India-Post_10-16-2015_e-paper

Top Stories

V O I C E

O F

I N D I A N S

W O R L D W I D E

India Post www.indiapost.com

'Modi Express' bus launched in London Details on page 6

NEW YORK • WASHINGTON D.C. • CHICAGO • ATLANTA • CALIFORNIA

VOL 21, No. 1099

October 16, 2015

50¢

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma

Periodical Postage

MODI URGED TO TOE VAJPAYEE LINE Pak ex-minister sees prospects for peace

'SelectUSA' road show kicks off in Delhi Details on page 9

Indian student in New Zealand goes missing Details on page 8

Hundreds attend Peace Rally on Mahatma

India buying 194 micro-light planes

Details on page 16

Details on page 10

Jaitley calls for reforms in World Bank governance

PM has made global impact, says US NGO

Details on page 12

Details on page 10

China to boost defense ties with India

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 30-31

Details on page 9

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

Has intolerance increased under BJP rule?

Last week’s result

Will Congress reimpose outsourcing fee?

YES 23%

NO 77%

MESSAGE IN BLACK & WHITE: Former ideologue of the BJP Sudheendra Kulkarni, with face blackened by Shiv Sena activists, and former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri showing the latter’s book at a press conference in Mumbai on October 12

MUMBAI: Amidst fracas over the launch here of his book, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said here he was optimistic about peace between India and Pakistan and called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take forward Atal Bihari Vajpayee's work towards that end.

"My hope is that Modi realizes that the course adopted

by Vajpayee was the best course," Kasuri said at the launch of his book -

'Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider's Account of Pakistan's Foreign Policy' - here.

Police maintained tight vigil at the venue, Nehru Centre in Worli, against the backdrop of threats by Shiv Sena that it would disrupt the event. The event ended at around 8.15 pm.

Kasuri said his book mentions nine war and war-like situations between the two countries.

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

Details on page 5

Classifieds ------------------------- 48 Community Post -------------- 16-24 Date Book -------------------------- 47 Edit Page --------------------------- 54 HealthScience Post --------- 32-35 Horoscope ------------------------- 27 Immigration Post ------------- 44-46 Life Style ----------------------- 50-53 Philosophy ------------------------- 49 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 37-39 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

2

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 16, 2015

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

India Post

3

4

India Post

India Post www.indiapost.com The Weekly Newspaper Serving Indians Worldwide

Romesh & Sunita Japra Publishers Rajesh Verma Co-Publisher Vikram Paul President Krishan Sharma Mg Director & Joint Editor Vinod Dhawan Senior Editor Naresh Sodhi General Manager Amit Saini IT Director Ghanshyam Bisht Supervisor Graphics SAN FRANCISCO & SILICON VALLEY Vijay Thapar CPRO & Advertising Deepak Chhabra Promotions Priya Nayar Bureau Chief Sonia Sidhu Marketing Analyst Ritu Maheshwari Director Promotions Rakesh Kapoor Correspondent Ratika J. Paul Photo Journalist Neeloo Kapoor Photo Journalist Sudesh Kumari Correspondent Rama Mehra Advertising Vidya Sethuraman Correspondent Archana Asthana Correspondent Sujata Singh Correspondent Manasi Maheshwari Youth Correspondent Raaj D. Photo Journalist LOS ANGELES Mrs Shashi Trivedi Bureau Chief Mrs Prem Kishore Sr Correspondent Greg Heffernan Correspondent Ms Bobby Sharma Correspondent Babeeta Kaur Dhillon Correspondent Pavan Kaur Bhatia Correspondent CHICAGO Ramesh Soparawala Resident Editor A Q Siddiqui Correspondent ST. LOUIS Ashwin Patel Correspondent NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY Pinky Kaur Bureau Chief Srirekha N. Chakravarty Correspondent Nikita Japra Correspondent Sukhvinder Saini Circulation ATLANTA Sanjay Saggere Bureau Chief FLORIDA B K Madnani CANADA Firdaus Ali Correspondent BOSTON Gope Gidwani Bureau Chief

October 16, 2015

IndiaNewsweekly Post Mission Statement To empower the Indian Diaspora and make their voice strong and effective in countries of their adoption. RJ Media conglomerate offers a credible, professional and complete package of news, opinion, entertainment, networking and information.

Publisher’s Diary

H

istory, in the Indian context - at least in some cases - has a way of trickling into the present continuum and never really going away. And here, I am referring to the blighted holy cow, which has historically been a mute sufferer as an unwitting pawn in the game of politics-driven religion. Now this is one game that has a tendency to turn violent - well, not just in India, but the world over.

However, the cow as a protagonist in this game is exclusive to India since the medieval times. Interestingly, while there are references to cow protection laws being passed by most Mughal emperors during their time in the 16th century, and the subsequent proliferation of the cow slaughter practices during the British reign - (remember the sepoy mutiny of 1857?), a concerted cow protection movement was launched by Dayananda Saraswati of Arya Samaj in the late 1800s.

Post-Independence, 1966 saw a violent anti-cow slaughter agitation that rocked the then government, as Hindu organizations demanded that the cow be protected as deemed in the Constitution of India.

As the issue kept rearing its head more often than the governments could cope with, in 2005, the Supreme Court of India put a lid on this stew by emphatically staying the ban on cow slaughter.

The irony that cow slaughter should even be an issue when the animal is expressly protected by the Constitution is due to the wanton indifference of successive state governments to curb illegal slaughter houses.

And now, with the right-wing political parties in majority at the Center, the lumpen have taken over to establish their own laws on how the cow should be treated. So, recently, a Muslim youth in northern India was lynched by an alleged Hindu mob that accused him of killing a cow. These self-appointed keepers of Hinduism and upholders of Hindu religious sentiments are now itching to turn violent. And don't be surprised if India breaks out into communal riots once again.

So in this battle between the beef eaters' gastronomical rights and the nonbeef eaters' sentiments, what about the poor cow's right to simply graze and exist in peace?

Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com

DETROIT Ashok B Jain, M D Bureau Chief Gurminder Singh SAN DIEGO Neelu Bhardwaj Bureau Chief SACRAMENTO Madan Sharma Bureau Chief Janak Sidhra Correspondent Upen Shukla Correspondent CENTRAL VALLEY (CA) Dr Ram Saini Bureau Chief Sheila Rogers Correspondent YUBA CITY (CA) Satnam Tatla Correspondent CAROLINAS Nalini Raja Patel Correspondent INDIA Vinod Dhawan Senior Editor & Bureau Chief NEW DELHI Jyoti Vashisht PR & Marketing Vijender P Shah Graphics PUNJAB Shiv Japra Bureau Chief Anil Kanwar Senior Correspondent/ Marketing DOABA, PUNJAB Romesh Kaura Correspondent HYDERABAD M Sagar Kumar Bureau Chief MUMBAI Nidhi Soparawala Correspondent Frank Fernandes Correspondent VADODARA, GUJARAT Vaidehi Patel Correspondent India Post (ISSN-1064-3868) is published weekly for $30 for 52 issues yearly by India Post, 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538. Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CA and additional mailing office.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the corporate headquarters: 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Copyright © 1994 Indamec, Inc. DISCLAIMER India Post assumes all advertisers to be reliable and responsible for all liability for their claimers

INFO-CENTER CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510-565-9993, Fax: 510-790-2806; E-mail: priya@indiapost.com E-SUBSCRIPTION: Priya Nayar Tel: 510-565-9993; E-mail: priya@indiapost.com Classifieds: Tel: 510-938-8668; E-mail:classifieds@indiapost.com or Tel: 510-565-9993, E-mail: priya@indiapost.com Graphics Inquiry: Tel: 510-936-9490; E-mail: ghanshyam@indiapost.com For Editorial: Priya Nayar Tel: 510-565-9993; E-mail: priya@indiapost.com

For advertisement rates call the office nearest to you: SAN FRANCISCO & SILICON VALLEY 1860 Mowry Ave # 200 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510-938-8667 e-mail: nareshsodhi@gmail.com Priya Nayar: 510-579-2760 e-mail: priya@indiapost.com

LOS ANGELES 16224 Alpine Pl. La Mirada, CA 90638 Tel: 562-441-5511, shashi19@yahoo.com

CHICAGO

2543 W Devon Ave Chicago IL 60659 Tel: 773-973-7394; Fax: 773-973-7396; Email: sramesh@aol.com

NEW YORK Tel: 908-338-3752 (Marketing) Tel: 732-283-4939 (Editorial) E-mail: indiapost2000@yahoo.com

NEW JERSEY 21 Longfellow st., Carteret, NJ 07008 Tel: 732-969-1114; Fax: 732-969-3735 E-mail: indiapost2000@yahoo.com

BOSTON Tel: 617-298-9200; Fax: 617-298-1104 GOPE; E-mail: ggidwani@aol.com

HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Ready for marriage?

After Asin, is it Katrina Kaif's turn to tie the knot? Like Asin, Katrina has now started to cut down on her work-load.

Cover Story: Peace prospects Former Pak Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri says he is optimistic about peace between India and Pakistan

Community: Gandhi Jayanti A good number of Indian Americans and officials gathered in Chicago to celebrate the birth anniversary Mahatma Gandhi

Fewer deportations The Obama administration deported fewer immigrants over the past 12 months than at any time since 2006

Life style: Paris Fashion Week The choicest celebrities in the business rocked the final day of Paris Fashion Week with powerhouse presentations

TORONTO, CANADA Tel/Fax: 416-744-8610 DELHI Jin Kushal Suri Complex, 3rd Floor, 230-A, Masjid Moth, (NDSE Part-II) New Delhi - 110049 Tel: 11-26257769 / Fax: 11-46142969 E-mail:delhi@indiapost.com MUMBAI • Fernandes Mansion Tam Taloa, Bassien (W) Mumbai Tel: 09619 330159

Techbiz:

VADODARA

Travel:

E-mail: v_patel83@yahoo.com Tel: 011 91 98797 79976

For editorial, contact: editor@indiapost.com or call 510-797-7799

5 16

Immigration:

ATLANTA 67 Peach Tree Dr., Ste. 102, Buckhead Atlanta, GA 30309, Tel: 404-425-3021 E-mail: sanjay@eBolo.com FLORIDA 8401 West Sample Road 30, Coral Springs, Florida - 33065

• Vaidehi Patel 31/32 J\Jaysantosi Nagar Society, behind Utkarsh Petrol Pump, Karelibaug, Vadodara-390018. Gujarat (India)

30

World Bank reforms Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has made a strong case for raising shareholding of developing nations in the World Bank

Lumbini Lumbini is the sacred site of the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha. It is located in southern Nepal, near the Indian border.

44 50 12 40

Cover/Top Stories

October 16, 2015

India Post

5

www.indiapost.com

Modi urged to toe Vajpayee line Pak ex-minister sees prospects for peace MUMBAI: Amidst fracas over the launch here of his book, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said here he was optimistic about peace between India and Pakistan and called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take forward Atal Bihari Vajpayee's work towards that end.

"My hope is that Modi realizes that the course adopted by

Police maintained tight vigil at the venue, Nehru Centre in Worli, against the backdrop of threats by Shiv Sena that it would disrupt the event. The event ended at around 8.15 pm.

Kasuri said his book mentions nine war and war-like situations between the two countries.

Talking about the economic costs of conflict between the two nuclear powers, Kasuri said both

Stating that soldiers and ordinary people from both countries are killed due to the ongoing situation on the LOC, Kasuri said the solution would be to have a panel of eminent persons from both sides to monitor the situation.

"These could include judges and Nobel laureates," he added Vajpayee was the best course," Kasuri said at the launch of his book 'Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider's Account of Pakistan's Foreign Policy' - here.

lost billions of rupees after Britain and the US issued travel advisories to their nationals when the armies of India and Pakistan were once involved in an eyeball-toeyeball confrontation.

Stating that soldiers and ordinary people from both countries are killed due to the ongoing situation on the LOC, Kasuri said the solution would be to have a panel of eminent persons from both sides to monitor the situation.

"These could include judges and Nobel laureates," he added.

Kasuri, who later participated in a panel discussion, sought to explain the reason behind Pakistan's dialogue with separatist Hurriyat Conference leaders in Kashmir.

"At an event, even your former RAW Chief AS Dulat told me that 'we (India) have feedback that you were talking the right things to Hurriyat'," he said.

"A solution which is acceptable to 100 per cent of Pakistanis, Indians and Kashmiris isn't feasible, but some thing which satisfies 80 per cent is possible," Kasuri said.

Asked if he knew if wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was in Pakistan, Kasuri said, "I have no idea where he is. I was never the interior minister of Paki-

Respect freedom of expression, says Kulkarni MUMBAI: ORF Chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni has described himself as an "agent of peace" and not a "Pakistani agent" as labeled by Shiv Sena for hosting former Pakistan minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and asked the saffron party to respect other people's freedom of expression.

"I have been labeled a Pakistani agent in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana'. I respect their freedom of expression. They should also respect others' freedom of expression," Kulkarni said at a press conference here.

The Observer and Research Foundation (ORF) had organized Kasuri's book launch event at Nehru Centre in Worli, Central Mumbai, which took place as scheduled amidst tight security.

"When it is said I am a Pakistani agent, I say yes, I am an agent but an agent of peace and will continue to be one," he said.

Asked about the arrest of six persons who allegedly smeared his face black for organizing

Kasuri's book launch here, he said, "I am not concerned about their arrest and bail. I have faith in our judiciary."

"Ours is a democracy. Freedom of thought and speech is a funda-

"I am happy that the people of Mumbai appreciated our efforts," Kulkarni said, and thanked those who attended the book launch in large numbers despite the Sena threat mental thing," Kulkarni said.

"ORF is a non-political organization. I don't want to comment on Sena-BJP ties," he said.

To a question on the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kulkarni, who has served as speech writer for BJP veterans Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K

Advani, said "From the day he assumed office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun efforts to usher in a new beginning in South Asia."

Both the sides (India and Pakistan) want the dialogue to go ahead, he said.

"I am happy that the people of Mumbai appreciated our efforts," Kulkarni said, and thanked those who attended the book launch in large numbers despite the Sena threat to disrupt the event.

Meanwhile, reacting to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' criticism of blackening of Kulkarni's face, Sena leader Sanjay Raut said "CM Fadnavis has not understood Maharashtra. In fact, the state has been defamed due to his statement."

Raut's response came amid reports that Sena workers who blackened Kulkarni's face met party president Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra. -PTI

stan."

Referring to the charge against his country of abetting terrorism, he said, "There is no scope for non-state actors today in Pakistan." Citing the case of

kistan foreign minister.

In his welcome address, ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni said Mumbai is a "tolerant and liberal city" and has a special place in the history of India and Paki-

Former foreign minister of Pakistan Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri speaks during the release of his book ‘Neither a Hawk nor a Dove’ in Mumbai on October 12

Waziristan, he said that Pakistan military had launched an extensive operation there to flush out such elements.

Kasuri, meanwhile, thanked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for providing "excellent protection" during his stay in Mumbai.

Aggressively pursuing their campaign against Pakistani personalities, Shiv Sena activists had earlier blackened the face of ORF chief Sudheendra Kulkarni over his refusal to cancel the book launch function of the former Pa-

stan.

Kulkarni thanked Fadnavis for the "principled stand" taken by him to ensure that the event took place in the city despite the opposition by Sena.

Actor Naseeruddin Shah, who was part of the panel discussion, said Kulkarni had displayed "fortitude" by going ahead with the event despite what happened this morning (blackening of face).

"Never was my performance in Pakistan cancelled or threatened," Shah said.

Cont’d on page 6

Pak concern over Shiv Sena activities ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed concern over campaign against prominent Pakistani personalities in India by a "fundamentalist organization" and said there is a need to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur.

Pakistan's reaction came a day after Shiv Sena activists blackened the face of ORF chief Sudheendra Kulkarni over his refusal to cancel the book launch function of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri in Mumbai.

Earlier, the Shiv Sena had threatened to disrupt Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali's con-

certs, leading to cancellation of the events in Mumbai and Pune.

"We have noted with concern the attempts to disrupt functions organized in respect of prominent Pakistani personalities on visit to India," the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson referred to the cancellation of Ghulam Ali's concert "because of threats from a fundamentalist organization" and attempts to disrupt the book launch function of Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.

"There is a need to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur," he said.-PTI

6

Top Stories

India Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

India says don't need Pak lecture NEW DELHI: India lashed out at Pakistan for "lecturing" it on pluralism after Islamabad expressed concern over attempts to disrupt functions of its prominent personalities, and asserted that non-practice of terrorism was central to the betterment of the IndoPak relationship.

disrupt functions organized in respect of prominent Pakistani personalities on visit to India" while referring to cancellation of a cultural event by ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali and attempts to disrupt a function in Mumbai organized for its former Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.

"The issue is that there has to be a recognition that terrorism cannot be an instrument of statecraft and you cannot say it was only Gurudaspur attack, why are you overreacting or an attack on BSF, why are you overreacting. "It cannot be a routine way. "(As if) Pakistan is the embodiment of tolerance, pluralism. India does not need to take a lecture from Pakistan. If India has a shortcoming, it is capable of looking after it," top official sources said.

The Indian reaction came after Pakistan Foreign Office said it "noted with concern attempts to

"There is a need to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur," the Pakistan Foreign Office said.

However, the sources said India still remains interested in NSA-level talks as per Ufa understanding but made it clear that terrorism cannot be an instrument of statecraft.

"A lot of what has not gone as

'Modi Express' bus launched in London LONDON: Indian community groups in the UK have launched a 'Modi Express' bus for a monthlong tour around iconic landmarks in London to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the country next month.

The bus made its first stop at Ealing Road, Wembley also known as 'Little India', followed

ception planned for Modi at Wembley Stadium on 13 November.

Lord Dolar Popat, who inaugurated the bus during a traditional coconut-breaking ceremony said, "This bus launch is yet another example of the UK and India bringing people together for a positive cause."

The UK Welcomes Modi bus that was launched by the UK community to mark Narendra Modi’s first visit to Britain as Prime Minister next month

by Trafalgar Square to celebrate Diwali.

Mayuri Parmar of the 'UK Welcomes Modi' organizing committee said, "We have had 'Chai Pe Charcha' in India, now we will have 'Bus Pe Charcha' in the UK." Over 400 community organizations have registered as 'welcome partners' of an Olympics style re-

"As we look forward to Prime Minister Modi's visit in November, I am so encouraged to see members from across our communities coming together and supporting one another. I hope many of you get the chance to support and participate in what is looking to be Modi Mania in the UK," Popat said.-PTI

per Ufa is because of Pakistan's domestic politics.... They are also having some disturbance. There are non-elected players in play.

The dynamics of it is both complicated and less transparent.

"The issue is that there has to be a recognition that terrorism cannot be an instrument of statecraft and you cannot say it was only Gurudaspur attack, why are you overreacting or an attack on BSF, why are you overreacting.

"It cannot be a routine way.

There has to be recognition that non-practice of terrorism is central to the betterment of the relationship. If they are in denial of that (that is an issue). One country cannot resort to terrorism as a way of pressurizing the other. It is not asking for too much," they said.

On Pakistan leaders meeting Kashmiri separatist Hurriyat leaders, the sources said India has an issue if consultation or discussions or whatever way they interact with the Hurriyat was done in a manner where they are projected as a third party. -PTI

Sharif to take up Indo-Pak issues with Obama ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will raise the issue of suspended Indo-Pak peace process with President Barack Obama during his US visit next week, Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz has said.

"Yes, this issue (Pakistan-India stalled peace process) and several other issues would be discussed between the US President and PM Nawaz Sharif," Aziz, Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs and National Security, told reporters.

Sharif is expected to meet Obama on October 22 in Washington during his US trip for which he was invited by the US President.

Aziz also hinted on sharing with the US dossiers on India's alleged involvement in "subversive" activities, saying that documents shared with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would also be shared with "other friendly countries".

He accused India's state institutions, including the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), of allegedly supporting militants to destabilize Pakistan. India has always rejected such allegations made by Pakistan.-PTI

Rushdie dismisses criticism by 'Modi Toadies' NEW DELHI: Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie, who came under attack for backing authors protesting against "rising intolerance" in the country, rubbished the criticism by "Modi Toadies", saying he supported no political party but was against "thuggish violence".

The author was flooded with a barrage of hate messages following his tweet in support of Nayantara Sahgal and other writers who returned their Sahitya Akademi awards prot e s t i n g against its silence over killings of writer M M Kalburgi and rationalists Narendra Dabolkar and Govind Pansare.

The 68year-old author responded in another tweet, "Here come the Modi Toadies. FYI (for your information), Toadies: I support no Indian political party and oppose all attacks on free speech. Liberty is my only party."

Toady, is a term referred to person who praises and helps powerful people in order to get their approval.

His tweets came after Shiv Sena activists in Mumbai blackened the face of ORF chief Sudheendra Kulkarni over his refusal to cancel the book launch function of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, prompting strong condemnation from political parties.

"I think what's crept into Indian life now is a degree of thuggish violence which is new," Rushdie told a news channel.

The Mumbai-born author was in 2012 forced to pull out from the Jaipur Literature Festival citing death threats after some authors used the platform to read out portions from his 1989 novel, "The Satanic Verses," which was the target of a fatwa, for allegedly hurting Muslim sentiments.

Meanwhile, author Chetan Bhagat took to twitter to term as posturing and politics the decision of authors who had an-

Salman Rushdie

nounced they were returning the Sahitya Akademi award.

"Accepting an award and then returning it demeans the award and the jury. It's posturing. It's politics," Bhagat wrote.

In another tweet, he questioned the decision of the authors, saying if someone did not like the government in power would they return their passports or their government college degrees? "Why just an award?" he asked.

Bhagat had earned the ire of social media for his tweets "Ok so am I also supposed to return my Sahitya Academy award? Oh wait.

Haven't got it yet."

Attempting to be humorous he said, "Is there an award return office? And do they then zap you men in black style so you forget you ever got an award." -PTI

Modi urged to toe Vajpayee line Cont’d from page 5

To a query, Shah said Bollywood can help improve bilateral ties by making better films.

"Like 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'," Kasuri said. Senior journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, who also spoke, said those who attacked Kulkarni were "small men with small minds."

"They blackened Kulkarni's face, but in the end, their faces were blackened," he added.

Padgaonkar said Jammu and Kashmir is not the cause but a symptom of the tensions between

India and Pakistan.

He questioned Kasuri about Pakistanis trying to understand the sentiments of displaced Kashmiri Pandits.

Eminent lawyer and author AG Noorani said there was a need to lift the 'rigid' visa restrictions to improve bilateral ties between the two neighbors.

Stating that his book presents verifiable facts, Kasuri stressed, "I wouldn't have written the book if I thought there was no chance of peace between India and Pakistan."-PTI

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

India Post

7

8

Top Stories

India Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

India, Palestine for peaceful settlement of conflict RAMALLAH: Amidst spiraling violence in the region, India and Palestine have called for a

negotiated and peaceful settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict based on internationally

President Pranab Mukherjee and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) during a ceremoniel reception at the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestine on October 12

agreed upon principles which would lead to a united and viable state of Palestine.

Continuing violence between Israeli forces and Palestinians, which has led to hundreds of casualties in the recent weeks, figured prominently in the discussions between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and President Pranab Mukherjee, who arrived here on an overnight visit, the first by an Indian Head of State to Palestine.

Mukherjee conveyed India's full support for the Palestinian cause and its commitment to a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of Palestine with east Jerusalem as its capital.

India desires to see Palestine living side by side at peace with Israel.

Abbas told the Indian leader that Palestinians were doing their best to contain the violence. Palestine wanted friendly relations, not hostilities, with Israel, he said.

The Palestinian leader also said that Palestine was following the principles of Mahatma Gandhi.

"We are peace seekers in the footsteps of Gandhiji, the eternal leader who achieved freedom for his country by speaking and practicing peace", he affirmed.

Prez discusses Syria crisis with Jordanian PM India favored a comprehenAMMAN: The explosive situ- minds" between the two sides on ation in Syria, Palestine and the the situation in Syria, Palestine sive, and not a piecemeal apthreat posed by terror group ISIS and the ISIS menace, an Indian proach, to fight the threat posed was discussed by India and Jor- spokesman said later.

by ISIS. It should not be fought On Syria, the two countries only militarily but through other dan here during President Pranab were in favor of a long-term solu- measures such as diplomatic isoMukherjee's visit here.

The two countries also signed tion based on the Geneva accord lation and cutting off of sources six agreements of cooperation which calls for a transition in the of funds. covering a wide range of subjects including merchant shipping, training of diplomats, information technolPresident Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister of Jordan Abdullah Ensour at the delegation ogy, cullevel talks, in Amman, Jordan on October 11 tural exThe two countries identified changes and media. Ten MoUs for country with the participation of academic cooperation between the current government and four core areas of economic coIndian and Jordanian universities those outside it, the spokesman operation - IT, pharmaceuticals, said. automotives and textiles as well were also signed.

Jordanian Prime Minister On terrorism also, the two as renewable energy. They will Abdullah Ensour met Mukherjee sides pitched for a long-term so- explore possibilities of investto discuss matters of mutual in- lution and tackling of terrorism ments in these areas.

Mukherjee underlined that Interest. The meeting was followed on multiple fronts. They underby delegation-level talks and sign- lined the need for adoption of the dia will need USD 1 trillion as incomprehensive UN convention vestment to lift those below the ing of agreements.

There was a "meeting of on international terrorism. poverty line.-PTI

Terrorism, with specific reference to ISIS and al-Qaeda, also came up for discussion during which Abbas told Mukherjee that Palestine did not want such organizations to come into its territory.

Israel should look for a peaceful and negotiated settlement to prevent them from coming in.

India, which has been helping Palestine in its capacity building,

Pranab Mukherjee proposed a three-pillar framework to propel its "historic" ties with Palestine besides building a second Information Technology (IT) centre in Gaza.

Mukherjee also announced an increase in Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) scholarship program slots for Palestine to 100 per annum and set-

The Palestinian leader also said that Palestine was following the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. "We are peace seekers in the footsteps of Gandhiji, the eternal leader who achieved freedom for his country by speaking and practicing peace" gave a cheque for USD 5 million as budgetary support to the Palestinian Authority (PA). It also committed USD 17.79 million for five projects in the Palestinian territory, including a technology park at Ramallah which will cost USD 12 million.

3-pillar framework Observing that peace and stability in the Middle East region is in India's interest, President

ting up of an India-Chair at the Al-Quds University.

The President made the proposal and the announcements in his acceptance speech after he was conferred an honorary doctorate by Al-Quds University in Abu Dees in East Jerusalem on the second and final day of his visit to this country.

At the function, Mukherjee was described as a "valiant knight of peace".-PTI

Indian student in New Zealand goes missing WELLINGTON: A 20-year-old Indian student in New Zealand has gone missing after a night out clubbing, according to a media report.

Mandeep Singh, who arrived in Auckland on a student visa went missing after a night out clubbing in the early hours.

Mandeep and his three flatmates left their Queen St apartment in Auckland at 12.30am. His friends lost contact with him at about 3.20am. He did not turn up to his work at a Cafe or to his culinary arts course at the Cornell Institute of Business and Technology, The New Zealand Herald reported.

The last person to see him, Gurjeed Singh, said he and Mandeep, stayed at Bungalow8 after their other two flatmates left at about 2am to go to another nightclub.

"He told me to go to the other side and enjoy myself, to go to the dance floor," Gurjeed said.

"I was dancing and enjoying myself. After 20 or 25 minutes I looked for him and he was not there," he said.

Ramandeeb Bajwa, whose wife Sweety is Mandeep's cousin, said Mandeep answered a call on his mobile phone from another friend at 3.20am. His friend Jatin Kalia, 19, said Mandeep told the friend that he was at home.

Mandeep's parents are con-

Mandeep Singh

cerned about their son's missing as they were not able to contact him. Mandeep arrived in Auckland on a student visa in February, the daily reported.

Auckland City Police said Mandeep "was wearing a blue collared shirt, blue jeans and black and white shoes and is described as slim build, with brown hair and brown eyes and around 5'8" tall." -PTI

Top Stories

October 16, 2015

India Post

9

www.indiapost.com

'SelectUSA' road show kicks off in Delhi NEW DELHI: Asserting that Indo-US economic ties are "not a zero-sum game", a top American diplomat has said that 'Make in India' and 'SelectUSA' initiative to

other drives like 'Digital India', 'Clean India', financial inclusion...and in 'Make in India' we see several sectors like in advance nuclear energy, among

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma along with Executive Director of SelectUSA, Vinai Thummalapally

attract investment in the United States are "mutually compatible" as evidenced by the increase in bilateral trade.

"We are strongly supportive of the 'Make in India' as we are of

other areas ...and we will continue to support the drive.

"But, it ('Make in India') in no way subtracts or minimizes our efforts to attract Indian investment in the US.

In fact they are actually very mutually compatible and reinforcing...That is why you see the two-way trade figure going up," US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said.

He was addressing a press conference here on the 'SelectUSA' holding its first-ever road show in India, that kicked off from New Delhi.

After Delhi the roadshow will travel to Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

'SelectUSA' a program under the US Department of Commerce seeks to promote, attract, retain and expand business investments to and within the US. "It is pertinent that the recent Indo-US Strategic Dialogue that covered a wide range of important issues on framework on which India and the US continue to build bilateral relations.

"And, we have made great progress in a relatively short period of time in the two-way trade...While our bilateral trade in 2000 stood at USD 19 billion, in 2015 it has reached over USD 100

China to boost defense ties with India BEIJING: China has said it will continue to strengthen defense cooperation with India as the two nations' armies kicked off the fifth round of annual anti-terror military drills in the Chinese city of Kunming aimed at enhancing mutual understanding, communication and cooperation.

"The drills will play a significant role in safeguarding domestic security and strengthening mutual trust between militaries of both sides and contribute to the sound development of bilateral relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying told a media briefing here.

"We will continue strengthen our cooperation on national defense and inject more positive energy to our bilateral ties," she said replying to a question.

India fielded a contingent of 175 troops from 2nd Battalion of Naga Regiment from Eastern Command which also looks after the border with China while China deployed troops from 14 Corps of China's Chengdu Military Region, whose focus is on Indian borders.

Both sides pressed same number of troops for the joint exercises, which will culminate on October 22, a press release by the Indian Embassy here said.

The purpose of the exercise is to develop joint operating capability, share useful experience in

counter-terrorism operations and to promote friendly exchanges between the armies of India and China, the embassy said.

Troops from both sides will undergo intensive joint training, which will include displays, demonstrations, and a comprehensive joint exercise during the drills.

The three-phase integrated exercises include armament display, military demonstration, and troop training, it said.

joint exercises this year are significant as they are truly "joint" in planning, command structure and in execution.

"Under conditions when terrorism has emerged as a major threat to humanity, the counterterror cooperation between the two militaries has added significance," he said.

The two armed forces should develop the habit of working together and the joint exercises are

"Under conditions when terrorism has emerged as a major threat to humanity, the counter-terror cooperation between the two militaries has added significance," he said.

The two armed forces should develop the habit of working together The armament display includes light weapons and equipment for military engineering and logistics, while the demonstration will feature shooting, group tactics and unarmed combat, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

In the second phase, troops will be trained in combat, anti-terrorism tactics, humanitarian aid and disaster-relief communication and the two sides will also conduct joint maneuvers.

Addressing the troops, Indian Ambassador to China, Ashok K Kantha said the 'Hand-in-Hand'

an important endeavor in that direction, Kantha said.

"India and China have agreed that peace and tranquility in the border areas is an important prerequisite for continued growth of bilateral relations," he said.

"In this regard, the two countries have put in place several CBMs (Confidence Building Measures) and the joint military exercises are an important component of the CBMs," Kantha said and recalled the understanding between the leaders of the two countries and called for further strengthening defense exchanges.-PTI

billion and both President Obama and Prime Minister Modi have targeted to raise it to USD 500 billion," Verma said.

On a question as to whether 'SelectUSA' would affect the 'Make in India' vision of the government, he said, "We are growing together in bilateral trade as natural partners...

But, this does not have to be a zero-sum game...a winner here and a loser here. We seek to push economic ties in both destinations, and data and the economics has proven it be true."

"Also, the number of Indian companies in the US have risen from less than 50 in 2000 to over 200 in 2015. And, while 4,000 people visited in 2010, 1.2 million people visited this year across categories," Verma said.

Also, a vast majority of Indians constitute for both H1B and L1 visas...and, need for the reform

dars for next Summit in June 2016," Thummalapally told the participants earlier.

"Besides, there will be National Aerospace Foreign Direct Investment Exposition from Oct 26-28 this year...And, in February 2016 Commerce Department Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews will be leading a key mission to India with companies that can contribute and share with India," he added.

On 'Totalisation Agreement', Ambassador Verma said, "second round of talks have been held between the two governments...And, gaps are now narrowing and we look forward to continue in this direction."

On Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's upcoming visit to US, Verma said, "There will be a range of issues that would have to be discussed, from security, to economy and trade...I do not want to pre-judge the subject or the

“There will be National Aerospace Foreign Direct Investment Exposition from Oct 26-28 this year...And, in February 2016 Commerce Department Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews will be leading a key mission to India with companies that can contribute and share with India," of the immigration system...and encourage strong positioning of India, he said.

Verma also said during the roadshow, "Various government and economic development organizations will contact potential investors and participants and sharing the best practice to help tide over issues that may arise in trying to enter the US market."

Indian-American Vinai Thummalapally, Executive Director, SelectUSA, said the forum also seeks to remove several, both "perceived and real hurdles" seen by firms in entering the US market, and play a substantive role in clarifying and giving the right information at the federal level.

According to an official release by the US Embassy here, India is now the fourth fastest growing source of investment in the US, with USD 11 billion of historical investment and counting.

"India also had one of the largest delegations at the March 2015 SelectUSA Investment Summit, held in Washington.

And, please mark your calen-

outcome. But, we will remain focused on our relationship here and we will see what comes out of the meeting."

On the 'Smart City' initiative, the US Ambassador said, progress has been made on that front too. US has decided to partner with India in developing three cities as smart cities - Ajmer, Vizag and Allahabad.

"We have made smart infrastructure collaboration platforms, where US companies have come together on virtual platforms to specifically identify the services that they will offer, linking up those cities. Also, they will make some financing available...and some of the sectors identified are traffic management, law enforcement, green building, transport electric generation," he said.

Finding its origin as 'Invest in US' program in George W Bush's administration in 2007, 'SelectUSA' was launched in 2011

by President Barack Obama in 2011, who "raised the profile and rebranded it", Thummalapally said. -PTI

SUBSCRIBE TO INDIA POST E-PAPER Mail to: priya@indiapost.com or login to http://www.indiapost.com/subscribe/

10 India Post

Top Stories

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

PM has made global impact, US NGO VARANASI: Praising the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a US-based NGO has said his systematic approach in reaching out to the rest of the world, including his recent visit to Silicon Valley, has made a huge global impact which will bring concrete benefits, specially in terms of foreign investments for India, in the coming future.

"Modi's foreign visits in the last 15 months, including United States, have made a huge global impact and things at the ground level might not be seen in the present time in India but in the long run it will bring huge benefits," Phil Scanlan, Chairman of New York Global Leaders Dia-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

logue said.

"Engagements of this nature take time but the benefits will come and the prime minister is doing it systematically.

He knows his (country's) requirements and is exactly doing for the same...," Scanlan said.

He also said the Prime Minister is taking forward the works and policies of his predecessor, Manmohan Singh, who was a great economist. Scanlan said a comparison of their works is not possible at present as Modi is also making all out efforts to pace up the nation's growth.

He said Modi's commitment to spread-

ing optic fiber network across India is a major step that will save a lot of time, energy and money.

On the occassion, Scanlan also nominated Sulabh International founder Bindeshwari Pathak for the 'New York Global Leaders Humanitarian Award' from India.

The award will be given at the end of this month and nearly 10 persons have been shortlisted for it among 700.

"I have been moved by the way Pathak and Sulabh International is changing the

‘Engagements of this nature take time but the benefits will come and the prime minister is doing it systematically’ lives of millions of Indians. It is highly commendable that his work is not only stopping open defecation in India but is also restoring the dignity of the marginalized and mainstreaming them in society," Scanlan said.

He also lauded Modi for the Clean India Initiative, in which Pathak's Sulabh International is actively participating.

The US-based 'New York Global Leaders Dialogue' is a thought leadership platform which brings together leaders from all continents to address global challenges, foster inter-generational dialogue and nurture cohorts of young leaders. -PTI

India buying 194 micro-light planes NEW DELHI: India has signed a contract with a Slovenian firm for 194 microlight aircraft to be used by Indian Air Force, the Navy and the National Cadet Corps (NCC).

The contract has been signed with Pipistrel for 'Virus FW80'. The Indian version of the aircraft will be known as 'Garur'.

The deal is valued at Rs 105.5 crore, defense sources said.

India had first issued a Request for Proposal (RfP) for the micro-light aircrafts in 2011. The aircraft is a two-seater trainer, capable of take-off and landing on prepared as well as semi-prepared surfaces.

Made of advanced carbon fiber material, it is capable of carrying two crew members and their equipment.

They added that while 110 of the machines are meant for NCC, air force will receive 72 of these aircraft.

IAF needs these aircraft for carrying out bird reconnaissance of air fields and their arrival is expected to give a big boost to flight safety.

Navy, too, will devote these aircrafts for the same purpose while NCC will use them for training its cadets, defense sources said.

The delivery of the aircraft is expected to commence in the next one year. -PTI

Top Stories

October 16, 2015

India Post

11

www.indiapost.com

India urges transparency in UN peace operations UNITED NATIONS: India has expressed its strong dismay at the lack of accountability and transparency in the framing of peacekeeping mandates by the UN Security Council, saying this "failing" by the world body is resulting in rising casualties among peacekeepers and civilians.

"We are dismayed at the opaque manner in which the Security Council continues to mandate peace operations, without any accountability or transparency," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Asoke Mukerji said at a debate in the UN General Assembly here on peacekeeping operations.

Mukerji said the human costs of "this failing" are evident in both the rising number of casualties among UN peacekeepers, as well as an alarming growth in the number of civilians, now reaching 60 million, whose lives are being disrupted by the conflicts that an "ineffective Security Council is powerless" to resolve.

Mukerji called for prioritizing

an early reform of the Security Council during the current 70th session of the Assembly "in order to bring hope to these millions of ordinary men, women and children."

In the report titled 'The report of the United Nations Peace Operations: Implementation of the recommendations of the High Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations', the Secretary General has recommended that sustained dialogue between the Council, the Secretariat and contributors is essential for shared understanding of appropriate responses and their implications for the mandate and conduct of a peace operation.

Mukerji said India strongly supports the Secretary General's statement that this dialogue should begin before the establishment of the mission.

He added that the report also rightly recognize that "a United Nations peace operation is not designed or equipped to impose political solutions through sustained use of force" and that UN

peace operations are not the appropriate tool for military counterterrorism operations.

"We endorse this recommendation, as UN peacekeepers are not deployable for targeted offensive action against armed militias, non-state actors and terrorists," Mukerji said.

Mukerji noted that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has proposed three pillars for conducting UN peace operations with a renewed focus on prevention and mediation; stronger regional-global partnerships He stressed that the international community should not abandon the cardinal principles of UN peacekeeping of consent of the parties, impartiality and the nonuse of force except in self-defense and defense of the mandate.

He also urged a review of the current allocation of resources within UN peace operations to

China operationalises biggest dam on Brahmaputra BEIJING: China has operationalised the USD 1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, built on the Brahmaputra River, which has raised concerns in India over the likelihood of disrupting water supplies.

All six of the station's units were incorporated into the power grid, the China Gezhouba Group, a major hydropower contractor based in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province in central China told state-run Xinhua news agency.

Located in the Gyaca County,

kilowatt-hours of electricity a year.

"It will alleviate the electricity shortage in central Tibet and empower the development of the electricity-strapped region. It is also an important energy base in central Tibet," the company said.

Officials said when the electricity is ample in the summer season, part of the electricity will be transmitted to the neighboring Qinghai province, Xinhua report said.

Investment of the hydropower station, about 140 kilometers from Tibetan capital Lhasa, totaled 9.6 billion yuan The dams also raised con(about USD 1.5 billion).

The first unit began cerns in India over China's operations last Novemability to release water in ber. times of conflict which Reports in the past said besides Zangmu, could pose serious risk China is reportedly of flooding building few more dams. China seeks to Shannan Prefecture, the Zam Hy- allay Indian fears saying that they dropower Station also known as are the run-of-the-river projects Zangmu Hydropower Station, har- which were not designed to hold nesses the rich water resources water. of Brahmaputra known in Tibet as The dams also raised concerns Yarlung Zangbo River, a major in India over China's ability to reriver which flows through Tibet lease water in times of conflict into India and later into which could pose serious risk of Bangladesh. flooding.

The dam considered to be the An Indian Inter-Ministerial Exworld's highest-altitude hydro- pert Group (IMEG) on the power station and the largest of Brahmaputra in 2013 said the dams its kind will produce 2.5 billion were being built on the upper

ensure that the growing resource constraint faced by UN peace operations is considerably mitigated.

Mukerji said UN peacekeepers are not only the UN's boots on the ground, but also the organization's eyes and ears, adding that the Security Council can

reaches and called for further monitoring considering their impact on the flow of waters to the lower reaches.

The IMEG noted that the three dams, Jiexu, Zangmu and Jiacha are within 25 kms of each other and are 550 kms from the Indian border.-PTI

only benefit from the ground level assessments which troop contributing countries can provide in direct interaction between member states.

India is the largest cumulative troop contributor to UN peace operations, with over 185,000 troops having served in 48 of the 69 missions mandated so far.

The country has repeatedly called for the Security Council to consult troop contributing countries before drawing up peacekeeping mandates given that troops now have to function is increasingly difficult and hostile conflict situations across the world's hot-spots.

On allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse faced by a "small minority of UN personnel", Mukerji said allegations shame the organization and there must be "zero tolerance" of sexual abuse by peacekeepers.

"Such abuse scars the lives of men, women and children.

We take such cases with utmost seriousness. The United Nations must apply one standard, that of zero tolerance, while dealing with all cases of sexual exploitation and abuse in all its field operations, whether these be peacekeeping, peace building or others," he said.

Mukerji noted that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has proposed three pillars for conducting UN peace operations with a renewed focus on prevention and mediation; stronger regional-global partnerships; and new ways of planning and conducting peace operations to make them faster, more responsive and accountable to the needs of countries and people in conflict.

He said of these, primacy must be given to the pacific settlement of disputes as the core objective of UN peace operations that will enable every peace operation to have a clear implementation timeframe.

During the peacekeeping summit held at the world body on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 10 per cent increase of India's troop contribution to existing or new operations, an additional three police units with higher representation of female peacekeepers, a commitment to provide critical enablers, deployment of technical personnel in UN Mission and additional training for peacekeepers in facilities in India and in the field. -PTI

KICK-BACK: Legendary Brazilian footballer Pele reacts after unveiling a sculpture of his famous bi-cycle shot during an interaction with students in Kolkata on October 12

Tech News IMF-World Bank appreciative of India's policy steps LIMA, Peru: Finance Ministry has said international agencies like IMF, World Bank and OECD are highly appreciative of India's policy initiatives and measures to deal with tax evasion at global level.

Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das who is here to attend the annual meeting of IMF and World Bank tweeted "both (IMF and World Bank) institutions (were) highly appreciative of policy steps of India".

At the annual meeting of the Fund Bank, India called for governance reforms in both institutions to reflect growing share of developing countries in global GDP. "India stressed that developed countries' contribution to climate finance should be from new and additional sources," Das said, adding that India is committed to Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Also the OECD was appreciative of India's contribution to new initiatives in international taxation like BEPS project, Das said.

The OECD/G20 project on Base Erosion Profit Shifting (BEPS) provides governments with solutions for closing the gaps in existing international rules that allow corporate profits to artificially shift to low or no-tax environments, where little or no economic activity takes place.-PTI

'I-T Act needs changes to remove complexities' AHMEDABAD: The Country's Income Tax Act has become "unwitty and complex" after going through numerous "aberrations" over the period of time and the Centre will soon come up with a roadmap to execute important changes and remove such complexities, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said here.

According to him, the Centre will soon disclose the changes in the IT Act as well as its execution.

"The government is of the firm belief that Income Tax law needs some very important changes and we are seized of the matter. We will soon disclose what changes are required and how will it be done (in the IT act)," he said.

"Unfortunately the Income Tax Act which was written many years ago has undergone so many aberrations, so many changes, that it has become unwitty and complex, we need to undertake the wholesale job of removing such things and this is the right time to do it," Adhia said. -PTI

TechBiz 12 India Post

www.indiapost.com

Vice President of Coolpad, Luo Zhongsheng, at the unveiling function of India’s first fingerprint scanner smartphone in New Delhi on October 9

October 16, 2015

Jaitley calls for reforms in World Bank at global meet LIMA, Peru: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has made a strong case for raising shareholding of developing nations including India in the World Bank Group to reflect their share in the global economy and demanded a significant hike in the capital to meet growing financing needs.

Stating that the demand for development finance continues to be very strong, he quoted a bank's report admitting inability to support elevated levels of lending beyond 2018.

IFC - an arm of the World Bank - is already capital constrained.

Also, there is the additional challenge of mobilizing over USD 100 billion per year for climate finance.

Speaking at the Plenary Meeting of the Development Committee here, he emphasized the need for bigger financing and implementation plans by the World Bank Group to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

India, he said, expects a dynamic formula for shareholding of World Bank to be finalized by Annual Meeting 2016.

The formula should incorporate "elements which help enhance the voice, role and voting share of the

developing countries and reflect their increased share in global GDP and their contribution to building the bank's reserves," he said.

Jaitley said as the share of the developing and transitioning countries in the world GDP increases from 39 per cent in 2008-

World Bank Group and the IMF for intergovernmental consensusbuilding on development issues.

Jaitley represented the constituency consisting of the countries Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India.

India, Bangladesh and Bhutan

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

2010 to 49 per cent in 2013-15, "the shareholding realignment should reflect the same and be completed by 2017."

Development Committee is the ministerial-level forum of the

are early dividend countries and are taking steps to leverage their demographic transition to achieve SDGs, he said.

"The Executive Directors and the Bank should make an objective as-

sessment of the financing needs of the SDGs. I am sure such assessment would call for a significant increase in the capital of the World Bank Group to meet the developmental objectives," he said.

"I would like these resources to be mobilized from new and additional sources and not at the cost of ODA for poverty and shared prosperity goals. The IBRD financing which is nonconcessional and does not flow from the donor resources should not get accounted for in 100 billion flow," he said.

Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, who also attended the IMF-World Bank annual meeting here tweeted, "India called for governance reforms in both institutions to reflect growing share of developing countries in global GDP." Jaitley said, "I must, however, add that the countries in my constituency are bucking the trend and are expected to post reasonably strong growth with India likely to grow at around 7.5 per cent, Bangladesh at 6.3 per cent, Sri Lanka at 6.5 per cent and Bhutan at 7 per cent," he said.

Cont’d on page 14

Kingfisher diverted loans to tax havens NEW DELHI: Kingfisher Airlines had allegedly diverted a substantial chunk of Rs 4,000 crore in loans secured from public sector banks to tax havens which has now come under the scanner of the CBI that has expanded its probe in the matter.

The material recovered during searches indicated that the airlines, which stopped flights in October 2012, has allegedly diverted part of loans taken from 11 nationalized banks, with total exposure of Rs 4,000 crore, to tax haven countries for different purposes not specified in loan applications, sources claimed.

They claimed that the agency

will be expanding the ambit of the probe from Rs 900 crore loan from IDBI bank to loans received from 10 other public sectors banks as well which have total additional exposure of Rs 3,100 crore to the

probed by the agency.

The consortium of 17 banks had an outstanding of over Rs 7,000 crore on loans to Kingfisher with

company.

They said that the allegations of diverting the loan amount from specified purposes to tax havens for different reasons will also be

State Bank of India having the highest exposure of Rs 1,600 crore.

The 10 public sector banks whose loans have come under the scrutiny of CBI, besides IDBI, are

UCO bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, Vijaya Bank, Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Bank of India, United Bank of India, State Bank of Mysore and Indian Overseas Bank.

The banks will have to explain reasons for extending the loan to the airlines, ignoring its own internal report which has warned against such a move.

The sources remained tight lipped about the countries where such transfers were made as they feel it might compromise the information that they might be seeking through Letters Rogatory, judicial requests, from these countries.-PTI

TechBiz Post

October 16, 2015

India Post

13

www.indiapost.com

IMF projects drop in India's growth rate LIMA: With India's growth rate projected to drop slightly from 7.5 per cent to 7.3 per cent in 2015, the IMF has recommended the country to launch next phase of economic reforms and improve its business climate for achieving faster and more inclusive growth.

"In India, while several policy actions have been taken recently, further steps in relaxing longstanding supply bottlenecks, especially in the energy, mining, and power sectors, as well as labor and product market reforms, and improving the business climate are crucial to achieving faster and more inclusive growth," the IMF said.

In its Asia and Pacific Regional Economic Outlook Update released in Peru on the sidelines of the annual fall meeting of the IMF and World Bank, the IMF has projected a slight drop in India's growth rate from 7.5 per cent to 7.3 per cent in 2015 and maintained the same growth rate of 7.5 per cent for 2016 as it projected in this previous report in April.

"GDP is expected to grow at 7.3 per cent in 2015 (0.2 percentage

points lower than in the 2015 April WEO), rising to 7.5 per cent in 2016 (unchanged from the 2015 April WEO)," the report said.

In India, the ongoing economic recovery is underpinned by robust domestic demand.

In India, the IMF said the growth recovery has continued, supported by a pickup in domestic demand, on the back of strengthening industrial production and fixed investment.

"With the revival of consumer and business sentiment, the incipient recovery of investment is expected to contribute more to growth going forward," it said.

"In addition, higher public infrastructure investment and government initiatives to unclog raw

material linkages and support the lending capacity of Indian banks should help crowd-in private investment," the IMF said.

"Although lower oil prices are supportive of domestic demand, weakened exports as well as headwinds from weaknesses in India's corporate and bank balance sheets will weigh on the economy," it added.

In India, the IMF said the growth recovery has continued, supported by a pickup in domestic demand, on the back of strengthening industrial production and fixed investment.

Lower global oil prices have also boosted economic activity in India and underpinned a further improvement in the current account and fiscal position and a sharp decline in inflation, it said.

"As well, forward-looking indicators such as the manufacturing and services Purchasing Managers' Indices (PMIs) indicate improving activity. However, export growth dropped sharply in the first half of 2015, partly reflecting subdued global demand," the report said. -PTI

Swiss banks used secret codes for clients ZURICH: As the famed secrecy walls of Swiss banks crumble under continuing global pressure, it now emerges that secret codes were used not just for account details but also for communications between the bankers and their clients.

A number of such codes, including 'iTunes' and 'gas' for funds and 'download' for instruction to transfer the money are coming to the fore after a number of banks signed settlement agreements with the US tax authorities.

The information being shared by the Swiss government with India and other countries on suspected black money accounts is also removing the layers of secrecy employed by the banks to keep the clients and their money away from the preying eyes of tax authorities and other enforcement agencies.

The fresh details are, however, also adding to an already tough job of unearthing the illicit funds as a significant portion was diverted to a number of other jurisdictions, including Singapore, Israel, Cyprus, Lebanon, Hong

Kong and Dubai, shows the 'Statement of Facts' shared by various Swiss banks with the US Department of Justice.

The banks have also admitted to assisting their clients in using sham entities registered in various jurisdictions, bogus insurance products and providing fake nomi-

nees to be shown as 'beneficiary owners' of undeclared funds.

It has also emerged that Swiss banks sent relationship managers to high-profile sporting and entertainment events across the world to lure wealthy customers looking to park their undeclared money in a 'safe custody'.

The clients were also entertained at exotic locations by the bankers on a regular basis.

The use of 'numbered accounts' is already well known. In many cases, the banks also disguised their clients' home country by mentioning the names of the jurisdictions that were not considered to be very tough on tax evasion.

Some common code phrases used included the clients asking their relationship managers at the bank to "download some iTunes" when they actually wanted funds to be repatriated.

The clients were given pre-loaded cards to use the funds and when they wanted extra cash they would typically tell the banker that the "gas tank was running empty".

Since 1935, Switzerland had maintained criminal laws that ensure the secrecy of client relationships at Swiss banks.

While Swiss law permitted the exchange of information in response to administrative requests made pursuant to a tax treaty with a country and certain legal requests in cases of tax fraud, Swiss law otherwise prohibited the disclosure of identifying information without client authorization.-PTI

'Don't push financial inclusion beyond a point' LIMA: Sounding a note of cau- e-model could be used for improvtion, RBI Governor Raghuram ing businesses at remote centers.

Rajan said here financial inclusion Giving an example, he said a carshould not be pressed beyond a pet weaver in Kashmir can benefit point because beneficiaries may immensely by selling his products not have the capacity to make use electronically. of funds being made available to At the same time, Rajan made a them. strong case for developing capaciRajan made these comments ties to deal with the misuse of techwhile participating in a seminar on 'Financial Inclusion: Can It Meet Multiple Macroeconomic Goals?' on the sidelines of IMFWorld Bank meetings here.

Pushing financial inclusion beyond a RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan point can have negative impact because nology by criminal elements. people at the bottom of pyramid Some unscrupulous elements do not have capacity to absorb have been misusing technology to credit, he said. fleece people by sending fake "In my sense, beyond a certain mails in the name of RBI, he said, point... (financial inclusion) be- adding sometimes people do fall comes actually negative," he said, into trap and pay the upfront proadding that everyone should not cess fee demanded by such perbe pushed to borrow. sons.

RBI Governor also made a case "We have to deal with such for strengthening the payment problems at RBI... technology has mechanism to improve traditional the ability to do harm... we have to method for delivery of credit. worry about that," Rajan added. He further said technology and PTI

14

India Post

TechBiz Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Modi stresses 'quick' development in ports MUMBAI: India needs to move vibrancy of the port sector and the He was accompanied by at a "quick pace" to develop mari- economic growth go hand-in-hand. Maharashtra Governor C time and space sectors which will The port-led development Vidyasagar Rao, Union Shipping have the greatest impact in this would involve working on rail, road and Ports Minister Nitin Gadkari century, Prime Minister Narendra and air connectivity and develop- and Maharashtra Chief Minister Modi said here. ing warehousing and cold storage Devendra Fadnavis.

Stressing on "port-led" devel- facilities, he said.

The port aspires to be among opment for realizing India's aspiThe country aspires to become the top 15 of the world with the rations to become a global power, a formidable player at the world implementation of several infraModi said his government is reviving the 'Sagarmala' project in partnership with the coastal states as it believes in co-operative and competitive federalism.

Modi asserted that under Ports and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, his government has done Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the foundation stone laying ceremony for 4th Container Terminal, at J.N Port, Mumbai on October 11. Governor of Maharashtra, C. Vidyasagar Rao and Union Minister more for the for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari are also seen sector in the last 15 months than what the previous UPA gov- stage, Modi said, adding "we are structure projects, including the ernment could do in 10 years. creating our own place in the fourth terminal. At present it is UPA regime kept the Sagarmala world and partnering with Iran to ranked 31st.

The terminal will help the exim project of port-led development, build the Chhabar port." conceived by the NDA government He also stressed the need to trade, and comes at a time when under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on the develop ports, modernize them the country is aspiring to be a backburner because it had "a differ- and expand capacities for realiz- manufacturing powerhouse which ent agenda", he said at a public ing India's aspirations to become is clear through the government's meeting in the financial capital. flagship 'Make in India' initiative. a global power.

The fourth terminal project is The ambitious project envisModi also underlined the imporbeing executed by Bharat Mumbai ages development of major and tance of road connectivity. non-major ports, enabling them to Construction of roads needs Container Terminal, a subsidiary become drivers of economic de- money, but once created, roads too of Port of Singapore, on a design, built, fund, operate and transfer velopment, developing new link- create money, he said. ages for transport, setting up of logistics hubs, and establishment "In the 21st century, progress in the space of industries and manufacturing and maritime fronts will have the greatest centers.

The PM laid the foundation impact. India wants to move ahead with the stone of a fourth container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, changing times in these fields," Modi said. which will double the capacity of "Be it space & sea, we need to be moving at the country's largest container a quick pace," said the Prime Minister. port in two years.

"In the 21st century, progress in the space and maritime fronts The Prime Minister also basis under which JNPT will get a will have the greatest impact. In- complimented Railways Minister 35.9 per cent share in revenues.

With the two-phased project, dia wants to move ahead with the Suresh Prabhu for the initiatives changing times in these fields," he has taken, and added that re- the overall container handling caModi said. "Be it space & sea, we sults of this work will show on the pacity of JNPT will more than double to 10 million standard units need to be moving at a quick pace," ground in coming days. from the present 4.5 million, Union said the Prime Minister.

Shipping Secretary Rajive Kumar The Prime Minister also said JNPT's 4th terminal the pace at which the economy is Modi laid the foundation stone had said.

Work on the project has been growing, and the initiatives like at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust `Make in India' demand that ports (JNPT), situated off the financial divided into two phases, entailing do not lag behind. capital's eastern seafront, for the an investment of Rs 4,719 crore Modi asserted that rather than Rs 7,900 crore fourth terminal and Rs 3,196 crore, respectively, port development, India wants to project to be carried out in two and work is expected to be complete by the end of 2017. -PTI have 'port-led' development, as the phases.

Jaitley calls for reforms in World Bank at global meet Cont’d from page 12

for Growth and Stability amid Deflation and Divergence', organized

by Financial Times and Citi Group.

"Speaking on the occasion, the Finance Minister said that the economic conditions in India are reasonably under control, notwithstanding two consecutive years of below normal monsoons," the statement said.

He said that the commodity and oil prices decline have provided fiscal space for enhanced public sector investments in infrastructure and irrigation.

Consequently, the Finance Minister said that the country has witnessed a staggering 35 per cent increase in the indirect tax collections in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

He said that the public investments in infrastructure are now playing a catalyzing role in reinvigorating the private sector investments.

The inflation has declined from 11 per cent to 3.7 per cent during

With expected growth of only 4.3 per cent for 2015, the outlook for the developing countries has deteriorated.

"Strong and inclusive economic growth is necessary for the developing economies to grow, prosper and develop sustainably.

Such growth is also necessary for achieving the SDGs as well as the twin goals of the World Bank," Jaitley said.

Terming SDGs as ambitious, he said they would require ambitious financing and implementation plans. The Bank needs to work on human development, economic growth, jobs and social protection.

Jaitley said multilateral development bodies need to play a proactive role as providers and facilitators of large scale, long term and affordable development finance from private and public sources.

"Particularly, the World Bank and IFC, will have to significantly increase their level of finance to He said that the commodity support the SDGs," he said adding the space and oil prices decline have created for additional provided fiscal space for lending by 'margins of maneuver' and other enhanced public sector measures will run its investments in infrastructure course very soon.

The consultations on and irrigation. the World Bank's proposed Environment and Social Framework must ensure the the last 15 months, which have new norms are realistic, simple to also resulted in reduction of the implement and affordable in terms bank rate and cost of capital, the of cost and time, he said hoping minister added.

Jaitley said that the country is the World Bank will suitably revise the framework after completing firmly on the path of fiscal discigenuine, transparent, and borrower pline and has contained the fiscal deficit at 4 per cent (lower than focused consultations.

The finance minister also par- targeted) last year.

Jaitley said that the FDI flows ticipated in the Restricted Session of the International Mon- into the country have been roetary and Finance Committee bust.

He cited reports in foreign me(IMFC) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Infor- dia that during the last six mal Gathering of World Economic months, India was the leading Leaders, organized by IMF and destination for investments in World Economic Forum in Peru, Greenfield projects, demonstrating the high degree of confidence an official statement said.

IMFC is a key body providing of the global investors. The finanstrategic direction to the work cial and forex markets in the counand policies of the IMF. The two try are also stable, notwithstandevents, organized as part of the ing recent global volatility, the Annual Meetings of the IMF and minister added.

Other panelists included the World Bank, were attended by select Finance Ministers and Joaquim Levy, Brazilian Finance Central Bank Governors. The Minister, and Martin Wolfe, a closed door discussions centered noted economic commentator.

Wolfe complimented India on on moderation of global growth and heightening of risks and vola- the management of public finances and the ability to continue with tility.

Later, Jaitley participated in the structural reforms, the statement panel discussion on 'The Search said.-PTI

TechBiz Post

October 16, 2015

India Post

15

www.indiapost.com

Air India to cross-train cabin crew NEW DELHI: Air India will soon start training its 3,500-strong cabin crew for all types of aircraft in its fleet, rather than keeping a pool of people for a particular kind of airplane.

The move, the first of its kind by any Indian carrier, marks a significant shift from its decades-old practice and is aimed at improving the airline's on-time performance, as there have been instances where flights get delayed due to non-availability of the type-rated crew.

A type-rated cabin crew means those crew members who are trained to work in one or more types of aircraft, which may have different seating arrangements or safety procedures.

Maintaining that the entire exercise of cross-training is expected to be complete by December 2016, sources said training the cabin crew for various types of aircraft would provide multiple benefits for the employees including "greater flexibility" in rostering.

Besides, the cabin crew would have the option of flying in international as well as domestic routes, they added.

With an ambitious long-term

perspective and fleet expansion plan, Air India also anticipates to add more number of crew in the

coming months, the current strength being around 3,500. The carrier has managed to reduce the

aircraft- employees ratio by almost two-thirds to 108 from 300 more than two years ago.

"Our cockpit crew and cabin crew are indeed the finest in the industry. They have been handling various situations and our passengers with care and devotion," Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani told PTI.

Currently, Air India has four types of aircraft - A-320s, Boeing 777s, 747s and 787 Dreamliners.

There are 65 narrow-bodied A320s, 21 wide-bodied Dreamliners, 15 777s and five 747s.

The current fleet clocks about 960 flying hours per day and Air India expects the cross-training of cabin crew to push this number higher, sources said.

While A-320 and B-737 planes are required to have at least four cabin crew each, Dreamliners should have a minimum of nine while flying. -PTI

China seeks assurances on Lanka infra projects COLOMBO: China has sought assurances from Sri Lanka on the continuity of Chinese infrastructure projects in the island, including the ambitious USD 1.4 billion Colombo Port City.

Visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and special envoy Liu Zhenmin met President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe here to discuss the matter, officials said.

The new Sri Lankan govern-

ment, which replaced the regime of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was seen as unfavorable towards the Chinese projects, especially the port city development which was a pet project of Rajapaksa.

The USD 1.4 billion Colombo Port City is considered as the single largest private sector development ever in Sri Lanka.

The project is expected to play a key role in China's ambitious

'Maritime Silk Road' project in India's backyard.

The Chinese special envoy also met with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and discussed wide-ranging matters of mutual interest including political, economic, development cooperation and people-to-people contacts.

Liu conveyed greetings of the Chinese government to the unity government in Sri Lanka and

pledged China's support and cooperation for further strengthening the friendly relations between the two countries.

While appreciating the support extended by China to Sri Lanka both bilaterally and multilaterally, Samaraweera referred to the friendship and cooperation between Sri Lanka and China and reiterated his government's efforts to bring the relations to a further higher level.-PTI

Desi News Dr Ashok Jain named Beaumont Hospital CMO India Post News Service

DETROIT, MI: Ashok Jain, M.D., M.S., FACR, has been appointed senior vice president and chief medical officer of Beaumont Hospital - Wayne. In collaboration with the hospital president, Ashok is responsible for overall hospital performance and developing the vision and strategic plan for clinical activities.

He will report to Eric Widner, president, Beaumont - Wayne and to Malcolm Henoch, M.D., senior vice president and associate chief medical officer for Acute Care, Beaumont Health.

Details on page 18

Tamil Sangam hosts light music concert Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Chicago Tamil Sangam (CTS), a cultural organization, hosted a Grand Music Concert on September 26 at Oswego East High School Auditorium, Oswego, and an eagerly anticipated annual event for the Chicagoland Tamil community.

The evening began with Thaai Vazhthu (Invocation to Tamil Goddess) and a minute of silence in memory of Dr Abdul Kalam and Music legend M.S.Viswanathan.

Varadheesh Chennakrishnan commenced the program with a welcome address and introduced the Emcee's and thanked the sponsors.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

16 India Post

www.indiapost.com

KAVIE

SAN JOSE: Yes, it's true. Pakistani singer Atif Aslam, whose romantic numbers and chocolate looks have girls go weak in the knees, has a concert scheduled in San Jose for November 15 at the San Jose Civic Center.

Bollywood's ace import from across the border, Atif Aslam is credited for hit songs from movies like Race, Race 2, Zeher, Ajab Prem Ke Ghazab Kahani will be touring North America and Canada in November. He will be performing live in Houston, Los Angeles, San Jose and Montreal. He just wrapped up a houseful show in Dubai where he did a jugalbandi with fellow singer Sonu Nigam.

Details on page 21

October 16, 2015

Details on page 23

Hundreds attend Peace Rally on Mahatma Gandhi Day JAYANTI OZA

CHICAGO: A good number of Indian Americans and elected officials here gathered on Sunday October 4 in Skokie, a north side suburb of Chicago, to celebrate the birth anniversary Mahatma Gandhi and attend "peace and harmony" rally.

They felt this couldn't have come at a better time and place since the world torn by hatred and violence all around needed the peace and non-violence message of Mahatma Gandhi more than any time in the past.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Skokie's life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the Gandhi Memorial Trust hosted a special ceremony two days after the iconic hero would have turned 146. And people came - nearly 500 of them -

Dignitaries and Indian Americans during Mahatma Gandhi anniversary celebrations

peaceful environment."

Members of the Gandhi Memo-

Details on page 20

Atif Aslam to perform in San Jose

Manifestations of the Supreme Divine Love Power

A section of attendees at Peace and Harmony rally in Skokie

on a cool but comfortable Sunday morning.

Chicago's Consulate General of India had blessed the rally and ceremony. Although it was a 10th anniversary celebration of the statue, this first life-size statue of Gandhi in Illinois was actually installed 11 years ago.

Both Van Dusen and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel marked this special day in Skokie with proclamations.

"Time flies as it has already been more than 10 years," said Omprakash Kamaria, president of the Gandhi Memorial Trust. "Now this site has become a regular stop for peace seekers - people from all walks of life - whether they are tourists, students, writers, bikers, joggers, walkers (or someone) who just wants to read a book in a

rial Trust decided to wait a year for the celebration so the statue could be renovated and cleaned up as it headed into its second decade.

"I think the old man has aged pretty well, don't you?" said Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen to a round of applause.

Van Dusen emphasized how "remarkable" the Gandhi statue has been for the village. Many officials there said it was one of the most visited sites in all of Skokie.

"When we envisioned the outdoor sculpture park, we frankly

had not thought about having a heritage aspect to it," the Mayor said. "The (Gandhi) Memorial Trust offered this wonderful gift to us. And it's become a great partnership over the last 10 years."

Dignitaries came to the ceremony - not only Van Dusen but many Village Board members and employees, state representatives and Senators, the Cook County commissioner and Indian CG, Dr Ausaf Sayeed.

A group of attendees with Dr Ausuf Sayeed at Consul General event in Chicago

Cont’d on page 19

Community Across America

October 16, 2015

India Post 17

www.indiapost.com

Education program on Chauhan named SE Asia Director in Nassau heart disease & diabetes Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: The Indian American Medical Association of Illinois (IAMA) hosted an exclusive education program to bring awareness about Cardiovascular diseases and Diabetes in Asian Indians at the Waterford Banquets and Conference Center in Elmhurst, on October 9.

The event was attended among others

by IAMA Past Presidents and invited dignitaries including Dr Gopal Lalmalani, Dr Vemuri Murthy, Dr Mitra Kalelker, Dr

ease is the number one cause of death in America. The South Asian community in the United States has a three to five-fold increase in CAD. Obesity, lack of exercise, high cholesterol, and hypertension can quietly damage the body for years before symptoms develop. With the goal of bringing awareness in our community this event was organized.

This event was sponsored by Wealth Planning Network. This was followed by keynote speech by Dr Sumita Chowdhury, a cardiologist trained at Massachusetts

IAMA office bears, guests and dignitaries

General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, at Boston. She pointed out the common myth that only men get heart attacks. She focused on heart attacks among women and the risk factors that are associated with it such as poor diet, physical inactivity, obesity and metabolic syndrome, smoking, hypertension, stress and diabetes. She mentioned that triglyceride levels are normally high in the Indian American community which causes potential risk of heart disease.

The next presentation was given

by Arcot Dwarakanathan MD, who is the Medical Director at St. James Diabetic Center, Associate Professor at Rush University and Associate Professor at Midwestern University.

He spoke about Diabetes in South East Asians. He referenced many studies that were done to identify Dr Sumita Chowdhury why South Asians are more prone to diabetes and the risk factors. There was a Q & A session after his speech and the audience asked several perSpeaking on heart-related tinent questions about diet, cholesproblems including hypertenterol level and diabetes screening.

The evening concluded with dinsion, heart attack, coronary ner and informal socializing. This artery disease, Dr Samir Shah event brought attention to both medical and non-medical community stated that coronary artery members about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and exerdisease is the number one cising to avoid cardiovascular discause of death in America ease and diabetes.

IAMA-IL Executive Committee has Dr Samir Shah: President, Dr related problems including hypertension, Tapas Dasgupta: Secretary, Dr Sreenivas heart attack, coronary artery disease, Dr Reddy: Treasurer and Dr Hemlata Bakane: Samir Shah stated that coronary artery dis- Immediate past President.

Rohitkumar Vasa, Dr Fulambarker.

The growing epidemic of heart disease and the high mortality rates among Asian Indians was the theme. Speaking on heart-

PRAKASH M SWAMY

NEW YORK: Nassau County Comptrol- and goals of the Comptroller's Office while ler George Maragos has announced the ap- helping members of the community to betpointment of New York community activist ter navigate local government, and gain full Dilip Chauhan as Director of South East/ access to business opportunities," Asian Community Affairs.

Chauhan said. "I am honored to serve in Chauhan will be rethis capacity, and I sponsible for monitorlook forward to working and enhancing miing tirelessly on Compnority and women troller Maragos' and owned business parthe community's beticipation in County half." contracts and purIn addition to servchases. ing as the South Asian "Dilip is a diligent Community Coordinaprofessional and a retor for several municispected leader in the palities, Chauhan South East/Asian comserved as a past advimunity," Comptroller sor to the Association Maragos said. "In this of Indian American new capacity, he will Physicians. He was a continue his outstandvolunteer for the ing community efforts, United Nations Milwhile assisting the lennium World Peace Comptroller's office to Summit and received Dilip Chauhan ensure that Nassau numerous awards for County is adequately his service and contriaddressing the challenges of our minority butions to the South Asian community. Dilip business owners and residents."

Chauhan holds a Bachelor of Science De"I look forward to advancing the mission gree in Electrical Engineering.

18 India Post

Community Across America

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Pharmacists celebrates Diwali with gaiety & fervor Asian Media USA

CHICAGO, IL: The Association of Indian Pharmacists in America (AIPHA) hosted an exciting 28th Annual Diwali Gala on Saturday, October 3 at the Pearl Banquet in Roselle (a north west suburb of Chicago) attended by over 500 members, along with their families and friends.

The occasion was also used to discuss latest trends in pharmaceutical industry as the Association believes in the adage that "work and pleasure should always go together".

M o n i r Chaudhaury, Consul General of Bangladesh, who was Chief Guest at the event, said that with a strong presence of pharmacists of Indian origin, across length and breadth of the US, the role of

AIPHA has assumed much greater importance. He congratulated Indian pharmacists for their association with the noble profession of pharmacy which provides, among other things, an opportunity to serve different sections of society.

Chaudhaury added that the annual event

contribute to promotion of their cultural heritage by celebrating Diwali.

A large majority of Indian pharmacists work in hospitals and provide high quality services to customers, a considerable number among them opt for entrepreneurship and set up pharmacies of their own. Harish

AIPHA members and guests at Diwali celebrations

provides a rich opportunity to its members to network with co-professionals, to keep themselves abreast with latest developments in their domain, and, above all, to

Bhatt said that Indian pharmacists who set up their pharmacies in disadvantaged areas, cater to inadequately met health-related needs of people and thereby address a socially-relevant challenge.

A welcome highlight was the distribution of rebate checks generated by collective purchasing medicines by the Association. The occasion was also taken to pay rich tributes to Naren Patel, a renowned fellow pharmacist, who became a role model by combining professionalism and philanthropy Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Democratic nominee and Dr Madhuvanti Ghose from

Art Institute of Chicago graced the occasion.

The event had support of a large number of eminent business houses who participated in the event by setting up booths and providing useful information about their new initiatives, emerging product lines, and future endeavors. A few booths which represented key players, committed to charity and to create health awareness, attracted the attention of the participants.

Grand entertainment program was another attraction that kept the audience glued to their seats. The celebration of Diwali included lighting of lamps and candles at the venue, signifying the triumph of light over darkness. The participants were seen wishing each other for prosperity and wealth.

The event concluded with a delicious dinner, enjoyed by one and all. AIPHA, with its network of members across the US, has emerged as an important association of professionals.

Executive Board: Harish Bhatt (President), Rajesh Chotalia (Vice President), Jitesh Patel (Secretary), Haresh Khakhkar (Joint Secretary), Vitthal Patel (Treasurer), Jignesh Gandhi (Joint Treasurer) and the Board of Directors include Tushar Mehta, Snehal Bhavsar, Jyotin Parikh, Gajanan Trivedi, Manu Patel, Shital Manek, Kishore Chugh, Mahendra R. Patel, Ambalal S. Patel and Ambalal H. Patel.

Congressional candidate Raja Krishnmaoorthy addressing AIPHA meet

Dr Ashok Jain named Beaumont Hospital CMO India Post News Service

DETROIT, MI: Ashok Jain, M.D., M.S., FACR, has been appointed senior vice president and chief medical officer of Beaumont Hospital - Wayne. In collaboration with the hospital president, Ashok is responsible for overall hospital performance and developing the vision and strategic plan for clinical activities.

He will report to Eric Widner, president,

Beaumont - Wayne and to Malcolm Henoch, M.D., senior vice president and associate chief medical officer for Acute Care, Beaumont Health.

Ashok's other responsibilities include working with the hospital appointed and elected physician leaders to: " ensure the highest standards for patient safety and clinical quality " cultivate strategies to facilitate the delivery of care and service excellence for patients, physicians and staff " uphold system wide performance standards for clinical services to improve financial and operational performance " recruit and retain superior and diverse clinical staff and foster a positive work environment Cont’d on page 19

Community Across America

October 16, 2015

India Post 19

www.indiapost.com

Hundreds attend Peace Rally on Mahatma Gandhi Day Cont’d from page 16

Dr Sayeed in his address touched upon the historical significance of Gandhiji and his teachings. The ceremony included awards to locals who carry on in the spirit of Gandhi - Shelley Nizynski Reese for her nonprofit, A Better Life For Kids, which helps to raise funds for impoverished children in Ghana; former Deputy Sheriff Michael Wronkowski who has held a turkey drive at his work site and delivered his collection to soup kitchens for years.

The Trust committee could not but recognize Skokie Mayor Van Dusen for his support to the Indian community and his help to bring the statue to Skokie.

Musicians performed authentic music including one using the ancient Indian string instrument, the Veena. Niles West and Niles North musicians performed "Give Peace A Chance" and "Amazing Grace."

family was house hunting had a major impact on the final choice.

"This is the end of a great jogging trail where I have seen people pondering here, walking around, looking at all the various sayings of Gandhi here," he said. "This is a great, great, great institution and monument - and for and for everybody."

Indian Consulate celebrates Gandhi Jayanti SURESH BODIWALA ADDS:

The Consulate General of India in Chicago celebrated the 146th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, at its premises on Friday October 2 at its Chicago office attended by Chicago elites and community members Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General said that Mahatma Gandhi

Musical Concert by Saraswathi Rangnathan and Dhananjay Kunte

ment to Gandhian ideals, reflected in an array of his initiatives, including "Clean India", "Make in India", etc., will further accelerate India's growth trajectory and empower it to emerge as one of the front-ranking countries of the world.

OP Meena, Consul at the Consulate General, welcomed the guests and conConsul OP Meena addressing the gathering and Dr Sonty making a power point presentation ducted the proceedings of the program.

The crowd was so quiet during Meena said that Gandhian phiwas trans-national in the range of their renditions that the rustling losophy of non-violence, peace, his influences and in the reach of of trees behind them could be and communal harmony has behis thoughts and that there is heard. hardly any country in the world come a source of inspiration in the Surrounding the Gandhi statue, where his ideals are not inspiring contemporary world which is charover which hung a ceremonial acterized by terrorism, conflict, wreath on this day, were framed people. "This is evidenced by the and apartheid. "The wisdom of his installation of his statues in the quotes - not only from Gandhi but philosophy, which is in a perpetual US, Germany, Australia, and in from those he inspired including state of reinvention, will continue many other countries", he added.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert to be a beacon of light for the He added that Prime Minister Einstein.

Kamaria said that Skokie was Narendra Modi's deep commit- younger generations in India and an ideal home for the statue because of its ethnic diversity and the village's passion in celebrating it.

In the end, though, leaders said, the statue's popularity and success were due to everyday people who visit for one reason or another, who use it as a respite from an often chaotic world where Gandhi's message can feel so far removed.

"Mahatma Gandhi is actually responsible for me living in this part of the Greater Chicago area," said television reporter and anchor Ravi Baichwal who emceed the Skokie ceremony.

Baichwal, who lives near the Skokie-Evanston border, said seeing the Gandhi statue along McCormick Boulevard when his

across the globe", he added.

Mayor of the City of Chicago atThe celebrations included tending as Special Guest. power point presentation on MaShe observed that there has hatma Gandhi by Dr Sri Ram Sonti, been a long standing exchange Peace Harmony musical concert with Mahatma Gandhi and the US,

by Saraswathi Rangnathan and as Mahatma Gandhi was inspired Dhananjay Kunte, and screening by the works of Henry David of documentaries on Mahatma Thoreau and he in return inspired Gandhi by Arun Har Prasad. Visuals of the photos of Mahatma There has been a long Gandhi, drawn by standing exchange with Arvindbhai, were also Mahatma Gandhi and the on display.

Sister Cities celebration SURENDRA ULLAL

US, as Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by the works of Henry David Thoreau

CHICAGO: The Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International has slated celebration of Mahatma Gandhi birthday on Friday October 23 at RadissionBlu Aqua Hotel in Downtown at 11.30 am.

Ms Smita Shah, Chairman of the Committee, said that the event will be graced by Rahm Emanuel,

Martin Luther King in the non-violent movement." The Sister Cities program, now under the auspices of World Business Chicago, has promoted cultural, social and economic exchanges between the two countries for over 50 years, and this is a special opportunity to celebrate the relationship with Delhi and Chicago," she said.

Dr Ashok Jain named Beaumont Hospital CMO Cont’d from page 18

" promote growth in clinical services at the hospital through the development of integrated clinical programs " develop an integrated strategy for undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education consistent with the priorities and standards endorsed by the Chief Academic Officer of Beaumont Health Ashok is a practicing Radiologist. He joined Oakwood Hospital - Wayne in 1982, where he held several leadership positions. Be-

fore being elected chief of staff in 2011, he was the chief of Radiology and vice chief of staff. He has also served as chairman of Bylaws Committee; Continuing Medical Education Committee; Quality Assurance Committee; and was a member of Oakwood's board of trustees.

Gov. John Engler appointed him

to serve on the State of Michigan's Public Health Advisory Council from 1991 to 1998. In addition, he was a board member and counselor with the Michigan Radiological Society and Michigan Chapter of American College of Radiology.

He is currently on the board of trustees for the American Association of Physicians of Indian

Ashok earned his medical degree from MS University of Baroda in Gujarat, India. He completed his residency at Harper Grace Hospital

Origin, and an active member of the Wayne County Medical Society, Michigan State Medical Society, American College of Radiology and Radiological Society of North America.

Ashok earned his medical degree from MS University of Baroda in Gujarat, India. He completed his residency at Harper Grace Hospital and Wayne State University School of Medicine.

He's a fellow of the American College of Radiology. In 1994 he obtained a Master of Science degree in medical practice administration from Madonna University.

20 India Post

Community Across America

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Tamil Sangam hosts light music concert Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Chicago Tamil Sangam (CTS), a cultural organization, hosted a Grand Music Concert on September 26 at Oswego East High School Auditorium, Oswego, and an eagerly anticipated annual event for the Chicagoland Tamil community.

The evening began with Thaai Vazhthu (Invocation to Tamil Goddess) and a minute of silence in memory of Dr Abdul Kalam and Music legend M.S.Viswanathan.

Varadheesh Chennakrishnan commenced the program with a welcome address and introduced the Emcee's and thanked the sponsors.

A "musical evening" was delivered by Chicagoland singers and artists. An excellent mix of old and new songs, melody and fast-beat songs kept the audience engaged throughout the program. There was never a dull moment during the entire duration of the program which lasted well over four hours.

Radio Mirchi RJ M Karl Marx, C.Sudararaman and Ms. Chitra

Somu Thiru, Raghu Raghuraman, Preethi Chellappa, Sharanya Gururajan, Ravi Subramanyan, Chandracala Vijay, Rama Raghuraman, Pavithra Anand, Akshaya Minu, Swapna Balakrishnan, Vijay Krishnan, Ravichandran Subbiah, Muthu Velu. Back: Prashanth Somasundaram. Pic Asian Media USA

Ravichandran gracefully emceed the event. Somu Thiru recognized the service and support rendered by Dr Xavier Roche to Chicago Tamil Sangam for the past 18 years.

Prasad Rajaraman delivered the vote of thanks and thanked all the volunteers who helped to

make this show a grand success.

Factors crucial to the success of the program were favorable generous support from sponsors, logistical support from volunteers in setting up the event and in ferrying heavy food items, presence of talented artists, an appreciative

audience, and last but not least, the support team of the Oswego East High School, Oswego IL. A potpourri of good songs selection, experienced singers, full orchestra, excellent audio system and a great auditorium helped deliver a very high quality program to our patrons.

With the successful completion of the light music concert, Chicago Tamil Sangam is getting ready to celebrate Children's Day on December 5.

Children's Day celebration is another key program from the organization to showcase the talent of the younger generation.

Lord Hanuman gracing Singapore museum India Post News Service

SINGAPORE: Rare statue of Hindu Lord Hanuman is the high-

light of ongoing revamp of Singapore's 22 years old Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM).

Almost a yearlong revamp,

whose first phase is nearly complete, includes a new wing and gallery, distinguished new entrance towards Singapore River and expanded gallery spaces. It is reopening in November and will display permanently the Tang Shipwreck collection, recovered

Commending ACM for display of Hindu artifacts, Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.

lery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.

Alan Chong is the Director of ACM located by historic Singapore River and which claims

from the ninth century wreck.

Somaskanda (Shiva, Parvati, and their son Skanda) is one of the "Top 20 Highlights" of the Museum, which is "devoted to preserving the cultural heritage of Asia" and "connects audiences with many cultures".

He urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d'Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gal-

to have one of the most comprehensive collections in the region.

This revamp, which is part of the $65 million enhancement package, includes "expanding its building to increase display space, enhance access, and more fully connect with the public".

October 16, 2015

Community Across America

India Post 21

www.indiapost.com

Atif Aslam to perform in San Jose KAVIE

SAN JOSE: Yes, it's true. Pakistani singer Atif Aslam, whose romantic numbers and chocolate looks have girls go weak in the knees, has a concert scheduled in San Jose for November 15 at the San Jose Civic Center. Bollywood's ace import from across the border, Atif Aslam is credited for hit songs from movies like Race, Race 2, Zeher, Ajab Prem Ke Ghazab Kahani will be touring North America and Canada in November.

He will be performing live in Houston, Los Angeles, San Jose and Montreal. He just wrapped up a houseful show in Dubai where he did a jugalbandi with fellow singer Sonu Nigam.

Instant Karma in association with Bollywood Events are the local promoters of the event. Platinum Sponsor for the event is Shalimar Restaurant's Mo Polani. "We are very excited to host Atif Aslam. He is a true rockstar and definitely will add the dhamaka to Diwali celebrations!" said Bhavini Joshi, CEO Instant Karma.

The singer who is known for his vocal belting technique, was declared the most popular artist by Saavn (an Indian music streaming service) in 2013. He is also the

The singer who is known for his vocal belting technique, was declared the most popular artist by Saavn (an Indian music streaming service) in 2013. He is also the youngest recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, a Pakistani civilian decoration. youngest recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, a Pakistani civilian decoration. Known for his romantic numbers like Doorie, Rang Sharbatonka, Jeene Laga Hoon, Pehle Nazar Mein, Tu Jaane Na has Bollywood actors crediting him for the films success. In an interview actor Ranbir Kapoor said on Atif "I want to share success of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani with him. He is really popular in India because of his voice. He is a wonderful singer." Actress Bipasha Basu took to popular social network medium Twitter to say "Starting my day with Atif Aslam's best songs, playing loudly in my car on my way to location. Wish he would sing all these songs just for me".

Good news for Atif Aslam fans, or "Atif

Fanatics" as they lovingly call themselves, is that they can record their message for the singing sensation and upload to Facebook page Bay Area Desi Party. One lucky fan will get an opportunity to meet and greet with Atif Aslam.

"We have just launched the #AtifSeWakif Campaign where we will be sharing news of Atif Aslam, Official Hashtag for event is #AtifinSJCon Facebook and Twitter.We encourage for fans to connect on the official page for the event" Said Kavi, Marketing Manager.

22 India Post

Community Across America

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Preity Zinta to open PNG jewelry store PNG MARKETING TEAM

FREMONT: PNG Jewelers, pioneers of jewelry making with an international footprint, are opening their second showroom in India on October 16. The grand opening will take place by the hands of Bollywood actress Preity

lished in the year 1832 in Sangli, Maharashtra. It currently has 17 stores in India, 1 in Dubai and 1 in USA. The USA store is located since last seven years in Sunnyvale, CA. The strength of the brand is evident in the fact that 9

The Fremont store launch announcement has created a lot of anticipation among residents of the Fremont area, and PNG confirms that along with Preity Zinta's appearance, many more surprises are in stock for customers throughout the week.

Zinta at 6 pm. The new showroom enjoys a prime location at 3760 Mowry Ave, Fremont, CA 94538, and will cater to the growing demand in the community in the vicinity.

PNG Jewelers is one of the largest jewelry houses of India, estab-

stores were launched in 9 months in India in 2015 under the leadership of present Chairman and President Saurabh Gadgil. As a consolidation of the brand image, Bollywood superstars Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit have aligned with PNG as Global Brand

Ambassadors.

The pillars of PNG's success are authenticity in all its products, excellence in service and unparalleled craftsmanship. Offering a plethora of jewelry in Gold, Platinum and Silver, all their pieces bear the purity hallmark. Every PNG diamond is of the highest quality and certified by the International Gemological Institute. Lately PNG has also introduced the premier luxury watch brand RADO instore.

The Fremont store launch announcement has created a lot of anticipation among residents of the Fremont area, and PNG confirms that along with Preity Zinta's appearance, many more surprises are in stock for customers throughout the week.

A special inaugural offer of 40% off on all diamond collection has been announced, available exclusively at the new store from Octo-

Preity Zinta

ber 16 to 25. CEO Rajendra Soni says, "This is PNG's humble way of expressing gratitude to our customers, without whose support we

could not have come this far. The entire launch event is a celebration of the employees' untiring efforts and a salute to our patrons."

FPID raises $200,000 at its annual gala India Post News Service

NEWPORT BEACH, CA: The 4th Annual Gala Banquet Fundraiser event of the Foundation for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (FPID) was held on the October 3 at the Island Hotel, Newport Beach. It raised net $200,000 for improving lives of children and adults with primary immune deficiency (PID) who are born with genetic defects of the immune system in India and the US, a group of diseases that affect more than 10 million worldwide. More than two hundred

guests attended the gala.

The Evening began with a sensational acrobatic performance from Karmagraphy.

A touching patient story followed and brought a tear to everyone's eyes as she said "Dr Sudhir G u p t a (founder of FPID) not only saved my life,

he saved lives of many patients like me".

Comic relief was provided by Anish Shah and the legendary Joe Piscopo, (of Saturday Night Live fame). And as if the starstuck night couldn't get any more dazzling, The Doo Wop Project, current members of Broadway smash hits Jersey Boys and Motown A musical brought the audience to their feet with their hits.

The Foundation is supporting early diagnosis and treatment of children with PID at four major centers in India and a center in the US. One of the centers in India became the first in the world to diagnose PID during pregnancy providing an opportunity for newborns with PID to receive bone marrow transplantation within few months of their birth, which results in cure from these life-threatening diseases.

Visit FPID.org to learn how you can make a difference.

October 16, 2015

Community Across America

India Post 23

www.indiapost.com

Manifestations of the Supreme Divine Love Power SWAMI NIKHILANAND

I

n the previous article, it was explained that God's unlimited Divine forms are grouped into three categories: Brahm, Parmatma and Bhagwan. As Brahm, almost none of his powers are outwardly manifested, as Parmatma, they are partially manifested, and as Bhagwan, they are fully manifested.

It is similar to how a rose bloom can be in a bud form, as a partial bloom, and as a full bloom. As a bud, the beauty and fragrance of the rose are not outwardly manifested, but exist in a potential form within the bud. This is like Brahm.

As a partial bloom, the beauty and fragrance of the rose are partially manifested, but there is still more potential which has not been outwardly revealed. This is like Parmatma (the almighty forms of God). As a full bloom, the total potential of the rose's beauty and fragrance is manifested. This is like Bhagwan. As Bhagwan, all of the Divine powers are revealed in their totality.

Notably, the power of bliss, whose essence is the power of Divine love, is revealed to its fullest extent only in this form. Sita Ram and Radha Krishna are the actual forms of the Divine love power. It was explained in previous articles that this power submerges the effect of all other Divine powers when it is manifested, much like the light of the sun submerges the light of the moon if both are in the sky together.

The moon is still shining just as brightly as it was before, but its effect is submerged in the glory of the sun. Similarly, the powers of almightiness and knowledge etc are still active in the form of Bhagwan, but their effect is submerged in the glow of the power of Divine love.

This is why Shree Krishna performs playful and human-like leelas, whereas the forms of Parmatma like Vishnu etc are more reserved and serious.

Shree Krishna is 'Poornatam Purushottam Brahm' So we see that one single God manifests Himself in these three main ways depending on which powers He outwardly manifests.

Shree Krishna is known as 'poornavatar' (the absolute full and complete descension of the Divine powers) and 'poornatam purushottam brahm' (the absolute supreme Divine personality of God) because it is only in this form that He reveals Himself in full. It is only as Shree Krishna that He reveals the sweet pastimes (leelas) that expose the full extent of His Divine powers.

This is why in the Gita Shree Krishna has said that all who are worshiping God are worshiping

Him, and that He Himself comes to the devotee in his desired form.

The same Shree Krishna performing leelas in a more reserved way is called Shree Ram. The same Shree Krishna not revealing the Divine love power externally (but only revealing His omniscience and omnipotence) appears as almighty God Vishnu, Shiv, etc. The same Shree Krishna is nirakar brahm when all of His powers are dormant.

So we understand in simple terms how one single God can manifest Himself in uncountable Divine forms.

places at once, and yet God is only one. It is an amazing mono-dualistic Divine miracle. This is all inferred by the 11th shlok of the 4th chapter, which has now been ex-

All forms of God are equal Please keep in mind that all forms of God are whole, complete, Divine and perfect. One should not think that one form of God is better than any other form. It is like saying that the blossom in full bloom is better than the rose bud - one is not better than the other - they are both one and the same. However, the way that they can be experienced differs.

Just like we cannot say that the fruit of the mango is better than the leaf of the mango. If you chemically analyze them, their DNA would be identical. Therefore, they are internally equal. However, the inner programming of the DNA outwardly manifests differently, and thus the way we experience a mango fruit differs from the way we can experience a mango leaf. You enjoy the nectar-like juice of the mango fruit, but you cannot get the same juice from the leaf. Similarly, although Shree Krishna and nirakar Brahm are one and the same, but you cannot enjoy the nectar-like leelas from nirakar Brahm - or even from Parmatma - you can only enjoy those from Shree Krishna.

plained to you in detail.

This fourth chapter also addresses the question of why Shree

All forms of God are omnipresent The final point that I will make on this topic is that all these unlimited forms of Shree Krishna are eternally existing, and are simultaneously omnipresent. He does not change Himself from one form to another. He eternally exists in all of these forms, and He remains omnipresent in all of these forms. This is how one God realized Saint who has attained Shree Krishna sees the whole world as the form of Krishna, and another God realized Saint who has attained God Shiv sees the whole world as the form of Shiv. Both situations are simultaneously true.

It is how Shree Krishna can be in infinite places at once, Lord Vishnu can be in infinite places at once, Durga Ma can be in infinite

Swami Nikhilanand

Krishna takes avatar. This important topic will be taken up in the next article.

Disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj Swami Nikhilanand Ji is a Canadian born Hindu spiritual leader based in Austin, Texas. He is a sanyasi disciple and pracharak of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.

Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swamiji eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to India, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, Darshan Shastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and

practiced meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti. In 2003, he was given sanyas. Now, with the blessings of his Guruji, he offers satsang programs throughout America, engaging audiences with his clear explanations of Hindu philosophy coupled with inspired chanting of Sanskrit mantras and shlokas and charming nam sankirtan. His informative and compelling speeches provide practical insight into how to adopt the teachings of Sanatan Dharm into our daily lives, and inspire us to awaken our inner spiritual potential.

To stay in touch with Swami Nikhilanand Ji, like his Facebook page at https:// w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / SwamiNikhilanand or follow him on twitter at https://twitter.com/ Swami_Nikhil.

24 India Post

Community Across America

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Benny Dayal in 'Bang Bang' Diwali concert India Post News Service

SAN JOSE, CA: GiG Gurus, Llc, an event management company based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, has officially launched and announced its first Bollywood event with singer Benny Dayal.

The 'Bang Bang' concert will feature Benny Dayal and his band FunktuaTion live for the very first time in the Bay Area, California.

Benny will be accompanied by the

talented vocalist Shakthisree Gopalan of Nenjukulle fame. This Diwali extravaganza will be held on November 13 at 8 pm at the Jubilee Center, San Jose.

GiGGurus is a brand new events-initiative of Media Mahima along with a few like-minded organizations, who have come together to put together entertaining "gigs" for the South Asian community.

Commenting on the concert

Kavita S, one of the founding members of Gig Gurus said, "Benny is an exceptionally talented singer. The Bang Bang event is not a typical Bollywood concert.

It is an entire entertainment package. We are the only concert with a dedicated dance floor for our patrons.

Anju Desai of the Sankara Eye Foundation remarked that this was the only concert that identified three different organizations, one in the local service sector (Com- Radio Dehotties Network which munity Seva), one working with airs exclusively in the San Franfamilies and children (Jeena) and cisco Bay Area on DESI 1170 AM; one in the healthcare area (Sankara the longest-running and most Eye Foundation). It will donate popular 24X7 radio station in the generously from each ticket sale, Bay Area. living up to the benevolent nature Benny is the recipient of the of the late Mahima ji. That is the prestigious Filmfare RD Burman Biggest Difference", she said Award for New Music Talent complimenting Gig Gurus, the or- Award. The singer got his first ganizers. break when he sang for Oscar At the launch meet some of the award winning music director A.R. esteemed founding members of Rahman for a Tamil movie. Benny Gig Gurus including Rakhi Israni Dayal has sung in various lanand Nitesh Singh of Excel Test guages such as Hindi, Tamil, Prep were present and vouched Telugu among others. Benny is their support for this novel initia- widely popular for hit songs such tive. as "Pappu Can't Dance", "Bang Gig Gurus and Media Mahima Bang", "Locha E Ulfat", "Ek Mein also introduced to the press the Hoon... Au Ek Tu", "Kaise Mujhe beneficiary partners of the event - Tum Mil Gayi..." "Rehna Tu..."

Sankara Eye Foundation, Community Seva Benny is the recipient of the and Jeena.

Each Seva Benefi- prestigious Filmfare RD Burciary will receive $10 per man Award for New Music ticket for every ticket that is purchased from Talent. The singer got his first the website break when he sang for www.giggurus.events Oscar award winning music with the unique "seva code" provided to each director A.R. Rehman. of the organizations.

Each of the beneficiary partner "Badtameez Dil" amongst many has the potential of selling up to others. Benny has worked with 2000 tickets and the possibility to some of the top music directors of raise $20,000 for their respective the industry like A R Rahman, causes via the promotion of ticket Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishalsales with the use of their assigned Shekhar, Pritam, Amit Trivedi SEVA codes. among others.

Speaking at the event, Kishan Benny was born and raised in S, one of the founding members Abu Dhabi where he completed of Gig Gurus said, "There is no his schooling. He went on to comcompetition between the benefi- plete his B.Com from Madras ciary partners. It is for the entire Christian College. Benny's band community and we want to give FunktuaTion is known for its back the entire $20,000 towards the unique funkrock style and have community." performed live all over India and Echoing his sentiments Nathan in several countries outside of InGaneshan. Founder & President of dia. This, "Bang Bang" concert, Community Seva said, "10$ is a however, will be their first GiG in very healthy amount, it can help the USA. us feed two hungry bellies. Please Shakthisree is a vocalist and help us grow and support our com- also has her own band 'Off The munity."

Record.' She has been the backMedia Mahima is a leading San ing vocalist for many A.R. Rahman Francisco-based media house fo- songs before the music director cusing on "Funformational" (Fun gave her a break in Nenjukulle for and Information) programming for the movie, Kadal. She is a two-time the South Asian Community. Me- winner of the prestigious FilmFare dia Mahima produces programs in Award for Best Playback Singer several Indian languages for the (Tamil).

October 16, 2015

India Post 25 www.indiapost.com

NEWS on your desktop www.indiapost.com

October 16, 2015

26 India Post www.indiapost.com

FOR ALL YOUR

TRAVEL NEEDS INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC

AIR INDIA AND ALL OTHER MAJOR AIRLINES.

PACKAGE DEAL TAJ TOUR-SOTC

SEEMA WORLD TRAVEL, INC. One of the Oldest Travel Agencies in St. Louis

Competitive Rates & Confirmed Seats for All Major Airlines 10635 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132

Tel: (314) 423-9990 or (800) 55 SEEMA CALL:

Sita Ram Patel @ 847-568-0535 New York (Hicksville)

AIRWING TRAVELS INC.

Tel: (516) 931 4600

Est. 1991 Toll Free: (866) 532 3413

New Jersey (Iselin)

Tel: (732) 658 5450

Lowest Fares / Confirmed Seats to INDIA & Other Destinations Worldwide Save upto 40% on First and Business Class OPEN 7 DAYS - Call or Email : AIRWINGTRAVELS@GMAIL.COM

Fax: (314) 423-0391

Horoscope

October 16, 2015

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 16th - October 22nd 2015

ou will find it real easy to get an important job done with the government agency. Past actions will make you famous in social circle. There is an overseas trip in the air for some. Concentration of planets in eleventh is favorable for all financial matters. Speculations and stocks will be profitable.

Y

t will be better to maintain a low profile for the time being and wait for the right moment to make your move. In the mean time there is no harm in exploring the opportunity. Your small advise to a close friend will turn around his life for good. You will be visited by close relatives this week.

I

C

ombination of Mars, Venus and Jupiter in fifth will be helpful. All business trips will be helpful.

You will be just lucky in all financial matters and may make some money through stocks also.

People appearing for any competitive exam will do better than expectation.

Bank balance will escalate suddenly.

Y

ou will help spouse do some serious cleaning inside and outside your home and get rid of lots of stuff piling up dust for a long time. You will keep working on your plans to diversify in business and may even make a serious offer to purchase another location. Money wise you will continue to stay in safe zone.

B

eing sick and tired of stale life, you will take a big chance. Results will be beyond even your expectations. This time the benefit will come for long term. Mind will have lots of conflict but you will end up going for what is righteous. You will have several chance of making money in a very fast manner.

T

ransiting planets in tenth can create some unsatisfactory conditions at work, kind of forcing you to look for opportunity else where. Watch out for female associate or boss as they can create some problems.

Expenses will definitely exceed your budget. Some one will visit you from a distant place and may spend few days with you.

Y

Y

lanets in second will bring a great financial opportunity out of no where, and not less than a big financial windfall. Gamble will pay off and the other side to your surprise will accept the proposal and make the offer. You will be preparing for an upcoming important business trip also. Health will improve with restricted and new diet plan.

P

R

lanets are really in good shape to help you out in almost all areas of life.

Children will be a major source of happiness. You may change your plans to attend a religious event on last minute. Some major roadblocks will be removed in career with the help of some one young. You will receive blessings and good piece of advice from a learned person.

P

xpenses will definitely exceed your income and you may have to dig into your savings to pay off some big bills.

Some of you may be desperately looking for another opportunity outside your organization. Relatives will bring nice things.

You may also give final shape to a short vacation with family.

ou may desperately look for some solution for a tricky situation and call few friends and old confidant for advise. Another good week for brokers.

Money will come and disappear fast. You may also visit a holy place and participate in some special prayers. Watch out for someone trying to flirt with you.

ight eye may stay red or you may need to get eye sight rechecked. There is an overseas trip in the air for some. Money will be spent on buying valuable gifts for others and some nice items for the house. Keep distance from a person trying to get too personal. Expect few very favorable change at work. A promotion is also not out of question this week.

ou may finally launch a major project in association with some successful and well known people in the industry. You may be still waiting for the decision about a appeal filed recently.

Money will go on buying some gifts. A big family reunion may also take place this week. You may take family out to a nice place for dinner.

E

27

India Post 29

October 16, 2015 www.indiapost.com

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Tu Chahiye : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 Baaton Ko Teri: All Is Well 3 Bhar Do Jholi Meri : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 4 Main Hoon Hero Tera: Hero 30 India Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

5 Afghan Jalebi : Phantom 6 Zindagi Kuch Toh Bata : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 7 Mere Humsafar : All Is Well 8 Yadaan Teriyaan : Hero 9 Chaar Shanivaar : All Is Well 10 Khoya Khoya : Hero

A "After Kareena Kapoor got married she too was being paired with younger heroes like Imran Khan and Arjun Kapoor. It's to let the world know, a hot-andhappening leading lady's glamour quotient and the level of d esirability have not gone down after marriage."

fter Asin, is it Katrina Kaif's turn to tie the knot? Like Asin, Katrina has now started to cut down on her workload.

Says a source close to the developments, "She opted out of the film Kung Fu Yoga with Jackie Chan after negotiations had almost reached closure. Now the role has gone to Ileana d' Cruz. Katrina also said no to major films like Rohit Shetty's Dilwale, Sanjay Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani and Ashutosh Gowariker's Mohenjo Daro only because they looked like time-consuming projects."

A close friend reveals, "She is definitely cutting down on her roles, though we don't know about marriage." Katrina Kaif has only two projects on hand at the moment.

Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor is almost complete.

P

riyanka Chopra, who made her in ternational TV debut with American thriller series "Quantico", has replaced Alia Bhatt to top the list of "most sensational celebrity" as cyber crooks are using her name to lure netizens to malicious websites, security software company Intel Security has announced.

In its ninth edition this year, Intel Security Most Sensational Celebrity survey has found Priyanka topping the charts in Indian cyberspace, followed by Shraddha Kapoor, Kapil Sharma, Jacqueline Fernandez and Kangana Ranaut. The software company researched popular culture's most famous people to reveal the riskiest celebrity across the web and this year, Priyanka came at the top, read a statement.

K

angana Ranaut was taken aback to hear the buzz about h e r Ketan Mehtad i rected biopic Rani Laxmi Bai being shelved. Refuting the rumors, the actress says the film will go on the floors as scheduled, and preproduction work was already in full swing.

Kangana, who was on her way to London to speak at the Women in the World summit after attending a few shows at the ongoing Paris Fashion Week, says even the filmmaker laughed off the rumors. "This is a magnum opus and it needs at least one year of pre-production which has started in full swing.

"We all have invested way too much in the film.

Naturally, we panicked but in the past, too, we have been a victim of such fabricated stories which were spread to harm our projects," Kangana said in a statement.

Bollywood

October 16, 2015

India Post 31

www.indiapost.com

N

awazuddin Siddiqui, known for his strong performances in Bollywood films like Gangs of Wasseypur 2, Kick, and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, says the quality of Indian movies is as good as any world cinema.

"Our cinema...that we are making, is no less than any world cinema. We are making good films and they are getting appreciated worldwide especially at film festivals. It's not necessary to do a Hollywood film to prove one's skills as an actor. "I don't think I need to do Hollywood films. If I get an opportunity, I will consider it.

But it's not any do or die situation," Nawazuddin, who will be seen in the Hollywood project Lion, says.

The 42-year-old is content with his work. Asked about doing TV shows, he said: "I don't watch TV. There's no time. I am enjoying acting in movies. So, it's better to focus on that only," he said.

He just hopes to grow with every film as an actor. "I never thought that people would be inspired by me. I just came here to work. Thank god I got what I wanted.

I like to focus on honesty and hard work. These are the only two things that are in my control. Rest, it's up to the audience," said the actor, who has films like Raees and Anurag Kashyap's upcoming directorial.

"Late night shoot. All tired but was fun.

Laughs with happy co-actors. Kajol looked stunning.

Varun dashing. Kriti so pretty.�

S

uperstar Shah Rukh Khan says his "Dilwale" co-star Kajol looked "stunning" despite a late night shoot, which was tiring.

The 49-year-old star, who has turned all his focus to Rohit Shetty's directorial, took to Twitter to talk about his hectic life and 'Dilwale' team - actors Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon. "Late night shoot.

All tired but was fun. Laughs with happy co-ac-

R

tors. Kajol looked stunning. Varun dashing. Kriti so pretty. I looked like me," SRK shared.

Bollywood's blockbuster director Rohit has managed a casting coup of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol after the 2010 film 'My Name Is Khan'. The film is slated to release on December 18.

POWERFUL ROLE

icha Chadha has always being known for her in tense character but while she has no qualms on doing a candy floss role she wishes to work with all the Khans from Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Irrfan khan.

Richa is excited and happy to receive compliments on the first look of her character in the upcoming Pooja Bhatt film "Cabaret". She said "I am happy that I am appearing hot in the first look and my producer Pooja Bhatt is happy... you will encounter lots of songs in the film. I am waiting how people will receive the film." Currently she is busy promoting Prawaal Raman film 'Main aur Charles' with Randeep Hooda in the lead.

M

odel-turned-actress Mugdha Godse, who will be seen playing a powerful and dominating business woman in her upcoming film Ishq Ne Krazy Kiya Re, says she doesn't mind playing glamorous roles but would enjoy "an intense powerful role" more.

"I don't mind playing 'singing and running around tree' roles. Though I love to play emotional, glamorous roles, but I would enjoy more playing an intense powerful role," she said at a function for her forthcoming film.

„ Health

Line

Obama signs law preventing premium hikes WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has signed legislation aimed at preventing premium increases that some smaller businesses were expecting next year under his signature health care law.

It represents an uncommon instance in which both parties rallied behind an effort to revamp part of the Affordable Care Act. Under Obama's health care law, companies considered small busi-

Health Science 32 India Post

„ Arkansas to offer flu shots statewide LITTLE ROCK, Ark.: The Arkansas Department of Health is announcing plans to provide flu vaccines statewide in preparation for the 2015-16 flu season.

The department says each county health unit in the state will be hosting mass flu vaccine clinics during October and in November. The clinics are typically a daylong event when the health unit and community volunteers provide flu vaccine to as many people as possible.

People should bring their insurance cards to the flu vaccine clinic, however the vaccine will be available at no charge to those without insurance or if insurance doesn't cover the vaccine.

Health department reports show more than 70 people died due to influenza last flu season. -AP

October 16, 2015

Details on Page 35

Cancer survivor gives back, promotes cancer awareness events COVINGTON, GA: Eighteenyear-old Lofton Wheeles was by his mother's side as cancer survivors, cancer patient care-givers, friends and family enjoyed the music of The Drive Time Band

President Barack Obama

nesses must offer certain required benefits. Business groups had complained that many employers' health care costs would increase.

Previously, small businesses were defined as those having up to 50 employees. But that number was set to expand to 100 on January 1.

The new law keeps the small business definition at 50 workers but allows states to increase the number if they choose. -AP

www.indiapost.com

South Dakota planning to expand Medicaid

Velinda Wheeles

during the HOPE concert on the Covington Square, Sept. 27.

It was fitting he was there, because after all he, in part, is the reason his mother was there.

When Lofton was 10 months old, his mother Velinda Wheeles, wasn't just watching the toddler learn to walk, raising a fourth grader and an eighth grader and being a part of the community in Opelika, Alabama. She was also entering into the biggest battle of

her life.

One day in July of 1998, Velinda discovered a lump in her breast before heading out to help with a mother's day out program at her church. She then spent four hours watching over 3-yearolds before returning home and realizing it was still there. ``I thought it would go away,'' Velinda said. ``I was kind of in denial.''

After she realized the lump wasn't going away, she went to the doctor.

The very next week after the initial visit, Velinda was scheduled for a mammogram and ultrasound. She returned to her doctor, who told her he didn't like anything about what he had seen and asked if she would like to meet her surgeon.

Ten days after she found the lump, Velinda was under the knife having the cancer removed. ``They told me it was a very aggressive moving cancer,'' Velinda said. ``They told me if I had waited - and most moms, who are busy with a 10-month-old and kids in school sometimes have to - and took my time, I probably wouldn't still be here.''

Velinda didn't wait, she went

through with the mastectomy, underwent chemotherapy and radiation and continued to look after her children.

After the surgery, she even had a portrait made with her and her three kids all dressed in white.

That portrait went up in her living room, above the couch where she lied down and rested, not in a back room but among the activity of a young five-person family. ``I continued on, and never stopped. I didn't miss a lick,''

asking why. She doesn't have a family history of breast cancer, so why did she get it?

That was there question, it wasn't Velinda's. ``I never questioned why did this happen to me,'' Velinda said. ``I just thought why not me, why couldn't it happen to me. It just happens. I think He chose me because I'm not a shy person, I will talk to a brick wall, and sharing the story was never an issue with me.''

That is evident to anyone work-

Velinda said. ``When you have kids, younger ones especially, you have to continue to go.''

Friends and family supported her by bringing her children back and forth to dance and gymnastics, bringing over a meal or two, and purchasing diapers for Lofton. Upon visiting, they kept

ing who sees Velinda running around during downtown events, taking pictures, posting updates, meeting with visitors and store owners and setting up any of the dozens of events she oversees in downtown Covington as Main Street Director.

Cont'd on Page 33

Hollywood actress writes to Indian minister NEW DELHI: "X-Files" star Gillian Anderson, has written a letter to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare requesting a ban on repeat experiments on animals in toxicity tests.

47-year-old Anderson, a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) supporter, is currently in India shooting for Gurinder Chadha's "Viceroy's House".

In her letter addressed to Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Anderson said, "It's an honor to be in Jodhpur shooting Viceroy's House, a film set in 1947, a sad

X-Files star Gillian Anderson, has written a letter to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare requesting a ban on repeat experiments on animals in toxicity tests.

and momentous year in India's history. India holds a special place in my heart for many reasons, but especially for its cultural reverence for animals.

"I was so pleased to hear from my friends at PETA that the Drugs Technical Advisory Board operating under your Ministry agrees that animals should not have to

undergo cruel tests for new drug registrations when complete data from earlier toxicity experiments already exist for drugs that have been approved abroad.

"I therefore respectfully request that you move this process along by amending the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, immediately in order to stop redundant drug testing," Anderson said.

The Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) recommended a ban on repeat experiments on animals in toxicity tests for drugs that are already approved abroad. -PTI

October 16, 2015

Health Science Post

India Post 33

www.indiapost.com

Digital activity reveals people's nature LONDON: People tend to have distinctive, personal rhythm of digital activity that can give clues to their culture, communities, work schedules and sleep patterns, according to a new study.

Over the past decade, there has been a surge of scientific studies on the digital activity of people, such as making mobile calls, texting, e-mailing and posting on social media.

Because nearly all human behavior leaves a digital footprint, scientists can use such digital activity as a proxy to track human activity in general, for example to study differences between cultures or communities in sleep patterns, work schedules, and leisure activities, researchers said.

Researchers from Finland and Denmark searched for pronounced, long-term differences in rhythm between individuals.

They show that people tend to have their personal rhythm of digital activity almost like a personal signature.

"Each individual follows their own distinctive and persistent daily rhythm," said Doctoral Candidate Talayeh Aledavood, from Aalto University in Finland.

These personal rhythms could be detected in multiple datasets, and to a similar extent from e-mail, phone calls, and text messages.

"In almost every case, the individual patterns differ strongly from the average behavior, for example by increased calling frequency during mornings, mid-days, or evenings," said Aledavood, who performed the research with Jari Saramaki, from Aalto

University and Sune Lehmann, from Technical University of Denmark.

What drives these individual differences is not yet clear. Geographical and cultural differences clearly play a role, researchers said.

The researchers believe that there could also be an effect of physiology, for example caused by the difference between morning and evening persons, or by highly individual patterns of alertness during the day-

Researchers from Finland and Denmark searched for pronounced, long-term differences in rhythm between individuals. They show that people tend to have their personal rhythm of digital activity - almost like a personal signature. light hours.

"We see this research as a first step of the way to understanding how activity patterns and chronotype are related to other personal characteristics, such as personality or mobility behavior," said Lehmann.

Researchers show that these personal digital rhythms persist in time, meaning they are truly characteristic for each individual. -PTI

Cancer survivor gives back, promotes cancer awareness events Cont'd from Page 32

When she started as Main Street Director in Opelika, Alabama she reached out to the local cancer center at East Alabama Medical Center and asked what they did for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

When they said nothing, she came up with a plan to start a ``Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.''

To sell her idea, she gathered business leaders and community members in a room and had a picture with a white sheet covering it in the front of the room.

She told the attendees why they needed to support the cause of breast cancer awareness. She then pulled the sheet off the picture and revealed the portrait she had made with her and her three children. ``I said I just want you to know this is the face of cancer.''

Ten years later, the event that started with 150 people, now is a main cog for Opelika's cancer awareness foundation that helps pay for mammograms for people in need. ``It is a really cool feeling to think that

I used this opportunity for good,'' Velinda said. ``It just happens because of me wanting to give back something to people that gave so much to me.''

Velinda has the same attitude of giving back as the Main Street Director of Covington, continuing to help promote breast cancer awareness. When she first arrived, she received a phone call about permitting procedures for the HOPE concert. ``I said I want to be a part of this,'' Velinda said. ``I just really do have that need, once something has been done for you, you have that desire to give back and help somebody else.''

Maybe that's why Lofton was in Covington a week ago, helping and supporting his mother as she attended the HOPE concert and made sure everyone knew of the passionate things that Covington does, he was giving back to his mother.

Seventeen years ago she sat on her couch in Opelika looking up at the portrait of him at 10 months old, with his two siblings and said ``That's what I fight for.''-PTI

High risk groups to get free vaccine NEW DELHI: With the scare of swine flu looming over the city, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has directed health authorities to make preparations for free and mandatory vaccination of health care providers and high risk groups for prevention of H1N1 Influenza virus.

Jain gave the directions in the meeting of all stakeholders to review the preparedness for dealing with the H1N1 virus, given the reports that this virus (Swine Flu) is spreading in many parts of the country.

"The minister directed that doctors, nurses, other paramedics in both government and private hospitals, and high risk groups like children, senior citizens, pregnant women, will be provided free vaccination in hospitals for effective prevention," said a senior Delhi government official.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Directorate of Education, Nodal health officers of all Railway Stations, ISBT and DMRC, AIIMS, medical superintendents of Delhi government hospitals and private laboratories.

Further, it has been decided that the ICMR will coordinate with AIIMS and NCDC to identify the circulating strain of

H1N1 virus along with virulency and mortality of the strain.

Also, Director Education will appoint nodal teachers in schools to make students and staff aware about the preventive steps against H1N1 virus.

H1N1 designated hospitals will send samples to AIIMS, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest

Institute (VPCI) or National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for influenza testing.

All three designated government labs must ensure the correct reporting within stipulated time, said Jain.

Private laboratories have been told once again that the maximum charges for influenza testing will remain capped at Rs 4500.

They have been told that since facilities for proficiency testing are available with them, no charges can be taken for sending samples to any other lab. -PTI

34 India Post

Health Science Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Anxiety could be driving Facebook addiction WASHINGTON: Social anxiety and the gium. need to feel part of a group may drive ex"More research into the synergistic nacessive and uncontrolled use of Facebook, ture of these factors and additional issues which in turn can negatively affect work, that should be included in a prediction health and well-being, a new study sug- model of this phenomenon may help aid in gests. In the study, both social anxiety and future assessment and prevention plans," the need for social assurance were positive predictors of problematic Facebook use, researchers said.

But the link between social anxiety and excessive use of Facebook was only significant for users who had medium to high levels of need for social assurance, defined as a strong desire to seek companionship and interact with others.

Researchers Roselyn Lee-Won from The Ohio State University, Leo Herzog from Hope College in Michigan, and Sung Gwan Park from Seoul National University, Korea note that the combined social connections capability and messaging features of Facebook may offer an appealing social media environment for users with social anxiety. "Problematic Combined social connections capability and messaging features of Facebook may offer an appealing Facebook use seems to result from social media environment for users with social multi-factorial causes and personalanxiety ity attributes," said Brenda K Wiederhold, from the Interactive Media said Wiederhold. The study was published Institute, San Diego, California and Virtual in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behaviour, Reality Medical Institute, Brussels, Bel- and Social Networking.-PTI

'Health plan should move people upward' LITTLE ROCK, Ark.: Consultants hired

by Arkansas legislators to review the state's ``private option'' Medicaid plan have recommended that the program continue but suggested changes that would move participants into jobs and ensure they are leading healthy lives.

Under its own approach to the federal Affordable Care Act, Arkansas uses federal money to help buy private insurance for poorer residents. It paid consultants at The Stephen Group of New Hampshire to consider what Arkansas should do as it begins paying an increasing share of costs in 2017.

Earlier findings from the consultants projected Arkansas would see a net benefit of $438 million between 2017 and 2021 under the private option. ``At the same time, the traditional Medicaid program is growing at an unsustainable pace, displacing other critical services, such as education, public safety and criminal justice,'' their report said.

They recommended moving people out of the private option and moving them ``upward on a ladder of opportunity.'' Their report said recipients should be referred for jobs and that the state should support businesses that hire people into positions that include health insurance coverage.

The state also should require that recipients take part in wellness programs, similar to those in many private businesses. Premiums and co-payments would be assessed to those who don't meet health targets, and people who refuse to take part could be dropped. ``It's the people you serve that we want you to think about,'' consultant John Stephen said. Rather than just paying providers for their tasks, there should be ``better health care outcomes'' at the end of the day, he said.

The Health Reform Legislative Task Force met to hear the report and ask ques-

tions. Additional meetings are set for Oct. 20, Nov. 10 and in December as it works toward an end-of-the-year deadline for recommendations to Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Legislature on where Arkansas goes next. ``It outlines a clear path forward. It certainly meets my expectations,'' said Sen. David Sanders, R-Little Rock. ``It also meets the expectations that we've heard voiced out of the Legislature and the executive branch. Now it's a question of will.

Is there a will to act?''

Stephen said that moving people into

The state also should require that recipients take part in wellness programs, similar to those in many private businesses. jobs means that enrollment in the private option should be temporary. To underscore that, he suggested a new name - T-HIP, or Transitional Health Insurance Program. ``The success of every public assistance program should be measured by how many people are able to move themselves off the aid and up the ladder of opportunity,'' a summary of the report said. ``This is particularly true for programs for able-bodied adults.''

More than 225,000 people are covered by the private option, and the consultants said that 40 percent have no income. ``There is a much larger looming public policy crisis resulting from massive future growth in traditional Medicaid if the state does not reform this program,'' the report said. -AP

Vision disorders due to lack of awareness NEW DELHI: As many as 42 per cent drivers in India have vision problems and 59 per cent of the road accidents are related to poor sight, says a study.

The major challenge for overcoming eye disorders in India is lack of awareness and accessibility to eye care, the study, conducted by Vision Impact Institute, said.

It added that 42 per cent of workers in India have vision problems, reducing their productivity and resulting in a loss of USD 37 billion annually.

The study was released in the run up to World Sight Day. In order to draw attention to the importance of good vision and raising awareness about the same, lens maker Essilor has launched a nationwide campaign by conducting eye screenings in various states.

It is also working to bring vision care to

the doorstep of people in rural and semiurban areas by training youth about the basics of vision screening and spectacle dispensing.

Highlighting the need for better eye care, Chief Corporate Mission Officer, Essilor International, Jayanth Bhuvaraghan, said, "There is a need to bring all stakeholders together to build a cohesive public education campaign besides linking skill development with vision care for improving the access to quality vision care through trained human resources."

According to World Health Organization, as many as 550 million people in India need vision correction and the total productivity loss due to uncorrected vision is estimated to be Rs 2 lakh crore per annum.-PTI

October 16, 2015

Health Science Post

India Post 35

www.indiapost.com

South Dakota planning to expand Medicaid FORT PIERRE, S.D.: A coalition of health representatives and state and tribal officials established by Gov. Dennis Daugaard to explore the possibility of expanding Medicaid in South Dakota is first focusing on how to free up enough funds to pay for the state's share.

The Health Care Solutions Coalition met for the first time in Fort Pierre. The Daugaard administration has broadly outlined to federal officials a proposal to expand the health coverage program for low-income and disabled people and the federal government is taking the ideas seriously, said Kim Malsam-Rysdon, a senior adviser to the governor.

Members of the coalition will

work out the details of paying for the state's share, which would be offset by savings to make up for the expected cost of between $30 million and $33 million starting in 2020.

The Republican governor met with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to explain the plan. A spokesman for the department said in a statement that the administration is ``willing

The administration also wants to improve access to care on the state's reservations.

The response to the proposal from Native American tribes in the state has been promising, said Jerilyn Church of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board. ``We're not talking about expansion unless we can free up the funding to do it,'' Malsam-Rysdon said.

to work with any state interested in expanding Medicaid.''

The proposal, which is in its early stages, would make about

48,500 South Dakota residents newly eligible for the program.

The federal government in 2014 rejected a plan from the state to partially expand Medicaid.

The proposal aims to pay for the state's share in part by expanding access to services that are fully funded by the federal government, with the goal of freeing up enough state funding to pay for the addition of more residents to the Medicaid program.

Officials are focusing on people who are eligible for Medicaid but can get services through the Indian Health Service. The goal is to make services through the Indian Health Service more accessible so that people don't have to go to an outside health

care provider, which can happen if the IHS is unable to offer a specific service.

Those services at the IHS are fully funded by the federal government through Medicaid rather than through the typical split in financing between the state and the federal government. The state is also asking for a change in the classification of some services to have them fully paid for by the federal government.

The administration also wants to improve access to care on the state's reservations. The response to the proposal from Native American tribes in the state has been promising, said Jerilyn Church of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board. -AP

Positive emotions promote healthy behavior WASHINGTON: People with heart disease may benefit from maintaining positive emotions, according to a new study.

The study tracked more than 1,000 patients with coronary heart disease over the course of five years.

Patients who reported higher positive psychological states were more likely to be physically active, sleep better and take their heart medications and were also less likely to smoke, compared to patients with lower levels of positive states.

"Negative emotions and depression are known to have harmful effects on health, but it is less clear how positive emotions might be health-protective," said Nancy

L Sin, postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Healthy Aging and in the department of bio behavioral health at Penn State.

"We found that positive emotions are associated with a range of long-term health habits, which are important for reducing the risk of future heart problems and death," Ms Sin said.

The researchers assessed psychological well-being of participants at baseline and again at a five-year follow-up by asking the participants to rate the extent that they had felt 10 specified positive emotions, including "interested," "proud," "enthusiastic" and "inspired."

Physical activity, sleep quality, medication adherence and alcohol

and cigarette use were also measured at baseline and again five years later.

"Higher levels of positive emotions were associated with

Though positive emotions at baseline did not predict changes in health behaviors five years later, increases in positive emotions across the five-year period were associated with improvements in physical activity, sleep quality and medication adherence. less smoking, greater physical activity, better sleep quality and more adherence to medications" at baseline, said the researchers.

They found no correlation between positive emotions and al-

Steps to boost health infra in Himachal NEW DELHI: The government has said that it has taken "concrete steps" to strengthen public health infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh, including sanctioning of an AIIMS and a tertiary cancer care centre.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda said that his ministry also has recently sanctioned the opening of a Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) wellness centre in Shimla which has been a long-pending demand.

"Union Health Ministry has been committed to strengthening the public health infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh and has taken concrete steps towards this end,"

Nadda said.

He said that the process of procurement of medical equipment worth Rs 32.78 cr for the Tanda Medical College is underway and the procurement process will be completed shortly.

The Health Minister said that he is personally monitoring the situation and has directed Ministry officials to expedite the process.

"A tertiary cancer care centre worth Rs 45 cr has been sanctioned in IGMC, Shimla. In addition, an AIIMS has been approved for the state. Further process for that is underway to make it operational soon.

"The Health Ministry has also

cohol use. The results took into account patients' demographic factors, depressive symptoms and the severity of their heart conditions.

released the first installment for upgrading of district hospitals into two medical colleges in Nahan and Hamirpur," Nadda said.

Elaborating about the CGHS Wellness Centre, Nadda said that his ministry had approved one for Shimla in December 2014 and it is waiting for an appropriate site and building space which the state government has to provide.

Nadda said that the interests of the state in providing additional infrastructure to boost its health delivery systems have always been taken care of.

"The ministry has recently approved a level-2 trauma centre for Tanda Medical College and a level-3 trauma centre for

Though positive emotions at baseline did not predict changes in health behaviors five years later, increases in positive emotions across the five-year period were associated with improvements in physical activity, sleep quality and medication adherence.

There are a number of reasons why positive emotions are linked to optimal health habits, the researchers suggest.

People with greater positive well-being may be more motivated and persistent in engaging in healthy behaviors.

They might have more confidence in their abilities to maintain routines such as physical activity and sleep hygiene.

Positive emotions may also enable people to better adjust their health goals and to proactively cope with stress and setbacks.

"Efforts to sustain or enhance positive emotions may be promising for promoting better health behaviors," said researchers.

The study is published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. -PTI

SD to receive $25K from settlement PIERRE, S.D.: Attorney General Marty Jackley says South Dakota will receive about $25,000 from a multistate settlement with a nursing home pharmacy accused of soliciting and receiving kickbacks from a manufacturer.

Federal prosecutors announced that the $9.25 million settlement with Kentucky-based PharMerica Corp. resolves claims that it received kickbacks from Abbott Laboratories in exchange for recommending that physicians prescribe the Abbott-manu-

factured drug Depakote.

The settlement partially resolves allegations in two whistleblower lawsuits.

Jackley says about $16,500 of state's share will be retained by the federal government as the federal Medicaid share. The remainder will go to the state general fund.

In 2012, Abbott pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $1.5 billion over allegations that it promoted Depakote for patients with dementia and autism - uses not ap-

36 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 16, 2015

Realty Tidbits

Home buyers can get 90% of cost MUMBAI: Banks can now provide home loans up to 90 per cent for properties that cost Rs 30 lakh or below, RBI has said.

Earlier, the facility was available only in cases where the cost was up to Rs 20 lakh.

This will benefit those home seekers who plan to buy properties in the range of Rs 20-30 lakh.

The RBI's decision comes in the wake of all major banks reducing interest rate on home loans.

The Reserve Bank, through a circular, said that in the case of 'individual housing loans' falling under the loan category of up to Rs 30 lakh, the LTV (Loan to Value) ratio is now up to 90 per cent.

For properties above Rs 30 lakh and up to Rs 75 lakh, the LTV is up to 80 per cent and those above Rs 75 lakh, the ratio comes in at 75 per cent.

It has also modified the provisioning or risk-weights norms for home loans. -PTI

Former Bay City Times building sold BAY CITY, Mich.: The former Bay City Times building has been sold, and the new owner plans to redevelop it for retail and residential uses.

The Bay City Times reports Rod Hildebrant bought the build-

ing for about $500,000. The Bay City-based Home and Hospice Advantage CEO says the next step is interviewing architects.

Development is being handled

by Jenifer Acosta, Hildebrant's daughter and president of a Midland real estate development firm.

She says they aim to preserve the two-story structure built in 1900 and later expanded.

The building has been unoccupied since the newspaper moved last year.

The Bay City Times is part of MLive Media Group, which has sold several buildings in recent years. They include the former homes of The Grand Rapids Press, Flint Journal and Saginaw News. -AP

Real Estate 37 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 16, 2015

Property listing site enters re-sale market MUMBAI: Property listing site NoBroker.com, which is active in the rentals segment has made a foray into the resale market to assist clients to buy and sell properties without brokers.

"We have already established our position as the only portal to assist our customers in hassle-free transactions in the rental space without the intervention of brokers. We now want to extend the services in the resale market, where there is a huge demand currently," Chief Executive of the Bengaluru-based firm Amit Agarwal told PTI here. -PTI

Oak Crest offers quick move-in homes with savings event India Post News Service

ANTIOCH, CA: Oak Crest at Hidden Glen in Antioch by William Lyon Homes is offering savings on quick move-in homes.

During the Pick and Pack Savings Event,* buyers can pick their favorite way to save big on design studio credit, closing costs or additional appliances for a limited time only.

Featured homes include Residence Five, Homesite 267 with approximately 2,763 square feet, four bedrooms, a loft and three baths in a desirable cul-de-sac setting near community amenities.

Learn more at www.LyonOakCrest.com.

"This is the perfect time to buy a new home at Oak Crest and start packing for a quick move-in," said Kathy Floyd, Director of Sales for William Lyon Homes. "With the final homes now selling at Oak Crest, buyers should act quickly to receive these incredible savings while they last."

Additional neighborhoods participating in this event include Cielo at Palmilla in Brentwood, Maplewood in Tracy and Victory at Vista Del Mar in Pittsburg. Learn more at www.lyonhomes.com/ northern-california.

Oak Crest's final single-family

homes range from approximately 2,552 to 2,763 square feet, with 3 to 5 bedrooms, 2.5 to 4 baths and 2-car garages. Prices start from the low $500,000s and homeowners enjoy the benefit of no Mello Roos and no HOA.** Brokers will receive a 3% referral fee per closing. Brokers must bring client on first visit to regis-

homebuilding and committed to providing a high quality homebuying and homeownership experience, William Lyon Homes has earned a solid track record for outstanding construction and customer service since 1956. The company continues to expand its well-respected brand beyond California, Arizona and Nevada and

ter for broker referral fee. Buyers cannot be registered online prior to first visit. Broker referral fee to be paid at the close of escrow.

It matters who your builder is and William Lyon Homes is a company built upon a legacy of pride and integrity. A team of visionaries who are passionate about

into other market areas across the Western region with the acquisition of Polygon Northwest Homes, its newest division in Washington and Oregon, and its Village Homes division in Colorado. William Lyon Homes' shares are publicly traded on NYSE under the symbol WLH. For updated information and to

learn more, visit www.lyonhomes.com.

To visit Oak Crest, travel east on Highway 4, exit Hillcrest Avenue and turn right. Turn left on Hidden Glen Drive, right on Braemar Street and left on Dundee Street to the Sales Gallery and Models, which are open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please call 925.777.9955.

Prices, plans and product information subject to change. *All homes subject to prior sale. Buyers must purchase between September 12, 2015 and October 31, 2015 and close escrow by December 18, 2015 to qualify. Homes that do not already have flooring are subject to added price if upgrade is selected by buyer. Prices and availability of homes subject to change without notice. See sales counselors for details. **Lyon will be paying off the balance due to CFD 1989-1 on a per lot basis up until District maturity in tax year 2015-2016. Lyon would not be in a position to cover any additional or new tax as the establishment of a new District is out of our control. Formation of a new District or extension of an assessment beyond maturity would require a vote of the residents and District Board approval.

14 foreign firms to prepare Smart City plans NEW DELHI: Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has said there is a huge global interest in India's Smart City mission and companies from 14 countries like US, Canada, UK, France, Japan have been selected for preparation of Smart City plans for 42 mission cities.

Speaking at an event organized by FICCI here, Naidu said that 88 Mission Cities have chosen consultants to assist them in preparation for their smart city plans.

He said the mission has generated much interest abroad and companies from 14 countries in-

cluding US, Canada, United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Norway, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong,

South Africa and Abu Dhabi have been selected for preparation of city level Smart City Plans for 42 of the Mission cities.

Venkaiah Naidu said that 88 Mission Cities have chosen consultants to assist them in preparation for their smart city plans.

"Think of Ecorys Nederland BV of Netherlands coming forward and winning the bid to prepare Smart City Plan for Bhagalpur in Bihar, Tractebel Engineering SA of Belgium being associated with smart city plan of Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh, Haskoning DHV Consulting of Netherland with the little known Dahod in Gujarat, Mott MacDonald of United Kingdom with Jaipur, Deloitte Touche Tohmastsu of Japan with Bidhannagar in West Bengal, Data World of South Africa with remote Namchi in Sikkim," Naidu said naming the companies.

Cont’d on page 38

Real Estate Post

38 India Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

New mortgage disclosure rules to affect buyers

C

losing on a home can be exciting but also stressful for buyers, particularly those who are relying on financing. New rules aim to make sure buyers at least have a better understanding of the financial obligations they are signing up for when they take on a home loan.

New ``Know Before You Owe'' rules, which took effect Oct. 3, require lenders to provide borrowers with clearly laid out details on their loan and what it will cost them in an initial estimate and, closer to closing, a final summary. Borrowers also will have a minimum of three business days to review their final loan terms and fees before the transaction closes. ``It's going to be easier to compare loan offers, and when you close it's going to be easier to check to see if you're getting the loan that you were promised,'' said Holden Lewis, a mortgage analyst at Bankrate.com.

The new rules, put in place by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, also open the door to potential delays should factors such

as a borrower's credit score change near the closing date, forcing lenders to restart the loan disclosure process.

These tips will help you steer clear of problems: UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES Instead of the ``Truth In Lending'' document and the ``Good Faith Disclosure'' previously required, borrowers will now receive a ``Loan Estimate'' and ``Closing Disclosure.''

Lenders must give the Loan Estimate to consumers within three business days after they apply. The form lays out the details such as interest rate, loan term and other features.

The Closing Disclosure, which lenders must provide to borrowers at least three days before the transaction closes, includes closing costs, monthly payment and other details.

Lenders also must give borrowers at least seven business days to review their loan documents between the time they receive their loan estimate and the clos-

ing. And no changes can be made to the loan within the three-day period before the loan closes. ``The reason for that is to make sure the consumer isn't hit with surprise last-minute changes they didn't expect and suddenly be caught at the closing table with information they weren't prepared for,'' said David Stevens, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Making changes to loan terms after the closing countdown has begun could require lenders to draw up new disclosure documents and reset the loan review periods before closing. That could cause delays of from 10 days to two weeks AVOID CAUSING DELAYS Making changes to loan terms after the closing countdown has begun could require lenders to draw up new disclosure documents and reset the loan review periods before closing.

That could cause delays of from

14 foreign firms to prepare Smart City plans Cont’d from page 37

This speaks for the global interest in our Smart City Mission, he said.

Naidu said that it is for the first time in our country, the cities are being selected based on competition under an urban development

which will then be evaluated in the second stage of City Challenge Competition for picking up the first batch of 20 cities based on rankings for financing during this financial year.

We would like to announce these 20 cities to be selected based only on merit in January and re-

mission. He said the Prime Minister wants these capable cities to act as light houses for others to follow in due course for ensuring good quality of urban life.

Naidu said that his ministry has given time till December 15 this year to urban local bodies to submit their city level Smart City Plans

lease funds, he added. Naidu said that populism is not always the best way and said that if authorities perform people may be willing to pay.

He said politicians were wary of taking hard decisions, but states like Gujarat had Madhya Pradesh had shown that people

10 days to two weeks, depending on how quickly the lender can process the new loan estimate, estimates Stevens.

What kind of loan changes would require new disclosures?

Switching from a fixed-rate to an adjustable-rate mortgage or an interest-only loan, for one. Or, a significant rise in interest rates -- more than one-eighth of a percent for a fixed-rate loan or one-quarter of a

reward performance and service delivery.

Naidu said he was not forcing any city to become smart city and it has to be a conscious choice.

He, however, added that smart cities could only be developed through reforms.

He said that the Smart City project is also a Herculean and challenging task. "It is difficult but doable," he added.

Naidu also said that the Real Estate Regulation Bill which has received the nod from the Parliament Select Committee will be placed before the Cabinet shortly and it could be tabled in the next session of Parliament.

Speaking about the Swacch Bharat Mission, he said the government wanted to make it a people's movement and it is catching up. He said that while some critics may say this or that has not happened, but that is their contribution, highlighting what is to be done.

Naidu also spoke about the need to utilize solar energy. -PTI

percent for adjustable-rate loans.

Reduce the likelihood of delays further by avoiding these actions: applying for credit, closing out a credit card or going on a creditspending spree before sealing the deal on a home. Those moves could change the homebuyer's credit score from what it was at

the time of the initial mortgage application, potentially knocking them into a higher interest rate.

ASK FOR A LONGER RATE LOCK Lenders will typically freeze your interest rate for 30 or 60 days, if not longer. Borrowers should consider asking their lender to lock in their rate a week or two beyond their expected closing date. That can provide a time cushion in the event there's a delay.

RETHINK THE `FINAL WALKTHROUGH' Given that the new disclosure rules prohibit changes to the loan terms three days before closing, homebuyers should consider doing their final walkthrough of the property several days before they receive their closing disclosure.

Walkthroughs typically took place on the day before or the actual day of closing. But scheduling the walkthrough earlier will give borrowers time to address potential repairs or problems that haven't been completed by the seller. -AP

Slowdown hits Maharashtra govt coffers MUMBAI: Slowdown in the realty industry has affected the revenue collection of Maharashtra government which is already reeling under financial constraints.

Urban Development (UDD) and the Housing departments, expected to be the top revenue achievers for the government, have been under-achievers with a

Sudhir Mungantiwar had assigned a revenue target of Rs 28,200 crore to the sales tax department for 2015-16.

"The figure of tax collections during last six months (April-September) has disappointed us. Sales Tax or revenue from VAT is the major source of revenue. But a slowdown in the construction industry has directly affected our revenue collection. We were expecting a revenue of Rs 2,500 crore but we could not achieve targets," Mungantiwar said.

Professional tax of Rs 309 crore has been collected in the first two quarters of the fiscal, up Rs 19 crore during the same period last year.

This year's Professional Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tax target is Rs 888 crore. mere 3 per cent tax collection in Road Transport department has the first two quarters of the finan- so far collected Rs 2,214 crore cial year. against the annual target of Rs Chief Minister Devendra 5,693 crore.

Fadnavis has instructed all departMungantiwar said the UDD ments to speed up recovery, issue and housing department's perforpending Government Resolutions mance has been "disappointing".

(GR) and push up redevelopment UDD collected Rs 173 crore schemes. against Rs 5,000 crore assigned in Sales Tax, excise and stamp duty the Budget, while housing departare another major resources of in- ment collected mere Rs 19.86 crore come for the state. in last six months against Rs 1,067 Maharashtra Finance Minister crore annual target. -PTI

October 16, 2015

Real Estate Post

India Post 39

www.indiapost.com

Historic building undergoes renovation TERRE HAUTE, Ind.: As an Indiana State University student in the mid-1960s, Sandy Billing frequently walked past the former Hotel Deming at the corner of Sixth and Cherry streets on her way to class.

Years later, she and her husband, Leon, had their first look at the transformed downtown landmark, now called The Deming, which re-opened this summer as apartments and retail/commercial space. Indiana Landmarks, a supporter of the project, hosted a community open house to show off the new amenities. ``The downstairs looks magnificent,'' Sandy Billing said, as the couple watched a slideshow of historic photographs in a ground-floor lounge area. ``We're anxious to take the rest of the tour.''

The renovations mark a third rebirth for the eight-story 140,000-square-foot structure at Sixth and Cherry streets.

Hotel Deming opened in 1914 and admitted guests until the early 1960s, when ISU gained the building for student housing. Terre Haute Housing Authority took over the building in the late 1970s for low-income senior citizen housing.

John Watson, Core Redevelopment managing partner, told the TribuneStar crews saved a lot of the structure's historic finishes while adding a modern ``flair.'' ``It creates a pretty inviting space (in which) to both live and work,'' he said.

After the housing authority planned to relocate residents across town to the old Warren School, Indiana Landmarks western regional office director Tommy Kleckner realized the building's next opportunity.

He contacted Core Redevelopment, an Indianapolis-based real estate development firm, which eventually won the bid for the project. Kleckner said with the company's record, he knew there would be an extraordinary renovation. ``It's really a project we'd like to see more of in Terre Haute,'' he said.

Kleckner stood near the building's fitness center, where the hotel's tavern, dining room and grill were located. The developers uncovered stained-glass windows in the fitness center, which had been covered with plywood from the outside for nearly 40 years.

He described the building's feel as a ``hip, modern vibe'' in a neoclassical setting.

BioMed Realty selling to Blackstone for $8 bn NEW YORK: Blackstone Real Estate Partners is buying BioMed Realty Trust Inc. in an all-cash deal valued at $8 billion.

The deal, for $23.75 per share, marks a 10 percent premium.

San Diego's BioMed, which owns properties in the drug development and life sciences industries, said that its board of directors approved the deal. The companies expect to close the acquisition in the first quarter of next year.

BioMed CEO Alan D. Gold said demand is outpacing supply for real estate to support a growing life sciences industry and that the sale helps maximize the company's value. Blackstone was drawn to BioMed because of the company's holdings in key life sciences markets like Boston, San Francisco and Seattle.

"We believe in the long-term fundamentals of this sector, particularly in locations with top-tier educational and research institutions," said Nadeem Meghji, co-head of U.S. real estate acquisitions for Blackstone. "-AP

John Watson, Core Redevelopment managing partner, told the Tribune-Star crews saved a lot of the structure's historic finishes while adding a modern ``flair.'' ``It creates a pretty inviting space (in which) to both live and work,'' he said.

The building contains 111 apartments, mostly one-bedroom, and all but one of the tenants has moved in, Watson said. Commercial space is still available, and developers are finalizing plans with Launch Terre Haute to relocate there.

The open house crowd had the opportunity to see the former second-floor ballroom, which is slated to be reno-

vated later. Large photographs of dances held at the hotel were displayed near the staircase.

Resident Stephanie Allison opened up her eighth-floor apartment to visitors, who marveled at the westward view from her living room. From her perch, Allison can see everything from ISU Foundation's office to the courthouse and beyond toward West Terre Haute.

Allison, a first-year graduate student studying dietetics at ISU, said she moved in Aug. 13. ``I love it,'' she said. ``The location's perfect. The view's great.'' -AP

40 India Post

L

umbini, meaning "the lovely," is the sacred site of the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha. It is located in southern Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in 563 BCE. Gautama, who achieved Enlightenment some time around 528 BCE, became the Gautama Buddha and founded Buddhism. Lumbini is one of many magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of Gautama Buddha. Other notable pilgrimage sites include Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath.

In the Buddha's time, Lumbini was a park situated in Kapilavastu, Nepal. A pillar marks the spot of Emperor Asoka's visit to Lumbiní. In the Sutta Nipáta it is stated that the Buddha was born in a village of the Sákyans, in the Lumbineyya Janapada. The Buddha stayed in Lumbinívana during his visit to Devadaha and there preached the Devadaha Sutta.

Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi Temple and several others which are still under construction. Many monuments, monasteries and a museum - the Lumbini International Research Institute - are also located within the holy site. Also located there is the Puskarini or Holy Pond where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath.

Lumbini was granted World Heritage

www.indiapost.com

status by UNESCO in 1997.

In the Sutta Nipáta, it is stated that the Buddha was born in a village of the Sákyans in the Lumbineyya Janapada. The Buddha stayed in Lumbinívana during his visit to Devadaha and there preached the Devadaha Sutta.

In 1896, Nepalese archaeologists (led

by Khadga Samsher Rana and assisted

by Alois Anton Führer) discovered a great stone pillar at Lumbini. Führer postulated that the pillar was placed at the site by Ashoka (emperor of the Maurya Empire) circa 245 BCE. Records made by the Chinese pilgrim Faxian in the early fifth century CE were also used in the process of identifying this religiously acclaimed site.

Recent excavations beneath existing brick structures at the Mayadevi Temple at Lumbini have uncovered evidence for an older timber structure beneath the walls of the newer brick Buddhist shrine, which was constructed during the Ashokan era.

The layout of the Ashokan shrine closely follows that of the earlier timber structure, which suggests a continuity of worship at the site.

Cont’d on page 42

October 16, 2015

October 16, 2015

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post

41

www.indiapost.com

Sidharth is Tourism NZ's India ambassador MUMBAI: Bollywood star Sidharth Malhotra has been announced as Tourism New Zealand's ambassador for India.

The 30-year-old "Brothers" actor will be

the first Indian ambassador for Tourism New Zealand.

An excited Sidharth said he is looking forward to visiting the foreign nation and explore its beauty and culture.

"I have heard from my friends about the many activities that New Zealand has to offer and I am very excited for this trip. I'm a traveler and New Zealand has so much to offer," he said in a statement.

"I am gearing up for some hard core adventure such as Skydive, SkyWalk and diving, and I can't wait to experience the local wildlife in New Zealand. I have also heard extensively about the food and wine, Maori culture and other unique experiences that the country offers."

Steven Dixon, Regional Manager - South and South East Asia at Tourism New Zealand called Sidharth dynamic and said the country is gearing up to surprise him at every step.

"From adventure activities to food and wine experiences, local culture to luxury indulgence, New Zealand is gearing up to surprise Sidharth at every step of his journey. We look forward to hosting him and making him feel at home in New Zealand," he said. -PTI

Seat pre-book scheme

by Jet Airways MUMBAI: Private carrier Jet Airways has offered a scheme to its domestic and international fliers under which a passenger can pre-book a seat of his choice by paying an additional amount of up to Rs 800 over and above the ticket price.

The "Seat Select" scheme is applicable for window, aisle and middle seats from row 11 to 15 and for exit row 24 of the economy cabin, Jet Airways said in a release.

The business class passengers, however, can avail the facility at no extra cost, it said.

The preferred or choice seat can be prebooked anytime between 331 days and up to 48 hours prior to departure, it said.

'Seat Select' for exit row 24 will be available for travel from October 12, it said.

"The Seat Select option provides Jet Airways guests another means to plan their travel as per their choice with greater ease and convenience. We are confident that this latest initiative from Jet Airways will prove to be extremely popular with our guests," Jet Airways senior vice president for commercial Gaurang Shetty said.

Jet Airways is the second domestic airline after budget carrier IndiGo to offer such an option to its flyers and is part of the unbun-

dling of the services, allowed by the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation in April.

This option is available only on flights operated by Jet Airways' narrow-body Boeing 737 aircraft, the airline said.

Passengers traveling in economy class can reserve their seats for a nominal charge of Rs 500 on domestic sectors and Rs 800 on international sectors excluding taxes, the release said.

This facility is complimentary for JetPrivilege Platinum and Gold members, it said, adding all guests traveling in business can pre-reserve their seats at no cost.

After the unbundling of services, airlines have been allowed to charge fees check-in baggage, preferential seats, meals, snacks or drink (barring drinking water) and sports and musical instruments. -PTI

Kerala organizes roadshow in Poland THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to attract European tourists, Kerala organized a roadshow in Poland highlighting the state's pristine beaches and importance of ayurveda in the field of medicine.

Kerala Tourism Department organized the show in Warsaw drawing a large number of visitors and representatives from the domestic outbound tourism sector.

"Poland is today considered Europe's growth champion. We are confident that our entry into the outbound tourism market of Poland will be a catalyst for attracting travelers from East Europe," Kerala Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar said in a statement "With its vast geography, diverse culture and a fast growing economy, East Europe is a very important market for tourism," the minister added.

Kerala Tourism Director P I Sheik Pareeth led the state delegation at the Warsaw roadshow held at Mamaison Hotel Le

Regina. India's Ambassador to Poland and Lithuania, Ajay Bisaria, was the chief guest at the function.

"We received tremendous response from the travel and tourism trade representatives based in the Polish capital and they were all very eager to know about Kerala," Pareeth said. -PTI

Kerala Tourism Director P I Sheik Pareeth

42 India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Lumbini Cont’d from page 40

The pre-Mauryan timber structure appears to be an ancient bodhigara (tree shrine), consisting of postholes and a wooden railing surrounding a clay floor containing mineralized tree roots that appears to have been worn smooth by visitors. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the wooden postholes and optically stimulated luminescence dating of elements

in the soil suggests human activity (possibly pre-Buddhist tree worship) began at the site around 1000 BCE, followed by the development of a Buddhist monasterylike community by approximately 550 BCE. The present-day Lumbini historic site is 4.8 km (3 mi) in length and 1.6 km (1.0 mi) in width. It is bordered by a large monastic zone in which only monasteries can be built, no shops, hotels or restaurants. It is separated into an eastern and western monastic zone, the eastern having the Theravadin monasteries, the western having Mahayana and Vajrayana monasteries.

The holy site of Lumbini has ruins of ancient monasteries, a sacred Bodhi tree, an ancient bathing pond, the Ashokan pillar and the Mayadevi Temple, where the supposed place of birth of Buddha is located. From early morning to early evening, pilgrims from various countries perform chanting and meditation at the site.

A non-governmental organization called "Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation" (APECF) backed by chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and then Prime Minister Prachanda, the Chinese

government and a UN group called "United Nations Industrial Development Organization" (UNIDO) signed a deal to develop Lumbini into a "special development zone" with funds worth $3 billion. The venture was a China-UN joint project.

Hindus regard the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu and thousands of Hindu pilgrims go there on the full moon of the Nepali month of Baisakh (April-May) to

worship Queen Mayadevi as Rupa Devi, the mother goddess of Lumbini.

Tourist Attractions Ashokan Pillar: An inscribed pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka (249 BC) on the spot of Buddha's birth. The inscription, which is the oldest in Nepal, grants Lumbini a tax-free status in honor of Buddha's birth.

Buddhist Temples: There are foundations of temples dating from the 2nd century BC to the 9th century AD, and two modern temples: one in Tibetan style, the

Sacred site of the birth of Gautama Buddha

Dharma Swami Maharaja Buddha Temple, which was built by the king of Mustang, and one Nepalese Theravada style building, the Lumbini Buddha Vihar, which was built by the Nepalese government and contains Tibetanstyle frescoes and Newari-style Buddhist images. Outside the main complex, there are other temples built in the styles of countries where Buddhism is the predominant religion, such as Chinese, Japanese and Burmese.

The Japan Peace Stupa: The 41m imposing structure is situated at the northern end of the gardens.

The Lumbini Museum displays artifacts from the Mauryan and Kushana periods, religious manuscripts and other items discovered at the site.

The Lumbini International Research Institute (LIRI) is devoted to the study of Buddhism and other religions. It houses an extensive collection of books on religion, art and architecture.

What to Do Soak up the peaceful atmosphere, conducive to meditation and reflection. You can hire a bike and bike around the temples.

There are a few 'no bike' zones the best way to get to the majority of temples is to come out of the main tourist road and turn right onto the main road then left through the first main gate to the park.

What to Buy

Lots of trinkets and religious paraphernalia are for sale near the entrance to the complex, including Buddha snowglobes and stickers.

A couple of shops in the village near the bus stop stock more of the same plus a bit more.

dia on the Indian Railway network, but passenger trains are infrequent on this line. The alternative of taxi travel from the border crossing at Sunauli to Gorakhpur takes about two hours. From Sunauli, Siddharthanagar is only 3.5 kilo-

How to reach

By Air: The closest airport is at Bhairahawa (also known as Sidhhartha N a g a r ) (22km), where there are flights to and f r o m Kathmandu.

Other airports serving more destinations i n c l u d e Gorakhpur and Faizabad in India.

By Rail: The closest station is at Nautanwa, In-

Thai Monastery Lumbini

meters. Total travel time is 12 - 18 hours from Delhi and 10 - 12 hours from Kolkata (Calcutta). The Mahaparinirvan Express tourist train stops at Gorakhpur where tourists continue to Lumbini by road.

By Road: Lumbini is a 9-hour drive from Kathmandu and a 30minute drive from Bhairahawa.

Buses ply the route between Sunauli and Lumbini. Alternatively, from the Nepal side of the border one can take a shared jeep to Bhairahawa (4 kilometers) followed by a bus to Lumbini.

Bhairahawa-Lumbini buses depart every 15 minutes.

October 16, 2015

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post

43

www.indiapost.com

US issues travel warning on Nepal WASHINGTON: The US has warned its nationals against traveling to Nepal citing concern about recent incidents of violence in the earthquake-ravaged country which might affect its tourism sector.

"While the frequency and severity of aftershocks have greatly diminished, the possibility of earthquakes or aftershocks continues.

The overall effect of the initial earthquake and its aftershocks varied greatly across the country," the US State Department said in a travel advisory.

"Areas close to the epicenters suffered significant damage, while other areas in the country were nearly unaffected," the advisory said.

A large number of people from

The State Department further said that sporadic demonstrations and civil unrest in the Terai region of Nepal may affect tourist travel to the southern region, including Chitwan National Park and Lumbini.

the US travel to Nepal every year, mainly for adventure tourism in the mountains of the Himalayas. The April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks destabilized steep, mountainous areas, and severe landslides have occurred in some affected areas, it said.

Monsoon rains, which began in June and largely ended in September, may have further destabilized these areas, the State Department said adding that although trekking permits are being issued, not all trekking areas are safe for travel.

Many roads close to trekking areas are blocked and impassable.

"We encourage travelers to consult carefully with their travel and trekking agencies for current, location-specific information and to heed warnings of potential danger," the advisory said.

"These conditions affect the possibility of emergency assistance if needed. We recommend providing family or friends with a detailed itinerary prior to trekking.

Do not trek alone," the advisory recommended.

The State Department further said that sporadic demonstrations and civil unrest in the Terai region of Nepal may affect tourist travel to the southern region, including Chitwan National Park and Lumbini. Peaceful demonstrations can become violent, it said, adding curfews are in effect in some places. -PTI

New travel guides aim to please & feed

T

wo words that encapsulate Anthony Bourdain's ap proach to travel and appreciation of other cultures. Want a better understanding of the people and places you visit? Find something to shove in your mouth; it will be time better spent than studying traditional guidebooks. For the host of CNN's ``Parts Unknown,'' it's a philosophy. It's a career.

And to help you approach the world from a similar perspective, Bourdain is throwing out the book on guidebooks, rethinking that trusty traveler's crutch from a gastronomic angle to help you... just eat. ``Rice, Noodle, Fish'' is the first guidebook - though the term should be applied somewhat loosely - to be published under

Bourdain's partnership with travel and food website Roads & Kingdoms. The book - written by Roads & Kingdoms co-founder Matt Goulding - is a deep dive into Japan's food culture.

The book, which comes out this month, reads like more of a travelogue with interviews and news-to-use tidbits than a true travel guide. And that's what makes it so refreshing. Goulding takes you on his journey, teaching you about the food as he travels. And in doing so, he leaves you not just thoroughly informed about Japan's culinary culture, but craving it.

But while the book has the tone of a travel memoir, it reads in easily digested - and terrifically useful - bites. For example, the

section ``Operation Izakaya'' walks the reader through eight easy tips for enjoying classic Japanese bar food. The result is a book that is enjoyable to read whether or not you have any travel planned.

Also rethinking the classic travel guide is Lonely Planet. The company has just released a new line of books with the tagline ``From the Source,'' cookbooks that offer thorough takes on the cuisines of Thailand and Italy.

Though clearly pegged at the traveler who books itineraries based on what's delicious, these are not the books you'll want to lug into economy class. Instead, use these to get in the kitchen and whet your appetite in the months leading up to the big trip. -AP

Downtown Durham magnet for diners, art-lovers DURHAM, N.C.: On a recent Sunday, chatter from people waiting on the sidewalk for tables at Dame's Chicken and Waffles wafted on a fall breeze across a tree-lined plaza where several people sat, read and sipped coffee. Across the street, a group celebrating their friends' anniversary wandered into the barroom of Pizzeria Toro to drink cocktails and eat Neapolitan-style slices.

In the past decade or so, downtown Durham has become a destination for diners, carousers and art lovers after years as a business district that was mostly lifeless on nights and weekends. The influx of trendy establishments has helped Durham shed its former image as the grittier sibling to North Carolina's capital city Raleigh or the bucolic college town Chapel Hill in a tri-city region

developments in former tobacco warehouses from what was once the city's signature industry.

Durham's restaurant scene has been noted by Bon Appetit and Southern Living magazines. Highlights in the heart of downtown include Revolution, where winepaired tasting menus are created to-order starting with the threecourse ``Feed Me'' option and growing from there. Savory beignets are a must-try appetizer at the French bistro Rue Cler, one of the pioneers of the downtown resurgence when it opened a decade ago.

The area is as equally wellsuited to an afternoon gallery hop as it is a late-night bar crawl. More than a half-dozen galleries dedicated to local artists inhabit storefronts, while the Durham Arts Council typically offers several

This undated image provided by the 21c Museum Hotel in Durham, N.C., shows a gallery in the 21c Durham hotel displaying works from a recent exhibition on pop culture and contemporary art. The 21c hotel’s meeting and event spaces are filled with art. The hotel, which opened earlier this year in the historic Hill Building, is part of a blossoming of restaurants, shops and other venues in downtown Durham.

known as the Triangle.

Its relatively compact size makes it easy to traverse the walkable mixture of bars, restaurants, galleries and music venues, yet the area is also dense enough to allow for hours of immersion without running out of things to do.

Main Street, which runs northwest to southeast, features such historic buildings as the centuryold First National Bank Building, the art-deco Snow Building and the towering Hill Building, where the 21c Museum Hotel opened this year. Running parallel is Parrish Street, which was once nicknamed ``Black Wall Street'' for its mix of black-owned businesses including an insurance company whose former headquarters earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Both streets are focal points of walking tours by outfits such as Preservation Durham.

South and west of downtown's core are several retail and housing

exhibits at its campus.

The Durham Performing Arts Center hosts touring theatrical performances and big musical draws such as Jackson Browne, with other national acts playing the nearby Carolina Theater. Motorco Music Hall and The Pinhook are smaller rooms with a divey vibe for catching indie rock bands and local up-and-comers.

On downtown sidewalks after dark, it's not unusual to dodge packs of college students or young professionals going from bar to bar. Fullsteam Brewery stakes Durham's claim to the craft beer boom, while Alley 26 incorporates such handcrafted mixers as watermelon green tea and mole bitters in its cocktails.

Among the most recent entrants to downtown are luxury hotels such as 21c and the brand-new Durham Hotel, which features a rooftop raw bar and sleek downstairs lounge. -AP

In Brief City to pay costs in immigration case HAZLETON, Pa.: A federal judge has ordered an eastern Pennsylvania city to pay nearly $1.4 million to civil rights lawyers who thwarted the city's immigration law in U.S. Supreme Court.

The Hazleton StandardSpeaker reports Judge James

Attorney Kris Kobach, left, attorney for city of Hazleton, talks with U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, former Hazleton mayor, as they leave the James A. Bryne U.S. Courthouse in Philadelphia

Munley awarded about half of the $2.8 million that lawyers sought for the case.

Hazleton's law penalized companies that hired immigrants who lacked legal status to work in the country and landlords whose tenants lacked legal residency status.

The law was struck down and a federal appeals court upheld Munley's ruling in 2010. A year later, the Supreme Court asked the appeals court to reconsider. But it stuck to its original decision and the Supreme Court declined further involvement.-AP

„ US actor detained in Canada MONTREAL: American actor Randy Quaid has been arrested in Canada for the second time this year.

The circumstances behind the arrest are unclear, but his wife, Evi Quaid, said her husband was detained after attending a regular check-in with Canada Border Service officials in Montreal.

Immigration and Refugee Board spokesman Robert Gervais confirmed the arrest and said Quaid will have a detention review hearing.

Officials were unable to provide any further details. Quaid and his Canadian wife fled the U.S. in 2010, saying they were victims of persecution.

They've sought to stay in Canada and have said they were being hunted by ``Hollywood starwhackers,'' but they face legal problems in the U.S. Quaid's bid for permanent residency in Canada was denied in 2012. -AP

Immigration 44 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 16, 2015

'Feds let go immigrants who commit crimes' Details on page 46

US deports fewest immigrants in nearly a decade WASHINGTON: The Obama administration deported fewer immigrants over the past 12 months than at any time since 2006, according to internal figures obtained by The Associated Press as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton called Obama's deportation policies too harsh.

Deportations of criminal immigrants have fallen to the lowest levels since President Barack Obama took office in 2009, despite his pledge to focus on finding and deporting criminals living in the country illegally. The share of criminal immigrants deported in relation to overall immigrants deported rose slightly, from 56 percent to 59 percent.

The overall total of 231,000 deportations generally does not include Mexicans who were caught at the border and quickly returned home by the U.S. Border Patrol.

The figure does include roughly 136,700 convicted criminals deported in the last 12 months.

Total deportations dropped 42 percent since 2012.

In a statement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Jennifer Elzea said the agency ``has refined its priorities to improve the quality of

als may show a decline, consistent with a substantial drop in overall apprehension, among other factors,'' Elzea said.

In a Miami interview with

President Barack Obama speaks during a town hall meeting on immigration hosted by Telemundo and MSNBC, at Florida International University in Miami.

its removals by focusing on the most serious public safety and national security threats as well as recent border crossers. ``As a result, overall remov-

Spanish-language TV network Telemundo, Clinton promised to be ``less harsh and aggressive'' than Obama in enforcing immigration laws.

``The deportation laws were interpreted and enforced, you know, very aggressively, during the last six and a half years, which I think his administration did in part to try to get Republicans to support comprehensive immigration reform,'' Clinton said in the weekend interview.

In the first two full budget years under the Obama administration, the U.S. deported more people year over year, until reaching its 2012 peak. Those increases, which started under the administration of President George W. Bush, were small, rising just a few percentage points each year. Nevertheless, the record deportations in 2012 led immigration advocates to criticize Obama as the ``deporter-inchief.''

After multiple bills to overhaul immigration laws failed in Congress during Obama's first term, he made administrative changes aimed at narrowing the population of immigrants targeted for deportation.

Cont'd on Page 46

UK minister rejects EU migration pact LONDON: Britain will never ``in a thousand years'' agree to a common European immigration policy to deal with the surging number of refugees fleeing to the continent, a top government official has declared.

Home Secretary Theresa May, the U.K.'s interior minister, told an audience at the Conservative Party conference that Britain should tighten control of its borders, admitting vulnerable refugees but keeping out those who simply want a better life.

She said other European countries should also toughen up their border controls, arguing that in the last few years more people had applied for asylum in the EU from Balkan countries which have not seen war for years - than from war-torn Syria.

She said Europe's immigration crisis ``can only be resolved by

nation states taking responsibility themselves, and protecting their own national borders.''

May said the arrival in Europe of hundreds of thousands of migrants had ``led some people to

would involve a common immigration and asylum policy. ``To those people, I have a very clear answer: Not in a thousand years,'' May said.

In a tough speech on immigration, May said Britain would combine ``hardheaded common sense with w a r m hearted compassion.''

She said ``it's impossible to Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May delivers her speech build a coheat the Conservative Party conference at Manchester sive society'' Central, England with the say we need a new approach, a high levels of immigration that Britnew European approach that ain has seen in the past decade.

Net migration to the U.K. was 330,000 people in the year to March.

May is seen as a potential future Tory leader, and her speech was aimed at boosting her support within the party. Her hard tone differs from that of Prime Minister David Cameron, who stressed that Britain needs and benefits from immigration, as long as it is controlled.

A leading business-owners' group, the Institute of Directors, criticized May's ``irresponsible'' rhetoric. ``It is yet another example of the Home Secretary turning away the world's best and brightest, putting internal party politics ahead of the country and helping our competitor economies instead of our own,'' said its director-general, Simon Walker. -AP

Immigration Post

October 16, 2015

India Post 45

www.indiapost.com

Australia to send refugees to the Philippines SYDNEY: Australia is in talks to send refugees who try to reach its shores illegally to the Philippines, the immigration minister has said.

Australia already has a multimillion dollar deal to resettle refugees from an Australia-run detention camp on the Pacific nation of Nauru to Cambodia. But so far, only four refugees have taken up the offer of cash, free health insurance and accommodation to move from Nauru to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. That has prompted critics to dub the deal an expensive flop and sent the government looking for another solution.

Australia refuses to accept any refugees who attempt to reach its shores by boat. It pays Nauru and Papua New Guinea, which has a detention center on Manus Island, to hold them instead.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has confirmed that the government has been in talks with several countries, including the Philippines, about possibly resettling its refugees in those nations. ``We have been very open to discussions for a long period of

time with those partners because we have been very clear about the fact that people on Nauru and people on Manus who have sought to come to our country illegally by boat won't be settling in Australia,'' Dutton told reporters in Canberra, the nation's capital. ``We have a bilateral arrangement with Cambodia. If we can strike other arrangements with other countries, we will do that.''

The Cambodia deal has been widely condemned by human

rights groups, who say the southeast Asian nation is hardly an ideal home for refugees given its long history of poverty, corruption and human rights abuses.

The potential for a deal with the Philippines prompted similar concerns. Dutton was asked what guarantees of safety Australia could give refugees who resettle in a nation that is grappling with violent kidnappings and terrorism. ``We can provide the same guarantees that we can to Austra-

Iranian asylum seekers who were caught in Indonesian waters while sailing to Australia, sit on a boat, at Benoa port in Bali, Indonesia.

Obama touts immigration reform to Hispanics WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama promised Hispanic leaders he'll continue to champion a comprehensive change to the nation's immigration laws and said America's greatness comes from building opportunities, not walls.

While prospects for an immigration overhaul are negligible during the remainder of his presidency, Obama used the speech to highlight differences with several of the Republican presidential candidates on the issue, which will help define the 2016 elections.

Obama said he wishes GOP lawmakers had followed the lead of former President George W. Bush when he sought changes that would have provided legal status and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. He noted that Bush had said that uniting the country cannot be done by inciting people to anger. ``Think how much better our economy would be if the rest of his party got the message,'' Obama told about 2,000 people during an awards dinner for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, which seeks to open the

halls of Congress to more Latinos.

Obama said he believes in changes in the law that would allow people here illegally to pay a fine, pay their fair share of taxes and then ``go to the back of the line'' before they earn citizenship.

He contrasted that message to some GOP candidates calling for more walls on the U.S. border with

ing that 4 million more Latinos have health insurance and that the unemployment rate for the group has about fallen in half from 13 percent to about 6.4 percent.

Prior to Obama's arrival, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke briefly, saying that too many people in the U.S. don't see how vital Latinos are to the nation. ``It's a problem when a leading Republican candidate for president says that immigrants from Mexico are rapists and drug dealers,'' Clinton said, referencing comments that Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump made last summer.

She said it was a problem when candidates ``use offenPresident Barack Obama speaks at the sive terms like `anchor baCongressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s bies,''' a phrase that Republi(CHCI) 38th Anniversary awards gala in can Jeb Bush used to deWashington scribe infants whose parents Mexico. come to America specifically so ``You can't just feed on fear,'' he their children are born in the U.S. said. ``You should be feeding hope.'' and granted automatic citizenship.

Obama used the speech to high- Bush has said he was referring light gains he said Hispanics have mostly to the so-called birth tourmade under his presidency, not- ism industry. -AP

lians that travel to the Philippines each year, the expats that live in the Philippines and across southeast Asia or other parts of the world,'' Dutton replied, adding that refugees would be resettled there only on a voluntary basis.

Dutton declined to release further details, including a timeframe for the deal or how many refugees could be resettled.

In Manila, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said without elaborating that Australia's proposal was ``under consultation,'' adding that Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and his Australian counterpart, Julie Bishop, discussed the matter among other things on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Ian Rintoul, Sydney-based director of the Australian advocacy group Refugee Action Coalition, said the potential deal demonstrates how desperate the government has become to find an alternative to its Cambodia program.

He doubts many refugees would be eager to relocate to the Philip-

pines. ``The issues that are very real in Cambodia are just as real in the Philippines,'' Rintoul said. ``The possibility of education, secure jobs ...

They're unlikely to get that kind of secure future in the Philippines.''

Sarah Hanson-Young, a senator with the minor Greens party, said Australia was once again passing its responsibility to care for refugees onto another poor country. ``It's a trade of human lives and it's time the minister was up front about it,'' she said.

A critic of the Philippines' government slammed the potential deal and called on President Benigno Aquino III to release details on how it would work. ``It is just shameful that a developed nation like Australia would refuse these refugees and instead move to have them relocated to a struggling, developing country like the Philippines,'' Renato Reyes, secretary general of the left-wing Filipino group Bayan, said in a statement. -AP

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

Former Assistant StateÂ’s Attorney

Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc.

1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1

http://www.proy-singh.com

2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659

Immigration Post

46 India Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

'Feds let go immigrants who commit crimes' TUCSON, Ariz.: Yuma County is footing the bill to prosecute immigrants arrested by federal agents but not charged by the federal government, the sheriff's office said in a scathing letter.

Capt. Eben Bratcher says Yuma authorities have jailed and prosecuted about 140 immigrants in the past year and that's cost taxpayers about $1 million in jail time and other costs. In most cases, the U.S. Border Patrol or customs officers arrest immigrants suspected of committing crimes. But the U.S. Attorney's Office, in charge of prosecuting federal crimes, often declines to move forward, Bratcher says. ``They think it's better served by the local authorities. Our point on that is you're costing us an arm and a leg to do your job,'' Bratcher said.

A spokesman for the U.S.

Attorney's Office in Arizona said he was reviewing the letter the sheriff's office sent but that it could not comment on the matter

The U.S. Border Patrol or customs officers arrest immigrants suspected of committing crimes.

But the U.S. Attorney's Office, in charge of prosecuting federal crimes, often declines to move forward yet.

But although federal prosecutions of immigration violations have been declining in the past

year, they're at an all-time high when compared to historical data, experts say.

Susan Long, a statistician and professor who examines data for the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, said the government is prosecuting more immigrants than ever before even if the numbers have been declining. ``I think it's important to look at what's going on because different border communities are experiencing different things at different times and they have different policies. A lot of this is discretionary as to whether or not you're going to prosecute illegal entry and reentry,'' Long said.

Immigration prosecutions in Arizona were down 15 percent between July 2014 and July 2015, according to data compiled by

TRAC. For Bratcher, that means more drug smugglers and immigrants who use false identification are

Although federal prosecutions of immigration violations have been declining in the past year, they're at an all-time high when compared to historical data, experts say. getting off the hook too easily. ``We don't believe that letting these people go is doing anything to protect our border,'' he said.

Bratcher said local authorities have been charging immigrants arrested by the federal government with state statutes. He gave the example of a man who was caught transporting 30 pounds of methamphetamine at a border crossing but whom federal prosecutors declined to pursue.

Marc Rosenblum, deputy director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute, said a lower number of apprehensions and few resources could contribute to the decline in prosecutions.

But he said prosecution of immigration violations have been ``wildly higher'' than they were even a decade ago.

There were about 28,000 immigration-related federal charges in 2001. Last year, there were about 81,000, he said. -AP

US deports fewest immigrants in nearly a decade Cont'd from Page 44

The focus since then has been on criminals, and the overall number of deportations has steadily declined.

The Homeland Security Department has not yet publicly disclosed the new internal figures, which include month-by-month breakdowns and cover the period between Oct. 1, 2014, and Sept.

28. The new numbers emerged as illegal immigration continues to be sharply debated among presidential candidates, and has been a special focus of Republican Donald Trump.

have serious criminal records, and those who recently crossed the Mexican border. The decline suggests the administration has been failing to find criminal immigrants in the U.S. interior, or that fewer immigrants living in the U.S. illegally had criminal records serious enough to justify deporting them. ``With the resources we have ... I'm interested in focusing on criminals and recent illegal arrivals at the border,'' Johnson told Congress in April.

Roughly 11 million immigrants are thought to be living in the country illegally.

The biggest surprise in the figures was the decline in criminal deportations. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson last year directed immigration authorities anew to focus on finding and deporting immigrants who pose a national security or public safety threat, those who have serious criminal records And they come as Obama carries out his pledge from before his 2012 re-election to narrowly focus enforcement and slow deportations after more than a decade of rising figures.

The biggest surprise in the figures was the decline in criminal deportations. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson last year directed immigration authorities anew to focus on finding and deporting immigrants who pose a national security or public safety threat, those who

Obama has overseen the removal of more than 2.4 million immigrants since taking office, but deportations have been declining steadily in the last three years. Removals declined by more than 84,000 between the 2014 and 2015 budget years, the largest year-over-year decline since 2012.

The Homeland Security Department has in the past attributed the steady decline to changing demographics at the Mexican border, specifically the in-

creasing number of immigrants from countries other than Mexico and the spike in unaccompanied children and families caught trying to cross the border illegally in 2014. The majority of the children and tens of thousands of people traveling as families, mostly mothers and children, came from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

The Border Patrol historically sends home Mexican immigrants caught crossing the border illegally, but U.S. Immigration and

Customs Enforcement must fly home immigrants from other countries. That process is more expensive, complicated and timeconsuming, especially when immigrants fight their deportation or seek asylum in the United States.

Arrests of border crossers from other countries also dropped this year, along with the number of unaccompanied children and families. As of the end of August, the Border Patrol arrested about 130,000 immigrants

from countries other than Mexico, about 34,500 unaccompanied children and roughly 34,400 people traveling as families.

More than 257,000 immigrants from countries other than Mexico were apprehended at the border during the 2014 budget year, including more than 68,000 unaccompanied children and tens of thousands of family members. It was the first time that immigrants from other countries outnumbered those from Mexico. -AP

17 smugglers arrested in Arizona, 500 pounds marijuana seized YUMA, Ariz.: Border Patrol agents in southwestern Arizona have arrested 17 suspected drug smugglers, 15 people posing as legal U.S. residents and seized nearly 500 pounds of marijuana.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say 15 people posing as legal residents were arrested at the Wellton Station checkpoint on Interstate 8 east of Yuma in separate incidents.

They say all 15 were from Mexico and had valid immigration documents that belonged to other people.

CBP officials say it's still unclear if documents had been reported stolen.

Agents also arrested 17 Mexican residents on accusations of smuggling marijuana into Arizona.

CBP officials say the agents

found the group near Sentinel south of Interstate 8 and seized 490 pounds of marijuana worth more than $245,000. -AP

Datebook

October 16, 2015

NEW JERSEY Upcoming Fri, Oct 16 • ICS Navratri 2015 Venue: Dunn Sports Center-NJ, 600,Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202 Time: 8:00 pm

Sat, Oct 17

NEW YORK Upcoming

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

CHICAGO

Upcoming

Upcoming

Fri, Oct 16

• Patel Brothers & India House Navratri 2015

• An Evening with James Randi

• APNA BAZAR Navratri 2015

by Rex Dsouza

Sat, Oct 17

Venue: Oak Tree Road, 3775 Park Avenue, Edison, NJ 08820 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 732-522-5160

Venue: The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers, 111B 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10011 Time : 06:00 pm

Fri, Oct 23

www.indiapost.com

Fri, Oct 16 Venue: Garden State Exhibit Center, 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, Nj 08873 Time : 09:00 pm

• Garba in The City 2015

Fri, Nov 20

• Navratri 2015 with Achal Mehta

• Alka Yagnik Live in New York

Venue: New Jersey Expo-Raritan Center, 97 Sunfield Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837 Time : 09:00 pm Contact: 718-639-9200

Venue: Colden Auditorium, Reeves Avenue, NY 11367 Time : 08:30 pm Contact: 7186392881

India Post 47

Ohlone College Psychology Speaker Series

Venue: Smith Center at Ohlone College 43600 Mission Boulevard Fremont, CA 94539 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 510-659-6031, www.smithcenter.com

Sat, Oct 17 • RAas-garba with Jayshree Gohil & Party Venue: University High School, 4771 Campus Dr, Irvine, CA 92612 Time: 7:30 pm Contact: 949-679-7345

Mehla & Group Venue: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 951-318-7375

Sat, Oct 24 • Come, join celebrate Diwali with FOG - Festival of Lights Venue: Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566 Time: 11:00 am Contact: 209-640-9914

Sat, Oct 24 •Spandana Laser Dandiya and Bollywood Night Venue: Windemere Ranch Middle School, 11611 E Branch Pkwy, San Ramon, CA Time: 06:00 pm Contact: 201-606-3949

Fri, Nov 6 • Bollywood Singers Club Party Venue: Shehnai Cuisine of India, 705 E Birch St, Brea, CA 92821 Time: 7:00 pm

Upcoming

Sat, Oct 17 • Saratoga Dandia 2015

1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's

Venue: West Valley College, Large Gym,

Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes

14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 408-634-0295

Sat, Oct 24 • Rashi Chakra - A one-man comedy show by Shri.

Yashavant SirDeshpande Venue: Towne3 Cinemas, 1433 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126

Sat, Oct 24 • Raas-Garba With Hemant

ILLINOIS

Time: 05:00 pm

ATLANTA Upcoming

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

Sat, Oct 10 • TDF Bathukamma & Dasara Celebrations

• Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services

Venue: Piney Grove Middle School, 8135 Majors Rd, Cumming, GA 30041 Time: 11:00 pm Contact: 949-462-4275

Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Sun, Oct 17 • Navratri Mela - Chinmaya Mission Alpharetta Venue: Dobbs Creek Recreation Center, 1115 Dahlonega Highway, Cumming, GA Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 678-428-4718

Sat, Nov 7 • Diwali Bollywood Dhamaka Venue: Bombay Grill Indian Restaurant, 2165 Savoy Drive, Atlanta, GA 30341 Time: 07:30 pm

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

India Post

Classifieds

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

For Classifieds Ads Call NORTHERN CA (Sonia) Tel: 510-938-8668 sonia@indiapost.com (Priya) Tel. 510-275-4467 priya@indiapost.com SOUTHERN CA (Shashi Trivedi) Tel: 562-441-5511/ Fax: 562-947-0632 shashi19@yahoo.com CHICAGO (Ramesh Soparawala) Tel: 773-973-7394 / Fax: 773-973-7396 sramesh@aol.com

MATRIMONIALS

NEW YORK (Pinky) Tel: 908 338 3752 pinky@indiapost.com

Looking for Bridegroom

www.indiapost.com

48

BRIDE-GROOM WANTED

A Mumbai based Gujarati Vaishnav parents invite proposal from a suitable match for their well educated, caring , believing in simple and meaningful life daughter.32, 5' 2" tall. She completed her B.P. Th (Bachelor in Physiotherapy) from Mumbai, M.P.T & D.P.T from USA and is working as an Physical Therapist with a reputed facility in Virginia holding H1B visa.

We are looking for a well educated, professionally qualified, caring & well settled life partner with good blending of Indian & western values.

Please contact on email

eskey1953@ gmail.com

SUBSCRIBE TO INDIA POST E-PAPER Mail to: subscribe@indiapost.com or login to http://www.indiapost.com/subscribe/

Philosophy

October 16, 2015

India Post 49

www.indiapost.com

Page Sponsored by Sahanis JEAN KLEIN

W

hen you think of a rose, you refer to your perception of it and also to your personal way of conceiving it. As you say, you know that such and such a rose has such and such a scent, and its petals are soft to the touch, that it belongs to such and such a botanical species, that it can be made use of in such and such a way; all this is part of the knowledge accumulated by yourself and by men in general, and you superimpose all this on the impression of the rose when you say: "I see a rose". But the real being of the rose, you never see.

If you wish to know the rose, it is enough to be yourself. Because our essence and the essence of the rose are the same, since in reality only one essence exists. When you are established in your essence, you communicate with the essence of every separate thing.

Could you speak to us of this inner springing forth which one may observe when truly listening to oneself?

We habitually stop this springing forth by our impatience. What we should do, is be open to it, without striving to handle it, to treat it as the first step of a deductive line of thought, because by doing so we destroy any possibility of real understanding. The quality, the taste, the fullness of this springing forth depend on the purity of FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

E

very elevation of the type "man," has hitherto been the work of an aristocratic society and so it will always be-a society believing in a long scale of gradations of rank and differences of worth among human beings, and requiring slavery in some form or other.

Without the pathos of distance, such as grows out of the incarnated difference of classes, out of the constant out-looking and down-looking of the ruling caste on subordinates and instruments, and out of their equally constant practice of obeying and commanding, of keeping down and keeping at a distance-that other more mysterious pathos could never have arisen, the longing for an ever new widening of distance within the soul itself, the formation of ever higher, rarer, further, more extended, more comprehensive states, in short, just the elevation of the type "man," the continued "self-surmounting of man," to use a moral formula in a supermoral sense.

Let there be no illusions about the origin of an aristocratic society. The truth is hard. Let us acknowledge unprejudicedly how every higher civilization hitherto has originated! Men with a still

our attitude. It may happen that it arises and that it directs us towards something which our ego refuses. In this case we immediately erase it.

If we thus get into the habit of observing our daily upsurges, we will become more and more ready to receive the final one. Once we fully realize that nondual realization cannot be dealt with by the mind because it is beyond the

tries to grasp them and turn them into an object of enjoyment, thus warping the experience, transforming it into a caricature. The very desire to prolong this experience causes it to vanish.

Could you speak to us about intuition?

The meaning of the word intuition is direct vision, an immediate grasping of an object known by the subject. Intuition therefore

we turn away from the present, or rather if the present is so often unable to hold our attention, it is because we conceive of it as being a known and registered reality, therefore devoid of interest, or as a disappointing one. Just so long as we have not understood that true bliss is not in objects, but in us, we continue to place our hope in the future and keep racing ahead.

Sadhana develops and deepens intuition

Jean Klein

If we turn away from the present, or rather if the present is so often unable to hold our attention, it is because we conceive of it as being a known and registered reality, therefore devoid of interest, or as a disappointing one.

mind, there arises a supreme springing forth which is different from the others.

It is simply caused by the elimination of all false identifications, which directs us to the essential part of our being and leaves us in a state which no analysis can reach, because we then no longer exist in a subject-object relationship. It does happen that we know such moments, but our inclination is to by-pass them, since the ego

belongs to the realm of duality.

Sadhana develops intuition, deepening it more and more. All indications given on the attitude of listening are also true of intuition.

Living in present We are always living ahead or behind in time, we long for the future or we regret the past. We are never really here. This flight in time is of great significance. If

We thus live in a state of imbalance, bent upon, and striving endlessly towards, the future.

What we must come to understand is that awareness in the present is the only true starting point and that this starting point is at the same time the point of arrival.

Excerpted from 'Be Who You Are.' The 103rd birth anniversary of Jean Klein will be observed on Oct 19.

natural nature, barbarians in every terrible sense of the word, men of prey, still in possession of unbroken strength of will and desire for power, threw themselves upon weaker, more moral, more peaceful races (perhaps trading or cattle-rearing communities), or upon old mellow civilizations in which the final

foundation of the emotions, called "life," is convulsed-is something radically different according to the organization in which it manifests itself. When, for instance, an aristocracy like that of France at the beginning of the Revolution, flung away its privileges with sublime disgust and sacrificed itself

as a function either of the kingship or the commonwealth, but as the significance and highest justification thereof-that it should therefore accept with a good conscience the sacrifice of a legion of individuals, who, 'for its sake', must be suppressed and reduced to imperfect men, to slaves and instruments.

Noble caste was always the barbarian caste Men with a still natural nature, barbarians in every terrible sense of the word, men of prey, still in possession of unbroken strength of will and desire for power, threw themselves upon weaker, more moral, more peaceful races vital force was flickering out in brilliant fireworks of wit and depravity.

At the commencement, the noble caste was always the barbarian caste: their superiority did not consist first of all in their physical, but in their psychical power-they were more complete men (which at every point also implies the same as "more complete beasts").

Corruption-as the indication that anarchy threatens to break out among the instincts, and that the

to an excess of its moral sentiments, it was corruption-it was really only the closing act of the corruption which had existed for centuries, by virtue of which that aristocracy had abdicated step by step its lordly prerogatives and lowered itself to a function of royalty (in the end even to its decoration and parade-dress).

The essential thing, however, in a good and healthy aristocracy is that it should not regard itself

Friedrich Nietzsche

Its fundamental belief must be precisely that society is not allowed to exist for its own sake, but only as a foundation and scaffolding, by means of which a select class of beings may be able to elevate themselves to their higher duties, and in general to a higher existence.

Excerpted from 'Beyond Good and Evil.' The 171st birth anniversary of Friedrich Nietzsche will be observed on Oct 15

A particle of Its bliss supplies the bliss of the whole universe. Everything becomes enlightened in Its light. All else appears worthless after a sight of that essence. I am indeed of this Supreme Eternal Self.

-Vijnanananka The one who loves all intensely begins perceiving in all living beings a part of himself. He becomes a lover of all, a part and parcel of the Universal Joy. He flows with the stream of happiness, and is enriched by each soul.

-Yajur Veda The human body is the temple of God. One who kindles the light of awareness within gets true light.

The sacred flame of your inner shrine is constantly bright.

-Rig Veda Of everything he is the inmost Self. He is the truth; he is the Self supreme.

-Chandogya Upanishad The all-knowing Self was never born, Nor will it die.

Beyond cause and effect, this Self is eternal and immutable. When the body dies, the Self does not die.

-Katha Upanishad

Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

50 India Post

www.indiapost.com

PARIS: The choicest celebrities in the business rocked the final day of Paris Fashion Week as powerhouse Louis Vuitton and Miuccia Prada's VIP-magnet Miu Miu presented their spring-summer 2016 collections.

But among fashion insiders it was the unexpected decision by Balenciaga to name its new artistic director that drew the most attention.

Here are fashion highlights: BALENCIAGA'S NEW DESIGNER Outgoing Alexander Wang had only just said his final catwalk goodbyes in an emotional and intimate show in Paris.

Now Kering, the luxury group that owns Balenciaga, made a shock announcement that 34year-old Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia would be replacing him.

It's the third Balenciaga designer in four years for the Parisian house.

The appointment of Gvasalia, head designer of street wear brand Vetements, has raised some eyebrows among fashion insiders as his casual aesthetic appears

to be at odds with the established Balenciaga, which was founded in 1919.

LOUIS VUITTON FRONT ROW ``Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' star and Louis Vuitton ambassador Alicia Vikander turned heads at the show in a demure white embroidered top with a frilly ruff, holding court next to powerful U.S. Vogue Editor Anna Wintour and Australian model Miranda Kerr, who sported a multicolored silk blouse and a black leather mini.

They joined Michelle Williams, who appeared in a Peter Pan collar and blond bob, posing for the cameras next to Canadian director Xavier Dolan and French icon Catherine Deneuve.

Elsewhere, American comedian Steve Harvey was in light spirits, laughing and chatting with his wife.

LOUIS GLADIATOR

Michelle Williams SelenaGomez

Brie-Larson

VUITTON'S

The collection saw an increasingly confident Nicolas Ghesquiere steer Louis Vuitton in a bold new direction toward the female gladiator.

Black studded platform sandals, a belt with a pointy end descending like a dagger, and a heavy black skirt drew attention on the runway.

A dangerous-looking model marched past with a head-clasp, a third eye and tribal makeup. A pink leather coat sported aggressive black pockets and lines, with a zipper creating a pointed angle with the lapel.

Decorative Roman-style A-line and billowing gathered skirts, followed black mesh sportswear, mirroring chainmail and fingerless gloves.

Its kinesis mirrored the show decor inside the abstract Frank Gehry-designed Louis Vuitton Foundation, which has bold interlocking geometric shapes.

Ghesquiere's metaphor was not lost. This show was the French's designer's fight to mark out creative ownership of the world's most lucrative luxury brand, following the near-indomitable legacy of Marc Jacobs. And it was a resounding success.

Dianna Agron

October 16, 2015

Jennifer Connelly

MIU MIU'S GLAM ROCK BOOTS Cont'd on Page 52

French actress Lea Seydoux arrives at Miu Miu's SpringSummer 2016 ready-to-wear fashion collection presented during the Paris Fashion Week

Brazilian style blogger Helena Bordon arrives at Miu Miu's SpringSummer 2016 ready-to-wear fashion collection presented during the Paris Fashion Week

October 16, 2015

India Post 51 www.indiapost.com

Ramlila of Ramnagar - now captured in reel NEW DELHI: Shot at 37 different locations of Ramnagar, a small town in Varanasi, 'Ramlila of Ramnagar' has not only been documented for archival purposes but also an exhibition, 'Bimb Pratibimb', displaying pictures of the various scenes of the Ramlila are up at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) here.

A visual documentation of a 31day-long Ramlila of Ramnagar patronized by Kashi Naresh, the maharajah of modern day Varanasi and his forefather for more than two hundred years is all set to be aired on Doordarshan The Ramlila which generates a crowd of over a million pilgrims is basically operated by Maharaja with the help of Pt. Laxmi Narayan Pandey and his cultural family every year.

The 'Ramnagar ki Ramlila' is a Unesco labeled intangible heritage of India.

The 37 different locations mentioned in the Ramayana are represented in various areas of Ramnagar. So one can find specific thematic names like Ashok

Vatika, Lanka, Panchvati etc in the town, thus forming a unique and unparalleled form of theatre work in India. The spectators move along with the actors from one place to another.

Speaking about the challenges

"We faced challenges because we needed to respect the sentiments and the emotions of the people there. The people were against documenting. It was a very unusual scene for them but when we told that this was for the

during documentation, the makers recall how it became difficult for them to convince the locals who were against shooting. It was only after lot of reasoning that they allowed the shooting.

archival purposes they uanderstood," Project Director Gautam Chatterjee said.

The project which took around one and half years to complete was telecast on DD Bharti on 27th Sep-

tember coinciding with the actual Ramlila at Ramnagar.

The Ramlila does not require any special construction and is neither constructive nor destructive. The stage which is used is not a traditional block stage but a 360 deg r e e stage.

T h e Ramlila, comprising four phases starts during Ganesh P u j a , documents the making and repairing of masks, sets, training of actors at Ramnagar.

The second phase which started from September 7 and continued till October 8 includes the setting up of camera for to cap-

ture simultaneous action through different locations with multi cameras and mobile cameras. Master cameras were also placed on risers for the same purpose.

In the 3rd phase research, reference and archival material was created as entire footage. The fourth stage is post production.

"Its a 360 degree stage and not a block stage. Also they are not acting for your camera. They were candid shots of the actors who were selected and rehearsed for the role. Finally the Kashi Naresh would make the final selection.

"There was no construction or destruction and one may find a Ramlila location setup near a police station. It was a moffusil setup where a vendor might be selling something and enjoy the Ramlila at the same time," Chatterjee said.

Candid interview of the characters were also conducted for the program.

An photo exhibition during the curtain raiser of the program at the IGNCA displayed various pictures of the Ramlila at locations, moods and ambience of the place. -PTI

Kareena wants to try out different things

K

areena Kapoor Khan has been one of the most popular actors in Bollywood for over a decade now.

She says that, even today, she is as passionate about her work as she was when she was a newcomer, because cinema is her greatest passion. She made her debut at the age of 20 (with Refugee, 2000), and till date has starred in around 50 films. Yet, she shows no signs of slowing down. Here, she talks about wanting to act "all her life", and more.

You have acted in different kinds of films. What do you see yourself doing in the future?

I want to act all my life. It's something that I do and love. I just want to try out different things. I'm glad that I am in a position to choose. I'm happy because my journey in the industry has been amazing so far. I enjoy what I do and I'm very passionate about it. Even 25 years down the line, I want to give an interview and say that there's still something that I haven't done; that there's that one movie I can still do.

It's believed that there's been a change in your attitude, and you've become more approach-

able over the years‌ I think that's part of becoming more mature. And that comes with time. I belong to the film industry. I was born here. From the age of 16, it's always been about films for me. And movies are my life. A normal person would have attended college, proms, socials, etc.; I never had the privilege of doing all that. But it's something I never miss. There are other things that I can do now, which I enjoy. I take my time out, travel, read‌ So, I'm making up for it now in other ways.

Actresses often express their views on the disparity between the pay cheques of male and female stars in Bollywood. What are your thoughts on this?

A hue and cry is raised, and so many figures go around. But I've never had an issue. I'm not complaining about the fact that I'm not paid well. I don't know what others get, but I know what I get paid, and the fact is, I'm very happy with that.

Do the budgets of your films determine how much you get paid?

When you're working on a bigbudget film, then obviously your pay is more. Budgets of heroine-

oriented films are a lot less, and that's how the movie makes money at the box office. I've always balanced things out by doing big-budget films for the fat pay cheques, along with smaller films for the interesting roles. So, I have no complaints.

Are women getting better roles and opportunities in Bollywood now?

I think the audience is accepting of good scripts now. It's as simple as that. The lead can be a man or a woman. It doesn't matter.

Heroine-oriented scripts have been

working since Aradhana (1969) and Seeta Aur

Geeta (1972). Karisma (Kapoor; Kareena's older sister) did Fiza (2000) and Zubeidaa (2001). Every film works mainly because of its entertainment value. For example, Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a Salman Khan film, but it's the story that worked, and the child actor (Harshaali Malhotra) carried the film on her shoulders. It's good to say that heroine-oriented films are working now, but I think it's just the good scripts. And we, hopefully, will get a lot more entertaining scripts in the time to come. -Courtesy HT

She says that, even today, she is as passionate about her work as she was when she was a newcomer, because cinema is her greatest passion. She made her debut at the age of 20 (with Refugee, 2000), and till date has starred in around 50 films.

52 India Post

October 16, 2015 www.indiapost.com

Akshay's healthy jealousy for Khans

I

n the past 25 years, Akshay Kumar has created a stable place for himself in Bollywood.

Currently, he is one of the most sought-after stars in the industry.

Personally, he's in a happy space, and admits that having dabbled in several genres over the years, he now finds film-making "much more refreshing". Here, he talks about his work-life balance and why competition doesn't bother him.

You are known to give your family as much time as you give your work. As an actor, is it challenging to strike a balance?

Work is my hobby, and my means of living. But my family is the reason of my very existence. If I can't make them feel that they're the most important thing in the world to me, then I don't deserve them. Balancing my life is the key to my success. I get tired not from giving too much, but by not having enough hours in a day to do all that I wish to do. That's why, I wake up early, so that I can complete my work and get home on time.

Your wife, Twinkle Khanna, recently wrote a book. Did you know that she was such a fantastic writer?

I knew my wife has many talents. Since the day I married her, she's never failed to surprise me with her strength, her wit, how she deals with motherhood, and now her writing. Tina (Twinkle) reinvents herself every year with some sort of thing that she enjoys doing. I hope she sticks to writing, as I really enjoy people telling me how much my wife has either made

them laugh or made them think twice about something. It makes me proud, but more than that, it makes me happy.

On the work front, you are in the same league as the Khans (Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman). Do you ever keep track of your competition?

I keep track of their films and philanthropic activities only out of respect for them, and to know what they are doing in life. I don't follow their moves so that I can beat them to it or anything as desperate as that (smiles). What they do is their business, and I support them. I never look at their successes and go, "Damn! That should have been me." I look at them and think, "Come on Akshay, if you want to stay in this industry, you better show your fans that you are worth it."

Healthy jealousy is the best jealousy. I look at them, and think, "Wow, what a shot, what a film or what a kind gesture." My fellow brothers are amazing human beings, and can be looked up to in so many ways. They are no angels by a long shot (smiles), but they're pretty close.

You have been seen in a variety of films in the last few years. Is this a conscious effort?

It's obviously planned to an extent, but remember, I can only do films that are offered to me. Nowadays, a lot of diverse scripts are coming out of nowhere, and it's been my immense pleasure to do such genius work. It has placed the actor in me on a whole new

level. I know I had it in me, but I've had to wait for what feels like a lifetime, to change paths [as an actor].

Now, after 25 years in the film industry, I've dabbled in so many genres that film-making has become much more refreshing for me.

Salman Khan often praises you.

What kind of an equation do you two share?

Our equation is one of the most honest ones in the industry. We

let each other do our own thing, and admire each other's work from a distance. We've always had each other's backs. Plus, we have an onscreen chemistry that not many can match. Salman is one actor I love doing movies with.

You have achieved so much over the years. What still keeps you motivated?

Maintaining it (success) is harder than gaining it. Luck will get you there, but only talent and hard work will keep you there. Stardom is one of the scariest things about being an actor. You can spend decades reaching there, but it takes a few Fridays to knock you back to the bottom. Being unwanted is every actor's worst nightmare - the day no one wants your autograph or a selfie with you is the day you are no longer needed.

So, these moments are to be cherished, because, unfortunately, stardom doesn't last forever.

Recently, you said that you often confide in your sister (Alka Bhatia), especially about your films. Do you discuss work with your wife (Twinkle Khanna) too?

My sister is an angel without wings. She has no agenda, no favorites, and no hang ups. When it comes to my work, she is like a member of the audience, and not my family. She is part of the very

crowd I'm trying to please. She has seen both sides of life - rich and poor. So, she can judge, laugh, and can critique everything with utmost sincerity. When I ask my wife, I know she's giving an extremely valid opinion, but at the same time, she comes from a different league. She was brought up within this industry. But my sister has stood in queues at Metro Cinema, and she has watched films with the rowdiest crowds. So, she understands what makes films click.

You are known as one of the fittest men in Bollywood. Is it difficult to maintain this physique, especially at this age?

This question is like a really nice compliment served on a very cold plate (smiles). Being fit and staying fit are two very different things. Anyone can become fit, but keeping a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life is one of the biggest commitments you'll ever make.

I always choose my health over having a good time. One should never jeopardize one's body for anyone or anything, not even for a film. If a movie required me to make drastic changes to my body, I would refuse it point blank. You've got only one body, if you don't nurture it now, don't expect it to support you later. -Courtesy HT

Celebrities rock Paris Fashion Week Cont'd from Page 50

Oversize sleeves, big coats and show-stopping glam rock boots hit the spot for Prada's little tongue-in-cheek sister brand Miu Miu - a line that's all the rage for edgy pop stars like Miley Cyrus.

The show was replete with quirky ideas - dyed fox-tails hanging off belts, sheer lingerie on top of nurses' outfits and padlocks locked to mismatched ankle-tied ribbons.

It was the ``more is more'' philosophy we've seen before.

But the 39-piece collection was also a showcase of Prada's pre-

cise tailoring on some of the best coats of the season. They had contrasting patterns - check, plaid or big ethnic lozenge motifs down shiny boxy leather jackets.

The skirts played with transparency and were set off nicely by the silver-and-gold foil-wrapped auditorium.

MONCLER GAMME ROUGE Italian designer Giambattista Valli is leading this arm of Moncler in a more floral - well, more Valli direction. And that's not a bad thing.

The backdrop this season was again a country hillside but more

of a spring meadow this time, with yellow-and-blue blooms that made the girly collection appear fresh.

The voluminous jackets associated with this brand are now completely gone, replaced by a new white-dominated aesthetic that borrows from Valli's eponymous ready-to-wear line.

Plays on transparencies in sheer A-line skirts - often embroidered with flower motifs and white laurel crowns - gave this 41-piece display a diaphanous vibe.

White equestrian helmets, large and surreal, injected a sporty vibe alongside swimming suit-style bodysuits and white sneakers. -AP

October 16, 2015

India Post 53 www.indiapost.com

Love affair with the color gray continues

T

he buzz over ``50 Shades of Grey'' may have faded, but interior design experts say their love affair with the color gray is definitely not a passing trend.

Looking back 10 years, designer Mollie Ranize remembers gray being ``perceived as a depressing color palette that was difficult to use, and no one really wanted to live in it.'' Since then, gray has developed into the go-to neutral color and a favorite solution to many design dilemmas.

Want to use a bold color but worry that it will overpower a room or look tacky? Mix some cool gray into even the loudest paint color and it will instantly look more subtle and sophisticated.

And you can find a shade of gray that pairs well with everything. ``It's kind of shocking that almost everything on the color wheel is complimentary with it,'' says Ranize, founder of DMar Interiors in Los Angeles. ``That's not something you can say about the whole tan-and-beige wave that we had for a really long time.''

ANY ROOM, ANY STYLE Gray works with every decorating style, from totally traditional

to cutting-edge modern. Whatever the style, ``gray can be a huge statement,'' Ranize says, so it ``doesn't take a huge quantity of accents to get high impact.''

It also works surprisingly well in rooms where you might not expect it: Betsy Burnham, founder of Burnham Design in Los Angeles, uses dark gray kitchen cabinetry painted with a slightly shimmery satin finish. She likes using a softer shade, Benjamin

as red or orange, I'll usually set them against a backdrop of dove gray or blue gray.''

Another combo he recommends: charcoal gray with dark hunter green and black. ``All three are super-dark and rich,'' Flynn says, but ``none are really too high-energy, resulting in a sense of glamour that's somewhat rustic and woodsy. It's a really unique look that can be pulled off in the right setting.''

Want to use a bold color but worry that it will overpower a room or look tacky? Mix some cool gray into even the loudest paint color and it will instantly look more subtle and sophisticated. And you can find a shade of gray that pairs well with everything.

Moore's ``Gray Owl,'' on walls, and painting the trim a crisp, cool white.

Designer Brian Patrick Flynn, founder of Flynnside Out Productions, uses gray ``to mediate other more dramatic colors.'' ``If I am using a lot of black,'' he says, ``I'll pair it with greige to keep the look more subtle and almost lower the amount of contrast. If I'm working with bold colors such

Gray is even kid-friendly. It's ``an excellent choice for a genderneutral nursery or kid's room,'' Flynn says, ``since you can accent it with a wide array of colors.''

Yet another gorgeous option: Ranize loves mixing grays with deep shades of plum and any deep blue, from navy to teal. Deep blues ``can play off of light grays so pleasantly,'' she says. It brings ``emotional impact without being

over the top.''

WARM AND BRIGHT Gray doesn't have to make a room feel depressing or cold. ``There are ways to bring it outside of that stark, off-putting, cloudy-day kind of vibe,'' says Burnham. Her favorite strategy is using warm shades of gray alongside organic items like pottery, plants, and natural-wood floors and furniture.

She also warms up shades of gray by pairing them with colors like mustard, olive or soft pinks.

These are ``combinations you may not immediately think of,'' she says, but they're surprisingly effective.

As you choose a gray hue, consider the room's natural light. If you're worried that a gray room will look dim, choose items that reflect light. Look for a woven silk rug, wallpaper with a subtle sheen, upholstery with a slight shimmer, and even a tabletop of pale gray or gray and white marble that reflects light.

You can also opt for lighter grays to keep things from getting too intense. If you're considering using gray with red, for example, Flynn recommends dove gray or blue gray rather than charcoal.

``Since dark gray and red are both super-dramatic, they can sometimes come across as overbearing or too much,'' he says. By pairing red with paler grays, the effect is ``light and airy, juxtaposed with dramatic and high-energy.''

THE BEST BASE LAYER Rather than adding gray to a room as an accent color, Ranize suggests using it as the room's base color. She recommends using paint or wallpaper to create soft gray walls, then layering more shades of gray into the room in the floor-covering and furniture.

As a finishing touch, add a few pops of other colors as you wish.

With this technique, she says, ``you get this dynamic space without trying to be flamboyant.''

If you're building a new home, talk with your builder about using gray as the base color throughout the property. ``Builders and real estate agents are big on using beiges, creams and taupes to neutralize their properties,'' Flynn says, but ``interior designers take the more personable route with gray, a color which has more personality.''

In expert hands, he says, gray ``can take on a luxurious, chic or even understated vibe.'' -AP

Louis Philippe to launch watches Shah Rukh to Mahira: MUMBAI: Louis Philippe, the premium menswear brand of Aditya Birla Group-owned Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, is set to launch its range of watches under Louis Philippe Time brand.

Besides time-wear, the brand

evaluating eye-wear and writing instruments but will focus on timewear at present," he added.

The 26-year-old brand will retail the watches at 85 exclusive Louis Philippe stores, and will take it to 130 of its stores by Novem-

has evaluated eyewear and writing instruments, which it will launch subsequently, a top company executive said.

"We have conducted market research on time-wear for the past 1.5 years, and will launch Louis Philippe Time by the end of this month," Sooraj Bhat, chief operating officer of Louis Philippe, told PTI. "We are also in the process of

ber, he said.

Louis Philippe Time watches will be priced between Rs 6,999 and Rs 23,000 for four or five Swissmade models.

While Bhat did not reveal the store expansion plans, he said there are presently about 250 exclusive Louis Philippe stores.

He said the company has invested Rs 5 crore in launching the new category and is not manufac-

turing here.

"We are importing it from a trusted vendor Daily Win, in Hong Kong," Bhat said.

The company, which started as a premium shirt company, moved into the men's apparel category. Six years ago, it diversified into allied sub-brands including LP Sport, LP Footwear four years ago and LP Jeans for smart casualwear two years ago to expand from its completely formal image.

Madura Fashion and Lifestyle owns and sells apparel under labels such as Allen Solly, Van Heusen and Peter England, besides Louis Philippe.

Earlier this year, Madura Fashion launched an online retail store for its brands Trendin.com, but Bhat did not indicate when the company would retail the watches online. -PTI

S

We will look good

uperstar Shah Rukh Khan has assured Pakistani ac tress Mahira Khan that they will make a good on-screen couple in their upcoming crimethriller Raees.

The movie, being directed by Rahul Dholakia, will mark Mahira's Bollywood debut.

Shah Rukh's sweet message for the 30-year-old 'Humsafar' actress came after Mahira shared her reaction to a recent Shah Rukh-Kajol still from their movie Dilwale.

Mahira, who has been open

about her admiration for Shah Rukh, had tweeted, "Uffff!You both, Uff!" to which the 49-yearold Chennai Express star replied, "@TheMahiraKhan just saw your tweet. 'Uff' we will look good in Raees too. Hope all is well with you and family."

Dilwale brings back Bollywood's iconic on-screen couple of Shah Rukh and Kajol after a gap of five years. They last worked together in filmmaker Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan (2010). It will hit theatres this December 18.

54

Edit Page

India Post

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Afghanistan: Takeaways from the Kunduz offensive

India Post

RAJESHWARI KRISHNAMURTHY

O

n 28 September, the Taliban launched an elaborate offensive on Kunduz city, capital of the Kunduz Province. By 29 September - the Afghan National Unity Government's (NUG) first anniversary - Kunduz city was overrun by the Taliban. The insurgents stormed the city from three different directions in a surprise attack, plans for which were being referenced on jihadist social media accounts over the week preceding the attack, sending the city into a state of a lockdown.

The insurgents took control of and ransacked several strategic government and civilian buildings, looting currency and gold; executed citizens; captured several private, government and NGO vehicles; and dug trenches and laid landmines to deter the advance of Afghan soldiers.

On the geopolitical front, the scale of this offensive has put a new problem before the US and Russia - both whom are now quite involved in Syria and are not on the same page vis-Ă -vis Afghanistan.

There is a chance that more foreign troops may get deployed in the country. China reaching out to the US via the 14 September Xinhua commentary, 'Spotlight: Silk Road wide enough for ChinaUS cooperation' will carry more weight now more than ever.

After a long intense fight, the Afghan National Army (ANA), backed by reinforcements from the coalition forces, managed to regain control of Central Kunduz. The scale, timing and intensity of this offensive by the Taliban is telling.

What does the Kunduz attack signify?

The Taliban surrounded the city and in a matter of hours, overran the city, capturing large portions of the area. Despite the ANA's counter-offensive supported by aerial attacks by the coalition forces, the insurgents managed to put up a tough resistance. Reportedly, this was an attempt to move the new Taliban leader Mullah Mansour's base to Kunduz. This incident demonstrates that Taliban is not a defeated force. That the capabilities of the Taliban were not diminished has been amply clear especially since they launched their 2015 summer offensive, Azm. Azm has been the deadliest Taliban offensive since 2001, and has stretched the ANA extremely thin. Although Taliban offensives

are ongoing in other parts of Afghanistan as well, the capture of Kunduz is ominous. In the 1990s, Kunduz was a Taliban stronghold, making this incident extremely symbolic.

The Kunduz offensive is reminiscent of the 1990s but it does not automatically mean the fall of the north or the return of the 1990s. However, Kunduz is the first provincial capital to be seized by the Taliban since their defeat in 2001. Any gains made by the Taliban in the north would have more strategic implications than just symbolic.

Kunduz city houses 3 lakh residents and is a transport hub in the north. It is strategically located, and is connected via highways to other northern provinces, national capital Kabul, as well as to the bordering Central Asian country, Tajikistan. The Tajik border factor

The gains made will spur fresh motivation for the insurgents to remain united, intensify offensives elsewhere, and make them believe that they can repeat this in other regions as well is significant as it is porous and has served as a transit route for opium smugglers as well as jihadists.

The Taliban dynamic under Mansour Mansour is establishing his worth, not just to Pakistan's InterServices Intelligence (ISI) but also to others in the insurgent ranks many of whom disapproved of his succession of Omar.

This attack came less than a fortnight after the deceased former Taliban Chief Mullah Omar's son Yakoub acknowledged Mansour's leadership and called for unity in an audio message.

The dissensions in the Taliban ranks have been successfully allayed for now, and there appears to be a comparatively new unified vigor. Unlike Omar, Mansour is a strategist. He already proved that mettle by choosing tact over violence to quash the dissensions, albeit with the help of the ISI. He is now consolidating his position within the group. The overrunning

of Kunduz thus serves the following objectives for the Taliban: a) The gains made will spur fresh motivation for the insurgents to remain united, intensify offensives elsewhere, and make them believe that they can repeat this in other regions as well. The timing of this offensive gives more propaganda strength to the Taliban. b) This was the Taliban's demonstration of strength not only against the Afghan government but also to establish themselves as the dominant insurgent group in the region, especially in the face of the Islamic State (IS) steadily making inroads into the country.

Furthermore, the Taliban is stepping away from their traditional streamlined mode of disseminating information for strategic reasons. The insurgents fighting in Kunduz were posting selfies and videos live from the battlefield - much like the IS cadres do.

Communication from the Taliban has traditionally been streamlined via a handful of key outlets. Allowing young Taliban members to vent and boast of their 'achievements' live on social media will help the Taliban retain the younger cadres as often it is this aspect of the IS that helps attract extremists towards the group.

What next?

On the domestic front, the credibility of the NUG has been immensely damaged. It would be wrong to underestimate the Taliban's capacity and worse, to delay the negotiations with the Taliban - the longer the NUG waits, the more difficult it might get to negotiate, because the Taliban may act in way that puts them in an advantageous position while negotiating.

This does not warrant buckling to Taliban demands. Instead, negotiations must continue but the Afghan government must calculate, because at the moment, despite the negotiations being Afghan-led, they are still not Afghanowned or Afghan-controlled.

The NUG must now put an end to delays caused by petty internal differences and choose efficiency and priorities over preferences; appoint a full-time defense minister; introduce better governance methods - and administrators with thorough oversight; shake off the state of indecisiveness; and most of all, put a check on the several war machines that have been ignited in the country.

The writer is Research Officer, IReS, IPCS

Caution for Modi

N

arendra Modi seems to be losing the plot at home. Having impressed world leaders with his foreign visits and spreading euphoria among the Diaspora by lauding their talent and utility for India; his long silence over the lynching of a Muslim by a mob over alleged eating of beef in Dadri, an Uttar Pradesh village is being interpreted in different, mostly negative, ways. For a leader who promptly tweets over small issues like a sporting triumph, this silence is deafening. Those leading the mob in the lynching have been identified as BJP men. The Prime Minister indirectly referred to the incident during an election speech in Bihar calling upon Hindus and Muslims to fight poverty instead of fighting each other. This homily sounded insincere coming after ten days.

It is true that law and order is a state subject but considering the rise in communal incidents and provocative behaviors of the ruling party men, it was the duty of the Prime minister to rein them in. He should have exhorted party leaders to ensure restraint. He should have acted as prime minister of India and not as a leader making political and electoral calculations for his party. With his failure to condemn the incident the message that seems to have gone out is that he doesn't disapprove of the violent, communal behavior of his partymen. Even for electoral reasons he should have called a halt to such activity. With the Bihar election process under way, his reluctant reference to the incident is bound to affect the fortunes of the party. It would raise fears that a BJP government in Bihar would encourage communal atmosphere. It would discourage those wanting to give the BJP a chance in the state.

If the top BJP echelons have observed silence over the Dadri incident, they have been more forthcoming in condemning the blackening of the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni, former BJP leader and a former aide to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, by Shiv Sena men in Mumbai. His crime? He had organized the book release function for former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri who claims that his book 'Neither a Hawk, Nor a Dove' is a message for peace. Veteran BJP leader LK Advani led the condemnation by deploring the "growing intolerance towards views that are different from one's own." There are two reasons for the BJP stance. One it was not the doing of the BJP but a rival party.

And secondly the victim was a former BJP leader.

The coming of Khurshid Kasuri to Mumbai and the contents of his book are an indication that there are important elements in Pakistan who wish to carry further efforts for peace between India and Pakistan. Kasuri made a significant remark during the book launch. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic and development agenda would not be furthered without peace within India and across its borders.

Indeed, the relations between India and some its neighbors have worsened since Modi took over last year. It is well known that talks with Pakistan have been stalled over Pakistan's insistence to talk with Kashmir separatist leaders. More recently the ties with Nepal have been strained over their new constitution denying equal rights to Madhesis living on the border with India.

It is they who have organized protests and are blocking entry of Indian trucks carrying petrol and other essential material. But the blame has been placed on India as India had been remonstrating with Nepal to amend its constitution to remove injustice to Madhesis.

Maldives is another case where anti-India feeling is being fuelled over the incarceration of former prime minister Nasheed.

True these are their internal problems but there is likelihood of China taking advantage and bolstering its presence and influence in these countries. India therefore needs to improve the political atmosphere within the country as well as in the neighborhood.

October 16, 2015

www.indiapost.com

India Post 55

56 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 16, 2015