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BRICS records terrorism as global challenge Details on page 8

China backs Pak over Modi's comments Details on page 8

VOL 22, No. 1151

October 21, 2016

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MAKE INDIA TOP PRIORITY, EXPERTS TELL U.S.

WASHINGTON: Supporting India's move to conduct surgical strikes against terrorist groups in PoK, a group of influential American policy makers and former defense officials have said that strengthening ties with India should be top priority for the current and next administration to combat Islamic extremism.

"As the United States continues its 'rebalance' to the Indo-Pacific, growing the strategic, economic, and military partnership between Washington and Delhi is of paramount importance," the group said in an open letter to the Trump, Clinton Campaigns and the Obama Administration.

"Enhancing defense cooperation between the world's

two largest democracies and standing together against challenges from Islamic extremism to China's growing assertiveness, should be high on the agenda of the next American President," said the letter.

Initiated by Puneet Ahluwalia, an advisor to the Trump Campaign on Asia Pacific issues, and Alexander Gray, a former senior advisor in the Congress, the open letter calls upon the Obama Administration, and both presidential nominees, to review all US foreign aid in the region to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are not being used to fund attacks on American citizens and interests abroad and its democratic partners in the region.

Details on page 5

'Trump dents Dem votebank of Ind-Ams' Details on page 5

Trump poster portrays Sikh as Muslim supporter Details on page 6

PM Modi likens surgical strike to Israel's exploits Details on page 6

Immigrants from India changing face of America

See on page 36-47

CONTENTS

Details on page 48

Bollywood -------------------------- 27 Classifieds ------------------------- 48

INDIA POST SURVEY

Community Post -------------- 16-23 Date Book -------------------------- 50

survey@indiapost.com

Edit Page --------------------------- 54

This week’s question

HealthScience Post --------- 32-34

Have Indian Americans switched over to Trump?

Horoscope ------------------------- 35 Immigration Post ------------- 48-49 Life Style ----------------------- 24-26

Last week’s result

Philosophy ------------------------- 49

Can Pakistanis see through lies of rulers?

YES 32%

NO 68%

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

BRICS PLUS BIMSTEC: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with BRICS and BIMSTEC leaders poses for a group photo during the BRICS and BIMSTEC Summits in Mobor, Goa on October 16. (Details on page 8)

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

Real Estate -------------------- 14-15 TechBiz Post ------------------- 10-13 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 28-31

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n electoral politics it is not just who you associate yourself with that says something, but who is associating themselves with you that sometimes sends out a more significant message and in more ways than one can imagine.

Last weekend, suddenly the presidential election hit closer home for a lot of Indian Americans and Indians when Republican nominee Donald Trump dropped in at a Bollywood entertainment event (where else would you find an easy rally of pumped up desis, right?) organized by the Republican Hindu Coalition in New Jersey. Not for watching Malaika Arora dance, but to talk elections. Of course, not just for another two weeks till Election Day, but Trump will be talking about this election for the rest of his life anyway.

Okay, about those political associations - when a bunch of Indians categorizing themselves specifically as Hindus declare their allegiance to Trump, it says a lot of things. For one, it was a bit of an ego booster for the scandal ravaged billionaire who is desperately hanging on to conspiracy theories to ride the last leg of the campaign. Which is okay given that you gotta do what you gotta do to win elections these days, even if it means leaning on Hindus, though many of who present at that event may not even be eligible to vote.

It's not just these Indian Americans but also a certain section of Indians in India (!) who recently celebrated Trump's birthday - feeding a life size tikka wearing Trump cutout cake - and they think he's the answer to what ails the world.

The New York Times draws out between them elaborate links that are held by what we are increasingly witnessing in nations across the world - right wing nationalism; and without mincing words, their common enemy, Islamic terror.

These 'patriots' don't realize that terror is everybody's enemy and simply by adding a religious tag it is not like it will impact people more than it does others, and that men like Trump do not necessarily have the solutions.

Well, I'm not going to judge them. They are an unfortunate by-product of the churn called globalization.

Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com

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Cover Story: India priority A group of influential American policy makers advise US to strengthen ties with India to combat Islamic extremism.

Community: Diwali Fest The FIA "Diwali Mela" in Bay Area was celebrated with fun, food, entertainment, music, dance, masti and masala!

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Immigration: Transforming America Immigrants now come more from Asia than from Mexico or Latin America and are well-educated and entrepreneurial.

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Make India top priority, experts tell US WASHINGTON: Supporting India's move to conduct surgical strikes against terrorist groups in PoK, a group of influential American policy makers and former defense officials have said that strengthening ties with India should be top priority for the current and next administration to combat Islamic extremism.

"As the United States contin-

gether against challenges from Islamic extremism to China's growing assertiveness, should be high on the agenda of the next American President," said the letter.

Initiated by Puneet Ahluwalia, an advisor to the Trump Campaign on Asia Pacific issues, and Alexander Gray, a former senior advisor in the Congress, the open

The open letter calls upon the Obama Administration, and both presidential nominees, to review all US foreign aid in the region to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are not being used to fund attacks on American citizens and interests abroad ues its 'rebalance' to the Indo-Pacific, growing the strategic, economic, and military partnership between Washington and Delhi is of paramount importance," the group said in an open letter to the Trump, Clinton Campaigns and the Obama Administration.

"Enhancing defense cooperation between the world's two largest democracies and standing to-

letter calls upon the Obama Administration, and both presidential nominees, to review all US foreign aid in the region to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are not being used to fund attacks on American citizens and interests abroad and its democratic partners in the region.

"As individuals with extensive experience in Congress, the

Executive Branch, the uniformed military, and academia, we write to express our solidarity with the people of India as they seek to defend their country and their values from violent Islamism," it said.

"With a recent escalation in attacks against Indian government and civilian targets, Delhi is taking proactive steps to defend its sovereignty and citizens from a violent ideology anathema to our shared democratic values," the letter said.

"As strong supporters of the US-India partnership, we call upon the Obama Administration to stand shoulder to shoulder with India as it seeks to uphold our shared values against the common enemy of radical Islamism," it said.

Noting that it is an extremely dangerous world, the letter said the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has enhanced the danger that localized conflicts of the past could produce more catastrophic global consequences today. The US cannot stand silent as such dangers go unattended.

Other signatories to the letter are Jack David, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction & Negotiations Policy; Professor June Teufel Dreyer, former Commissioner, US-China Economic & Security Review Commission; and Lt Gen (rtd) Wallace C Gregson, former As-

t a ry of Defense for Policy; Herman Pirchner, president, American Foreign Policy Council and Jeff M Smith, director of Asian Security Programs, American Foreign Policy Council.

"We urge all Americans to join us in standing with our friends in India as they defend themselves against terrorism and work with the United

The letter was also signed by Donald P Loren, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; Michael Pillsbury, former Assistant Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Herman Pirchner, president, American Foreign Policy Council and Jeff M Smith, director of Asian Security Programs, American Foreign Policy Council sistant Secretary of Defense for Asian & Pacific Security Affairs.

The letter was also signed

by Donald P Loren, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; Michael Pillsbury, former Assistant Under Secre-

States to create a more peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," it said.

Ahluwalia said India and the US share many values and interests, particularly a commitment to democracy, pluralism, and human rights.-PTI

'Trump dents Dem votebank of Indian Americans' WASHINGTON: With his strong pro-India remarks at a recent rally, Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump appears to have dented the Democratic Party's traditionally-strong Indian-American vote bank, Republican Party insiders say.

The first-of-its-kind address by a presidential candidate to a purely Indian-American event, might not have an immediate impact on the upcoming general elections which is just three weeks away, but in the long run it could be seen as a key marker for a number of IndianAmericans swinging towards the Republicans, they said.

"I am a big fan of Hindu and I am a big fan of India. If elected, the Indian and Hindu community would have a true friend at the White House," Trump had said at the rally.

"Trump's remarks at Edison, New Jersey to Indian-American community were very constructive and positive in India-US relations," said Sampat Shivangi, who has been a Republican delegate in the last four national conventions.

Shivangi said with Trump's appearance at the event attended by over 5,000 Indian-Americans, Republicans made a "strong case" for itself in Indian-Americans and the party has been "successful" this time.

"He has promised to be the best friend of India in the White House which is a welcome sign and a reminder to Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton to open

who were supporting Clinton, is that they are changing their support silently in favor of Trump," the Indian-American told PTI. Rohit Vyas, a popular news

weekly national telephone poll among Indian-Americans, said that the community this time is equally split between Clinton and Trump.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump lights a diya before delivering remarks to the Republican Hindu Coalition, October 15 in Edison, N.J

up to India and Indian-Americans to tackle the radical Islamic threat that has been rampant in last several years destroying the core fabric of democracy across the world," Shivangi said.

"One major difference that I have come across this election cycle amongst Indian-Americans,

anchor and news director of TV Asia the largest Indian-American channel in the US agreed with Shivangi that Republicans have now gained ground among Indian-Americans.

Vyas, who has been holding special election shows for the past several months and conducting

"From the last two phone polls we have conducted it seems the Indian-American community is equally divided between Clinton and Trump. From the October 13 conversation with viewers it appeared the recent controversies affecting both Trump and Clinton didn't seem to matter," Vyas said.

"Most older generation viewers are concerned about which leader will be better for US-India relations and for Indian Americans," he said.

Younger viewers overwhelmingly through informal polls said they were most concerned about which candidate would work to establish tuition-free college education, health-care benefits and, above all, employment for fresh entrants into the American workforce, he added.

"While Sanders was in the race, he was the runaway favorite of young Indian voters. Now it seems they lean more toward Clinton. The older generation seems to be gravitating toward Trump, especially those who are in business," Vyas said.

However, major fund raisers for the Clinton Campaign disagreed.

Referring to findings of the Fall 2016 National Asian American Survey released last week, Ajai Jain a major fundraiser for the Clinton Campaign, said that 70 per cent of Indian-Americans registered voters were democratic supporters and are strongly behind Clinton while only seven per cent support Trump.

"Hillary Clinton has built strong relations with India when she was the first lady and later as secretary of state.-PTI

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India, US would be best friends, says Trump EDISON, New Jersey: Terming India as a "key strategic ally", Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has promised that if voted to power India and the US would become "best friends" and have a "phenomenal future" together.

"India's is the world's largest democracy and is a natural ally of the US. Under a Trump Adminis-

great friends and great confidence in India. Incredible people and an incredible country. I was there 19 months ago and look forward to going there many many times," he said.

Trump appreciated India's role in fight against terrorism.

"We appreciate the great friend India has been to the US in the fight against radical Islamic terror-

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to the Republican Hindu Coalition, October 15, in Edison, N.J.

tration, we are going to become even better friends, in fact I would take the term better out and we would be best friends," Trump, 70, told a cheering crowd of IndianAmericans at a charity event organized by the Republican Hindu Coalition here.

"We are for free trade. We will have good trade deals with other countries. We are going to do a lot of business with India. We are going to have a phenomenal future together," he said.

He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking India on a fast track growth with a series of economic reforms and reforming bureaucracy, saying it was required in the US too.

"I look forward to working with Prime Minister Modi who has been very energetic in reforming the economy and bureaucracy.

Great man. I applaud him," Trump said.

It was for the first time a US presidential candidate attended an Indian-American event this election season.

"I am a big fan of Hindu and I am a big fan of India. If elected, the Indian and Hindu community would have a true friend at the White House," Trump said at the event organized for the Kashmiri Pundits and Bangladeshi Hindu terrorist victims.

"I have two massive developments in India, very successful, wonderful, wonderful partners, very beautiful, I must say. I have

ism," he said as he slammed his rival Hillary Clinton for not using this word.

Trump said India had experienced first hand "brutality of terror" in the past "including the mayhem in Mumbai, a place that I love, a place that I understand."

The terrorist attack in Mumbai, the attack on Indian Parliament was "absolutely outrageous" and terrible, he said.

"India is a key, and key strategic ally. And we do not even want to talk about it, because it is nothing but a relationship that we will have. I look forward to deepening the diplomatic and military coop-

eration that is the shared interest of both countries," he said.

"Your great Prime Minister has been a pro-growth leader for India. He has simplified the tax code, cut the taxes and the economy is strong growing at 7 per cent year.

Excellent.

Our economy is practically not growing at all in the US. It's about zero. We will have a great relationship with India," Trump said.

Praising hard work and enterprise of the Indian community, Trump said, "generations of Hindus and Indian-Americans have strengthened our country".

Congratulating the Indian community for having the highest rate of entrepreneurship, he said, "that's very impressive by the way".

Trump said he was looking forward to doing some "serious" bureaucratic trimming in the US as he feels it is needed the most.

"We are going to have great relation with China and Mexico, but we are going to have a great relationship with India," Trump said even as he lashed out at the business practices of China, particularly stealing intellectual property.

In his welcome address, the Republican Hindu Coalition founder and chairman said that this is the first time in history that a major presidential candidate has addressed Hindu-Americans just three weeks before the election.

He urged Hindus to support and vote for Trump in the upcoming general election and help fight terrorism.

"We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism. We will stand soldier to soldier in this fight. This is so important in the age of ISIS," Trump said.-PTI

PM Modi likens surgical strike to Israel's exploits MANDI: Prime Minister to the welfare of armed forces, Narendra Modi has likened the Modi said his government had army's anti-terror surgical strikes fulfilled its promise of 'One-Rank, to Israel's exploits and said the One-Pension' for ex-servicemen, Indian forces have shown they are an issue which he said had been no less than anybody. hanging fire for over 40 years.

"Our army's velour is being disPrevious governments, he said, cussed across the country these duped the people by making tall days. We used to hear earlier that claims and some of them even alIsrael has done this.

The nation has seen that Indian army is no less than anybody," he "Our army's velour is being said.

Israel is known for discussed across the counits targeted military try these days. Indian army strikes against enemy countries and militant is no less than anybody,� outfits.

Modi was speaking at a rally in Himachal Pradesh where he inaugurated located Rs 200 crore-500 crore in three hydro-power projects. this regard but never did an analyThe issue of surgical strikes sis of cost burden and how it has snowballed into a political could be executed. row with the opposition accusing "I did it and was puzzled to find the BJP and its government of that the economic burden kept ris"milking" it for political benefits. ing. It worked to be more than Rs The charge has been rejected by 10,000 crore," he said, adding that it BJP which has insisted that it is was difficult for any government to taking the issue to the masses to make such a big allocation in one go. boost the army's morale and highModi said he spoke to armed light the strong political will of the forces and offered to release the Prime Minister. money in four installments to Underscoring his commitment which they agreed.-PTI

Trump campaign portrays Sikh as Muslim supporter CHICAGO: In another gaffe, an Indian-origin Sikh in the US was misidentified as a Muslim supporter of Donald Trump in flyers distributed by the Republican presidential nominee's campaign, a media report said.

Gurinder Singh Khalsa, a resident of Fishers City in Indiana who immigrated to the US from India, featured in the handbill advertisement with the word "Muslim" superimposed above his picture, WTHR TV channel reported.

The flyers, distributed in Ohio to canvass for Trump, claimed that Khalsa was a Muslim Trump supporter. "I am not Muslim and I am not supporting Trump," he was quoted as saying by the channel.

"He (Trump) is putting my picture, saying Muslims support him and I have nothing to do with it. I do not support Trump.

Nobody even asked me to put

Political Action Committee - a non-partisan group encouraging state lawmakers to include Sikhs in the conversation - said Sikhs have been mistaken as radical Is-

"He (Trump) is putting my picture, saying Muslims support him and I have nothing to do with it. I do not support Trump. Nobody even asked me to put that picture there that picture there. It was shocking, disturbing and this will create more confusion among people because they are sending it nationwide," he said.

Khalsa, who founded the Sikh

lamists and have been targeted by hate crimes.

He said the committee wants to teach the public who they are, why they have beards and wear turbans. It is designed to help

Americans understand the differences between his Sikh religion and others from around the world.

Khalsa said he knew he had to work to educate the general public, but "now we have to work hard to get national level politicians and the presidential candidate, he does not know the difference between Muslims and Sikhs and that is most disturbing".

There have been many gaffes from Trump, 70, and his campaign in the past. Earlier, Trump's refusal to back same-sex marriage on the basis that he only supports "traditional" unions was undermined when a TV journalist asked him what was traditional about marrying three times.-PTI

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BRICS recognized terrorism as global challenge NEW DELHI: Rejecting criticism that it failed to secure a reference to cross-border terrorism in the BRICS declaration, the Government has said the Summit recognized that there was no bigger global challenge than state-sponsored and state-protected terrorism and that it cannot be "business as usual" on this front.

tion" between "good and bad terrorists".

In a veiled comparison to stark contrast between BIMSTEC countries and Pakistan, Swaraj said the regional bloc today represents the "polar opposite" of a terrorism promoting polity.

Swaraj used the strong words during her an address at the BRICS media forum here.

"There is a developing consensus that it cannot be business as usual. We must be prepared to extract costs for those who sponsor and support terrorists, who provide them sanctuary, and who, despite External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj their own c l a i m e d External Affairs Minister victimhood, continue to make the Sushma Swaraj said the threat of false distinction between good terror "featured strongly" in the and bad terrorists. narrative of the recently con"BRICS has always been glocluded Summit in Goa and there bal in its approach and today, was recognition that the interna- there is no bigger global challenge tional community can only ignore than state-sponsored and stateit at its peril. protected terrorism," she said.

In clear reference to Pakistan, In an obvious reference to PaSwaraj said there is a need to ex- kistan blocking several pacts on tract costs from those who spon- transport and connectivity in sor, support and provide sanctu- SAARC, Swaraj indicated that Inary to terror networks besides dia would work closely with the continuing to make "false distinc- regional grouping of BIMSTEC -

Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation - whose members include Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

"There cannot be a greater contrast with those who reject even trade and connectivity for political reasons," she said.

In last SAARC summit in Kathmandu, Pakistan had stalled signing of a key transportation pact which was strongly pushed

by India.

On deliberations at the BRICS, Swaraj said there was a sharp realization that global development and prosperity was very much dependent on continued peace and security.

"Terrorism was universally recognized as a key threat to stability, progress and development.

Consequently, it featured strongly in the conference narrative and its eventual outcome.

"Indeed, what we saw was not just an understanding of the dangers posed by terrorism to the economic aspirations of the world but a growing recognition that this has now become a truly global challenge that the international community can only ignore at its peril," she said.

There was criticism after consensus eluded on reference to cross-border terror in BRICS declaration with opposition Congress calling it an "abject failure" of Modi Government.

Without naming any country, Swaraj said there has always been

an overarching political context for the BRICS meetings which essentially underlines that a serious global discourse cannot be the "preserve" of a few countries with a "narrow agenda".

Talking about major initiatives

by BRICS, she said the Summit represented a further advance-

financial issues. But over the years, it has broadened to cover larger global issues, even as it has promoted the creation of BRICS institutions and mechanisms.

"Key initiatives like a BRICS Rating Agency that can complement the New Development Bank, or the Railways Research Network

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Jacob Zuma and Brazilian President Michel Temer at the BRICS Summit 2016 in Benaulim, Goa on October 16

ment in terms of the breadth and focus of its discussions, adding the grouping has evolved over the years.

"Initially, its deliberations concentrated more on economic and

and an Agriculture Research Platform that will allow us to leverage our specific strengths for mutual benefit are tangible goals that we believe can take the group forward," she said.-PTI

China backs Pak over Modi's 'mothership' remark BEIJING: A day after Prime "great sacrifices" made by PakiMinister Narendra Modi termed stan in combating terrorism.

Pakistan as a "mothership of terIn his address at the BRICS rorism", China has staunchly de- summit, Modi had said "the most fended its all-weather ally saying serious direct threat to our ecoit is against linking any country nomic prosperity is terrorism. or religion with terror and asked the world to acknowledge Pakistan's "great sacrifices".

While defending Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying also said the world community should "seriously tackle" countries and organizations involved in promoting terrorism.

In a sharp reaction to a question about Modi's characterization of Pakistan as a "mothership of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson terrorism" at the BRICS Hua Chunying summit in Goa attended among others by President Xi Jinping, Hua said international Tragically, its mothership is a community should recognize country in India's neighborhood,"

in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Answering a question on Modi's remarks and his criticism that Islamabad is aiding and abetting terrorist groups opposed to India, Hua said "on counter-terrorism China's position is consistent. It is the same way we oppose linking terrorism with any specific country or religion," she said.

"We oppose terrorism in all forms and we believe that international concerted efforts are needed to ensure stability and security of all countries," she said.

"We oppose linking terrorism with any specific ethnicity or religion. This is our long standing position," she said.

"China and Pakistan are allweather friends. India and Pakistan are all victims of terrorism. In combating terrorism Pakistan has made great sacrifices and this needs to be recognized by the international community," she said.

But at the same time, Hua also called for internal action against countries and organizations by international community while answering a pointed question about Modi's criticism that Pakistan continues to support antiIndia terrorist groups by giving them arms, financial support and helping them to cross the border to carry out attacks in India and

pointed to the references to terrorism in the BRICS joint statement issued at the end of the summit.

"During the BRICS summit the Goa declaration was passed in which counter-terrorism issues were touched upon. We made our position on counter terrorism very clear," Hua said.

The joint statement called on

"We oppose terrorism in all forms and we believe that international concerted efforts are needed to ensure stability and security of all countries," she said. whether it is China's view that the world should not take a stand on Islamabad's support to terrorists.

"Whatever country or organization involved in terrorism should be seriously tackled by international community," she said without elaborating. .

In this context, Hua also

all nations "to adopt a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, which should include countering violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, radicalization, recruitment, movement of terrorists including Foreign Terrorist Fighters, blocking sources of financing terrorism".

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BIMSTEC backs India against terrorism MOBOR, Goa: In a veiled but obvious reference to Pakistan, influential regional bloc BIMSTEC has called for "strong" measures against nations which encourage, support and finance terror groups, provide sanctuaries to them and "falsely" extol their virtues, seen as an endorsement of India's effort to corner Islamabad on terrorism.

There should not be any glorification of terrorists as "martyrs",

here said they condemned the recent "barbaric terror" attacks in the region in strongest terms, seen as a reference to Pathankot and Uri strikes.

"We strongly believe that our fight against terrorism should not only seek to disrupt and eliminate terrorists, terror organizations and networks, but should also identify, hold accountable and take strong measures against states which encourage, support and fi-

concrete measures to step up cooperation and coordination among our law enforcement, intelligence and security organizations," it said.

The strong position of BIMSTEC in dealing with terror assumes significance as it comes after consensus eluded on reference to cross-border terror in BRICS declaration.

"Recognizing that terrorism continues to remain the single most significant threat to peace and stability in our region, we reiterate our strong commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stress that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever," BIMSTEC said.

It said the leaders expressed commitment to expedite the signing of the BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, and to early ratification of the BIMSTEC Convention Prime Minister Narendra Modi with, left to right, Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob on Cooperation in Zuma posing for a group photo at the start of the BRICS Summit in Benaulim, Combating InternaGoa on October 16 tional Terrorism, the grouping of Bangladesh, In- nance terrorism, provide sanctu- Transnational Organized Crime dia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, ary to terrorists and terror groups, and Illicit Drug Trafficking.

Bhutan and Nepal said, indirectly and falsely extol their virtues," the The bloc also deliberated on a referring to Pakistan Prime Minis- grouping said in the document range of issues like ways to imter Nawaz Sharif calling slain issued after the deliberations. prove connectivity, enhance Hizbul terrorist Burhan a martyr.

It said the leaders stressed on trade, promote energy cooperaThe bloc said fight against ter- urgent measures to counter ter- tion and tourism. rorism should not only confine to rorism.

The group said the leaders disrupting and eliminating terror "There should be no glorifica- agreed to explore the possibility groups and their networks but tion of terrorists as martyrs. We of having a BIMSTEC Motor Vestates supporting them must also recognize the need for urgent hicle Agreement to improve conbe punished. measures to counter and prevent nectivity. The decision comes in An Outcome Document detail- the spread of terrorism, violent the backdrop of Pakistan stalling ing deliberations among the extremism and radicalization. We a similar pact among the SAARC BIMSTEC leaders at their retreat express our determination to take countries last year. -PTI

Indigenous nuclear sub quietly inducted NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy is understood to have quietly commissioned into service the country's first indigenous nuclear powered submarine INS Arihant which is capable of firing nuclear weapons, completing India's nuclear triad.

The Defense Ministry and the Navy did not confirm or deny reports that the submarine was inducted in August this year to complete the nuclear weapons triad that gives the country capability to launch nukes from land, air and sea.

Navy and defense officials maintained that the matter does not come under their purview.

At a press conference, Vice

INS Arihant

Admiral G S Pabby ducked six questions on Arihant but indicated that a formal announcement might be made in the coming days.

"There will soon be an opportunity to talk about it," Pabby said when faced with persistent questions.

Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Advisor to Defense Minister, also refused to talk about the subject, saying it did not come under his purview.-PTI

US asks India, Pak to resolve differences WASHINGTON: The US has mies as well," Earnest said. asked India and Pakistan to look US has been able to "confront for ways to resolve their deeply- successfully" in the war against held differences peacefully. terrorism, but the Obama AdminHowever, it refrained from mak- istration believes, there is more ing any comment on Prime Minis- that Islamabad needs to do, he ter Narendra Modi's remarks at the said.

BRICS Summit in Goa that PakiEarnest said the US has been stan is "mothership" of terrorism. able to "work effectively" with Pa"I have to admit, I have not been kistan to confront extremist briefed on those comments. What threats that threaten the interests I can say in general is that we of both the countries. have encouraged India and Paki"At the same time, we've acstan to look for ways to resolve knowledged on a number of ocpeacefully their deeply-held dif- casions that there is more that we ferences on a range of issues," would like to see Pakistan do to White House Press Secretary Josh confront that threat in part beEarnest told reporters at his daily cause, the Pakistani people face a news conference. unique threat from those extrem"We have discussed in here on ists," he said. a number of occasions the signifi"There are many times when I cant threat that exists in Pakistan from extremists. We've actually We've actually seen that the seen that the Pakistani people have been vic- Pakistani people have been tims of those extremist activities on far too victims of those extremist many occasions," Earnest said in response to activities on far too many a question. occasions," Earnest said in "The United States and Pakistan have an response to a question important relationship when it comes to our shared security concerns in the stood at this podium, being asked region, particularly when those to respond to the attacks from exconcerns emanate from extremist tremists that were carried out ingroups," he added. side of Pakistan that resulted in "The United States and India the death or injury of many Pakialso have a very important rela- stani citizens," he said. tionship as well and the friendship "So there is a built-in interest and effective working relationship for Pakistan to confront this exbetween the United States and tremist threat that they face. There India and between Prime Minister are a variety of ways in which the (Narendra) Modi and President United States supports them in (Barack) Obama have allowed the those efforts. But, of course, there citizens of both of our countries is more that we believe that they to enjoy significant benefits not can and should do. And we'll conjust when it comes to our shared tinue to have those conversations security concerns, but also when with them," Earnest said in reit comes to our intertwined econo- sponse to a question.-PTI

China to host next BRICS summit BEIJING: China will host the ninth BRICS annual summit in the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen in September next year as it takes the rotating chair of the influential bloc.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made the announcement on October 16 during a small gathering prior to the main conference of the 8th summit in Goa, and expressed his intention to open a new chapter for BRICS in the following year, state-run Xinhua news agency

reported.

Xi said that China's emphasis would be implementation of commitments from previous summits.

Xiamen, also historically known as Amoy, is a major resort city in Fujian Province on the Taiwan Strait.

The city is well known for its amiable climate, Hoklo influence and picturesque scenery. It was ranked as China's "most romantic leisure city" in 2011, state-run Global Times reported.-PTI

Tech News Bangla, China firms sign deals worth $13 bn DHAKA: Bangladeshi and Chinese companies have signed trade and investment deals worth over USD 13 billion, mainly covering infrastructure and energy sectors, in addition to the USD 20 billion in loan agreements the two governments signed during President Xi Jinping's visit to the country.

Commerce ministry officials said 13 of the projects for which China signed deals with 11 Bangladeshi private firms and two government entities covered infrastructure, communication, power and energy and sports.

The deals were worth USD 13.6 billion, they said.

Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque, while briefing reporters on the deals, however, did not to quote any figure for the deals and the loan agreements between the two nations.

"You will have to wait more few days to know about total financial involvement of the projects to be undertaken under the agreements," he said.

Xi was the first Chinese leader to visit Bangladesh in 30 years. Xi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that the Dhaka-Beijing ties have now been elevated to a level of "strategic partnership".-PTI

First time in 10 yrs, AI ekes out profit NEW DELHI: For the first time in a decade, Air India has reported an operating profit of Rs 105 crore in 2015-16, aided by lower fuel costs and higher passenger numbers, even as the national carrier incurred a net loss after interest of Rs 3,837 crore in the same period.

The airline, which is working to improve its financials, had an operating loss of Rs 2,636 crore in 2014-15.

At its meeting here, the Air India board approved the financial numbers for 2015-16 and the carrier has reported an operating profit of Rs 105 crore, sources said.

This is the first time since 2007 - when the erstwhile Indian Airlines was merged with Air India that the national carrier has made an operating profit.

Having an operating profit in a decade is an encouraging sign for the airline, which is seeking to turn around its fortunes amid stiff competition, sources said. A decline of nearly 31 per cent in fuel costs in the last financial year compared to the year-ago period was a key factor in the airline becoming operationally profitable.-PTI

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Jet Airbus A330 for Mumbai, Kolkata route NEW DELHI: Private carrier Jet Airways has said it would nearly double the capacity on its two key destinations - Mumbai and Kolkata - from here, with the introduction of wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft from October 30.

At present, the Mumbai-based airline flies a Boeing 737, which has around 160 seats.

Besides, the airline would also have a direct flight to Kochi from New Delhi, a release said.

Jet Airways would also roll out two additional frequencies on its Delhi-Kolkata and Bengaluru-Kolkata routes, it said.-PTI

BRICS makes case for strong quota based & resourced IMF BENAULIM: BRICS nations including India have sought a strong, quota-based and adequately resourced IMF to bridge the financing gap in infrastructure development to push economic growth in developing nations.

"We reaffirm our commitment to a strong, quota based and adequately resourced International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Borrowed resources by the IMF should be on a temporary basis," stated Goa Declaration on 8th BRICS Summit concluded here.

Highlighting the importance of public and private investments in infrastructure, including connectivity, to ensure sustained longterm growth, the leaders of the five nation grouping called for approaches to bridge the financing gap in infrastructure including through enhanced involvement of Multilateral Development Banks.

The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa strongly committed to support the coordinated effort by the emerging economies to ensure that the new quota formula will be finalized within the agreed timelines.

This, they said will ensure that the increased voice of the dynamic emerging and developing economies reflects their relative contributions to the world economy, while protecting the voices of least developed countries (LDCs), poor countries and regions.

BRICS nations welcomed the inclusion of the RMB (Chinese currency) into the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) currency basket on October 1, 2016.

They called for the advanced European economies to meet their

restructuring, BRICS nations noted that timely and successful debt restructuring is key for ensuring access to international capital markets, and hence economic growth, for countries with high debt levels.

and inclusive multilateral trading system with development at the core of its agenda," the declaration said.

Noting the increasing number of bilateral, regional, and plurilateral trade agreements, they

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma witnessing exchange of agreements

commitment to cede two chairs on the Executive Board of the IMF. They said, "The reform of the IMF should strengthen the voice and representation of the poorest members of the IMF, including Sub-Saharan Africa."

Sharing the concerns regarding the challenges of sovereign debt

They welcomed the current discussions to improve the debt restructuring process, and on the revised collective action clauses (CACs).

"We reiterate our support for the multilateral trading system and the centrality of the WTO as the cornerstone of a rule based, open, transparent, non-discriminatory

said that these should be complementary to the multilateral trading system and encourage the parties there on to align their work in consolidating the multilateral trading system under the WTO in accordance with the principles of transparency, inclusiveness, and compatibility with the WTO rules.-PTI

Rosneft buys Essar Oil in largest FDI deal PANAJI: In the largest inflow of foreign direct investment, Russia's state-controlled oil giant Rosneft and its partners have taken over India's second biggest private oil firm Essar Oil in an allcash deal valued at about USD 13 billion.

Rosneft bought a 49 per cent stake in Essar Oil's refinery, port and petrol pumps, while Netherlands-based Trafigura Group Pte, one of the world's biggest commodity trading companies, and Russian investment fund United Capital Partners split another 49

per cent equity equally.

The remaining 2 per cent will be held by minority shareholders after delisting of Essar Oil. The deal has an enterprise value of close to USD 12.9 billion USD 10.9 billion being for a 20 million tons a year refinery in Gujarat and over 2,700 petrol pumps and another USD 2 billion for Vadinar port in Gujarat. The deal factors in Essar Oil's debt of about USD 4.5 billion and about USD 2 billion debt with the port company.

Essar's refinery in Vadinar, Gujarat

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No consensus on BRICS rating agency BENAULIM, Goa: India vinced but we couldn't sign the pushed ahead with efforts to get a agreement right now because BRICS credit rating agency set up there is a sense that experts need at the BRICS summit as a counter to look at it more closely," Ecoto western rating institutions but nomic Relations Secretary Amar faced lack of consensus over the Sinha told reporters here after the move which they now said will be Eighth BRICS Summit. explored by experts.

He said because of the lack of Some member countries of the consensus, the item has been infive emerging economies appeared cluded under the "action plan" and to have voiced "concerns" over not in the Goa Declaration. the "credibility" and access to Elaborating on the concerns, he "dependable data" for the new entity to take on the Wall Streetbased Big 3 run on commercial principles.

"We welcome experts exploring the possibility of setting up an independent BRICS Rating Agency based on market-oriented principles, Economic Relations Secretary Amar Sinha in order to further strengthen the global governance architecture," said, "Every credit rating agency the Goa Declaration of the five- has to have credibility and access nation summit said. to absolutely dependable data.

However, the Goa Action Plan These two things the experts have noted the proposed Rating to look at now."

Agency as one of the key initiaSinha, however, said this is not tives taken under India's chairman- a setback, pointing out to the other ship of the grouping. items on the economic cooperation "The leaders were mainly con- front like agri research and customs

cooperation saw consensus.

The proposed credit rating agency also found a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's closing remarks. "To further bridge the gap in the global financial architecture, we agreed to fast track the setting up of a BRICS Rating Agency," he said in the joint declaration.

India had first mooted the idea of having such an agency for the BRICS grouping which can solve impediments for the emerging market economies posed by the present CRA market, which is dominated by S&P, Moody s and Fitch, all based in Wall Street and being run with pure commercial considerations.

These three hold over 90 per cent of the sovereign ratings market now.

Indian officials were at the forefront of pointing out to the shortcomings and the need to have an alternative CRA in the days leading to the Goa summit and during deliberations at the conclave here over the weekend.

According to media reports, China had raised certain concerns about the proposal and was not in favor of setting up one now.

One of the prime reservations stemmed from the current approach of making the issuer paying for the rating and the strong desire of shifting it to an investor-

pays approach to make it more credible.

Other factors which have been flagged included the weighting accorded to a particular country's sovereign rating while assigning the sovereign rating, without considering an issuer's capital position.

The Exim Bank of India had presented a concept paper on the need to have such a body and its chairman Yaduvendra Mathur had flagged key issues surrounding conflicts of interest and also

India had first mooted the idea of having such an agency for the BRICS grouping which can solve impediments for the emerging market economies posed by the present CRA market, which is dominated by S&P, Moody s and Fitch, all based in Wall Street higher cost of operating under the present framework on the eve of the summit.

In an interview to PTI in the run-up to the government level summit, Mathur had also said there was an urgent need to have a professional credit rating agency (CRA) which could operate with full integrity.

Citing the case of his own organization, he said Exim Bank is rated AAA domestically but goes

Greater coordination urged among EMEs AGUADA, Goa: Finance ministers of the BRICS grouping have called for greater coordination among member nations to protect the interest of emerging economies, while discussing strategies to push reforms for enhancing global growth.

At the meeting of the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, attended by Arun Jaitley and Urjit Patel, here the five emerging market economies also stressed on the need for timely implementation of the IMF quota reforms.

That apart, they discussed policy instruments that are being used by them in ensuring that the growth of their domestic economies is stimulated.

They also discussed strategies on enhancing global growth, key issues of co-operation under the G-20 agenda, international financial architecture and regulatory reforms and the way forward on new areas of co-operation.

"During the meeting, the countries agreed that the BRICS economies have a vital role to play in ensuring that the global economy

is rejuvenated. The need for BRICS countries to co-operate and coordinate on the G20 issues was reiterated," a finance ministry statement said.

They discussed ways and means by which the BRICS nations can ensure that the interest of the emerging market economies are

addressed in the various work streams of G20.

"The timely implementation of the 15th General Review of Quotas was emphasized by all the BRICS countries," the statement added. The quota reforms at International Monetary Fund (IMF) are aimed at giving greater say to

down at par with India's sovereign rating internationally, leading to higher cost of borrowings.

It can be noted that the BRICS grouping has been successful in creating a development bank to help overcome the infrastructure funding challenges that they are facing.

When asked about how an agency promoted by membercountries can get the desired level of credibility, Mathur had said a technical working group is looking into the issue and will come

developing nations in its functioning.

The members also discussed the way forward on new areas of co-operation proposed by India, namely, BRICS Institute of Economic Research and Analysis as well as BRICS Credit Rating Agency.-PTI

RBI Governor, Urjit Patel, Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, and SEBI Chairman, U K Sinha during a conference ahead of BRICS Summit, in Mumbai on Oct 13

up with solutions.

Veteran banker and president of the BRICS-promoted New Development Bank, K V Kamath, had also backed the setting up of such an agency, alleging growth is constrained in the present set up.

"We need not constrain ourselves on our ability to do business...if this is the norm, I fear growth in the developing world will also be impacted," he said in an interaction.-PTI

London Mayor reassures Indian businesses LONDON: Mayor Sadiq Khan has reached out to leading Indian firms, the second biggest foreign investors in London who employ around 50,000 people, to reassure them that the British capital remains "open" for business amid concerns arising out of uncertainty post Brexit.

The Pakistani-origin mayor hosted a meeting at his City Hall office by the river Thames with 17 companies already working with London, including the Tata Group, Infosys, Wipro, ZEE TV, ICICI Bank, among others, to discuss expanding their links with London after Britain's decision to leave the EU. "London is open for investment and business from around the globe and the city already has an excellent trading relationship with India," the 46year-old Khan said.-PTI

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Xi stresses BRICS' strength despite slowdown BENAULIM, Goa: Even though the 2008 credit crisis and the "treacherous recovery" of global economy has impacted growth among the BRICS countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said the potential and the inherent strength of the five-nation grouping of emerging economies continues to be unchanged.

Addressing the Business Council Summit here, the Chinese President said the global economy is yet to fully recover from the 2008 credit crisis and is still struggling with a "treacherous recovery".

Admitting that the crisis of 2008 has not only "slowed down BRICS economies" but they are still "facing challenges" even after eight years of the worst recession since the 1930s, Xi, however, stressed that the "potential and the strength" of the grouping is "unchanged" and they continue to remain positive from a long-term perspective.

He said innovation holds "the key to leapfrog" development in BRICS countries and urged businesses to follow this path for a steady and sustainable economic development.

Even though the global headwinds exist, he said there are both challenges as well as opportunities in this new phase of partnership for the nearly two-decadeold idea of BRICS. Xi urged the businesses to "seize" all the available opportunities, increase their investments and undertake actions which will boost the confidence of the markets, the public and as well as the international community.

The comments come at a time when the export-led growth model of the Chinese economy has been

with geopolitical risks as it fends for global sanctions following the annexation of the Crimea in Ukraine

New Development Bank The Chinese leader said the

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with, left to right, Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma at a meeting with the BRICS Business Council during BRICS Summit in Benaulim, Goa on October 16

hit with lingering slowdown due to the crisis in the global economy.

Beijing's decades of high savings and debt-driven investment push failed to create a large domestic market, which in the face of the global slowdown has scuppered the plans of the leaders of the Communist country.

Known for its decades of doubledigit growth, the world's second largest economy is also fending of a trillions of dollars of bad loans and corruption. The slowdown is so entrenched that many analysts have been warning of a Chinese hard-landing anytime now.

Brazil, the second largest constituent of the five-nation grouping, is also struggling with a near contraction in growth coupled with high inflation and lingering political troubles, while the resources rich Russia is associated

late last year and the lingering plunge in global crude prices.

Russia is home to one of the world's largest oil reserves, but a near 55 per cent fall in crude and gas prices since the summer of

New Development Bank, which began operations in Shanghai last year, is the outcome of a similar result-oriented approach and affirmed Beijing's commitment to fully back its activities.

South African President Jacob Zuma said the activities of the BRICS Business Council over the past three years have reached a stage where it can play the role of a catalyst for growth.

2014 has left its sanction-hit economy in tatters.

Xi underlined the need for "result-oriented" cooperation among the BRICS and also asked the Business Council to explore the idea of joint implementation of big projects.

Newly-appointed Brazilian President Michel Temer, who came to power after his predecessor Dilma Rouseff's impeachment a few months back, said his administration will speed up economic reforms by creating more jobs in an anemic economy and

also affirmed his commitment to maintain the ecological concerns.

The largest South American nation will streamline its bureaucracy so that work get implemented faster, Temer said, and declared that his administration has identified as many as 34 projects in the roads, highways, ports and oil sectors to boost an anemic economy which has been degrowing of late.

He claimed that the largest Latin American economy, which recently hosted the Rio Olympics, already sees signs of the recovery being underway.

Russian President Vladmir Putin said business plays an important role in both sustainability and accelerating growth and underlined that BRICS members are home to some of the most promising consumer markets in the world.

South African President Jacob Zuma said the activities of the BRICS Business Council over the past three years have reached a stage where it can play the role of a catalyst for growth.

Zuma, facing massive unemployment since the return to democracy around two decades back and nationwide students strife, also outlined the areas where partnerships are needed, including insurance and re-insurance, a BRICS seed bank, infrastructure including power generation and transmission, aviation and large scale manufacturing so that massive number of jobs can be created.

The largest African economy has an official unemployment level of 25 per cent while the actual joblessness is much higher.-PTI

India one of most open economies: Modi BENAULIM, Goa: Asserting eighth summit of the five-nation that results of the reforms under- grouping here. taken by his government were vis"We have moved up in almost ible, Prime Minister Narendra all global indices that measure Modi has said the country has such performances. We have transformed into "one of the most transformed India into one of the open economies" in the world with a s t r o n g growth rate.

"We have undertaken substantial reforms in the past two years to streamline and simplify governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi especially in doing business. The results are most open economies in the world clearly visible," Modi told the Brics today. Growth is strong and we are Business Council as part of the taking steps to keep the momen-

tum going," the Prime Minister said.

The Modi government has undertaken a slew of reforms like passing the indirect taxation legislation on goods and services tax which seeks to make the country a single market, passing the Bankruptcy Code which will help troubled/failed companies find an exit, and through flagship programs on the administrative front like the 'Make in India' and the 'Digital India' initiatives.

All this has had India's ranking in ease of doing business go up by multiple notches in a year to 39 as per the latest ranking by the World Bank.

The government has also been consistently raising caps on foreign holding in domestic companies in a slew of sensitive sectors like defense insurance and de-

fense.

According to Finance Ministry, as many as 90 per cent of the key economic sectors where FDI is allowed are on the automatic route, which help foreign companies save lots of time to start their operations.

policymakers are expecting the GDP expansion for the current fiscal year to come in at 7.6 per cent and accelerate further in coming years to 8 per cent going forward.

Modi said there were a slew of "matching priorities" between the business council and that of his

According to Finance Ministry, as many as 90 per cent of the key economic sectors where FDI is allowed are on the automatic route, which help foreign companies save lots of time to start their operations.

Even though the June quarter growth slowed to 7.1 per cent from 7.6 per cent in the previous quarter, Asia's third largest economy continues to be the fastest growing one in the world and

administration, including dismantling trade barriers, promoting skills development, establishing manufacturing supply chains and infrastructure development.

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India, Russia to explore $25 bn pipeline PANAJI: India and Russia have agreed to explore building the world's most expensive pipeline costing close to USD 25 billion to ferry natural gas from Siberia to the world's third biggest energy consuming nation.

The pipeline is to connect Russian gas grid to India through a 4,500 km to 6,000 km pipeline, officials said.

The shortest route will entail bringing the pipeline through Himalayas into Northern India, a route which poses several technical challenges.

Alternately, the pipeline can come via Central Asian nations, Iran and Pakistan into Western India. However, the route will be expensive when compared to the long discussed but shorter and cheaper Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. Tehran may suggest India take its gas through IPI rather than building such an expensive pipeline, they said.

The third and the longest alternative is to lay a pipeline through China and Myanmar into North East India bypassing Bangladesh.

According to preliminary cost estimate prepared by state-owned

Engineers India Ltd, which signed an agreement with Russian gas monopoly Gazprom for studying the Russia-India pipeline, the longest route of 6,000 km may cost close to USD 25 billion.

The cost of transporting gas

8th BRICS Summit here, also envisages roping in ONGC Videsh Ltd, gas utility GAIL India Ltd and Petronet LNG Ltd for the study.

Sources said natural gas produced in East Siberian fields is to be pumped into Russian gas grid

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Prime Minister, Narendra Modi meeting the President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin ahead of the restricted talks, in Goa on October 15

may be USD 12 per million British thermal unit, according to EIL. The MoU signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the India-Russia Annual Summit on sidelines of the

Railways undertaking, is engaged in planning, construction, operation and maintenance of Dedicated Freight Corridors.

In the first phase, two corridors, namely Eastern Corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni (1,840

In the first phase, two corridors, namely Eastern Corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni (1,840 kms) and the Western Corridor from Dadri to Jawahar Lal Nehru Port (1,502 kms) are being constructed exclusively for movement of goods trains theme of Building BRICS - Innovation for Collaboration, was held October 12 to 14 at Pragati Maidan.

DFC Corporation, a Ministry of

which would be connected to India through the cross-country pipeline network.

While the cost of transporting gas via the long discussed IPI pipeline is less than USD 1 per mmBtu, the same for the

kms) and the Western Corridor from Dadri to Jawahar Lal Nehru Port (1,502 kms) are being constructed exclusively for move-

ment of goods trains, says a release.

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni near Kolkata is traversing states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor from Dadri (Uttar Pradesh) to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Mumbai) is passing through Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The Western Corridors is being funded by Japan International Corporation Agency, while the Eastern Corridor from Mughal Sarai to Ludhiana is being funded by the World Bank.-PTI

India one of most open economies: Modi Cont’d from page 12

Infrastructure has been a key focus of the government and investment of an estimated USD 1 trillion has been made to build roads/highways, airports and seaports over the next decade.

Modi also acknowledged the progress achieved by the Brics Business Council over the last three years, since the idea was first mooted at the Durban summit.

energy ties in Asia amid tensions with the West sparked by Moscow s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Indian companies have snapped up stakes in production assets in Siberian fields. The MoU is being seen as an attempt to strengthen ties between the world's largest oil producer and the world's fastest growing fuel consumer.-PTI

Rosneft buys Essar Oil in largest FDI deal

Freight Corridor stall records huge footfalls NEW DELHI: The Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) Corporation's stall at the BRICS Trade Fair here attracted many visitors who evinced keen interest on its ongoing projects.

The BRICS Trade Fair, with the

Turkeministan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline is around USD 2 per mmBtu. According to industry experts, a realistic transportation cost would be USD 4 per mmBtu for the Russia-India gas pipeline. This excludes the transit fee to be paid to nations through which the pipeline will pass.

Russia is seeking to expand

He said the Council represents the economic strength and the diversity of the five-nation grouping of the world's fastest emerging economies. Modi also underlined the need for promoting economic and commercial ties and described this as a "foundational impulse" of the idea of Brics, and added that partnerships create wealth and value in societies.

The Prime Minister also applauded the work done by New

Development Bank over the last year and asked the lender to work closely with the Brics Business Council for identifying and implementing large infra projects which can help transform the economies and the lives of the poor.

The Shanghai-headquartered NDB has a book of USD 911 million and plans to close 2016 with a book of USD 1 billion, which will be raised up to USD 2.5 billion by end of 2017.-PTI

Also, the near USD 3 billion dues to Iran for past oil purchases will continue to be on Essar Oil books.

Trafigura, which has been funded by Russian bank, may sell its stake to Rosneft at a later date.

"We would be utilizing significant portion of the deal proceeds in debt reduction. Group debt will reduce by about 50 per cent," said Prashant Ruia, Director, Essar Group.

Essar Group, one of India's largest and most indebted conglomerates, would trim its about Rs 88,000 crore (over USD 13 billion) debt by half and ward off creditor pressure.

The 49 per cent stake Trafigura

and UCP are picking will be split between the two in 49:49 ratio while Essar Group will hold the remaining 2 per cent.

Ruia said the equity value of the deal is "on or about Essar Oil's delisting price of USD 5.8 billion".

Of the USD 12.9 billion value, USD 6.5 billion is for the debt with Essar Oil and port company. Another USD 0.5 billion is for working capital, leaving USD 5.9 of equity value which is equal to the delisting price of Essar Oil. Ruia said as per SEBI order the shareholders of Essar Oil will be paid if the final equity value of the deal with Rosneft is higher than the delisting price.

"We will get to know of that when the deal closes in first quarter of 2017," he said.-PTI

Realty Tidbits

Housing aid unused in Sioux Falls SIOUX FALLS, S.D: A budget report to Sioux Falls' housing authority said much of the federal assistance aimed at helping lowincome families pay rent isn't being used.

Sioux Falls Housing and Redevelopment Commission executive director Shireen Ranshau told the Argus Leader that delays in federal budget-setting is contributing to an abundance of unused Section 8 housing vouchers.

According to Ranshau, the department goes unaware for months of how much funding they will receive. The vouchers, which are the biggest part of funding for the Sioux Falls housing authority, depend entirely on money from the federal government.

Funding amounts vary depending on the family, however a housing voucher can help a family pay hundreds of dollars on monthly bills.

Each month the group can give 1,870 vouchers to low-income residents, who can't afford rent. Last month 170 vouchers were unused. ``We've been really contacting a lot of people, trying to use up the funding that we have,'' Ranshau said.

She said her department is shuffling paperwork and working with applicants to sift through the backlog. -AP

China cuts credit growth as prices rise BEIJING: China has said it will control credit growth and take active measures to promote healthy development of housing market as real estate prices rose in 100 cities sparking concerns over property bubble.

Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, was quoted as saying state-run Xinhua news agency that China's credit expansion has slowed and growth will be controlled in the future along with a steady recovery in the global economy.

Real estate prices in 100 major Chinese cities rose 14.9 per cent in the first nine months of 2016, with August and September seeing record month-on-month growth of more than 2 per cent, according to the China Index Academy (CIA), a private property research institute.

A total of 19 Chinese cities had rolled out policies in the past week ranging from higher down payments and home purchase restrictions to curb speculative housing purchases. -PTI

Real Estate 14 India Post

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October 21, 2016

State grant for new homes for seniors SCHUYLER, Neb: A $589,265 state grant will help build housing for senior citizens in Schuyler. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development says its grant will help build 14 units of housing in Schuyler. The rest of the project's nearly $3 million cost will be covered by a combination of low-income tax credits, a conventional loan and an owner equity loan. The homes will each have three bedrooms, one and three-quarters bathrooms and attached garages. Snow removal, lawn care and trash pick-up will be provided by the landlord.

Indian property market attracts global cash cows In one of the largest transactions in the Indian commercial real estate segment this year, Canadabased Brookfield Asset Management has agreed to buy nearly 4 million sq ft of office and retail assets in the Mumbai suburb of Powai for a deal that will be close to $1 billion.

The deal is said to be the largest purchase of commercial assets in Mumbai to date, as international investors, including Blackstone and GIC, as well as China's Fosun and Dalian Wanda, increasingly turn to the subcontinent for high growth opportunities.

The portfolio of retail and office space was developed in the Mumbai suburb of Powai by the Hiranandani Group, a real estate developer controlled by billionaire Niranjan Hiranandani and his brother Surendra.

"People are talking about big projects. Hiranandani deal may be the largest in Mumbai in commercial space," Shobhit Agarwal, man-

aging director for Capital Markets at JLL India was quoted as saying in The Hindu.

Japan's Nomura Group, Deloitte Consulting and Tata Consultancy are among the big name tenants leasing space in the Powai portfolio, with reports indicating that the

Brookfield's second major property investment in India, and the latest of several moves by the asset manager in the subcontinent.

In 2014 Brookfield agreed with Unitech Corporate Parks to pay $525 million for a subsidiary of that Indian developer which held 100

The Canadian firm also got involved in Indian infrastructure just over a year ago, buying six road and three power projects from India's Gammon Infrastructure Projects in a joint venture with a fund controlled by India's Kotak Mahindra Capital. set of commercial buildings are fully leased. The preliminary agreement is expected to be concluded within four to five months after the assets are transferred into a separate corporate entity.

The deal with Hiranandani is

percent of four special economic zones and 60 percent of another two of the office park developments. Brookfield later went on to buy out the remaining 40 percent equity in the two remaining projects.

The Canadian firm also got involved in Indian infrastructure just over a year ago, buying six road and three power projects from India's Gammon Infrastructure Projects in a joint venture with a fund controlled by India's Kotak Mahindra Capital. In July of this year Brookfield Asset Management also signed a preliminary agreement to buy about $1 billion in Indian distressed assets through a joint venture with the largest lender in the South Asian nation.

Chinese real estate investors and developers have also begun turning their attention to India, with Dalian Wanda chairman Wang Jianlin meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June to talk property deals. The Chinese tycoon said following that meeting that Wanda may invest in projects worth an eventual $10 billion in India.

Cont’d on page 15

22 towers warned on fire safety violation NEW DELHI: Twenty-two high-rise towers in Kaushambi have been issued notices by the city fire department for violations of various fire safety provisions detected during an audit of the buildings.

One month has been given to the 22 towers to rectify their fire safety faults. The high-rises under the scanner are Satpura, Nanda, Shilik, Kamadgiri, Kailash, Trishool, Ganga, Kanchenjunga, Vidhyanchal, Malaygiri, Govardhan, Annapurna, Sumeru, Ratnagiri, Girnar, Udaygiri, Panchmadhi, Himgiri, Dhaulagiri, Raj Residency Society, Gaumukh Tower and Neelkanth.

While the RWAs blamed the civic body for the lack of updated fire systems in the buildings, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) denied any role in the lapses.

Officials said the fire safety

audit began on September 17, and the first notice was issued on September 20, following reports of short circuit in a number of towers in Kaushambi. "A surprise fire safety audit was done by our fire department and some shortcom-

these towers," SSP K S Emmanuel said.

Officials said the fire safety measures were found to be dismal in almost all the residential establishments. The lack of adequate fire provisions such as dysfunc-

ings were found in these towers for which notices have been issued. These notices are to improve the fire safety features of

tional electric panels to operate jockey pumps, hose pipes, hose reels, fire pumps, lending valves, obsolete fire extinguishers and in-

consistency in fire hydrants were recorded.

Moreover, the Ghaziabad fire department lacks the hydraulic crane system as well, which is a vital requirement in effective evacuation procedures needed during emergency situations.

"Manufacture of our hydraulic crane-enabled units is under way in Gurgaon," a fire officer said.

Residents said the deficiency of modern equipment posed a grave risk to their lives. "There was a short circuit that erupted in the electric panel on the eighth floor of the Kamadgiri Tower on May 2, 2016. The entire electrical wiring system was burned. A small part of a room of a flat on the eighth floor was also affected. Fortunately, no one got hurt. But we can't be that lucky every time," said Nakul Singh, RWA secretary of Kamadgiri Tower.

-Courtesy TOI

October 21, 2016

Real Estate Post

India Post 15

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HUDA wing to reclaim encroached land GURGAON: The Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) has created a dedicated enforcement wing to carry out continuous anti-encroachment drives and reclaim its land.

According to an estimate, Huda land worth around Rs 5,000 crore has been encroached in Gurgaon. Until now, Huda had no separate wing to evict squatters, and antiencroachment drives were handled by the estate officer.

The enforcement wing will be headed by sub-divisional officer HS Jakhad with three junior engineers, AK Rana,

Indian property market attracts global cash cows Cont’d from page 14

And just last month reports in the Indian press indicated that Guo Guangchang's Fosun Group was preparing its own $1 billion real estate investment platform in the country.

The deal comes in the wake of India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley visited Canada.

Jaitley met his Canadian counterpart Bill Morneau and the country's minister of international trade Chrystia Freeland last week, and also held a series of meetings with major investors, including the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) Investment Board.

New Delhi needs immediate investments of at least $1 trillion to build roads, ports, airports and power stations as it seeks to expand its economy and raise living standards. The government hopes private companies will contribute half the amount.

But so far it has struggled to raise enough private money, with at least $10 billion worth of road projects stuck because of difficulty in obtaining land. Many power projects remain unfinished owing to regulatory delays.

Canada is only the latest stop on Jaitley's campaign to raise investments from global cash cows.

After the meetings in Toronto, Jaitley was upbeat about the prospects of Canadian investors upping their stake in India: "They all look at policy, they look at prospects, they look at the risks involved, and then collectively they weigh that and then they see comparable economies, as to what are the other options they have. And from all counts, India rates fairly high on their priorities."

The CPP Fund, for instance, controls nearly US $225 billion and it hosted a meeting for the finance minister. He pointed out that in the past 24 months or so, Canadian investors, including pension funds, have invested nearly $12 billion in India.

"These funds have a lot of investible surplus and therefore, they have to look at a wider canvas of targets where they want to invest, particularly because of the returns they get in our part of the world, are much higher than what they will get here," Jaitley said.

Sovereign funds, pension funds and large public institutions have been entering the Indian real estate market through acquisitions anticipating relatively better economic growth and therefore returns.

Institutional investors including Blackstone Group, Singapore's GIC, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Goldman Sachs and Qatar Investment Authority have been investing in Indian realty assets for the last few years.

As per an estimate by Knight Frank about $2.3 billion, or about Rs.15,000 crore was invested in the sector by foreign private equity firms in 2015 alone.

-Courtesy South Asian Post

V i r e n d r a Chouhan and Ajmer Singh. The move comes in wake of the recent incidents where private parties have sold off Huda land and even developed illegal colonies right under the nose of urban development officials. The encroachment over prime land was also high-

lighted in the district grievance committee, acting on which, the chief minister had directed crackdown on encroachments.

Chief Secretary of Haryana D S Dhesi last month had directed the urban development body to submit details of such incidents. Dhesi had also directed Huda to prepare the list of land acquired by Huda and their status.

Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said reclaiming land from encroachers was top priority. "The estate officer, who was responsible for the removal of encroachments, was overloaded with work. Thus, there was a need for a separate enforcement officer," said Yadav.-Courtesy TOI

Desi News Oklhahoma community honors Dr Meshri & family RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

TULSA, OK: India born scientist Dr Dayal Meshri, with many awards and honors under his belt, added one more last week when the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice recognized him during a glittering event at Double Tree hotel for his singular contribution not only to Tulsa and Oklahoma but to the community at large globally.

Attended by over 700 guests and invitees, this annual event is held to raise funds for numerous community oriented activities and programs in general and easily the large attendance ensured that the Center would have additional funding of over $250 K for the programs.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

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Honors galore for tough Marathon Mohit

October 21, 2016

Details on page 23

FIA Diwali Fest enlivened with music, dance & masti

Details on page 18

What is common to both candidates Bollywood!

PRAKASH M SWAMY

NEW YORK: What do presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have in common? They both love Bollywood and have praised the efforts of Kamal Dandona, founder of the Bollywood Awards, in his efforts to bring awareness of Indian cinema to the American mainstream and bridge the entertainment gap between the United States and India.

Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump was quoted as saying, "I must tell you, it's a weakness I love the beautiful Indian actresses. There's nothing like them." Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, has also expressed her gratitude for the unique ways the arts can connect two vibrant countries with two impactful cinematic industries and complimented Kamal Dandona for bringing Bollywood to the US. Details on page 19

Hindie Rock Fest attracts hundreds GEETHA PATIL

CAMBRIDGE, MA: Hindie Rock Fest 2016, a two day annual, community-run music and arts festival featuring a broad array of South Asian diasporic artists was held on the evenings of October14 and 15 at the YMCA Theater in Cambridge, MA. Details on page 30

FREMONT, CA: Alameda County Fairgrounds here was bustling with activity as Federation of Indo-Americans of Northern California, Fremont Hindu temple hosted their fifth annual "Diwali Mela" on October 15. It

entertainment. It was a massive festival with non-stop music, dance, masti and masala! Due to heavy rain, the event was shifted under a 45,000 sq ft "Amador Pavilion".

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, marks the time of year when Hindus symbolically

was attended by thousands of Indian Americans and other Bay Area residents. The Festival of Lights was celebrated with fun, food and

cast away evil and invite good and prosperity by lighting of lamps and candles. Where darkness represents evil to Hindus, lighting the

India Post News Service

lamp is a metaphor for the attainment of knowledge and symbolizes the destruction of negative attitudes and behaviors.

There were several Indian clothing and jewelry booths selling their products, along with big businesses like Wells Fargo, Tea India, Star Plus and Lifeok.

Healthcare booths had been set up by FIA Health fair wing and they offered over 100 free flu shots sponsored by Walgreens. The health fair was organized by Raju Mantena and team.

The Mela kicked off the festive season in East Bay, charming its visitors with variety of stalls selling fashion jewelry, handicrafts, henna art, colorful Indian apparel,

home dĂŠcor and an assortment of delectable mouth watering food from all over India. The park played host to happy children as they were seen jumping in inflatable bouncers, playing games, and participating in petting zoo and pony rides.

The action-packed day started with live entertainment on stage.

The performers, dressed in bold colors with ornate decorations, executed precise movements as they moved to the beat. The purpose of this festival is to get together and celebrate intercultural understanding that promotes economic and cultural prosperity.

Cont’d on page 19

October 21, 2016

Community Across America

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Queen of Garba, Falguni enthralls Bay area Pics: Ramesh Aanand Mishra

VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service

SANTA CLARA, CA: Javanika Entertainment presented 'Queen of Garba' Falguni Pathak on Friday, October 14 at spacious Santa Clara county fairgrounds, Tully Road, San Jose. The event was completely sold out.

The whirling dancers, clapping hands, distinct sound of wooden sticks struck together, toe tapping music and people wear-

ing vibrant colorful clothes marked the Navratri celebration at the Garba & Dandiya Raas dances. This is part of the worship of Durga Mata who symbolizes the victory of good over evil. The Navratri celebration marks a festival of nine nights during which Hindus worship goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, the goddesses of health, prosperity and knowledge, respectively.

While Navratri and Dussehra (the 10th day) are celebrated by Hindus with regional variations, the most famous one is from the state of Gujarat.

Falguni Pathak and her band Ta Thaiya needs no introduction.

Pathak, 45, is India's undisputed Dandiya Queen. She's been performing since 1986, forming Ta Thaiya in 1994. Her youthful but powerful voice may seem at odds with her signature jacket, sunglasses, short hair, trousers. Pathak's specialty is in mixing unheard, unusual numbers with popular hits. "I like to give something new and different every year," she says.

Cont’d on page 20

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Oklhahoma community honors Dr Meshri & family RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

its magnetic field and magic of the people grounded me here forever.

My late wife Indu got her Doctorate at TU instead of finishing at Cornell due to my fascination for Tulsa and its magnetism," he said amidst huge applause.

Talking about OCCI, Dr Meshri

TULSA, OK: India born scientist Dr Dayal Meshri, with many awards and honors under his belt, added one more last week when the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice recognized him during a glittering event at Double Tree hotel for his singular contribution not only to Tulsa and Oklahoma but to the community at large globally.

A t Honoring Dr Meshri and Sanjay Meshri tended by over 700 guests and invitees, this annual said that it is a great organization event is held to raise funds for nu- dedicated to equality, fairness, merous community oriented ac- caring and sharing without any retivities and programs in general strictions of color, race or national and easily the large attendance origin. Dr Meshri attended the dinensured that the Center would ner along with his son Sanjay, Dr have additional funding of over Geeta, their kids and family members. Turning a bit emotional while $250 K for the programs.

Lavishing singular praises for remembering his late wife Indu, Dr their excellent work and contribu- Meshri said that she was a beautitions for the betterment of the ful person who had chaired Divercommunity, OCCJ President sity Committee at AMOCO and Moises Echeverria observed that shared her culture with a number Meshris "are a wonderful family of organizations and children.

"She would be watching and "working closely with a number of academic and charitable organiza- smiling from her heavenly abode", he said while offering thanks and tions.

In his response, Dr Meshri who gratitude to OCCI management migrated to this country in late six- and the people of Tulsa.

OCCJ, founded as a volunteer ties but finally got settling in Tulsa

A section of the audience with Meshris

Oklahoma, said that he adores the people of Tulsa and Oklahoma "These are the great people who bestow upon you the respect, love and strong values for every culture, race and color."

Born in British India, Dr Meshri said that he came to the USA for advanced studies on scholarship and had little interest in staying here but "when invited to Tulsa,

movement in Tulsa in 1934, is a human relations organization solely dedicated to achieving respect and understanding for all people through education, advocacy and dialogue. Its vision is to eliminate bias, bigotry and racism in our state, in our generation.

Cont’d on page 21

October 21, 2016

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What is common to both candidates - Bollywood!

PRAKASH M SWAMY

NEW YORK: What do presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have in common? They both love Bollywood and have praised the efforts of Kamal Dandona, founder of the Bollywood Awards, in his efforts to bring awareness of Indian cinema to the American mainstream and bridge the entertainment gap between the United States and India.

Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump was quoted as saying, "I must tell you, it's a weakness I love the beautiful Indian actresses. There's nothing like them." Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, has also expressed her gratitude for the unique ways the arts can connect two vibrant countries with two impactful cinematic industries and complimented Kamal Dandona for bringing Bollywood to the US. "Both the presidential hope-

Kamal Dandona with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton

fuls have commended my efforts for bridging the US and India through the medium of entertainment - Bollywood Awards," said Dandona. "It is an undeniable

fact that cultural entertainment is a bridge of enhanced understanding between United States and India," he added.

He is optimistic that US rela-

tions with India will continue to improve in the next presidential cycle, regardless of which candidate is elected. A long time resident of New York, Dandona's lat-

est entrepreneurial venture Soch Entertainment - is expected to seamlessly link talent agencies, show promoters and new artists worldwide for the first time ever, through a comprehensive online platform.

"Soch Entertainment, spanning over 150 countries will bring the power of cutting edge technology and social media to market your mission to the universal doorways of entertainment. We get your talents and events noticed and get you the attention you deserve from the movers," he said.

Dandona's globally televised events have been attended by the likes of Hollywood's most notable figures like Michael Jackson, Richard Gere, Sharon Stone, Bradley Cooper and Tyra Banks as well as Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, A.R. Rahman, Aishwarya Rai - to name a few.

FIA Diwali Fest enlivened with music, dance & masti Cont’d from page 16

The nonstop dance performances/competitions went on until 6:00 pm and it was put together by Jyotsna Bendapudi, FOG Cultural chair. Over 100 plus dance groups performed at the day-long activity. Prizes were distributed to the 16 winning teams by dignitaries.

The Ramayana came to life with the Ram Lila and Raas Leela performance put together by Rajesh and Madhu Gupta. Participants wore colorful costumes and re-enacted scenes from the Ramayana. Due to heavy rainfall, fireworks weren't done, but laser show was done twice.

Many local dignitaries and community leaders participated in the celebrations. Fremont Mayor Bill Harrison, Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves, Pleasanton Mayor Jerry Thorne, Mike Sellers, Chief of Police, Santa Clara, Denise Seller, Chief of Police, Gilroy, Pleasanton Vice Mayor Kathy Narum and Ro Khanna were among the dignitaries who graced the occasion.

Dr. Romesh Japra, Chairman, FIA and Rajesh Verma, President wished the attendees who came despite heavy rain and gusty winds. They thanked the sponsors, volunteers and media partners for their support in making this event a grand success.

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Hindie Rock Fest attracts hundreds GEETHA PATIL

CAMBRIDGE, MA: Hindie Rock Fest 2016, a two day annual, community-run music and arts festival featuring a broad array of South Asian diasporic artists was held on the evenings of October14 and 15 at the YMCA Theater in Cambridge, MA. Hundreds of music lovers from Greater Boston area gathered at the venue to enjoy performances by their favorite artists. The festival has always been a platform to showcase fresh new talent in the scene, and it continued to do so this year.

The program was hosted by the Co-founder Saraswathi Jones, who welcomed and thanked the audience and performers of the evenings. She shared the history of the growing festival with a twoday lineup of performances. She said that "Hindie Rock Fest started in 2014 in an incredible way and we are coming back by popular

Ashwini Dave

from hip hop, punk, electronic, poetry, dance, Hindustani classical, and other forms of expression.

Hindie Rock Fest started as a show in an art gallery by friends with a love for puns and shared sonic ties to the Subcontinent.

Hindie Rock Fest is one of the top music festivals in the Greater Boston area and features various teams of South Asian rock bands. It's a heavy experience where several bands have gone on to gain recognition for their rocking ways. demand and entering its third year successfully." She also stated that the she believes art has the power to create positive social change, foster solidarity, and that change begins with each of us.

This is an alternative desi music and arts event that brings together a diverse range of artists

The festival's artists are based in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. On Friday, the first night's performers from 711 p.m. included Ashni(NYC), DJ Ayes Cold(D.C.), Evilartform(D.C.) , Nazar Bollywood Dance Troupe, The Shadow Notes, Raavi Malik of Brontide, and Trandcention.

On Saturday, the second night, from 5 p.m., the festival showed performances by Anjali Nirmalan (poetry), Awaaz Do, Garv Bomjan,Humeysha, The Kominas, Monishita Ray (dance), Nina Bhattacharya(dance), Payal Sharma, Solaradicals and WordMusic Problems.

It may have never crossed your mind to get wild at a rock concert.

Truth is, Hindie Rock Fest is one of the top music festivals in the Greater Boston area and features various teams of South Asian rock bands.

It's a heavy experience where several bands have gone on to gain recognition for their rocking ways.

Saraswathi not only introduced each team to the audience with brief description of their theme, specialty and team members but also performed very meticulously her role as a master of ceremony.

Hot samosas, drinks and water were arranged for the audience to enjoy while watching the music

Gandhi Jayanti celebrated in Schaumburg The Association of Indians in America, one of the oldest organizations of Indian Americans in Chicago and in USA, kept up its tradition of celebrating Gandhi Jayanti but this time it was on a low key. The event was held on October 16 at Schaumburg Library in Schaumburg. The association office bearers and some members of the public attended the program. AIA is headed by Bina Patel. (From Harish Rao)

Raavi Lucia vocal

performances. Information tables were set up by many artists, activists, and music bands at the event.

Saraswathi thanked YMCA for proving their beautiful auditorium for the event. She also thanked all her team members for their support and time in making this event a great success.

Saraswathi Jones, host

Attendee Hardeep Mann said that Hindie Rock Fest is a "unique experience with the diaspora's so diverse genres, sounds, instruments, and dances. We are blown away by some amazing hard-rock talent that we do not normally associate with the South Asian subcontinent."

Queen of Garba, Falguni enthralls Bay area Cont’d from page 17

Pathak was born in Mumbai, to a Khar family that already had four daughters, and might explain why they chose to dress her in trousers and short hair even when she was little. What's harder to explain are her musical skills. She started singing on stage at age 9, growing up to perform at neighborhood events before she hit the big league in the 1990s.

"The reason people love me could be perhaps because I sing from my heart and soul. The songs

that I select are a mix of both folk and Bollywood. I do give little variation in notes, but keep the soul," she said at the press conference held at India Community Center, Milpitas.

The event was successful and attended by over 3500 Bay Area residents. Jagruti Desai Shah, CEO of Javanika Entertainment who hosted this dream show, is also bringing the King of Garba "Atul Purohit" on Oct 22 and she says it is a proud moment to host both the legends. She thanked the sponsors, volunteers for their support and hard work.

Community Across America

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Magnificent Navaratri by Garba Gandhi Samaj SURESH BODIWALA

CHICAGO: Gandhi Samaj of Chicago, one of the oldest cultural organizations of Indian-Americans, presented "Bharti Desai

ful clothes marked the Navratri celebration.

This year, the Navratri celebration was organized among others

then sang classical"Raksha Karo Ambe Maa Bhavani". She continued amazing Garbas in Two Taali. In Raas everybody enjoyed

Singer Bharti Desai with Garba Dandia revelers

Midwest Queen of Garba" on Saturday October 8 at Maine East High School in Park Ridge, a north west suburb of Chicago. It was celebrated by over 700 GSC members, friends, and well-wishers.

For the Garba, as usual, members adorned beautiful and tradi-

by Keyur Ghayal (President), Hitesh Gandhi (Executive Vice President), Roma Bhagat (Cultural Secretary).

The Aarti table was beautifully decorated in the center of the hall with pictures of Amba Mata and Modheshwari Mata.

Garba Queen of Midwest Bharti Desai enthralled the audience with her charming personality and melodious voice. She started with Three Claps Garba" kum Kum Kera Pagale Madi." She Disco Dandia, Sanedo, Amu Kaka Bapa Na, Bhai-Bhai, Hitch. tional attire for Chaniya-Choli and Kurta-pajama. The whirling dancers, clapping hands, distinct sound of wooden 'Dandia' striking together, toe tapping music and people wearing vibrant color-

Garba Queen of Midwest Bharti Desai enthralled the audience with her charming personality and melodious voice. She started with Three Claps Garba" kum Kum Kera Pagale Madi." She

Disco Dandia, Sanedo, Amu Kaka Bapa Na, Bhai-Bhai, Hitch. She sang according to the Khelaiys' request.

Bharti Desai was complemented by Amit Desai (Manager & Side Rhythm), Arpit Pathak (Dhol &Tabala), Shivam Thakker (Drum Player), Ali Saad (Key Board), Nikhil Thakkar (Sound Engineer) and Chirag Thakkar (Sound Engineer). It was an excellent, enjoyable, exceptional event that culminated with delicious variety of food which included Traditional Pav-Bhaji, Samosa-chole chaat, Mango Lassi, and tea.

"We are prepared and ready to tackle the big crowd with a solid executive plan," said Hitesh Gandhi, Exec Vice President of Gandhi Samaj. Hitesh Gandhi announced that the next program will be on Saturday November 5 to celebrate Diwali.

Garba Queen of Midwest Bharti Desai with Gandhi Samaj of Chicago Executive board, Garba participants and attendees

Oklhahoma community honors Dr Meshri & family Cont’d from page 18

With the support of key business, community, education and religious leaders, OCCJ became an organization independent of the national organization in 2005. It is the leading organization in advocating the rights and ethical treatment of all people. OCCJ's work contributes greatly to healthy, educated and empowered communities. Underlying all the economic and social challenges that communities face are the very basic and often difficult, human relations issues.

Family friend Solmaz Bulut greeting Dr Meshri

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Nartan Dance Academy celebrates Navratri JAYANTI OZA

Nartan Dance Academy group performing Garba with Director Mrugakshiben

CHICAGO: Nartan Dance Academy, a front ranking dance academy in Chicago, celebrated its 30th Navratri Mahotsav at Bowling Brook High School in Bolling Brook IL on October 8.

More than 1300 participants and well wishers of the institution enjoyed this Raas-Garba supported by grant from Illinois Art Council.

The near four hour program

started with Slokas and ended with well sung Mataji Chhadi.

All traditional items - Raas, Garba, Hinch, Sanedo and Aarti - were the highlights of the event

Participants enjoying Traditional Garba

and interestingly all these performances were performed by locals and done Live by Hitesh Master and Group.

The Nartan Dance Academy Director and Choreographer

Mrugakshiben said that she has been running this academy for the last 30 years and has 40 members including Dr. Himansu Patel, Dr. Shakuntala Adati and Mahendrabhai Patel.

Bhartiya Seniors celebrate Navratri JAYANTI OZA

CHICAGO: Bhartiya Senior Citizens of Chicago organized five days of Navratra celebration on October 1, 2 & 7, 8, 9 at Rana Regan Community Center at Carol Stream, a northwest suburb of Chicago.

More than 700 people participated in this event every day. The daily sponsor for the entire five days were Tusharbhai Gandhi, BSC activists Chhotubhai Patel, Sakikumar, Hemalishah, Bharatbhai Barot. Haribhai Patel C thanked all supporters and sponsors of this Navratri event.

Thakorbhai Bhatt volunteered services free all Navratri days.

Tea and snacks were provided free besides no charge for attending the Garba. All BSC executive

Participants performing Raas Garba

members worked - Kitchen Committee Madhubhai Patel, Pravinbhai Amin, Ramsngbhai Parmar, Rameshbhai Baxi, Chandrakant Chudasma, Chandubhai Dave. Stage DecoFirst day sponsors Chhotubhai Patel with Harshaben Patel, Shardaben Patel

ration Committee - Chimanbhai Patel, Ramesh Rupani (DJ), Kalyani Patel, Damini Patel. Aarti Committee: Preparing Aarti dishes Rakshikaben Anjaria Kala Oza, Nita Chudasma Jashuben Patel, and Vidhyaben Patel. Collect Aarti money and donation Committee - Madarsang Chavda (Treasurer), Indubhai Patel,

Mahesh Patel. All worked hard to see that the event meets huge success.

There was a Garba competition for the best Garba and the winners were 1.Nila Chudasma 2.

Vimlaben Patel 3. Virabhai Patel.

The Prize was sponsored by Jatin Patel. Photography services were given free by Jayantibhai.

October 21, 2016

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Honors galore for tough Marathon Mohit HEMANT VAKHARIA

pated in 21 marathons that included 4 half marathons (approximates 13 miles) 12 full marathons 26 miles and three Ultra Marathons covering 80 kilometers or 50; and two Ultra mountainous marathons.

He has amassed a good number of medals and awards. The way he keeps himself fit and runnable, he is likely to be among those who have the highest number of medals. Apart from that he has the distinction of being the only Indian runner who has participated in large number of Marathons and Ultra Marathons and received a number of honors and medals.

An electronic engineer, Mohit hails from a small village, Sadau, in Kutch Gujarat area but got settled in Mumbai where he used to cycle his way to Churchgate from Vile Parle - two Mumbai suburbs. With engineering degree from Mangalore University, he migrated to USA fourteen years ago on a company transfer and then he stayed put here. He is in an executive position with 10 to 12 software engineers working under him.

He is married to Jyoti Gharod who is working as perfusionist in reputed local hospitals, including one in Washington DC. Medals accumulated by Mohit

Mohit Gala, the marathon runner

MILWAUKEE: Mohit Gala, a well placed software engineer in Louisiana, would be probably the first Indian American to have successfully participated in a number of Half Marathons, Marathons and Ultra Marathon in this country. These involved running a distance of 13 to 50 miles which is more than the usual 26 miles for a marathon run.

The Ultra Marathon also involves running, hiking and climbing 3000 to 5000 ft of mountain terrain and is considered very tough with limited participation Gala had run three marathons including two Ultras this year only in States of Utah, Washington DC and Wisconsin. In a talk with this paper he said the Ultra marathon involving hiking hilly and mountainous areas replete with rivulets, uneven terrain and bumpy roads, is the most difficult. He has successfully participated in 21 marathons in the past ten years and probably ran at all the States that had marathon runs held and organized.

This is a record for any Indian American as it involves huge physical fitness and perfect health. The Ultra Marathon organizers great care in filtering the runners and even after the runs they have to go through a series of stretching exercises and even Yogas. Mohit has so far partici-

me feel comfortable. And, most importantly, like any other film, all of us were on a journey. It was great fun. It was not about different people from different parts of the world coming together. We all came with our cultures to make a fun-filled and interesting movie. I am sure that will translate on screen too.

S 24 India Post

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October 21, 2016

he had been away from India for a long time. After wrap ping up her debut Hollywood film xXx: The Return of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel, Deepika Padukone returned to the country a couple of weeks back. But, in an interview, the actor says no matter where she goes, "India is home, and that's never going to change."

You are back in India after so long‌ It feels great to be back home. I made a few one-day trips to India in between [while shooting in Canada], but this time, coming back is a different feeling. I have always been a homebody. I enjoy spending time at home. I don't think I've been away for so long at a stretch ever. I really look forward to coming back home after finishing work, chilling, having nice Indian food and spending quality time.

Many felt that we lost you to Hollywood‌

You haven't signed a Hindi film for over six months now. Do you ever feel insecure?

Not at all. At the end of the day, you have to be excited about the work you do. So, whatever I find next has to be bigger and better, and more challenging than what I've done in the past, because you grow and learn with every film. I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year.

For me, it's about the quality of work. I think it's about following your instincts and doing a film for the right reason.

Cont'd on Page 26

That can never happen (smiles).

So you will always be a Bollywood actor?

I don't look at it as Hollywood or Bollywood, but, of course, my roots are here, and at the end of the day, it's about your roots. You can't take

India out of me. People go for holidays, but eventually, come back home. So, no matter where I go in the world, this [India] is home, and that will never change.

How different was working on a Hollywood film?

It was exactly the same in terms of every minute detail. I think that's what made me feel so much at home; made

October 21, 2016

India Post 25

Ranveer Singh `extremely comfortable` with nudity

I

n a recent interview with a daily, Ranveer Singh con fessed that he has no problem with nudity and is extremely comfortable in his skin.

The 31-year-old was asked if he found it awkward shooting a par-

ticular 'Befikre' scene in briefs to which he confessed, "I have no problem with nudity. I am not an exhibitionist; I am extremely comfortable in my skin."

The Bajirao Mastani star impressed the audience with a stun-

ning performance in the recently released trailer of Befikre opposite Vaani Kapoor. The trailer shows Ranveer kissing Vaani and flaunting his body while walking in just a red brief and a cowboy hat.

"People say 'actors nange hote hai' but that doesn't mean they are literally naked. It means when an actor is performing it is completely convincing, but they are acting, they don't really feel it," he said.

Ranveer also said that he had a point to make wearing that brief in Befikre.

"My wearing the speedo is just the physical aspect of it and it means very little as opposed to what I am actually putting out there. I am naked to another level and it has more to do with my soul.

If you wear your soul, you can't be more naked than that," he reasoned.

Kangana escapes unhurt in Atlanta accident

K

angana Ranaut and a few members of her team met with an accident on October 12. The Queen (2014) actor, who has been shooting for filmmaker Hansal Mehta's movie, Simran, in the US, however, "miraculously escaped unhurt" The incident took place when the group was returning from the shooting location, which was outside Georgia, to their hotel in Atlanta, the state's capital. "A local driver was behind the wheel and was driving in the leftmost lane (meant for fast-moving traffic) on highway 381.

Suddenly, he started coughing profusely and then blacked out while on the move," says an insider.

When the driver blacked out, Kangana's local bodyguard, who was sitting next to the driver, tried to "control the car's movement" by maneuvering the steering wheel. But in that "nervous moment", he couldn't control the vehicle, which swerved to the right and cut through three of the highway's lanes sharply, before

banging into an iron fence.

"Everyone was scared at that point. But luckily, none of them got hurt. Kangana had a few minor scratches on her elbows and her forehead that bled a little, but nothing major happened. Similarly, Kangana's team members also suf-

ups to ensure no one suffered from any internal injuries," says the insider.

Kangana didn't take any break.

She resumed work the next day itself. "The entire unit is stationed there. So, she didn't want to stall the shoot due to the accident, de-

fered a few minor injuries," adds an insider.

Within minutes of the accident, the local police reached the spot.

Kangana, for one, "made sure that everyone else was well looked-after".

"Later, the film's makers ensured that Kangana and the others went to the hospital for check-

spite the fact that the makers were ready to take a break," adds the source.

Producer Shailesh R Singh says, "It was a narrow escape. It's a miracle that they had no injuries.

Kangana is a brave girl. She refused to take a break and has resumed the shoot."

-Courtesy HT

Indian musicians hail Bob Dylan's Nobel MUMBAI: The Indian music Ghazals and 'nazam' are considfraternity including sarod maestro ered literature. Bob is a great guy.

Amjad Ali Khan and composer AR He is a man who created a moRahman have hailed the an- ment," Akhtar said. nouncement of American music Veteran singer Usha Uthup said legend Bob Dylan bagging the she was "very excited" and the exNobel Literature Prize, calling it a citement is not going to die down. "proud moment" for all musicians.

"It is such an exciting moment.

The surprise announcement by This is an amazing decision for the Swedish Academy in people who think that song is part Stockholm was also welcomed as of literature. This is a marvelous a "marvelous and amazing deci- decision. I am elated." sion" with noted lyricist Javed Singer Adnan Sami, composerAkhtar saying it proves that music can also be a part of literature.

75-year-old Dylan, whose most popular songs include "Blowin' in the Wind", "Mr Tambourine Man", "Like a Rolling Stone" and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall", was cited "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".

Khan said he is happy that a musician has received the honor and called Dylan a "deserving candidate" for the Bob Dylan: ‘I think he will show up,’ said the Nobel’s permanent secretary Nobel Prize.

"He has given so much happiness and good music to singer Vishal Dadlani and Shilpa people. This is the beauty of mu- Rao took to Twitter to share how sic that as a musician of any coun- Dylan's works helped shape their try we are connected with each music.

"Can't even express my joy! other because we work with the #BobDylan won the Nobel Prize same seven notes."

Rahman, in a Facebook post, for Literature! This is AWESOME! thanked Dylan for influencing him His songs shaped the meaning of with the songs and transporting freedom for me!" Dadlani tweeted.

"Congratulations to people to an alternate world. # A R R a h m a n , @bobdylan !! Extremely well de#VishweshKrishnamoorthy & the served!! #BobDylan. Your music team of '99 Songs', celebrate the will impact the world only when noble peace prize award for your Melody becomes 'one' with #BobDylan and want to thank him the emotions of your Soul... #Mufor influencing three generations sic #Passion #Soul," Sami wrote.

"Here's to celebrating lyrics and with his songs, transporting people from their crazy lives to an lyricists #NobleforDylan," Rao tweeted. alternate world."

Singer Sona Mohapatra, who is Akhtar said he was very excited in Delhi to attend the ongoing fashto learn the news.

"I am very excited. As a matter ion week, said Dylan has been an of fact it is so wonderful to know inspiration for all the artists.

"This is fabulous news. Bob that people are not rejecting or accepting things by genre but by Dylan has been an inspiration for quality. We tend to be puritan everyone. He is not only a singer about certain things. If it is a song or musician he is also a poet. I'm so happy," Sona told PTI. it is not taken as literature.

26 India Post

October 21, 2016 www.indiapost.com

The Gandhi the world does not know

N

amed 'Kastur' after the scent the world knows as musk, she was the youngest of three siblings in a wealthy family of Kapadias who had well established overseas business in textiles, grain and cotton.

Known to the world as Kasturba, wife of a man the world venerated as a prophet of peace, for Kastur the child bride who married the boy next door, Mohandas was self righteous and overbearing husband, says a new book "The Secret Diary of Kasturba", an imaginary chronicle of the life of Kasturba by Neelima Dalmia Adhar.

Historical facts form the back of this book but there was "no

secret diary" maintained by Kasturba", says Adhar.

The book is written in a diary form with Kastur penning her experiences in Porbandar where she was born on April 11, 1869 - six months before the birth of Mohandas Gandhi who was born in neighborhood on October 2, 1869 and, early life with young Mohandas, her days in Africa and Mohandas's rise as a mass leader.

As her diary traverses through the years in Porbandar, opposition from the Modh Bania community to Gandhi's plans to go abroad for studies much against the community's opposition to such ventures, his work in South Africa, Kastur writes of the horror that

Kasturba Gandhi

Back from Hollywood Cont'd from Page 24

There's so much focus on your personal life. Do you feel annoyed?

Not at all. I always feel it's about what you make of certain situations, and your perspective to certain things. One person's perspective on something doesn't necessarily need to be mine too. And that's the way I've looked at anything that has come my way. I never encourage any speculation or negativity.

you are in your life at that point, and what you want to make of those opportunities.

For long, Indian actors have been cast in stereotyped roles in Hollywood. Is that perception changing?

Definitely, it's changing. I have done a full-fledged feature film. My work and Priyanka's (Chopra) performance in Quantico are the clas-

Rumours suggest that all's not good between you and Ranveer Singh. How would you respond to that?

Well, there's nothing to respond to because as I said, 'I have never responded to such sort of things and I don't plan to do the same anytime soon (smiles).

Has your equation with Ranveer Singh changed over the years?

I have never commented on anything before, so I wouldn't say anything even now. He is someone who has always been and will always be an extremely important part of my life. That's never going to change.

Will you be more active in Hollywood or divide your time equally between the two film industries?

Perspectives change, but at the end of the day, it will be about following my heart and instincts. Creativity goes beyond boundaries so for me and life is one long continuous journey. Different things, challenges and opportunities will come your way. It depends where

based on Rani Padmavati?

I can't confirm anything at this point, but like I always say, 'Soon, you will get to know what I am doing next.'

A couple of months back, you also hung out with ace tennis player Novak Djokovic in Los Angeles, USA. How was the meeting?

Since I come from a sports family, I draw a lot of inspiration from athletes. I consider myself fortunate to have met him. Three years ago, when he was in India, I had met him then. I find it interesting to interact and learn from such high achievers, especially since he is an athlete in an individual sport.

There's a lot of similarity in people like him and Roger Federer, and I have been lucky to have met these people.

she was subjected to by Mohandas when she was told to clean not only own chamber pots every day but also extend the service to other residents whose pots had not been tended to or cleaned properly.

"The persistent putrid stink, the nasty gash on my wrist where Mohandas had grabbed me and dragged me to the gate...

Mohandas had become an abusive and cruel husband who had lost all regard for the one person he claimed to have loved the most. I felt suffocated and trapped," Kastur wrote in the diary imagined by the author.

A bigger shock was yet to come. After she gave birth to their fourth child, Devdas, Mohandas told her that she will have to sleep in a separate bedroom.

"We shall no longer be man

Australia, Japan interested in Saraswati project CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has said the project to revive Saraswati River has drawn attention of Australia and Japan and talks are on with them regarding research on the subject.

In an official release, the Haryana Saraswati Heritage De-

= It was all in good humor (laughs). It was actually more fun to see how that entire thing ultimately panned out.

sic examples that testify the change. But if a mindset has been deeply engraved for so many years, like many things that are embedded in our culture, it's not going to change overnight. But I always look at things positively, and believe that things are changing. And in whatever little capacity I can, I want to be part of that change.

Are you doing film-maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next movie

Rumors also suggest that you auditioned for a Bond film and a Brad Pitt film‌ Sometimes, I find some theories really strange, but I have never been one to talk about them. I have never felt the need to clarify rumors that involve my life. There is absolutely no truth to any of these two specific films.

Also, reports claims that you might star opposite Salman Khan in his next two films?

Wow (smiles). It's not something that I am aware of. So, I don't know about both the films.

-Courtesy HT

and wife," he apparently told Kasturba. She had understood that as a faithful Hindu wife, she would have to blindly follow in the footsteps of her husband, no matter how much it violated her sensibilities.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was sworn to poverty, celibacy and the cause for India's freedom; Kastur spent 62 years of her life juggling the roles of a devoted wife, a 'satyagrahi' and sacrificing mother who was eclipsed because of a man who almost became God for India's multitude.

Gandhi was an intolerant father to Harilal, his wayword son, driven to debauchery; Kasturba paid the price for her son's unending misery, the book claims.

The book, published by Tranquebar Press, tries to tell the world what it meant to Kasturba to be wife of Mahatma Gandhi.-PTI

Manohar Lal Khattar

velopment Board's president Prashant Bhardwaj said a delegation from Australia has offered its support in rejuvenation of the river during a recent meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

He also said work on archaeological research of Harappan civilization is underway by a South Korean university at Rakhigarhi near Jind.

With a view to generate awareness about the river, seminars are also being organized at college and university level.

Bharadwaj said "Rashtriya Saraswati Mahotsav" will be organized in February 2017 as a part of state's golden jubilee celebrations.

Scientists from about 20 countries would be invited in the festival including those from the renowned research institutes and universities, he added.

Announcing that the government is planning to set up a Centre for Research at Kurukshetra University, he said Saraswati Mahotsav would be organized at an international level in 2018.

He said work on an extensive research project is in progress under which research institutes of national and international repute and universities would be invited to conduct research on subjects like archeology, environmental studies, climate change, river technology, water conservation, irrigation and flood control management.

Bharadwaj said the coordination committee of seven districts on Saraswati Heritage Project constituted by the Central Government is exploring possibilities in tourism sector besides rejuvenation of Saraswati River which also include developing tourism corridor from Bandipur glacier to Kutch.-PTI

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Kala Chashma: Baar Baar Dekho 2 Tere Sang Yaara: Rustom 3 Jag Ghoomeya: Sultan 4 Sau Tarah Ke: Dishoom 27 India Post

October 21, 2016

www.indiapost.com

Sultan

P

riyanka Chopra recently com mented on her rising popularity in Hollywood and expressed hope that the new entrants Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor enjoy the same.

During an interview with Anupama Chopra, the 34-year-old star talked about her peers going ahead with Hollywood projects.

"I hope all the actors come see the notoriety and the popularity that I have achieved or reached. I hope that happens to them because

it's unbelievable when it happens in another country," the 'Quantico' star said.

"You walk out and you have people who don't look anything like you, coming up and knowing you. I hope that happens to Deepika and Sonam because they've signed up. Today is not about domestic, it's all about entertainment. It's global. So now everyone wants that," she added.

A

ctress Sonam Kapoor says she is inspired by women from all walks of life, including her mother Sunita, poet and nationalist leader Sarojini Naidu and Hollywood actresses like Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence.

Sonam, who will be honored by ET Panache with 'Trendsetter Award' for the year 2016, also counts eminent painter Amrita Sher-Gil, air hostess Neerja Bhanot among those who inspire her.

"I like people who have passion.

Amrita Sher-Gil came to India in search of her own voice. Sarojini Naidu, Neerja Bhanot, these people were the best versions of themselves and that's what I aspire to be.

"I just read Meryl Streep's autobiography. She lives her life with dignity. Actresses like Diane Keaton, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Watson are all incredible," Sonam said.

T

aapsee Pannu has been receiving messages, mails, and letters from her fans for her effortless portrayal of a girl, who has wrongly been accused in a sexual harassment case.

"It's pretty interesting to receive letters and mails of appreciation from across borders. Truly art has

5 Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai:

no boundaries. There are so many heart-warming messages and mails from females from Middle-Eastern countries especially," Taapsee said in a statement. The 'Baby' actress says when she visited the Middle-East "a few days back for a quick getaway, I met a few girls who walked up and expressed their love for 'Pink'".

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

K

angana Ranaut is hailed as Bollywood's 'Queen' post her back-to-back successful releases. The actress says for her, success doesn't come with any kind of pressure as she feels that failure doesn't reflect your credibility as an artiste.

She also said that she doesn't pick a project thinking that it will elevate her position in the industry.

"I haven't set any standards that I have to do this work or this is where I have to go. I don't put that kind of pressure on myself. What I tell myself is that I will continue (on the path). I think I am the only top actress probably who has done B-grade films," Kangana says.

She added "I don't see that a certain project can ascend to a certain position.

You can be giving flops and still be a very valuable artiste and that is the case with me."

28 India Post

T

he Wandur National Park com prises about 12 islands and is located about 30 km southwest of Port Blair - the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Comprising 300 islands, this archipelago is amongst the most far-flung regions of India. Labyrinthine Island groups as they are aptly named because of the channels weaving around and forming a maze - they are home to India's best marine parks.

Most of the islands in the park are densely forested; the open spaces are covered with scrub and creepers. A casual glance around and one can spot brilliant tropical flowers including orchids. Broken branches and fallen leaves spread over the jungle pathways. One can also hear the bird calls, but unless in the open, it is difficult to spot the terns, gulls, ospreys, serpent

www.indiapost.com

crested eagles, wood pigeons and of course the swifts.

Caves and caverns are another interesting aspect of these islands since most of them are quite rocky. The sandy beaches where the boats can land are interspersed amongst the sheer granite cliffs and walls of the islands.

But the most striking feature of all these islands is the vegetation. Very dense, it comes right down to the shore, seeming to merge into the sea. Branches and creepers overhang and dip into the seawater.

Wandur or Marine National Park is located in the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar at a distance of around 30 km from Port Blair, capital of this centrally administrative division of India. The park extends from the latitudes 10°13'-14°N and the longitudes 92°- 93°E, in the Bay of Bengal.

Cont’d on page 42

October 21, 2016

October 21, 2016

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post 29

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Swanky restaurant soon at rail museum

NEW DELHI: The National Rail Museum "light and sound show" and "vintage hohere will soon get a swanky restaurant - tels" on "Palace on Wheel" coaches, a luxu"The Rails" which the Railway Ministry aims rious train with royal trappings, to attract to develop as a prominent evening tourist more visitors. destination in the national capital.

IRCTC would develop these facilities in The restaurant, which would be made the museum complex. operational soon, has a replica of the cen"The restaurant, with a-la-carte dining tral dome portion of Mumbai's Chhatrapati options for the upmarket segment, has the Shivaji Terminus (CST) which is a UNESCO potential to generate revenues for the railWorld Heritage building. ways as tourists and visitors will find it an The Indian Railway Catering and Tour- attractive place for having food and also as ism Corporation (IRCTC) will manage and operate the restaurant where the tourists can enjoy an array of sumptuous cuisines.

"We have received a directive from the Railway Ministry to operate the restaurant.

We will be delighted to manage and operate the new restaurant at the National Rail Museum, a landmark in the national capital," IRCTC Chairman and Managing DiThe Rails aims to attract visitors and tourists with an rector A K Manocha said. array of sumptuous cuisines.

The eatery is part of the Railway Ministry's plan to develop the rail a relaxing place during their visit to the rail museum as a prominent evening tourist des- museum," Manocha said. tination in the national capital.

The museum has a footfall of about 2,000 The depiction of formation of Indian Rail- on weekdays and 5,000 on weekends and ways through unification of a large number holidays. of independent rail companies would be a With light and sound show and fountain prominent feature of the restaurant. and indoor gallery becoming functional durIt has also possessed a unique "serving ing evening, "The Rails" can play a major train", which was recently showcased in a role in repositioning the National Rail MuBollywood film. seum as a prominent evening destination in Besides, plans are also afoot to develop the tourist landscape of Delhi, an official other facilities at the museum which include said.-PTI

US warns citizens against travel to Pak WASHINGTON: The US has warned its citizens against non-essential travel to Pakistan, saying the country continues to experience "significant" terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks.

"Pakistan continues to experience significant terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks," State Department said in its latest travel warning on Pakistan. This replaces the previous travel warning of April 7.

"The Department of State warns US citizens against all non-essential travel to Pa-

kistan," the travel warning said, adding that throughout Pakistan, foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a danger to US citizens.

Targeted attacks against government officials, humanitarian and non-governmental organization (NGO) employees, tribal elders, and law enforcement personnel are common, the travel warning said.

Evidence suggests that some victims of terrorist activity have been targeted because they are Americans, it said.

Terrorists and criminal groups regularly resort to kidnapping for ransom, the advisory said.

The State Department also noted that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) concerning the risks to civil aviation operating in Pakistan, particularly at low altitude, during the arrival and departure phases of flight, and when on the ground, due to extremist/ militant activity.

The Advisory NOTAM does not prohibit US operators or airmen from operating in the specified area, as it is strictly an advisory notice, it said.-AP

Carnival Vista named year's best new ship

C

arnival Cruise Line's newest ship Carnival Vista was named the year's best new ship while Seattle was named best U.S. homeport in Cruise Critic's annual awards.

Cruise Critic praised Seattle for its many attractions and new light rail system, which makes it easy for visitors to get around.

Carnival Vista, which launched in May, was cited for its wide-ranging amenities, including an onboard water park, brewery and 14 restaurants. Carnival also won in the category of best value for money for the third consecutive year for affordable fares, free activities and dining venues.

The cruise review website and online community chooses winners of its Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards based on the editors' shared experiences on the ships and their knowledge of the industry.

Disney Cruise Line was honored for best

dining and best for families, with editors noting the wide variety of onboard venues for all ages, from adults-only spaces to kids clubs.

AmaWaterways was named best river cruise line.

Viking River Cruises won in the best itineraries category, while Emerald Waterways was named best value for money.

Cruise Critic gave an award for the first time in the luxury category, naming Seabourn for its service, itineraries and sophistication.

The award for best ship refurbishment went to Cunard's Queen Mary 2.

Norwegian Cruise Line took the honors for best entertainment, while Holland America Line got top billing for best standard cabins. Princess Cruises won in the best shore excursions category, while Lindblad Expeditions won for best adventure.-AP

30 India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

October 21, 2016

www.indiapost.com

Cont’d from page 40

Best time to visit: December to early April. Wandur National Park has a tropical climate. There is medium to heavy rain from May to mid September and November to mid December. There is no extreme climate except rains and tropical storms in late summer, which cause heavy damage.

Tourist attractions: Jollybuoy: Of all these islands Jollybuoy, which, lies towards the middle of the park, is most famous.

The biggest attraction of this island is a sandy beach on its northern end. This beach is encircled by a reef, which is exposed during low tide. Walking carefully over the area one can see the tide pools and in them the sea cucumbers, anemones, starfish, cowries, turbots and spider conch.

Redskin Island: Redskin Island is another important island, which is inhabited by the deer which were brought here by the British. Approachable by boats that land in sandy coves on either side of the island, Redskin has a large area with numerous caves along the northern cliffs. The interior is still quite densely wooded with mangrove stands along the eastern and southern creeks.

Across the channel is Tarmugli, which has an extensive coral reef on the southwestern side and an idyllic diving cove at the extreme

end of the reef. Nearby is Grub Island, a picturesque sand fringed island that is so small, one can walk around it.

At the southern end of the park lie the Twins. Aptly named, the two peaks rise from the deep blue sea, separated by a thin strip of clean and clear water.

Marine Life: Having explored the land, it is time to discover the marine life. It begins right at the shore. Take a plunge into the deep and a whole new world unfolds through the diving mask. At first sight everything appears to be a blue haze. Slowly it begins to unravel - the sand below, the coral heads and the amazing variety of fish: brightly colored green parrot fish, blue damsels, yellow butterfly fish, black surgeons, silver jacks - a never-ending parade of sea life.

The richness and diversity of

the life on the coral reef is amazing. Take the coral for example - a simple skeleton made up layer by layer by the minute coral polyp. It comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. Of the over 1000 existing species in the world, 135 are found in the Andamans, alone.

The coral reef itself is made up of solid limestone built over ages through a process of sedimentation. Boulders, walls, peaks, valleys, nooks and corners form the general topography. Brain coral, finger coral, antler coral are some of the common varieties encoun-

tered. Plate coral, vase coral and leather coral are scattered all over the reef in patches.

If examined closely it is possible

or be eaten is the universal law here. This food web often ends with the most voracious predators.

On the reef these are the grouper,

to distinguish the individual coral polyps. Some are as small as a few millimeters where as others can be about a centimeter long.

Tentacles, which serve the purpose of collecting food, surround their centrally placed mouth. Though they might look insignificant, all corals, whether branching or spreading are the creation of these countless individuals working in harmony.

Corals derive their color from algae called xooanthellae living inside their flesh.

This symbiotic relationship is characteristic of many other species of the reef. The algae help in the formation of the hard limestone coral skeleton and in return it utilizes the coral's metabolic wastes as nutrients.

As the reef is built up over the years it serves as a shelter and haven to other marine life. Fish, crab, lobsters, sea urchins, and shrimps - all start forming the intricate food web, which binds all these creatures to each other. Eat

the barracuda and the shark. They patrol the outer edges of the reef in search of prey. One wonders who the sharks are prey to.

One of the most interesting sights on the reef is the cleaner wrasse. This particular fish has evolved an innovative and specialized feeding behavior. Its principal food consists of small parasites and to obtain them, it offers a

'cleaning service' to other fish as most fish have these pests clinging to them.

Proceeding further along one is likely to come across the giant

clam. It is a spectacular sight with its luminescent mantle. Small ones are easily spotted but the real three feet giant clams are said to exist only along the remote fringes of the park.

Another curious sight is the big anemone and its clownfish that live in association, forming one of the well-known cases of symbiosis. The mobile clownfish cleans and feeds the fixed anemones while the anemone offers shelter to the fish. The anemones can sting mildly and it is best, not to touch them. Then there are five species of clownfish, which occur in the park.

Some can be found in three feet of water and easily observed by the snorkeler.

Mangrove: Another marvel of these islands is the mangrove.

This hardy tree has its roots in seawater. The leaves and other debris of the mangrove form a very important source of food to the marine life. Like the reef this tree provides a natural buffer against storm waves.

How to reach

Air: Regular flights from Port Blair to Calcutta and Chennai are operated by Indian Airlines.

Road: One can travel to Wandur from Port Blair, by road.

October 21, 2016

Travel & Hospitality Post

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Hiking in Idaho's White Cloud Range BRYAN CLARK

STANLEY, Idaho: Chamberlain Basin boasts some of the most striking views in the White Cloud Range, and it's a hike that's doable for most people of reasonable fitness.

Luke Ramseth and I made the trip as part of a reporting project about the area a year after major sections became protected wilderness.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle is the drive in on Pole Creek Road, which starts about 25 miles south of Stanley. It's about 14 miles, getting rougher the farther you go.

The road is washed out and rocky in many places, and there are a number of stream crossings. Decently high clearance is a necessity, and four-wheel drive is recommended.

Starting from Washington Creek Trailhead, follow the Washington Lake Trail toward Germania Creek.

Turn left at the Castle Divide Trail and continue until the ridgeline.

Luke and I started out late on a Friday evening, and walked in a little less than a mile. There were several stream crossings which were easily made in late August

but could be more challenging earlier in the year when high-altitude snowpacks haven't fully melted.

We made camp below the trail junc-

gradually gains altitude with plenty of switchbacks, rising a little less than 2,000 feet from the junction in about 3.5 miles. The trail

People hike the Castle Divide Trail in the Chamberlain Basin, near Stanly, Idaho. Chamberlain Basin boasts some of the most striking views in the White Cloud Range and it's a hike that's doable for most people of reasonable fitness.

tion where we would begin gaining elevation toward Chamberlain Basin the next day.

We began heading up the trail toward the ridgeline. The climb

is clear and well maintained.

We popped to the top of the ridgeline at around 2 p.m. and took a break to soak it all in.

If you can't make it farther, at

Indo-Pak tension hits tourism in Jaisalmer JAISALMER: Desert tourist destination Jaisalmer, frequented by lakhs of tourists every year, is bearing the brunt of escalated Indo-Pak tensions with the tourism season beginning on a bleak note this time.

A large number tourists who used to flock to several forts and tourist spots in Jaisalmer, close to the Indo-Pak border, are missing this season as several travelers have cancelled their tours in the wake of tensions between India and Pakistan after the Indian army's surgical strikes in PoK.

Roads through the vast expanding desert are not as busy as they used to be during this period and hotel owners and travel operators are disappointed with cancellation of bookings.

"The impact of tension between India and Pakistan is quite visible in the city. More than half of the tourism business has been affected as the footfall of tourists is very low this time," said Sami Vyas, a local guide.

The tourism season in Rajasthan starts with Navratra and thousands of tourists visit every

day but this time only handful of tourists are seen, he said.

"Inflow of tourists is low due to the tension but I am hopeful that when this phase will be over, the situation will return to normalcy," said another local guide in Patwa Haveli.

Prithvi Raj Singh, president of the hotel association of Jaisalmer, said that several bookings have been cancelled and there is no fresh booking.

"There is no fear among locals, but tourists are avoiding visit to be on a safer side," he said.-PTI

least make it here. The view from the ridge into Chamberlain Basin, dotted with clear-blue alpine lakes, filled with wildflowers and lodgepole pines, is astounding. Dominating the view to the north is Castle Peak, the craggy, 11,815foot mountain that is the icon of the White Clouds. To the south there are excellent views of the southern edge of the range.

The 700-foot descent into the basin is gradual, passing by small lakes, open fields and groves of old-growth forest, including gnarled whitebark pines - a highaltitude species which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service warned in 2011 is in imminent danger of disappearing. While we didn't see bighorn sheep or mountain goats, they are commonly reported in the area.

There were relatively few other backpackers in the basin, though a steady trickle of day hikers made their way along the trail throughout the day.

We made camp on the shores of Lake 9197, right at the base of Castle Peak, where there are many well-used camp sites.

After lunch and a rest we made a late start toward the summit of Castle Peak.

But about a third of the way up I realized I wasn't making enough progress to get up and down before dark. The rock on Castle Peak is notoriously loose and unstable, and I turned back.

Luke sprinted up like a goat, quickly gaining the summit by following the leftmost branch of the main gully all the way to the ridgeline before moving along to the summit. He reported this route had lots of loose rock and a few moves with significant exposure.

We spent the evening and much of the next morning lounging by the sides of the lake. Shortly before we broke camp, Ed Cannady, a U.S. Forest Service backcountry recreation manager who has been working in the White Clouds for 40 years, happened along.

We asked Cannady to name his favorite spot in the White Clouds.

He said he couldn't do that, that there were at least 15 such spots he would list.

There's a lot more exploring to do.-AP

Jet Airways to start direct Kozhikode-Sharjah flight NEW DELHI: Expanding its flight services connecting Southern India to the Gulf region, Jet Airways will start direct service from Kozhikode to Sharjah this month.

The daily flight from Kozhikode, Kerala, to Sharjah would commence from October

by Jet Airways to Sharjah through a direct flight.

Already, the carrier has services from Kochi and Mangaluru.

Jet Airways' Whole Time Director Gaurang Shetty said Gulf region is becoming an increasingly popular destination among the Indian population, whether it

30.

In a release, the airline said the direct service would further expand its already-extensive network connecting Southern India to the Gulf.

"The Indo-Gulf route is among Jet Airways' busiest and the airline has ramped up the number of flights on the sector to meet this growing demand," it added.

Kozhikode would become the third Indian city to be connected

is for business travel, tourism or employment.

"To cater to this growing demand, Jet Airways has progressively taken steps to enhance capacity on the route either by deploying more aircraft or introducing wide-body options on the sector," he noted.

The airline operates flights to 67 destinations, including domestic and international places. It has a fleet of 117 aircraft.-PTI

„ Health

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WHO for fiscal curbs on sugar drinks NEW DELHI: The World Health Organization has called on governments to impose fiscal measures like taxes on sugarsweetened beverages to discourage their consumption and prevent obesity and diabetes, prompting the Centre to look into the matter.

The global health body, in its latest report, reiterates the need for a fiscal policy which includes subsidies for vegetables and fruits and taxes for unhealthy food alternatives.

"There is increasing evidence that appropriately designed taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages would result in proportional reductions in consumption, especially if aimed at raising the retail price by 20 per cent or more," according to the report titled 'Fiscal Policies for Diet and Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases'.

The report says that providing subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables by reducing their prices by 10 to 30 per cent can lead to increased consumption of such healthy items.

A senior official of the Health Ministry said, "We will study the report."

Reduced consumption of sugary drinks would mean lower intake of "free sugars" and calories, thus leading to improved nutrition and fewer people will suffer from overweight, obesity, diabetes and tooth decay, the report said.-PTI

„ Blindfolded Delhiites pledge to donate eyes NEW DELHI: In a bid to spread awareness about eye donation, scores of people blindfolded themselves and marched in solidarity with visually impaired people in the national capital on World Sight Day. Led by Colonel Anil Kaul, a Vir Chakra recipient who lost his right eye in a military operation, the walk comprised people who pledged to donate their eyes.

The walk was organized by Project Vision, a Bengaluru- based non-government initiative, to urge the government to make '104' as a common helpline for eye donation across the country.

It also presented a memorandum for the same to Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar.

Urging people to donate eyes, Gurjar said, "No machine has ever been designed that can create eyes."-PTI

Health Science

Medical colleges to have students' feedback

32 India Post

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October 21, 2016

Details on Page 34

Social media affecting mental well-being of youth: Experts NEW DELHI: Excessive exposure to social media is affecting psychological well-being of youths with many of them exhibiting "unusual" behavioral and lifestyle changes that have "wrecked" their education and interpersonal relationships, say experts.

Psychiatrists at top health institutions in Delhi also say that in most cases people don't even understand they may be actually affected by it, which is a "cause for worry".

"Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are like double-edged swords, on the one hand they may have brought a greater sense of democratization, but on the other, there is the dark side to it too, and many youth are either being harassed on it or becoming addicted to it, leading to psychological problems," Senior Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Sandeep Vohra told PTI. Vohra, who practices at Indraprastha Apollo in south Delhi, says the hospital's Psychiatry Department gets 80-100 cases per week, which includes people who are suffering from common psychological disorders like depression and anxiety or severe ones like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

"But we are also getting what

is called the Internet addiction disorder and cases where people's life has been affected because of some issue over the social media.

"Besides, social media has also made the youth more conscious about how they look and there is a constant sense of validation or approval from other around them, affecting their self-esteem and mental well-being," he says.

says.

Kumar says with celebrities posting on Facebook and tweeting 24x7, youths have become more "misguided into this 'likecomment-share' and 'instant reaction' culture, where many times people become upset if their friends do not like a post or a picture.

"Besides, many of them are

"Social media is also triggering relationship breakdown in many cases. A 17- year-old girl came to us after she was harassed by her ex- boyfriend over Facebook. So much so that the girl's family had to file a police complaint against the boy" Dr Roma Kumar, Child and Adolescent Psychologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital cautions that with excessive social media, people, especially the youth are "allowing others to take control of their lives".

"We had a case in which a 30year-old man became so obsessed with a girl that he lost 15 kg of weight running after her. He also stalked her on Facebook and Instagram. The family of the man then brought him to us. The girl and her family were stressed out because of this episode," she

spending inordinate time over Internet and social media, sleeping late night and not communicating with people in real life. This is a dangerous trend. The worry is that many of these youth, do not know that they are exhibiting changed psychological behavior."

Doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health experts globally have joined hands to mark the World Mental Health Day. Professor of Psychiatry at AIIMS, Dr Rajesh Sagar says, "It

is no doubt that social media is affecting the emotional and psychological well-being of people.

But that holds for excessive use of anything. What is needed is proper training for students at school level in judicious use of social media, as we cannot part with technological changes."

Sharing a case study at Apollo, Vohra says, "Social media is also triggering relationship breakdown in many cases. A 17- year-old girl came to us after she was harassed by her ex- boyfriend over Facebook. So much so that the girl's family had to file a police complaint against the boy, who has become obsessed with her."

He says besides triggering anxiety, depression and self- destructing tendencies, social media platforms have also led to people suffering from "body dysmorphic disorder" "So we had a 21-year-old girl who was brought to us, who insisted that her nose was imperfect and tried rhinoplasty despite the fact it was alright. Constant bombardment of images on social media, peer pressure and 'selfieculture' has engendered this narcissistic behavior that borders on psychological disorders," Vohra says.

Cont'd on Page 34

15 pc adults need mental treatment NEW DELHI: Nearly 15 per cent of Indian adults are in need of active interventions for one or more mental health issues, according to a report.

The report is based on National Mental Health Survey, 2016 conducted by Bengaluru-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) with the support of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The survey was conducted among 34,802 adults and about 1,191 adolescents from 12 states.

"An estimated 150 million people are in need of mental health interventions and care

(both short-term and long-term) and considering the far-reaching

genders, as well as in urban and rural populations, urgent actions

impact of mental health (on all domains of life) in all populations (from children to elderly) in both

are required," the report says.

One out of every three respondents in the survey was a young

adult (aged 18-29 years).

The report, released by the Centre here, also says that nearly 15 per cent of adults (those above 18 years) are in need of active interventions for one or more mental health issues.

Common mental disorders, severe mental disorders and substance use problems coexist and the middle-age working populations are affected the most, while mental health problems among both adolescents and elderly are of serious concern, urban metros are witnessing a growing burden of mental health problems, it adds.-PTI

October 21, 2016

Health Science Post

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Govt to address shortage of psychiatrists NEW DELHI: Acknowledging "massive scarcity" of mental health professionals in the country, the government has said it was "making investments" to bridge the gap, even as it reached out to the civil society to create awareness about the issue.

"There is a massive scarcity of mental health experts in the country, with less than one psychiatrist per lakh of population. The

National Mental Health Policy. But there will be a latent period before we do that, and during this we civil societies and NGOs will have to raise awareness and play a crucial role," Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said.

In her address at the launch of a nationwide campaign to create awareness about psychological disorders on World Mental Health Day, she made references to studies done by WHO in the last few years, while emphasizing that there was a need to "broaden" the definition of health in the country.

"It is time to move forward from the mortality figures as the only indicator of health East Carolina University, Dr. Sy Saeed, chair of psychiatry and behavioral of population. medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Health should inspeaks to a colleague, Clinical Telehealth Manager Gloria Jones, during a clude the ability to routine test of the telepsychiatry system in Greenville, N.C. think creatively, number of psychiatric nurses, psychiatric having an emotional and psychological balsocieties and workers are even less. ance.

"But, the government is making invest"As per WHO estimates, one in four ment to bridge the gap, as mental health persons will be affected by a mental illness care aspect has been articulated in our new at least once in their lifetime.-PTI

Bakeries go healthy with low calorie desserts NEW DELHI: Gone are the days when sweet indulgence was equated to consuming calories and putting on weight as a number of gourmet dessert stores across the city are catering to the increasing demand for organic alternatives in desserts.

With treats like low fat peach cobblers, brown sugar balsamic sauces and fresh fruit smoothie pops, the food community is innovating with recipes.

"The first thing which comes to mind when we say dessert is a lot calories. But the food community is working to make it healthier as the younger generation is highly health conscious.

"Dessert is something we all love, even without any reason and occasion, but people's choices are changing with the younger generation going for organic food," says Kasturi Roy, Editor of Eat Treat, a city-based bakery.

She says the shift has been conspicuous in choices - from deep fried to shallow fried, sugar to organic sweeteners.

"Instead of deep fried, they are opting for shallow fried or other ways to make it less harmful. Smoothie Factory, which has several outlets across the city, is using fresh fruits, coconut milk and multi-grain flour to ensure minimum calorie intake by its customers.

They also have nutritional substitutes like 'whey protein', 'fat burners', 'women and men vitamins' for turbinado sugar (made from pure cane extracts) in their meals, free of cost.

"We try to make our food items, particularly the beverages and desserts low on calories. Generally restaurants use syrups but we avoid that. We have smoothies, which are made up of real fruits.

"We do not add any artificial flavors or even sugar. If we have to add any kind of sweetener, we go for honey. Even for our waffles, we use multi-grain flour. Also, they are egg-less," says Arjun Khera, owner of Smoothie Factory.

Hwealth Cafe in Defense Colony here too uses whole wheat, brown rice, yoghurt and natural sweeteners and to cut down on calories.

"People are more health conscious nowadays, so in order to meet their demands, we are also going for healthier options. -PTI

Smuggled cigarettes consumption up 90%

NEW DELHI: Consumption of smuggled cigarettes in India has increased by over 90 per cent in past 10 years, the latest report by industry body FICCI has said.

Over 56 per cent smokers prefer attractive packaging of foreign smuggled brands which does not adhere to Indian regulations like pictorial warning on 85 per cent space of the cigarette packet, it said.

Smuggled cigarettes' consumption has increased by over 90 per cent from 12.5 billion to 23.9 billion sticks in last 10 years, the report said, adding that 74 per cent smokers are willing to switch to cheaplypriced smuggled or illegal cigarettes due to higher taxes on legal cigarettes.

Operation of illicit markets such as smuggling, which has close links to terror groups and criminal networks, impacts industries, government, economies and the health and

safety of the consumers, it said.

The findings are part of the report on 'Need for Policy Reforms to Combat Illicit Markers - Case Study on Tobacco Industry' issued by FICCI's Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities

Destroying the Economy (CASCADE).

"Border guards have to play an important role in combating cross-border illegal trading activities," said Didar Singh, Secretary General FICCI.-PTI

34 India Post

Health Science Post

October 21, 2016

Medical colleges to have 'Chewable tobacco major students' feedback health threat' NEW DELHI: After a terse letter to the Union Health Ministry by the Supreme Court-mandated Oversight Committee, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued directions to all medical colleges to update their websites which should include students' feedback on faculty.

MCI wrote a letter recently to all medical colleges, asking them to update their

websites in the first week of every month which should also include data of every undergraduate incorporating their score in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and fees charged by the college.

The student information, including their attendance and performance, should be updated as and when the student moves to another semester.

"As part of a 360 degree evaluation, students' feedback, as regards regularity in teaching, practical demonstration, handson-training, infrastructure facilities should be included," the MCI letter said, quoting

directions from the Oversight Committee mandated by the Supreme Court to oversee functioning of MCI. The Supreme Court had in May appointed an Oversight Committee comprising former Chief Justice of India Justice R M Lodha, renowned liver specialist and Director of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences Dr Shiv Sareen and former CAG Vinod Rai. According to the order, the Oversight Committee will have the authority to oversee all statutory functions under the MCI Act. "All policy decisions of the MCI will require approval of the Oversight Committee. The Committee will be free to issue appropriate remedial directions," the order said.

Besides this, all colleges have been asked to maintain attendance electronically which should be made available to the assessors during the time of inspection.

The MCI also asked the medical colleges to have a comprehensive website depicting the medical college and the hospital and it should "necessarily be updated in the first week of every month".-PTI

NEW DELHI: Chewable tobacco is emerging as a major threat in India when it comes to causing cancer that affects 11 lakh people a year, top doctors here said while urging the government to increase taxation on it to reduce its consumption.

Over 700 delegates from around 15 foreign countries have gathered here for a fourday global conference on head-neck cancer, organized by International Federation

of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) and Foundation for Head-Neck Oncology (FHNO).

They also urged the government to remove tobacco and cigarette vendors from near school and college premises.

There are 11 lakh incidences of cancer every year in India, as per the estimates of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). And 2.5-3 lakh cases are of head and neck cancer. Over 80 per cent of head and neck cancer are caused by tobacco

alone.

"Head and neck cancers are emerging as the major killers now, and if the sale and consumption of chewable tobacco like beedi-khaini, tambaku, gutka and zarda are not regulated, it will increase the country's health burden dramatically," said Dr Alok Thakar, professor of head-neck surgery and otorhinolaryngology at the AIIMS. Thakar, Organizing Chairman of the conference, and a host of other oncologists from India's top cancer-cure institutions like Tata Memorial Centre, addressed a press conference here.

"27 per cent male population is affected by head-neck cancer while its incidence is 10-12 per cent in women. In foreign countries, lung cancer is more prevalent, as people smoke more tobacco than chew it, unlike in India, where every nook and cranny sell chewable tobacco in the open," he said.

"The incidences have increase in the last decade or so. 10-15 years ago, the incidence was about 8 lakh. People today consume gutka and zarda like saunf and that is very dangerous, more so the youth are consuming chewable tobacco from very early age," he added.

Dr Anil DCruz, Director of Mumbaibased Tata Memorial Centre, said, "I have operated on a cancer patient as young as an 8-year-old boy. He was chewing tobacco from time when he was four."

"Tobacco consumption has begun in schools and so it is important that law is properly enforced and tobacco and cigarette vendors found violating the stipulated minimum distance rule should be removed," he said. -PTI

Social media affecting mental well-being of youth: Experts Cont'd from Page 32

Ganga Ram Hospital's Kumar says she gets "cases where young people especially adolescents come to me complaining they have suicidal tendencies and ask what they should do.

After going through their history, one realizes that many of them had some sort of harassment or bullying on social media."

A 24-year-old Delhi-based professional, who did not wish to be identified, says, "There is this culture of unwanted tagging with nasty posts on Facebook and trolling on Twitter that the social media culture has spawned. I myself have been its victim, so I know.

"Though I think social media is a tool to network and be in touch with people who are far off, but excessive use of it is affecting people in a bad way."

Vohra says "social media also has become a platform for catharsis for the youth.

"It is an open and free forum, and many of them see this virtual place where they can let out their pent-up emotions or rent

anger. Many also post suicide notes on Facebook before claiming their lives, so, it has both pros and cons. And one has to use it judiciously."

Sagar at AIIMS says, the only way forward is to educate the youth when they are in school. "Just like we do it for cigarettes and alcohol use, I think there should be an education and counseling program in schools for social media too. Since, we are living in a digital era, we cannot say we should divorce ourselves from social media, but we can learn to adapt it the right way."

The World Mental Health Day theme by the UN this year is - 'Dignity in Mental Health - Psychological & Mental Health First Aid for All'.

"Social media has taken over real socialization. Playgrounds are shrinking and children are more into internet gaming then outdoor sports which is a cause of concern.

Majority of mental health patients don't seek treatment, just about 10-15 per cent do. That is mostly because of the stigma attached to it," Sagar says. -PTI

Horoscope

October 21, 2016

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Oct 21th - Oct 27th 2016 Please send your birthday, place of birth and time, so I can give you your zodiac sign, according to Vedic astrology. Send to Jaysastrology@gmail.com

T

P

he professional matters look better. Some of you may be promoted/ recognised. Some additional expenses are likely. Those who are appearing in selections may get good results.

Stay away from manipulations. It is better to keep new ventures pending. The child may also bring some happy news. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused

by Rahu/Ketu are difficult.

T

rofessional matters look better. Those of you who strong birth planets are likely to get promotion. Property matters need care to avert losses. Some sudden obstructions and stress are seen. The health of parents need care. Better to avoid unnecessary driving. Work with patience. Take care of relationship matters. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are difficult.

T

he professional matters look comparatively better.

The time is specially good for those in the field of communications, politics and international trading. Students and those who are appearing in selections have better chances of success. Some of you may be rewarded. Some new rewarding opportunities are likely. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused

by Rahu/Ketu are difficult.

T

he professional matters face problems, be careful at work do your work and stay calm. The mental peace and patience help in managing professional matters. Stay away from manipulations, people trying to take advantage of you. Some additional income is likely. Avoid aggressive behaviour and haste.

Silence is golden for you.

Better to avoid conflicts and disputes.

T

T

is the Mantra for you.

he professional matters look better. Some additional income is likely. Social interaction with friends and family and communications increases. Avoid conflicts.

Take care of your health, specially the digestion see doctor is required.The child brings some concerns focus on what they are doing. Avoid conflicting situations during 2016, and take due care of your health.

T

P

T

T

S

he professional matters look better. The week car-

ries some obstructions and concerns. Do not plan journey during this week. The students need better efforts. The health of father needs care.

Handle all matters with patience. It is better to avoid haste and conflicts. Avoid unnecessary driving and take care of your health. Patience

he professional matters may develop some conflicts. Some obstructions and conflicts, in general, are seen. Take care of your health. Financial position is ok. Take care and better to avoid unnecessary driving.

The prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree is around 17 or some planet is around 17 degree.

rofessional matters face challenges. Your understanding and patience you are likely to be able to manage things. Keep new ventures pending. Avoid manipulations. Handle relationship matters with patience. Child may need help. Avoid haste, conflicts, speculation, aggressive behaviour and unnecessary driving. Conflicts and financial concerns are likely to continue.

he professional matters look better this week.

Work with patience and stay focused so things remain manageable. Keep new ventures pending. Health of family needs attention, get a physical for the family. Week may involve some additional expenses. Avoid haste, aggressive behaviour, conflicts, unnecessary expenses and driving/ travel. Handle obstructions and relationship matters with care.

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

Some stress on income is seen. Child may bring happiness. The new business opportunities should be put on hold up to January, 2017. Avoid speculation. Always invest in safe assets. Patience is the best medicine up to January, 2017. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused

by Rahu/Ketu are difficult.

he professional matters look better. Fortune helps. The new opportunities should be seen with care. Delays and obstructions are likely in the sources of income. Manage obstructions with patience.

It is better to avoid manipulations. Handle relationship matters with care. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree is around 17.

ome concerns are seen in professional matters.

The incidence of conflicts continues. Take care of your and spouse's health. It is better to avoid driving. Manage things with patience. Prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree is around 17, some planet is around 17 degree in odd signs up to 15th November, 2016.

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

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

India Post

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October 21, 2016

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Diwali goes Global SURENDRA ULLAL

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iwali, the most sacred and loveliest festival of India, marks the end of a Vikram Samvant Year and is also the occasion when people take stock of the happenings during the passing year with the renewed hope to do better in the coming year. With President Barack Obama participating in the lighting of Diwali Lamp and the US postal authorities issuing special Diwali Stamps, the unique festival is slowly getting more and more global.

A festival of lights and festivities, Diwali gets importance since it is believed to be the day Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after US Diwali stamp

fourteen years of exile. All the simple rituals of Diwali have Lights. a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes In each legend, myth and story of Diwali lies the sigwith lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression nificance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with of obeisance to the heavens for the each Diwali and the lights that illuattainment of health, wealth, knowlminate our homes and hearts that edge, peace and prosperity. this simple truth finds new reason According to one belief, the and hope. From darkness unto light sounds of fire-crackers are an indica- the light that empowers us to comtion of the joy of the people living on mit ourselves to good deeds, that earth, making the gods aware of their which bring us closer to divinity. plentiful state. Still another possible During Diwali, lights illuminate evreason has a more scientific basis: the ery corner of India and the scent of fumes produced by the crackers kill a incense sticks hangs in the air, lot of insects and mosquitoes, found mingled with the sound of firein plenty after the rains. crackers, joy, togetherness and The tradition of gambling on hope. Diwali is celebrated around Diwali also has a legend behind it. It the globe. is believed that on this day, Goddess Businessmen close their books Parvati played dice with her husband for the year and get Laxmi Pujan, Lord Shiva. She decreed that whosopropitiating Goddess Laxmi to ever gambled on Diwali night would shower her blessings in the comprosper throughout the ensuing year. ing year.Businessmen open new Diwali is associated with wealth and accounts on this day. On the whole, Diwali at White House prosperity in many ways, and the festhis festival is an occasion for joy, tival of 'Dhanteras' ('dhan' = wealth; thrill and excitement. 'teras' = 13th) is celebrated two days before the Festival of Cont’d on page 38

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India Post October 21, 2016

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Diwali rituals extend over five days

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iwali or Deepavali, the "festival of lights" is an ancient and one of the biggest Hindu festivals celebrated in the autumn of the Northern Hemisphere or the spring of the Southern Hemisphere every year. The festival rituals typically extend over a five-day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika that comes between mid-October and mid-November.

Diwali is usually celebrated on the 20th day after Vijayadashami or Dussehra.

Diwali is not only one of the happiest holidays in India with significant preparations but also an official holiday in many countries of the world. Lamps, fireworks and bonfires illuminate this holiday, as the word "Deepavali" means "a row of lights" or "rows of diyas (clay lamps)".

Hindus across the world celebrate Diwali in honor of the returning of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana from exile of 14 years, after Rama defeated Ravana. To honor their return, villagers lit diyas to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Furthermore,

PANDIT ANIL JOSHI

People light lamps killed the asura (de- of Amavasya, in the night people light up and burn crackers mon) Narakasura diyas (lamps and candles) both inside and just to hold the elalong with Krishna. outside their home, manufacturing and busiephant for few Hence also re- ness places and participate with relatives more minutes in ferred to as Naraka- and friends in family puja and prayers of front of their Chaturdashi, the the goddess Lakshmi for wealth, fertility houses to get her day is celebrated by and prosperity. enough blessings. early morning reliAfter puja, lots of fireworks follow the For the rest of gious rituals and celebration, then a family feast including the year, she rides festivities followed mithai (sweets), and an exchange of gifts on an owl that has on throughout the between family members and close friends. a better ability to day. For everyone Some people believe that on this day Lakshmi see clearly in the Kali Chaudas is day chose Vishnu as her husband and they were dark. This repreto abolish laziness married. Other Hindus believe that Diwali is sents that Ma and evils which the day when Vishnu came back to Ma Lakshmi likes create hell/dark Lakshmi and to their abode in the Vaikuntha; those people who spots in our lives so those who worship Ma Lakshmi receive act like owl and and shine light on the benefit of her good mood, and therefore Pandit Anil Joshi Ji, Priest, Hindu Mandir of Lake spend their money lives to mold it prop- are blessed with mental, physical and mateCounty, Grayslake, IL in creative way in erly. rial wellbeing.

Cont’d on page 43 right places and for On the third day right purposes. This means that if you want to make any decisions in day time, close your eyes and listen to your heart and soul what they say, and in the night keep your eyes open while making decisions.

B e f o r e Diwali, people Along with Lakshmi, devotees also make and relatives visit each other wishing them clean, reno- Cont’d from page 36 offerings to Ganesha, who symbolizes a fearhappiness and prosperity. vate, and decoThe U.S. Postal Service commemorated rate their Sikh Community's Diwali less and ethical beginning and remover of In the Sikh community, Diwali celebra- the joyous Indian festival of Diwali by dedihomes, manuobstacles; Saraswati, who embodies music, facturing and tions have special importance as for them, cating the Diwali Forever stamp. It is for literature, knowledge, and learning; and b u s i n e s s it is popular as the day when their sixth the first that US Postal authorities have Kubera, who signifies book-keeping, treasury places, and of- Guru, Guru Hargobindji came back from the announced issuing Diwali stamps. The fices. Hindus captivity of the fort of Gwalior City. The stamp design is a photograph featuring a and wealth management. dress up in new people illuminated lamps in the way to Shri traditional diya oil lamp beautifully lit, sitDeepavali is also linked to the celebration clothes or in their best outfits on these fes- Harmandir Sahib, which is known by the ting on a sparkling gold background. Diya of Ma Lakshmi who is none other than Ma tive days.

Sita only. She is venerated amongst HinThe 5-day festival of Diwali begins with dus as the goddess of wealth and prosper- Thriyodashi also known as Dhanteras in ity and wife of Lord Vishnu. some parts, on this day Goddess Lakshmi Ma Lakshmi is staying in this world in was born from the churning of cosmic the form of currency, wealth, power, and ocean of milk by the gods and the demons. prosperity. Without her blessings no one Along with Lakshmi, devotees also make or no country can survive or do anything. offerings to Ganesha, who symbolizes a Ma Lakshmi has three Vahans (vehicles) fearless and ethical beginning and remover for her transportation. Once a year, for a of obstacles; Saraswati, who embodies muweek before the Deepavali, She rides on a sic, literature, knowledge, and learning; and horse (symbolizes speed) to take quick peek Kubera, who signifies book-keeping, treaof how her devotees are getting ready for sury and wealth management.

Second day is Chaturdashi, also called C h o t i Diwali, and K a l i Chaudas, where Kali Diwali celebrations all around means dark a n d C h a u d a s name of 'the Golden Temple', to honor and lamps are usually made from clay with cotton wicks dipped in clarified butter known means four- welcome their beloved Guru. as "ghee" or in vegetable oils. teenth, as Jain Community's Diwali President Barack Obama has been celthis is celFor the Jain community, the festival of ebrating Diwali at White House and two ebrated on Diwali has special significance.

It is the day years ago it was First Lady Michelle Obama the 14th day of the when Bhagvaan Mahaveer attained 'Nir- who joined him too. This newly done tradidark half of vana'. Therefore, the people of Jain com- tion is expected to continue this year too A s v i n munity celebrate the festival of Diwali in and President Obama, who is bidding adieu to the White house early next year, would the festival. month. In some regions of India, Kali remembrance of Lord Mahavira.

Thus the Hindu community across the be participating in Diwali celebrations, On Deepavali day she rides on an el- Chaudas is the day to the worship of ephant that walks very slowly because she Mahakali or Shakti and is believed that on world celebrates Diwali making it one of which is slowly turning out to be a global wants to bless every one of her devotees. this day Kali in the form of Satyabhama the most popular Hindu festivals. Friends festival.

Diwali goes Global

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Singapore celebrates Diwali with themed train

T

he train features elegant elements such as intricate Indian jewellery, the lotus and peacock a symbol of good luck.

Festivals bring people together, and keeping that spirit alive, the transport authority in Singapore has joined in on the Diwali celebrations in a unique

Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Facebook page, one can see the decked up coaches with rangolis, diyas, festoons and the works.

In its official statement, Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore which manages its Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, says, "It is an effort to cel-

way. This year, Singapore's famous Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) launched its first Diwali-themed train on October 15. In a series of pictures that were shared on the

ebrate the Festival of Lights in a whole new illuminating way this year.

Cont’d on page 43

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Singapore celebrates Diwali with themed train Cont’d from page 42

We have launched our first Deepavali themed train and now people can experience part of the stunning decorations at Little India right inside the MRT." The designs and decorations take inspiration from a similar style of festivity that's exhibited in Singapore's Little India area, which has a dense Indian population, as the name suggests. The train features elegant elements such as intricate Indian jewellery, the lotus and peacock - a symbol of good luck.

The themed train was launched by Singapore's Minister for Transport, Khaw Boon Wan, and will run on the North East

Line (NEL) till mid-November.

The festivity and theme isn't just restricted to the train either. Both the North East Line and Downtown Line platforms at Little India Station have been decorated with the same theme as well.

Singapore-based NRI Kamal Khanna

said, "Little India is a small hub here where most of shops and establishments are owned by Singaporeans who are Indians by origin. Their ancestors migrated here

collaborated with the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA) to launch the Deepavali themed train.

The initiative has been met with a lot of positivity, and the going by the reactions to the photos shared on Facebook, there is a lot of appreciation for the Diwali-themed

train and stations.

"Every year there are great Diwali decorations here in Singapore especially at Little India but the special themed trains have been launched for the first time," said Khanna.

-Courtesy Indian Express

Diwali rituals extend over five days Cont’d from page 38

decades ago. The Little India has two metro rail stations - North Eastern Line (NEL) and Downtown Line - and both have been beautifully decorated by LTA to celebrate Deepawali.'

However, the Singapore government has completely banned crackers which cause air and sound pollution. "There is strict enforcement of the ban and we cannot burst crackers here. We appreciate this step to celebrate ecofriendly Diwali," he added.

To add to this, gigantic Diwalithemed lights have been put up on the roads across Little India, with lotuses and peacocks adorning the top lights, while ornate columns and diyas line the road.

For this fun-filled celebratory project, LTA has collaborated with the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA) so as to get the decorations and designs just right.

In celebration of the occasion, LTA has

This day therefore, is dedicated to a wife-husband relationship to show their love and appreciation of each other's company in life. The fourth day of Diwali, Padya is celebrated with different beliefs and mythological stories happening in different places. In the western and southern parts, it is observed as Bali Padva or Padyami that commemorates the victory of god Vishnu in his dwarf incarnation Vamana, the fifth incarnation of the Dashavatara (ten major incarnations of Vishnu) defeating Bali, and pushing him to the nether world.

But Bali was bestowed a boon by Vishnu to return to earth on this day to be honored

and celebrated for his devotion to the Lord and for his noble deeds to his people.

Diwali is also celebrated as a New Year's Day in the West especially in Gujarat and certain Northern parts of India and also marks the beginning of the new account ledgers for their businesses. People go to temples and thank the gods and greet their neighbors and relatives with good luck messages and sweets. In Braj and north central regions, it is also celebrated as Annakut or Govardhan Puja by offering 56 or 108 different cuisines to Lord Krishna for protecting them from Indra as a mark of their thanks to the Lord.

The last day of Diwali is called Bhai Dooj/ Bhau-Beej / Bhai Tika / Bhai Phonta is celebrated similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. On this day, sisters pray for a long and happy life for their brothers, by performing the Tika ceremony and offering a sumptuous meal often including their fa-

vorite dishes/sweets.

Brothers and sisters look forward to the occasion with immense enthusiasm and exchange gifts as a token of love and appreciation. Deepavali also marks a major shopping period in nations where it is celebrated.

Everyone is benefited with Diwali business.

Diwali is celebrated by several other religious groups in India and around the world. Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha by Mahavir, and Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas and some Newar Buddhists also celebrate Diwali remembering Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism.

All the schools of Hindu philosophy share the belief that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman.

The celebration of Diwali as the "victory of good over evil" refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature and never let us attain the transcendental reality.

With the awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things.

Diwali is the celebration of this inner light over spiritual darkness, knowledge over ignorance, right over wrong, good over evil and hope over despair. The spiritual significance of Deepavali is the same everywhere but celebrations vary regionally within India and outside with the different principles and characteristics of the whole philosophy, depending on the school of Hindu philosophy, belief systems prevalent in the regions or some mythological events which happened in those places.

On behalf of Hindu Mandir of Lake County, I invite all of you to join the Diwali celebrations and wish everyone's heart be filled with light of righteousness, wisdom, truth, nonviolence and self-discipline and may this festival of lights bring lots of happiness, wealth, safety and peace into your hearts and everywhere.

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Ideas for Diwali crafts and decorations Ram and Sita cone dolls

Diwali hanging lamp

R

ed Ted Art used painted egg carton cutouts to create their own fairy lights which can be easily used for decorating your house. Aren't these so pretty!!

You will need: Some white card or thick paper; Glue; Felt tip pens; Scissors; Other decorative materials (glitter, sequins, etc).

Material Required • 5 Canes and Boxes • Gift Paper • thin Rope • Candles • Glue • Wooden Hanger Steps to make Diwali Hanging Lamp: Cover all the canes with Gift Paper or Floral Cloth.

Now hang canes with the help of a rope.

Make 4 or 5 Hanging Lamps.

Hang them with your wooden hanger.

Place candles in the center.

We hope this wonderful idea of Waste Canes Hanging Lamp will give you some inspiration to create some more craft and home decor things.

Diwali Candles

D

iwali is a festival of lights and how can it be complete without some gorgeous homemade candles. There are a lot of materials you can use to make your own candles, from Orange peels, salt dough to even egg shells.

Instruction Firstly, cut out some even semi-circles on your card or paper. They can be made in a variety of sizes but the bigger they are the bigger the picture you'll be able to draw on them - a semi-circle that takes up most of an A4-sized sheet of paper is about right.

Cut these shapes out and then draw a line from center of the straight edge down the left-hand curved edge of the shape to make a small triangle (your gluing tab) in that top left-hand corner. Then in the middle of the semi-circle, with the head at the top of the straight side, draw a picture of Ram or Sita.

You can add decorations and pictures around your drawing, too.

Ram is traditionally depicted as having a blue face and body, and wearing a gold crown, while Sita is depicted in traditional Indian dress, with a gold headdress (you can find lots of visual references on the web, such as this image). Make the pictures bold and colorful, using sparkly bits and glitter. Finally, bend the points of the semi circle backwards and glue the right-hand point over the triangle on the left-hand point to make a cone.

Egg carton fairy lights

Seashell Candles Remember all those seashells you have been collecting from your trips to Goa, it is the time to put them to some beautiful use with these candles.

Make Mawa Malpua for Diwali • Chef: Mukhtar Qureshi • Recipe Servings: 2 • Cook Time: 30 minutes • Make any occasion special and sweet by whipping up this easy dessert.

Ingredients • 7 Tbsp of plain mawa (white) • 100 ml of milk • 2 1/2 Tbsp of refined flour (maida) • 1 1/2 tsp of corn flour • 1 or 2 pinch of green cardamom powder • 5 ml of saffron water • 100 gm of sugar (granular, not powdered) • 150 ml of water • As required ghee (for frying) • 2 gm of pistachios (sliced for garnish) • 2 gm of almonds (sliced for garnish) Method 1. In a vessel add milk and bring to a boil, remove from heat and add grated plain mawa and whisk gently till milk and mawa mixture gets dissolved.

2. Now pour in the refined flour and corn flour to milk and mawa mixture and whisk gently till both flours are dissolved.

3.

Sprinkle green cardamom powder and saffron water (2ml).

Your batter for the malpua is now ready.

4. Now start to make your sugar syrup by heating water in a pan and adding sugar.

5. Once the sugar is dissolved and a syrupy consistency is achieved remove your sugar syrup from flame and add saffron water (3ml). Cover to keep warm.

6. In a pan heat ghee (as required) for frying on a low flame, pour in the batter with a laddle or spoon to make small round flat rotis and fry till golden brown.

7. 7.Next dip the fried malpuas in the warm sugar syrup for 1 or 2 minutes, remove and serve with little sugar syrup and garnish with thin slices of almonds and pistachios.

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Here are 27 interesting facts about Diwali 1. Diwali is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Hindu month of Kartika. Hinduism is a major religion of India, and is considered to be the oldest religion in the world.

2. More than 800 million people celebrate this festival in various ways.

3. It is celebrated in honor of Lakshmi - the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity.

4. The festival also marks the return of the Lord Rama and Sita after completing fourteen years in exile.

5. The word Diwali means "the row of lighted lamps (diyas)" in Hindi.

6. The festival signifies the victory of light over darkness.

7. Diwali also marks a major shopping festival in the places where it is celebrated. There are special discounts and offers that businesses provide to their customers. Buying new things during this festival is considered to be good.

8. It is the most famous, biggest and brightest festival of India, and is celebrated for five days.

9. It a national holiday in India, Trinidad & Tobago, Myanmar, Nepal, Mauritius, Guyana, Singapore, Surinam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Fiji. And is an optional holiday in Pakistan.

10. On the same night that Diwali is celebrated, Jains celebrate a festival of lights to mark the attainment of moksha by Mahavira.

11. Oil and light lamps are used in high numbers in and around peoples' houses and properties to celebrate the festival. The festival commemorates the lighting that was done to bring Lord Rama and his wife Sita from the forest of Ayodhya.

12. Diyas light the houses; fireworks illuminate the skies and rangoli decorates the outside Hindu homes. They do this to attract Lakshmi, the goddess of

good fortune.

13. Traditional diyas (light lamps) used during Diwali are earthen lamps, although plastic and metallic diyas have also become available recently. These diyas are filled with ghee or oil, and a cotton wick is used to bear the flame.

14. And the diyas are left burning all night.

15. Sikhs also celebrate Diwali, as it marks the release of their guruji - Guru Hargobind Sahibji and 52 other kings and princess of India that were made captives by the mogul emperor Shah Jahan.

16. It is a tradition to clean the house, making it spotless before entering the New Year.

17. Businesses also start new accounting books, and farmers end the harvest season. The festival also signals the onset of winter.

18. Hindus all over the world, and especially in India celebrate the festival by exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes and preparing festive meals.

19. Idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi are placed side

Answers on page 47

by side for the prayers and rituals. Lord Ganesh is worshipped first followed by Lord Lakshmi.

20. Diwali is also celebrated in honor of the marriage of the Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.

And i t also marks t h e triumph of the Lord Krishna over the demon Naraka.

Hindus in Bengal honor the fearsome Goddess Kali on the occasion of Diwali.

21. The English city of Leicester hosts the biggest Diwali celebrations outside of India.

22. Diwali also plays a significant role in Sikhism. The foundation stone of the Golden Temple was laid on the day of Diwali in 1577.

23. "Shubh Deepavali" is a customary greeting associated with Diwali. It means, "Have an auspicious diwali".

24. During the festival of Diwali, fireworks worth billions of dollars are ignited. These fireworks cause a lot of pollution, which is a particularly life hazard for those living in densely populated areas such as the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai in India. Fireworks produce a variety of pollutants affecting sound, light, air and water.

25. These fireworks cause health hazards such as respiratory issues, heart attacks, high blood pressure and many more.

Moreover, fireworks during

Diwali also cause safety hazards to the children handling them.

Many of these firecrackers burst near children, causing them direct injuries. Hence, necessary precautions must be taken during the festival season, and a more environmentally friendly way of celebrating the festival should be adopted in the coming years.

26. Electricity consumption also rises significantly during the festival season, which results in heavy use of diesel generators to meet the demand for power. In turn, more pollution is caused due to the burning of fossil fuels.

27. The total cost of the firecrackers exploded in Diwali is estimated to be around one billion dollars. This is a significant amount of money, which could be used for other purposes like providing education and better health care facilities to those individuals who need them.

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Why Lakshmi & Ganesha are worshipped together

O

n the day of Diwali, it is a custom to worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha together. It is wellknown that Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity while Lord Ganesha is considered the God of intelligence. People worship these two deities together to welcome wealth along with intelligence.

Since no celebration is deemed complete without invoking Lord Ganesha, Diwali is no exception either. Ganesha is considered

as the remover of all obstacles. Hence, He is worshipped first to get rid of all the obstacles that hinder our growth. Along with that, worshipping the forms of Goddess Mahalakshmi is the most crucial part of

Diwali. It is said that on the night of Diwali, Goddess Lakshmi visits each house and blesses everyone with great wealth.

Ganesha idols But the question remains as to why Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped together? There is an interesting story behind the worship of Lakshmi and Ganesha on Diwali. Let us find out: Story of Lakshmi and Ganesha: According to the scriptures, once God-

dess Lakshmi grew very arrogant about Her wealth and powers. While having a conversation with Her husband, Lord Vishnu, She kept praising Herself that She is the only one worthy of worship. She is the one who

bestows everyone with money and wealth.

On hearing the non-stop self praise, Lord Vishnu decided to get rid of Her arrogance.

Very calmly, Lord Vishnu said that in spite of having all the qualities, a woman remains incomplete if she does not bear children.

Motherhood is the ultimate joy that a woman

Lakshmi assured Her that She would take care of Her son in every possible way and bestow Him with all the happiness.

Understanding Lakshmi's pain, Goddess Parvati let Her adopt Ganesha as Her son.

Goddess Lakshmi became extremely elated and said that She will bestow Ganesha with

can experience and since Lakshmi did not have children, She could not be deemed complete. On hearing this Goddess Lakshmi was extremely disappointed.

With a heavy heart, Goddess Lakshmi went to Goddess Parvati to seek help. Since Parvati had two sons, She requested the Goddess to let Her adopt one of Her sons to experience the joy of motherhood. Parvati was reluctant to let Lakshmi adopt Her son because it was known that Lakshmi does not stay in one place for long. So, she would not be able to take care of Her son. But

all Her accomplishments and prosperity.

Those worshipping Lakshmi for wealth would first have to worship Ganesha to seek Her blessings. Those who will worship Lakshmi without Ganesha will not blessed by the Goddess.

Hence, Lakshmi is always worshipped along with Ganesha on Diwali. Gaining wealth without intellect will only result in misusing the wealth. So, one must first acquire the intelligence to spend the wealth in the right manner. Therefore, Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped together.

Placing Ganesh Idols in a Puja Room The northeast corner of the house is the best place to setup the pooja room. The north-east corner is also known as the Ishan corner. It is the best place to keep your Ganesha idol to offer prayers. If northeast corner is unavailable, place Ganesha idol in the direction so that idols face west or north. If possible, select north, as it is the abode of Lord Shiva, father of Ganesha.

But, when you offer prayers, your face should only be towards east - the vastu preferred direction.

That said, you should never place Ganesha idol or locate pooja rooms in the south or southeast directions. 'Yama' and 'Agni' rule these directions respectively. So, if you place Ganesh idols on these directions, you won't be getting the blessings you wish for.

When you place Ganesha idol among all other idols of deities, make sure it is properly viewable. Not just the Ganesha idol, but also all the other idols placed in the pooja room should be viewable. However, vastu doesn't advocate the idea of using large Ganesha idols in the pooja room. The idol should be viewable, but not too big.

It's never ideal to place Ganesha idols under the stairway

You will find many people squeezing in the pooja room under the stairway of their home. Maybe they don't have much space in their house. Maybe they think it's a better utilization of space. But, according to vastu, it's never ideal to have Ganesha idols placed under the stairway. Quite frankly, it

toilet walls. Ideally, toilet should not come above, below, opposite or adjacent to pooja rooms. You don't want the negative energies from the bathroom spoiling the atmosphere of pooja room, do you?

is a matter of commonsense. Will the Gods be pleased to have people stomping above their head, up and down the stairs?

You should not keep Ganesh idols near the Bathroom Never place the Ganesha idols near the

When it comes to bedroom, it's advised not to have pooja room in the bedroom.

But if there is no other option, keep the idols in the north-east corner of the room.

And when you sleep, your feet should not point to the idols placed in that corner.

Ganesha not ideal in a bedroom

How to Install a Ganesha Idol in Pooja Room The best way to install Ganesha idol is to have it on a small wooden table or board.

Cover this wooden table using a red piece of cloth. It is said that Lord Ganesha loves red cloth, red flowers and in general, the color red. Now add flowers, garlands and other Shringars for the idol. It is also auspicious to keep a small bowl of rice at the feet of the Ganesha idol.

After installation, you should take good care of this Ganesha idol. Clean the idol and wooden table quite often. If you can, use Ganga water to clean the idol. Because according to our Epics and Puranas, River Ganga is considered holy and the purest.

Ganesh idols you should not use in your Puja room Though, there are many types of Ganesha idols available today, some of these are not advisable for your home, especially in your puja room.

For example, a Ganesha idol with his trunk to the right side, also called Dakshinabhimukhi murti, needs special worship.

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Placing Ganesh Idols in a Puja Room Cont’d from page 46

And if you fail to do these special poojas and routines, this Ganesha can get angry pretty quickly.

Like the Dakshinabhimukhi murti, it's best you avoid idols of Nataraj Ganesha. It is also not recommended to place fancy Ganesha idols like the one where Lord Ganesh is seen playing with musical instruments in your puja room.

It is also not advisable to place more than one Ganesh idol in your puja room, because it is considered inauspicious.

Acharyas and sacred puranas say you need only one idol for worshipping. So, if you have more than one idol in your puja room, make sure you move additional ones to other parts of your home. (Say, to your show cases)

How to Offer Prayers to Lord Ganesh Installing Ganesha idol at home is one part and worshiping is another. If you fail at offering prayers, you won't get the full advantage of having Ganesha idols at home. So here are some ways to worship and offer prayers to Lord Ganesha.

To worship Lord Ganesha, you need a list of things from kumkum, rice, flowers, diya, ghee and incense sticks. Place small portion of rice at his feet, light the diya using ghee, light the incense sticks, apply kumkum to the idol and pray.

It is also advisable to chant the Ganesh Mantra when you offer prayers: "Vakratunda mahaakaaya suryakoti sama prabha nirvighnam kuru mey deva, sarva kaaryashu sarvadaa" On Wednesdays, the day of Lord Ganesha, add nuts, leaves

and sweets to the list of items and do an aarthi with camphor.

Use red colored flowers on this day to worship Lord Ganesha.

Milkweed flower, Conch flower etc are also favorites of Lord Ganesha.

In addition to this, when you light a 'diya' in the pooja room, the light should fall directly on every idol in the pooja room.

This diya or lamp should be placed at the southeast corner of the puja room. And you are supposed to light the diya twice every day. Once at the time of sunrise and a second time during the time of sunset.

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Guess These Diwali Related Things ANSWERS 1. Ghar Ki Painting 2. Rangoli 3. Ghar Me Light 4. Buy Jewelry And New Cloth 5. Dhanteras 6. New Year 7. Laxmi Pooja 8. Fireworks 9. Sweets And Gifts 10. Family Friends And Fun

In Brief FICCI concerned over UK visa crackdown LONDON: FICCI has expressed concern over the UK government's recent announcements indicating tightening of visa regulations for students and professionals from outside the European Union, including India.

The industry body called on the British government to exercise "caution" in light of plans announced recently by UK home secretary Amber Rudd to tighten migration rules, which is expected to impact Indians heavily.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said it fears the new proposals seek to reduce the flow of immigrants from outside the EU to the UK in the short and medium term.

This will impact business mobility and, therefore, competitiveness, it said in a statement.

"International students contribute 8 billion pounds a year to the UK economy and in recent years the attractiveness of the UK as an education destination for Indian students has diminished because of restrictions on part-time work rights in 2012, followed in subsequent years by the removal of post- study work visas, expansion of credibility interviews and the creation of the NHS (National Health Service) levy," it said. -PTI

„

Pakistani doctors not denied visa NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry has strongly refuted the "vilification campaign" that a delegation of Pakistani doctors were denied visa by India, saying it never received any such application from any medical practitioner belonging to the neighboring country.

A senior Home Ministry official said Pakistan comes under the "Prior Reference Category" (PRC) and anyone wishing to visit any conference in India has to apply well in advance for consideration of his or her visa application.

"Reaction time for PRC visa application is minimum 10 days.

So, one has to apply well in advance for consideration of his or her visa application.

"The fact of the matter is we have never received any visa application from any doctor from Pakistan to attend any conference in India. It is utter lie to blame us that we have denied them visa. It is nothing but a vilification campaign against India," the official told PTI. The delegation of Pakistani doctors was scheduled to attend a four-day global meet on cancer care, but could not do so as its members were unable to get visas, organizers claimed. -PTI

Immigration

How rival immigration plans would affect US

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Details on page 49

Indian immigrants transforming the face of America RALEIGH, North Carolina: When Manasi Gopala immigrated to America, she finally got the chance to row crew.

As a child in India, she had dreamed of the sport from watching Olympic telecasts. Now, twice a week, she pulls a pair of oars as her scull glides along tree-lined Lake Wheeler, far from her birthplace of Bangalore.

Gopala is among throngs of educated Indians who have moved in recent years to North Carolina's tech-laden Research Triangle and other areas across America. A 39-year-old software developer, she became a U.S. citizen three years ago. ``America had given me the opportunity to pursue my own life,'' she said.

Increasingly, the face of U.S. immigration resembles Gopala.

For all of Donald Trump's talk of building a border wall and deporting 11 million unauthorized immigrants who are mainly Hispanic - and for all of the enduring

contention over illegal immigration - immigrants to the U.S. are now more likely to come from Asia than from Mexico or Latin America. And compared with Americans overall, immigrants today are dispropor-

culture, economy and national security.

As of three years ago, Census figures show, India and China eclipsed Mexico as the top sources of U.S. immigrants,

Manasi Gopala, a software developer in North Carolina's Research Triangle, works from home in Cary, N.C. Gopala left her birthplace of Bangalore, India, in 2002, even as many Americans lamented the outsourcing of tech jobs to that city. She became a citizen in 2013 and bought a suburban home a few months ago.

tionately well-educated and entrepreneurial. They are transforming the nation in ways largely ignored by the political jousting over how immigration is affecting America's

whether authorized or not. In 2013, 147,000 Chinese immigrants and 129,000 Indians came to the U.S., compared with 125,000 Mexicans.

Most of the Asian immigrants ar-

rived in the United States legally through work, student or family visas.

Immigrants are also more likely now to be U.S. citizens. Nearly half of immigrants over the age of 25 18 million people - are naturalized citizens, compared with just 30 percent back in 2000, according to Census figures.

Simultaneously, more Mexicans without documentation are returning home. The number of Mexicans in the United States illegally tumbled nearly 8 percent in the past six years to 5.85 million, the Pew Research Center found. Border Patrol apprehensions, one gauge of illegal crossings, last year reached their lowest point since 1971.

With the share of U.S. residents born abroad at its highest level in a century, immigrants increasingly defy the stereotypes that tend to shape conversations on the issue.

Consider: About 40 percent of Indian immigrants hold a graduate degree.

Cont'd on Page 49

H-1B workers snatching US jobs: Trump WASHINGTON: Injecting H1B and outsourcing as an election campaign issue again, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has alleged that companies are importing lowwage workers on the work visas and pledged to protect jobs for Americans.

"Many mothers across this country are worried their kids won't find jobs, and they are right to be worried. One of the biggest threats is outsourcing jobs for college-educated kids are being sent to other countries," the 70-year-old reality TV star told cheering supporters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"At the same time, companies are importing low-wage workers on H-1B visas to take jobs from young college-trained Americans," he alleged.

"We will protect these jobs for Americans," he pledged.

H-1B work visas are the most sought after for IT profession-

als, particularly those from India.

While H-1B and outsourcing had become one of his frequent campaign issue during the Republican primary season early this spring and summer, it more or less

and security of the Americans and establish new immigration controls to boost wages and to ensure that open jobs are offered to American workers first.

He plans to protect the eco-

Donald Trump

remained absent from his key election issue till the election rally in Ohio ahead of the November 8 polls.

According to a recent policy paper on immigration, Trump's vision is to prioritize the jobs, wages

nomic well-being of the lawful immigrants already living here by curbing uncontrolled foreign worker admissions, and select immigrants based on their likelihood of success in the US and their abil-

ity to be financially self-sufficient.

Pledging to protect American jobs, Trump said at the rally that his administration will "have to make sure that those who have graduated college and those who are soon to graduate can find a good job to start a good career when they do".

Trump said his economic plan including tax, trade regulatory, and energy reforms will create 25 million new jobs and allow the private sector to grow at four per cent per year.

"This includes reforms to protect and expand the sharing economy - startups like Uber that have managed to provide great services to consumers, and create lots of jobs in the process," he added.

"Finally, and most importantly, the foundation for a new prosperity will be a re-dedication to the constitutional rule of law," Trump added. -PTI

Immigration Post

October 21, 2016

India Post 49

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How rival immigration plans would affect US WASHINGTON: No doubt the two presidential candidates have dramatically different approaches on immigration.

In tone, Republican Donald Trump often highlights violent crimes perpetrated by immigrants in the country illegally, with aggressive rhetoric that emphasizes nationalism. Democrat Hillary Clinton features a softer approach that embraces diversity and the value of keeping immigrant families together, even as her critics accuse her of promoting ``open borders.''

It's not just talk. The White House contenders' policies would send the country - and the lives of roughly 11 million people - down very different paths.

Trump says he would build a massive wall, target millions for deportation and deny legal status to anyone currently in the country illegally. Clinton would offer a pathway to citizenship for most immigrants regardless of how they arrived, continue to defer enforcement action against families, and offer health care options to immigrants here illegally.

Here is a summary of their proposals:

PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP CLINTON: She promises to propose immigration legislation in her first 100 days that would include a route to citizenship. Her approach is largely in line with that approved by Democrats and Republicans in the Senate in 2013 but turned aside by the House.

TRUMP: He has clarified that he opposes any pathway to legal status for immigrants in the U.S. illegally. They would have to return to their home countries and apply for legal entry should they wish to come back. He has not said what would happen to those who choose to stay, but said they are subject to deportation. Trump has also called for an end to ``birthright citizenship,'' currently granted to anyone born in the United States.

A BORDER WALL TRUMP: A centerpiece of Trump's immigration plan is a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico. There are already some 650 miles of fencing along the border, including roughly 15-foot-tall steel fencing in many urban areas. Trump says he'll extend a huge wall across the vast majority of the 2,100-mile bor-

der, which would be a major construction feat costing billions of dollars. He promises to make Mexico pay for it. He would also add 5,000 border patrol agents and expand the number of border patrol stations.

CLINTON: She says there are places where a physical barrier is appropriate but opposes largescale expansion of a border wall.

She prefers relying on technology and more border patrol agents to ensure the border is secure.

OBAMA'S EXECUTIVE

He would deny immigrants in the country illegally access to any government benefits, including the federal health care exchanges.

He has said that such immigrants should not be allowed to get food stamps, welfare payments or government-backed housing assistance.

ORDERS CLINTON: She supports President Obama's executive actions that deferred immigration enforcement against millions of children and parents in the country illegally. A deadlocked Supreme Court decision in June blocked his

Indian immigrants transforming the face of America Cont'd from Page 48

Fewer than 12 percent of nativeborn Americans do. And earnings for a median Indian immigrant household exceed $100,000, more than twice the U.S. median.

The result of this recent influx is that America's 40 million-plus immigrants more and more reflect the extremes of America's economic spectrum, from super-rich tech titans to poor agriculture workers.

The changes flash into view on a visit to the political swing state of North Carolina. The proportion of immigrants in the state's population has quadrupled from 1990 to nearly 8 percent. Similar trends have emerged in Georgia, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

None of these states approaches the more than 20 percent share in California and New York where educated Chinese immigrants are largely concentrated.

Yet the transformations are evident in a drive across the dense highways that connect North Carolina's Research Triangle.

Indian immigrants have put their distinctive stamp on this area.

Their rising numbers have established a broad community that has made it easier for new arrivals to

integrate than it was for prior generations. Asked how they have been received in the community, about a dozen Asian immigrants said they have generally been warmly accepted despite the national furor over immigration. ``Now, you come from India, you don't really have to know anything else,'' said Pranav Patel, a 57-year-old software developer. ``The system is here to help you adjust. There are no real hardships.''

When the Hindu Society of

Almost all economists view immigrants as helpful even essential - for the nation's continued prosperity.

North Carolina celebrated India's Independence Day in August, one prominent outsider did show up: Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican in a heated re-election campaign that has been fueled in part by a crackdown on illegal immigration.

order, but Clinton insists that such actions are within the president's authority.

TRUMP: He has said he would ``immediately terminate'' the executive orders, which he said gave amnesty to 5 million immigrants.

One part of the president's executive action that remains in place has shielded about 740,000 immigrations from deportation, all of them people who came to the United States as children. The president's plan to expand the program would have protected as many as 4 million immigrant par-

``This is the best of America,'' he said, sharing the stage with a life-sized statue of Mahatma Gandhi. ``This is the best of India.

We work together. We learn together. We can pray together. We love family values together.''

Americans' sentiments about immigrants have largely hardened along racial, political and demographic lines. Overall feelings toward immigrant workers remain negative. But sentiment has improved since 2006, possibly a sign that the growth of educated immigrants has begun to reshape attitudes, according to a Pew survey released this month.

Two-thirds of Republicans and 54 percent of whites said they think immigration harms U.S. workers.

But a majority of Democrats, Hispanics and the college-educated said they felt immigrants made society better off.

By comparison, almost all economists view immigrants as helpful - even essential - for the nation's continued prosperity. Because of the aging U.S. population causing more retirements, most economists say immigrants are needed so that the workforce increases to sustain overall growth. -AP

ents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

DEPORTATION TRUMP: He has softened his approach on dealing with those already in the country illegally. He has pledged to begin deportation of criminal immigrants on his first day in office, but backed off his earlier pledge to forcibly remove all of the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, saying only that those who aren't immediate threats would have to go home and then apply for legal status. Critics have likened that piece of the plan to Mitt Romney's widely panned call for ``self-deportation.''

CLINTON: She would continue Obama's policy of deporting violent criminals and others who break the law after entering the United States. But she would scale back the current administration's immigration raids, which she says produce ``unnecessary fear and disruption in communities.'' Under her plan, the vast majority of people in the country illegally

would be allowed to stay and apply for legal status and eventual citizenship.

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE CLINTON: She would allow all people to buy into the federal health care exchanges, although she has said those in the country illegally wouldn't qualify for subsidies. Her policy would also allow some to collect Social Security, so long as they pay into the system for at least 10 years.

TRUMP: He would deny immigrants in the country illegally access to any government benefits, including the federal health care exchanges. He has said that such immigrants should not be allowed to get food stamps, welfare payments or government-backed housing assistance. Those who do, he said, would be priorities for deportation.

SANCTUARY CITIES TRUMP: Like many Republicans, he vows to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities that shield residents from federal immigration authorities. Trump has pledged to block taxpayer dollars from going to any cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Municipalities like San Francisco, for example, have passed ordinances preventing city officials from asking about immigration status unless required by law or court order.

CLINTON: She has not directly answered whether she supports sanctuary cities, but her campaign has said that ``Hillary trusts our local police to make sound decisions about protecting their communities.'' That suggests she would not interfere with local ordinances, like San Francisco's. She has said such systems allow immigrants to freely report crimes and communicate with local policy without fear of deportation. Her campaign noted, however, that she believes violent criminals should be deported and a system is needed to ensure that happens.-AP

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Upcoming

Sat, Oct 22

Fri, Oct 21

Sat, Oct 22

• Workshop with Shri.Vikku Vinayakram

• Dopehri a Play with Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak in New York

• Super Masti Live In Sacramento

Venue: Melvin H. Kreps Middle School, 5 Kent Lane, Hightstown, NJ 08520 Time : 3:00 pm

Thu, Oct 27 • IASONJ Diwali & New Year Celebration 2016 Venue: Royal Albert's Palace, 1050 King Georges Rd.Fords, New Jersey, NJ 08863 Time: 05:00 pm

Fri, Nov 4 •Bollywood Themed Diwali Venue: Royal Albert Palace, 1050 King Georges Post Rd, Edison, NJ 08837 Time: 06:00 pm Contact: 8622627564

Venue: AHindu Temple Auditorium - Flushing, 143-09 Holly Ave, NY 11355 Time : 8:00 pm

Sun, Oct 23 • Atif Aslam Live in Concert 2016 New York Venue: Colden Center, 6530 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367 Time : 6:00 pm

Venue: Center At Twenty Three Hundred, 2300 Sierra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95825 Time: 5:00 pm

Sun, Oct 23 • Gadathgajan comedy drama

by Crazy Mohan and Maadhu Venue: Rosemont High School Auditorium, 9594 Kiefer Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95827 Time: 4:30 pm

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Venue: York College, 94-20 Guy R Brewer Boulevard, NY 11451 Time: 06:30 pm

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Mon, Oct 24 • Satsang with Bodhisattva Shree Swami Premodaya Venue: International Centers of Divine Awakening,2744 Colby Avenue, LOS ANGELES, CA Time: 7:00 pm

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1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's

Venue: MThe Meadows Club, 2950 W.Golf Rd Rolling Meadows, Chicago , IL 60008 Time: 08:00 pm

Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807

Fri, Nov 18 • Armaan Malik live in Concert – CHICAGO Venue: Copernicus Center, 5216 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630 Time : 6:00 pm

ATLANTA Upcoming Sat, Oct 29 • Punjabi Society Inc Diwali Dhamaka Venue: Ashiana Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, GA 30071 Time: 7:00 pm

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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

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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

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Philosophy

October 21, 2016

India Post 53

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis JEAN KLEIN

T

o be human is to be related.

As a human being we live in relation with the elements, the sun, moon, the stones in the earth and all living beings.

But what does 'to be related', 'to live in relation with' mean? Generally, when we use the word we mean a link of some kind between individual entities, object to object, or subject to object.

The word relationship here presupposes separateness, the joining together of fractions. This fractional view of relatedness is purely conceptual. It is a figment of the mind and has nothing to do with pure perception, reality, with what actually is.

When we live free from all ideas and projections, we come into real contact with our surroundings.

Practically speaking, therefore, before we can be related to our environment we must first know how to be related to that most near to us, body, senses and mind.

The only hindrance to the clear perception of our natural state is the forceful idea of being a separate individual, living in a world with other separate beings. We have an image of ourselves.

This image can be maintained only in relation to things and thus it makes objects of our surroundings, friends, children, spouse, intelligence, bank account, etc., and enters into what it calls a personal PAUL BRUNTON

W

hen two railway trains are moving in the same direction at the same speed, a passenger seated at a carriage window in one train will not witness any movement on the part of a traveler seated in the other train. Each would, in fact, regard the other as stationary if he had only the evidence of sight to inform him. This is a familiar everyday experience both of the meaning of relativity and meaning of illusion.

We cannot trust all we experience as being accurate nor can we trust all accurate experience as being more than merely relative. To be aware of anything is to be aware of its relations, both to other things and to oneself. Therefore knowledge can exist only by being based on, relations, that is to say, it is always relative.

The philosopher must split knowledge into two forms: (a) the state of things as they are presented to our five senses, (b) the state of things as they really are in their essential nature. The first yields a view based on appearances whereas the second yields a truer one.

Taken merely by and for itself the practical standpoint must nec-

relationship with these projections.

The fanciful idea of a self is a contraction, a limitation of wholeness, real being. When this notion dies we find our natural expansion, stillness, globality without periphery or centre, outside or inside.

Without the notion of an individual there is no sensation of separateness and we feel a oneness with all things. We feel the surroundings as occurrences in unrestricted wholeness.

When our lover or children leave home or our bank account drops, it is an event in us. Awareness remains constant. All phenomena, all

ing, therefore, in perfect relation there is no relationship, no duality; there is only globality.

All perception points directly to our primal being, to stillness, the natural non-state which is common to all existence. Thus, in the human expression, to be related is to be in communion with the whole. In this communion the socalled other's presence is felt as a spontaneous giving and our own presence is a spontaneous receiving. There is no longer a feeling of lack and consequently a need to demand, because simply receiving brings us to our openness.

When we live in openness the

people. I have my character and capacities just as others have theirs.

A. You live in contraction, thinking of yourself as an individual.

Where do the terms 'me' and 'mine' find meaning? When you really look into yourself you cannot say the body belongs to you. You are the result of two people and each parent had two parents and so on.

All humanity is in you. You are what you absorb.

You eat vegetables, fish, meat, and these are dependent on light, the sun, warmth. The light is related to the moon and the stars are all related.

The fanciful idea of a self is a contraction

Jean Klein

When we live free from all ideas and projections, we come into real contact with our surroundings. Before we can be related to our environment we must first know how to be related to that most near to us, body, senses and mind.

existence is an expression within globality and the varieties of expression only have meaning and relationship in light of the whole.

To be related is to be related within the whole. Since there is no meeting of fractions, in the whole there is no other. Strictly speak-

first impulse is offering. Being in openness and the spontaneous movement of offering is love.

Love is meditation. It is a new dimension in living.

Q. You say there is no other but you cannot possibly say that there are no differences between

There is nothing personal in us.

The body is in organic relationship with the universe. It is made of the same elements as everything else.

Excerpted from 'Who Am I?' The 104th birth anniversary of Jean Klein will be observed on October 19

essarily confess that truth is unattainable, but taken as a pointer to the need of an absolute standard of reference, it plays its part in the quest of truth.

The appeal to practical criterions may silence our doubts about the reality of what is given to us in material experience but it will not solve them. For to understand reality we must first understand the unreal. It is not so easy to tell what a "thing" is as the man who has

circulation of its secret elements, such a shifting play of its electrons, for example, that the thing in itself slips through intellectual fingers as ungraspable.

This seems strange and sounds absurd, yet, scientifically viewed, things in their ultimate character are indeed fields of electronic and protonic energies moving at prodigious speeds. Nowhere in this vast universe is there, strictly speaking, such a state as

ingly inert by the roadside are swarming in incessant motion.

If we penetrate into the hidden structure of the microsmic world of atoms, I what do we find? Its electrons are constantly rotating, its protons ceaselessly vibrating. If we look into the human consciousness we find it in motion with a constant whirl of thought and sensations. Is there any thought which has (more than a momentary existence?

We cannot trust all we experience as accurate speaking, such a state as absolute rest. Whenever we believe that something has been found in such a state, we merely entertain an

never stopped to reflect upon the point may believe. For, guided by the unquestioned impressions which he gets through the eyes and fingers, he takes it for granted that it is obviously at rest and remains constantly the same, when in fact there is such a continual

absolute rest. Whenever we believe that something has been found in such a state, we merely entertain an illusion. For its rest is only relative. It is, as Einstein has pointed out, only an appearance of rest. Actually even the particles of a stone lying seem-

Listen: neither accepting nor rejecting anything but just sharing joyfully in everything, being as you are.

-Abhinavagupta If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?

-Dogen We are the eyes of the one single seer and this seer is freedom itself - Francis Lucille That which is boundless in you abides in the mansion of the sky, whose door is the morning mist, and whose windows are the songs and the silences of night.

-Khalil Gibran Run from what's comfortable. Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious.

-Rumi

Nowhere in this vast universe is there, strictly

illusion. For its rest is only relative.

Before pain was, you were.

After pain had gone, you remained. Pain is transient, you are not.

-Nisargadatta Maharaj

Paul Brunton

When we analyze our consciousness we find that thoughts too numerous to count stream through it.

Excerpted from 'The Wisdom of the Overself'. The 118th birth anniversary of Paul Brunton will be observed on October 21.

Live always at the 'edge of mystery' - the boundary of the unknown.

-J. Oppenheimer Perhaps this momentary life of ours is only the light that divides our infinite origin from our infinite end.

-Juan RamĂłn JimĂŠnez

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Challenges to the Indo-US strategic partnership CHINTAMANI MAHAPATRA

T

he strategic partnership between India and the US has slowly and steadily been moving in an upwardly trajectory through periodic turbulences.

However, as the world's balance of power has entered a serious phase of transition, New Delhi and Washington need to sort out certain key issues to keep the partnership on track.

The most critical challenge comes from lack of adequate support from China and Russia to Indian and American efforts to combat terrorism. All forms of terrorist organizations in south and south west Asia have survived more than fifteen years of the war against terror led by the US and supported by India.

It is an open secret that Pakistan's treacherous double game is the main culprit that sustains and emboldens these terrorist groups. Islamabad took money, material and military equipment from the US and passed it on to those groups whose targets were Americans and Indians!

In the initial years of the war against terror, Washington did put pressure on Pakistan to refrain

the shifting of US' attention to the IS has enabled Pakistan to reactivate its involvement by backing all kinds of terror groups it nurtures in Kashmir.

While the US openly backed India in the recent spate of terror attacks in Kashmir, condemned the Uri attack and appeared supportive of the Indian Army's surgical strike against terror bases across the LoC, Washington is not prepared to come down hard on Pakistan. China, on the other hand, consistently extends its protection to all kinds of criminal and terrorist activities indulged in by the Pakistani establishment.

US policy-makers and strategic analysts repeatedly make the point that Pakistan's stability is important and Pakistan's help in fighting terror is indispensable. The time has come to contest both these points. First of all, disorder in the Pakistani state and society is purely an internal development.

The Pakistani establishment has given priority to nurturing terror groups and interfering in the neighborhood over promoting economic development by creating an enabling environment. The

File photo of Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar with US Secretary of Defense Dr Ashton Carter

from anti-India terror activities.

Pakistan was also under pressure to move troops to its border along Afghanistan, thus bringing down the volume of its anti-India activities along the Line of Control (LoC).

However, Pakistan altered its strategy - particularly since 2007 and its support to the Haqqani militias in Afghanistan and antiIndia groups most active in Kashmir resumed.

The US decision to draw down its troop presence in Afghanistan, rise of the Islamic State (IS) and

result is the Frankenstein syndrome. External help in keeping Pakistan stable has considerable limitations unless its government changes course.

The idea that Pakistan is indispensable to fight terrorism needs serious rethinking by US strategists. Pakistan is a nuclear weapons power that gives birth to, incubates, and uses terror groups.

It uses terror groups as a political tool to extract US' assistance and to foment trouble in India. IndoUS cooperation in combating ter-

rorism clearly needs refinement and upgrading.

While India expects more from the US to tackle Pakistan-backed terrorist activities, the latter perhaps expects more from India in handling China. The US finds it difficult to restrain Chinese expansionist policies in the Asia Pacific.

The Indo-US joint statements on developments in the South China Sea and the Indo Pacific region are welcome developments. But clearly, there is no well defined project.

It is a fact that China is a bigger economic partner of the US and Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally.

Compared to these, the Indo-US strategic partnership is a new and ongoing project. But the recent developments show that China, a nuclear weapons power, fully protects Pakistan - another nuclear weapons-armed Islamic country in the latter's persistent use of terror as an instrument of state policy. What can be done about it?

Added to this is Russian political activism that is partly against US policies and partly aimed at creating space for its involvement in regional politics and economics. Russia and China have begun to collaborate in an undertaking to impede US policies in the Asian and Eurasian region. One of the fallouts of this undertaking is Russian military exercises with Pakistan.

There are many in India who point at the Indian government's failure to prevent this. But the reality is that India could not have prevented it since this is part of a larger game against perceived 'American hegemony'.

The India-US strategic partnership is shaping up in the midst of a relative decline in the US' ability to preserve the global order, and RussoChinese collaboration is aimed at expediting that American decline. Pakistan thus has benefitted a great deal by getting US' financial support, Chinese strategic support and Russian political support.

The resilience of the Taliban in Afghanistan, IS in West Asia and shifting informal alliances bolster Pakistan and pose a great challenge to Indian national security.

How India and the US redefine, reshape and concretize their strategic partnership is the real test.

The writer is Rector and Professor, JNU, & Columnist, IPCS

India Post Success or failure?

T

he recently concluded BRICS summit in Goa, India, has been variously described in the media as a success, a failure and a moderate success. The success view claims that just because the Summit was held in India doesn't mean that it's concluding statement would reflect only India's point of view. Most Indian publications judged the Summit from the point of view whether it had been able to corner Pakistan in its declaration. They held that India had failed to get a consensus over terrorism particularly with China holding out and President Xi Jinping even voicing Pakistan's point of view calling for "political solutions" to "regional hotspots" and a multi-pronged approach to address "symptoms and root causes" of terror; a veiled reference to Kashmir. Also, in the one to one with PM Modi, President Putin of Russia chose to keep quiet on the issue of terrorism.

However in foreign policy, it is impractical to expect that other countries will junk their specific strategic interests and unanimously occupy a hard ideological position on any issue - in this case, the global scourge of terrorism. Still India was able to extract a great deal on this issue.

The Goa Declaration devoted five strongly-worded paragraphs that mentioned the word "terrorism" well over 20 times. It also included - for the first time - concern on countries allowing their territories to be used for terrorist activities and called for "dismantling of terrorist bases". Both of these reflect India's position on cross-border terrorism.

If the achievements of the Goa Summit are considered moderate, the texture and content of the bilateral was overwhelming. India used the summit to re-galvanize its long-standing partnership with Russia which was in danger of losing direction. If India did not like Russia holding military exercises with Pakistan, Russia has been concerned about India's growing tilt towards the US. In Goa, the two states reaffirmed the strategic nature of their friendship with India signing three major defense deals worth billions of dollars with Russia.

Another change that India successfully introduced in the BRICS agenda was by using the summit to reach out to its neighbors by initiating the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach. He invited members of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMTEC) to engage them and also the BRICS leaders. It was an important signal that New Delhi is serious about its role as a facilitator of economic cooperation in South Asia.

Strategic expert C. Raja Mohan contends that in its relations with India, China has always used self interest and power politics whereas India has often allowed ideological principles to trump the sensible pursuit of realpolitik. When the US was trying to isolate China in 1950s, India facilitated China's taking up permanent seat in the UN Security Council and did not even bargain with Beijing as China sought entry into the WTO. However, Beijing does not support India's permanent membership of the UNSC, has actively prevented Delhi's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group and blocks the consensus on Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar. Mohan says China has never hidden its resentment against India's claims to South Asian primacy. It relationship with Pakistan was part of a calculated effort to undermine what it sees as "India's hegemony" over the subcontinent.

China is also trying to undermine India's defense preparedness and growth as hasty and an inversion of the Hair-Tortoise story; calling itself as the tortoise and India the hair. An interesting article has appeared in Times of India in which a corporate lawyer from Beijing lists India's "offensive" measures like deploying 120 tanks in Ladakh and 100 supersonic BrahMos missiles in Arunachal Pradesh whereas China has merely constructed a few roads. There was a time when China used to look down contemptuously at India as not worthy of competition. This article shows that India's good progress as a democracy needles China and it wants to prevent it by any means.

October 21, 2016

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October 21, 2016