a fundraiser event under the joint venture of Boston and

Jadhav and Harshada Jambekar, all brilliant artists, who made the audience feel the eternal love and devotion of four Krishnapriyas, namely Ma Yashoda, sister Draupadi, Sakhi Radha, and Dasi Meerabai towards Shri Krishna Krishnapriya dance program

orphans. Through SAC these children receive the quality education they deserve and some are obtaining regular college, technical, and even advanced degrees like Ph.D, and MD. Many of these children are today working as teachers, engineers, doctors and other pro-

He appreciated the food service by Minerva and thanked all the SAC local chapter team members: Program Director Pramod Panday, Program Secretary

Subramaniam Swamy enthralls with his brilliance Cont’d from page 21

Artists presenting Krishnapriya dance drama

Merrimack Valley Chapters and presented a rare opportunity to the audience of Greater Boston area to watch 'Krishnapriya'- A musical dance drama.

The drama touched upon the story of divine love of Krishna, Radha and Meera on the beautiful evening of Sunday, September 18 at Keefe Technical school, Framingham, MA attended by gorgeously dressed Indian community members.The event was organized to generate awareness and raise funds for the Support-A-Child (SAC) movement.The community leaders who graced the event included: Jayashree Voruganti (President IAGB), Kanchan Banergee (President, GIBV), Sudhir Parikh (Satsang Center) and Tej Tandon.

Mrs Gauri Chandna was graceful as Master of Ceremony. She welcomed the audience to the program and requested Mr Tej and Mrs Prem Tandon to light the lamps in front of Lord Ganesh and Ma Radha and Lord Krishna.

'Krishnapriya' was performed

by Aditi Bhagwat, Sushant

was sponsored by the SAC which provides shelter, education, boarding, lodging, medical help and promise for bright future to the children who are poor and many times who come from terrorism hit areas of India. SAC program, started by VHPA in 1985, is supporting thousands of boys and girls all over Bharat who are under- privileged and come from rural and tribal areas and many are

fessionals.

With the help of reputed service organizations like Sewa Bharati, Sewa Dham, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Kalyan Prathishthan and many more, the SAC team selects its hostels/ schools and institutions from 18 different states. These children stay in the hostels and get their education at board certified schools and learn good samsakaras (values). Along with quality education, they also receive medical aid, nutritious food, school supplies, and clothing. Talented children get opportunities to learn music, art, yoga and sports.

VHPA, Boston and Merrimack Valley Chapters requested the Indian community to support a noble cause and make a difference in the lives of "not-so-fortunate" children. Sanjay Kaul thanked the audience for donating generously to the Support-A-Child program. He announced that kind donors donated $108K which is going to support approximately over 425 needy children in India.

Brijesh Sharma, Treasure Raji Ganesh, Abhishek Singh, Anita Shyam, Geeta Singh, Suman Sharma and the volunteers for their time.

He recounted the tireless efforts of Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati to gather information on the abuses of governments and how he filed a case in Supreme Court. Dr Swamy indicated that he has agreed to take up the Repeal of Hindu Endowment Act in Supreme Court.His extraordinary speech was interrupted by thunderous applause numerous times "It was an excellent speech by Dr Swamy. He has captivated the entire audience," said Mahesh Choppa, an active volunteer at GHHF who managed food related areas for the event. Sashi Kejriwal, one of the community leaders said "it is upon us to support Dr Swamy for his tireless efforts to fight corruption in India and also to help support furthering Hindu causes" "Dr Swamy is very articulate and does enough research and study before he speaks" said Rajah Vysyaraju, another active volunteer who has spent countless hours organizing the event "Dr Swamy's speech was very good, informative and an eye opener and I thank GHHF for arranging Dr Swamy's talk" said Sashi Pattisam, a resident of Dallas area.

"For me, the take home was the message about India's identity being Hindu just like USA's identity is 'Anglo-Saxon Caucasian Protestant Christian" said Ramesh Kandadai, another local resident.

The event success was made possible by volunteers who were, among others, Alpesh Patel, Anand Chellappa, Anil Muthoju,

Anu Appaji, Dr Arun Chandrakantan, Divya Selva, Gagan Shori, Hari Ramasubbu, IV Rao, Kalyani Tadimeti, Kameswara Rao Nemani, Laxmi Tummala, Madhumathi Vysyaraju, Mahesh Choppa, Manjari Gangwar, Prashant Patel, RK Panditi, Raj Kumar Dandu, Rajah Vysyaraju, Venkat Coimbatore, Ram Majji, Rao Kalvala, Ravi Pattisam, Sanjay Tiwari, Satish Kandi, Shri Gaur, Siva Agnoor, Srikanth Konda, Srinivas Guldavalleti, Kannan Srinivasan, Srinivas Kodavatiganti, Srinivas Pamidimukkala, Sridhar Kodela, Venkat Karumudi, Vijay Todupnoori, Vijay Bhogaraju, Vishnu Chimmula.

Special support was provided

by KC Chekuri through Yuva Radio, Hari Dornala of Basera Restaurant and Pratyusha of Minerva Banquet Hall. Sridhar Kodela gave audio support while Krishna Puttaparthi from Desi Plaza supported through videography and photography. Pardha from Lordly Digital helped with publicity and Venkat Mulukutla from TV9 provided Media support.

Gopal thanked Dr Swamy for his enlightening talk and also nearly 600 people who came to listen to the speech, even though it was a working day.

Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF), a nonprofit organization, was established with the objective to protect, preserve, promote, and maintain Hindu culture, Hindu temples, mutts, peethams, endowments, trusts and other institutions globally.

24 India Post

Community Across America

September 23, 2016

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Moses presents Christian Bharata Natyam PM SWAMY

NEW YORK: Dr Babu Moses, a Long Island based leading physiotherapist and hypnotherapist presented a unique Christian Bharata Natyam at Molloy College in Rockville Center in New York recently.

Student of dance masters Sridhar Shanmugam, Satya Pradeep and Saavitri Ramanand Dr Moses narrated how Jesus when he came to this world as the God of Love experienced the same human emotions like humans and used them to strengthen his bondage. Human love is the most important emotional connection human beings create in the world.

Receiving the dance form as the divine gift from Hindu classical dance teachers, Babu Moses presented the program so that Christians can enjoy this divine art. The dancer as the embodiment of beauty, charm, and grace is considered to be the worshipper of God. Since the dance is physically challenging yet combined with beauty and grace, only a few male dancers are courageous to become dancers.

Dr. Moses who is emotionally attached to the art form, wrote the lyrics, composed music and sang

the songs. He donated all the proceeds and ticket sales to charity work done by churches and nonprofit organizations The dance included emotions of Jesus's mother Mary, Mary sister of Lazarus, the Samaritan woman, St. John and St. James during their experiences with Jesus. King David's songs are also included as he was the first one to write, compose, sing and dance for Almighty God. The verses from psalm are taken where king David inspired and motivated people to sing, play various musical instruments and dance to praise the Lord, with soul and mindfulness. King David wrote, sang, composed the music and danced for God. He commenced the invocation to God from the Psalms of King David that said:" Bless the Lord, O my soul! And all that is within me, bless his holy name." He then performed Alarippu - an invocatory rhythmic dance, salutation to God, Gurus, and the audience. The next item was Jesus Kavithuvam and

Pushpanjali a rhythmic song, written about the characteristics of

Babu Moses in a Bharat Natyam pose

Jesus, as stated by Jesus himself.

He portrayed Mother Mary's love for her son - Jesus-even before he was conceived. She was loving this divine baby and was ecstatic throughout her pregnancy. At that time of this heavenly arrival, the world was struggling under injustice, domination, aggressive power, and enslavement.

In Varnam - a perfectly synchronized dance of Bhava (emotion), Raaga (melody) and thaala (rhythm) he glorified how Mary's human love for Jesus transformed into divine love. When Jesus was in this world, he was the incarnation of Divine love that attracted the oppressed, sick and troubled who found Him as the charismatic leader, savior and liberator. He was a handsome, muscular man with well-defined physique.

The song in Ragam Sankarabaranam "Are you coming Jesus" was well performed and the next item in Saarukesiraagam was based on St. James epistle, brother of Jesus and the Biblical facts. In the beginning there

was word, air, united with water and earth, becoming music, and rhythm. God, the supreme power was dancing to the rhythm creating spiritual beings called angels.

The angels excelled in music, dance and playing various musical instruments. God also created the first human being in His image, Adam and blessed him with a creative mind and a beautiful body to express His dance item on 'I am thirsty give me water' narrated Jesus' compassion and love. Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well was portrayed in dance form.

The item based on Jesus' final moment on the cross was narrated in dance form. St. John was the only one disciple who confidently and courageously followed Jesus till his last breath. He did not leave Jesus alone at the cruel hands of the mob, but stood helpless by Jesus' side. "Father forgive them; They do not know what they are doing."

In the final item of Thillana, a dance item of exuberant joy with intricate rhythmic variations, he explained Jesus' statement clearly on the power of prayer.

September 23, 2016

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India Post 25

Horoscope

26 India Post

September 23, 2016

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Sept 23rd - Sept 29th 2016 Please send your birthday, place of birth and time, so I can give you your zodiac sign, according to Vedic astrology. Send to Jaysastrology@gmail.com

T

he professional matters look good. The week makes you happy. Some of you may plan some excursion trip. The students need better concentration. The health of father may need care. Handle all matters with patience. It is better to avoid haste and conflicts.

Avoid unnecessary driving.

Take care of your health and don't get involved in arguments.

he professional matters look better. Some of you may get promotion/reward.

Some of you may go for outing. The child brings happiness. Some additional income is likely. Social interaction and communications increases. The new professional opportunities are likely.

Avoid conflicting situations during 2016, and take due care of your health. The health is improving.

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he professional matters face challenges. Social communications need caution. Avoid manipulations.

Handle relationship matters with patience. Child may need help. Avoid haste, conflicts, speculation, aggressive behaviour and unnecessary driving. Conflicts and financial concerns are likely to continue. Take care. Enemies are likely to trouble.

Conflicts will put you to harm.

he professional matters look better. Some of you are likely to get promotion/reward/ recognition. Some obstructions are seen. Things look better on health front.

Financial position becomes better. Can go ahead and start new venture or business this is right week. Avoid conflicts with siblings can cause problems in inheritance and separations. Enjoy the week and be patience.

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he professional matters look better. Some additional expenses are likely.

Those who are appearing in selections may get good results. Stay away from manipulations. It is better to keep new ventures pending. The week may bring some concerns. The child may also bring some happy news.

Mental peace at home is there, enjoy time with mother. Enjoy looking good.

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rofessional matters look better. Promotions and status recognition is there.Property matters need care, as mars is placed in house of loss. Also creating disturbance at home Remedy is patience. Some sudden obstructions and stress are seen. The parents need care. Better to avoid driving.

Work with patience. Take care of relationship matters avoid conflict.

he professional matters look better. Avoid manipulations. Students and those who are appearing in selections have better chances of success. Some of you may be rewarded. Some new rewarding opportunities are .

Excellent week in all fronts.

Additional income is likely.

Can take a trip and enjoy time with family. If you offered higher job position take it, it wil good for you.

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he professional matters look good. The mental peace looks better. Some pleasure trip is likely. Stay away from manipulations.

Some additional income is likely. Avoid aggressive behaviour and haste. Silence is golden for you. Better to avoid conflicts. Don't invest in real estate. Some litigations regarding marriage and financial is there. Excellent week for promotions or deciding to change job.

T

T

T

T

T

he professional matters look better. Keep new ventures pending. Work with patience. The health needs better attention. The week may involve some additional expenses. Avoid haste, aggressive behaviour, conflicts, unnecessary expenses and driving/travel.

Handle obstructions and relationship matters with care.

Some additional expenses are likely.

he professional matters look better. Some additional income is likely. Some good news is in the making.

Child may bring happiness.

The new business opportunities should be put on hold up to January, 2017. Avoid speculation and investing in stock market. Patience is the best medicine during this year.

Help from friends is there in high positions. Some anxiety can arise out of nowhere .

he professional matters look better. Fortune helps. Some new opportunities are likely. Delays and obstructions are likely in the sources of income. Manage obstructions with patience.

Some gains through real estate assets are likely. It is better to avoid manipulations. health of spouse may cause sudden concerns.

Handle relationship matters with care.

his week is rough in all front.The professional matters face some challenges. The incidence of conflicts, obstructions and sudden setbacks continues.

Health of the spouse may cause concerns. It is better to avoid driving.Manage persisting difficulties with patience.

Problems in income and loss in expenses are there. Can see problems in abdominal area see doctor if required.

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

JATIN P - ACHARYA MIHIR • JAYSASTROLOGY@GMAIL.COM • 630-675-7148

September 23, 2016

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India Post 27

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Kala Chashma: Baar Baar Dekho 2 Tere Sang Yaara: Rustom 3 Jag Ghoomeya: Sultan 4 Sau Tarah Ke: Dishoom 28 India Post

www.indiapost.com

September 23, 2016

5 Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai: Sultan 6 Toota Jo Kabhi Tara : A Flying Jatt 7 Sau Aasmaan: Baar Baar Dekho 8 Tu Hai : Mohenjo Daro 9 Ikk Kudi : Udta Punjab 10 Beat Pe Booty : A Flying Jatt

Though there will be Indian choreographers on board, as well, the overall supervision and consultation will be done by Hollywood choreographers

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Ranveer Singh will be playing her obsessive lover Alauddin Khilji

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eepika Padukone will be performing 'ghoomar', a Rajasthani dance style in the periodic drama 'Padmavati'.

Folk dancers from Rajasthan are being flown in for the song. They will be seen alongside Deepika as well as train her.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has recreated the queen's Water Palace from the Chittorgarh Fort within Mehboob Studio.

'Padmavati' will see Deepika Padukone enacting the role of Rani Padmavati while Ranveer Singh will be playing her obsessive lover Alauddin Khilji. Shahid Kapoor has been roped in to play Deepika's husband Raja Rawal Ratan Singh.

Bhansali will unveil three different posters of the leading stars.

A

ctors in the past have often confessed they had to do things beyond their comfort zone to get the character or the scene right. Amongst them is Varun Dhawan who had to get drunk for a particular sequence in Badrinath Ki Dulhania. It was to be an emotional scene where he was supposed to look intoxicated. Varun gulped down a few neat pegs of whisky before shooting for it. Director Shashank Khaitan was all praise for the actor for pulling it off so well, courtesy the drinks. Varun Dhawan confessed he was indeed high for a while. Also, apparently the actor slept for an hour after the scene before getting into the grind of shooting other scenes for the film.

iger Shroff is headed to Los Angele. If you're playing a Michael Jackson fan in a film, you go all out and that's exactly why Tiger is all geared up for an LA trip.

Tiger will take training under choreographers who've toured with MJ on his legendary tours, for his next 'Munna Michael'. In fact, they will also serve as consultants on the film.

T i g e r ' s weeklong LA trip will see him be part of a dance camp under these select international choreographers. The film will have multiple choreographers.

Though there will be Indian choreographers on board, as well, the overall supervision and consultation will be done by Hollywood choreographers, who will be flown down whenever required.

September 23, 2016

Bollywood

India Post 29

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S

hraddha Kapoor planned something special for a fan of hers recently. The actor surprised her fan Samina from New York with a lunch meeting.

According to reports Samina had contacted Shraddha on social media a year ago and expressed her wish to meet Shraddha, and so while Shraddha was busy shooting for 'Half Girlfriend' she fulfilled her promise and called up Samina to meet her at her hotel room. Shraddha even took Samina to the film sets and introduced her to Arjun Kapoor.

H

e has been part of Bollywood for 13 years now. Even as Shahid Kapoor insists he's "happy" in the professional space he is in, he admits that "choosing the right content is tricky". "People who associate themselves with good content, and have the courage to back quality stuff, are going to be successful," he says.

The actor adds that even if someone has created "bad content", but is willing to "work hard" to turn that into a good product, such people also have the ability to become successful in the industry.

Shahid admits that he has turned down many big-ticket films as he wasn't convinced about them. He says, "I have always performed well when I have worked with a credible film-maker. I would love to work with the right minds, and with the right people."

F

rom Bandra to Linking Road, Bhai fans will now have to walk a little more to catch a glimpse of their favorite star.

Reports suggest that Salman Khan, along with his family, is moving out of their residence, Galaxy Apartments, and would soon be shifting to a new building.

According to a source, the family will have their new residence on Linking Road near Bandra and it will be named 'Little Star'.

Apparently, Salman's family has bought the entire tower, which is currently being furnished and they will shift base only when it is completely done. They haven't decided to sell off their flat in Galaxy apartments as yet and will continue to own it.

Realty Tidbits

Hawaii average home prices highest HONOLULU: A new report shows Hawaii has the nation's highest average home prices as the cost of housing in the state has soared over the last year.

The 2016 Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report ranked states based on their average price for a home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Hawaii took the top spot with average home prices at nearly $905,000. That's about $325,000 more than homes in the secondpriciest state, Massachusetts.

The figures represent an increase from the real estate company's analysis last year, which found the average price of a four-bedroom home in Hawaii was about $655,000, Hawaii News Now reported.

Honolulu had the state's highest average home prices this year at $1.2 million. The city ranked 14th among the nation's municipalities, up from 17th in 2015.

The average price of a fourbedroom in Kapolei was listed at $708,000, up from $569,000 last year. In Ewa Beach, the average price is $653,000, compared to $597,000 last year.

The report found that the country's most expensive market was Saratoga, California, where the average four-bedroom home costs $2.5 million. Detroit was ranked as the nation's most affordable market, with an average fourbedroom home price of $64,000.

Coldwell Banker's annual report includes data for more than 2,000 real estate markets nationwide.-AP

Milwaukee metro home sales rebound

MILWAUKEE: Home sales in the Milwaukee area rose in August after a dip in July.

According to report by the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors, sales of existing homes rose 9.5 percent in August compared with the same month last year.

The report says 2,117 homes were sold last month in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties. August sales rose in all four counties.

Home sales in the Milwaukee metro dipped in July amid a shortage of inventory. The report says Milwaukee and Waukesha counties saw ``solid increases in listings'' to help boost sales but inventory ``is still chronically low for the year.''

The Journal Sentinel reports for the first eight months of 2016, sales were up 6.8 percent in the metro compared with the same period last year.-AP

Real Estate 30 India Post

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September 23, 2016

Cleveland landmark to be sold

LEVELAND: A private development group says it's purchasing the 52-floor Terminal Tower, downtown Cleveland's iconic Public Square landmark.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reports K&D Group is buying the Terminal Tower from publicly traded Forest City Realty Trust for $38.5 million.

The new owner plans to build nearly 300 apartments on 12 floors of the office building. Construction on apartments could begin in 2018. -AP

16 Models & Clubhouse grand opening at Wallis Ranch Sept 24 India Post News Service

DUBLIN, CA: It's time to say hello to Wallis Ranch, a new gated master-planned community by Trumark Communities now open in Dublin. According to a press release by Trumark Homes, 16 Models and Clubhouse Grand Opening is on Saturday, September 24 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and you are invited to tour the new model homes and clubhouse as well as experience eight distinctive neighborhoods that are perfectly suited for family-friendly living.

There will be food trucks, entertainment, fun for the kids and a chance to win $3,000 in giveaways. And, with walking and hiking trails, resort-style amenities, a pool and fitness center and a great school district, you'll see why Wallis Ranch is a place to grow your legacy.

The press release says, "Wallis Ranch is a secluded world with eight neighborhoods that create a unique opportunity. Where trees line the streets and community

means family, 806 new homes will reflect old dreams and new ideas, spanning from 1,514 to 4,317 square feet with two to six bedrooms and two to five-and-onehalf baths. From attached townhome-style condominium and courtyard-style homes to single-family residences, each col-

place at home and in the world.

Antone Pavilion draws you in to fresh experiences, Tassajara Creek brings out the beauty in nature, and parks and trails will make room to spread out, connecting you to the community's core. At the heart of the community, Kindred House brings resort-style amenities from

lection is connected to the land and the people who live on it, priced from the high $700,000s.

"Winding down the road at Wallis Ranch is like finding your

a pool, spa and gourmet kitchen to a fitness room, terrace and playground, so you can follow hello wherever it takes you. At Wallis Ranch, each day tells the story of

creating a place to be as grand as your dreams.

"In the heart of Dublin, this new community is a making its mark. Wallis Ranch is one of the first master-planned communities to use recycled water to irrigate all front yards and open spaces, saving approximately 4.8 million gallons of water a year and showing just how far green living can go. In addition, this environmentally conscious community also houses preserved trees, protected streams and 35 acres of open space.

"Plus, a sought-after Bay Area location means exceptional conveniences, excellent schools and a short commute to jobs, businesses and recreation."

Wallis Ranch is located at 4201 Wallis Ranch Drive, Dublin, California 94568. From 580, exit Santa Rita/Tassajara and go north approximately two miles to Wallis Ranch Drive. To learn more, please visit WallisRanch.com.

Trump's deals in Pune, Gurgaon kick up a row WASHINGTON: Donald Trump's investments in real estate overseas, including in Indian cities of Pune and Gurgaon, could have implications on America's foreign policy if the Republican presidential nominee wins the elections and occupies the White House next January, a major US weekly said.

In its cover story on Trump's investments in properties overseas, the Newsweek said that as the Republican National Convention was about to get underway in July, the Trump Organization declared it was planning a massive expansion in the South Asian country.

"That is a chilling example of the many looming conflicts of interest in a Trump presidency," the weekly noted.

"If he plays tough with India, will the government assume it has to clear the way for projects in that 'aggressive pipeline' and kill the investiga-

tions involving Trump's Pune partners? And if Trump takes a hard line with Pakistan, will it be for America's strategic interests or to appease Indian government officials who might jeopardize his profits from Trump Towers

The Indian company says no rules or laws were broken, but if government officials conclude otherwise, the project’s s future will be in jeopardy Pune?" the weekly asked.

According to the weekly, several Indian political leaders including from the both BJP and the Congress have established close relationship with the Trump family as a result of its real estate in-

vestments in Pune and Gurgaon.

In India, the conflicts between the interests of the Trump Organization and American foreign policy are starker, Newsweek said.

Trump signed an agreement in 2011 with an Indian property developer called Rohan Lifescapes that wanted to construct a 65storey building with his name on it. Leading the talks for Rohan was Kalpesh Mehta, a director of the company who would later become the exclusive representative of Trump s businesses in India, the weekly said.

However, government regulatory hurdles soon impeded the project, the cover story said adding that Donald Trump Jr. flew to India to plead with Prithviraj Chavan, chief minister of Maharashtra, asking that he remove the hurdles. But Chavan refused to make an exception for the Trump Organization.

"It would be extremely difficult for a foreign politician to make

that call if he were speaking to the son of the president of the United States," Newsweek said.

"Last month, scandal erupted over the development, called Trump Towers Pune, after the state government and local police started looking into discrepancies in the land records suggesting that the land on which the building was constructed may not have been legally obtained by Panchshil," it said.

The Indian company says no rules or laws were broken, but if government officials conclude otherwise, the project’s future will be in jeopardy and create a problem that Indian politicians eager to please an American president might have to resolve, Newsweek observed.

Through the Pune deal, the weekly said the Trump Organization has developed close ties to India's Nationalist Congress Party.-PTI

Real Estate Post

September 23, 2016

India Post 31

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Gruhapravesh - India's biggest property show is back with its 8th edition India Post News Service

H

ere is good news for those looking to find the perfect property to invest in India. Yes! Gruhapravesh - India's biggest property show by IndiaProperty.com is back with its 8th edition in the USA. The property show is scheduled in Sep-Oct of 2016 at three different cities in USA. This event will showcase more than 80 projects from top 20 builders from all over India. It would cover residential projects from all the major Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in India, such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hyderabad, Warangal, Vijayawada, Chennai, Coimbatore, Vizag, Kochi, Wayanad, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Delhi- NCR and Kolkata.

The Government of India's ambitious, smart city project is a boon to the real estate market of India.

The first 20 smart cities to be developed include Pune, Kochi, Vizag, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi and more. These cities will develop exponentially with good physical and social infrastructure, sustainable real estate developments, market viability and so on.

This will boost the property prices in these cities and will give good returns on investment.

The presence of a strong commercial and retail market in Bengaluru and Hyderabad makes these cities a favorite destination for the IT professionals and the

ties from IT professionals and investors. The property prices in Hyderabad are more affordable compared to the other Tier 1 cities. Proposed and the existing in-

NRIs. The metro rail project and the presence of IT companies makes Bengaluru an ideal destination for investors and home buyers. Micro markets located along the proposed metro corridor and the IT hubs have witnessed rapid growth followed by price appreciation. Localities around the IT hubs give good rental returns.

Hyderabad is one of the favorite cities for the IT and ITeS sectors in India. This has triggered the demand for residential proper-

frastructure developments such as flyover projects, radial roads, outer ring road and inner ring road will further enhance connectivity.

Micro markets such as Gachibowli, HITEC City, Madhapur, Kondapur and Nanakramguda are few of the best performers in the real estate market of the city.

Chennai real estate market is majorly driven by the end-users and is a promising investment destination.

The state government's focus

to provide excellent connectivity to the city has contributed to the development and growth of many suburbs.

Projects such as proposed and ongoing metro rail, Chennai monorail and Outer Ring Road will further enhance the connectivity and the city will witness commercial and residential real estate developments in and around these projects. The city hosts a large number of IT and financial services companies and automobile industries and therefore the residential real estate market is active with demand from the professionals and the migrants.

The realty markets in Navi Mumbai and the suburbs of Mumbai are active. Navi Mumbai international airport, proposed SEZs, Trans Harbor Link benefit the real estate market. The micro markets located around these projects have started to witness growth and development. Areas such as Panvel, New Panvel, Kharghar, Khalapur, Karjat and Uran are few of the promising investment destinations.

Tier II cities such as Kochi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Coimbatore, Vijayawada, Kanpur and Mysore are transforming into hot investment beds. According to a recent research report, Kochi will soon become the most preferred realty

destination in India. The real estate growth of Kochi is driven by many potential drivers such as Smart City project, metro rail project, presence of IT companies, port-based development, tourism and foreign investment.

Developments such as BRTS, Outer Ring Road, Metro rail, GIFT city have contributed to the real estate growth of Ahmedabad. The emergence of the IT/ITeS sector is transforming Coimbatore into a favorite real estate destination with organized retail and residential developments.

Pune stands as a promising investment market with infrastructure developments such as an international airport, BRTS, metro rail and the ambitious Smart City project. Micro markets such as Whagoli, Kharadi, Vishrantwadi and Dhanori, in east Pune and areas such as Tathawade, Hinjewadi, Wakad and Ravet in the west are a few of the upcoming areas to scout in.

Vizag, the largest harbor in India is an attractive real estate hub with many planned developments.

Infrastructure developments such as Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor and Visakhapatnam Metro Rail project will have a major impact in the development of the areas located along these projects. Many industrial devel-

Dallas project new strategy in homeless care DALLAS: Orderly lines of small homes in the shadow of Interstate 30 in Dallas are a sign that Texas is embracing a national trend of giving the homeless permanent, subsidized housing and augmenting it with support services.

Dallas officials this month unveiled the first of what's expected to be 50 tiny homes that will shelter the city's most chronically homeless. The $6.8 million project is seen as a fresh approach to reducing the number of homeless people in the city and a departure from the tent cities that sprout underneath highway overpasses.

These projects often generate heavy criticism from nearby homeowners and businesses, but the Dallas homes - quaintly named Cottages at Hickory Crossing - are bounded by interstates and have few neighbors.

The development is in keeping with a philosophy gaining ground nationally of providing the homeless with permanent housing and offering them social, medical and other services, or so-called wrap-

around support. The approach re- annual report largely on numbers places the longstanding model of provided by the U.S. Department shepherding the homeless to shel- of Housing and Urban Developters and then transitional housing ment. in the hope they find permanent From 2010 to 2015 the number options from there. of homeless in Houston dropped ``We're solving a problem for by more than 25 percent, accordpeople who are homeless today, ing to a Houston Chronicle report. but it's having a ripple effect on the way we fund and on our policies across the state,'' said Mandy Chapman Semple, who heads homeless initiatives for Houston as a special assistant to the mayor.

One of the 50 homes planned for The Cottages Of The revamped Hickory Crossing, is shown through the window of approach to housa nearby cottage in Dallas. ing, along with other factors such as a greater push to Semple said the decline was help homeless veterans, has largely driven by ``permanent supproven effective. There were some portive housing'' - part of a ``Hous647,200 homeless in the U.S. in ing First'' strategy - coupled with 2007, and that number fell to about case managers who helped ensure 564,700 last year, according to the people received the behavioral National Alliance to End health and other care they needed.

Homelessness, which bases its Texas was slower than some

coastal cities such as Boston and San Francisco to embrace this approach, but cities in the state have shown they could promptly drive down the number of homeless once they did, Semple said.

Larry James, CEO of CitySquare, the nonprofit behind the Cottages project in Dallas, said city officials know by name the 300 homeless people who place the greatest burden - and cost - on social services.

The small homes near I-30 will go to 50 of them, along with the treatment needed to address addiction, behavioral disorders or other afflictions.

But James said there are obstacles to providing the number of homes or apartments that are needed, such as limited public dollars and a state tax credit program that's not attractive enough to developers. And then there are the neighbors. ``One of the biggest challenges we face is where do we put these things?'' James said. ``What neighborhood is going to take them?'' -AP

opments and IT companies will be established in these areas and this in turn will trigger the residential demand. All these factors will contribute to the property price appreciation.

To invest in a property in India visit Gruhapravesh this September and October. The two-day event will take place in three different cities from 10 am - 8 pm. Bellevue will have the event on 24th and 25th Sept at Coast Bellevue Hotel. On 1st and 2nd Oct, the event will take place at Irving Convention Center, Dallas. On 8th and 9th Oct, the event will happen at Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara.

So, if you are looking to invest in India, this is a brilliant opportunity. Developers will showcase good festive offers for spot bookings. This property show will make your life easy and will take you a step closer to investing in the right property.

Real Estate Post

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Protest against Delhi Rent Control Act NEW DELHI: Many 'pugree' shopkeepers, accompanied by women and children staged a demonstration near Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu's residence here, against the Delhi Rent Control Act. Holding 'chapatis' (bread) and placards in their hands, the protesters demanded the government to stop eviction of shopkeepers by landlords on the grounds of "bonafide need" provision of the Act. The police, however, took the agitators to Tughlaq Road police station and they were later released.

"The protesters who were nearly 30 in number were taken away from the protest venue.

Since some children were also accompanying the protesters, they were taken away as they could not be left on the road. No one was detained," said a senior police officer.

The protesters in their memorandum alleged that the tenants falling under the Act have been facing a "crisis of bread and but-

The protesters in their memorandum alleged that the tenants falling under the Act have been facing a "crisis of bread and butter" in the form of evictions ter" in the form of evictions under "false" bonafide need being propounded by the landlords.

Almost all the protected tenants have paid the entire market price of the property at the time of taking it on rent by way of 'pugree'

(amount paid at the time of entering rent), said Rambhakt Agrawal, convener of Rajdhani Pagdi Kirayedar Sangthan.

He claimed that since the change in the law in 2008, the number of pugree tenants has come down from 5 lakhs to 4 lakhs.

The 'Pugree Kirayadar' system was launched before Independence to avoid payment of excessive taxes to the British. The transfer of the property was as per a verbal agreement wherein the tenant was given a slip of rent payment while payments were made in full to the landlord.

"With an average of 5 persons per family of each tenant, around 5 lakh citizens of Delhi have been rendered without bread and butter," Agrawal added.

The protesters also demanded amendments in the Delhi Rent Control Act on the lines of Gujarat model of Rent Control Act.-PTI

Fayetteville program aims to repair homes FAYETTEVILE, N.C.: Walter Ray is fixing up a white stucco house he hopes to rent in Bonnie Doone, one of Fayetteville's poorer communities with its share of crime.

Last month, the Fayetteville City Council chose two communities - Bonnie Doone off Bragg Boulevard and the B Street area just south of downtown - to be the recipients of a new city program that aims to demolish an estimated 21 dilapidated houses and make exterior repairs to 27 others.

Ray, a 70-year-old Army veteran, said Bonnie Doone needs the city's help. ``This overall area needs to be revitalized,'' said Ray, sipping a can of tomato juice while workers caulk window sills on the house.

Bonnie Doone, which sprung up to house soldiers during World War II, is a transient community with short streets. Some of the clapboard homes have bars over the windows and doors, and others have window air conditioners.

The city staff had presented six communities and asked the council to pick one, with the idea of targeting one area over the next several years. ``One of the issues that we have is the needs are great throughout the city,'' Victor Sharpe, the city's

Community Development director, told council members last month.

The program, which relies on a reallocation of federal Community Development dollars, has a $353,000 budget this fiscal year.

But in a compromise, the council voted 6-4 in August to pick two areas, splitting the money.

Uta Batts, a 36-year-old who

By the city's count, Bonnie Doone has five boarded houses, 39 structures that should be razed and 66 that are occupied but need repairs rents a duplex apartment in Bonnie Doone, welcomed the newfound city program. Although her landlord maintains her rental well, she said, others in the neighborhood don't. ``From looking outside, they need some help,'' Batts said.

By the city's count, Bonnie Doone has five boarded houses, 39 structures that should be razed and 66 that are occupied but need repairs or new paint.

Ray plans to paint the inside of the three-bedroom house, replace some of the Sheetrock and front windows. He once lived in it, paying $550 in monthly rent. ``I'm just trying to get it fixed where I can rent it,'' Ray said.

Across town, the B Street homes are clustered between Person and Grove streets. Many of the houses were built before 1950.

The area was the target of the city's intensive policing neighborhood pilot program in 2008.

The neighborhood has an active community watch, a coalition that includes several outside agencies, new police surveillance cameras and is in the vicinity of important new developments, including new public housing on nearby Old Wilmington Road.

The city's housing authority plans to demolish and replace Grove View Terrace apartments, a block from B Street. And farther south on Person Street, the city will build a river park.

And the Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity plans to expand its program into B Street in the coming years when additional funding becomes available. Its vice president of neighborhood revitalization, Michael Pennink, said he was glad the city chose B Street. -AP

Indiabulls Housing to restructure debt KOLKATA: Indiabulls Housing Finance is planning to restructure its long-term loan portfolio to bring down the average cost of borrowing for the company by 3040 basis points.

"Part of the proceeds from the retail non-convertible debentures (NCDs) issue would be used to restructure our existing loan. We are targeting to bring down our average cost of debt by 30-40 basis points by this fiscal from current levels," Indiabulls chief manager, analytics, Aman Gudral said here.

The average cost of borrowing currently stands at 9.3 per cent while incremental is 8.91 per cent and bank finance is about half of the total borrowing, he said.

The third largest housing loan company is set to hit the capital market to raise up to Rs 7,000 crore NCDs. "With lucrative coupon rate between 8.55-9.15 per cent per annum depending on tenure between 3 and 10 years we expect the retail issue of NCD will be successful raising Rs 7,000 crore," Indiabulls national business man-

ager (mortgages) R Bandral said.

Gudral said there was no further retail bond offering plans as of now in this calendar year.

The housing finance company, which was aiming to cross Rs 1 lakh crore in balance sheet size in 2016-17 fiscal from Rs 76,436 crore

The housing finance company, has already raised some Rs 12,000-odd crore through bond issues including 'masala bond'

in last fiscal, has already raised some Rs 12,000-odd crore through bond issues including 'masala bond', given the conducive appetite from the investors.

Recently, India Bulls had raised Rs 1,330 crore 'masala bonds' out of total ceiling of Rs 5,000 crore.-PTI

Artist combines history, tech for green buildings NEW DELHI: Combining the aesthetics of art and the technicalities of architecture, a citybased artist has brought out a series of artworks that highlight the need for sustainable designing of buildings.

In his debut solo show titled "Soul In Structure," architect Vidur Bharadwaj (VB) has "amalgamated" the design elements of historical monuments and cities with his own artistic interpretation of sustainability and environment.

"Architecture and real estate development has been a part of the sustainable path that I have been following. This exhibition is my expression of amalgamating what I love in art and what I am passionate about is sustainability in architecture.

"People relate more to art than to sustainable architecture from a layman's point of view. So, that is my way to showcase everything together," says VB. The show at the Visual Art Gallery here has on exhibit 15 artworks in mix media.

The artist has fused photographs of historical locations from across the country with acrylic on canvas and superimposed them with his own architectural projects across NCR.

"The process I have used is to combine photographs of my projects with elements that inspire me as an architect, be it nature, monuments or moments.

"My architectural works are from NCR and the inspirations are from the famous monuments from across the country like Fatehpur Sikri, the ghats of Benaras, Jag Mandir in Udaipur among others," says VB, who is the director of 'The 3C Company' here.

For instance, in one of his images one can see an ancient haveli surrounded by trees and in the courtyard is a pool of water. The artwork is superimposed with the image of the Wipro Campus in Gurgaon that has been designed

by VB. "This is the first Wipro headquarter building in north India.

And because it was in a region like Gurgaon, it did not have many sceneries around it. So, we created a beautiful courtyard in the middle of the building to make an environment conducive for people to come out.

"We made it shaded, we put water and air cabinets to have a mist effect and essentially it represents a courtyard in a haveli that most of us were brought up in," says VB. -PTI

Tech News India to submit note on services at WTO NEW DELHI: India will soon move a detailed concept note at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to start discussions on trade facilitation agreement in services.

The note would seek suggestions and views of the WTO member countries.

"We will soon put the concept note in the multi-lateral body and it will be discussed in the working group of services in Geneva," a senior commerce ministry official said.

India is pushing for a trade facilitation agreement (TFA) on services to promote trade in this sector along with goods.

The WTO has already concluded a similar pact for merchandise.

The TFA in goods will come into force once two-thirds of members have completed their ratification process. It contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.

It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and compliance issues.

On similar lines, India has asked for an agreement to promote services trade as the sector contributes about 60 per cent in India's economy and 28 per cent in the total employment.-PTI

Limits to shoring up PSU banks: FM NEW DELHI: Describing NPA situation as challenging, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said funding to shore up public sector banks has budgetary constraints and lenders should take greater initiative to find buyers for stressed assets.

After reviewing performance of banks with their chief executives, he said some of the non-performing assets (NPAs) that weigh on banks' balance sheets and curb their ability to lend more, can be deprovisioned if the economy recovers. He referred to NPA situation as neither "static" nor "permanent".

Gross NPA of the public sector banks have surged from 5.43 per cent (Rs 2.67 lakh crore) in 201415 to 9.32 per cent (Rs 4.76 lakh crore) in 2015-16.

"One of the challenges which the banks did mention that they are facing...to find alternative promoters or buyers. They have been making efforts to do that," Jaitley said.-PTI

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Jaitley inaugurates Startup School at LPU PHAGWARA, Punjab: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated a Startup School at Lovely Professional University's (LPU) Chaheru campus here.

Addressing the students, he said, "I wish to see many upfront entrepreneurs from LPU." The US, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea have advanced in technology and research and have grown rapidly by targeting global market, Jaitley said. The Union minister also inaugurated a three-day International Day of Peace event at the university.-PTI

US to be partner country for Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January WASHINGTON: The US has agreed to be a partner country in the next edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2017, an official has said.

Assistant Secretary of State for

"She also announced US' intent to participate as a Partner Country in the 2017 Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, the government of Gujarat's biennial investors' summit that brings together global business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, and policymakers," Kirby said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry had attended the last Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal announced this during a meeting with the visiting delegation of Gujarat, State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Biswal met with a Gujarat delegation, led by Resident Commissioner Bharat Lal who was accompanied by Indian Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

"The Assistant Secretary praised Resident Commissioner Lal for his efforts to make the state of Gujarat a model of innovation and sustainable economic growth and reform for India," he said.

India's growth engine USIBC president Mukesh Aghi had an interaction with the delegation of senior officials and business leaders from Gujarat. Gearing up to participate in next year's Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the USIBC termed Gujarat as India's "growth engine".

"The state of Gujarat is one of the leading states in India for industries and is recognized as India's growth engine;" he said and added that "Vibrant Gujarat Summit is one of the most notable efforts in India's attempts to place itself as the topmost investment destination."

Aghi said the summit is also timely as it will be held during a critical phase of the GST roll-out.

Led by Bharat Lal, Resident Commissioner of Gujarat, the Gujarat delegation concluded its multi-city roadshow in the US. The multi-city industry roundtables aim to provide an opportunity for the delegation to present Gujarat as the leading investment destination in India.

USIBC organized industry receptions and roundtables in Houston, Chicago, New York, Washington DC and Menlo Park, providing an opportunity for the delegation to meet over 100 top US companies across industries, includ-

Abbott, Aemetis, Lockheed Martin, Cisco and Welspun.

As part of the roadshow, the Council also hosted a roundtable with Ajay Pandey, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT).

GIFT is being developed as a global financial and IT services hub, a first of its kind in India, designed to be at or above par with globally benchmarked financial centers.

Pandey discussed the International Financial Services Centre in GIFT and the benefits to the entities setting up operations in these cities that include the Minimum

"She also announced US' intent to participate as a Partner Country in the 2017 Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, the government of Gujarat's biennial investors' summit that brings together global business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, and policymakers" ing healthcare, food and agriculture, defense, logistics and infrastructure.

Some of the companies in attendance during the roadshow included MasterCard, UST Global, JP Morgan, Thompson Reuter,

Alternative Tax, reduced from 18.5 per cent to nine per cent, the Security Transaction Tax (STT), Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT) and Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG) waived off, a media release said. -PTI

Rajan returns to academia in Chicago NEW YORK: Having returned to his "ultimate home", former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has resumed his role as 'Distinguished Service Professor of Finance' at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and would teach international corporate finance there in winter of 2017.

Giving details of Rajan's 'course schedule' for 2016-17, Chicago Booth School said this course will explore the challenges of corporate finance and investment in a more integrated global economy.

"How should one optimally organize the location of production, control, and financing? What

Raghuram Rajan

kinds of new concerns emerge when the whole world, rather than just one's domestic economy, become the arena of decision making?

"How does decision making depend on the environment one is doing business in? Most students will see this as an alternative to the case course in corporate finance, but some could see it as a complement," it said about Rajan's course.

Rajan, who was hailed as a 'rockstar central banker' soon after assuming charge

at Reserve Bank of India in September 2013 but often landed in controversies during the threeyear tenure with his outspoken views, had earlier said he would return to academia after leaving RBI. He was 'on leave' from Chicago University, with which he has been associated since 1991, during his tenure at RBI. While announcing his decision to return to academia on end of his tenure at RBI, Rajan had said his "ultimate home is in the realm of ideas".

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US claims victory against India in WTO WASHINGTON: The US has claimed victory over India at the WTO wherein it had challenged the local content requirement in solar panels by the Indian government.

The US Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman said the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body has issued a report finding in favor of the Obama

with the US that India's domestic content "requirements discriminated against" American-made and other imported solar products, in breach of international trade rules.

The decisive finding rejected all of India's defensive arguments, USTR said.

"This report is a clear victory for American solar manufacturers

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in a statement welcomed WTO's rejection of India's appeal and urged the Indian government to move quickly to dismantle its discriminatory domestic content requirements that have blocked access for US solar cell modules.

Administration's challenge to India's "domestic content requirements" under its National Solar Mission.

Since India enacted these requirements in 2011, which requires solar power developers to use Indian-manufactured cells and modules, American solar exports to India have fallen by more than 90 per cent, he said.

The Appellate Body affirmed an earlier WTO panel report agreeing

and workers, and another step forward in the fight against climate change," Froman said.

The Obama administration, he said, strongly supports rapid deployment of solar energy worldwide, including in India.

"But local content requirements are not only contrary to WTO rules, but actually undermine our efforts to promote clean energy by requiring the use of more expensive and less efficient

equipment, making it more difficult for clean energy sources to be cost-competitive," Froman alleged.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in a statement welcomed WTO's rejection of India's appeal and urged the Indian government to move quickly to dismantle its discriminatory domestic content requirements that have blocked access for US solar cell modules.

"As each and every previous ruling in this case has shown, India's domestic content requirements are a clear violation of core WTO rules and this victory will give an important boost to US manufacturing," NAM said.

"This decision also demonstrates why the strong rulesbased WTO system and trade agreements with binding and strong enforcement rules are critical to open markets and eliminate unfair barriers overseas," it said.

Earlier in February this year, USTR said the WTO panel found in favor of the US in a dispute challenging India's "localization" rules discriminating against imported solar cells and modules under India's National Solar Mission. -PTI

Reliance, Airtel spar over interconnect ports NEW DELHI: Mukesh Ambaniled Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel continued to spar with the former accusing the dominant incumbent of providing less than one-fourth of the Interconnection points to complete calls and the Sunil Mittal firm hitting back by saying the newcomer was in fact facing technical problems.

Jio retorted to Airtel's barb of technical glitch in the network by saying there were no call drops on its network and only when its customers made calls to Airtel users that they faced problems.

First Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (RJIL) responded to statement of Airtel on releasing points of interconnect or PoIs saying the points being provided to enable its users to complete call on existing operators network were "substantially less".

It said two crore calls fail daily as the largest telecom operator

dilly dallies on adequate points of interconnection.

Airtel responded by calling the statement as a "constant rhetoric" that may be a "ploy" by Jio to cover up some technical issues in their own network, which is causing call failures.

Not to be outdone, Jio issued a

second statement accusing Airtel of "misleading" the issue and said "while there are over two crore call failures every day between the two networks, there are no incidents of call failures within the Jio network".

"Jio, being the aggrieved party as everyone is well aware, is doing its best to work with all the

other operators to resolve this issue at the earliest. There is no question of any delay, not even of a few hours, in taking any steps at Jios end," it said.

It also said, "The quantum of POIs proposed to be released by Airtel is substantially less than the requirement estimated based on transparent workings shared with Airtel.

"Based on the current traffic flow between the two networks, the proposed augmentation

by Airtel would still only suffice for less than one-fourth of the required interconnection capacity."

Responding to the statement, Bharti Airtel categorically denied what it called was "the rhetorical statements made by Reliance Jio with regard to the release of additional PoIs from Airtel to Jio and mobile number portability (MNP) requests".-PTI

New Delhi to host IndiaUK tech summit NEW DELHI: The national capi- verge and drive our partnership tal will play host to India-UK tech further still." summit in November this year The summit will comprise sepawhich aims to bring together lead- rate thematic summits on 'Technolers in government, industry and ogy, Innovation and Entrepreneurresearch from both countries to ship' and 'British Expertise in broker new partnerships.

Higher Education', 'Design and The India UK TECH Summit Intellectual Property'.

2016, scheduled to take place from The summit will also host a November 7-9, will provide a plat- major delegation from the UK, form for promoting technology- highlighting the UK's capabilities intensive trade and investments across important sectors like smart between the two countries. cities, healthcare, advanced manu"Tech summit will show that when we work together, the UK The Summit will also host a and India are an 'unmajor exhibition of UKbeatable combination' as Prime Minister India technological colNarendra Modi has laboration and excitingly, a stated. Britain is open for business and we Hackathon organized by want to do even more Barclays Rise business with India," said a British High Commission statement quoting British facturing, agri-tech, education and Deputy High Commissioner to In- skills. dia Alexander Evans.

The Summit will also host a "The UK has been the top G20 major exhibition of UK-India techinvestor in India, consistently, nological collaboration and excitsince the turn of the century, and ingly, a Hackathon organized by India invests more in the UK than Barclays Rise, where young Indian it does in all other European Union students, entrepreneurs and techcountries combined. Our trade re- professionals will participate in a lationship is booming, our re- competition to find a solution to a searchers collaborate on all man- specially-posed technical probner of issues, and our people visit lem. each other s countries for study There will also be a focus on and tourism.

Indian investment and entrepre"The TECH Summit will see neurship in the UK and the 10 winBritish and Indian entrepreneurs, ners of the Tech Rocketship experts and leaders in various Awards will be announced at the fields related to technology con- Summit.-PTI

SpeedJet to train pilots with Gulf Aviation MUMBAI: City-based SpeedJet Aviation has joined hands with Gulf Aviation Academy (GAA) of Bahrain to train pilots, cabin crew and other airline personnel as their demand in the domestic market was on the rise.

As part of the tie-up, SpeedJet Aviation, which offers training courses for cockpit and cabin crew and ground handling personnel, plans to churn out around 600 pilots by 2019, SpeedJet Aviation director Dharamraj Shukla told PTI. Last year, SpeedJet Aviation trained over 100 pilots for various type of aircraft including Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and Embraer E170/190, besides churning out than 150 cabin crew, Shukla said.

The academy's range of training programs includes pre-pilot training (12-15 months), type rating,

cabin crew and ground handling.

Under the partnership with GAA, which is a part of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the investment arm of the Bahrain government, the Mumbai-headquartered academy would be sending its students, enrolled for pilot and cabin crew courses, for training sessions at GAA's state-of-the-art facility in the Gulf country, Shukla said.

"The aviation industry is on a high-growth trajectory with India likely to become the third-largest aviation market by 2020.

"As of now, Indian airlines are reporting increased profitability; low-cost carriers have placed heavy orders for new aircraft. All these factors combined will lead to a sharp spike in demand for trained aviation personnel," Shukla said.-PTI

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Tata Motors focusing on cargo vehicles CHANDIGARH: Tata Motors has said it is focusing on cargo vehicles, including tippers, even as the medium and heavy commercial segment grew by just 3 per cent in April-August.

"Medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCVs) in the first five months (of the current fiscal) saw almost a flat growth, a very negligible 2.5-3 per cent. And this growth is triggered by tippers used in construction, mining and irrigation projects," Rajesh Kaul, Business Head, Medium & Heavy Trucks, Tata Motors, said.

"Tippers witnessed a growth of 40-42 per cent in this period... looking at the current scenario, the tippers segment will further grow because of the fact that a lot more has to happen on infrastructure, construction, irrigation, mining, and post monsoon, the tipper in-

and services.

It has also launched its new SIGNA range of medium and HCVs, which will be shortly be available across Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

An initiative for trucking customers and their families, a 2-day

dustry will further grow."

The company is focusing on both cargo and tippers. Cargo, which is two-thirds of the industry, had "actually degrown" while the tippers segment has grown by 40 per cent.

Talking about the industry, he said around 80,000 units were sold in April-August, of which 19,000

Amazon 'seller cafes' for on-ground help MUMBAI: Online marketplace Amazon India is opening 'seller cafes' across 24 cities and towns to offer on-ground help to merchants on its platform ahead of the festival season.

"We are opening 24 'seller cafes' in cities and towns to offer onground support to sellers to help them getting ready for the festive season," Gopal Pillai, Director and GM, Seller Services, Amazon In-

dia told PTI. "Sellers can use this to set up a new account for imaging or cataloguing help, or any other issues that they face," he added.

Amazon has added 20,000 new sellers in the last six weeks through its new seller initiatives, he said.

"This is a good sign for small and medium businesses, enabling more to join our seller platforms," Pillai added.

Amazon has a network of 1.2 lakh sellers ahead of the festive season, he said.

The marketplace has expanded its delivery network by 5 times and tied-up with over 12,500 stores in

more than 50 cities with a majority of them in tier II and III towns.

Pillai indicated the 'seller cafe' program is a pilot ahead of the festive season and they could continue the initiative based on demand going forward.

For this, Amazon has repurposed some of its sellers sales offices to set up the cafes, he said.

"We have over 1,400 e-commerce specialist freelancers across 16 cities that we have trained and certified to provide help to sellers," he added.

The seller cafes are part of a slew of initiatives the marketplace has introduced to improve the sellers' experience like Amazon Tatkal, which was a mobile program to help sign up small businesses on their platform.

The US-based e-tailer has been expanding its operations in India at an aggressive pace. Betting big on the burgeoning e-commerce market here, its chief Jeff Bezos had said the company will invest USD 3 billion in India, taking its total investment committed here to over USD 5 billion.

India operations have witnessed a 250 per cent year- on-year growth in bringing new sellers on board. It has 24 fulfillment centers and expects to add 3 more by the end of the year, Pillai said.-PTI

were tippers.

Asked about the company's performance, he said Tata Motors saw a flat growth during AprilAugust and sold around 43,000 units.

Meanwhile, Tata Motors has showcased here over 40 different products - from haulage to construction related key technologies

India's thirst for Scotch whisky peps up exports LONDON: India has emerged as one of the world's fastest growing import markets for Scotch whisky with the value of exports surging 28 per cent to 43 million pounds, a trade body said here while seeking urgent help from the UK government to bring down India's "exorbitant" 150 per

cent customs duty on liquor.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) revealed the amount of Scotch whisky sold overseas increased for the first time since 2013, largely thanks to India registering a massive jump in shipment value.

India has established itself as the third-biggest export market for Scotch at 41 million bottles, marking a 41 per cent increase in sales volumes, after France (90.9 million bottles) and the US (53.1 million bottles).

"The growth of exports to India stood out, with value up 28 per cent to 43 million pounds," the SWA said.-PTI

truck world expo is being held, offering Tata Motors and its partners communicative and promotional opportunities about its products and solutions, "all under one roof" - a first-of-its-kind comprehensive purchase experience by a commercial vehicle brand, he said. -PTI

Rajan returns to academia in Chicago Cont’d from page 33

Rajan, whose vocal comments on various occasions including economic, political and social issues often led to controversies and were also seen as being critical of the Modi government at times, has also said he would be back in India for lectures and other public events after a "break".

Interestingly, the Chicago Booth School has listed "Indian politics" among Rajan's interests, besides tennis, squash and history.

Giving further details, the Chicago Booth School said the format Rajan's course would include discussions, case studies and "ethics discussion/comment".

"The course will be based on a set of readings and cases... Grades will be based on class participation, case-write-ups, and an exam," it added.

The business school has also named two forthcoming publications of Rajan - one on "the Corporation in Finance' and the other jointly with Douglas Diamond on 'Illiquid banks, Financial Stability, and Interest Rate Policy'.

Between 2003 and 2006, Rajan had also served as Chief Economist and Director of Research at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

As per Chicago Booth School, Rajan's research interests are in banking, corporate finance, and economic development, especially the role finance plays in it.

Rajan, who is credited with having predicted the global financial crisis of 2008, is also a member of the Group of Thirty and was the President of the American Finance Association in 2011 and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. -PTI

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NEW YORK: In Japan, it's called ``shinrinyoku,'' which translates as forest bathing. It's the practice of immersing yourself in nature to improve your well-being, and interest in the concept is growing, with spas, resorts, retreat centers, gardens and parks offering guided ``forest bathing'' experiences.

These programs take participants into the woods for a slow, mindful walk to contemplate nature with all the senses. It's not a hike, because you don't go far or fast. And while the term forest bathing may lend itself to jokes about nude hot springs, rest assured: You don't take off your clothes. ``We walked through the woods and were just able to absorb what was surrounding us: the beauty of nature, the beauty of the world, from the smallest details, the pebbles under your feet or the branches and the bark on the trees, to how the air felt and listening to the sounds

September 23, 2016

around us,'' said Rona London, who participated in a forest bathing experience at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York. ``It was absolutely wonderful.''

The benefits of shinrin-yoku were formally recognized in the early 1980s

by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. While it might seem obvious that a walk in the woods is good for you, there's also research on the physiological effects showing that it can lower blood pressure, heart rates and stress hormones.

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For Kalki, all good people are feminists

B

ollywood actress Kalki Koechlin feels that "ev eryone is a feminist" and a person who does not identify as one is a "bad human being."

"I feel one should come up with a basic ABCD video on feminism.

If you are not a feminist you are a bad human being. Being a feminist means asking for equality.

"But people take it the other way at times. It is looked down upon because it is seen as manhating. But, feminism is a really crazy idea that suggests men and women are equal," she says.

The actress was in Delhi to perform a solo theatrical monologue titled, "Wo-Manologue" at Young FICCI Ladies Organization.

Calling upon women to embrace their sexuality and refrain from competing with men, she said it was imperative that both sexes acknowledge that their "different bodies" have "different capacities."

"No gender is fairer than the other. Women are not a doormat. We are equivalent to men. It is just that we have different bodies and different biological needs. We have capacities which should be celebrated and rewarded in the society.

"The simple point is that be-

cause women have been suppressed for so long they need to rise up and indeed take over. For things to be equal again," the 32year-old actress said.

Koechlin, who is playing the role of a mother in her upcoming movie "Ribbon" said she found herself in a fix, when it came to talking about the recently drafted Surrogacy Law. "It is such an intense natural bond between child and the womb.

I personally find the process really risky. But then I also see the commercial aspect and the fact that there are women making their living out of this.

Well, it is really difficult for me to answer," she said.

She also emphasized on the need for the paternity law to be "chalked out and implemented."

"This will allow men to spend more time at home and women can in turn go out and work or spend time for themselves. Secondly, marital law has to recognize marital rape as an offence," she said.

As someone who is known for taking a stand against body shaming and objectification of women in the movie industry in the past, Koechlin has no problem with "item-songs" and would rather love "watching more men do-

ing it".

"Item song is a v e r y broad umbrella. I think there are some demeaning songs being exposed to children in family films, and that is what I am concerned about "But in adult rated films, item songs should exist...can exist. In fact, I would love to see more men doing item songs," she said. -PTI

5 museums from India among top 25 NEW DELHI: Five Indian museums feature among the best 25 in Asia while Leh's "Hall of Fame" has topped the India list as a "must-visit" place by travelers in a survey.

The other top four most rated museums of India are - Bagore Ki Haveli (Udaipur), Victoria Memorial Hall (Kolkata), Salar Jung Museum (Hyderabad) and Jaisalmer War Museum (Jaisalmer).

Darshan Museum (Pune), Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures (Shillong), Heritage Transport Museum (Taoru), Siddhagiri Museum (Kolhapur), and Gandhi Smriti (New Delhi) also figure in the top-10 list for India.

TripAdvisor will honor the ranked museums with its Travelers' Choice awards.

The list was determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for museums

worldwide, gathered over a 12month period, it said.

No museums from India feature in the top 25 world list, which is topped by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the New York City and followed by Art Institute of Chicago, State Hermitage Mu-

The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horse in China topped the Asia list.

"Museums provide a passageway into the history and culture of a place and the Travelers' Choice awards for Museums are a ready reckoner for travelers keen to enrich their k n o w l e d g e about the

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata

seum and Winter Palace, Musee d'Orsay, Paris and National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico.

cities they travel to," said Nikhil Ganju, the company's country manager in India.-PTI

Priyanka in list of highest paid TV actresses

P

riyanka Chopra has become the first Indian star to be listed amongst the highest paid TV actresses in the world. The Bollywood star entered the Forbes magazine list after starring in American drama series 'Quantico'.

Priyanka is ranked eighth in the list with earnings of USD 11 million, according to the bi-weekly.

'Modern Family' star Sofia Vergara who earned USD 43 million this

year, topped the list again for the fifth year in a row. Kaley Cuoco of 'The Big Bang Theory' took the second slot, while American ac-

tress of Indian descent, Mindy Kaling of 'The Mindy Project' was ranked third on the coveted list.

Priyanka made her debut on American television last year with the ABC show 'Quantico' in which she played the role of FBI recruit Alex Parrish. She is currently gearing up for the second season of the show which will see her character Alex leaving her FBI credentials to join the CIA program.

Priyanka will also make her Hollywood debut with 'Baywatch' starring world's highest paid actor Dwayne Johnson.

E a r l i e r , Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone also made her mark for the first time on Forbes 2016 list of World's Highest-Paid Actresses with earnings of USD 10 million.

She was the only Indian and sole newcomer on the list.

Deepika will also be seen in her maiden Hollywood film 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage'. She plays the lead role of Serena Unger alongside Vin Diesel. The actionthriller is set to release on January 20, 2017.

Onam celebrated in British Parliament LONDON: Several British lawmakers and members of the Kerala business community have celebrated Onam, the most popular festival of Keralites, in the British Parliament.

A beautiful Pookalam (flower rangoli) was organized in the Jubilee Room of the Parliament where a variety of dishes, prepared by a well known South Indian restaurant, were served on a banana leaf.

As part of the celebrations, Indian-origin Labor MP Virendra Sharma and Loughton Mayor Carol Davies, presented awards to leading Malayalee businesses.

The award recipients included Joyalukkus, well known Indian Jewellers, Swayam Properties, a reputed estate agency managed by husband and wife duo Anil Kumar and Sheeba, Mrs Gemini Kunnenkeril, who single handedly manages Highway Services, two petrol stations and an

MOT centre and Padma Kumar, who heads a company providing high specification catering equipment to airlines and railway companies.

Also present at the event was the Managing Director of Lulu Group Yusuff Ali. The event was organized by Councilor Philip Abraham, deputy

Mayor of Loughton with support from Kerala Business Forum leaders.

The harvest festival of Onam is the biggest festival celebrated in Kerala and marks the commemoration of home-coming of the King Mahabali.-PTI

38 India Post

September 23, 2016 www.indiapost.com

Empowering marginalized women through education CHIRANJIBI THAPA

NEW DELHI: For most Muslim girls belonging to economically weak families in south east Delhi's Jaitpur Extension, a high school education is a privilege they cannot avail for reasons both financial and religious.

Jaitpur Extension, a resettlement colony near Okhla, houses poor and middle class families whose breadwinners are mostly daily wage workers. Consequently, almost every household in the area has girls who have dropped out of school.

However, bucking the trend is a woman - Farida Khan - who runs classes free of cost for such students, some of whom recently took their matriculation and intermediate exams as private candidates from Jamia Milia Islamia University and passed, against all odds.

"These girls wanted to study but could not. The entire area had some sort of negativity. I had been through that stage in my life earlier and thus I decided to change that," says Farida, the Director of 'Pehchan' Coaching Centre where she trains her students.

Pehchan, is a non-government organization that was registered in

2015.

"The most difficult part was convincing their parents that it is both safe and useful to teach the girls. Many were skeptic initially but as the students fared well in exams, it changed their parents' outlook," she says.

Among her students is the 24year old Mubeena who recently passed her intermediate exam.

"My father passed away almost 10 years ago. We were facing financial problems and the relatives were forcing me to get married.

Everything was mixed up. For a few years, I was imprisoned inside my own house," says Mubeena.

However, things have now changed for Mubeena who also has a respectable job that pays her enough to supplement her family's income. However, for her, education is much more than that job she has landed.

"Education has made me see things differently. Earlier I thought girls were supposed to stay inside the house, get married and serve their husbands. But now I have realized how important it is for girls to be educated," she says.

Apart from pursuing her own

studies further, Mubeena wants to work for girls like her who want to study but do not get opportunities.

For a better future Then there is Ruheen, 20, who is now studying a fashion design-

ing course "I had to face a lot of struggles to reach where I am today. I wasn't allowed to even go to my house's terrace. When I joined the class, I had to wear a burqa. But I had decided to make those compromises.

I had decided to leave my past for a better future," she says.

"The attitude of family has changed. They are supporting my

Priyanka Chopra proud of her legs

G

lobal icon Priyanka Chopra, whose name sells like hot cake, recently opened up about her tomboy-ish days and scarred legs.

Speaking on the same in an interview with W magazine, the 34year-old actor said that she learnt to take care of herself and as a result, her legs now sell almost '12 or 15 products' in India.

"When I was a teenager, I was a tomboy. So I had scars, I was always falling on my knees.

They were not the prettiest legs in the world, and then I taught

myself how to take care of my body. Anybody can do it if I can.

And today my legs sell like 12 or 15 products in my part of the world. Yeah they do," she said.

Further speaking about her growing up days, the Bajirao Mastani actress said that with years, she has found 'how to be the best version' of herself. "I just think I've found how to be the best version of myself, and that took a lot of years.

When I was a

kid, especially at like 16, it blew my mind that I won Miss India because I was like the gawkiest teenager. I had no self-esteem. I got really bullied when I was in school in America [for three years], so that crushed my spirit a little bit more," Priyanka explained in the interview.

When PeeCee was further quizzed about her first audition, she said that popular American TV series Quantico was her first one.

"This is going to sound really bizarre, but my first audition was Quantico. I became Miss World [in 2000], so then when I was doing movies in India, I was initially cast because I was in this world. And then in my first movie I won lots of awards and so then I never really looked back. But then, of course, everyone auditions here. That was my first and only audition in my life," said Priyanka.

studies now. They were very happy over my 12th results and when I got admission in college. I want to be a fashion designer as much for them as for me," she says.

Apart from the two, there are 28 more such girls who took the exam this time.

Each one of them has faced struggles of their own and has stories to tell and dreams to share.

Farida says women's education is often clamped down under the garb of religion.

"Islam tells us to study but in practice women are not allowed to study. People fear that if women study they will know and demand their rights. They don't want that.

They want to maintain the status quo," says Farida.

"However, there are families who educate their girls and support them. Those girls are lucky," she adds.

Farida says there is still a long

challenging road ahead of her, especially in an area like Jaitpur which has no government school within a 7 km radius.

The Chairperson of the organization Iqbal says the situation is more complex than just pointing finger at parents for not allowing their children to study.

"In a place where people are sure neither of their jobs nor their dinner, education becomes a secondary option," says Iqbal.

"Yes you do have Right to Education but it is to make sure that students aren't refused admissions in schools. But what do you do about those who do not want to study at all or their parents don't allow," he says.

Farida's and Iqbal's concerns are real but there is a sense of reassurance with which Mubeena says, "Educating a woman profits not just her, but her entire family, in every sense."

Uttered by a girl who at the age of 20 was brought to Farida by her mother to learn tailoring so that she could earn a few extra bucks, it is clear that both Farida and Mubeena have come a long way, with a longer road to cover.-PTI

Mumbai writer wins South Asia Award NEW DELHI: Writer Meghna Pant will be honored with Kumaon Literary Festival's FON (Fellows of Nature) South Asia Short Story Award in Nature writing in October for her short story "People of the Sun." The annual travelling literary festival gives this award in partnership with the French Institute of India and Wildlife Trust of India to "revive nature writing and bring the spotlight on critical environment issues like climate change through this form of literature."

"Nature writing was once considered to be the rock and roll of literature. In the last few decades, it has shown a steady decline. Like all extinctions, nature writing's gradual disappearance represents a profound loss. FON is our little effort to revive this art," Sumant Batra, founder of Kumaon Literary Festival, said.

The award was founded to build a community of writers who can become instrumental in reviving interest in nature writing and at the same time build awareness among public in order to facilitate the conservation of our surroundings Pant's story was shortlisted

from over 165 entries received from across South Asia. The Mumbaibased writer has also penned a novel, "One & A Half Wife" and a collection of short stories called, "Happy Birthday!"

She will be felicitated with the award as well as a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh here next month.

The winner was selected by a jury comprising writers Jerry Pinto, Sidhartha Gigoo, Mridula Koshy and Shinie Antony from India, James Champion from the UK, Samrat Upadhyay from USA and Afia Aslam from Pakistan.

"Writing about the close relationship between humankind and nature plays an important role in creating interest and building respect for it amongst book lovers and others. There is a pressing need to restore this literary art," Asha Batra, Founder of FON Award said.

The organizers also announced the first and second runners up Shabir Ahmad Mir from Jammu and Kashmir and Vrinda Baliga from Hyderabad respectively.

Sujata Parashar, Director of FON, said that an anthology of the top stories from the received entries will also be published.-PTI

September 23, 2016

India Post 39 www.indiapost.com

Seattle festival to highlight cinema of Bangladesh India Post News Service

SEATTLE, WA: Tasveer has announced the lineup for its 11th annual Seattle South Asian Film Festival. Slated for October 14-23, SSAFF 2016 includes 23 feature films and 22 shorts from nine countries, plus a landmark community symposium about film censorship in South Asia and topical film programs centered on youth, sexual minorities, and mental health.

A fabulous Opening Night Gala at Seattle Art Museum kicks off the eleven-day Festival on Friday, October 14, featuring 2016 Bangladeshi drama AYNABAJI, a dark and engrossing urban thriller to be honored after the screening with a party including live music at the Triple Door. The film's di-

rector Amitabh Chowdhury and celebrated Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury are expected to attend.

On Tuesday, October 18, a di-

Farooki, Shailaja Padindala, Andy Schocken, Chanchal Chowdhury, and Varun Tandon will weigh in at Symposium: Race, Sexuality and Censorship: Film, Art and Activism

verse group of panelists moderated by Dr. Alka Kurian and including filmmakers Mostofa

in India and Beyond at the University of Washington Thompson Hall, presented in collaboration

with the UW's South Asia Center.

At the Centerpiece Gala at Seattle Asian Art Museum on Thursday, October 20, SSAFF welcomes leading-edge Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki with his acclaimed comedy ANT STORY, a wry and fantastical comedy, with a reception to follow on site.

The Festival's Closing Awards and Reception in Renton on Sunday, October 23 features WAITING, a charming tale of an unlikely friendship by Indian director Anu Menon and featuring South Asian superstars of the sil-

ver screen Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. WAITING is a heartrending story about confronting grief with optimism and living with courage, loving with faith, and laughing with hope.

Bangladesh is in the spotlight at SSAFF 2016 with an exceptional program of comedies, dramas, and shorts from one of Asia's most dynamic and densely populated nations.

Embracing and embodying the theme Love Wins, the program of the 2016 Seattle South Asian Film Festival engages with our difficult and dynamic moment in history, championing the idea that love can elevate our common humanity and allow us to overcome obstacles together that seem insurmountable to individuals acting alone.

ness and spirituality'' at the Grand Canyon.

Terri Henry leads forest bathing experiences on the Caribbean island of Dominica for guests at Secret Bay, a boutique property with eight private villas. ``We go for a mindful walk, very slow in pace, like a walking meditation,'' she said. ``The whole idea is to become superaware of the senses. A lot of the time, people have so much going on, they've got sensory overload, they have to shut it down.''

She helps guests ``open up'' the senses as they smell wild

herbs, listen to birdsongs, feel the textures of leaves and even create artwork from foraged materials. Henry also helps people find ways to integrate what they've learned into their everyday routines. ``If someone has a garden, I might say, `Well, you can do this in the garden.' Or maybe they have a park nearby,'' she said. ``Everybody feels great after a vacation. Then you go back to the grind. So when you get home, how do you apply it in simple ways?' '-AP

Forest bathing A mindful walk in the woods, no getting wet Amos Clifford, who founded the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs , leads a variety of forest bathing experiences, from walks in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood, California, to programs at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone, California, and The Lodge at Woodloch, a resort in Hawley, Pennsylvania.

Clifford, who has a background in Zen meditation and in marriage and family counseling, also trains guides in forest therapy. But he's

Clifford's three-hour guided walks might cover only a quartermile (four-tenths of a kilometer).

The ideal trail, he says, is twothirds covered by a forest canopy but also has ``some meadow open to the sky,'' along with a stream and plant diversity. But it doesn't have to be a wilderness area. He's led walks in retirement center gardens and in city parks near freeways.

Clifford compares the experience to a guided meditation, in which participants are prompted to consider, ``What are you hearing, seeing, smelling? We invite

careful to say that forest therapists are not qualified to diagnose or treat mental health issues. ``We say the forest is the therapist,'' he said. ``The guide opens the doors.''

people to notice what's in motion in the environment around them: the swaying of trees, the flow of water, butterflies or birds or whatever it might be.''

Prices for forest bathing expe-

Cont'd from Page 36

riences range from $30 for Clifford's three-hour walks in Sugarloaf state park to a $199 all-day experience at Osmosis Day Spa, which includes a massage, lunch and footbath using forest products like cedar. At Mohonk, a 50-minute guided forest bathing experience is $160.

Group forest therapy walks at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, cost $25 per class or $115 for a series of five.

Charles Leary, a co-owner of Trout Point Lodge in Kemptville, Nova Scotia, says the lodge has ``always believed in having our guests immerse themselves in nature. Then we discovered the research on forest bathing and formalized things a little. Now our nature guides who take people into the wilderness areas explain the concepts of forest bathing along with the local ecology.''

The National Park Service doesn't offer formal forest bathing programs, but the agency does have a ``Healthy Parks Healthy People'' initiative to promote the restorative qualities of spending time in nature, and some groups organize programs in the parks on their own combining nature and mindfulness experiences, according to Kathy Kupper of the National Park Service. A recent report done for the NPS by Fatimah Jackson of Howard University looked at ways to experience ``mindful-

40 India Post

K

ota is an inviting tourist destination on the banks of the Chambal river and is one of the most dy namic and picturesque cities in the state of Rajasthan. Historians put the date of establishing Kota in the 12th century as a part of Malwa Plateau. The basic foundation of Kota city was laid in 1264 AD after the Rajputs took over the place from a local tribal chief. With grandeur, rich heritage and history, Kota rulers were known for their legendary deeds and wars fought with Mughal emperors.

A monument of Rajput culture and gallantry, Kota is renowned for its splendid heritage. Kota's coat of arms was highly accomplished for its marvelous design, which is displayed in museums in Kota. The coat design was a masterpiece with winged Garuda as the base. Attractive temples with many legendary stories behind, historical

www.indiapost.com

The basic foundation of Kota city was laid in 1264 AD after the Rajputs took over the place from a local tribal chief.

September 23, 2016

forts and imposing palaces with Rajput architectural styles are all housed in the landscape of Kota.

Modern Kota is an industrial town with most modern and luxurious amnesties. The major attractions in Kota are the ancient temples. One of the great temples in the locality is Kansua temple enshrining Lord Shiva with a unique feature of four faces. One of the best museums in Rajasthan is located in Kota and is a place most visited by tourists viewing the ancient and historical artifacts of Rajasthan. Animated miniature paintings are marvelous attractions of this museum.

Cont’d on page 42

September 23, 2016

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post 41

www.indiapost.com

Talgo train does DelhiMumbai in 12 hrs NEW DELHI: The Talgo train completed its final trial between Delhi and Mumbai in less than 12-hours at a maximum speed of 150 km per hour, making the Spanish company a strong contender in Indian railways future ventures.

"The light weight Talgo train covered the distance between Delhi and Mumbai in 11 hours 42 minutes in its final trial," Railway Board Member (Traffic) Mohd

Jamshed said here.

The Talgo train had left New Delhi at 2.45 PM and reached Mumbai at 2.33 AM early morning covering the 1,384 km stretch at about maximum speed of 150 kmph.

It was a successful trial by the Talgo

train comprising light weight aluminum coaches with tilting technology, Jamshed said.

The train with nine coaches had a third trial between New Delhi and Mumbai at 140 km per hour speed on September 7.

Talgo aims to reduce travel time between Delhi-Mumbai by four hours. Currently, the super-fast Rajdhani Express train takes around 16 hours between New Delhi and Mumbai.

Railways had conducted the first trial run of Talgo trains on the BareillyMoradabad stretch in Uttar Pradesh followed by the second trial run on the P a l w a l Mathura section of the North-Central Railway.

The ninecoach Talgo train consists of two Executive Class cars, four Chair Cars, a cafeteria, a power car and a tail-end coach for staff and equipment.

Besides railway staff, technicians from Talgo were onboard during the trial.-PTI

New highway to cover Delhi-Jaipur in 2 hrs GURGAON: Union minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari has said a new access control highway would be constructed between Delhi and Jaipur which would reduce the travel time between the cities to just two hours.

The 270-km distance takes over six hours by road now.

The Minister also said an "intelligent transport" system - with CCTV cameras installed to monitor the traffic rule violators would be put in place on NH-8.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for improvement work on three junctions on NH-8, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,005 crore, Gadkari said the work would be completed in 15 months instead of the originally planned 30.

Referring to the new Delhi-Jaipur access control highway, Gadkari said the project would cost Rs 16,000 crore and work on it will be started in January, 2017. The land acquisition process for the new highway would be started soon.

On plans to ensure seamless traffic flow on NH-8, he said work on the flyover at IMT Manesar Chowk would be completed soon.

He said four underpasses and as many flyovers would be constructed to make the

traffic movement seamless.

Gadkari said work on the Dwarka Expressway had commenced and it would be completed soon.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar urged him to get the 1.75-km stretch of this expressway, which falls in Delhi area, done quickly.

Gadkari said the junction near Ambience Mall would also be improved.

In addition, he assured to start construction work on the Manesar-Gurgaon bye-

pass in near future. The pilot project of Metrino System between Dhaula Kuan in Delhi and Manesar had been cleared and work would be started soon, he said.

Gurgaon MP and Union Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister, Rao Inderjeet Singh demanded waiving of the toll charges for the residents of Gurgaon at Kherki Daula Toll Plaza on the pattern of Gujarat.-PTI

Polythene banned in national monuments

NEW DELHI: There will be a complete ban on use of polythene in all national monuments and tourist destinations from October 2.

In an initiative to carry forward the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), the government chose the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi to impose the ban.

"We thought that we should start cleanliness from our house first. So, the Tourism Ministry has decided to ban polythene in all the national monuments and tourist destinations from October 2," Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma told PTI. He said the trial phase of the initiative will be launched immediately and from October 2, it would be implemented in all the national monuments and tourist destinations.

Stating that the ministry would erect a board at the monuments or tourists place about this prohibition, he exuded confidence that it would be easier to implement

this cleanliness initiative as the tourist destinations have security personnel who would check tourists at the entrance.

The minister, however, clarified that plastic bottles would not be banned but tourists would be asked to place them in the recycle container at the tourist destinations.

An official said the ban would be applicable to the protected zone or 100-m radius of the monuments.

In March, the Centre had also banned the manufacturing of plastic bags of below 50 microns as thinner bags are difficult to dispose leading to major threat to the environment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014.

The mission aims at elimination of open defecation, eradication of manual scavenging, modern and scientific municipal solid waste management, among others.-PTI

197% rise in e-tourist visa arrivals NEW DELHI: Over 66,000 travelers arrived in India on e-tourist visa in August this year, recording a growth of about over the same period last year.

Among the countries availing e-tourist visa facility, the UK occupied the top slot, followed by the US and China, the Union Tourism Ministry said in a statement.

"During the month of August, 2016 a total of 66,097 tourist arrived on eTourist Visa as compared to 22,286 during the month of August, 2015 registering a growth of 196.6 per cent," it said.

During January-August this year, a total of 6,06,493 tourist arrived on e-tourist visa as compared to 1,69,976 during the corresponding period last year, witnessing a growth of 256.8 per cent.

"This high growth may be attributed to introduction of e-tourist visa for 150

countries as against the earlier coverage of 113 countries," the statement said.

Launched on November 27, 2014, the facility was initially available for citizens of 113 countries arriving at 16 airports in India. It was later extended for citizens of 37 more countries.

Among the top 10 source countries availing the facility in August, the UK share was maximum with 19.4 per cent, followed by the US (13.2 per cent), China (6.7 per cent), France (6.4 per cent), Spain (6.1 per cent), UAE (5.5 per cent).

The share of Germany was 4.6 per cent, while that of Australia 3.7 per cent, Canada 3.5 per cent and Korea 2.4 per cent.-PTI

New complex for Tourism & Culture ministries NEW DELHI: The Ministries of Culture and Tourism will now be housed together in a swanky new complex to be constructed in the heart of the national capital, in a bid to bring in better coordination among the two.

"The Culture and Tourism Ministries will be together in the coming times. There are many linkages between the two ministries.

There are discussions between the two ministries regarding various issues and projects. Hence, the move will lead to better coordination," Union Minister Mahesh Sharma, who holds both Culture and Tour-

ism portfolios, said.

The Tourism Ministry offices would be "completely" placed in the new building which will also house the "main offices" of the Culture Ministry, he said.

"The purpose of the integration is to make both the ministries perform better and faster," Sharma said.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley had laid the foundation stone for the Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Paryatan Bhawan on Mandir Marg in the city last year. It was then decided that the complex would be the new office building of Tourism Ministry. -PTI

Travel & Hospitality Post

42 India Post

September 23, 2016

www.indiapost.com

KOTA

Monument of Rajput culture and gallantry Cont’d from page 40

Kota is famous for textile weaving, impressive handicrafts, cosmetic items, oilseed and cotton milling, distilleries and dairy products. Famous Doria Saris originated from the weaving mills of

Kota and it is the only place where one can get best of these saris.

Metal handicrafts are specialty items of Kota's skilled artists. Kota is also very popular for the Victorian style buildings adapted from the British.

Tourist attractions City Palace: A confabulation of Mughal and Rajasthani architecture and art, City Palace is the monument for the glorious royal past of the Kota city. City Palace is a fantastic landmark in Kota attracting thousands of visitors every year. The palace is adorned with imposing wall paintings, mirror walls, mirror ceilings, hanging illuminated lights and floral decorations. Breathtaking marble floorings and walls and stylish fashioned entrance, all these make City Palace a memorable location. The attractive garden around the palace adds to the beauty of the Palace.

Chambal Gardens: Chambal Garden, a beautiful garden in the backdrop of Chambal River, is a much sought picnic spot in Kota.

The garden located at Amar Niwas on the softy landscape of Chambal River encloses a well maintained pond, a habitat for crocodiles. A

suspension bridge facilitating the crossing of the bridge is very attractive.

Kishore Sagar: Kishore Sagar is an artificial picturesque lake dating back to 1346 constructed by the Bundi Prince Dehra Deh. It is located by the side of attractive Brij Vilas palace museum. A cute palace named as Jagmandir is located at the heart of the museum. The enchanting palace is a red sandstone monument of the grandeur days of Kota. Reflections of the exquisite palace walls and domes in the azure water of the Kishore Sagar Lake are breathtaking.

Alnea: On the banks of River Alnea is a location near Kota noted for its pre-historic carvings. Many enthusiastic travelers interested in archeological sites never miss the opportunity to visit Alnea. Historians and archeologists confirm that the carvings, especially on rocks, in Alnea are of prehistoric age. The carvings are based on ancient legendary stories and using the ancient sharp tools made out of rocks and stones.

Kaithoon: Kaithoon is renowned for the specialized designer hand woven saris named as Kota Doria saris.

These saris are hand woven with real gold threads. Textile weaving rules this place.

The majestic dress materials from Kaithoon are of high quality cotton fabrics.

These are made exquisite and richer by designer fashions and embroidery with real gold and silver threads.

Best time to visit is from September to March.

How to reach

By Train: Kota railhead lying in the main line of Delhi-Mumbai route is well connected to all major cities in India. Passenger, express and super fast train services are available from Kota to other cities.

By Air: Sanganer Airport located in Jaipur is nearly 245 km from the city Kota. Jaipur airport is connected to metro cities Mumbai and Delhi.

By Bus: State buses of Rajasthan Road Transport Corpo-

ration connect Kota (Bundi road bus station) to all other cities in Rajasthan. Kota is connected by

bus to Udaipur (240 km), Ajmer (230 km), Bikaner (450 km) and Jaipur (250 km).

Supersonic train test run in Pune sought MUMBAI: If Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has his way with high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, the American billionaire's company SpaceX may test-run its futuristic high speed train, the Hyperloop, in Pune.

Speaking about his recent visit to the American west coast, which is the global hub of hi-tech innovations, Gadkari said he spent quality time with the officials of Tesla, which is also founded by Musk, who is known for his futuristic ideas.

"I just offered them ... they want some road for experimental purpose. I offered them the westerly bypass of Pune connected to the Express Highway. The idea is they can take an experiment between Mumbai and Pune as a pilot project," he said, without naming SpaceX. He said the Hyperloop, whose idea was first presented in 2013, runs faster than an aircraft at a speed of 1,120 kmph and can cover the distance between his hometown Nagpur and Mumbai in 35 minutes.

Among other things, SpaceX is also working on commercializing space travel.

Speaking about the futuristic concept which is yet to be commercialized, the minister said the Hyperloop "is a tube" which uses air for propulsion.

The company's website says SpaceX is "interested in helping to accelerate development of a functional Hyperloop prototype".

Speaking to reporters later on the sidelines of an infrastructure summit organized by Marathi daily Lokmat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also confirmed that there indeed have been some discussions between the governments on such a proposal but was quick to add that Maharashtra has asked the company to develop the product first before making test-runs in the state.

Gadkari said the government has invited Tesla to invest in the country as he expressed interest in clean energy like solar and battery storage, areas in which the American company is focused on.

-PTI

September 23, 2016

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post

43

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Rlys claim good response to flexi-fare system NEW DELHI: Amid criticism over introduction of dynamic surging fare in premier trains, the railways claim that the response is quite good and the flexi-fare is still lower than airfare.

"Our flexi-fare system has got a good response and passengers have responded well to the scheme as there is about 30 per cent booking in the last two days," Railway Board Member (Traffic) Mohd Jamshed said here.

The railways has introduced the flex-fare system in Rajdhani, Shatadbi and Duronto trains from September 9, aiming at raking in Rs 500 crore more during the current financial year.

Jamshed said the railways has earned Rs 84 lakh and Rs 81 lakh more on September 9 and 10 respectively from the flex-fare system.

As per the new system, passengers will be shelling out between

10 and 50 per cent more under the surge pricing system.

While 10 per cent of the seats will be sold under the normal fare

Responding to the charge that train fare has now become costlier than airfare, Jamshed told reporters despite flexi-fare system, train

in the beginning, it will go on increasing by 10 per cent with every 10 per cent of berths sold with a ceiling of 50 per cent.

travel cost is still lower than airfare.

Showing a detailed fare chart, he said at present, the Shatabdi

IRCTC offers Lanka, Malaysia packages NEW DELHI: Exploring beyond domestic tour and travel market, IRCTC is now offering international packages covering Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

"The Enchanting Singapore and Malaysia" and the "Sri Ramayana Yatra: Sri Lanka" tours, departing from New Delhi, are now open for bookings and will be fully managed by the IRCTC which will arrange for the visa, air journey,

Singapore and Malaysia tour will depart on October 13 by Milindo Airlines. Tourists will stay at Singapore for 3 nights with sightseeing at the Singapore Flyer, Night Safari, City Tour and Sentosa Island.

In Malaysia, they will visit Genting Highlands, Batu Cave, Snow World and Kuala Lumpur city.

There are three additional departure programs for this tour; one

IRCTC is now offering international packages covering Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

meals and hotel stay, road travel and sightseeing for the travelers.

An experienced tour manager from IRCTC will accompany the group and oversee the services, according to a release.

The 5-night 6-day Enchanting

on October 19 and the second in March 2017.

For culture aficionados, IRCTC has created a unique Ramayanathemed tour to Sri Lanka, covering significant destinations including the Ashok Vatika, Sita

Mata Temple, Bhakta Hanuman Temple, Anjanair Temple, Vibhishana Temple, Munavari and Muishwaram Shiva Temple.

The 5-night 6-day tour, departing from Delhi on November 24, will also cover other popular locations in Sri Lanka such as the Nogambo beach, Pennawalla elephant orphanage, Ramboda waterwall, Nuwara Elliya hill station, Grogery Lake, Kandy Tooth Temple and Colombo city tour.

The tour cost is Rs 72,580 per person for the "Enchanting Singapore and Malaysia" tour and Rs 48,220 per person for the "Sri Lanka Ramayana" tour, including visa charges, airfare, hotel stay, meals, road transport, sightseeing, guide charges and taxes.

IRCTC will run the Sri Lanka tour again on December 10 this year, and also next year on January 12, February 10 and March 2.

Tourism and catering wing of the Indian Railways operates tours to several other popular foreign destinations including Australia, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan and Dubai.

IRCTC offices in Delhi, Lucknow, Agra, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Varanasi are coordinating the international tour package.-PTI

train fare in the Delhi-Jaipur section is ranging between Rs 640 and Rs 915 while the airfare for the same sector is between Rs 1601 and Rs 2400.

Even road travel is costlier than train fare as AC bus fare for Jaipur from Delhi is between Rs 600 and Rs 1600, he said.

Modeled on the dynamic fare system in vogue in the aviation sector, the flexi-fare system has been introduced on an experimental basis for II AC, III AC and Chair Car in the three types of premier trains, besides Sleeper class in Duronto trains. First AC and Executive Class travel has been kept out of the new system due to already prevailing high tariffs.

On the Delhi-Mumbai sector, Rajdhani fare is between Rs 2870 and Rs 4104 on II AC while airfare is ranging between Rs 2813 and Rs 13,746 for tomorrow, Jamshed said.

The passenger revenue target for the current fiscal is Rs 51,000 crore as against Rs 45,000 crore in the last fiscal, an increase of Rs 6000 crore for 2016-17.

There are a total of 42 Rajdhani, 46 Shatabdi and 54 Duronto trains.

Jamshed said the flexi-fare system has been introduced in only 142 trains out of total 12,000 trains which is just 0.65 per cent of total passenger trains.

Asked why 1 AC and Executive Class have been left out of the flexifare scheme, he said, "Tariff rationalization is based on a whole lot of factors. The fares for 1 AC and Executive Class are on the higher side."

He said the railways will introduce a system for providing loyalty points to frequent train travelers for which the details are being worked out. "They will get Executive Lounge facility at stations," he said.-PTI

GoAir adds Hyderabad in its flights MUMBAI: City-based no-frills Airline GoAir has said it will add Telangana capital in its network with the launch of non-stop flight services from Hyderabad, connecting Chennai, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata from next month.

As of now GoAir flies to 22 domestic airports with a fleet of 21 Airbus A320 including A320neo.

Hyderabad will also be connected to Port Blair via Bangalore which will provide leisure travelers additional travel option, GoAir said in a release.

"Hyderabad is a key market in south and central India and a significant base for business and tourism in the region.

Adding Hyderabad with its ideal geographical location, we reinforce our commitments towards connectivity across the country," GoAir Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Prock-Schaeur said in the release.

In June 2011, the Mumbai-based airline had placed an order with European aviation major Airbus for 72 new A320 neo aircraft valued at about Rs 32,400 crore on list price.

Besides, the carrier inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for another 72 A320neo aircraft at Farnborough International Airshow in July.

This latest addition to GoAir network reflects the airline s phase of growth with a focus on scaling

up operations gradually in the coming weeks while strengthening the value proposition to suit customer s demand, the airline said.

GoAir had last month said it plans to add five more planes in the fleet by March next year.

GoAir had last month said it plans to add five more planes in the fleet by March next year besides commencing international operations.

With the new additions of aircraft in coming months, GoAir will

operate up to 184 daily flights by the end of December from current 144 daily flights, it said.

"We are happy to welcome GoAir to Hyderabad Airport. As one of the fastest growing airports in the country, our focus has been on providing more options to our passengers and with the introduction of services by GoAir, we now offer a wider range of choices in terms of destinations and frequencies. We keenly look forward to working together with GoAir towards our goal of establishing Hyderabad Airport as the gateway to south & central India," GMR Hyderabad International Airport CEO, S G K Kishore said.-PTI

In Brief Immigration violations by suspect in crash OLATHE, Kan: A man charged in a crash that killed a Kansas deputy could face eventual deportation proceedings because of suspected immigration violations and a previous drunken driving conviction in California, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Adrian Espinosa-Flores, 38, of Kansas City, Kansas, is being held in the Johnson County jail on $2 million bond after being charged with involuntary manslaughter/ DUI in the crash that killed Johnson County Sheriff's Master Deputy Brandon Collins. Collins, 45, was making a traffic stop when a pickup hit his stopped patrol car.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Espinosa-Flores, ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer said in an email.

The detainer means that if local authorities release Espinosa-Flores for any reason, ICE asks that they release him into ICE custody.

A 2001 DUI conviction in California also makes Espinosa-Flores an ICE enforcement priority, which means he would face deportation proceedings, Neudauer said. He could not comment on EspinosaFlores' immigration status, which is considered private. But ICE said it only places detainers on people suspected of immigration violations.

Espinosa-Flores was also stopped in Overland Park, Kansas, in June 2013 for speeding and driving without a valid driver's license, according to the Overland Park municipal court. He paid about $280 in fines and fees. -AP

„ Britons may need visas to visit EU LONDON: Britain's immigration minister says U.K. citizens may have to pay for visas to visit European Union nations after the country leaves the bloc.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said that would not be desirable, ``but we don't rule it out.''

Rudd told the BBC that Britain would get the best deal it could from the EU, but it would be a ``two-way negotiation.''

The EU's Schengen zone which includes most nations in the bloc - is considering an electronic travel authorization system similar to one the U.S. uses for visitors from selected countries.

Visitors from outside the EU would have to apply online and pay a fee before traveling.

Labor Party immigration spokesman Andy Burnham says Rudd's comments ``will not have reassured ordinary families about the cost of Brexit.''-AP

Immigration

Melania Trump releases immigration details

44 India Post

www.indiapost.com

September 23, 2016

Details on page 45

For immigrants in US, a Soccer World Cup of their own PHILADELPHIA: During Bawitha Tling's tumultuous journey fleeing war and forced labor under Myanmar's dictatorship first to a Malaysian refugee camp, and eventually to Philadelphia one of the few constants in his life was soccer. ``We played every day in our country at school ... in recess time or after school,'' Tling said. ``I came here, and play every day, every weekend. Soccer is my favorite way to relax myself, to escape depression.''

Tling, 18, now a business major at a community college, is one of around 800 players participating in a newly created soccer tournament for immigrants organized by the city of Philadelphia. The first match was between Vietnam and Mexico.

The 32 teams represent countries from India to Ireland, Cambodia to Congo. In the months running up to the tournament, named the Unity Cup, they've been practicing several times a week and holding dozens of friendly matches.

Interest in the inaugural event was strong. Within five days of

opening registration, all the team slots were taken, with captains delivering commitment letters by hand to the city's Office of Immigrant Affairs. ``There were people waiting outside the office before they opened at 8 o'clock in the morning,'' said Bill Salvatore, Unity Cup organizer with the city's Department of Parks and Recreation. ``It

was pretty intense.''

Philadelphia's foreign-born population has been booming, growing from barely 100,000 in 1990 to over 200,000 this year about 13 percent of the population, according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Still, the city's professional soccer team, the Union, gets only a fraction of the attention showered on its foot-

Mexico's Adan Lopez, left, and team Germany's Andrew Sinclair, right, skirmish for the ball in Philadelphia. Thirty-two teams representing various countries will take part in a citywide competition called the Unity Cup. The World Cup inspired Philadelphia's new mayor to create the event in an effort to bring together diverse communities.

ball and baseball franchises.

The Unity Cup championship will be held Nov. 5 at Citizens Bank Park, home of Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies, and city officials expect at least 5,000 people to attend. The winning team will receive a trophy modeled on the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup, with names of the victors engraved each year.

Organizers are planning an international festival in the stadium's parking lot, with food trucks, craft stalls and performances.

The Unity Cup is the brainchild of Mayor Jim Kenney, who says he got his inspiration from the World Cup. ``Remember, soccer is in every neighborhood,'' said Kenney, the descendent of Irish immigrants fleeing famine. ``The trash talking and the competitions already started between Mexico and Italy, between the Irish and the Polish, the Germans are calling out the Senegalese - I mean it's awesome, it's going to be fun.''

The teams aren't restricted by nationality, either.

Cont'd on Page 46

Young voters from immigrant families lean liberal WASHINGTON: Young Hispanic and Asian-Americans who are immigrants or have an immigrant parent are more likely to be liberal in their views on politics and immigration than those with families who have been in United States longer, a new GenForward poll shows.

Eighty-seven percent of those age 18 to 30 who are immigrants or who have parents who are immigrants support allowing those who were brought to the United States illegally as children to stay legally, while 72 percent of those whose families have been in the U.S. longer agree. Eighty-five percent of first and second generation Latino and Asian immigrants and 74 percent of those who are third generation or greater oppose building a border wall. ``Having some sort of program

that allows the illegal citizens to become legal citizens, I think it

gives the viewpoint that the U.S. cares,'' said Juan Tavares, a 24-

Young demonstrators participate in a rally in support of President Barack Obama after the president announced that the U.S. government will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants

year-old from California whose parents were born in Mexico. ``You're going to have people who are illegal who will prove that they're loyal or they care about what this country has given to them and they would like a chance to give back.''

Still, Tavares, a U.S. citizen, says the United States could do more to secure its border with Mexico, including by building a wall in parts of California and Texas. ``Just because I'm Mexican, it doesn't mean I believe in an open border,'' he said.

GenForward is a survey of adults age 18 to 30 by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Cont'd on Page 46

Immigration Post

September 23, 2016

India Post 45

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Clinton accuses Trump of fostering ugliness WASHINGTON: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has accused Donald Trump of fostering ugliness and bigotry by refusing to acknowledge President Barack Obama was born in the US and asked Americans to reject the divisive campaign of her Republican rival in November's election.

"This man wants to be our next president? When will he stop this ugliness, this bigotry?" Clinton asked in her address to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Gala here.

She was referring to a latest interview of Trump in which he was unwilling to say that Obama was born in the US. The Trump Campaign in a late night statement said that "he believes Obama was born in the US." In her remarks, Clinton alleged that Trump is running the most divisive campaigns of the lifetimes.

"His message is you should be afraid; afraid of people whose race or ethnicity is different, or whose religious faith is different, or who were born in a different country.

There's no innuendo or dog whistles anymore. It's all right out there in the open now. So we've got to come back twice as strong and twice as clear," she said.

She also said that Muslims and Latinos remain targets of Trump's divisive campaign as he promises to deport 16 million people living and working in the US. Clinton said she has a different vision: she will introduce comprehensive immigration reform in her first 100 days and work to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top.

She paid tribute to the Latino community's contributions to America and said, "You're not intruders. You're our neighbors, our colleagues, our friends, our families. You make our nation stronger, smarter, more creative. I want

you to know that I see you and I am with you, and time and again."

Clinton said she intends to

mention two things I'll do in the first 100 days of my administration to help families in every corner of

Republican presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (L) and her Democratic counterpart Donald Trump (R).

close her campaign the way she began her career - fighting for kids and families.

"That's been the cause of my life. It will be the passion of my presidency. So tonight I want to

America," she said.

Clinton said a comprehensive immigration reform will not only be the right thing to do, but it will add USD 700 billion to US economy and enable America to be what it's

always been - a place where people from around the world can come to reunite with family, start new businesses, pursue their dreams, apply their talents to American growth and innovation.

Trump has tried to reset himself and his campaign many times, she alleged.

"This is the best he can do. This is who he is. So we need to decide who we are. If we just sigh and shake our heads and accept this, then what does that tell our kids about who we are? We need to stand up and repudiate this divisive rhetoric.

We need to stop him conclusively in November in an election that sends a message that even he can hear," she said.

"Parents and teachers are already worried about what they're calling the 'Trump Effect'. Bullying and harassment are on the rise in our schools, especially targeting students of color, Muslims and immigrants," she alleged.-PTI

Melania Trump releases immigration details WASHINGTON: Melania Trump released a letter from an immigration attorney that provided more detail on what she said was her legal pathway to U.S. citizenship. But the Slovenian-born wife of the GOP presidential nominee did not publish any part of her immigration file - official documents that would put to rest questions about whether she followed immigration law.

The two-page letter from New York attorney Michael J. Wildes, who has represented Donald Trump's companies, also advanced an alternate timeline for a nude photo shoot that had been cited in news reports as possible evidence of Mrs. Trump working as a model in New York City without authorization. At issue is whether the photo shoot occurred in 1995 - before Mrs. Trump has said she began legally working in the U.S. - or in 1996, as Mrs. Trump and Wildes assert.

The letter, posted on Mrs. Trump's Twitter account, marks the first time that she has publicly identified the type of visas she held and gave specifics about her entry into the U.S. Mrs. Trump has often said she came to the U.S. legally and used her story to defend Donald Trump's hard line on illegal immigration, an issue that he has made a signature part of his campaign.

In the letter from Wildes, it's unclear whether Mrs. Trump provided him access to her full immigration file during his review.

Wildes wrote that he had reviewed a series of news reports and ``documents regarding the U.S. immigration history of Mrs. Melania Trump.'' But the letter did not indicate which documents.

Wildes said in an interview with MSNBC that he did review Mrs. Trump's entire immigration file. ``Not only did I see the stamps, I wanted to see all approval notices,'' Wildes said of stamps in Mrs. Trump's passport and docu-

Trumps have refused to make public including Donald Trump's tax returns.

Wildes said he did not anticipate that Mrs. Trump would release her immigration files, saying ``there's no issue here.'' ``If there was an issue here, I don't know that I would be here in all honesty,'' said Wildes, who described himself as a Democrat and a Hillary Clinton supporter.

In his letter, Wildes dismissed

Manhattan in 1995. The Post reported that the photos were then published in the January 1996 issue of the French magazine Max. But Wildes said that then-Melania Knauss was not in the country in 1995. ``The allegation that she participated in a photo shoot in 1995 is not only untrue, it is impossible,'' Wildes wrote. He said he interviewed Mrs. Trump and ``we ascertained that the photo shoot in question did not occur until after she was admitted to the United States in H-1B visa status in October 1996.'' The letter does not give more detail on when Mrs. Trump said the photo shoot occurred.

Wildes wrote that Mrs. Trump first entered the U.S. on Aug. 27, 1996, using a B-1/B-2 visitor

visa. About two months later, on Oct. 18, 1996, Wildes said the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia issued Mrs. Trump her first worker visa, an H-1B visa, which she used to work as a model. Wildes said she was issued five such visas between October 1996 and 2001, at which point she became a lawful permanent resident. Wildes said he did not represent Mrs. Trump during the process.

Wildes wrote that Mrs. Trump did not receive her green card through marriage. Instead, she applied in 2000 by self-sponsoring herself as a model of ``extraordinary ability,'' he said. She received her green card on March 19, 2001, and became eligible for citizenship in 2006, the year Mrs. Trump has said she became a citizen. -AP

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

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his wife Melania meet with family members of Phyllis Schlafly before the start of a funeral Mass for Schlafly, in St. Louis.

ments detailing approval of her visas.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung did not immediately respond to detailed questions from The Associated Press about the review and whether Mrs. Trump planned to release her immigration file for public examination. The immigration file is one of several documents that the

news reports that Mrs. Trump had been professionally photographed posing nude in New York City in 1995. He said that the photos were taken in 1996, after Mrs. Trump had a legal work visa.

Last month, the New York Post published the photos along with an article saying they were taken during a two-day photo shoot in

Former Assistant StateÂ’s Attorney

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Immigration Post

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September 23, 2016

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Young voters from immigrant families lean liberal Cont'd from Page 44

The first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of a new generation.

Only a minority of young Hispanics and Asian-Americans in the poll - 27 percent and 9 percent, respectively - say both of their parents were born in the United States.

Brad Jones, a professor at the University of California, Davis, who focuses on race, ethnicity and immigration, said the results reflect that Latino immigrants are more directly affected by the increase in deportations under President Barack Obama's administration and shifts in immigration enforcement policy. Jones also noted that

Zoraida Ramirez, a 20-year-old Hispanic woman whose greatgrandparents moved to the United States, opposes building a border wall or deporting the millions of people who live in the United States illegally, though she only somewhat supports creating a path to citizenship for them. She somewhat opposes allowing people to become U.S. citizens if they graduate from college. ``There are people that have worked to do it the right way and worked to do it the legal way,'' Ramirez, who lives in Connecticut, said.

The difference extends to politics, too. Seventy-one percent of first and second generation Asian-Americans and Latinos, but just 49 percent of those

Ramirez, who didn't vote in the primary but said she preferred Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, said she's leaning toward Clinton even though she views her somewhat unfavorably. ``With Trump, he's kind of a little bit too extreme for my taste, his views are so right wing,'' she said. while much attention is focused on Trump's stance on illegal immigration, Asian-Americans have also been ``widely tethered'' to negative rhetoric on immigration throughout the campaign. ``It's not a surprise that young people who are closely connected either to parents who are immigrants or who are immigrants themselves are going to be just more attuned to the negative externalities of these policies,'' Jones said.

whose families have been in the United States longer, identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. And 27 percent of third generation or later Hispanics and Asian-Americans, but just 14 percent of more recent immigrants, identify with or lean toward the Republican Party.

Fifty-nine percent of immigrants and children of immigrants, but just 34 percent of those who don't have at least one immigrant

parent, have a favorable view of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Seventy-one percent of first and second generation Hispanics and Asian-Americans, but just 50 percent of those who aren't immigrants or children of immigrants, say she is qualified to be president. There's no such gap on views of Republican Donald Trump, with less than 2 in 10 among either group saying he is qualified to be president.

Ramirez, who didn't vote in the primary but said she preferred Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, said she's leaning toward Clinton even though she views her somewhat unfavorably. ``With Trump, he's kind of a little bit too extreme for my taste, his views are so right wing,'' she said. ``He goes back on his word a lot.''

The poll of 1,958 adults age 1830 was conducted August 1-14 using a sample drawn from the probability-based GenForward panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. young adult population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

The survey was paid for by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago, using grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

Respondents were first selected randomly using addressbased sampling methods, and later interviewed online or by phone.AP

For immigrants in US, a Soccer World Cup of their own Cont'd from Page 44

The Indian team has players from Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Morocco and Egypt - giving Indian players a chance to build comradery with other immigrants, not just play against them. ``I really enjoy meeting new guys, forming new networks. The game is a really beautiful game for bringing people together,'' said Thorne Holder, a Trinidadian living in Philadelphia and the goalie for team Germany. ``Soccer is a team sport. I think that's what gives it its allure - friends, friendship, common interests.''

Immigrants have long played soccer through grassroots orga-

nizations, but the Unity Cup appears to be the first immigrant soccer tournament organized by a government body in the country, according to city officials and U.S. Soccer, the country's governing body of soccer.

Demand has been so high that

Players are enthusiastic about the chance to chat with people from ethnic enclaves all over Philadelphia

plans are already being drawn up for next year, with the potential for knockout preliminary rounds by continent - Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas - in order to accommodate more teams. The city envisions the Unity Cup will become a yearly event, Salvatore said.

Players are enthusiastic about the chance to chat with people from ethnic enclaves all over Philadelphia whom they never would have met otherwise. ``It's like family,'' said Indian team captain Matthew Varughese, an engineer who moved to the U.S. as a child. ``We're not competing for money ... We're like brothers.

It's good, it's fun, you know - it's family.'' -AP

Population growth of US Latinos slows ALBUQUERQUE, NM: A new report says the population growth of U.S. Latinos slowed down considerably over the last seven years because of lower immigration and declining birthrates.

A Pew Research Center report found that the U.S. Hispanic population grew by an average of 2.8 percent each year between 2007 and 2014.

That's down from the 4.4 percent annual growth from 2000 to

2007 before the Great Recession.

The study says the expansion of the Hispanic population, once the fastest growing in the nation, has slipped behind Asian-Americans.

However, the study says some locations in states with traditionally small Latino populations are seeing a big jump in Hispanic residents. That includes the Dakotas, Carolinas, Utah and Tennessee.-AP

Deported 5 times, enters again DOVER, Del: A man arrested in Delaware on immigration and drug charges this year after having been deported five times to the Dominican Republic has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for illegal re-entry.

A federal judge also sentenced Richard Diaz-Garcia to one year for heroin possession, a sentence to run concurrently with the 15month term for violating immigration laws.

Diaz-Garcia, who has two pre-

vious convictions for illegal reentry, faced up to 11 years behind bars.

His February arrest drew renewed attention to a bill introduced in the legislature that would have made Delaware a ``sanctuary state.''

State Sen. Bryan Townsend of Newark, now seeking the Democratic nomination for Congress, withdrew the legislation shortly before Diaz-Garcia entered his guilty plea.-AP

Online tour of expanded immigration story NEW YORK: The Tenement Museum is expanding its story of immigration on Manhattan's Lower East Side for the first time to include those who settled there in the decades after World War II. Next July, the museum is adding an exhibition on Holocaust survivors, Puerto Rican migrants and Chinese immigrants who arrived in the neighborhood after 1945. It's now launched an online tour of their stories.

The exhibition will focus on three families who lived at 103 Orchard St., which the museum purchased in 2007.

They include the Saez family.

A son was the building's superintendent in the 1970s. His mother worked in a garment factory.

Until now, the museum has focused on the residents who lived next door at 97 Orchard St. between 1863 and 1935.-AP

Datebook

September 23, 2016

India Post 47

www.indiapost.com

NEW JERSEY Upcoming Sun, Sep 25 • Shraddha – Smt.Sudha Ragunathan Fund raiser Venue: Hightstown High School Auditorium, 25 Leshin Ln, Hightstown, NJ 08520 Time: 04:00 pm

Sat, Oct 1 • Apna Bazar Navratri 2016 Venue: Jk Golden mall, 1680 Oak Tree Road, Edison, NJ 08820 Time : 8:00 pm

Fri, Oct 7 • Art of Living Navratri Raas Garba 2016 Venue: STV Asia Auditoriam, 76 National Rd, Edison, NJ 08817 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 732-738-4457

NEW YORK

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Upcoming

Sat, Sep 24 • 5th Annual Gala of HCA-NY Venue: Akbar Restaurant & Banquet Hall, 2 South Street, Garden City, NY 11530 Time : 6:00 pm

Sun, Sep 25 • Evening with Stars Gippy Grewal,Jassi Gill,Babbal Rai Venue: Antum`s By Minar, 244 West Old Country Road, Hicksville, NY 11801 Time : 7:30 pm

Sun, Oct 1 • Navratri & Dandiya 2016 Venue: Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk,CT, 300 Highland Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854 Time : 6:00 pm Contact: 203-545-8088

Fri, Sep 23 • Raju Raja Ram Aur Mein featuring Sharman Joshi Venue: Chabot College, 25555 Hesperian Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94545 Time: 8:00 pm

Sat, Sep 24 • Vibha Disco Dandia 2016 (Dance on Dandia Beats & Groove with a DJ) Venue: Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054 Time: 7:00 pm

Sun, Sep 25 • Sangeetha Upanyasam Shri.

Dushyanth Sridhar Venue: CET - Soto Theater, 701 Vine St, San Jose, CA 95110 Time: 4:00 pm

Fri, Sep 30 • GCA Raas Garba 2016 Venue: Washington High School, 38442 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA 94536 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 510-502-0405

Sat, Oct 1 • Raas Garba With Hemant Mehta & Leena Benjamin Group Venue: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802 Time: 07:30 pm

Sun, Oct 9 • Ketakiand Suvarna Musical Concert VALLEY Venue: Indian Oven Indian Cuisine, 10110 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 91311 Time: 02:00 pm

CHICAGO

Upcoming

ILLINOIS Upcoming

Fri, Sep 30 • BAYVP - Raas Garba

1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's

Venue: Shreemaya Krishnadham - Bay Area

Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes

Youth Vaishnav Parivar, 25 Corning Ave, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 06:30 pm

Sun, Oct 9 • Education Expo Fall 2016 "Roadmap To College" Venue: Quinlan Community Center 10185 N. Stelling Rd. Cupertino, CA 95014 Time: 1:00-4:30pm Contact: cupertino@flexcollegeprep.com Contact: 408-252-7742

ATLANTA Upcoming Sat, Sep 24 • Uferlos of Sight Venue: Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 513-621-2787

Sun, Oct 2 • Thaikkudam Bridge Live In Atlanta Venue: Lassiter Concert Hall, 2601 Shallowford Road, Marietta, GA 30066 Time: 4:30 pm

Tue, Nov 22 • Thanksgiving tour to New York City, Penn, and Washinghton DC Venue: College Park, Norcross Global Mall, Atlanta, GA, 5288 Riverdale Road, Atlanta, GA 30349 Time: 1:00 pm

Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807

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

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

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

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

Health

Line

India declares itself free from bird flu NEW DELHI: India has declared itself free from the highly contagious avian influenza (H5N1) or bird flu even as it stressed the need for continued surveillance.

"India has declared itself free from avian influenza (H5N1) from September 5, 2016 and notified the same to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)," the Department of Animal Husbandry under the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.

In a letter to Chief Secretaries of states, the Centre has emphasized the need for "continued surveillance especially in the vulnerable areas bordering infected countries and in areas visited by migratory birds".

India had notified outbreak of avian influenza on May 9, 2016 at Humnabad, Bidar district, Karnataka. In areas on the onekilometer radius of the outbreak location, the government took measures, including culling, disinfection and clean-up, to contain the spread of avian influenza.

"Post the surveillance, the state has shown no evidence of presence of the disease... There has been no further outbreak reported in the country thereafter," the ministry said.

Bird flu affects mainly the domestic poultry. The disease spreads from infected birds to other winged creatures through contact with nasal and respiratory secretions and also due to contamination of feed and water.-PTI

Number of uninsured in Illinois drop

CHICAGO: Illinois under the Affordable Care Act saw the number of its residents without health insurance drop below one million last year.

The Chicago Tribune reports the U.S. Census Bureau found 7.1 percent of Illinoisans, about 900,000 people, lacked health insurance in 2015. That's down from 1.2 million uninsured in 2014.

Obamacare requires all Americans to have health insurance or pay a fine. Nationally, 9.4 percent of Americans were uninsured in 2015, down from 14.5 percent in 2013.

Kathy Waligora of the maternal and child health advocacy organization EverThrive Illinois says the numbers are cause for celebration.

Obamacare led to the creation of online marketplaces, where individuals can buy health insurance. The Illinois Department of Insurance recently submitted to the federal government rate increases ranging from averages of 43 to 55 percent for next year.-AP

Health Science

Birmingham varsity begins cancer study in India

48 India Post

www.indiapost.com

September 23, 2016

Details on Page 51

WHO calls for strengthening India's disease surveillance network NEW DELHI: The WHO has called for strengthening India's disease surveillance network by engaging private healthcare sector more for reliable counts of cases of dengue and chikungunya, which have claimed over 80 lives and affected more than 50,000 people across the country.

Terming engagement with private healthcare sector as "critical", WHO said that even probable dengue cases during outbreaks need to be reported to get more effective estimates while noting that strong surveillance, vector control, early diagnosis and case management and public awareness are key to control these vector-borne diseases.

The World Health Organization said that in recent years, globalization of travel and trade, unplanned urbanization and environmental challenges including climate change has had a "significant" impact on transmission of vector-borne diseases.

"Surveillance for dengue and chikungunya in India presently

captures only those patients that are laboratory confirmed at government identified sentinel hospitals, most of these are in the public sector.

captured and well-represented for better understanding and estimation of the national disease burden of these infections," said Henk Bekedam, WHO Represen-

The World Health Organization says that in recent years, globalisation of travel and trade, unplanned urbanisation and environmental challenges including climate change has had a “significant” impact on transmission of vector-borne diseases.

"Given that substantial population visits the private sector for seeking health care in India, it is important that information from private hospitals and facilities is

tative to India.

Observing that in addition to lab verified cases, probable cases of dengue, especially during outbreaks need to be reported for a

more effective estimate of the numbers, WHO also called for continued investment in enhancing surveillance and laboratory capacities.

According to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP) under the Health Ministry, dengue has affected 36,110 people across the country and has claimed 70 lives, the maximum 24 in West Bengal and ten each in Odisha and Kerala.

The death toll due to dengue in the national capital has risen to 18 while the number of cases crossed 1,100.

Similarly according to NVBDCP, 14,656 cases of chikungunya have been reported across the country with 9,427 alone in Karnataka. In the national capital, 12 people have reportedly died from Chikungunya.

WHO said that it is also encouraging countries including India to explore judiciously the use of promising new techniques for vector control including using genetically modified mosquitoes.

Cont'd on Page 51

40,000 affected by dengue & chikungunya NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister J P Nadda has stressed on the need for close coordination between the Centre and states to deal with the outbreak of chikungunya and dengue, which have affected about 40,000 people in the country, even as he said there was no need to panic.

He assured all help to states in fighting the spread of vectorborne diseases and said it should not be an issue for indulging in blame game.

"We will try to fulfill all requirements. Whether it is dengue or chikungunya, we should not panic. There is need to give symptomatic treatment. There is a need to take a lot of liquid.

"We are ready to offer all help to state governments. This is not an issue for the Centre and states to indulge in blame game.

We should work together," Nadda lines, arrangement of beds, trainsaid. ing of doctors have been pro60 people have died across the vided. country due to dengue. Eleven He said the Ministry has also people have died in Delhi due to put a cap on rates charged by variChikungunya.

However, a senior Health Ministry official said the chikungunya deaths are being probed by its agencies to ascertain the exact reasons.

Nadda said that his Ministry had recently held a meeting Union Health Minister J P Nadda with Delhi Health minister and various municipal ous testing facilities for the disagencies and directed them to fol- eases while all technical support low all protocols while various has been provided to the states other issues like providing guide- to deal with the situation.

As per the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP), around 27,879 cases of dengue have been reported across the country and 60 people have succumbed to the disease till August 31.

5,000 cases each have been reported from West Bengal, Odisha and Kerala. While West Bengal has reported 5,129 dengue cases and 22 deaths, the disease has affected 5,183 people and claimed nine lives in Odisha.

AIIMS, Delhi, has reported five "suspected" dengue deaths this month. The national capital has recorded nine dengue deaths this year. The number of those diagnosed with the virus in the city has risen to over 1,150.

Cont'd on Page 49

September 23, 2016

Health Science Post

India Post 49

www.indiapost.com

Chikungunya spurt due to 'evolution' of virus NEW DELHI: As the number of deaths in Delhi due to chikungunya and its complications have shown a spike, health experts say the sudden "upsurge" of the disease this year could be a result of "evolution" of the viral strain.

Doctors have detected that the viral strain is showing "different behavior", though it will only be conclusive once research is conducted on the make up of the virus.

"Dengue and chikungunya both are caused by the same aedes mosquito but dengue can be contracted through four viral strains while chikungunya is caused only by one strain.

"Also, in dengue cases, some strains are more virulent than other ones. The number of rising cases of chikungunya this year after the 2006 spike could be due to an evolution in its strain," National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP) Director A C Dhariwal said.

Experts also feel that north Indians could be succumbing to the vector-borne disease because of their "low immunity" to it.

"People in north India haven't

been really exposed to the chikungunya strain compared to the population in the southern part of the country, and therefore they are more vulnerable to this viral attack," Municipal Health Officer of SDMC, P K Hazarika told PTI. He, however, said the probability of evolution of the viral strain will just be a speculation until scientists establish it.

IgM-ELISA and Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) are the two main tests used to detect chikungunya in patients.

A senior doctor at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital says the viral strain in patients diagnosed with chikungunya at its hospital are "showing different behavior" for the two tests.

"We used IgM serology on patients earlier but then after finding discrepancy between clinical diagnosis and laboratory tests, we started performing molecular test (RT-PCR) to detect the chikungunya virus from the blood of clinically suspected patients from September 1 onwards," the doctor said.

"And from Sep 1-13, out of 565

samples of suspected viral fever, 319 came positive for chikungunya virus which is about 56 per cent positivity. So, we found out that a test coming negative by IgM is coming positive by RT-PCR. And, this could mean the

especially in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu have made people tolerant to these infections."

Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital A K Rai also says that several outbreaks of chikungunya in southern parts of

"In chikungunya the complications triggered by co-morbid conditions lead to death." number of cases in Delhi could be much higher than currently reported," he said.

Arun R Kaushik, specialist in microbiology and geriatrics, says, "Chikungunya virus is transmitted by the bite of aedes albopictus and aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

The risk of death is about one in 1,000 especially common among the elderly or those with underlying chronic medical problems."

According to the Bangalorebased doctor, "The prevalence of arbovirus infections similar to chikungunya virus in south India

Hillary didn't think illness 'that big a deal' WASHINGTON: Hillary rival Donald Trump a new open- dition of the lung.

Clinton has said that she thought ing and seek her medical record, "What happened (on Sunday) her falling ill at Ground Zero was which has remained an area of in- was that I just was incredibly comnot going to be "that big a deal" tense speculation since this was mitted to being at the memorial as she promised to resume cam- not the first time she has had is- as a senator on 9/11, this is inpaigning this week amid calls for sues surrounding her health con- credibly personal to me. And I transparency into her health con- dition. could, feel how hot and humid it dition.

Previously Clinton was af- was. I felt overheated. I decided In her first interview since she flicted by an uncontrollable cough that I did need to leave," she said. wobbled, stumbled and nearly for several minutes which forced Clinton, however, tried to decollapsed during the 15th anfend her past medical record niversary of 9/11 attacks in but admitted that it was New York on Sunday, the "I think it is fair to say that something that has occurred Democrat presidential candi- people know more about a few times over the course date said she felt dizzy and of her life. lost her balance, but did not me than almost anyone in "I think it is fair to say that lose consciousness, and is public life. They have got 40 people know more about me now "feeling so much better." years of my tax returns, tens than almost anyone in pub"I just did not think it was lic life. They have got 40 going to be that big a deal. It of thousands of e-mails" years of my tax returns, tens is just the kind of thing that if of thousands of e-mails, a deit happens to you and you are a her to stop speaking during a rally tailed medical letter report, all kinds busy, active person, you keep in Cleveland. And in December of personal details," she said. moving forward," she told CNN. 2013, she had to be rushed to New "I should have gotten some The health scare forced the 68- York's Presbyterian Hospital after rest sooner. I probably would year-old former secretary of state a medical scare following a faint- have been better off if I had just to cancel campaign and ing spell and concussion. pulled down my schedule. But, fundraising trips to California and Her campaign initially attrib- like a lot of people, I just thought fuelled concerns about her medi- uted Sunday's health scare to I could keep going forward and cal fitness less than two months overheating and dehydration. But power through it. And, obviously, to go for the November 8 election. later said she was diagnosed with that did not work out so well," she It also prompted Republican pneumonia - an inflammatory con- said. -PTI

the country have "boosted their immune system" to this virus.

According to NVBDCP, around 14,656 cases of chinkungunya have been reported across the country till September 11.

Karnataka alone has recorded 9,427 cases, Maharashtra 1,024 and Andhra Pradesh 543.

Karnataka in the last few years has recorded massive cases of chikungunya - 8740 (in 2010), 1941 (in 2011), 2382 (in 2012), 5295 (in 2013), 6962 (2014) and 20763 (2015), according to the latest fig-

ure released by the NVBDCP. Tamil Nadu which saw 4319 cases in 2010, 4194 (in 2011) and 5018 (in 2012) in later years saw successive decline. So, in 2013 it saw 859 cases, 543 (in 2014), 329 (in 2015) and 42 cases this year.

Chikungunya is a self-limiting disease in vast majority of cases and requires only symptomatic treatment with paracetamol and adequate hydration. Most of these patients recover at home and do not require hospitalization.

Rai says, "At Safdarjung, 536 chikungunya cases have been confirmed. But, people should not panic, they should take adequate fluid and rest.

"In chikungunya the complications triggered by co-morbid conditions lead to death. So, people who are diabetic or have heart or blood pressure or kidney problems should consult doctors and see if their medicine needs to be changed."

The sudden spike in chikungunya cases in Delhi and several other parts of north India has come nearly 10 years after a big outbreak of the mosquitoborne disease across the country.PTI

40,000 affected by dengue & chikungunya Cont'd from Page 48

Around 12,255 cases of chinkungunya have been reported across the country. Karnataka alone has recorded 8,941.

A senior Health Ministry official said that at this moment there is an "outbreak" situation with regard to chikunguniya.

Nadda said that his Ministry is conducting day to day review of the situation and whatever help is needed by state governments, his Ministry will provide it.

Later he tweeted, "I assure all necessary support from the Govt @MOHFW_India. Will soon review the status & situation.

"Request all States to work towards wellbeing of patients, especially those suffering from #dengue & #chikungunya," he tweeted.

Stressing that people should ensure that breeding of mosquitoes does not take place in the localities, Nadda said that his Ministry has also launched an dengue app which provides vital information to tackle the disease.

"The Health Ministry is probing the chikungunya deaths in the national capital. Similar cases were reported in 2006. We are investi-

gating them at our level first," a senior official told PTI. If somebody is already under treatment (for dialysis or under cancer treatment) and then the patient contracts chikungunya and dies, we do not call it chikungunya death, he said adding that whether these are deaths due to chikungunya will be verified once the investigation is over.

Meanwhile, another senior official said that the Health Ministry has issued 11 advisories to states and conducted 16 review meetings with them, five out of which were at the level of Union Health Minister asking it to step up preventive measures to tackle the diseases.

"We have told Delhi government and MCDs to intensify their efforts to prevent the disease. All the central government hospitals in the national capital are fully equipped to tackle the situation," the official said.

Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha had recently held a review meeting and asked various agencies to accelerate preventive actions like fogging, running public awareness programs and putting up an effective monitoring system. -PTI

Health Science Post

49 India Post

September 23, 2016

www.indiapost.com

Clinton 'fit to serve', says her doc WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.: Hoping to put the issue of her health behind her as she gets ready to return to the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton has released an updated review of her physical fitness and details about a recent bout of pneumonia. ``She is recovering well with antibiotics and rest,'' said her doctor, Lisa Bardack, in a letter released by her campaign. ``She continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as President of the United States.''

The details made public by the Democratic presidential nominee included a description of the pneumonia diagnosis she received. Her illness became public after she left Sunday's 9/11 memorial service in New York early and was seen on video staggering while getting into a van.

The health episode fueled long-simmering conservative conspiracy theories about Clinton's health and provided a fresh line of attack for rival Donald Trump, who has frequently questioned whether Clinton has the stamina to serve as commander in chief.

At a rally in Canton, Ohio, Trump noted the room filled with 5,000 people was hot. ``You think Hillary would be able to stand up here for an hour and do this?'' he asked. ``I don't think so.''

Trump later added at the same rally, ``We want her better, we want her back on the trail.''

The Republican nominee, meanwhile, handed over a one-page summary of a recent physical exam to the celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz while taping an episode of Oz's talk show.

The letter from Bardack, the chair of internal medicine at CareMount Medical in Mount Kisco, New York, said a chest scan of Clinton revealed the candidate had ``mild, non-contagious bacterial pneumonia.'' She was treated with a 10-day course of Levaquin, an antibiotic used to treat infections.

The letter says the illness stemmed from a bout of seasonal allergies that developed into an upper respiratory tract infection and cough. Clinton's pneumonia symptoms began around the start of this month, and she saw Bardack on Sept. 2 for a low-grade fever, congestion and fatigue.

The letter also notes that in January, during the run-up to the Iowa caucuses, Clinton received treatment for a sinus and ear infection that included placing a drainage tube in her left ear. A CT scan of her brain and sinuses showed no abnormalities and mild chronic sinus inflammation.

Clinton, 68, has blood pressure of 100 over 70 - within healthy levels and not signaling the need for any medications. She has also had a normal mammogram and breast ultrasound, according to the letter.

The letter from Clinton's doctor made no mention of her weight, a key part of any medical exam, nor did a similar letter released last year.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton

``These numbers suggest she's a healthy 68-year-old woman with a very favorable cardiovascular risk profile,'' said Dr. Mark Creager, director of the DartmouthHitchkock heart and vascular center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and a past president of the American Heart Association.

Testing that shows no evidence of plaque building up in her arteries ``is all very reassuring,'' he said.

Bardack, who also wrote the letter about Clinton's health released in July 2015, said her patient takes thyroid and allergy medicines and the blood thinner Coumadin, prescribed as a preventative after she suffered a blood clot resulting from a 2012 concussion that led her to spend a few days in

New York-Presbyterian Hospital and take a month-long absence from the State Department.

Clinton had spent three days out of the public eye, recuperating at her suburban New York home. ``She's feeling great and I think she'll be back out there,'' former President Bill Clinton said when he stepped in for his wife at a previous scheduled campaign event in Las Vegas. ``It's a crazy time we live in, you know, when people think there's something unusual about getting the flu.''

Vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine is in ``overall excellent health,'' according to a letter the campaign also released from his doctor, Brian Monahan, the attending physician of Congress. The letter said Kaine has never smoked and his alcohol use is ``modest.'' He's 5-foot-9 and weighed more than 208 pounds during his last physical in February.

Clinton's campaign used the letters to argue that she's gone far beyond Trump in disclosing details about her personal life. Beyond health records, Clinton has released nearly four decades of tax returns; Trump has refused to make his filings public. ``It's fair to say the public now knows more about Hillary Clinton than nearly anyone in public life,'' said campaign manager Robby Mook in a statement. ``Donald Trump is hands down the least transparent presidential nominee in memory.''

Mook added: ``It begs the question: what is he trying to hide?''

Trump's longtime physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein, had previously written a note declaring the 70-year-old Trump, if elected, would be the healthiest president in history. He later said he had written the letter in five minutes as a limousine sent by the candidate idled outside.-AP

Kejriwal undergoes surgery for cough problem BENGALURU: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal underwent a surgery for persistent cough that has troubled him for over 40 years, the hospital where he is being treated here, said.

The surgery corrected an anatomical abnormality of his oral-pharyngeal and palatal area, which was causing small amounts of saliva to trickle into his air passages whenever his nose breathing was affected by allergy or other factors, Narayana Health City said in a statement.

Noting that the surgery was uneventful, the hospital said soon after recovery Kejriwal spoke to his family members and had a few sips of water.

He is expected to be fully functional in a couple of days although recovery of such a long standing problem with its own functional accommodation will be gradual, the statement added.

Paul C Salins, Medical Director & Vice President - Mazumdar Shaw Medical Cen-

ter, Narayana Health City, made the diagnosis initially on the basis of observing the pattern of his bouts of coughing, it said.

It was confirmed by detailed computer analytics of cephalometrics, modeling simulation, as also dynamic MRI and Video Fluroscopic examinations, the statement said.

The AAP leader had earlier undergone naturotherapy treatment twice at city's Jindal Institute for cough and sugar level.

Restricted space for the movement of his tongue and an enlarged soft palate and uvula in relation to a slight increase in the volume of the tongue caused kinematic problems in function, the hospital said.

The surgery involved correction of a significant septal and the palato-pharyngeal correction along with repositioning the tongue base relationship by reorganization of the chin area, it said.

According to the hospital, the aim of the correction was functional restoration.-PTI

Health Science Post

49 India Post

September 23, 2016

www.indiapost.com

Clinton 'fit to serve', says her doc WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.: Hoping to put the issue of her health behind her as she gets ready to return to the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton has released an updated review of her physical fitness and details about a recent bout of pneumonia. ``She is recovering well with antibiotics and rest,'' said her doctor, Lisa Bardack, in a letter released by her campaign. ``She continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as President of the United States.''

The details made public by the Democratic presidential nominee included a description of the pneumonia diagnosis she received. Her illness became public after she left Sunday's 9/11 memorial service in New York early and was seen on video staggering while getting into a van.

The health episode fueled long-simmering conservative conspiracy theories about Clinton's health and provided a fresh line of attack for rival Donald Trump, who has frequently questioned whether Clinton has the stamina to serve as commander in chief.

At a rally in Canton, Ohio, Trump noted the room filled with 5,000 people was hot. ``You think Hillary would be able to stand up here for an hour and do this?'' he asked. ``I don't think so.''

Trump later added at the same rally, ``We want her better, we want her back on the trail.''

The Republican nominee, meanwhile, handed over a one-page summary of a recent physical exam to the celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz while taping an episode of Oz's talk show.

The letter from Bardack, the chair of internal medicine at CareMount Medical in Mount Kisco, New York, said a chest scan of Clinton revealed the candidate had ``mild, non-contagious bacterial pneumonia.'' She was treated with a 10-day course of Levaquin, an antibiotic used to treat infections.

The letter says the illness stemmed from a bout of seasonal allergies that developed into an upper respiratory tract infection and cough. Clinton's pneumonia symptoms began around the start of this month, and she saw Bardack on Sept. 2 for a low-grade fever, congestion and fatigue.

The letter also notes that in January, during the run-up to the Iowa caucuses, Clinton received treatment for a sinus and ear infection that included placing a drainage tube in her left ear. A CT scan of her brain and sinuses showed no abnormalities and mild chronic sinus inflammation.

Clinton, 68, has blood pressure of 100 over 70 - within healthy levels and not signaling the need for any medications. She has also had a normal mammogram and breast ultrasound, according to the letter.

The letter from Clinton's doctor made no mention of her weight, a key part of any medical exam, nor did a similar letter released last year.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton

``These numbers suggest she's a healthy 68-year-old woman with a very favorable cardiovascular risk profile,'' said Dr. Mark Creager, director of the DartmouthHitchkock heart and vascular center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and a past president of the American Heart Association.

Testing that shows no evidence of plaque building up in her arteries ``is all very reassuring,'' he said.

Bardack, who also wrote the letter about Clinton's health released in July 2015, said her patient takes thyroid and allergy medicines and the blood thinner Coumadin, prescribed as a preventative after she suffered a blood clot resulting from a 2012 concussion that led her to spend a few days in

New York-Presbyterian Hospital and take a month-long absence from the State Department.

Clinton had spent three days out of the public eye, recuperating at her suburban New York home. ``She's feeling great and I think she'll be back out there,'' former President Bill Clinton said when he stepped in for his wife at a previous scheduled campaign event in Las Vegas. ``It's a crazy time we live in, you know, when people think there's something unusual about getting the flu.''

Vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine is in ``overall excellent health,'' according to a letter the campaign also released from his doctor, Brian Monahan, the attending physician of Congress. The letter said Kaine has never smoked and his alcohol use is ``modest.'' He's 5-foot-9 and weighed more than 208 pounds during his last physical in February.

Clinton's campaign used the letters to argue that she's gone far beyond Trump in disclosing details about her personal life. Beyond health records, Clinton has released nearly four decades of tax returns; Trump has refused to make his filings public. ``It's fair to say the public now knows more about Hillary Clinton than nearly anyone in public life,'' said campaign manager Robby Mook in a statement. ``Donald Trump is hands down the least transparent presidential nominee in memory.''

Mook added: ``It begs the question: what is he trying to hide?''

Trump's longtime physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein, had previously written a note declaring the 70-year-old Trump, if elected, would be the healthiest president in history. He later said he had written the letter in five minutes as a limousine sent by the candidate idled outside.-AP

Kejriwal undergoes surgery for cough problem BENGALURU: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal underwent a surgery for persistent cough that has troubled him for over 40 years, the hospital where he is being treated here, said.

The surgery corrected an anatomical abnormality of his oral-pharyngeal and palatal area, which was causing small amounts of saliva to trickle into his air passages whenever his nose breathing was affected by allergy or other factors, Narayana Health City said in a statement.

Noting that the surgery was uneventful, the hospital said soon after recovery Kejriwal spoke to his family members and had a few sips of water.

He is expected to be fully functional in a couple of days although recovery of such a long standing problem with its own functional accommodation will be gradual, the statement added.

Paul C Salins, Medical Director & Vice President - Mazumdar Shaw Medical Cen-

ter, Narayana Health City, made the diagnosis initially on the basis of observing the pattern of his bouts of coughing, it said.

It was confirmed by detailed computer analytics of cephalometrics, modeling simulation, as also dynamic MRI and Video Fluroscopic examinations, the statement said.

The AAP leader had earlier undergone naturotherapy treatment twice at city's Jindal Institute for cough and sugar level.

Restricted space for the movement of his tongue and an enlarged soft palate and uvula in relation to a slight increase in the volume of the tongue caused kinematic problems in function, the hospital said.

The surgery involved correction of a significant septal and the palato-pharyngeal correction along with repositioning the tongue base relationship by reorganization of the chin area, it said.

According to the hospital, the aim of the correction was functional restoration.-PTI

September 23, 2016

Health Science Post

India Post 51

www.indiapost.com

Birmingham varsity begins cancer study in India LONDON: Experts from the University of Birmingham has joined Indian partners to lay the foundations for a new study into women's cancers that could help to diagnose, treat and prevent the disease.

"The University of Birmingham is uniquely placed to lead this partnership aimed at improving Punjabi women's prospects of surviving and avoiding key female cancers," said Prof Jon Frampton, Deputy ProVice Chancellor, University of Birmingham.

"We aim to address India-specific questions on early detection, prevention and treatment, contributing to cutting-edge biomedical research in India. Working closely with the Punjabi population of India and the West Midlands will help us improve our understanding of these cancers."

Cancer specialists from the university took part in the two-day Punjab-Birmingham Women's Cancer Genomics Workshop in New Delhi recently.

Key partners from India and the UK plan to establish a cohort study to investigate the factors causing the three most common cancers in women -breast, cervical and ovarian - in the Punjab region. And the workshop brings key partners together for the first time to explore key issues and funding opportunities for the project.

The project links the University of Bir-

mingham with a number of centers of excellence in India: Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Punjab; National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kolkata; and Public Health Foundation of India.

The university believes understanding

Delayed diagnosis, along with inadequate, incorrect or inefficient treatment are the main reasons for poor cancer survival in India. Punjab is one of the Indian states with a higher incidence of cancer. how the cancers emerge in Indian patients will help to diagnose and prevent the disease in susceptible families.

Improved risk-prediction models may allow cost-effective population-based screening and early detection programs.

WHO calls for strengthening India's disease surveillance network pupa) and adult stages in the household and immediate vicinity.

Bekedam said that aedes mosquitoes "Schools, hospitals and workplaces carrying Wolbachia bacteria (a bacterium need to work towards making their premises that can stop viruses such as dengue and mosquito free by reducing any sources Zika from growing inside the mosquito) where vector breeding can happen," have been released as part of trial tests in Bekedam said. several places beginning in 2011, includHe said that till date, no vaccine is availing Australia, Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam, able to prevent dengue and Chikungunya to help control dengue and has a potential infection, although research is ongoing and to suppress mosquito populations. the only effective preventive measure is "Using genetically modified mosquitoes protection against mosquito bites and vecis another promising technique. In geneti- tor control. cally modified mosquitoes, the genes of Noting that not everyone needs hospimale mosquitoes are talization, WHO modified. said that it is "Because of these "Everyone has a role to play good to know changes, when they in the control of dengue and early warning mate with female symptoms to mosquitoes, their lar- chikungunya. More awareseek referral care val offspring cannot ness is the key. workplaces and very young survive. This practice children and eldis designed to control must come together to reerly with underlyand significantly re- duce vector breeding" ing comorbidities duce the mosquito are at greater risk population," of severe disease Bekedam said. and need to be monitored carefully.

Noting that preventing dengue or "Everyone has a role to play in the conchikungunya virus' transmission depends trol of dengue and chikungunya. More entirely on controlling the mosquito vec- awareness is the key. Communities, resitors or interruption of human vector con- dent associations, schools and other edutact, WHO India said that it promoted an cational institutions, workplaces must come Integrated Vector Management (IVM) to together to reduce vector breeding at control mosquito vectors, including those source. of dengue.

"WHO supports Health Ministry's long"Transmission control activities should term strategy for control and prevention of target vector in its immature (egg, larva, and vector-borne diseases," he added.-PTI Cont'd from Page 48

The study would also have health benefits in the UK, as there is a large Punjabi population in the West Midlands region of England. Research findings could be applied to cancer patients and relatives within this group of people.

Whilst cancer incidence rates are relatively low in India, the mortality rate is very

high, with fewer than 30 per cent of patients surviving five years or longer after diagnosis.

The five-year survival rate for cancer patients in North America and Western Europe is around 60 per cent.

India's cancer burden is also predicted to nearly double in the next 20 years, with the number of new cases rising from slightly

over a million new cases in 2012 to more than 1.7 million by 2035.

The number of cancer deaths is expected to rise from about 680 000 to 1.2 million in the same period. Sudha Sundar, Senior Lecturer in Gynaecological Oncology at the University of Birmingham s Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, said: "Delivery of affordable and equitable cancer care is one of India s greatest public health challenges. There is a lack of cancer research that can guide early detection, prevention, and treatment strategies tailored to India.

"Differences in how cancers develop in Indian patients mean data from Western countries cannot be directly applied in India. Understanding the unique epidemiological, clinical and genetic backgrounds in Indian women with cancer will help risk prediction, diagnostic testing and prognostic research."

She added that delayed diagnosis, along with inadequate, incorrect or inefficient treatment are the main reasons for poor cancer survival in India. Punjab is one of the Indian states with a higher incidence of cancer.

Changing demographics in India including rapid economic growth, increasing life expectancy, declining mortality from communicable diseases and changes in lifestyle are mirrored by a change in cancer profiles.

Breast cancer is now the most common cancer diagnosed in women, followed by cervical cancer, with ovarian cancer as the fourth most common. -PTI

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Philosophy

September 23, 2016

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O

ne of the main leaders of the enlightenment movement in India was a great monk-teacher called Nagarjuna, who lived sometime between the first century B.C.E. and the second century C.E. He became the mentor of a great king of a dynasty in southern India, King Udayi Shatavahana (150 -200 C.E.).

Nagarjuna instructed the king first in what he needed to know for his own liberation and development, in line with Ashoka's first principle of enlightened politics, the transcendent value of the individual.

Nagarjuna then advised King Udayi on the basic principle of enlightened social action, the universal altruism of great love and great empathy: "O King! Just as you love to consider what to do to help yourself, so should you love to consider what to do to help others!"

He taught his friend the king how to care for every being in his kingdom: by building schools everywhere and endowing honest, kind, and brilliant teachers; by providing for all his subjects' needs, opening free restaurants and inns for travelers; by tempering justice with mercy, sending barbers, doctors, and teachers to the prisons to serve the inmates; by thinking of each prisoner as his own wayward child, to be corrected in order to return to free society and use his or her precious human life to attain enlightenment.

MAURO BERGONZI

W

e usually describe the world in terms of trees, mountains, rivers, clouds, cars, houses, people, and so on.

But a chemist could say: "No, this is not how things truly are! The world is basically composed of molecules which are ceaselessly combining one with another at random".

However a physicist would reply: "Not at all! Reality is actually made up of intermingling fields of energy/ matter where the dance of waves/ particles takes place ceaselessly".

Who is right? Who is wrong?

All of them are clearly mere conceptual descriptions that can just supply a relative view of reality.

We do not actually live in 'reality', but rather in a description of it, that is like a 'bubble' of concepts and words all around us, which in time builds up a fictitious view of ourselves and the world.

Even non-dualism (as any other -ism without exception) is just a conceptual description of reality, that hopelessly tries to point to the unknowable 'Whatever it is': in so far as it becomes an ideology that relies on words and thoughts, it is unable to enjoy the taste of Being.

So we live in concepts without realizing it. We blindly believe that

Following Nagarjuna's advice, King Udayi was able to implement the principles of enlightened politics in his kingdom more completely, in fact, than Ashoka had because of this introduction of universal responsibility.

The Politics of Enlightenment Nagarjuna said that if a ruler cannot implement a politics of enlightenment, then that ruler must abandon the throne to pursue enlightenment first. This counsel contradicts all other systems of political wisdom, which posit the ruler and the ruler's work as the most important.

The "sacred duty" of the king,

to be the ruler himself or herself"Heavy lies the head that wears the crown." The king must put the collective ahead of himself, submerge his individual interest in the collective interest, and in so doing confirm that all individuals in the society matter less than the collective will.

This is the essence of the totalitarian state, whether fascist, communist, or imperialist. Individual fulfillment is suppressed in the name of the liberation of all the people, but the bottom line is that not a single one gets liberated.

There is no way to liberate people other than one by living one, and, according to Nagarjuna's advice,

individual within it still will sicken, age, and die. The collective cannot help that individual beyond death. Only by our understanding the lack of fixed identity and reaching mastery of our reactions through meditation can we help our situation.

It is the job of society to provide the individual with the opportunity to cultivate these abilities.

More than two-thirds of the Jewel Garland contains personal instructions on realizing the core insight of individualism, the freedom from a rigid, unchanging self.

By combining the insight into the nature of self with universal responsibility, Nagarjuna added a

Ruler must quit to pursue enlightenment first By combining the insight into the nature of self with universal responsibility, Nagarjuna added a new dimension not only to the evolution of BudNagarjuna

dhism but to the unfolding of Indian society itself.

the "supreme responsibility" of the president -so much that supports the insufferable pompousness of rulers derives from the idea that the will and the need of the collective are supreme over the will and need of the individual.

The prime self-sacrificer is said

starting with the king himself.

The practical impact of this advice is that the immediate needs of the collective are just not that important. The collective interest is no more than the sum of the individual interests. No matter how much territory a society acquires, how much glory or wealth, each

new dimension not only to the evolution of Buddhism but to the unfolding of Indian society itself.

Excerpted from 'Inner Revolution' by Riverhead Books. Robert Thurman (74) is the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University.

reality is just as our thought represents it.

Science gives us an 'objective' description of the material world that, to some extent, can be very useful for the improvement of humankind, however relative and incomplete it is.

Non-duality - as far as it still relies on words and thoughts - is just another conceptual description of reality, though its understanding of non-separation can dispel a huge amount of suffering in one's life.

can grasp only concepts, but not the awareness that perceives it as an object.

Indeed, awareness is a paradoxical mystery: on the one hand its evidence is undeniable for the very fact that we are aware of objects, but on the other hand it is unknowable, just as the existence of the eye is undeniable for the very fact that we can see objects, though it always remains invisible, outside the picture.

However, even 'awareness' is

am, including even the idea of 'consciousness', totally collapses?

What if any idea about reality, including even the idea of 'non duality', totally collapses? What if even these very words you are reading now lose any meaning whatsoever and fall away? What remains when every attempt to understand or to know reality reveals its utter futility?

Then, out of frustration, the thinking mind cannot help saying "I don't know" and finally quits. But

Even non-dualism is just a concept of reality We do not actually live in 'reality', but rather in a description of it, that is like a 'bubble' of concepts and words all around us, which in time builds up a fictitious view of ourselves and the world.

Neither of them is more or less right, and both are useful. But as long as we rely merely on them, we remain trapped in the net of concepts.

Just as the fisherman's net can catch only fishes, but not the water that passes through it and even supports it, so the thinking mind

just a concept: through it, we are ultimately confronted with the unknown 'bottom line' of any human knowledge.

No understanding whatsoever can touch the unknowable Source of everything.

What if any idea about who I

Mauro Bergonzi

when that "I don't know" plunges off the head into the heart, the philosopher dies and the mystic is born.

Excerpted from s c i e n c e a n d n o n d u a l i t y. c o m .

Mauro Bergonzi is a Professor of Religions and Philosophies of India, University of Naples

Without conscious effort, nothing is possible. My lower nature cannot lead me to consciousness. It is blind. But when I wake up and I feel that I belong to a higher world, this is only part of conscious effort. I become truly conscious only when I open to all my possibilities, higher and lower.

-Jeanne de Salzmann God, the universe, life, whatever name you give to the bigger picture, is experiencing itself through you as a human being -Kelly Martin I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.

-Herman Hesse I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

-Mother Teresa You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

-Mahatma Gandhi It is easy to believe we are each waves and forget we are also the ocean.

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G-20 Summit in China: A lost opportunity?

AMITA BATRA

T

he eleventh meeting of the Group of 20 countries (G20) was held in the city of Hangzhou in China, 4-5 September. This was the first ever meeting of the group in China and the second in Asia after the 2010 meeting in Seoul. The theme of the 2016 G20 summit meeting was "Towards an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy."

The agenda was all encompassing and consistent with China's own priorities and vision, as outlined in the proposal for its 13th five year plan that identifies innovation as the main growth driver. A blueprint for innovation, digital economy development and cooperation initiative was adopted by the leaders at the summit.

The joint communiquĂŠ similarly emphasized the role of innovation in providing a push to the sluggish world economy and also in the resolution of global imbalances, ensuring along the way a cleaner environment by giving a call for ratification of the Paris agree-

of the G20? Is the expanding agenda of the summit not a deviation from the original motivation with which the G20 was created?

In fact, the specific task of ensuring global financial stability continues to be as relevant and important in the current context as it was when the group was set up.

And perhaps, it would have been most appropriate to address the issue of global financial stability and contagion with the Chinese as hosts of the Summit this year.

The G20 was set up as an informal dialogue forum in 1999 primarily to address the challenges to international financial stability that had arisen in the wake of the East Asian financial crisis in 1997.

The composition of the forum was not just representative of all regions of the world and the Bretton Woods institutions but also an acknowledgement of the growing contribution of the emerging market economies to global growth and trade.

As a consequence it was con-

Today, as the world continues to grapple with the consequences of the global financial crisis and uncertain growth, it would only have been fair for the 2016 meeting to take up for discussion the slowdown of the fastest growing economy prior to the crisis, that is the Chinese economy ment to all member countries.

Long running issues of global governance like quota reform at the IMF were included alongside others that have found place on the agenda, off and on, in earlier years, like those related to the Doha Development agenda of the WTO as also those seeking cooperation among existing international financial organizations and the emerging regional financial initiatives.

The spirit of inclusiveness was well reflected not just in the development context but also in the larger than ever before guest participation from many non-member developing country representatives invited to the summit.

As such, therefore, the G20 Summit in China is seen as successfully having discussed the many diverse issues that are currently of concern to the developed and developing countries.

But, is that really the objective

sidered an innovative step forward in global financial governance despite the constant debate on its legitimacy.

Subsequent G20 meetings retained the focus on financial stability but did not shy away from discussing regional economic integration, financial markets, capital inflows, banking sector norms and other such issues in support of the process of globalization.

In 2008, when the world was struck by the onset of global financial crisis, the G20 underwent a transition from a meeting of the finance ministers and central bank governors to a summit level meeting of the heads of state.

The 2008 summit, called by the US President, not just lent greater legitimacy to the forum but also to the institutionalization of a cooperative framework to confront and combat financial challenges of a global magnitude.

Over three quick and succes-

sive summits that were held in a span of a year in 2008-2009, the G20 member economies were able to evolve a cooperative and coordinated response to the contagion impact of the financial crisis.

Alongside, global financial regulatory reform and resolution of global imbalances continued to be a part of the agenda in these meetings.

Today, as the world continues to grapple with the consequences of the global financial crisis and uncertain growth, it would only have been fair for the 2016 meeting to take up for discussion the slowdown of the fastest growing economy prior to the crisis, that is the Chinese economy, and its spill-over implications for the Asia Pacific region.

China's economic slowdown, with structural changes accompanying the move away from an investment led growth strategy towards a consumption led growth path and the underlying shifts in comparative advantage are bound to have spill-over implications for the region and the global economy.

Financial sector weaknesses, particularly in the banking sector may also be reinforced as the Chinese economy moves to a new normal. The Asia-Pacific region is most likely to feel the impact as trade and production links with China-centric value chains are intense and complex for the member economies.

While the impact may differ across the region depending on the nature and extent of inter-linkages with the Chinese economy and of the real and financial sector, there is no doubt that the developments need to be closely watched and the world needs to be prepared for any eventualities.

Having been caught unawares when China chose to undertake a currency devaluation exercise earlier in this year and middle of last year, a coordinated approach to containing and pre venting financial volatility as also seeking transparency of policy reform in China as an outcome of the G20 2016 Summit would have done justice not just to the objectives of the G20 but also to its representative character vis-Ă -vis the world economy.

The writer is Professor of Economics, Centre for South Asian Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi

India Post Civil-military tussle A

s India weighs options to respond to the latest provocation by Pakistan, it would be useful to consider the China angle in this imbroglio which continues to get more complex. China has condemned the terrorist attack in Uri and expressed sympathy for the families of the victims. However it has not referred to the role of Pakistan but specifically mentioned "rising temperatures surrounding Kashmir situation."

If Modi were to meet the Chinese President Xi now, he should caution him that if he wants the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to be successfully completed in the volatile region through which it passes, he should advise Pakistan to lower temperatures in the region by keeping its hands off Kashmir. Otherwise Chinese attempts to secure security of its workers and the terrain would be jeopardized. Already the project, started in April 2015, has been inordinately delayed.

A Special Security Division (SSD) was to be operationalized to provide security to the Chinese personnel working on the CPEC projects. According to a report in Dawn newspaper, it has been held up by civil-military wrangling over its terms of reference (ToR) and differences over who would be in charge of the SSD. The government wants the SSD to be under the interior ministry's command whereas the military has so far kept itself in the lead and intends to maintain that role. "The government has been sitting on the ToR proposed by the army clearly indicating it is not comfortable with the draft," the report says.

The paper quotes a military official as saying "security is a major concern for entire CPEC, which faces threats from both regional and extra-regional players." It says "the Frontier Works Organization, which is engaged with road projects in Baluchistan, has already lost 44 men, including 26 soldiers, in the province in securityrelated incidents."

The Pakistani government had earlier denied the military a formal role in the CPEC's apex governing body. The proposed CPEC board was to have all services chiefs, but the government did not agree to the creation and instead established a steering committee, which had similar composition as the CPEC board, but minus the services chiefs.

In their attempt to clear the way for the Chinese project in Baluchistan, according to Prof Christine Fair of Georgetown University in Washington, "the Pakistan army along with the Frontier Corps and its various intelligence agencies are waging an all-out war against the Baloch people to clear the province for Chinese economic exploitation. There are no estimates of the casualties or of the persons who have disappeared. There is no account for the whereabouts of these myriad disappeared persons."

Nawaz Sharif may have gone with the hawks of the military in stoking of the Kashmir situation but actually his heart may not be in it. He is more of a businessman and would have liked a trade deal with India. Resisting opposition at home, he agreed to attend Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing in ceremony in New Delhi. He also responded warmly when Modi broke journey from a visit to Afghanistan and landed in Lahore to greet Nawaz Sharif on his birthday.

But with Panama Paper leaks and corruption charges, his position has become compromised and weak. He has been forced to go with the popular opinion on raising temperatures in Kashmir so as to draw attention away from his vulnerabilities. His ever growing tussle with the Pakistan Army has continued unabated and at this moment he has lost a battle in the war. He has had to go along with the Pakistani Army in creating mayhem in Kashmir.

If Modi is accused of trying to distract world attention from Kashmir by raising the Baluchistan and Gilgit Baltistan questions, the Pakistani leaders stand guilty of distracting attention from their misdeeds at home of nurturing terrorists and their minders and of rampant corruption by stoking the flames in Kashmir.

September 23, 2016

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