IndiaPost_10-22-2010 by Ghanshyam Bisht

Top Stories

India Post V O I C E

O F

I N D I A N S

W O R L D W I D E

www.indiapost.com

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

Rajasthan Speaker & Bappi honored Details on page 14

Chivukula celebrates 60th birthday Details on page 20

VOL 16, No. 841

October 22, 2010

50¢

Periodical Postage

UNSC SEAT WON BY HUGE MARGIN

SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. India had earlier served six terms on the UN Security Council, the last being in 1992. In Wednesday's election, India won 187 of the 191 polled well over the requisite two-thirds majority of 128 votes. The votes in favor included that of Pakistan's; there was one abstention and it is not known which the three countries that did not vote for India. Details on page 6

OFBJP stages protest against Kashmir policy Details on page 8

Award for Bopanna, Qureshi picture Details on page 9

Some charges against Anand Jon dismissed

SPLENDID CLOSURE: Indian martial artists perform during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at

Details on page 27

Indian American sentenced in murder-for-hire

the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi

AAPI commit to improve health services in India

Details on page 9

on October 14. The Commonwealth Games ended after 11 days of fiery competition that went some way to

Details on page 12

mending the damage done to Indian pride

Tendulkar best batsman ever, says Aussie poll

TVNZ Chairman, CEO apologize to Gov Gen Details on page 9

and prestige tarnished by the chaotic buildup to the event. (Details on page 10)

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 36-37 Classifieds ------------------------- 51 Community Post -------------- 14-30

Details on page 11

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

India should play bigger role on world stage? Last week’s result

Gandhi makes bigger impact in US than in India? YES 53%

NO 47%

Obama visit will shape Indo-US ties India Post News Service

ing Partnership", as part of the Distinguished Women in International Affairs and Ambassadors Forum Lecture series, Ambassador Shankar pointed out the timing of this event was particularly apt in view of the upcoming first ever State visit of President Obama to India in November, which is poised to be a landmark visit in setting out a vision and direction for the future of the Indo-US strategic partnership. Details on page 7

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

Date Book -------------------------- 50 Edit Page --------------------------- 53 HealthScience Post --------- 12-13 Horoscope ------------------------- 49 Immigration Post ------------- 38-39 Life Style ----------------------- 40-44 Philosophy ------------------------- 52 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate ------------------------ 48 TechBiz Post ------------------- 46-47 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 31-33

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

India Post

India Post www.indiapost.com

The Weekly Newspaper Serving Indians Worldwide

Romesh & Sunita Japra Publishers Subhash C Japra Co-Publisher Vikram Paul President Krishan Sharma Mg Director & Joint Editor Ranjana Sodhi Managing Editor Vinod Dhawan Senior Editor Naresh Sodhi General Manager Ghanshyam Bisht Supervisor Graphics SAN FRANCISCO & SILICON VALLEY Vijay Thapar CPRO & Advertising Sonia Sidhu Management Analyst Radhika Jhamb Correspondent Sudesh Kumari Correspondent Deepa Japra Youth Post Correspondent Rama Mehra Advertising Bhumi Bhutani Health Science Correspondent Jaya Gautam Correspondent Sujata Singh Correspondent Sirisha Chandraraju Correspondent Isha Patnaik Correspondent Raaj D. Photo Journalist Los Angeles Mrs Shashi Trivedi Bureau Chief J S Bedi PR & Marketing Mrs Prem Kishore Sr Correspondent Greg Heffernan Correspondent Ms Bobby Sharma Correspondent Babeeta Kaur Dhillon Correspondent Pavan Kaur Bhatia Correspondent CHICAGO Ramesh Soparawala Resident Editor A Q Siddiqui Correspondent ST. LOUIS Ashwin Patel Correspondent NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY Pinky Kaur Bureau Chief Srirekha N. Chakravarty Correspondent Nikita Japra Correspondent Sukhvinder Saini Circulation ATLANTA Sanjay Saggere Bureau Chief FLORIDA B K Madnani CANADA Firdaus Ali Correspondent BOSTON Gope Gidwani Bureau Chief

October 22, 2010

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

Publisher’s Diary

hat is it about the story of the 33 Chilean miners who were rescued last week after 70 days of being trapped more than 2000 feet in the depths of the earth that gives us all goose flesh just watching it unfold on television, even as we sit in the comfort of our homes thousands of miles away? In journalistic parlance it is called a "human interest story", only in this case, that is exactly what it is because it is the story of the human being. World over, the miners who were finally rescued in a grueling 22-hour operation that was watched live by millions around the world, have been hailed as extraordinary. To my mind however, they were no heroes. I think, they did just what a human being is supposed to do - under extraordinary circumstances, they kept faith; they triggered their survival instincts in the face of possible death; trapped in the confines of a cramped space for over two months, they kept up camaraderie, mutual generosity and trust in their fellow miners; despite the uncertainty of when they might be rescued, they stayed calm, no nervous breakdowns, no hysterical meltdowns; they harbored hope and perhaps for the sake of their families outside or for the love of their own life, they drummed up what sets human beings apart from other living beings - the human spirit. So why do I think that despite such extraordinary behavior these miners are not really heroes? Because, tenacity, faith, hope and spirit are what a 'human being' is supposed to possess by default. Unfortunately in today's commercially motivated emotions, media-endorsed character traits and reality television instigated behavior, many of us have forgotten what it is to be a normal human being. True, the miners, as also their families and the Chilean authorities have been through some real exigent circumstances. So call them heroes if you want. I would simply thank them for reminding us of what human spirit really is and that it still works!

INFO-CENTER CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 1900 Mowry Ave # 201 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510-797-7799, Fax: 510-790-2806; E-mail: info@indiapost.com

YUBA CITY (CA) Satnam Tatla Correspondent

E-SUBSCRIPTION: Vikram Paul Tel: 510-789-7520 Extn: 208; E-mail: subscribe@indiapost.com

INDIA Vinod Dhawan Senior Editor & Bureau Chief

For Editorial: Sonia Sidhu Tel: 510-797-7799; E-mail: sonia@indiapost.com

For advertisement rates call the office nearest to you:

PUNJAB Shiv Japra Bureau Chief Anil Kanwar Senior Correspondent/ Marketing

LOS ANGELES

HYDERABAD M Sagar Kumar Bureau Chief MUMBAI Mayank Thakkar Correspondent Nidhi Soparawala Correspondent Frank Fernandes Correspondent Vaidehi Patel Correspondent NASHIK Mahendra Thakkar Correspondent India Post (ISSN-1064-3868) is published weekly for $30 for 52 issues yearly by India Post, 1900 Mowry Ave # 201 Fremont, CA 94538. Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CA and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the corporate headquarters: 1900 Mowry Ave # 201 Fremont, CA 94538 Copyright © 1994 Indamec, Inc. DISCLAIMER India Post assumes all advertisers to be reliable and responsible for all liability for their claimers

Cover Story: Big margin After a gap of 19 years, and intense lobbying a India won a non-permanent seat on UNSC with an overwhelming majority.

Community: Speaker honored

Over 200 people attended reception in honor of Rajasthan Assembly Speaker and renowned singer and composer Bappi Lahiri.

Interlocutors on Kashmir The Indian government has appointed three interlocutors on Kashmir who will begin the process of dialogue.

Graphics Inquiry: Tel: 510-257-4374; E-mail: ghanshyam@indiapost.com

SAN FRANCISCO & SILICON VALLEY

DOABA, PUNJAB Romesh Kaura Correspondent

When Saif asked his lady love Kareena to play mom to his two kids Sara and Ibrahim, she demurred.

Classifieds: Tel: 510-938-8668; E-mail:classifieds@indiapost.com

NEW DELHI Vinod Kumar Khatana Graphics Madan Bangari Graphics

CHANDIGARH Raj Kumar Bali Correspondent

No kiddying

India:

CENTRAL VALLEY (CA) Dr Ram Saini Bureau Chief Sheila Rogers Correspondent

CAROLINAS Nalini Raja Patel Correspondent

Bollywood:

Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com

DETROIT Ashok B Jain, M D Bureau Chief Gurminder Singh SAN DIEGO Neelu Bhardwaj Bureau Chief SACRAMENTO Madan Sharma Bureau Chief Janak Sidhra Correspondent Upen Shukla Correspondent

HIGHLIGHTS

1900 Mowry Ave # 201 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510-938-8667 e-mail: nareshsodhi@gmail.com 12908 Indian Lane Norwalk, CA 90650 Fax: 562-947-0632 Tel: 562-441-5511, shashi19@yahoo.com Tel: 562-929-4213, kimi@indiapost.com

CHICAGO 2740 W Devon Ave Chicago IL 60659 Tel: 773-973-7394; Fax: 773-973-7396; Email: sramesh@aol.com

NEW YORK Tel: 212-944-1931, Fax: 732-969-3735 Tel: 908-338-3752 (Marketing) Tel: 732-283-4939 (Editorial) E-mail: pinky@indiapost.com

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

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

ATLANTA 67 Peach Tree Dr., Ste. 102, Buckhead Atlanta, GA 30309 Tel: 404-425-3021 E-mail: sanjay@eBolo.com

Life Style: Healthy beauty Shreya Sood, a radiologist from Easton, CT, won the "Beauty from the Heart" Miss India Connecticut 2010 title.

FLORIDA 8401 West Sample Road 30, Coral Springs, Florida - 33065 TORONTO, CANADA Tel/Fax: 416-744-8610

Techbiz:

DELHI

Mallya vision

Jin Kushal Suri Complex, 3rd Floor, 230-A, Masjid Moth, (NDSE Part-II) New Delhi - 110049 Tel: 11-46142940, 26257769 Fax: 11-46142969 E-mail:delhi@indiapost.com

An emerging class of young Indian consumers is driving a shift from a saving economy to a spending economy in India.

MUMBAI • Shivam, 3rd Floor Opp Raj Kumar Hotel Andheri (W) Mumbai Tel: (22) 2677 7782 Email: nidzp_04@yahoo.com • Fernandes Mansion Tam Taloa, Bassien (W) Mumbai 09619 330159 NASHIK 6 Amrit Dhara Deolali, Near Nashik-422 101 94 23 138 700

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

Travel: Deeg Deeg is strewn with massive fortifications, beautiful gardens, magnificent palaces and a colorful bazaar.

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

India Post

Cover/Top Stories

India Post

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

India wins UNSC seat by huge margin SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: A gap of 19 years, and intense lobbying at the highest level with the UN member states over the past few weeks, India won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council with an overwhelming majority following an election held Oct 12 during the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. India had earlier served six terms on the UN Security Council, the last being in 1992. In Wednesday's election, India won 187 of the 191 polled well over the requisite two-thirds majority of 128 votes. The votes in favor included that of Pakistan's; there was one abstention and it is not known which the three countries that did not vote for India. The General Assembly in the same election also elected Colombia, Germany, Portugal and South Africa to serve two-year terms on the Security Council as non-per-

Indian Ambassador to United Nations Hardeep Singh Puri†speaking at Fairleigh Dickinson University of New Jersey explaining his successful campaign for the UN Security Council Seat. Pics Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

India, Colombia and South Africa ran unopposed and were elected to represent their respective regions, having received 187 votes, 186 votes and 182 votes, respectively, in the first round of balloting. The two available seats from

Dennis McNerney Bergen County Executive honoring Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Sheriff McGuire of†Bergen County (2nd left), Dr Dhaduk (right) and Mohammed Hameeduddin Mayor, Teaneck (left) at Fairleigh Dickinson University on Oct 13

manent members beginning January 1, 2011. These five members will fill the seats that will be vacated by Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria will continue to serve as elected Council members during 2011, for the second year of their respective terms. To be elected to the Council, candidate countries need a twothirds majority of ballots of Member States that are present and voting in the 192-member Assembly. The seats are allocated on the basis of geographical groupings.

the Western European and Other States category were contested by Germany, Portugal and Canada, with Germany winning one seat with 128 votes in the first round. The contest between Canada and Portugal went to a second round but then Canada withdrew paving the way for Portugal to win the remaining seat, with 150 votes. Four years ago, the Assembly held 48 rounds of balloting, spread over three weeks, to fill the contested seat for the Latin American and Caribbean region. After the 48th round, the two candidates Guatemala and Venezuela - had withdrawn and the regional group

endorsed Panama, which was consequently elected. The longest election ever held took place in 1979, with 155 rounds between 26 October and 7 January, after which the two candidates - Colombia and Cuba - withdrew and Mexico was

The Permanent Representatives reiterated the call of the IBSA Ministers for the urgent need to expand the Security Council in both its permanent and nonpermanent categories, in order to increase participation of developing countries. This will make the UNSC more broadly representative, efficient and transparent elected. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council are the US, the UK, Russia, France and China. This election propels strategic blocs among nations in which India is a member - IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) and BRIC (Brazil, India, Russia, China) into a stronger position to prevail on the Security Council. IBSA celebrates The Permanent Representatives to the UN of India, Hardeep Singh Puri; Brazil, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti; and South Africa, Baso Sangqu have taken note of

the historic occasion in 2011 in which all three IBSA countries will serve in the UN Security Council following the election of India and South Africa to the Security Council as non-permanent members on Oct 12, and the election of Brazil in 2009. The Representatives noted that as countries from the global South, India, Brazil and South Africa will, as a highest priority, promote the principles and objectives of the South on the UN Security Council including to work to make the Security Council more transparent in its working methods. The Permanent Representatives reiterated the statement issued by the Ministers of IBSA on Sept 25, during the General Debate of the 65th Session of the General Assembly, in which IBSA

ties of developing countries, specifically the UN Security Council. In this context, the Permanent Representatives reiterated the call of the IBSA Ministers for the urgent need to expand the Security Council in both its permanent and non-permanent categories, in order to increase participation of developing countries. This will make the UNSC more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and would also enhance its effectiveness and legitimacy, as well as the implementation of its decisions. The Permanent Representatives again stressed their firm commitment to collaborate in the Security Council with the aim of making the Council more responsive and transparent in the execution of its mandate. The Permanent Representa-

Indian Ambassador to United Nations Hardeep Singh Puri† being honored by NRI Students of†Fairleigh Dickinson University of New Jersey for his †successful campaign for the UN Security Council Seat, Oct 13 in NJ

reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and to increased participation of developing countries in the decision-making bodies of multilateral organizations and institutions. In this regard, IBSA reiterated the urgent need for the UN to be reformed so as to become more representative and reflective of the needs and priori-

tives committed themselves, and their delegations to enhance cooperation in the Security Council on all priority agenda items. One such priority area will be to promote and enhance the Security Council's cooperation with regional organizations, particularly the African Union's Peace and Security Council.

Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri in conversation with† Ambassador Ahmed Kamal, President Ambassadors Club, at United Nations, organized by UN/ NGO Pathways, UN Ambassador Forum at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey

Top Stories

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

US hopes India will play constructive role as UNSC member WASHINGTON: The US has applauded India's election to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member hoping that it would play a constructive role in resolving key global issues, but stopped short of endorsing its bid for a permanent seat on the powerful body. "We are well aware of India's aspirations to play a more significant, you know, global role. We have welcomed that expanded role by India both on regional issues and global issues," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said at his daily news conference here last evening. He made the remarks when asked if the US would be endorsing India's bid for a permanent UNSC seat during the visit of US President Barack Obama to New Delhi in November. Crowley, however, said the Obama Administration is committed to the reform of the UN and its Security Council. "We will work within the UN and within the Security Council because, you know, we recognize that there are a number of countries in the world that have those

same aspirations. We are committed to continue to work constructively on UN reform," Crowley said. The State Department spokes-

He made the remarks when asked if the US would be endorsing India's bid for a permanent UNSC seat during the visit of US President Barack Obama to New Delhi in November. Crowley, however, said the Obama Administration is committed to the reform of the UN and its Security Council man welcomed the election of India, South Africa, Colombia, Portugal and Germany to the UN Security Council as its non-permanent members for a two-year term beginning from January 1, 2011.

"We look forward to working constructively with all members of the Security Council. We trust that all new members will work to support the principles of the Charter, contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the Council and uphold its role in maintaining international peace and security," he said. Crowley said the US is committed to finding a way forward on the Security Council reform that preserves and strengthens its efficiency and effectiveness and enhance its ability to carry out its mandate and meet the challenges of the 21st century. He also said that the US does not expect BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries, which for the first time are together in the Security Council, to form a separate block within the UNSC. "These countries have been playing significant roles and in some cases increasing roles in their respective regions for some time, and we welcome their participation in the Security Council," he said. "As we've said, the global challenges that we face cannot be solved by any one country.

Obama visit will shape Indo-US ties India Post News Service

NEW YORK: India looked forward to President Obama's visit with great hope and optimism, said Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar addressing an elite gathering at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs on Oct 12. Delivering an address on "Indo-US Relations: An Evolving Partnership", as part of the Distinguished Women in International Affairs and Ambassadors Forum Lecture series, Ambassador Shankar pointed out the timing of this event was particularly apt in view of the upcoming first ever State visit of President Obama to India in November, which is poised to be a landmark visit in setting out a vision and direction for the future of the IndoUS strategic partnership. Describing the Civil Nuclear Agreement as both a symbol and instrument of transformation in India-US relations Ambassador Shankar said that India hoped to commence commercial negotiations with US companies shortly. She also focused on the growing defense cooperation as an area that reflected deeper mutual trust, adding that bilateral defense trade had rapidly risen to over $4 billion in the last few years with another $4 billion in the pipeline

through the FMS route. She highlighted the common concerns about terrorism and the closer counter-terrorism cooperation, particularly after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. The focus now was on strengthening exchange of intelligence and information sharing best practices and capacity building, she said.

Describing the Civil Nuclear Agreement as both a symbol and instrument of transformation, Ambassador Shankar said that India hoped to commence commercial negotiations with US companies shortly In the backdrop of India's impressive economic growth, Ambassador Shankar said that the growing economic partnership with the United States is defined by mutual benefit not mutual vulnerability, as these ties were developing in a balanced manner in both directions, underlining the enormous opportunities for high technology trade and shared endeavors in innovation.

She said that a facilitative export control framework in the US would be crucial to realize the full potential and was optimistic about progress in this regard. She also explained how the governments were actively striving to build stronger collaboration in the areas of agriculture, energy and education, including through putting in place new institutional linkages. Besides bilateral issues, Ambassador continued that India and the US held regular and candid dialogue on Afghanistan and Pakistan; exchanged views and coordinated approaches on other developments in South Asia, and that the two sides had commenced a dialogue on East Asia and the evolving Asian economic and security architecture. In the broader Asian and global context the two sides had also commenced exploratory discussions on how they could work together for the safety of the global commons - including Maritime Security and the domains of Space and Cyber Space. She added that India and the US must also work together to reform the international architecture of global governance, including the UN Security Council in the interest of both greater legitimacy and effectiveness of these institutions.

They're going to need significant engagement, involvement, and support from these emerging powers. You've got a very strong

list of emerging powers who can rightfully play a more leading role on global issues," Crowley said. PTI

Obama's India trip to establish 'true strategic ties' WASHINGTON: US President Obama - as the then PresidentBarack Obama's visit to India in elect - was among the first few November would not only elevate American leaders to call the then bilateral ties, but also establish a Indian Ambassador to the US, "true strategic partnership" be- Ronen Sen, in the immediate aftween the world's largest democ- termath of the Mumbai terrorist racies, a top official here said. attacks and had vowed to work The President's trip to New with India to bring the perpetraDelhi, Mumbai and Amritsar "will tors to justice. take stock of the advancement of While the Indo-US civil the relationship between the two nuclear deal was the highlight of countries," the official told report- the previous Bush era, the antiers when asked about the significance of the forthcoming visit of The schedule of Obama's Obama to India. visit to India has not been The schedule of Obama's visit to India announced yet, but he is has not been an- likely to start from Mumbai nounced yet, but he is in recognition of emerging likely to start from Mumbai in recognition economic clout of of emerging economic the country clout of the country as well as the influence of Bollywood all over the world. terror cooperation between the Obama's overnight stay in two countries has really picked Mumbai, officials said, would also up during the Obama Adminisbe a tribute to those killed in the tration; which is reflected in the 2008 attacks and show of solidar- trips that the CIA and FBI chiefs ity with India against its war on have made to India in less than terrorism. two years now. -PTI

Obama warns of 'education arms race' with China, India WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has warned of an "education arms race" with India and China and said that any cut in the education budget as recommended by the Republicans would be detrimental to America's national interest. "Nothing would be more shortsighted," Obama said in his Rose Garden at White House, in remarks to the press in reference to the Republican proposal to cut education budget. "There's an educational arms race taking place around the world right now - from China to Germany, to India to South Korea. Cutting back on education would amount to unilateral disarmament. We can't afford to do that," he said. The President said that the nation that educates its children the best would be the nation that leads the global economy in the 21st century. "Now, ultimately, this is not just about making our economy more

competitive. It's not just about preparing our kids for the jobs of the future - though all those things are absolutely essential. It's also about who we are as a people," he said. "It's about building a brighter future where every child in this country has a chance to rise above any barriers of race or faith or station, and they can fulfill their God-given potential; where the American Dream is a living reality. By opening the doors of college to anyone who wants to go, that's a future we can help build together," he added. Obama said if the Republicans in Congress had their way that would be more difficult. "They've proposed cutting back on education by 20 per cent. That means reducing financial aid for eight million students and leaving our community colleges without the resources they need to prepare our students for the jobs of the future," he argued.-PTI

Top Stories

India Post

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

OFBJP stages protest against India's Kashmir policy

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Scores of young displaced Kashmiri Hindu children led a huge demonstration organized by Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP) outside the Indian Embassy in Washington DC on Oct 2, to protest the Government of India's Kashmir policy and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent proposal of granting autonomy to Kashmir. The children expressed an-

guish at the continued neglect of their legitimate aspirations of dwelling in the land of their forefathers. These children born to parents who were hounded out of Kashmir by fundamentalist Islamic terrorists about 20 years ago, vociferously condemned the deprivation of their cultural roots, civilizational heritage, traditional practices and rituals, and right to live in their ancestral homeland. The demonstration supported and attended by a large number of Indian community groups and

displaced Kashmiri Hindus strongly resented Government of India's soft-attitude and appeasement policies towards Kashmiri Muslim secessionists and terrorists operating in the Kashmir valley. The gathering of over 500 protestors rejected Prime Minister Singh's overtures to grant more autonomy to the state of Jammu & Kashmir and termed it as a dangerous step towards the eventual balkanization of India. The demonstrators displayed placards

Aiyar made Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall

Master & Fellow: Professor Martin Daunton, Master of Trinity Hall with Mani Shankar Aiyar

LONDON: In a rare honor, Rajya Sabha MP Mani Shankar Aiyar has been made an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall at his alma mater Cambridge University in recognition of his contribution to the "diplomatic and political life of the world's largest democracy." 69-year-old Aiyar joined the ranks of figures such as renowned scientist Stephen Hawking.

Aiyar, who spent two years (1961-63) at Cambridge as an undergraduate, described it as a "coming back home party" for him

"I am more than honored and privileged. I've a special feeling for Trinity Hall and Cambridge. They played a decisive role in my life," Ayer said after receiving the honor. The citation, read out by Professor Daunton, said: "Mani Shankar Aiyar, you have been elected an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall in recognition of your contribution to the diplomatic and political life of the world's greatest democracy, and of your deep understanding of the issues facing India as it experiences economic and social transformation." Aiyar, who spent two years (1961-63) at Cambridge as an undergraduate, described it as a "coming back home party" for him. He is the first South Asian in more than 50 years to receive the honor. The last was Nawab of Dhaka Hajji Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin, who became Pakistan's second governor-general and was briefly the Prime Minister after the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951. Also honored on the occasion was Sir David Bell, chairman of the Pearson Group and The Financial Times. -PTI

urging the Indian government to save displaced Kashmiri Hindus from extinction and condemned its apathy towards the ethnic minority now living as refugees in their own country. The demonstrators later presented a memorandum to the Indian Ambassador to US expressing concern over the recent escalation of separatist violence in Kashmir and the incompetent response by the Indian government. Dr. Adapa Prasad, OFBJP-USA President, cautioned Indian government that the continuation of the government's appeasement policies towards Kashmiri Muslim separatists is encouraging them to push their agenda of Talbanization of Kashmir. He said that while it is a sound policy to win hearts and minds of common people of Kashmir, Indian government needs to use all its might to crush the secessionist forces and their anti-national agenda. Dr. Surendra Kaul, OFBJP-USA Chair of Kashmir Cell said that recent evidences have clearly shown that the "stone pelters" and arsonists in the valley were encouraged by forces inimical to the unity of India. Many demonstrators said that it is a war that Indian government needs to finish once for all. They urged the government of India to abrogate article 370 of the Indian constitution as it had created a barrier to the total integration of the state with rest of India. The demonstration also demanded that Government of India secures full constitutional rights of Kashmiri minorities guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. It also demanded that the minuscule mi-

nority of Kashmiri Hindus still living in the valley be provided the much needed security so that there is no repeat of Nadimarg or Sangrampora massacres. OFBJP demanded that Kashmiri Pandit community be declared as Internally Displaced People (IDP) and the use of the insulting term "Migrants" for this forcibly exiled community must be removed from all records and communications pertaining to this community. Jayesh Patel, OFBJP-USA President Elect demanded to restore Kashmiri Hindus' political and economic rights that would give them equal status rather than

a second class citizenship in their native land of Kashmir. R. P. Singh, OFBJP-USA Vice President strongly urged the government of India to carve out a separate union territory for displaced Kashmiri Hindus in the north east of Kashmir. OFBJP demanded setting up of a Commission of Enquiry to establish the causes that led to the selective and targeted killings of Kashmiri Hindus and their subsequent forced exile from the Kashmir valley. The protest rally was also attended by members of IndoAmerican Kashmir Forum (IAKF), a political advocacy group fighting for the fundamental rights of Kashmiri Hindus. Members of Association of Indian American Communities also participated in the rally.

Top Stories

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Picture of Bopanna, Qureshi wins 'Image of Year' award WASHINGTON: A picture of 'Indo-Pak Express' tennis stars, Rohan Bopana and his doubles partner Aisam Ul-Haq Qureshi, taken by the US-based Indian photo journalist Jay Mandal has won the 'Image of the Year' prize under the prestigious 'Peace and Sport' award. For the first time, the winner of the award for Peace and Sport's Image of the Year was chosen by a public voting system on Internet. The winning photograph of Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Qureshi, submitted by the ATP World Tour, won nearly 60 per cent of the votes. "The message of peace given by Rohan and Aisam is a unique source of inspiration for young people in their respective countries, but its significance does not stop there," Joel Bouzou, President and founder of 'Peace and Sport' that gives the prestigious award said at a ceremony announcing the 21st edition of the Georges Bertellotti Golden Podium Awards held at SPORTEL Monaco. "They use their charisma and their sporting success to raise awareness amongst the entire in-

(L to R) UN representative for India Hardeep Singh Puri, Rohan Bopanna from India, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi from Pakistan, and the UN representative for Pakistan Abdullah H. Haroon. Pic Jay Mandal for ATP World Tour

Indian American sentenced in murderfor-hire of Troy couple India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Sixty-three year old Narayan Thadani, formerly of Houston, Texas, was sentenced Oct 6, to life in prison for the 2008 murder-for-hire of an Indian American couple from Troy, Michigan. Chief United States District Judge Gerald E. Rosen also sentenced codefendant Douglas Tobar, age 42, to 30 years in prison based on his cooperation in the case. According to the information presented to the court at the time of the guilty plea, Thadani and Tabor arranged for Miguel Servando and Nelson Mendoza to travel from Texas to Michigan with the intent to murder Aasha and Brij Chhabra of Troy, Michigan. Aasha, who had inherited property worth $2 million from her father in India had entrusted the management of the property to Thadani, a retired engineer and a close family friend. Thadani apparently had disposed off the property and pocketed the money. When Aasha and her husband realized the misappropriation, they filed a lawsuit against Thadani to recover their money. That was when Thadani apparently, with the help of his landscaper Tabor, hired Servando and Mendoza to kill the Chhabras.

Servando and Mendoza were arrested by the Taylor Police Department after a traffic stop while traveling southbound on I-75. The traffic stop led to a search of the vehicle which revealed, among other things, a diagram and address of a home in Troy, Michigan, and a copy of a passport picture of a woman. The Taylor officer re-

United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade stated, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This case is a great example of the success that can be achieved when law enforcement agencies work together. Through collaboration, we are able to bring violent criminals to justiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; quested that the Troy Police Department conduct a welfare check on the home. The Troy Police Department's welfare check resulted in the discovery of the two victims, Brij and Asha Chhabra, who had been killed. Servando and Mendoza were

charged with first degree murder by the Oakland County Prosecutor's office. Servando pleaded guilty to state and federal charges, and is currently serving a life sentence in federal prison. Mendoza was found guilty after a trial on state charges, and is currently serving a life sentence in state custody. United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade stated, "This case is a great example of the success that can be achieved when law enforcement agencies work together. Through collaboration, we are able to bring violent criminals to justice." United States Attorney Barbara McQuade praised the hard work of the Taylor Police Department, the Troy Police Department, the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Immigration Customs Enforcement for conducting an aggressive, thorough, and effective joint investigation. This multi-jurisdictional investigation serves as another example of how the public can greatly benefit from the cooperation of federal and local law enforcement agencies, she said. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Roth and Jennifer Gorland handled the prosecution of this case.

ternational community, their fellow athletes and political authorities in their countries, as we saw at the US Open. I hope that their appeal will lead the way to new rapprochement initiatives," Bouzou said. The picture captured by New York-based Mandal shows the two tennis star from the sub-continent along with Indian Ambassador to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri and his Pakistani counterpart Abdullah H Haroon. Despite the differences between the two countries, Bopanna and Qureshi have played doubles for three years. "Sport's greatest victory is not measured in terms of medals. It is measured by its ability to positively change people's lives and bring them hope. And that's exactly what Rohan and Aisam succeed in doing. They demonstrate what champions can achieve when they use their celebrity (status) for a good cause," Bouzou said. According to a media release, the two players will be attending the 4th International Forum Peace and Sport on December 2 in Monaco with 450 international leaders. -PTI

TVNZ Chairman, CEO apologize to Gov Gen said. Satyanand "very graciously" accepted the apology they offered to him, it said. Henry resigned as Breakfast show's presenter amid an uproar over comments he made on air about the Governor-General and his mocking of the name of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. During an interview, Henry had asked Prime Minister John Key whether Satyanand was "even a New Zealander". The Gov Gen Anand Satyanand situation escalated when footage emerged of Henry laughing at and mispronouncing the name MELBOURNE: Top bosses of of Dikshit prompting India to New Zealand's statelodge a diplomatic owned TV channel, protest. whose former host Paul In a statement, the Henry had made racial Governor General remarks against Insaid he now considdian-origin Governor ered the matter General Anand closed. Satyanand, have While resigning, apologized to the Henry, who was already leader in person. under suspension over TVNZ's Chairman the race slur involving John Anderson and Satyanand, had acCEO Rick Ellis called knowledged that he Paul Henry on Satyanand at the had "crossed the line" Government House in and said he did not Auckland and apologized over want to be used as a "lightning rod the Henry episode, the channel for racial disharmony".-PTI

Top Stories

10 India Post

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

India finish historic second as Games end NEW DELHI: The country's competitors came out with flying colors and helped India finish a historic second in the final pecking order with more than 100 medals as the Commonwealth Games, that had a troubled build-up but proceeded smoothly thereafter, came to a close on Thursday. A record medal haul of 38 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze medals, the best-ever harvest for the country in the Games history, helped India climb to the recordhigh second position and end the multi-discipline event on a thumping note. The main haul of these 101 medals came from the shooting range, wrestling mat, boxing ring, archery range and, to everyone's surprise, the track and field events, to provide the country with a reasonably strong sports foundation on which to build a more powerful edifice on. The country had several highs and a number of sports heroes and heroines in the 12-day sports festival that commenced with a spectacular opening ceremony on October 3. There was the rifle-shooting ace Gagan Narang, the Hyderabadi, who scooped up four gold medals but could not achieve the feat of overhauling five-gold hero of the 2006 Melbourne Games - "Goldfinger" Samresh Jung. There was the teenage woman archer Deepika Kumari, daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver, who held her nerves even as the more seasoned Dola Banerjee wilted, to come up with a golden double in the women's recurve event. The track and field events witnessed India's first gold medal in 52 years when Krishna Poonia led a clean sweep of the women's discus throw, Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil winning the silver and bronze. Later the women's 4x400m relay squad also struck an unexpected gold with a superb display that pushed Nigeria and England to second and third places. Just when the titles seemed to be drying up at the end, the women shuttlers, led by this year's Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardee Saina Nehwal, brought down two gold medals to bring down the curtains on the country's competitive show with a bang. Those two gold medals in badminton were vital to help India push England to the third place by the skin of their teeth, India's gold tally becoming 38 on the last day after they trailed their rivals going into the final day today. The men's hockey team, whose fortunes are followed closely by the sports fans of the

country, made history by making it to the final for the first time before coming a cropper against world and defending champions Australia in today's summit clash. The 8-0 defeat was huge and one of the biggest suffered by the country, but the positives were the stirring displays put up against Pakistan and England, against whom the squad fought back from 1-3 down to win the semi final via the penalty shootout. On the organizational front, after the shambolic build-up that included a dirty athletes village and other shortcomings leading to threats of pull-out by leading competing nations, the Commonwealth Games was today given a pat on the back by CGF chief Michael Fennell in his concluding media conference. "Delhi has performed and the overall image of the Games has been extremely positive", declared Commonwealth Games Federation chief Fennell on the last day of the multi-discipline event. "Leading up to the Games, people were not sure whether to go to India or not after all those reports (about the less than perfect build-up) came out. When I

There was the rifle-shooting ace Gagan Narang, the Hyderabadi, who scooped up four gold medals but could not achieve the feat of overhauling five-gold hero of the 2006 Games was going to India on September 23 I was even asked when would I announce the cancellation of the Games," Fennell told a press conference. "I said our job is to fix the problems and not to give up. I had said in a press conference at that time

(before the Games) when asked whether there was Plan B and I said Plan B is Delhi. It was always Delhi and Delhi has performed," Fennell said. But there were a lot of short-

als in his least favorite event, the 50m prone, where he ended outside the medal bracket. He had captured the 10m air rifle pairs with Beijing Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and

CLINCHING GOLD: Saina Nehwal of India kisses her medal on the podium after the womenĂs singles final badminton event of the XIX Commonwealth Games at the Siri Fort sports complex in New Delhi October 14

comings - especially relating to sale of tickets, transport of athletes, officials and media and the Games info system that crashed totally and showed signs of getting back on track only towards the end. The last-hour scramble to complete the infrastructure for the Games, including the village, led to less-than-perfect conditions that were expectedly criticized by several quarters before things were brought on track by the government authorities. A lot of lessons need to be learned after the conduct of such a complex multi-discipline extravaganza by the organizers if India's dream of hosting an Olympic Games in the future is to bear fruit. In the action-packed sports arena, it was a foregone conclusion that Indian shooters were the competitors to beat at the range and this proved correct though in the ultimate analysis the overall figures could have been a little better, especially in the gold stakes. Narang missed two gold med-

then upset his teammate for the individual title. He claimed two more gold -- in 50m 3-position. The hosts won 30 shooting medals including 14 gold, 11 silver and five bronze medals in the

A lot of lessons need to be learned after the conduct of such a complex multi-discipline extravaganza by the organizers if India's dream of hosting an Olympic Games in the future is to bear fruit Games. Of those, only three came from the shotgun range. If Indian marksmen were the primary contributors to country's rich medal haul the wrestling contingent were not far behind winning 19 medals in the 21 designated event. Among the 19 med-

Interpol lauds authorities for CWG security NEW DELHI: The Interpol has commended Indian security agencies for their "collaborative" efforts with international law enforcement agencies in ensuring the security of participants and visitors flocking the national capital for the Commonwealth Games. Interpol Secretary General Ronald K Noble said Indian au-

thorities did a commendable job by ensuring checking of as many domestic and foreign visitors as possible against the global database of the world police's body. "With India hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors during the 2010 Commonwealth Games (October 3- 14), Interpol deployed at the request of Indian authorities a Major Events Support Team

(IMEST) to support the security efforts of Indian authorities ahead of and during the event," a statement from Interpol said. Three days before the end of the Games, the total number of checks carried out by Indian authorities at key inspection points against Interpol's databases had reached almost over 5.25 lakh, it said.-PTI

als, there were 10 gold, five silver and four bronze medals. If Sushil Kumar literally walked his way to gold, the women wrestlers participating in the Games for the first time stole the show with a memorable performance. In the six events for women, India won three gold, two silver and a bronze medal to show their supremacy in the freestyle category. The trio of Alka Tomar, Geeta and Anita won their final bouts with ease, while Babita Kumari and Nirmala Devi missed out on yellow metal losing their final rounds but their performance drew praise from none other than superstar of Indian wrestling -- Sushil. "I am very happy for the girls' performance. I hope they would keep up the good work," Sushil said. India achieved unprecedented success in athletics by bagging 12 medals, including two gold, but a dope flunk took away some of the sheen off the glorious feat in the Games. India's 12 medals which came from athletics here were two more than the number it won in all the earlier editions. Just as the Indians basked in the glory of their track and field success, a rude shock hit them with woman 20km race walker Rani Yadav flunking a dope test for a banned steroid. She was provisionally suspended and her 'B' sample called for confirmatory test. Two other athletes, Nigerians Osayemi Oludamola and Samuel Okon tested positive for banned stimulant Methylhexaneamine. Women's 100m gold winner was stripped of her medal while Okon finished outside the medal bracket. These were the only positive dope cases in the Games till the final day. Krishna Poonia created history by breaking India's 52-year-old Commonwealth Games gold medal jinx by winning the yellow metal in women's discus throw with the event also setting a record of first with the country sweeping all the medals. Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil bagged silver and bronze respectively. Poonia also became the first Indian woman to bag a Commonwealth Games gold after 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh won the men's 440 yards race in 1958 edition in Cardiff, Wales. The women's 4X400m relay team of Manjeet Kaur, Sini Jose, Ashwini Akkunji and Mandeep Kaur added another gold in a memorable race, beating strong teams likes Nigeria and England. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 11

Top Stories

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Honoring non-violence in every day life SURESH SHAH

SKOKIE: Over 75 people attended a program on Non-Violence in Every Day Life, sponsored by the Gandhi Memorial Trust (GMT) and the Skokie Public Library Tuesday, October 5, in Skokie. Welcoming the guests, the Library Director Carolyn introduced Omprakash Kamaria, Chairman GMT who explained that the program was held to honor Gandhi, as part of other events being held during Peace Month in October. Dr. A.Chakrapani, Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, led off the panelists, talking about his current pilgrimage, following Gandhi's travels, and commenting on Gandhi's legacy and model. Ms. Muriel Duster, Vice President, the Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity & Intercultural Affairs, Northeastern Illinois University, noted that the Reverend Martin Luther King was influenced by Gandhi and traveled to India to study with him. She also emphasized that it is important to not only say the right things, but to walk the talk on a daily basis. Rohit Joshi, a Counselor at

Northeastern University, said that peace is within each of us and we just need to find it. He also commented on the symbolism of wearing hand-woven clothing as exemplified by the jacket worn by another panelist, Mr. Kanji Patel. Dr. David Matteson, Professor Emeritus, Governors State University, talked about the value of learning to take the perspective of the other person. Kanji Bhai Patel, Member of Parliament,

came from India especially to participate in the program. He said that violence comes from the human mind. It takes practice to cultivate peace. Meditation and yoga practice may help. Lord Krishna gave us Gita to help us in our endeavor. T. Prasad, Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Sarvodaya Mandal, said that everyone wants peace, but are we willing to pay for it? We need to question ourselves regarding violent

India finish historic second as Games comes to a close Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 10

It was a 25-year-old girl from a poor family at a non-descript village at Nashik district in Maharashtra who opened the medal floodgates for India by winning a bronze in women's 10,000m race and she later said she took to athletics as she can run barefooted. Fancied fisticuff exponents Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar were ousted early but Indian boxers still delivered a historic golden punch to come up with their bestever campaign in the Games history. With a hat-trick of gold plus four bronze medals, the Indian ring stylists recorded their best medal haul at the quadrennial multi-discipline sports event, bettering the 2006 campaign at Melbourne by two. The three titles -- won through Suranjoy Singh (52kg), Manoj Kumar (64kg) and Paramjeet Samota (+91kg) -- are unprecedented for India, for whom previously only Mohd Ali Qamar (2002) and Akhil Kumar (Melbourne, 56kg) had finished on top.

The four bronze medals were won by Amandeep Singh (49kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg), Dilbag Singh (69kg) and Vijender Singh (75kg). The biggest disappointment came from Olympic and World Championship bronze medalist Vijender, the pre-event favorite,

Among the trio, Manoj was, arguably, the find of the event as he was competing in the biggest event of his career after being sidelined with a wrist injury for two years. Similar was the case of Samota, the shy-22-year-old who had to settle for third place after losing controversially to eventual silver-medalist Anthony Ogogo of England due to the warnings he got during the semi final bout. The other setbacks suffered by India were the defeats of Common-

wealth championship gold-medalist Dinesh Kumar and defending bantamweight (56kg) champion Akhil in the quarterfinals. The unexpected ouster of these big names before the finals had raised doubts about whether the boxers would be able to live up to the expectations of the nation following the success they have enjoyed since the Beijing Olympics. But all doubts were erased when Suranjoy, Manoj and Samota combined forces to deliver the historic 'trick last night. Among the trio, Manoj was, arguably, the find of the event as he was competing in the biggest event of his career after being sidelined with a wrist injury for two years. Similar was the case of Samota, the shy-22-year-old, who won a gold at the Commonwealth Championships in March. The two quietly went about their job even as Suranjoy stamped his class and justified his nickname 'Chhota Tyson' with one power-packed performance after another. The trio's remarkable show wiped out the lows experienced following the defeats of Akhil, Vijender and Dinesh.

thought, actions and even the food we eat or clothes we wear. He quoted Gandhi in saying that "Poverty is the worst form of violence." Ignorance, exploitation and keeping people in poverty are forms of violence. We must be concerned about the welfare of all human beings. Ms. Marion Rosenberg, Founder of Universal Dream of Peace, noted that panelists and attendees represented different ethnicities, religions and expe-

riences. She said that parents should not make comparisons between children and we all should use words that are encouraging and nurturing to each other. Dr. Shriram Sonty, a Trustee GMT, said that he went to Gandhi's ashram in Gujarat in 1986 and seeks to live up to a Gandhian. He related that his name "Shriram" means "perfection", another challenge for him to live up to. Mrs. Usha Kamaria spoke about importance of spirituality in our daily life and said the atmosphere at home should be spiritual to cope with difficult situations. Ms. Carolyn Anthony, Director of the Skokie Public Library and Moderator of the program, said that while peace seemed a large and unrealizable goal, it can be achieved one person at a time. We should look for the best in each other and try to bring that out. Individuals may have a positive impact on each other. Several attendees also spoke, including a man whose sister had been killed by her husband.

Tendulkar best batsman ever, say 84 percent in Aussie poll

MELBOURNE: Sachin Tendulkar has been rated as the best batsman ever overwhelmingly in an Australian newspaper online poll--significantly in the land of legendary Sir Donald Bradman. A staggering 84 per cent respondents in the online poll rooted for the Indian batting maestro on a day when he notched up his sixth Test double century against the Aussies in the second and final test in Bengaluru. The online poll was conducted

by 'Sydney Morning Herald' and close to 15,000 people responded to the question "Is Sachin Tendulkar best batsman ever?" Only 16 per cent of the respondents felt otherwise. The possibility of a lot of Indians voting for 37-year-old Tendulkar is not being ruled out. Tendulkar became the first batsman in the history of Test cricket to touch 14,000 run mark just few days back. Australian great Sir Don Bradman, who has an astonishing Test average of 99.99, had said that Tendulkar's style of play reminds him of his own batting days. The Australian media has already hailed him as the "man of the century" for his sixth Test hundred that helped the hosts restore balance in the Bengaluru Test. All leading publications showered praise on the "greatest batsman of all time" and described the little master as "like the kid who wished it wouldn't get dark. "Tendulkar's resurgence has put an almost insurmountable gap between him and Ponting in the race to be the highest all-time rungetter," the Sydney Morning Herald said.-PTI

Health

Line

UNC doubles salary of heart surgeon

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.: The University of North Carolina Health Care System says keeping its only heart surgeon is worth the cost of doubling his salary. The Charlotte Observer reported that it will pay Brett Sheridan $600,000 a year - an increase of $335,000 and more than any other heart surgeon has earned at UNC's hospital. Hospital chief executive Bill Roper says it would have been more costly to the hospital to lose its sole adult-heart surgeon. That would have meant UNC Hospitals would have been temporarily unable to do heart transplants, valve replacements and other surgical procedures. Roper says Sheridan's salary comes from clinical revenue, not taxpayer dollars. -AP

Iowa activists aim at AG race in Kansas TOPEKA, Kan.: An Iowa-based organization has been sponsoring television ads critical of Democratic Kansas Attorney General Steve Six as he seeks to stay in office. The 30-second spots on health reform are backed by American Future Fund, a conservative advocacy organization based in Des Moines. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the nonprofit group led by Republicans invested more than $7 million on behalf of GOP candidates in this midterm election cycle. Published reports indicate American Future Fund was formed Aug. 7, 2007, and participated in the 2008 election cycle by investing in congressional races in several states. -AP

Shriners Hospital, LSUHSC-S partnership off SHREVEPORT, La: Shriners Hospital in Shreveport has dropped plans for a partnership with LSU Health Sciences CenterShreveport, now that the national nonprofit has decided to bill insurance companies. The Shreveport hospital began the talks with LSU after the Shriners announced in 2009 that it was among six hospitals nationwide that might be closed. When it announced that it would begin billing insurance companies, the national organization announced in July that it would keep all 22 orthopedic hospitals open but probably will turn some into outpatient surgical centers. -AP

Health Science 12

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

Anchorage health center gets grant for building ANCHORAGE, Alaska: An Anchorage health center that serves uninsured and underinsured patients will receive an $8 million federal grant to help pay for a new building. -AP

Physicians commit to improve health services in India India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: Prominent public officials and community leaders including US Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula and India's Consul-General Ambassador Prabhu Dayal attended a glittering event to celebrate the thirteenth anniversary of the Greater New York chapter of the Federation of Associations of Physicians of Indian Origin, the umbrella organization of about 15,000 medical professionals of Indian descent. Aarthi Krishna, community development officer at the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, represented the Ambassador of India at the event. More than a thousand physicians from the Tri-State area attended the celebration held at Sheraton Hotel, Meadowland, NJ, where major pharmaceutical companies showcased their products and services to the select audience of medical professionals of Tri-State area. Ambassador Dayal complimented the physicians of Indian origin for their constructive role in strengthening relations between India and the US. "AAPI has been

Dr Hemant Patel (third from left), president, AAPI's charitable foundation and AAPI's past president was felicitated by Dr. Thomas Alapatt (first from right), president, Federation of AAPI Greater NY. Also present on the occasion (from left) AAPI's current president Ajit Singhvi, NJ Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, and India's Consul-General Ambassador Prabhu Dayal (second from right). -Pic Gunjesh Desai

Ambassador Dayal complimented the physicians of Indian origin for their constructive role in strengthening relations between India and the US. 'AAPI has been in the forefront of promoting India's national interests in USA' in the forefront of promoting India's national interests in USA," he acknowledged, "You have done a great service for the cause of US-

India friendship," he told the gathering appealing them to continue serving their adopted nation as well as their native land.

Dr. Patel announced the launching of scholarship for students of Indian descent intending to pursue their studies at the American University of Antigua. "The scholarship will be awarded to an incoming student each semester for the January, May and September semesters. It will cover the tuition and fees for qualified students attending AUA," he informed the audience. As a part of AAPI's commitment to provide continuing medical education to upcoming practitioners, a panel of experts presented a wide ranging informative lecture during the day. The seminar was attended by dozens of professionals who were eligible to earn licensing credits for attending the CME. The speakers at the seminar themed 'Managing Coronary Heart Diseases' included Dr. Daniel Conroy of St. Mary's Hospital, Passaic, NJ, who provided an update on current issues with heart failure. Marc Klapholz of UMDNJ spoke on managing sudden death and implanting defibrillators and Dr. Edo Kaluski of UMDNJ made a presentation on the current status of coronary angioplasty and stenting. Cont’d on page 13

Iowa candidates clash over healthcare WAVERLY, Iowa: The candidates in eastern Iowa's 1st Congressional District clashed most strongly over the federal health care plan and government spending during a debate at Wartburg College in Waverly. The hour-long event was the first debate held by Democratic incumbent Rep. Bruce Braley and Republican challenger Ben Lange. It came less than a month before the Nov. 2 election. Although they spoke on a number of topics, health care and government spending prompted the sharpest exchanges. The Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier reports that Lange accused Braley of ignoring the will of voters by supporting a health care expansion backed by President

Barack Obama. ``Washington, D.C., Bruce Braley and Nancy Pelosi have lost the faith of the American people when they shoved health care reform down the throats of eastern Iowa, down the throats of entire country,'' Lange said. Braley responded that Repub-

is your plan Ben?''' Braley said. ``I haven't heard anything but the same old tired rhetoric from you about what we're going to do to solve a problem that your party should have solved a long time ago.'' On spending, Lange charged that by voting for the economic

Braley countered that Lange supports tax cuts for billionaires that would worsen the deficit but not help middle class people who have been hit so hard by the economic downturn licans have refused to do anything about the nation's health care problems, and he asked Lange for solutions. ``I think that the voters of this district should be asking 'Where

stimulus, Braley was running up the federal debt. That hurts all Americans, especially people trying to start new businesses, Lange said. "He's cutting the legs from out

under the entrepreneurs,'' Lange said. Braley countered that Lange supports tax cuts for billionaires that would worsen the deficit but not help middle class people who have been hit so hard by the economic downturn. During the past decade, Braley said, the wealthy have seen their earnings rise dramatically. ``They're doing it pretty well and they can do it on their own without help from Ben Lange and the Republicans,'' Braley said. Lange, 31, is a lawyer from Independence who won a four-way Republican primary for the right to face Braley. Braley, 52, is a lawyer from Waterloo. He is seeking his third House term. -AP

Health Science Post

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Destination Soap Lake for good health seekers SOAP LAKE, Wash.: When Mary Olson arrived at Soap Lake last month, about two-thirds of her body was covered with patches of red, dry sores. Her skin was itchy, and painful where the sores cracked open and bled. When she left Soap Lake two weeks later, her skin was clear of sores, tanned and beautiful, she said. A 61-year-old program assistant at Western Washington University, Olson suffers from psoriasis, a skin disease. She's had it since she was a child, and has tried prescription drugs, ultraviolet-light treatments, and more ointments and creams than she can recall. Nothing works as well as the twoweek vacation she takes in Soap Lake every September, she said. Each day of her vacation, in the morning and again in the afternoon, she takes a brisk walk, lies in the sun, soaks for 30 minutes in the lake, covers her body in mud and, after it dries, washes it off. Before bed, she takes one more Soap Lake bath in her motel room and rinses it with warm fresh water.

When she goes home to Custer, her skin stays clear for up to three months, she said. Throughout the summer, dozens of people gather daily at Soap Lake's two public beaches to bathe in the water and ``mud up'' in hopes of healing one ailment or another.

On the town's public beach, Galina Andriyuk has heard many stories about people who were healed by these waters Some, like Olson, have wounds or skin disorders. Some are looking to relieve arthritis, aches or circulatory problems. And some are there just to see what it feels like. Destination Soap Lake Carmen Eckhart, whose family owns Notaras Lodge in Soap Lake,

said the biggest reason people stay at the lodge is the Soap Lake water, piped into the bathtubs of every room. The majority of their customers are eastern Europeans who now live in the United States. Korean nationals also frequent the area. ``I can't pronounce half of the names in my roster which is great,'' Ekhart said. ``People swear by the water.'' On Main Avenue, massage therapist Bridgett Oie also offers hot Soap Lake baths, steam saunas, and a variety of Soap Lake products, from mud soap to skin butter. Oie said the baths seem to relieve the pain and distress of skin diseases and conditions like arthritis. ``I don't have any scientific proof, but I think it does help,'' she said. On the town's public beach, Galina Andriyuk has heard many stories about people who were healed by these waters. She's a school bus driver in Kent originally from Ukraine and in mid-August she came to Soap Lake for a vacation with her husband, Ivan, and some friends. -AP

Physicians commit to improve health services in India Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 12

Dr. Thomas Alapatt, president, Federation of AAPI of Greater NYNJ-PA reminded the audience that AAPI aimed at helping Indian American physicians pursue their aspiration in professional and community affairs. "We also want

AAPI, provided details about various steps taken by the organization in the areas of medical missions and community services. "We are sending eligible candidates to India on clinical missions for four weeks," he informed the fellow physicians reminding them to attend the 4th

'The federation was actively engaged in philanthropic and charitable activities. In addition to supporting several health care clinics in India and the United States, national AAPI continues to be a strong voice in healthcare legislation and policy' to facilitate and enable you to excel in patient care, teaching and research activities," he said. "The federation was actively engaged in philanthropic and charitable activities. In addition to supporting several health care clinics in India and the United States, national AAPI continues to be a strong voice in healthcare legislation and policy." Dr. Ajit Singhvi, president,

Indo-US Healthcare Summit to be held in January 2011 in Jaipur, India. Later Congressman Frank Pallone conferred with the leadership team of AAPI on the prevailing health care issues in the United States. A spectacular Bollywood musical entertainment show by singer Sunidhi Chauhan and her group followed the speeches.

Desi News Gujarati Literary Academy honors Anand Rao India Post news Service

LOS ANGELES: During the Academy's convention on September 17-19 at Tampa, FL. the Academy bestowed the 'Shri Chunilal Velji Mehta' award to Anand Rao Lingayat for his Indo-American literature in Gujarati. Rao is based in Los Angeles and publishes a bimonthly magazine 'Gunjan' in Gujarati. Anand Rao has two shortstory collections 'Kanku Kharyu' & 'Ne Suraj Ugyo' and also novella 'Thava Kal' to his credit. His stories have been translated into many languages of India.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

Community event to support Nadia Lockyer Details on page 19

14 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

Rajasthan Speaker & Bappi Lahiri honored

Details on page 16

'Best Under 40' award for Paul Grewal India Post News Service

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The South Asian Bar Association of Northern California (SABA-NC) member Paul Grewal has been selected as one of the recipients of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) "Best Under 40" award. The "Best Under 40" award is given each year to applaud talented individuals within the Asian Pacific American legal community from around the country who have achieved prominence in their field and at the same time "demonstrated a strong commitment to civic or community affairs." Details on page 16

Bringing travel agents and airlines together

Dr. Vanilla Singh, Dr. Romesh Japra, Bappi Lahiri, Leela Mathur, Anu Natarajan & Deependra Singh Shekhawat

KAVITA ARORA India Post News Service

FREMONT: On October 6, over 200 people attended RANA (Rajasthan Association of North America) and the Fremont Sister City Organization reception at the residence of Lalit and Leela Mathur in Fremont, California. Dressed in a lovely purple Rajasthani sari, Dr. Vanilla Singh was the emcee for the evening.

The reception was in honor of Deependra Singh Shekhawat, Speaker of Rajasthan State Assembly, Jaipur, India. Internationally renowned singer and composer Bappi Lahiri was a Chief Guest at the event. Mr Shekhawat was there to promote the relationship and cultural business between the City of Fremont and the City of Jaipur. The purpose of the Sister City Program is to foster international

Ash Kalra, Leela Mathur & Deependra Singh Shekhawat

goodwill through people-topeople activities. Jaipur has been part of the program since 1993. FIA's Dr. Romesh Japra, the Mathurs, Dr. Vanilla Singh, along with representatives from both hosting organizations welcomed and honored both dignitaries. City of Fremont Councilwoman Anu Natarajan and City of San Jose Councilman Ash Kalra presented a commendation

to Deependra Singh Shekhawat and Bappi Lahiri. Joe Cazenave from Congressman Pete Stark's office also presented commendations along with Jeevan Zutshi, Chairman of the Indo-American Community Federation. Yogi Chugh presented a commendation to the dignitaries on behalf of California State Assembly member, Alberto Torrico. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 17

Johal hosts fundraiser for Senator Corbett

KAVITA ARORA India Post News Service

SUNNYVALE, CA: Indus Travel Network Association (ITNA), a non-profit organization, held its second travel agent and airline gettogether at Bombay Garden on October 7. The event was sponsored by Jet Airways and attended by several leading Bay Area travel agents and several airline representatives. The first meeting was sponsored by Meera Prashad of Kingfisher Airlines. ITNA is just two months young and their future goal is to go nationwide. Officers are already talking to folks around the US such as in Dallas and Atlanta. The goals of ITNA are networking, sharing knowledge, and education. Details on page 18

India Post News Service

FREMONT: Joe Johal, a successful businessman, recently hosted a fundraiser event for California State Senator Ellen M. Corbett at his residence. Johal, a director of the Tri Vally Bank, has been a resident of the East Bay for the last 25

years. Earlier, from 1983 to 2003, he worked as Engineering Manager for Hewlett Packard. The event was attended by well-known known figures of Bay Area. Senator Ellen M. Corbett was elected to the Senate in 2006. A lawyer and civic activist, she is dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers, encouraging edu-

cational opportunities and protecting the environment. During her six years in the Assembly and term in the Senate, Senator Corbett has enacted landmark legislation including creating a cash back for gift cards worth less than $10 program, giving consumers more information about bottled water, and updating the

Americans with Disabilities Act. Senator Corbett has a long history of public service in the district. She served as a city councilmember and was elected the first woman mayor of San Leandro. Prior to that, she worked as an attorney, community college professor and civic activist. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 15

October 22, 2010

Community Across America

India Post 15

www.indiapost.com

Hundal hosts fundraiser for Anu Natrajan

India Post News Service

FREMONT: Dr. Sarbjit S Hundal, MD Ophthalmologist, organized a fundraiser to re-elect Councilmember Anu Natrajan. The event was well attended by various people from Bay Area. During the event Anu said, "It is an honor to serve as your City Councilmember, and I want to continue to work with you to help realize the promise of Fremont. Together, we can make Fremont the best place in the Bay Area for families to live and work and for our children to go to school. A Fremont we can all be proud of! "As your City Councilmember, I have been an independent voice on behalf of the residents of Fre-

mont, asking the tough questions and analyzing all aspects of the issues that come before me on the council. I have the vision and the know-how to put Fremont at the forefront of the green technology revolution, creating long-term eco-

nomic growth and a thriving community of retail, restaurants, parks, and schools. "As a professional City Planner, I have worked with communities around the Bay Area to create their downtowns and reshape their city plans. I have put those skills to use in developing the General Plan for Fremont to guide our city to become a 21st Century community. I believe collaborative civic engagement is the key to building a successful community. Through dozens of public meetings on the General Plan, I have worked with Fremont residents to create a vision for a more vibrant future for Fremont. "Together, we can achieve all that we dream for Fremont. I will continue to work hard as your representative on the Fremont City Council, and I ask for your vote on November 2."

Johal hosts fundraiser for Senator Corbett Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

Senator Corbett maintains a strong connection to her district. She has worked to secure funding for transportation improvements, environmental projects and economic development opportunities. Senator Corbett has received numerous awards during her legislative career. In 2008, she was named one of the Top 100 Attorneys in California and an Outstanding Legislator by the California State Sheriff's Association.

16 India Post

Community Across America

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Gujarati Literary Academy honors Anand Rao geles and publishes a bimonthly magazine 'Gunjan' in Gujarati. Anand Rao has two short-story collections 'Kanku Kharyu' & 'Ne Suraj Ugyo' and also novella 'Thava Kal' to his credit. His stories have been translated into many languages of India. He is a very popular Anand Rao Lingayat giving acceptance speech

playwrite also. One of his well known plays 'Date With David' has been staged by various groups all over USA in different languages including English. His short version of Shiv Puran 'Summary of Shiv Puran' has become very popular among Gujarati readers. Lingayat's upcoming English publications - 'Ramayan At a Glance' for young adults & 'Mahabharat At a Glance' for young adults along with '101 Doha of Sant Kabir' are due shortly.

India Post news Service

Anand Rao Lingayat accepting Award

'Best Under 40' award for Paul Grewal India Post News Service

civic or community affairs." Paul Grewal has had a distinguished legal career, the youngest attorney ever promoted to partner at the law firm of Day Casebeer LLP, where he specialized in complex litigation and intellectual property matters. Grewal has been a partner at Howrey LLP since 2009. He serves

Paul Grewal

"Best Under 40" award. The "Best Under 40" award is given each year to applaud talented individuals within the Asian Pacific American legal community from around the country who have achieved prominence in their field and at the same time "demonstrated a strong commitment to

as the Recruiting Partner for Howrey's East Palo Alto office and is a member of Howrey's Intellectual Property Senior Leadership Group. Grewal maintains an active pro bono practice, including working with Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto, the Electronic Fron-

tier Foundation and the Environmental Literacy Project. Throughout his career, Grewal has been an active leader in the Asian Pacific American legal community. Grewal has served as President and Vice-President of SABANC, and President and Vice President of the North American South Asian Bar Association (NASABA). NASABA awarded Grewal with its highest honor, the Cornerstone Award, in recognition of his years of work to promote the goals of NASABA and SABA-NC including promoting the professional development of the South Asian legal community through networking, education, advocacy and mentoring; ensuring the civil liberties of the South Asian community; and serving the legal interests of the South Asian community and the community at large." Given the caliber of the other winners of this award, it was an honor even to be considered" Grewal said when he learned he was selected. SABA-NC co-president Hozefa Botee applauded the award, noting "It's great to see Paul's hard work recognized at a national level by as prominent an organization as NAPABA." Grewal, along with the other recipients of the "Best Under 40" award will be recognized at the NAPABA Annual Convention in Los Angeles, California, November 17-21.

Bappi Lahiri visits house of Dr. Romesh Japra

October 22, 2010

Community Across America

India Post 17

www.indiapost.com

Preparing for college: FLEX Rajasthan Speaker & Bappi Lahiri honored makes it easy

Dr Vanilla Singh, Dr Romesh Japra, Bappi Lahiri, Joe Cazenave & Deependra Singh Shekhawat Cont’d from page 14

Rob Jackson, former Undergraduate Admissions Officer from Yale University and Danny Byun, CEO FlexCollegePrep, speaking at the Education Seminar ìDemystifying the College Admission Processî at MSJ High School

SUJATA SINGH India Post News Service

FREMONT: FLEX College Prep hosted a seminar on October 9 at Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA. The attendees comprised overwhelmed parents and a few students. Evidently even now parents play a crucial role in deciding the future academic course of their wards. Daniel Byun, President/ Founder of FLEX College Prep initiated the topic providing a heads-up in what works for college admissions, regarding choice of advance placement subjects and extra-curricular choices, GPA

score and SAT scores. Parents eagerly absorbed all information with anxiety writ over their faces. College is one of the most important decisions in a student's life. Going to the right school would

Using a thorough and personalized process, their team of admissions specialists shows students how to build the ideal application profile. They show students what to do, when, and how open the gates of the student's future and help achieve their goals. Such decisions should not

be made lightly. Families need reliable information from knowledgeable sources. They need good advice. Robert Jackson a former Yale University admission officer spoke in detail about what should

the student do while in school, and how to make the right choice while choosing core contents for education. Clear information was provided about UCs and private colleges. Each year, millions of high school seniors apply to college, competing for a limited number of seats. Colleges have been receiving record numbers of applications and the numbers keep going up. To make matters worse, there is much conflicting information about applying to college. And even reliable information becomes outdated as the college admissions process continually evolves. With all the competition, changes, and misinformation, it's no wonder that students find the college admissions process intimidating! FLEX can help. Using a thorough and personalized process, their team of admissions specialists shows students how to build the ideal application profile. They show students what to do, when, and how. They craft personalized admissions strategies that help students reach their college dreams. All students have a college dream. Whether they dream of big schools or small schools, public schools or private schools, colleges or universities, all students have a college dream. FLEX College Prep, help students realize their college dreams. A team of educational consultants works with students and families to come up with an application strategy that produces results. They have couple of centers operating in the Bay Area; students can check it out at www.flexcollegeprep.com.

Bappi Lahiri was dressed as usual in his signature bling, bling style with gold jewelry and a golden cream pajama kurta. A very down to earth and happy Bappida was a pleasure to interact with. Several folks received an autographed copy of Bappida's new album 'World Peace Love and Harmony' and he happily posed for pictures with many guests. Bappida said,

"We should stop the violence, we have such a beautiful world, we should enjoy our world, and we should live in peace." RANA's mission is to preserve and promote Rajasthani culture, values, heritage and traditions and for the past 20 years, RANA has continued to grow and now serves the Rajasthani community in the Bay Area. Kavita Arora is Anchor & Co-Producer of Sitaarre TV

Dr. Vanilla Singh, Dr. Romesh Japra, Bappi Lahiri, Ash Kalra, Leela Mathur & Deependra Singh Shekhawat

18 India Post

Community Across America

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Bringing travel agents and airlines together KAVITA ARORA India Post News Service

FREMONT, CA: Indus Travel Network Association (ITNA), a non-profit organization, held its second travel agent and airline get-together at Bombay Garden on October 7. The event was sponsored by Jet Airways and attended

two months young and their future goal is to go nationwide. Officers are already talking to folks around the US such as in Dallas and Atlanta. The goals of ITNA are networking, sharing knowledge, and education. ITNA President Kumud Paul of Travel Designs said, "We started ITNA because we were being

(L-R) David Rozario, Vice President Sales, North America †Jet Airways; Prem Singh, owner Punjab Travels; Gulu Laungani, owner Innovative Travel; Mamta Patankar, Sales Officer, Jet airways; Siva Ramachandran, Regional Vice President North America Jet airways; Kumud Paul, owner Travel Design; Deepak Vohra, President V.I.P Travels; Sandeep Talwar, owner Tecotrav

by several leading Bay Area travel agents and several airline representatives. The first meeting was sponsored by Meera Prashad of Kingfisher Airlines. ITNA is just

alienated by the airlines. We wanted to bring the travel agents and the airlines together to increase our bottom line. This way we could have better networking

and relations with our travel agents and with the airlines. Deep Kumar Vohra of VIP Travels is the VP of Event Planning. Prem Singh of Punjab Travels is VP Secretary, and Gulu Laungani of Innovative Travels is VP of Membership. "ITNA is looking for folks to join the team, give ideas and input, and work as a team so that we can continue to grow and do the business that we do," said Laungani. As event sponsor, Jet Airways, India's most awarded international airline, gave a presentation. Jet Airways has plans of becoming the leading international carrier that offers an exclusive experience to all its flyers. Currently, Jet Airways has 380 daily flights to 66 destinations within India and overseas and offers a 'Smart New Premiere Class,' providing in their business class section what other airlines offer to first class passengers. This new service also offers 'Dining on Demand,' and ergonomically designed seats. Jet Airways has direct flights through the East Coast, has partnerships with US carriers and carriers in Africa, and travels via Brussels on route to Delhi and Mumbai. "We are a small private carrier so we identify with a lot of small agents. You need to support the Indian carriers. We will continue

to provide outstanding support and we won't undercut our pricing. We will be around to support the Indian community," said Mamta Patankar, Accounts Manager of Jet Airways. District Sales Manager of Air India, Ferdoas Nagarvala, who has served Air India for 42 years said, "I really wish that Air India or an-

try in the Bay Area. She said, "It's a wonderful networking opportunity. It's great that they have put together ITNA. It shows the unity and strength of the Indian community. Each of these agents has a very loyal clientele. It's a very good sign to see them come together to share ideas and support each other."

(L-R) Prem Singh, owner Punjab Travels; Gulu Laungani, owner Innovative Travel; Siva Ramachandran, Regional Vice President North America Jet Airways; Kumud Paul, owner Travel Design; Deepak Vohra,†President V.I.P Travels; Sandeep Talwar, owner Tecotrav†

other Indian carrier would fly to San Francisco because we are giving the golden goose on a silver platter to non-Indian carriers." Regional Sales Manager of Kingfisher, Meera Prashad, was proud of the Indian travel indus-

ITNA's next event is on November 11, 2010 at Arya Global Cuisine in Cupertino and it is sponsored by Qatar Airways. Kavita Arora is Anchor & CoProducer of Sitaarre TV

Jagarata & Navaratri Celebration at Sunnyvale Hindu Temple

October 22, 2010

Community Across America

India Post 19

www.indiapost.com

Community event to support Nadia Lockyer

India Post News Service

FREMONT: A "Meet and Greet" event was conducted for Nadia Lockyer, candidate for Alameda County Supervisor (District 2), at the house of Dharminder Dewan, Library Commissioner, City of Fremont and an IndoAmerican leader. On a sunny evening, the house was packed with distinguished guests and various big names of the Indo-American community like Dr. Romesh Japra (Cardiologist, Convener, Festival of India and Parade for the past 18 years, Chairman FIA of Northern California), Yogi Chugh (Chair Tri-City Democratic Forum, Planning Commissioner, City of Fremont), Robin Torello (Chair, Alameda County Democratic Party), Rajesh Verma (President, FIA), Deepak Chhabra (Library Commissioner, City of Fremont), Anima Desai (Chief Executive Director, IWE), Vijay Thapar (India Post) and many other community leaders. It was a funfilled event, which started with Nadia taking time to talk to all the guests present and discussing their issues and addressing their concerns individually, while enjoying the light refreshments from the popular Indian restaurant, Swagat Indian Cuisine, Milpitas. The formal proceedings began with Dharminder Dewan giving the introductory speech and affirming his support for Nadia's candidacy. He introduced the next speaker, Dr. Romesh

to the efforts of the first generation IndoAmerican leaders that we are able to have a voice in the community and mentioned that we should continue to grow from here. He introduced the Chair, Alameda County Democratic Party, Robin Torello who re-confirmed her party's support to Nadia Lockyer and also praised her for the work that she continues to do at the County level. Finally Nadia came on to the stage, after being introduced by Dharminder Dewan

Japra, who motivated the audience by talking about the efforts that he and his team have made in the past to attain this level and inspired the guests present in the event to get involved in the political process and support the right candidate, by walking precincts etc to ensure that there is enough support for the candidates. The next speaker, Yogi Chugh, also ad-

vocated getting involved in the local clubs and providing the support to Nadia Lockyer for her campaign. He indicated that it is due

and amongst heavy applause, to talk about why she decided to run and what are her plans to ensure that the community is aware of what the Supervisor does and also mentioned that she would like to conduct Town Hall meetings to discuss the concerns and issues that the general public has, and address them. It was a great afternoon and the invited guests took turns applauding Nadia for her efforts and also committing their support to her.

Community Across America

20 India Post

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

ndians meet and greet Barack Obama A.Q. SIDDIQUI India Post News Service

CHICAGO: It was an historic event for Chicago Indian community leaders to meet in person President Barack Obama at a premium priced private fundraiser held at Hotel Drake downtown Chicago recently. This was the second time in the past three months that President Obama would come to Chicago to boost the leading Democratic nominees for Congress and on both the occasions a good number of Indian Americans would meet him and took to him on one to one basis. Details on page 22

Public school settles bullying lawsuit India Post News Service

Seniors celebrate Raas and Garba Moahotsav SURESH SHAH

Chivukula celebrates 60th birthday with fundraiser India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula recently raised more than $50,000 at his 60th birthday fundraiser held Oct 8, in Middlesex County - the capitol of Indian-Americans in the United States. Middlesex has the highest percentage of Indian-Americans of any county in the nation. More than 500 Indian-Americans packed the banquet hall of the Royal Albert Palace in Edison to felicitate the only South Asian lawmaker in the NJ Legislature. Assembly Deputy Speaker Chivukula also serves as chair of the Assembly Telecom and Utilities panel. He is on the executive committee of the National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL). "He has emerged as a leader at the state level on energy issues. He is doing a lot to help business and consumers with his progressive policies to fight climate change, encourage conversation and incentivize innovative technologies," said Dr. Sunil Garg, long-time Chivukula supporter and head of the Union County Utility Authority. "Assemblyman Chivukula continues to empower the South Asian community by putting our

Assemblyman Chivukula with wife Dayci- Pic Gita Bajaj

concerns on the legislative radar and by facilitating greater access to the state's top leadership," said Democratic Party man, Bharat Patel. Congressman Rush Holt, NJ State Democratic Committee Chairman John S. Wisniewski and Assembly Deputy Speaker John F. McKeon were among the public officials who stopped by at the event. Chivukula ran for and was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 2001 and is currently serving his fifth consecutive term

as a member of the Legislature from District 17. "I am deeply humbled by the overwhelming support of the Indian-American community demonstrated by the large turnout at my 60th birthday fundraiser," Chivukula (D-Somerset) said. "It manifests a coming of political age of Indian-Americans who are realizing the importance of getting involved in all aspects of mainstream life. Empowerment through engagement is the key for all Americans but especially for newer im-

migrants like Indian-Americans. The large turnout shows that this message is driving home." Legislatively, Chivukula's most significant contributions are in the field of energy and fighting climate change. These include sponsoring the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), an innovative multi-state cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He also has sponsored several measures to incentivize the development of renewable sources such as solar and wind by business and industry and which provide tax breaks to consumers to switch to alternative energy. And as he completes 60 years, what are his thoughts? "I came to America with hope in my heart. I came to pursue a higher education and empowered by the dream of fulfilling a higher purpose - public service. Here, I met my wonderful wife Dayci and we had two incredible children. I am grateful for my loving family and their support," Chivukula said. "As I look back at 60 years, many dreams have become a reality. Some still remain. I look to the future with renewed hope in my heart - to be able to use the privilege of leadership to continue to empower the people I serve."

AIA celebrates Gandhi Jayanti with a difference RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Keeping up its decades old tradition of celebrating Gandhi Jayanti, the Association of Indians in America (AIA) celebrated the event this year too but with a difference. AIA used to organize talks and seminars on Mahatma Gandhi's life and principles he advocated by inviting eminent speakers from public life and academia, and present an entertainment program. This time it decided to do something unique and get second generation Indians involved in its celebration. Picking up a leaf from American Idol and its prototype Indian Idol TV shows that have been a rage here and in India, the AIA Board headed by Prof Ghanshyam Pandey and Naren Patel picked up a suggestion thrown by Anil Sharma, a past president , and decided to host Music and Dance competition

The AIA judges Ăą Dr Birendra Sinha, Vandana Walia, Kiran Chouhan and M. Jakhar

for and by the Indian youth. "The idea is to give a chance to the youth to showcase their talents as also to create awareness about richness of Indian culture in art and music among the second generation Indians. This would be one of the surest ways to get them in-

volved in the affairs of our organization," said Anil Sharma The Youth Talent competition at Lemont Tempe Auditorium in Lemont proved to the hilt that India and Indians abound in talents and can legitimately boast of their huge cultural heritage. Though the

attendance was relatively thin, the consensus among those present was that this was easily "the show of the year". Nearly three hours program starting at 6 p.m. never had a dull moment as one group of Indian youth after another came out with traditional and innovative items of scintillating music and dance with spellbound precision. There was traditional Bharat Natyam and Kathak, there were folk dances like Garba Raas and Bhangra, there was Bollywood music and there was fusion of Western and Indian music and dance by young artists from schools and universities. One of the eye catching presentations centered around Vande Matram, a song penned by Bankim Chandra during thirties. AIA had announced prizes for difference categories and the four judges had hard time coming to a decision. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 24

October 22, 2010

Community Across America

India Post 21

www.indiapost.com

Gandhi & Shastri birthdays celebrated with pomp OMAR SHEIKH

social hours at 6-30 pm and this was followed with the singing of National Anthem by Expo Tagyap from Secretary of State's Office. The Indian Anthem was in the form of a candle dance choreographed by Mrs. Deval Vyas. The dance was performed by Deval Anjali Vyas, Vinayaka Amin, Maliha Amin, Ritika Rawat, and Nikita Raheja while Reet Rawat was holding the Indian Flag up in his hand and hoisting it. This was followed by a dance performance on one of the favorite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi: Raghupati Raghav

MAACS guests with Ravi Rawat president. (L to R) Dr. Yesh Amin, Naren Patel, an awardee in Gandhi cap, Beena Patel a community activist and Ravi Rawat

by MAAC were the need of the time and offered support for its future endeavors. For the award ceremony Jesse White and Dr Yash Amin called upon the awardees on the podium. They were: Naren Patel CEO of MedStar Labs, Ayodhia Salwan chairman Hari Om temple, Ramesh Soparawala Editor India Post and Mrs. Shaila Khedkar, versatile singer. The subsequent mind boggling performance by Jesse White Tumblers created a sensation and the entire atmosphere got vibrant. Jesse White's pres-

The subsequent mind boggling performance by Jesse White Tumblers created a sensation and the entire atmosphere got vibrant. Jesse White's presence at the floor and his participation at the end were highly appreciated. The breathtaking acrobatic movements of the team lasted 30 minutes

CHICAGO: Ravi Rawat, presi- tional and field trips for students dent of the Midwest Asian Ameri- and families to cultural locations can Center (MAAC) said here that in Chicago and out of Chicago." his organization had successfully Besides, it also hosts special pre- Rajaramâ&#x20AC;Ś.. by Kavita Munshi helped 1500 immigrants gain USA sentations on health topics like and Sonal Thakkar choreocitizenship and thus, pushed a preventive health measures, nu- graphed by Mrs. Pika Munshi. Vandana Dalal, Executive Diprocess of integrating minority trition, screening for Hepatitis Asians in the mainstream society diabetes, Alzheimer and cardio- rector of MAAC, welcomed the and mainstream political process. vascular diseases. He indicated guests and dignitaries for their Rawat was addressing 300 that his organization would pick support and promised the audience a wonderful plus guests, invitees program ahead. She and MAAC members introduced Secretary during an annual of State Jesse White fundraiser gathering at who in his brief adIndia House banquet dress eulogized the hall in Schaumburg on contributions made October 2. This being by Mahatma Gandhi also the birth anniverfor making the world saries of two Indian a better place for huleaders, Mahatma manity. He also recGandhi and Lal ognized the services Bahadur Shastri, rendered by Indian MAAC decided to Americans here to honor them with a the society and then grand celebration lastdistributed awards ing close to three along with Yesh hours. Illinois SecreAmin to prominent tary of State Jesse JackIndian Americans. son was the Chief Vandana Dalal also Guest while Mayor of introduced Master of Hoffman Estate, Willceremony Jairaj iam McLeod and DirecBhatia. Laurie Martin tor of Illinois State Decame up with a power partment of Profespoint presentation sional Regulations, Dr. about MAAC's past, Yash Amin were special present and future guests. activities. Rawat detailed the Keynote speaker line of activities that Jesse White admired MAAC rendered and the MAAC board continues to render members for peruseven now. He said that State Secretary Jesse White addressing the MAACS gathering. Vandana Dalal, Executive Director is next to him ing the noble cause "the Center with the and announced help of 27 volunteers amidst applause his continued provides free English classes, citi- up in coming years many more zenship classes, offers computer programs rendering service to support to this organization. Dr training, after school and summer the Asian Americans community. Yash Amin in his address obprograms and organizes educaThe program started with the served that the programs offered

ence at the floor and his participation at the end were highly appreciated. The breathtaking acrobatic movements of the team lasted 30 minutes. October 2 being the 141st birthday of Father of India Mahatma Gandhi and 108th birthday of Late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, it was celebrated by cutting of a cake by Jesse White and others. Jodh Singh Rawat, a long time Gandhian narrated some of the quotes about Gandhiji by world personalities like Lord Mountbatten, Einstein, Bernard Shaw and others. George Bernard Shaw said "God talks to

Jodh Singh Rawat addressing the meet

Gandhi and Gandhi talks to us." The audience was overwhelmed by listening to all these quotes. A group of Gandhians headed by Jodh Singh Rawat was noticed distributing Gandhi caps with a message "Give Peace a Chance & Save the Planet." What touched the heart was that every second person at the event was wearing these peace caps, including Jesse White and the Hoffman Mayor McLeod. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 30

Community Across America

22 India Post

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Indians meet and greet Barack Obama

President with Balwinder Singh

A.Q. SIDDIQUI India Post News Service

boost the leading Democratic nominees for Congress and on both the occasions a good number of Indian Americans would meet him and took to him on one to one basis. The fundraiser this time was a unique opportunity since President Obama found time to talk to the Indian Americans, especially during the dinner time, and some of the Indian Americans did not miss the chance to place their

views about his forthcoming visit to India. Among the front ranking Indian Americans present were: Balwinder Singh, Iftekhar Shareef, Dr. Bharat Barai, Satish Gabhawala, Jesal Patel, Vinod Patel, Nick Gehkal, Sunil Puri and few others who attended the event that included dinner after the reception. Taking the opportunity Iftekhar Shareef, the First Dual Citizen of India (OCI) on behalf of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh K. Rosiah and the 100 million people of AP submitted a request to President Obama to include a visit to Hyderabad during his trip to India. President Obama is scheduled to visit India next month. A smiling president Obama acknowledged Shareef's request and said, "Your country is very large; I cannot go to all the cities." Iftekhar Shareef pointed out that previous Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush had included Hyderabad in their tour. "The Andhra people are looking forward to your visit," Shareef said". He submitted a written invitation to the President on behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh. Dr Bharat Barai and Balwinder Singh during the dinner touched upon the Indian visit topic and underscored the need for cementing ties between the two countries. Dr. Barai talked of closer cooperation in tapping

Children's book on Sikh gurus launched India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Sikh Education and Cultural Foundation Inc. launched the publication of the first in a series of children's books, Journey with the Gurus, a collection of stories based on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak. Authored by Inni Kaur Dhingra, the 172-page hardcover book with over 60 eye-catching original illustrations is printed on museum quality paper. At the end of each chapter are Discussion Points for parents to engage their children. Although the major events in these stories have been told for centuries, Inni Kaur has retold them in a refreshing style that young children today in the West can relate to. The stories reinforce the Guru's key messages of equality of all humans, honest work and living, the spirit of sharing, and the importance of 'seva' combined with compassion. "Journey With The Gurus is also a personal journey - a result of my years of teaching at the Sikh camps and at the gurdwara schools," said Inni Kaur. "The children had a very hard time relating to the language and quality of children's books on the Gurus that have been around for decades. I wanted to excite young minds and make it a fun learning experience for them. This book speaks to them in a conversational language and style that they can relate to."

President with Iftekhar Shareef

energy and observed that solar energy was a great area to work together. Balwinder said that the President was in a cheerful mood and praised Indians for their support. He also talked about how he was better off giving up smoking. Balwinder said he planned to go to India during the visit.

Shareef, Balwinder Singh, Barai and others felt elated that they had a chance to meet the President in a bit informal way. President Obama too, in turn, was very pleased to meeting all old Indian community leaders who supported him from the very beginning of his political career.

Indian entrepreneur is Pharmacist of Year India Post News Service

cate patients in the community and provided more than 25 seminars NEW JERSEY: Ritesh Shah, on living with diabetes and copyoung, energetic and a success- ing with asthma. He is an active ful entrepreneur from India and member of Indian Health Camp of owner of multiple pharmacy stores New Jersey for the past 10 years in New Jersey has been selected and continues to provide his cliniby the New Jersey Pharmacist As- cal pharmacy expertise in various areas of patient sociation Awards management inCommittee as a cluding medicarecipient of 2010 tion management, Independent chronic disease Pharmacist of the management, Year Award. drug-interaction Graduated and patient adfrom College of herence. Shah is Pharmacy in also an executive Vidyanagar, India committee memin 1994 and Busiber of Indoness Management American Pharin 1995, Shah came maceutical Socito United States in ety and a commit1997 where he tee member of served as PharRitesh Shah New Jersey Pharmacy Manager at macist AssociaDuane Reade, Shop Rite and Walmart Pharmacy tion for the past few years. Shah is very active in South for six years. In 2003, he went into his own business and opened up Asian community throughout Bayshore Home Care Pharmacy fol- New Jersey and deserved this reclowed by Ramtown Pharmacy in ognition. His wife Asha Shah is 2005. Due to his passion, dedica- also a Pharmacist and they have tion and hard work to serve patients, two children, Sarthak 13 years and in 2010, Shah opened up two more Krina 9 years. Congratulations to Ritesh Shah pharmacy stores in Raritan and for this wonderful achievement Keansburg. Shah is very dedicated and well- and well deserved recognition. known pharmacist in New Jersey This is a proud moment for South and spent countless hours to edu- Asian community.

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

India Post 23

24 India Post

Community Across America

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

AIA celebrates Gandhi Jayanti with a difference

Public school settles bullying lawsuit India Post News Service

Talent show winners with AIA officials

Cont’d from page 20

to participate in this youth compeWelcoming nearly 350 plus tition and also to members of the audience and AIA spread Mahatma's associates, the Chairperson, Anil message of peace K. Sharma observed that AIA and non-vioneeds the infusion of young blood lence." to keep the organization alive and The talent show serve its mission of promoting had a group of Indian culture not only among judges - Dr second generation Indians but the Birendra Sinha, mainstream community at large as Vandana Walia, well. Naren Patel, the AIA presi- Manoj Jakhar and dent, in his brief address men- Kiran Chouhan AIA Trustee Prof Pandey, AIA President Naren Patel, tioned that "this year we decided and had the auditwo Judges and members of audience to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti in a ence cheer for their special way by involving youth favorite performances. This al- UIC Bhangra Group came Third. lowed for those The grand prize for the First place who watched to winner was $1000, that for the Sechave a say in who ond place $500 and the Third place would win. As Dr. $250. The youth singing groups Sinha put it, each from Urbana Champaign and North and every group Western had special impromptu had something to recognitions from AIA Board. Bina Patel, an AIA activist, set commend and for "us everybody the ball rolling signaling start of was a winner." Yet the function and Anil Sharma renthe collective deci- dered national Anthems of USA sion of judges and and India. Prem Mehrotra, AIA the audience office bearer, proposed a vote of placed Kapapad thanks. A fly in the ointment was dance group with an observation made by a true thirty participants Gandhian among Indian AmeriAIA Hot Bats ñ 2nd winner presenting Vande cans here. Jodh Singh Rawat who Matram as First has distinguished himself by capand promoting our culture. " We placed winner. The Hot Beatz ping the heads of many an Ameridesigned it to encourage students bagged the Second place while the can and Indian celebrity with Gandhi caps, said that the welcomed the AIA move to stage Youth Talent competition that would not only draw the youth to the Indian organizations but also get them more familiar with our culture. "But the feather in the cap of this type of event would have been a small mention of Gandhiji's contribution to human society. A mention of what world leaders said of Gandhiji would have been very The young singers from Urbana Champaign appropriate," he told this paper.

about the lesson plans before the lessons are given to RHHS students. • The school system's legal obligations to stop discrimination in schools will be explicitly discussed with all RHHS school staff and school security. • The school system will designate two individuals to whom reports of bias can be made at RHHS. These individuals' names will be posted on posters throughout the school building. The school system also agreed to provide money damages to the family. All terms of the lawsuit settlement discourage other schools from failing to protect students from discrimination. "It is our hope that these types of lawsuits will ensure that schools are mindful of their obligation to protect children from bullying," said Gurbir Singh Grewal of Howrey LLP, the lead attorney in the matter.

NEW YORK: The New York City school system last month agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that it failed to protect a Sikh student from violent bullies. The lawsuit was filed by the law firm Howrey LLP and the Sikh Coalition on behalf of Jagmohan Singh Premi. As a victim of constant bullying in school, Jagmohan Singh and this settlement represent a victory for all students. "I hope that the lawsuit settlement prevents other students from suffering this kind of abuse," said Jagmohan Premi. "I don't want anyone to go through what I went through." On June 3, 2008, Jagmohan, a former student at Richmond Hill High School (RHHS), was punched in the face by another student. The perpetrator simultaneously tried to remove Jagmohan's patka (small turban). Jagmohan was routinely bullied on the basis of his faith, and after a long documented history of harassment, the teachers and administrators failed to step in. The Premi family sought help form the Sikh Coalition with the goal of obtaining Sikh Student Jagmohan Singh Premi protests against greater protecbias-based harassment in public schools tion for children from bias-based harassment in public schools. On June 3, 2008, Jagmohan, a Coalition attor- former student at Richmond Hill High neys engaged School (RHHS), was punched in the the law firm of Howrey LLP to face by another student. The perpejointly represent trator simultaneously tried to remove Jagmohan and Jagmohan's patka (small turban). file a lawsuit on Jagmohan was routinely bullied on his behalf. T h r o u g h the basis of his faith, and after a long settlement of the documented history of harassment, lawsuit, the NYC the teachers and administrators Department of failed to step in Education and the school have "The lawsuit holds the New York agreed to take the following steps to prevent discrimination City school system and Richmond Hill High School accountable for and bias-based harassment: • Written lesson plans its failure to stop the pervasive will be created that discuss bias, bias-based harassment and viothe school system's obligations lence that Jagmohan endured," to stop discrimination in said Harsimran Kaur, Sikh Coalition schools, and issues that Sikhs Legal Director. "The settlement specifically face. Jagmohan and sends a message to all schools to the legal team will have an op- be vigilant in protecting students portunity to provide feedback from discrimination."

October 22, 2010

Community Across America

India Post 25

www.indiapost.com

Independent lifestyle of the West: A boon or doom? DR. JASWANT SINGH SACHDEV

he prospect of migrating to the West is considered to be a unique and highly sought-after blessing among the people of Far East, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. So much so that given an opportunity most of the residents from those regions would love to come and settle in Western countries, irrespective of the economic situation or political status in the countries of their birth. There are several reasons for such a longing. Of the many bodily comforts and material riches that are readily available in the West, the one that is still the most attractive seems to be related to the culture of independent living. It is an accepted mode of lifestyle in Western culture. Living alone, either as an individual or as a couple, separate from parents and from adult or teenage children brings forth a certain amount of uniqueness. However it also imposes its own set of problems, wellknown to all who have been part of this culture for a while. Living independently, at least in years past, was not so much of an accepted behavior in the East for myriad of economic and social reasons that again require no further introduction. Instead, the joint-family system, not something people of West truly cared about, projected a special aura among the people of East and was a standard practice. There are certain advantages - if I may call them as so - of living alone, at least in practical terms. It allows one to do whatever one wishes and at the time of one's own choosing. One can sleep and wake up at will, and eat whatever or how much and whenever one wishes. If one is hungry and is not in the mood to cook, one only needs to microwave a readymade TV dinners of many varieties kept at an arm's length in the refrigerator. Open it, pull out the stuff one needs, heat it up in microwave; the meal will be ready in seconds, eat and get going. There's no need to turn on the stove and no need to wait for one's mother, wife, husband, son, or servants. If one is bored, one can turn on the TV by pressing a button on the remote and choosing whatever one wishes to watch from an array of programs. One doesn't have to ask or worry about what others in the joint family system, a wife or husband - if there is one - or the parents and the children would like to watch. In fact, no approval is necessary from anyone. And if one feels like going out, pull out one of the cars from the garage rather than waiting for another member of the family to offer a ride or call a rickshaw, taxi or any other kind of conveyance. There is no need to placate or beg for the driver of the taxi-cab who might or might not show up in time. Likewise, there is not much of a need to call or wait for a relative or friend to come and help in times of an emergency. In fact, all one needs to do is dial 911, provided one is in the physical position to do so, and the help will be around the corner. In minutes an ambulance will arrive with paramedics. If necessary, the ambulance will transport one to the emergency room. And once in the ER, there will be no need to look for a Sifaarish (a recommendation)

to arrange for an appropriate treatment, no need to warm the pocket of a physician to provide better care, or bribe an attendant to arrange for a bed, if at all one is available. It would be redundant to have a brigade of worried relatives or friends accompany a sick person to the hospital as happens to be the case back home. In the West, it's not necessary to compel a dying patient to pay for or rush one's relatives to a nearby pharmacy in order to purchase the urgently needed medicines and syringes at artificially elevated prices before injection is given and

treatment begins. The hospitals and emergency rooms of West are meant to treat emergencies and thus always stocked with the necessary equipment and medicines. They are not temporarily or permanently out of medications as is common back home. All that is stated above in terms of advantages of independent living seems to work well to a certain point. But it also makes one realize that such independence in living brings only a limited amount of satisfaction.

Living alone can create helplessness and loneliness especially when the infirmities of old age start showing their ugly presence. Despite an availability of all resources in the West, the lives of many elderly at the dwindling days of lonely human existence turn into something not less than a hell. A little attention to the many lonely indigenous people of the West lays open one's eyes to the deep pervasive darkness that surrounds many of them. In fact, many of the elderly people are truly and totally mired in this darkness. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 30

26 India Post

Community Across America

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Easy Indian recipes for busy people India Post News Service

CHICAGO: In this easy-to-follow cookbook, the author Shubhra Ramineni shows Indian food enthusiasts how to prepare delicious meals at home without spending hours in the kitchen. A first generation Indian-American, Shubhra has developed a no-fuss cooking style that recreates authentic Indian flavors using easy techniques and fresh and easily available ingredients. Indian food lover will find nearly 100 recipes-from samosa to naan and mouthwatering curries-for easyto-make versions of popular dishes from all over India. Throughout this practical book Shubhra shares tricks and shortcuts she has learned from her mother, who is from northern India besides from her motherin-law, who hails from southern India, family members in India, and professional chefs in the U.S. With a friendly, reassuring style Shubhra shows busy home cooks how fun and easy it is to quickly prepare an authentic homemade India meal that tastes wonderful and looks elegant. Shubhra Ramineni was raised in Houston, TX. She grew up enjoying healthy, traditional Indian food and learned to cook from her mother, an excellent home cook and a professional dietitian. Determined to eat well despite her busy schedule as a chemical engineer with an MBA, Shubhra set out to adapt traditional Indian recipes for the lifestyles of today's professionals, creating dozens of delicious, easyto-prepare Indian recipes. She teaches Indian cooking classes at Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table and Whole Foods Market stores in Houston and Los Angeles.

Subhra Ramanei

Community Across America

October 22, 2010

India Post 27

www.indiapost.com

Court dismisses some charges against Anand Jon

Arati at the end of Navratra celebration

Seniors celebrate Raas and Garba Moahotsav SURESH SHAH

United Seniors Pariwar members celebrate with lighting lamp

DES PLAINES: Though the weather was very windy, cool and rainy, the members of United Senior Pariwar (USP), an association of seniors in Des Plaines area, celebrated its third Raas and Garba Mahotsav and Swarnim Gujarat day on a grand scale on October 2 in Kathy Hall in Niles. About 400 members of the association as well as well wishers and youngsters participated. This year the whole event was sponsored by one of the member of United Senior Pariwar, Mrs. Manjulaben Chhitubhai Patel and her family members. Last year also they had sponsored the Raas and Garba program. The event started with the lighting of the lamp by the sponsors and other dignitaries Mafatbhai Patel Chairman Board of Trustees, Dhiren Mistry and Devendrabhai Parikh Trustees as well as Rohit Maniar and Mrs. Usha Kamaria both senior advisers. Acharya Rohit Joshi, a well known priest of Chicago area, performed religious rituals par-

ticipated by all those present. The organizers of USP had earlier decided to publish a souvenir on this occasion and it was unveiled by the dignitaries. The ladies as well as youngsters were dressed up in colorful Indian traditional dresses and they all participated in this magnificent event. Earlier, Ramanbhai Patel President of the Pariwar, welcomed the sponsors and the guests. He outlined the activities being carried out by USP in general. He said that Swarnim Gujarat was celebrated earlier on a grand scale but it was limited to members of USP. "Those who did not participate in the celebration of Swarnim Gujarat earlier could participate here as special arrangement have been made for them," he said thanking advertisers for the souvenir published on the occasion and appealing for the same kind of cooperation in future. Hasmukhbhai Soni, Vice President USP, thanked all the people who participated in Raas and Garba events. An aarti was performed at the end participated by

all. It was announced that the sponsors for next year Raas and Garba program will be Mrs. Manjulaben Chhitubhai Patel and her family members.

Anand Jon

NEW YORK: Indian-American geles court for similar crimes. fashion designer Anand Jon, acBorn in India, Alexander cused of rape and sexual abuse known professionally as Anand against several women including Jon - launched a fashion line in minors, got reprieve from a Man1999. He was featured on hattan court after the judge dis"America's Next Top Model," missed some of the charges worked with such celebrities as against him. Paris Hilton and Mary J Blige. The Manhattan judge disThe hearing in New York is missed charges against Jon, by three of his accusers, on the recommendation from District â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Anand Jon continues Attorney's office, The New York Post reported. to insist he is innocent,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; "Anand Jon continues to insist he is inno- Jon's lawyer Adam cent," Jon's lawyer Adam Freedman said adding Freedman said adding the charges dismissed by the charges dismissed the court involved women "who knew him (Jon) longest." separate from the case against 36Jon, in January, had pleaded not year-old Alexander in California, guilty to the charges of sexually which concluded in 2008 with him assaulting at least nine women and being convicted of sexually asunderage girls here between 2002 saulting seven women and girls and 2006 after being sentenced a and getting a sentence of 59 years' jail term of 59 years by a Los Anlife- imprisonment. The girls were as young as 14. In New York, he was originally charged with preying on a dozen women after contacting them with offers of modeling opportunities. In 2007, Alexander had been charged in New York but the case was in standby until the California case concluded. He is also appealing the California decision. Jon allegedly molested women between the ages of 15 and 26 by using drugs and the opportunity of modeling to lure women during the period between 2002 and 2006 in New York. Proceedings against Jon "will continue for the remaining alleged casting couch assaults, including forcible rape, on nine other accusers, many of them young fashion models," The Post said. Jon will next appear in Manhattan Supreme Court on December 8 to set a trial date.

28 India Post

October 22, 2010 www.indiapost.com

30 India Post

Community Across America

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Independent lifestyle of the West: A boon or doom? Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 25

Their lives are hollow from within despite having access to all what may be needed for daily comfort. This is because the support and contact of their close relations and relatives - as is usually available in the East - is missing. Man, being a social animal, always yearns for a certain amount of interaction with like-minded individuals, regardless of age. Such social interactions act like fuel for the soul and keep the vehicle of life driving onward. In talking over to these lonely souls, one finds that they are willing to sacrifice everything they own for a short visit from their distant living sons, daughters, or grandchildren. Many have to wait until Thanksgiving or Christmas, and sometimes for an entire year or even more for such visits to occur, which is why the holiday season is so joyous and full of happiness for them. They yearn for the joint family system that people of East have back home,

where every day is Christmas and every season is joyous because relatives and friends are always around. As to the members of the Diaspora, some may even try to replicate their back home style of joint family system while living

system of the East. To keep on trying to live that style in Western world would be nothing short of swimming upstream with all its attendant hurdles. Slow and subtle diffusion of behavior of independent living starts taking place into the lives of immigrants. As a re-

In talking over to these lonely souls, one finds that they are willing to sacrifice everything they own for a short visit from their distant living sons, daughters, or grandchildren. Many have to wait until Thanksgiving or Christmas, and sometimes for an entire year or even more for such visits here in the West. Initially everything appears gung-ho but then subtle fissures start appearing in the relationship. And there is a reason for it. The predominance of a well-established culture all around us catering to a philosophy of an independent living happens to be one hundred eighty degree apart from the system of joint family

sult such kinds of trials often end up failing. On the surface, the dominant culture seems to offer all of the material advantages of living alone, which creates a feeling of futility about the joint family system. Unfortunately, children born and raised in the West find that

Rawat said that these caps were sponsored by Raj Goyal of Shama Travel, Dr Indrajit Patel, Dr Kamal Patel, Medstar Labs, Dr Bharat Barai, Jagmohan Jayara, Mr. Gautam & Mrs. Jyoti Parikh, Mike Kalaria, Larry Detroja, Ayodhia Salwan, B& G Auto, Jetender Diwankar and Meghna Jewelers. The event moved forward

with a scintillating dance choreographed by Gemini Bhimani and performed by local artists. 'The Row,' a dance performance by Kavina Munshi, Krupa Kadiwala, Bhavi Shah, Kruti Kadiwala, Parita Shah, Parin Shah was choreographed by Kavina Munshi while the subsequent solo performance was by Mrs. Deval Vyas on the song Madhuban me Radhika nache re.

Mrs. Shaila Khedkar enthralled the audience with her old and new melodies Raffle was another attraction of the event. Bob Patel was the lucky winner of American Airlines roundtrip ticket, which was the first prize while Mrs. Monjila Alim was the runner up with an I Pod Video. Kishore Chug, Director of MAAC, proposed a vote of thanks to all the attendees and sponsors.

plant in a new soil away from its native soil. For any vegetation or plant to survive, grow profusely and bear healthy fruits, something akin to native environment is needed or it will require adapting. Any amount of artificially created surroundings might produce something close to the real one but it never instills the original taste, flavor or juice. Likewise, the children born and raised in the West though may appear similar to their parents from outside, they are the product of West and that is what they are ultimately going to be. It is a truth from which no one can or should hide. *From the author of 'Square Pegs, Round Holes.

Sikh Arts & Film Festival from Nov 19 India Post News Service

Gandhi & Shastri birthdays celebrated with pomp Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 21

what their parents are asking for and what they expect of them has no meaning for them. To say it bluntly, they start believing pretty soon in the philosophy that their parents, indeed, are living in a fool's paradise. Bottom line is that when an individual decides to forgo one's native surroundings and culture, it is extremely difficult to re-create the same in foreign lands. Of course in the early days of our stay, we all try to craft a living model of what we had left behind. But with the passage of time, such efforts slowly start dwindling away giving in to the dominant culture around, whether we like it or not. It is similar to transplanting a

ORANGE, CA: SikhLens will hold its annual Sikh Art and Film Festival (SAFF) to be held from November 19-21 at the prestigious Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange, CA. SAFF provides a venue for artists to present their "Sikh-centric" films, art, and music to the broader community with the intent of showcasing their talents and generating increased Sikh awareness. The Festival begins Friday, November 19th with a red-carpet Opening Night beginning at 7:30 pm. Guests will be welcomed to the festival by a set of short films, live entertainment, and the premiere of the 2011 SikhPoint Calendar. A delectable dessert and dancing reception will conclude the night. A youth-focused cluster will start off the Saturday events. This cluster focuses on films and live book readings intended to incite interest and inspire youth, while teaching about Sikh history. The focus then turns to creative Sikhs in the Visual, Audio and Entertainment Industries. Also introducing for the first time an interactive

segment on "Introduction to Filmmaking," to demystify the filmmaking process. Rounding out the day's events are a series of short films featuring a wide variety of genres, an eclectic mix of filmmakers, and a unique blend of topics, including special selections from the SikhNet Youth Online Film Festival. Saturday evening's events will be kicked off by a heart-pounding music video, which will serve as a prelude to the 2010 SAFF feature film. After a day filled with Sikhcentric arts, the festival is hosting a "Dance the Night Away" after party for festival attendees at Dodge College. Sunday's events start with an international flavor, with an emphasis on Sikh films and artists from all over the world. The concluding cluster of the festival will touch upon social issues within the Sikh Diaspora. This segment is aimed to bring upon a meaningful and insightful look into the surroundings of the Sikh Community today. All festival events will be taking place at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in Orange, CA.

eeg is a small town situated in the north Indian state of Rajasthan, around 152 km away from Delhi. Once the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur, it served as the second capital of the region. This interesting town is strewn with massive fortifications, beautiful gardens, magnificent palaces and a colorful bazaar. History: The Jats, a dynasty that dared challenge the power of the Mughals, once ruled Deeg. The living testimony to their rule is a fort constructed during the reign of Surajmal in 1730s. Surajmal was also responsible for the development of the town of Deeg. In 1776, the reign of Jats ended following their defeat in the hands of the imperial Mughal army under Mirza Nazaf Khan. Nevertheless, Deeg was returned after a decade, but it did not remain free for long. It was again seized, this time by new rulers, namely, the British with their peculiar style of gun power and diplomacy. The British set it free not long afterwards in 1805. Best time to visit: October to March Tourist attractions: Deeg is in the district of Bharatpur. Approaching the town,

31 India Post one can see the battlements of the fort built by Surajmal. This was constructed in the form of a square, measuring about 274 m. The walls are about 20 m high and rise impressively, although the outer coating of plaster has peeled off in many places and shrubs grow from the bottom of the ramparts. The entrance to the fort is from the north. An outer gateway leads to an L-shaped

www.indiapost.com

The Jats, a dynasty that dared challenge the power of the Mughals, once ruled Deeg. The living testimony to their rule is a fort constructed during the reign of Surajmal in 1730s. Surajmal was also responsible for the development of the town of Deeg

October 22, 2010 bridge. Inside the fort is a palace (haveli). This is now in ruins, but one can still see what was once its entrance, an ornate red sandstone construction with a pointed arch. The forecourt was added later and for many years served as a prison. One can see a couple of canons on nearby mounts and, at the top of the northwestern battlement, known as Larkha Burj, another canon lies on its side discarded. It is from the top of the western wall of the fort that one may view the palace below, built beyond a pond - the Rup Sagar - and alongside the former Purana Mahal. The entrance is to the north. Known as the Singh Pol, it is ornately but simply carved with a couple of lions above the gateway. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 32

India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post www.indiapost.com

Hoteliers look life beyond CWG, expect occupancy NEW DELHI: Tourists may not have filled up rooms during the ongoing Commonwealth Games as expected but instead of feeling down, hoteliers are optimistic about the future. Seeking to cash in on the incentives that the government doled out for creating capacity for the Games, industry experts said the hospitality sector stands to gain a lot in the long run from the development. "No one builds hotels for 15 days. Let's look at it as a long term investment that has long term benefits," ITC Hotels Divisional Chief Executive Nakul Anand told PTI. Expressing similar sentiment, Asian Hotels (West) Chairman and Managing Director Sushil Gupta said: "Creation of an additional capacity is good for the country's infrastructure." In this year's budget government had extended the benefit of investment linked deduction in tax to new hotels of two-star category and above anywhere in India. In 2008-09, the government had announced a five year holiday from income tax for two, three or

four star hotels that are established at the 'World Heritage Sites'. Despite the dismal turn up of tourists during the CWG, Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India Arjun Sharma said

‘It is true that enough number of tourists have not come to India to see the Games, but this is not surprising at all,’ he said, adding a similar situation was seen during the Asian Games in 1982 occupancy levels are expected to go up as the season peaks. "We expect occupancy to go up to 80 per cent in coming season. Yes, additional supply was created for the CWG, because of which there was a little drop in the hotel tariffs in Delhi and NCR. But

hotels across segments are revising the rates upwards," Sharma said. The Tourism Ministry had forecast 52,951 foreign tourists and 1,39,754, domestic travelers to come during the CWG 2010. Accordingly, the average number of rooms required per day for these tourists were estimated to be 40,190 units, far more than the actual demand being seen right now. Gupta of Asian Hotels said the government always projects big numbers on the expected tourist inflow. "It is true that enough number of tourists have not come to India to see the Games, but this is not surprising at all," he said, adding a similar situation was seen during the Asian Games in 1982. With an expectation to have a good business in the coming months, most of the hotels have either taken price hikes or in the process of increase the tariffs. "Many hotels had announced up to 15 per cent increase in tariffs and another hike is expected in November," Elara Capital, analyst Himani Singh said. -PTI

October 22, 2010

Drop in visa on arrival scheme users NEW DELHI: Contrary to expectation, there was a decline in availing visa on arrival facility by foreign visitors in September this year. While 506 foreigners had availed of the visa on arrival scheme (VoA) in August, total number of VoAs issued during September was 471. As a facilitative measure to attract more foreign tourists to India, government has launched a scheme of visa on arrival from January this year for citizens of five countries - Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore - visiting India for tourism purposes. While the maximum number of Japanese (166) availed of the scheme, only one person from Luxembourg was issued VoA in September, according to the data available with Tourism Ministry. Japan was followed by New Zealand (148), Singapore (108) and Finland (48) in availing the scheme in September. Total number of VoAs issued during August were 506 with Japan (189), Singapore (148), New Zealand (113), Finland (39) and

Luxembourg (17). According to the data, a total number of 4493 VoAs were issued under the scheme during JanuarySeptember 2010. The number of visas issued under this scheme, during January-September period for nationals of the five countries were

While the maximum number of Japanese (166) availed of the scheme, only one person from Luxembourg was issued VoA in September, according to the data available with Tourism Ministry Singapore (1420), New Zealand (1117), Japan (980), Finland (934) and Luxembourg (42). During the nine-month period, the maximum number of VoAs were issued at Delhi airport (2397), followed by Mumbai (960), Chennai (905) and Kolkata (231). -PTI

Deeg: Magnificent palaces and colorful bazaar Cont’d from page 31

This building apparently dates from a later period, but was never finished. Once through it, one is at the edge of the gardens that are built in the Char-Bagh style, essentially four separate gardens around the same center. The style of both the gardens and buildings are from the Mughal period and yet with a distinctive flavor - a result of the Jats' own aesthetic vision that flourished at a time when the Mughal architecture started to deteriorate.

site the entrance. It is from the tank that, when the sluices are open, the water flows down and out of the many fountainheads below. These can be seen all around the garden area. A full tank takes only a few hours to empty and about a week to fill. This was achieved by means of bullocks that brought up the water in leather buckets through special chutes at the side of the tower. The main building in the complex is the Gopal Bhawan, which was the actual residence of the Raja. Here one can see a spacious

From the Gopal Bhavan, one can have a good view of the Char-Bagh. A marble archway forms the support for a hindola (swing). Inscribed on the base is the name of the seventeenth-century Mughal ruler, Shah Jahan The most striking feature is the fountains numbering about 500. One can see the bases of these sticking up all around the palace, but unless one visits on a Saturday in August, one is unlikely to see the water display operational for it requires a great amount of water. This builds up during the monsoon and is collected in a huge tank at the top of one building that can be seen almost directly oppo-

hall where the Raja was able to greet and address guests while upstairs were the Royal apartments. These can still be seen as they were when used; in one room, there is a raised elliptical dining table, while at the back there is a dining room in the western style. From the Gopal Bhavan, one can have a good view of the CharBagh. A marble archway forms the support for a hindola (swing). In-

Deeg Fort in Bharatpur district, Rajasthan

scribed on the base is the name of the seventeenth-century Mughal ruler, Shah Jahan. Beyond the Gopal Bhawan is the Suraj Bhawan. This houses its own fountains and is remarkable for its plant decorations on marble slabs that were probably looted from Agra. Other parts of this building also appear to have been taken from other Mughal residences. On either side of the Suraj Bhawan are two detached pavilions, Sawan and Bhadon, which are designed to look like pleasure barges. During the rains, they allow water to fall down a specially

carved chute and later out onto a verandah in a charming display. The meeting hall (Kisan Bhawan) lies in the southeastern corner of the complex and sports a series of fountains on its terrace. Here the Raja would discuss with advisors and some affairs of state were debated and decided upon. As elsewhere, one can see the use of Persian carpets. The other bhawans are the wrestling hall (Nandi Bhawan) and the Kesav Bhawan, a place for members of the public to air their views. This building, situated on the edge of the Rup Sagar, is sur-

rounded by a row of small and larger fountains and now has a support in the middle to prevent it from collapsing. Places around Bharatpur, 32 km from Deeg, is famous for its bird sanctuary. Many species of migratory birds, including Siberian cranes, come to Bharatpur during winter. Around 35 km from Deeg is Mathura, one of the most sacred places for Hindus. It is considered the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Alwar is 75 km from Deeg. It was once the capital of a princely state. Surrounded by a wall, the city has several sites to visit, including the 14th-century tomb of Tarang Sultan, a picturesque lake, a museum, and several ancient mosques. Fairs & festivals: All the major festivals of north India and Rajasthan are celebrated in Deeg including Teej, Diwali, and Gangaur (festival in which women invokes Parvati, wife of Shiva). How to reach Road - Deeg is an easy day trip from Bharatpur, Agra, or Delhi by road. Rail - Bharatpur is also the nearest railway station from where one can take trains to Delhi, Jaipur, and Mumbai. Nearest airhead is Agra (54 km).

October 22, 2010

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Hospitality industry bets big on India growth story NEW DELHI: The Indian hospitality industry is likely to see strong demand and continued growth in the coming years as key players like Indian Hotels and EIH, and international brands such as Carlson and Marriott have outlined bullish future plans. "Hospitality in India is uniquely positioned to benefit from the India growth story," Pankaj Karna Managing Director Maple Capital Advisors said, adding that "the sector is expected to see strong demand and continued growth." Giving details about the future plans of some of the key players of the industry, the report by Maple Capital Advisors in asso-

ciation with Tourism Finance Corporation of India said that Indian Hotels, which runs the Taj Group of hotels is planning to construct 50 budget hotels under the Ginger brand over the next four years. EIH, which runs the Oberoi group of hotels, would develop 750 additional hotel rooms under the Trident brand over the next two-and-a-half years. Meanwhile, the international hotel brand Carlson is planning to increase its presence in India to 78 hotels by 2012, from 28 in 2009 with an investment of USD 35 million. Besides, Marriott has plans to open 30 hotels in India over the

The international hotel brand Carlson is planning to increase its presence in India to 78 hotels by 2012, from 28 in 2009 with an investment of USD 35 million. Besides, Marriott has plans to open 30 hotels in India over the next three years

next three years. Some of the other mid market and budget segment hotels have also outlined bullish future plans like Ibis Hotels is planning to develop 2,909 hotel rooms by 2012, Sarovar Hotels (3,014 rooms by 2012), Keys Hotels (3,000 rooms by 2013), Lemon Tree Hotels (3,492 rooms by 2013) and Peppermint Hotels (1,500 rooms by 2013), the report said. "Both domestic and international players have planned largescale investments in the hospitality industry thus the demand supply gap is expected to be bridged significantly even though this

may not be pan India and evenly distributed," the report added. The market will see a good mix of Indian and international hotel chains and is expected to become even more organized across categories in the coming years, the report added. The travel and tourism market in India reached USD 91.7 billion in 2009, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.4 per cent over the past five years. The market is expected to touch approximately USD 266.1 billion by 2019 on the back of continued economic growth, the report said. -PTI

Russian company to launch orbital space hotel MOSCOW: To meet the growing demands of space tourism, a private Russian company has announced plans to launch an orbital space hotel with the help of a state -owned space corporation by 201516, according to reports. The Moscow-based Orbital Technologies is to invest 'hundreds of millions' of dollars in to the project and several Russian and US investors have been found, RIA Novosti reported quoting the company's CEO Sergei Kostenko.

Individuals, professional crews and explorers interested in implementing their own research programs are expected to be the first clients of the commercial tourist hub, Kostenko said. So far, several millionaires have traveled to Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) as space tourists with professional cosmonauts, but if the project is implemented the space tourism market is likely to develop rapidly, Orbital Technologies believes.

A MoU was signed by Orbital Technologies and state-owned Energia Rocket and Space Corporation to build orbital space hotel. The implementation of the first space hotel project will start after a commercial contract is in place, according to top Energia official said. "As of today, the company only has an agreement of intent. When we have a firm contract, there will be the terms and engineering design," CEO of Energia Vitaly Lopota told reporters. -PTI

KL tower to promote wedding tourism to woo tourists KUALA LUMPUR: Do you dream your wedding to be made in heaven amidst the clouds? The KL Tower, one the world's tallest buildings can serve as a venue for those planning to get hitched. Malaysian authorities have decided to encourage tourists to use the 1,099 feet tall tower to host wedding receptions at a price. "The KL Tower here will promote wedding tourism as their main product too attract more local and foreign tourists to use the tower as their preferred choice to host wedding receptions," Chief Executive Officer, Zuraida Mohd was quoted as saying to Bernama.

35 couples had married at the fourth tallest tower in the world since 2008 when the package named 'Wedding Made in the Sky' was launched, she said. "We hope by promoting wedding tourism, more people locals and foreigners will choose this country, especially KL Tower, as their main choice for wedding ceremonies," Zuraida said. On a recent Sunday seven couples were married at the venue. The event was jointly organized by the KL Tower and Bell Notes with the support from the National Registration Department (NRD). Zuraida said, each couple was charged RM25,000 (USD 8,069),

which includes reception ceremony at the Open Terrace, photo session and also a gift. The tower mainly used for communication purposes, also contains a revolving restaurant, providing diners a panoramic view of the city. KL Tower will introduce more interesting packages such as Malay weddings early next year at the Mega view Banquet and Open Deck Terrace, she said. "We hope by introducing this package, more Malay couples who prefer to hold their weddings at hotels and villages will be interested with this package," she added. -PTI

If You are looking For the BEST & the MOST AUTHENTIC VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT IN TOWNCome to One and Only One Place

Publicly Acclaimed Top Vegetarian Restaurant Serving NORTH INDIAN • SOUTH INDIAN • GUJARATI • JAIN DISHES

TASTE OUR 30 PLUSE MOUTH WATERING DISHES ONCE YOU COME TO US YOU WILL NOT ELSEWHERE THAT IS OUR GUARANTEE

2508 W. Devon Ave.Chicago, IL 60659

Tel:(773) 274-5800 Fax: (773) 262-4465 E-mail: aryabhavan@aol.com www.aryabhavan.com

CATERING IS OUR SPECIALITY

October 22, 2010

India Post www.indiapost.com

Serving to P erf ection Perf erfection SOUTH INDIAN CUISINE

NATRAJ TRAVEL INC

SCHAUMBURG EXCLUSIVE

www.natrajtravel.com

LUNCH BUFFET 7 DAYS AWEEK

773-509-1300 DEVON LOCATION STRICTLY VEGETARIAN CHICAGO:

SCHAUMBURG:

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11:30 AM TO 10:00 PM WASHINGTON D.C.:

2543 W. DEVON AVENUE

730 SCHAUMBURG RD.

1329 UNIVERSITY BLVD. EAST

CHICAGO IL 60659

SCHAUMBURG IL60194

TACOMA PARK MD 20783

(773) 338-2152

(847) 884 9510

(301) 434-1531

ENJOY SPECIAL NON-VEG ITEMS AT SCHAUMBURG

email : info@natrajtravel.com AIR : CRUISES :VACATIONS : ONE SITE

2240-42 West Devon Chicago IL 60659 Ph# 773-338-4080 Fax# 773-338-4088

FOR ALL YOUR

MATCHLESS EXPRESS TOURS 2600 W. Peterson Ave., Suite 105 Chicago IL 60659 Experienced Travel Consultants Pasport and Visa Services available * Confirmed seats (Even in High season) * Low Airfares * Courteous Service

Call and Contact

Tel. (773) 338 6260

TRAVEL NEEDS INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC AIR INDIA AND ALL OTHER MAJOR AIRLINES. PACKAGE DEAL TAJ TOUR-SOTC

NEWS

10635 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132

www.indiapost.com

Sita Ram Patel @ 847-568-0535

Tel: (314) 423-9990 or (800) 55 SEEMA Fax: (314) 423-0391

AIRWING TRAVELS INC.

Tel: (516) 931 4600

CALL:

One of the Oldest Travel Agencies in St. Louis

Competitive Rates & Confirmed Seats for All Major Airlines

at your

New York (Hicksville)

SEEMA WORLD TRAVEL, INC.

Est. 1991 Toll Free: (866) 532 3413

New Jersey (Iselin)

Tel: (732) 658 5450

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

October 22, 2010

India Post 35 www.indiapost.com

SKY WORLD TRAVEL 1-888-695-0005

CONSOLIDATORS (INTL. & DOMESTIC) : 3HWHUVRQ 6WH &KLFDJR ,/

SPECIAL LOW FARES TO BOMBAY, DELHI, MADRAS, CALCUTTA, DHAKA, KARACHI, LAHORE etc. Tel: 773-728-9071 773-315-8597

E-mail us at: skyworldtravels@hotmail.com

HARI WORLD

T R A V E L

CONSOLIDATOR OF ALL MAJOR AIRLINES SINCE 1968

FOR LOWEST FARES AND RELIABLE SERVICE TO

INDIAN SUB CONTINENT, EUROPE, AFRICA Call us at:

773-381-5555

6346 N. WASHTENAW, CHICAGO, IL 60659

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahaani: Anjaana Anjaani 2 Tere Mast Mast Do Nain: Dabangg 3

Pee Loon: Once Upon A Time in Mumbai

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

eems like the reel-life plot from Kareena Kapoor's recent flick 'We Are Family' is being played in her real life too. The romantic and perfect love saga of Saifeena faced a setback when the two had a tiff over the issue of Chhote Nawab's kids. It all happened when Saif's kids, Sara and Ibrahim, came to spend time with their father and Saif asked his lady love to play their mom. On earlier occasions, when kids came over, Kareena chose to stay away giving space to Saif to bond with his kids. But this time she hanged around. But where Saif pampered and bonded with his kids, Kareena could not do so. This upset Saif and the couple went into communication gap for six days. The cold war ended only when the kids went back home. However, the two have decided not to let this ruin their relationship and Kareena was also seen with Saif and the kids at the private screening of Anjaana Anjaani.

Hairat: Anjaana Anjaani

5 Mera Jeena Hai Kya: Aashayein 6 Tujhe Bhula Diya: Anjaana Anjaani 7 Chori Kiya Re Jiya: Dabangg 8 Man Lafanga: Lafangey Parindey 9 Naav: Udaan (New) 10 Desh Mera: Peepli Live

ith the failure of Rani Mukherjee's 'Dil Bole Hadippa', her career in Bollywood shows no more hope now. So, the actress now seems to have taken a turn to Bengali cinema. And if things get into a stride, 'Africa' by two-time National Award winning director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury may be Rani Mukherjee's debut in Bengali cinema. Rani has done only one Bengali film, 'Biyer Phool' and that was a cameo. Rani will play the lead in this heroine-oriented flick. Chowdhury confirmed, "Yes, I did meet Rani. We've had discussions but nothing has been finalized. I am still working on the script. It's too premature to talk about it. She is one of my favorite actresses! I would like to work with her." Aniruddha added, "I plan on starting my Bengali film first and then the Hindi one next year. I am working on three scripts, two by noted Bengali novelist Sunil Gangopadhyaya. Sunil's works include Dui Nari Haate Torowari and Ajaana Desh while Africa is my story. I will be visiting Mumbai in the next few days to finalize preparations for my Hindi film."

allika Sherawat's 'Hisss' is creating news given the publicity stunts by the actress and also due to the unique script. The latest buzz created by the flick is that Lakshmi Bai, the erstwhile princess of Travancore, will make an appearance in the movie as Divya Dutta's mother. "Akka is a natural storyteller. Her intelligence and grace are matched only by her incredible instinct about people and their character. It was an honor to be her director," director Jennifer Lynch said in a statement about Lakshmi Bai, popularly called 'Akka'. "Akka will provide a healthy amount of comic relief in the film, and her character's storyline is crucial to the plot," she added. Reports also have it that Mallika has used Burkha in a number of action-chase scenes in the film and that the idea was thought up by Lynch and integrated into her script as an "inside joke". The joke traces down to the fact that Mallika uses burkha oft and on to get away with the crowded areas. The much awaited flick opens worldwide October 22 after a lengthy and FX-heavy post-production in Hollywood.

Bollywood

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Family man

is turbulent past is only too well known, but Sanjay Dutt says he has changed ever since he tied the knot with Manyata two years ago and has become a family man. "After marriage I have become a family man. I like to be more at home now spending quality time, watching movies with my wife. I have become more responsible," Sanjay said in an interview. The 51-year-old actor has been married thrice. Sanjay's first marriage was to actress Richa Sharma in 1987, but she died from brain tumor in New York in 1996. The couple have a daughter named Trishala, who lives in the US. Then he married model Rhea Pillai but the two got divorced in 2005. In 2008, Sanjay tied the knot with Manyata. "Ups and downs don't change a person, age changes a person. With age I have become more responsible. I thank my fans for standing by me during tough times," he said about his chequered life. The actor feels things started looking up ever since Manyata has come into his life and right now he is looking forward to welcoming twins. The actor is returning to the action genre with Mani Shankar's "Knock Out". Other films that Sanjay is working in are "Power", "Rascals", which is also his home production and the third installment of the Munnabhai series.

t has been almost a year that we have been waiting for filmmaker Krishna Shah's idea of the film on India's late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to take shape but without any progress because of the dearth of a proper female lead. Shah has put in a lot of effort into the project with detailed research of Gandhi's life through interviews with journalists, politicians, bureaucrats, military men, writers and the contemporaries of Indira Gandhi and also books related to her life. The movie was originally announced by Shah on Indira Gandhi's 92nd birth anniversary on November 19, 2009 and then much talented Madhuri Dixit was supposed to play the role. Then came a long list of female stars whose names were considered but nothing seemed to materialize. The list included the likes of Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. The latest to join the row is Vidya Balan but even this could not be worked out because Balan is busy with her dates. She is playing the strong role of a pregnant widow seeking revenge in Sujoy Ghosh's latest venture based on Hollywood film Kill Bill. If Vidya Balan gives a nod to the role, it will definitely be a visual treat to see a very strong actress portraying such a strong role.

India Post

In Brief Judge dismisses immigration challenge parts PHOENIX: A federal judge has dismissed parts of one of the remaining five lawsuits that challenge Arizona's new immigration law. But the ruling by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also keeps alive other claims in the lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups. The ruling doesn't affect Bolton's July decision in a separate lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department that put parts of the law on hold. Two of the seven challenges to the law have been dismissed in their entirety. The partial dismissal of the civil rights groups' lawsuit was requested by Gov. Jan Brewer, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and Pinal County Attorney James Walsh. -AP

Lawmakers say LatAm nations 'meddling' PHOENIX: Some Arizona Democratic legislators find themselves in rare agreement with Republican Gov. Jan Brewer on a question related to the state's controversial law targeting illegal immigration. Brewer criticized a federal appeals court's ruling allowing 11 Latin American countries to file a brief supporting a judge's ruling blocking implementation of key provisions of the law. Brewer said she was offended that foreign governments were meddling in a domestic legal dispute. Now 10 Democratic state representatives are criticizing the Latin American countries for weighing in with the court. -AP

More immigrants moving to Longmont, Colo. LONGMONT, Colo.: Longmont has seen one of the largest increases in the number of foreignborn residents in Colorado during the past decade, according to new Census data. The recently released figures from the American Community Survey shows that Longmont's foreign-born population increased from 10.6 percent in 2000 to 17.1 percent last year. The Boulder Daily Camera reported that the increase in the foreign-born population in Longmont is the largest in Colorado among cities with more than 65,000 residents. -AP

Immigration 38

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

Feds touting National Guard mission in Arizona TUCSON, Ariz.: Government officials are showing off a site where National Guard troops have been deployed near the Mexican border, despite criticism that they will do nothing to stem the tide of illegal immigration. -AP

No opt-out for program checking legal status RICHMOND, Va.: Local governments cannot opt out of a federal program that checks the fingerprints of people who are arrested against a database to determine if they are illegal immigrants, the head of the U.S. immigration agency said. That's because the agreement is between the federal and state governments - not the local governments. Officials in Virginia's Arlington County, Washington, D.C., and Santa Clara County, Calif., have voted recently to opt out of the program, saying it could lead to racial profiling. San Francisco officials have attempted to get out of the program with no luck, and several other communities are debating whether they want to participate. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website says jurisdictions that do not wish to participate in the Secure Communities program can ask federal immigration officials to remove them from the program. ICE Director John Morton said

that the agency would meet with the localities to discuss the issue, but in the end the agreement is with the state. Suspects who are arrested for anything from a traffic violation to a violent crime have long been fingerprinted, and those fingerprints are run through a federal criminal background database maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Morton stressed that even though the fingerprints are taken by local authorities, it's up to federal officials to detain or deport suspects. ``No one in the Department of Corrections, no one in Arlington County, no one in the other jurisdictions of Virginia is being asked to enforce federal immigration law,'' Morton said.

Officials in Virginia's Arlington County, Washington, D.C., and Santa Clara County, Calif., have voted recently to opt out of the program, saying it could lead to racial profiling With Secure Communities, those fingerprints are automatically checked against immigration records maintained by the Department of Homeland Security to identify those who may be in the country illegally. Since 2008, the program has been expanded to more than 650 jurisdictions in 32 states, with plans to incorporate every jurisdiction by 2013.

One quarter of Arlington County's residents was born in another country and one-third is multiracial, which adds to fears of racial profiling, said J. Walter Trejada, a member of the county's Board of Supervisors. The board voted unanimously last month to opt out of Secure Communities. ``The potential for racial profiling and for unscrupulous law en-

forcement people to utilize the Secure Communities as a way to intimidate people and cause fear is real,'' Trejada said. San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey has challenged his city's participation in the program for months, and he likely will meet with ICE officials in November, sheriff's department spokeswoman Eileen Hirst said. Other officials, such as Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, have welcomed the program. In Virginia, jurisdictions are required by state law to send fingerprints to state police to be run through the FBI database. Because the exchange happens at the federal level, that means localities can't opt out, Cuccinelli said. ``It is not a situation where Arlington's fingerprints can be treated differently,'' Cuccinelli said. ICE credits the program for the removal of more than 40,000 criminal illegal immigrants, including more than 12,000 convicted of violent crimes such as murder, rape and kidnapping. -AP

Reconsider after departure rule not uniform-II DAVID A. ISAACSON

(Continued from last week's article) he Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in Lin v. Gonzales, 473 F.3d 979 (9th Cir. 2007), limited the reach of the departure bar through a different sort of logic. The departure-bar regulation as written, that court pointed out, "is phrased in the present tense and so by its terms applies only to a person who departs the United States while he or she 'is the subject of removal ... proceedings.'" Thus, it should not bar a motion to reopen by someone whose removal proceedings have already concluded and who has been removed. The BIA subsequently rejected this holding in Matter of Armendarez, claiming the authority under Nat'l Cable & Telecomms. Ass'n v. Brand X Internet Servs., 545 U.S. 967 (2005) to refuse to apply it

even within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit (Alaska, Hawaii, California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Arizona). However, aliens and attorneys within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit may wish to challenge this refusal in the Court of Appeals.

the BIA chose to justify it in that way, it could not be justified based on the BIA's purported lack of jurisdiction because an agency may not contract its own jurisdiction by regulation. Unless and until the BIA rethinks the theoretical basis for the departure bar, therefore, motions to

it should not bar a motion to reopen by someone whose removal proceedings have already concluded and who has been removed Most recently, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, with jurisdiction over Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, limited the effect of the departure bar on yet a third ground. In MarinRodriguez v. Holder, 612 F.3d 591 (7th Cir. 2010), that court held that while the departure bar might be justifiable as a categorical exercise of the BIA's discretion if

reopen survive will survive an alien's departure in the Seventh Circuit as well. Even Courts of Appeals which are not prepared to go as far as a blanket rejection of the departure bar sometimes take a stricter view when what is at issue is the BIA's claim that an alien's already-filed motion to reopen or reconsider was rendered void by

DHS's forcible removal of that alien from the United States. Because this reading of the regulations allows DHS, a party to the removal proceedings, to preclude a type of challenge to those proceedings by its own unilateral action, it is particularly lacking in intuitive appeal, and it has been rejected by the Sixth Circuit (covering Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee), in Madrigal v. Holder, 572 F.3d 239 (6th Cir. 2009), and the Ninth Circuit, in Coyt v. Holder, 593 F.3d 902 (9th Cir. 2010). As Judge Kethledge said in his concurring opinion in Madrigal, quoted in Coyt: "The government forcibly removed Maria Madrigal from the United States, and now claims she abandoned her appeal because she left the country. To state that argument should be to refute it. . . ." Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 39

Immigration Post

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Reconsider after departure rule not uniform-II Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 38

Unlike the decision in Lin, the Ninth Circuit's decision in Coyt has not been rejected by the BIA under Brand X, so forcible removal does not withdraw a motion to reopen or reconsider in either the Sixth or Ninth Circuits. It is important to note that these exceptions to the departure bar may not apply equally to all sorts of motions to reopen. Some Courts of Appeals, while not specifically rejecting cases such as William and Madrigal, have held that the logic of those cases can at most only extend to motions to reopen (or reconsider) which are timely filed or fall under one of the exceptions to the filing time limit, as opposed to requests that the BIA sua sponte (that is, on its own motion) reopen a case in which an ordinary motion to reopen would be time-barred. The Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (with jurisdiction over Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi), in Ovalles v. Holder, 577 F.3d 288 (5th Cir. 2010), and most recently the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (with jurisdiction over New York, Connecticut and Vermont), in Zhang v. Holder, - F.3d -, Docket No. 09-2628-ag, 2010 WL 3169292, have drawn this distinction, and have thus so far avoided either accepting or rejecting William and the Madrigal/ Coyt line of cases. In the context of a motion to reopen which is filed within 90 days of the final order of removal or which is said to fall into one of the exceptions to that time limit other than the BIA's authority to reopen sua sponte, however, such cases as William and MarinRodriguez provide arguments worth pursuing even outside the Fourth and Seventh Circuits, so long as one is also outside the Tenth Circuit (which, as noted above, has already upheld the departure bar). No Court of Appeals, moreover, appears yet to have accepted the BIA's counterintuitive argument, rejected in Madrigal and Coyt, that forcible removal can "withdraw" a timely filed mo-

tion to reopen. Although pursuing post-departure motions in those portions of the United States where a Court of Appeals has not spoken on the issue may require a willingness to bring the issue all the way to the appropriate Court of Appeals, it is an option that respondents in removal proceedings, and their attorneys, should keep firmly in mind.

* Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law

Former Assistant StateÂ&#x2019;s Attorney

Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc. 1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1

http://www.proy-singh.com

2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

Miss India Connecticut Shreya Sood

Priya Kumar was crowned Miss India Teen CT from a field of eight contestants. Miss India CT runner-up was Tina Kumar and Miss India Teen CT runner-up was Priya Gupta. Besides the two Miss India titles, there were other awards handed out. Winner and Runners up with Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia and Diva Board Members From L-R: Diva Board Members Dr. Thomas Abraham and Meera Banta, Mayo Pavia, Miss Teen India Runner-up Priya Gupta, Miss Teen India winner Priya Kumar, Miss India CT Winner Shreya Sood, Miss India CT Runner-up Tina Kumar, First Lady of Stamford Maureen Pavia, Diva America President Anita Bhat

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: It was a beauty pageant with a difference. The primary criteria for winning the crown - a healthy body mass index (BMI)! Shreya Sood, a radiologist from Easton, CT, won the "Beauty from the Heart" Miss

India Connecticut 2010 title, beating 13 other young Indian American women at the prestigious Palace Theater, Stamford, CT on Oct 3. The glittering more than three-hours long non-stop entertainment filled with music, dances and pageantry was organized by Diva America, Inc. "I am speechless, which is rare for me,"

said Sood about winning the title in a beauty competition that also stresses good physical and mental health. Born in India, Shreya grew up in Woodbridge, CT and is currently working as a radiologist. She graduated from Cornell University in 2005, and then went on to study medicine at Yale University.

After 30 years, Shabana still works very hard

SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Renowned actress and social activist Shabana Azmi is currently on a 16-city tour of the US with her latest theatrical project, Girish Karnad's 'Broken Images', a psychological thriller directed by Alyque Padamsee. After performing to packed houses in New York, Azmi was in Detroit when she joined a webcast via Blog Talk Radio in an interview presented by SAJA (South Asian Journalists Association) and SAMMA (South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment Association) where she talked about her play, her pet social causes, acting, independent cinema, Ram Janmabhoomi verdict and the latest controversy about her 60th birthday cake! Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 44

Shabana Azmi acting in a play "Broken Images" at NYU , the play was produced and directed by Alyque Padmasee and presented by Girish Karnad during Columbus day weekend -Pic Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

Born in India, Shreya grew up in Woodbridge, CT and is currently working as a radiologist. She graduated from Cornell University in 2005 The Talent contest saw eight participants performing to the tunes of popular Bollywood numbers. Shefali Kumar won the Miss Talented award, while the Miss Congeniality award went to Puja Arora. The finalists were required to answer a pair of questions from one of the judges. One of the two questions was always related to healthy living and promoting health awareness among the youth and children. As against other pageants that promote beauty, the current pageant stressed health as an important component of beauty. "Beauty is just not physical, but it is health," said Anita Bhat, president/ CEO of Diva America, Inc., a nonprofit group based in Stamford. This pageant titled "Beauty from the Heart", is not only a Beauty Pageant but also a movement to bring health and fitness awareness in the "Fashion Industry". By introducing health as one of the selection criteria in the selection process, and by giving bonus points to the contestants with ideal body mass index (BMI), Diva America Inc. hopes to reduce the instances of Anorexia, Bulimia, Low Self- Esteem and Depression among next generation. This new approach to the beauty pageant has drawn a lot of interest and gained support from a lot of local physicians and health promoters. "If we succeed in bringing about this change, it will be historical," Bhat said. All women entering the contest were required to fall within a healthy BMI range, which is a measure of body fat based on age, height and weight. A normal BMI is within the range of 18.5 and 24.9, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 42

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Naatak's Sakharam Binder is gripping

Ravi Bhatnagar (Director), Aditya Thakur (Daud), Abhay Paranjape (Faujdaar Shinde), Palak Joshi (Champa), Monica Mehta Chitkara (Lakshmi), Rajiv Nema (Sakharam), Asheesh Divetia (Producer)

KAVITA ARORA India Post News Service

PALO ALTO, CA: Last weekend NAATAK opened its 34th production, Vijay Tendulkar's "Sakharam Binder", directed by Ravi Bhatnagar, at the Cubberley Theater in Palo Alto to an almost full-house. Mukta Sharangpani, an attendee, said, "Sakharam was fantastic! Gripping from start to finish. Sophisticated direction, controlled acting, amazing sets! Such a treat. Thank you Naatak." One of the most controversial yet popular plays to come out of India, "Sakharam Binder," is deeply engaging, funny at times, and at times disturbing. We see complex human characters with not only black or white traits, but several shades of gray. It's hard, sometimes, to determine who is wrong or right. In this play veteran Bay Area

actor, Rajiv Nema, plays the lead and in no uncertain terms tells the new wife, Lakshmi (played by Monica Mehta Chitkara), that he's an honest and transparent man who says and does it like it is. By his own standards he is a "social servant" who rescues discarded women off the street who are either beaten up by their husbands or who have nowhere else to go. He takes care of them by providing food, clothing and shelter and "honestly" tells each of them that he expects "wifely services" in return. He declares that he drinks, smokes, visits prostitutes, beats up women who don't obey him but he never lies. He is proud in the fact that he is straightforward, unlike the rest of the middle class men who do the same things "chori-chhupe" behind the back of their spouses

Palak Joshi (Champa) and Monica Mehta Chitkara (Lakshmi)

and society. He has a series of wives. Actually, not wives, but women he cohabitates with one after another. Sakharam is the quintessential opportunist, prying on women that are beaten down and

He declares that he drinks, smokes, visits prostitutes, beats up women who don't obey him but he never lies extremely proud of it, but he thinks he's moral because he is honest about his faults. The other two leads are the wives, wife number 6 is Lakshmi and wife number 7 is Champa. Lakshmi is pious, docile, subservient, and loyal to Sakharam. Thought she is scared, abused and abandoned, she is still hu-

man and has feelings. Her sexuality and longing for affection is apparent and portrayed indirectly through her interactions with an ant. Laxmi loves to do all the house work, comes across as the dutiful wife and the typical middle class beloved "bhabhi." At one point, Sakharam tells his friend Daud that Laxmi is not as "bholi" as she appears to be. Champa is the antithesis of Lakshmi and probably the woman version of Sakharam. She is honest, transparent and says it like it is. She beats up her drunkard and good-for-nothing husband. The drama unfolds in front of our eyes as Sakharam finds his match. Ravi Bhatnagar, director of Sakharam Binder, tells us that "written in 1974, this play seems bold for its times, exposing the hypocrisy of Indian middle class society and questioning the truth verses what appears as truth. Originally scripted in Marathi,

Rajiv Nema (Sakharam)

this play was banned initially and then translated into several languages including English and has been performed by theater groups around the world." What's interesting is that you can see Sakharam's relationship with each of these two women and see what each person brings to the table in these complex adult relationships. It gets even more complicated once we have two women under the same household, a friend who is lured by Champa's raw appeal, Lakshmi's jealousy, Champa's husband who comes looking for her and all of their gray personalities. The play's opening night was on October 10 and it is running through October 24th. Show dates are Oct 15 and 16 at Cubberly Theater in Palo Alto and October 23 and 24, Front Row Theater in San Ramon. Kavita Arora is Anchor & CoProducer of Sitaarre TV

Time machines exist only in movies: Akshay Kumar India Post News Service

to teach me to become 'The Man' I should have been. I'm a nervous wreck, I let people walk, talk and abuse me like a street hawker with bad breath. But my path to better myself is one very memorable journey, and I must say to play the quirks

ction Replayy, the new Vipul Shah film starring Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai is all set for an early Diwali release. In this promotional interview Akshay Kumar talks about the '70s, his co-star and his role in the movie. Tell us about Action Replayy Akshay: I'm going to quickly get this out of the way: it is NOT an 'Action' film! This is what I would call one of those lovely romantic comedy films - our tribute to the 70's. It's about a son who goes to extreme measures to revive his parent's marriage. He travels back in time to fix what is clearly very wrong in mine and Aishwarya's extremely dead marriage, he rewinds our life so we can 'Action Replayy' our life-long weaknesses and hopefully get it right second time around. What happens next is a festival of emo-

‘I have so much respect for her on and off screen, and because I feel that same respect from her also it's very comforting’

tions, and definitely a Diwali everyone will want to Replayy. Is your role unique compared to the characters you have portrayed before?

Akshay: I play an extremely innocent husband, a man that only lives to please his demanding wife. My son hates our marriage, so when returning to the 70's he tries

of the 70's was so much fun compared to the characters of today. Tell us about working with Aishwarya Rai It's been a long time since Ash and I have worked together, yet it was so easy. Everyone knows how absolutely beautiful she is, but what amazes me is every single shot she gives is like a million dol-

lar shot with her, her expressions, her timing, her grace is mesmerizing, and then she casually sits down with all of us and tells stories; she even reminded me of a huge accident that happened to her while filming 'Khakee', where she was trapped under a vehicle between a cactus and a car that had rolled over her and crushed her leg. I was the first person on the scene, she was petrified but when seeing me she became so calm, apparently she knew I was the only person that would remove her safely from the wreck, then I rushed her to hospital. I had completely forgotten all this, so when she told me I now remember how brave I thought she was. I have so much respect for her on and off screen, and because I feel that same respect from her also it's very comforting working in that kind of atmosphere… Cont’d on page 42

India Post

October 22, 2010 www.indiapost.com

UAE, Canada bag Boogie Woogie finals trophies

US-based lifestyle talk show on Sony TV India Post News Service

India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: Sony Entertainment Television Asia's sixth Boogie Woogie International finals, held at the Royal Albert's Palace in Fords, NJ on Sept 26 was an event sure to be remembered. Overnight, the venue's main banquet hall was transformed into a production set taken straight out of a Hollywood show. The contestants danced on a glitzy dance floor, with a breath-taking, colorful stage and dazzling displays behind them. The entire show was recorded for broadcast by Sony entertainment Television Asia. Participants came from South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates and the United States to compete for the title of the international champion. Friends and families traveled from all over the globe to root and cheer for their favorite contestant with their nation's flags and posters. Adding to the international flavor of the show, this year's judges were flown from across the world.

Arriving from India was the legendary Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan. Straight from London - pop artist Naveen Kundra, and from just across the border, Canada, singer Raghav Mathur. Both Naveen Kundra and Raghav Mathur treated the audience to a performance of their greatest hits, and had everyone singing and dancing in their seats. As a special treat after the announcement of the winners and to celebrate, Saroj Khan took the au-

dience by surprise with a final dance with on stage, surrounded by all contestants. The winner of the junior category was Pranav Pradeep, 12year-old contestant from UAE, who performed his energetic routine in a sparkly costume to All is Well, Twist and Mukhabula. Namita Deodhare's Kathak performance to Mere Dhol Na, which the 16-year-old choreographed herself, won her the senior category trophy.

Time machines exist only in movies: Akshay Kumar Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 41

How did they make you look old for the film? Akshay: Ha, I'll never forgive Vipul for doing this to me. Everyday I would curse and abuse him for making me wear a wig in the hottest month in India, with alcohol and chemicals slapped on my face to make me look like an old haggard husband, even though I know I was acting like child who'd been banned from eating chocolateâ&#x20AC;Ś I would rather jump out of a burning plane into a thorn bush than have to go through this process again. But I must say Vipul hired the best make-up and wig artists from Australia who have won many awards for their work including Oscars. Paul was very patient with me and he truly is an expert. But get this, Aishwarya would still look like a 21-year-old, even when they tried to make her look 50, her beauty is way more than skin deep. You have delivered consecutive hits with Vipul - what is your relationship like with him? Akshay: You make it sound like we're married. It is our 5th film together and every one of them has been memorable in Hindi film history, which is an amazing record; but we work so well together be-

cause we both respect each other as utmost professionals, we have full faith in each others movements, the effort we give to our movies and our passions for film is identical. We try very hard not to let each other down or let anything get in the way of work or our friendship. That's where many relationships in this industry go wrong, they get mixed up with personal and pro-

Vipul hired the best make-up and wig artists from Australia who have won many awards for their work including Oscars fessional decisions, very few are pure blooded genuine friendships. I guess mine and Vipul's is one of those special cases. What are your memories of the 1970s? Akshay: Well I was just a small boy in the 70's, I remember everyone used to say my Dad looked like Elvis, so tall well built, long face with stunning side burns. But what amazes me even today, is that

in the fabulous 70's era, I idolized one of 'The Biggest Actors of All Time' Mr Rajesh Khanna. Everyone worshipped him including me, and I still can't believe he is my father-in-law today. I used to copy his famous wink as a kid, I tried to sing dance walk and woo women like him, and then two decades later I fall madly in-love with his daughter Twinkle Khanna and now we are bringing our son up in my era the 00's. Time really does have incredible circumstances! If you were able to go back in time to correct an issue what would that be? Akshay: There is only one phase in my life I would ever want to go back and change; and that would be to have detected my father's cancer much earlier; but if I was really wishing for things it would be to have the knowledge and the capability to cure cancer. My father was diagnosed too late and there wasn't much neither me nor my money or family could do. There is nothing worse in life than watching your parents or your children suffer. Since we are on the subject of time, please do not take time for granted, we are here only once, treasure it, because time machines only exist in movies.

NEW YORK: Andaaz Inc., a new production company launched Andaaz, the first lifestyle talk show targeting the South Asian Diaspora worldwide, on Sony Entertainment Television Asia, on Oct 9. Four friends with unique backgrounds and perspectives - Sarika Batra, Pavan Kochar, Esha Bedi and Priyanka Singha - get into discussions among themselves and invited guests on topics ranging from entrepreneurship, finance and politics to relationships, parenting, spirit, health, travel and leisure. Andaaz uncovers inspiring stories of the most successful entrepreneurs, leaders and artists. Vijay Amritraj talks about nurturing unconventional careers in children. Mallika Sherawat gives tips on how to get a fabulous figure with a raw food vegan diet. Preity Zinta talks of leveraging media to empower women. And Sri Sri Ravishankar teaches the viewers how to lead a more spiritual life through yoga and meditation. "The South Asian community is spread all over the world, and we are excited to now have a platform to share our many stories. Andaaz, now on Sony Entertain-

ment Television Asia, offers South Asians a worldwide platform to discuss topics important to their community," says Sarika Batra, cofounder and executive producer Andaaz. Pavan Kochar, cofounder and executive producer Andaaz, added: "At Andaaz, we want to celebrate our

Vijay Amritraj talks about nurturing unconventional careers in children. Mallika Sherawat gives tips on how to get a fabulous figure with a raw food vegan diet heritage, our cultural similarities and differences and the lifestyles of South Asians both in the US and around the world." "We at Sony Entertainment Television Asia have been seeking more local content for our audience. Andaaz takes a fresh look at South Asian lifestyle, and we are happy to have partnered with them," says Jaideep Janakiram, VP international business, head of North America for Sony Entertainment Television Asia.

Healthy beauty Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 40

The Miss India Connecticut pageant is the first in the world to require contestants to meet healthy body mass standards, said Bhat, adding that she hoped that the movement will catch on with beauty pageants at national and international levels. "We started it to reduce obesity and also the pencil-thin figure the fashion industry demands," Bhat said. Another aim of the pageant is to foster an understanding of Indian culture in the mainstream community, Bhat said. According to reports, there are 50,000 Indians in Connecticut and about 5,000 Indian students in Connecticut schools and universities. The pageant hopes to showcase the talents and beauty of this younger segment of the population. Last year's pageant was a huge success and also achieved its goal of getting young women interested in health and fitness, she said. "Usually when you talk about diet there's a stigma attached," Bhat said. "Nobody likes to talk about it. This pageant is a

fun project and the girls think that it's cool." Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said the event underscores the city's "multicultural ethnicity" and "diversification." "This is one of the most festive events I've attended in all my life," Pavia told the audience. "The colors, the music, the dancing - it's exquisite." Maureen Pavia, who was an advisor to the pageant, praised the organizers of the event. "This is the first event of its kind in the nation that makes having a healthy BMI a part of its criteria," Pavia said. "I am proud that this makes Stamford a leader in this effort and I am hopeful that this will become a requirement that all similar events embrace." A portion of the proceeds was donated to Maureen Pavia's Stamford Gives Back Association, which provides scholarships and other support to young performing artists. Shreya Sood will compete in the Miss India USA contest and will also serve as an ambassador for healthy lifestyles and local causes.

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Tandoori Chicken. Samosas. Curry. Warm Naan bread. These are just a few of the Indian foods Americans have come to know and love. Indian food is easily one of the most popular dining options in the US today, not just among foodies or gourmands but among everyday food enthusiasts who flock to Indian restaurants for that little spice in life but are too afraid to try their hand at it at home. Demystifying Indian cooking for the Western cook, is a new bible of Indian home cooking - the India Cookbook (Phaidon: Nov 2010; $49.95), authored by celebrated Indian food expert, Pushpesh Pant. India Cookbook, with a cover designed to resemble the quintessential Indian rice bag, features 1,000 recipes from every gastronomic region, all completely updated for the modern kitchen, compiled with authenticity by the author who spent two decades every corner of India collecting family recipes. Without compromising on the authenticity of the dishes, Pant has included simple substitutes for ingredients difficult to find outside of India. India Cookbook is a virtual journey, bringing home cooks accessibility to the delicate kebobs that are the specialty of the imperial cities of Agra and Delhi; the spicy meats of Bengal; the flavorful saags of Punjab and the irresistible chutneys of the South. In the book, the author also reveals the basics of Indian cuisine, explains the history of Indian food culture and explains the traditional

Curry demystified! system of Ayurveda, based on the belief that all foods have different properties and a direct effect on our health and mental well-being. The recipe chapters are separated by spice mixtures, breads, pickles and chutneys, snacks and starters, vegetable and dairy, fish and seafood, meat, dal, rice, desserts, drinks and menus. As a huge bonus, it also contains recipes from some the world's leading Indian chefs including Suvir Saran of New York's very own Devi restaurant. Pant's academic and professional background makes him an unlikely candidate for turning into a food aficionado. With a Ph.D in International Relations and a law degree, he has been a foreign policy professor at University of Delhi and the Jawaharlal Nehru University for the last 40 years. But for the past 25 years, he has largely given up foreign policy to study Indian food and write books on it. Pant's repertoire of 14 cookbooks includes Food Path, which traces the journey of food along the historic Grand Trunk Road; Buddhist Peace Recipes and Hindu Soul Recipes with purely vegetarian fare; and Indian Fast Food, which reviews Indian street fare. Two new books, Gourmet Journeys and Awadhi Kitchen, are about to be released in India. Through his hectic travel schedules which at various times involved contributing articles to newspapers, anchoring television shows and consulting for hotel chains, Pant took time out to re-

The author also reveals the basics of Indian cuisine, explains the history of Indian food culture and explains the traditional system of Ayurveda spond to a few emailed queries from this Correspondent. Here are the excerpts: There are any number of Indian cook books offering recipes for everyday cooking... what is different in your book? True, there are other cookbooks that have some or many of these recipes but none matches the range. This is the most comprehensive collection of Indian recipes from different regions. These

include not only everyday fare but also delicacies for special occasions. Variations and improvisations too have been noted. Considering global influences and a trend for fusion foods at a gourmet level where do you think traditional Indian cuisine stands internationally? Indian cooking has evolved over millennia recognizing the power of fusion. What is termed Indian cuisine(s) is in fact a confluence of the indigenous that has imbibed diverse influences Turko-Afghan, Persian, South East Asian and European. There is no resistance to contemporary fusion and the process continues un-hindered. How can the image of Indian cuisine outside of India be taken beyond just being "curry"? This is the real challenge. Indian chefs and restaurants must show courage to get rid of stereotyped menus and showcase the unknown riches of regional, sub national repertoire emphasizing the blending of esthetic with therapeutic and show casing the variety that lends itself to creating designer meals akin to bespoke tailoring. Do you think Western influences are diluting authentic Indian cooking, which ideally is wholesome, balanced and healthy (ayurvedic)? The threat of Indian cooking losing its identity in the sea of Western influences isn't very real. Indian gastronomic tradition is much too strong. While some trendy eateries may hit the head-

lines at home and abroad for preplated, course wise service or other improvisation for billion and more Indians the basics and essential form remain unchanged- breads, lentils, spicing and tempering, accompaniments etc don't lend themselves to substitution. It's the western recipes that have had to change according to Indian palate on the sub-continent- from haute to fast foods. Vast majority of Indians eat traditionally prescribed recipes incorporating ayurvedic wisdom. How important is it to understand the 'science' behind the art of cooking? The science of cooking is as important as the art. But it's not necessary, I feel, to be overpowered by it. After all, the average person marinades, boils, steams, fries, bakes to superb effect without contemplating the changes in molecular structure of ingredients or the nature of volatile oils as enticing aromas waft around! One can be a great musician without studying acoustics or neurophysiology! What are your own preferences for food -- at home everyday, and when you eat out? I prefer seasonally appropriate dishes at home enjoying vegetables and non vegetarian recipes that aren't time consuming- mostly kebab and lightly spiced gravy dishes mostly from Kerala and Kashmir. While eating out I like to sample non-Indian recipes - Thai, Lebanese and Italian mostly. When ordering Indian I try elaborate dishes that aren't easy to cook at home as these require special equipment or skills- roomali roti, qorma and fusion offerings as well as signature dishes in a restaurant.

'Suhani Raat' embellished with Rafi numbers JS BEDI India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Avtar Chadda, famed for his rendition of the songs of Mohammed Rafi, entertained a large audience with his "7th Rafi Nite" on October 2 at Royal Delhi Palace in West Hills. The show was very well organized by Nirmal Sandhu. Sandhu said the response to Rafi Nite was of such magnitude that people had to be held waiting till persons with advance booking were seated and more seats were added for walk-ins. Still there were many who enjoyed the show "standing only" because no seats were available. The function, emceed by Dr. Parvin Syal and Karan Chadda, was kick started by a couple of welcome speeches by Paul Hassan, retired chief of LA

County Public Health Department and Surinder Singh of Ganesh Industries. Warm wishes and blessings were also showered on Avtar by Imran Haq, President of the Bangladesh Association and Dinesh Lakhanpal, a community leader.

His melodious voice was complemented in several duets by Payal Chakraborty, a 16-year old winner of the Karaoke Night The string of the evening's program was held together by a blend of humor between the two emcees, who shared a spontaneous chemistry appealing to the

mix of the older and younger generations present. The program was opened with songs sung by the winners of the Karaoke Night 2010 which was held in June this year. These included solos by Shruti Chakraborty and Harmit Singh and duets by Prabhjot and Rupinder Ahluwalia. These performers again proved with their performances that their winning of Karaoke Night 2010 was not a fluke. Avtar then took over the stage, filling the room with his powerful and soulful re-creation of a variety of Rafi songs. He opened with his signature number, 'Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki' and had the audience captured from then on. Many among the listeners sang along as they took their individual journeys down memory lane. Whether it was the serious 'Mujhe Le Chalo

Aaj Us Gali Mein', 'O Door Ke Musafir' or the more light hearted 'Yahoo' and 'Jiya Ho Jiya Kuch Bol Do', his rich and robust voice held everybody enthralled. His melodious voice was complemented in several duets by Payal Chakraborty, a 16-year old winner of the Karaoke Night, who promises to be a singer of renown in near future. She more than held her own in accompa-

nying Avtar in singing "Tum Hi Tum Ho Mere Jeevan Mein", "Tum Jo Huey Mere Hamsafar" and "Dekh Liya Maine Sajan Tera Wada Dekh Liya". Sound was controlled by Sanjay Syal. The evening ended with a series of dance numbers both by Avtar and those DJ'd by Karan, which were participated in by many. Nirmal Sandhu promised to hold 8th Rafi Nite next year.

India Post

October 22, 2010 www.indiapost.com

PTC Punjabi celebrates launch on Dish Network India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Punjabi television channel, PTC Punjabi, celebrated its launch on Dish Network on Channel no 604 in USA on October 9 at Golden Terrace Banquet, Richmond Hill, New York. PTC Punjabi launch party and gala dinner was attended by more than 650 guests from Punjabi community from all walks of life such as prominent community leaders, businesspersons, media and cultural organizations heads, as well as leaders of various political, religious and academic organizations. The evening provided a lively forum for interaction among the Punjabi community during the five hour long evening that ended with a gala dinner. Rabindra Narayan, Founder and President, Rajiee Shinde, Co-founder and COO, Sunil Hali, the man responsible for bringing PTC Punjabi to the US and Canada along with Harbhajan

Singh, his partner and Director, personally received each guest as they approached the main hall for the social hour. The main attraction of the evening of celebration was the Punjabi sensation and much liked

PTC Punjabi launch party and gala dinner was attended by more than 650 guests from Punjabi community from all walks of life by the Punjabis all around the world, the "Tutak Tuttak Tuttiyan" fame - Malkit Singh, recognized as the pioneer in taking Punjabi music global. He had flown from London to perform at the event. The audience was enthralled at the moment he came of the stage, and a spirit of celebration could be felt in the air.

Kids danced to his tunes and guests clapped with his songs. The channel was unveiled with the show reel of PTC Punjabi which was played on the two special large screens and on the six plasma screens all over the hall. The show reel reflected the qualitative superiority of the PTC Punjabi and included glimpses of all the major shows on the channel and currently being produced by the channel. PTC Punjabi in the US and Canada is a specially created custom feed with programming from PTC Punjabi, PTC News and PTC Chak de from PTC network in India to provide premium programming that exceed sixteen hours of daily fresh programs, unmatched by any Punjabi channel in the US ever. It was a comprehensive demonstration reel and clearly registered the objective of the channel to showcase the roots of Punjab through Gurbani, News, Entertainment, Cultural shows and mega reality shows made pos-

L-R: Rabindra Narayan, Founder President -PTC Network, Satinder Satti, Sunil Hali Promoter PTC Punjabi USA, Rajiee M. Shinde --Co-founder and COO PTC Punjabi, Sumandeep Kaur - Producer/Anchor-PTC Punjabi USA, Harbhajan Singh, Director -Punjabi Media

sible only by PTC Punjabi. Rabindra Narayan stressed the fact that PTC Punjabi will ensure a very high quality programming that is international in standards in every respect and reach every Punjabi household in the US and Canada. Rajiee maintained "PTC Network has always strived to provide more than just television to every Punjabi. It strives to be a part of their everyday life and we

are glad that through Dish network we are also able to touch every Punjabi's life in the US". Dr. Ruby Dhalla (MP, Canada) was the guest of honor at the event who offered her full support to PTC Punjabi channel and team in US and Canada. She also presented honors to each team member from her side to recognize and appreciate their efforts to launch PTC Punjabi in US and Canada.

After 30 years, Shabana still works very hard Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 40

Here are some excerpts: On Broken Images I found the play very challenging - it's typical Girish Karnad, not only is it written with great intrigue and great precision, it also requires split second timing from the actor because I play both the characters in the play. I do delight in the play because after doing about 50 performances now I still cannot quiet figure out who is the victim and who is the victimizer between the two characters that I playâ&#x20AC;Ś shifting relations which is typical of Girish Karnad. On her latest film 'It's a Wonderful Afterlife' by Gurinder Chadda is a film about a mother obsessed with getting her daughter married off. I play a very fat woman with a fat daughter. I had to put on 25 kilos for that part. It took me less than three months to put on all that weight resulting in my Tri-glicerides, thyroid and BP to shoot up and it took its toll on me. Getting rid of all that weight took nearly a year and it was grueling. On advise to new actors I typically don't like to give advice because I don't see myself in the guru mode. I work very hard, I don't take things for granted - 30 years after I first appeared on screen I still get butterflies in my stomach before I approach a part; and I do it very diligently and take a lot of care to create a background for the character which you might not see on screen or on stage; but

it's imp for me to root the character. Also, what is very important for actors world over is to understand that they are their own instrument, in the sense that they don't have a prop that other artistes like musicians do. So actors should embrace life because their resource is life itself. But in order to be an actor you have to be neurotic. On the key points in her acting career Ankur, my first film, also marked the beginning of parallel cinema in Hindi. I also won my first National Award for it. Arth, because it was a film that I believed in passionately; after that film I had women coming to me for resolving their marital issuesâ&#x20AC;Ś it made me aware that actors have a responsibility and that marked the beginning of my work with women's movement in India. Then Gautam Ghosh's 'Par' again is important for me because after that I got involved with Nivara Hakk, the organization that deals with the homeless and slum dwellers in Mumbai; and of course Fire for all that followed after that. Apart from that all the American films I did were also important. On decline of art cinema I don't think it is dying. Independent cinema has taken over from where art cinema was. The profile of the writers and directors is completely different - art cinema was heralded by people who were still coming out of Partition; they were concerned with feudal India, and rural India was where their

roots were very strong. Now we have a whole host of young filmmakers who are urban, English speaking, westernized kids and they talk about their reality, which is fine for me because India really is a country that lives in several centuries simultaneously and both these realities are significant. In independent cinema there are a lot

of parts for senior actors so it's a very happy time for actors like me. On lack of good lead roles for women There aren't so many good roles written for women in films purely for the economics of it. In a woman-oriented film, no important male star is willing to do a secondary role, and the male lead is the one who determines the box office returns. I don't blame produc-

ers because they are not here to change the world or to empower women; they are here in a speculative business to make money. But if audiences could convey they are interested in films about women's empowerment I promise producers will do that. It's imp for women actors to constantly push the bar and reduce their prices for a good role that will make a difference. We have so many women writers even on television, but it hasn't resulted in very positive images of women and that I find very strange. On her work for the girl child My work I believe takes up from where my father (Kaifi Azmi) left. All over the world, empowerment of women seems to be the buzz word. Women are saying we are different from men, not better or equal, but different and that difference needs to be celebrated. In India, what they lack is not the ability, but opportunity; if we can give them equal access to education, health, micro credit etc, then it will become a level playing field and towards that all the organizations working in this area need to come together and network and not try to reinvent the wheel again. On her 60th birthday cake (At her 60th birthday bash in Mumbai recently, Shabana's husband writer-poet Javed Akhtar had presented her a cake depicting a slum, which created a bit of a controversy.) I really think this furor has been created for no rhyme or reason. I

have always been teased by Javed and others that I take my work too seriously, so this cake was meant as a joke. At Nivara Hakk we have rehabilitated and rebuilt 40,000 homes for free. Can one cake that is a joke take all that away? On Ram Janmabhoomi verdict Now that we have got the verdict, it is time for reconciliation. We need to move on. We need to take our cue from the people of India who have held their peace despite all the tension that was being whipped up. I'd like to remind people who are unhappy with the verdict - both Hindus and Muslims - that they had said they'd accept the verdict whatever it was. Of course for the parties who want to appeal to the Supreme Court it is well within their right and that they can do that. But having accepted this verdict we need to understand that if the verdict was only in favor of Hindus then Muslims would have been unhappy, and if it was only in favor of Muslims then Hindus would have been unhappy; and it would have gone on and on. This way it really sets the way for reconciliation which is very important. We need to clearly understand that the fight is not between the Hindus and Muslims, but that the fight is between ideologies - ideology of liberalism against ideology of intolerance; it's really about Hindus and Muslims on the same side fighting intolerance with liberalism, that's what it's about.

Briefs

Manpreet sacked as Punjab Finance Minister

CHANDIGARH: A day after being suspended from the Shiromani Akali Dal, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal was sacked from the SAD-BJP ministry headed by his uncle Parkash Singh Badal following differences within the alliance over reported debt waiver offer from the Centre. Badal has been sacked from the state Cabinet, official sources said here. Sources close to Manpreet, however, said he had sent his resignation following his suspension. Manpreet was sacked within hours of the Chief Minister being discharged from PGI hospital where he was admitted last week after he fell in a staircase. The Finance Minister was suspended from the party and served with a show cause notice seeking his reply by October 20 after the Disciplinary Committee of the party recommended his suspension. -PTI

Interlocutors: Geelani says futile; Mirwaiz to discuss

SRINAGAR: The hardline Hurriyat Conference has rejected as a "futile exercise" the Center's appointment of interlocutors for a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir while the moderate faction said they will discuss the matter before making a statement on it. "This is a futile exercise. The Government of India is acting like the deaf and dumb," Geelani said reacting to the appointment of journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, Prof Radha Kumar and Information Commissioner M M Ansari as the Center's interlocutors to hold talks with all shades of opinion, including separatists, in the state. -PTI

ED to disclose black money stashed in banks abroad: CIC NEW DELHI: In a major development towards bringing transparency in the probe into black money stashed in Swiss banks, the Central Information Commission has directed the Enforcement Directorate to make public an estimate of the total amount of such money involved in its investigations. Rejecting the contention of the Directorate that it has been exempted from making disclosures under the RTI Act, the Commission has held all such matters now investigated by the Enforcement Directorate come within the definition of allegations of corruption and, hence, should be disclosed. -PTI

India News 45

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

'External forces' against amicable solution in Ayodhya: Ansari AYODHYA: Maintaining that those from outside Ayodhya should not attempt to politicize the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri mosque issue, the oldest litigant in the title suite Hashim Ansari today said that "external forces" did not want an amicable solution to the dispute and were creating hindrances to it. "The external forces (i.e., those from outside Ayodhya) are creating hindrance in reaching out for an amicable solution to the mandir-mosque dispute as they do not want it (to be resolved)," Ansari told reporters here. -PTI

Govt appoints 3 Interlocutors for Kashmir dialogue NEW DELHI: Home Minister P Chidambaram said here the three interlocutors on Kashmir will begin the process of "sustained uninterrupted dialogue" with all shades of opinion to resolve the Kashmir problem. He said eminent journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, Information Commissioner M M Ansari and academician Prof Radha Kumar have been appointed as interlocutors for Kashmir talks in pursuant to the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security. "We hope that they will begin a process of sustained uninterrupted dialogue with all sections of people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially with youths and students and all shades of political opinion," he told reporters here. Chidambaram said the move was a clear demonstration of the seriousness of the government of India to find a solution to the Kashmir problem which has been there "for many, many years".

Dilip Padgaonkar

Prof Radha Kumar

'We hope that they will begin a process of sustained uninterrupted dialogue with all sections of people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially with youths and students and all shades of political opinion,' Chidambaram told reporters "I would appeal to all sections of people of Jammu and Kashmir and all shades of political opinion to engage with the interlocutors so that we can move forward on

the path of finding a solution to the problem," he said. Asked why none of the interlocutors has a political background, the Home Minister said

M M Ansari

all of them have a political persona and they have been in public life for long and all of them are well known to the people of India. "All of them are engaged in work which is in public domain and we think they are very credible people, people with a good track record and they can begin their work as early as possible and I am sure they will start their work as early as possible," he said Chidambaram said government may add another interlocutor later. -PTI

Kashmiris' interests not separate from Indian Muslims: Jamiat DEOBAND: In a snub to separatists, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JuH) has made it clear that Jammu and Kashmir's future is with India, saying the interests of Kashmiri people are not separate from those of Indian Muslims. Taking up the Kashmir issue for the first time, JuH, which has the backing of leading Islamic seminary Darool Uloom Deoband, has also sought withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Power Act in the state. An 11-point resolution adopted at the Kashmir conference here accused the Centre and the J-K government of having failed to maintain peace, saying the "situation is getting from bad to worse". "We would like to assure the people of Kashmir that we as citizens of India share their grief and anguish and support there rightful demands and we do not consider that the interests of the

L to R: Niaz Ahmad Farooqui, Kamal Faruqui and mahmood Madani, addressing the media

'We wanted to highlight the problems faced by Kashmiri people and we want both sides (Kashmiri leaders and Centre) to hold direct talks to end the current impasse' Kashmiri people are separate from the interests of Indian Muslims," the resolution said. Separatists in J-K including the Hurriyat Conference have been pressing for an independent Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan.

The JuH also called for "thwarting the mission of enemy forces bent upon disintegration of Kashmir", apparently referring to antiIndia activities by Pakistan-based militant groups. "We want Kashmiri represen-

tatives to talk to the Indian government and find a solution to their problem within the framework of the Indian Constitution," JuH Secretary Niaz Ahmed Farooqui told PTI. Farooqui also said the Hurrriyat Conference was not invited but some clerics from J-K attended the meet. "We wanted to highlight the problems faced by Kashmiri people and we want both sides (Kashmiri leaders and Centre) to hold direct talks to end the current impasse," he said. He said a second Kashmir conference will be held in the national capital on October 31, following which a delegation will be sent to the Valley. The JuH demanded establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to probe "serious violations" of human rights and for tracing "thousands of lost and missing youth".-PTI

Tech News GCPL board approves merger of GHPL NEW DELHI: Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) has said its board of directors has approved the merger of Godrej Household Products Limited (GHPL) with itself. The company said the merger subsequent to GCPL's acquisition of 51% stake in Godrej Sara Lee (GSLL) from erstwhile partner Sara Lee Corp, will be applicable with retrospective effective from 1 April, 2010. After the acquisition, GSLL was renamed as Godrej Household Products Limited (GHPL). "The merger of GHPL with GCPL is an important milestone in our aspiration towards becoming a leading emerging markets FMCG company," GCPL chairman Adi Godrej said in a statement. The company said a dedicated programme office has been set up as part of the integration process. -PTI

Tackling inflation a challenge; haven't failed in the task: FM NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee dubbed managing high inflation as one of the biggest challenges before him, though adding that he has not failed on this front. "One of my biggest challenges is to control inflation but at the same time, I should not stand in the way of higher growth trajectory. It is a difficult challenge for any finance minister", he said in an interview to India Today magazine. The inflation for the month ended August was 8.5 per cent, while food inflation was 16.24 per cent for the week ended September 25. -PTI

West Bengal to have financial hub KOLKATA: West Bengal would have the country's second financial hub after Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla complex which would come up at Jyoti Basu Nagar near the northern fringes of the metropolis. Laying the foundation stone here, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the financial hub would play a pivotal role in development in the eastern and Northeastern region. "Keeping in tune with the Look East policy of the Centre, the financial hub will play a major catalytic role in the economy," he said. -PTI

TechBiz 46 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

India shifting to spending economy: Vijay Mallya India Post News Service

NEW YORK: An emerging class of young Indian consumers is driving a shift from a saving economy to a spending economy in India, said Vijay Mallya, CEO and Chairman of UB Group. At a luncheon at Asia Society's New York headquarters Oct 6, Mallya discussed his company's success in the beverage and airline industries, and offered projections on future growth areas in India. Since Mallya assumed the helm of the UB Group at age 28, its flagship company, United Spirits Limited, has grown to become the second largest spirits company in the world, with 50 percent market share in India. Kingfisher Airlines, launched in 2005, today is India's largest airline. Mallya told the event's moderator, Rebecca Blumenstein, Deputy

not want to live like their parents or grandparents" and that overall, Indian consumers are increasingly interested in high-end products. Instead of attracting customers with low fares, Kingfisher Airlines

Vijay Mallya, CEO and Chairman of UB Group

Managing Editor of the Wall Street Journal, that his company's success is due to its focus on branding. "We believed in investing as much as we possibly could in building brand equity and appealing to this young, evolving consumer," he said. Mallya said young Indians "do

But Indian law is an obstacle to building brand recognition for United Spirits's liquor labels, he said. India's constitution discourages alcohol consumption and bans liquor advertising instead created a premium coach class, which features more legroom and in-flight entertainment consoles-a feature that its competitors later copied. He said young con-

sumers especially responded to the seatback televisions. "The Indian consumer is spending more, is going towards more 'premiumization,' and is upgrading," he said. "As long as you can appeal to [young consumers] and meet their aspirations, you will win." But Indian law is an obstacle to building brand recognition for United Spirits's liquor labels, he said. India's constitution discourages alcohol consumption and bans liquor advertising. To work around these restrictions, United Spirits promotes its brands in sports, music, and fashion. He acknowledged that United Spirits has also benefited from tariffs that keep prices on imported liquors high in India. Mallya was unapologetic about protectionism. "There is nothing wrong with a country protecting its own business." Reported by Mollie Kirk

Advance-Tech to distribute Nanoscience program in India India Post News Service

SKOKIE, Ill.: NanoProfessor™, a division of NanoInk, Inc.® focused on delivering hands-on nanotechnology education, has announced that Advance-Tech, Controls Pvt. Ltd. has been selected by NanoProfessor to serve as its exclusive distributor in India. "The global nanotechnology leadership race will be won through education of the masses and we are seeing a significant international commitment to doing just that as evidenced by the number of international schools that have demonstrated an interest in the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program," said Dean Hart, executive vice president of NanoInk. "India is one of those countries showing a strong commitment to nanotechnology education and we are excited to expand our reach of the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education program into India with Advance-Tech Controls, which has demonstrated its strong com-

mitment to the field of nanoscience. The NanoProfessor Program will provide students in India with the skills needed for emerging nanotechnology jobs in the fields of biotechnology, materials, medicine, electronics, alternative energy and more." Headquartered in Vadodara, India, Advance-Tech Controls pro-

tics, cryogenics, nanotechnology and pharmaceuticals. "We are very pleased to be named the authorized distributor of the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program in India," said Mr. Pradip Kulkarni, managing director of Advance-Tech, Controls Pvt. Ltd. "The NanoProfessor Program allows us to bring hands-on

During the hands-on lab experiments, students learn the fundamentals for building custom-engineered, nanoscale structures while working with state-of-the-art equipment vides state-of-the-art products, cutting-edge technologies and support services to major market segments including: education and research, military aerospace and defense, industrial and manufacturing, and banking and business processing. Advance-Tech Controls also has education and research segments that focus on electrochemistry, physics, materials, op-

education and training to students and schools furthering India's competitiveness in the global nanotechnology market." The NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program aims to expand hands-on nanotechnology education from the cleanrooms of researchbased universities to undergraduate classrooms and is especially wellsuited to nanotechnology educa-

tional initiatives at the community college, technical institute, and undergraduate university level. The program alternates between classroom lectures and hands-on lab work and includes a 275-page textbook authored by leading nanotechnology experts AdvanceTech Controls Named Authorized Distributor in India covering the topics of Nanotechnology Basics, NanoPhysics, NanoChemistry, NanoBiology and Environmental, Health, and Safety perspectives on nanotechnology. During the hands-on lab experiments, students learn the fundamentals for building custom-engineered, nanoscale structures while working with state-of-the-art equipment including NanoInk's NLP 2000 Desktop NanoFabrication System, a student-friendly atomic force microscope (AFM), an advanced fluorescence microscope, and various chemical and biological materials used today within current and emerging nanotechnology applications.

TechBiz Post

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Textile machinery makers protest sops on imports NEW DELHI: Concerned over unchecked import of second hand textile machinery, domestic manufacturers have asked the government to stop fiscal sops on imported technology, particularly from China. "The imports of second hand/ used loom and cheap Chinese looms are the greatest hurdles for indigenous development," the Textile Machinery Manufacturers' Association (TMMA) said in a pre-budget memorandum submitted to the government. It said the Planning Commission has also observed that no subsidy should be allowed for import of any second hand capital goods. A TMMA delegation recently met Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran here and suggested that unrestricted import of the textile machinery in second hand condition should be discouraged. "The government should not be a party to the technological obsolescence as technology changes in every three-five year

period," it said, adding that such imports should not be given subsidy under the Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) scheme. The delegation, led by TMMA Chairman Anuj Bhagwati, noted that second hand imported waterjet looms are least more than

At present, duty on textile machinery in general is at 10 per cent while on some specific machinery it is four percent. On raw material, parts and components, it is eight percent 15 years old. However, these looms are being given the TUFS benefits, which include interest subsidy. "We are being burdened with decades-old technology that is less productive, consumes more

electricity and is high maintenance," it said. About 1,354 second-hand looms were imported in 2008-09. The other TMMA suggestions for the 2011-12 Budget include removal of distortions in the excise duty structure. It suggested uniform rate of eight per cent excise duty on all items of textile machinery. The duty on parts and components and accessories should be less than four per cent to promote its indigenous development. At present, duty on textile machinery in general is at 10 per cent while on some specific machinery it is four percent. On raw material, parts and components, it is eight percent. Likewise, there are two levels (7.5 per cent and five per cent) of customs duty on machinery imports. The TMMA has suggested uniform rate of 7.5 per cent. Besides, the duty on raw material, parts, components and accessories should be less than that on complete machinery. -PTI

Ministry declines clearance to Renuka Dam Project SHIMLA/NEW DELHI: Delhi's hopes to meet its growing demand of potable water from Himachal Pradesh's Renuka Dam have been dashed with the Environment Ministry refusing to give nod to the Rs 3,600-crore project as it requires felling of a "very large number" of trees. The setback to the 40 MW project, aimed at supplying drinking water to Delhi, comes at a time when land acquisition work was almost over and Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) was in the final stage of inviting global tenders to implement the project. When contacted, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) chief executive officer Ramesh Negi said that he was not aware of any such order from the environment ministry. He said that Renuka Dam is the only source to augment Delhi's raw water needs in future. "In fact, there is no other source of water to meet the needs that has been identified so far," Negi said while underlining the importance of the Renuka Dam for the increasing water demand in the city. In fact, Delhi Chief Secretary

Rakesh Mehta has been personally reviewing the construction work of the dam on the Giri River, which will offer a storage capacity of 542 million cubic meters of water and an installed power capacity of 40 MW. It will also supply Delhi with an additional 275 MGD of water.

HPPCL had sought permission to divert 990 Hectare (Ha) of forest land, which was later reduced to 775 ha in Renuka, Paonta, Nahan, Rajgarh and Wildlife divisions of Sirmaur district The dam has been planned keeping in mind the requirements of the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 and the DJB has already released Rs 300 crore to the Himachal Pradesh Government for purchase of land for its construction. Delhi will have to pay Rs 3,000 crore for the entire project.

However, the Environment ministry's refusal to give nod has played spoilsport to plans of the Delhi Government. The Environmental Appraisal Committee (EAC) had approved the project in October last year, but on August 31 the Ministry said since the proposal involved high density forest areas and required felling of "a very large number" of trees, the clearance could not be given. HPPCL had sought permission to divert 990 Hectare (Ha) of forest land, which was later reduced to 775 ha in Renuka, Paonta, Nahan, Rajgarh and Wildlife divisions of Sirmaur district. However, people of the affected villages were up in arms against the project and had launched a protracted battle against project authorities. The Environment Clearance to the project was also challenged before the Appellate Authority but despite opposition to the project, the Himachal government used the urgency clause to forcefully acquire land under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. -PTI

Gold demand dries up as prices top Rs 20,000 MUMBAI: Gold demand in India, the world's biggest consumer, has dried up after prices spilled past the psychologically daunting Rs. 20,000 per 10 grams, dealers said. "Demand is not coming. Jewellers are now expecting a rise in scrap gold supplies," said a bullion dealer with a state-run bank. He said higher prices may prompt households to sell gold and may dent demand during the key Diwali festival in the first week of November. Gold futures on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) struck a record high of Rs. 20,028, surpassing the previous peak of Rs. 19,938 hit on 13 October. The contract has risen by a quarter in the past year. "Nothing is happening. All is quiet," said Chanda Venkatesh, managing director at Chanda Anjaiah Parameshwar, a Hyderabad-based wholesale bullion dealer. "If prices sustain at current levels for next one week, people may start buying. But this year, higher

prices will badly hit festival demand," he said. Gold rallied to fresh record highs in Europe as the dollar slid to its lowest this year versus a basket of major currencies, boosting interest in the metal as a haven from currency market volatility. The Indian rupee strengthened

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Demand is not coming. Jewellers are now expecting a rise in scrap gold supplies,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said a bullion dealer in tandem with Asian peers and supported by firm stocks, and traders said it could breach 44 to the dollar for the first time in more than two years. A strong rupee makes the dollar-quoted yellow metal cheaper for local buyers. -PTI

Andhra to rein in microfinance institutions Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 46

State Rural Development Minister V Vasanth Kumar, talking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, declined to divulge the contents of the ordinance. "I cannot reveal the contents of the ordinance before the Governor gives his assent. Wait for 24-48 hours," he said. Chief Minister K Rosaiah held a video conference with the district collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) prior to the cabinet meeting and directed them to act

tough on erring MFIs to prevent any harassment of those who have taken loan from them. Rosaiah, who held meeting with state level bankers to discuss ways to help the poor loanees, told them to disburse loans expeditiously as per their targets. During the video conference, he told officials to hold district level bankers meetings to see that loans are given at reasonable rate of interest to the needy. -PTI

Â&#x201E;

Realty Tidbits

DLF to handle Golf road maintenance

Real Estate

he Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) is all set to hand over Golf Course Roads maintenance work to DLF. The project worth Rs 300 crore, which includes construction of an underpass, flyover and a foot over bridge, will be implemented on a public private partnership (PPP) model. A go-ahead has been given and formalities of the agreement are being worked out before handing over the control to DLF, a senior HUDA official said. Confirming the development, HUDA administrator Nitin Yadav said: The draft agreement is being worked out and a final decision will be taken soon. The Golf Course Road, which starts from the Sikanderpur roundabout and covers DLF Golf Course, DLF Phase-1 and DLF Extension, is about 7-kilometer long.

Â&#x201E; Festive season expected to boost demand

eal estate project launches in the country are likely to see a spurt in the months of October and November on hopes of increased demand during the peak festive season, says a report. According to the report released by brokerage firm Religare Securities, the festive discounts and promotional offers by the builders will boost the volumes, which may also result in an upside of about 10 per cent in the property prices. "August has seen a number of new real estate projects and the launch momentum is expected to continue in the peak festive months of October and November," it added.

Â&#x201E; Futurex to be India's tallest building

he country's tallest commer cial building is all set to come up at Lower Parel. Marathon Group has announced the launch of Marathon Futurex, a 165-metre tall building, which is currently in the last phase of construction. The 38-storey building is located at Mafatlal Mills. "The reason for choosing a location on NM Joshi Marg was its proximity to two stations - Lower Parel and Curry Road. So, apart from being accessible to people traveling by train, it is also close to the Bandra-Worli sea link," said Mayur Shah, managing director, Marathon Group.

48 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

DLF luxury malls in Hyderabad, Chennai

eal estate developer DLF Ltd that currently operates luxury mall - DLF Emporio - in the Capital is considering to start similar projects in other big cities, including Hyderabad and Chennai, that are seeing traction for high-end brands. "We are looking to open more luxury malls in cities like Hyderabad and Chennai," DLF Malls Business Head Savitri Devi Singh said. The company is currently in talks with the existing tenants at its DLF Emporio for the same. "There are some 10-12 anchor brands we are in discussions with to bring up similar models in other cities," she said.

Pay more to own real estate in Delhi, Gurgaon

uyers will now have to pay more to own real estate in Delhi with the minimum price at which properties are registered being doubled across the board. The redeeming factor, however, is that the revised circle rates are up to a third less than what revenue officials had proposed for the Cabinet's approval. The new circle rate ranges from Rs 13,800 per square meter to Rs 86,000 per square meter across the eight categories into which the city is divided. Properties are sold at varying rates, even within a colony, so the government uses circle rate as a uniform measure to calculate its value on which stamp duty and registration fee is charged. In June, the Cabinet had approved different circle rates and parameters for calculating it, but later decided to reconsider the decision after bureaucrats warned about legal hassles. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the new rates will be notified soon and enforced. She said the circle rates have been increased to keep pace with satellite towns like Gurgaon and Noida where

In June, the Cabinet had approved different circle rates and parameters for calculating it, but later decided to reconsider the decision after bureaucrats warned about legal hassles they have been consistently increased to reduce the use of black money in the property market. A senior revenue official said, "Our revenue collection was unreasonably low as the existing circle rates hadn't been changed for three years, when they were

Tata Housing going international

ata Housing, a unit of Tata Sons, is foraying into international markets with the launch of projects in Sri Lanka and Maldives in the current quarter, said a top executive of the company. The real estate company, known for low-cost housing projects, plans to do a mix of luxury and affordable housing projects in these markets, he said. "We have got interest from other foreign countries also, which we are examining. But for now, we are planning to launch our projects in one of the cities in Sri Lanka or Maldives in the current quarter," said Brotin Banerjee, managing director and chief executive officer. The com-

pany may partner with local governments and land owners to launch its projects, he said. He denied that the company was going the Tata group way, which derives 70 per cent of its revenues from international markets through companies such as Tata Steel. "It (international markets) will be a significant portion in the coming years but we will go in the reverse way to our parent. Nearly 80 per cent of our revenues will come from India and the rest from abroad," he said. The company has launched an arm by the name of Smart Value Homes which will sell houses in the range of Rs 500,000 to Rs 35 lakh (Rs 3.5 million).

first enforced, while actual market rates have soared since." Most buyers pay the price of the property they buy in two parts, one calculated on circle rate that they pay in white and the balance in black, added another officer. Colonies are classified into eight categories to calculate circle rates under the unit area method that was formed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in 2007 for charging the annual property tax. The revision proposal tabled for the Cabinet's approval and which was eventually rejected, sought to more than triple the rate in some colonies, said a senior revenue official. If the proposal was cleared, circle rates would have ranged between Rs 9,000 per

square meter and Rs 1.25 lakh per square meter. "It also created categories for posh colonies that were to have the maximum circle rates. These colonies would have seen the steepest rise had the proposal been approved," said an official. The proposal also sought to change the existing categorization of colonies as per the unit area method and divide the city into 2,480 localities with varying circle rates, which the bureaucrats warned would be bad in law. "How can we put the same colony in one category to charge property tax and in another to calculate stamp duty and registration fee? Anyone could have moved the court against it," said a senior government official. Gurgaon hike In its bid to bridge the gap between real estate prices and existing sector rates, the Gurgaon district administration has jacked up the circle rates for the second time. The revised rate will result in a 520% increase in circle rates of properties in Gurgaon. The revised rates, according to property experts, might not have much of an impact on the real estate prices but it will make property registration a costly affair. The lowest increase in the circle rate will be in the case of properties falling in areas like Farukh Nagar, Pataudi and Manesar that are outside the already declared residential, commercial and industrial zones. The circle rate will witness a 20% increase in case of colonies falling under urban Gurgaon, the new city and private colonies.

Horoscope

October 22, 2010

India Post 49

www.indiapost.com

by Pandit Parashar

Oct 22 - Oct 28

ews you had been waiting for could come during the week. Boss may put you on an important assignment. Some of you will be taking a short trip for business purpose this week. It will be better to do complete investigation before making any big financial commitment. You will spend good time with some politicians.

ou will start some kind of loan process. Planets will bring hidden talent on surface and you will be admired by many this week. Mind will stay cheerful as most of the things you plan will come through easily. It will be a very favorable week for people working in high tech industry. You may be thinking of traveling overseas.

t is a favorable week for job seekers. Offer will not be as great but will be reasonable. Some of you may try to cut down on nicotine or caffeine intake. You will dispose off something not being used and even make some money from the sale. You may be in touch with a learned person for some clarifications and advice.

ou are really going to enjoy with family and friends. Watch out for some one who was too close at one time and still trying to comeback in life. Gambling and speculation will be profitable. You may finally succeed in disposing of a property too. You will make big change in diet and will be successful in loosing few pounds.

trong Mars in fifth will bring some fortunate changes in career. New assignment or job could require frequent traveling also. You will make few important contacts at the get together. Money will go on buying some fine quality items for the house. Jupiter in house of luck will help everything get done in first shot.

ou will regain controls over things getting out of your hands. Mars in fourth will bring energy back and financial relief too. Property deal can also close this week. You may also resolve a pending issue with a government agency. You may be slowing getting ready for an upcoming trip. Few close relative will call this week.

hances of making money through stocks very high. Planets will help you in all financial deals. Just handle all tools with extra care. You will be calling siblings more frequently this week. Advice from a learned person will clear some confusions. You will buy some nice cloths or jewelry item for yourself or family member.

rip will be useful. Phone calls you make will get the job done quickly. You will be working extra hours but will enjoy doing it. Boss will be happy with your performance. Some of you may also change one of your cars with newer model. Relationship will take some more time to become permanent. Stocks will give you the extra cash.

eek good to make all important financial decisions. Planets in eleventh will help you lay hands on some real easy money. You may dispose off money making stocks too. Things will get more relaxing at work. An old friend will call to seek your advice. You may also hear some good or encouraging news from overseas.

evelopments at work will be interesting and benefit you soon. Money can pour in from various directions. Some one close will need your help and you will go out of your way. Money can come through a property deal too. It will be very good week for people in food or grocery business. You will visit a close relative also.

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

ou will be tempted to grab the offer and join the band wagon with some successful people. You will attend a social event and make friends with some politicians. Money may go towards replacing an old car or buying some nice furniture items for the house. You may be suggested minor surgery to overcome some health issue.

ecision will be tough but you will make the correct choice. Loan application will go through without any difficulty. You will have the chance to express your concerns to the boss. Your search for an ideal place to move will continue. Money from insurance may come during the week. You will visit an old friend.

925-833-7170 website: www.parashar.com

Datebook

India Post

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

NEW YORK

ILLINOIS

Upcoming

Fri Oct 22 • The 7th Annual International Sikh Film Festival

Fri Oct 22

NEW JERSEY

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

• Hemant Chauhan - Dandiya Raas

Sat Oct 23

Venue: 1410 Broadway, Suite 301, New York Time: 11am Contact: 203-300-1784

Venue: Harper College, 1200 West Algonquin Road, Palatine, Illinois Time: 8pm Contact: 708-975-0076

• The Merchants of Bollywood Atlantic City

Sat Oct 23

Sat Oct 30

ï Amjad Sabri Qawali Night

• Bharatam Dance Showcase 2010

Venue: Caesars Atlantic City - Circus Maximus Theatre, 2100 Pacific Ave, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 08401 Time: 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm Contact: Josh Baker Phone : 317-222-1325

Venue: Indian Concert Hall, 143-09 Holly Ave. Flushing NY Flushing, New York, 11355 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: Afzal Usmani, 973 489 8784

Venue: Oswego East High School, 1525 Harvey Rd., Oswego, Illinois

Sat Nov 6 • Dance Competition at Zee Diwali Mela NJ

Fri Oct 29

Fri Oct 22 • Grand Diwali Celebration Venue: New Heritage Of India Restaurant, 167 South Main Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 7:30pm to 10:30pm Contact: 408-515-3905

Wed Oct 27 • Ravi Shankar & Anoushka Shankar Venue: 28th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, California

Every Sat (start from Sat Aug 8) • Gurukul Classes for Children Venue: Sindhu Center, South California Time: 2pm to 4pm Contact: 818-541-1754 & 909-576-1114 Highlights: Children between the ages of 5 and 18. Children will be taught the Fundamentals of Hinduism, Prayers, Shlokas, Bhajans and Values of our culture.

Sat Oct 30 ï Diwali Mela (Festival of Light)

Venue: Garden State Exhibit Center, 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, New Jersey, 08873

Venue: Reseda high School Ground 18230Kittridge St., Reseda, CA 91335

Time: 3:30 pm Contact: Jayesh Mehta, Phone: 732 7673 0118

Time: 8:30 pm Contact: 866-920-5299

Time: 4 pm to 10:30 pm Contact: Dinesh Lakhanpal - 818-207-6562 & Prikshat Bhatia - 949-439-0925 Highlights: Rath Yatra, Party after Diwali Mela, Raffle. Organized by Indian Cultural Center .

Sun Oct 31

Sat Oct 30 & Sun Oct 31

ï Masters of Indian Music Venue: Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd Street, NYC, New York Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 212-545-7536

Time: 4pm to 7pm Contact: 630-922-3107

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming Sat Oct 23 • Akkana Kazh Chakal Venue: George Marshall School, 7731 leesbrug Pike, Falls Chruch, Virginia, WDC Contact: 204-347-7923

Fri Oct 29 & Mon Nov 1 • Art of Living Yoga and Meditation course at Ashburn Venue: Mills Recreation Center, 43895 Grottoes Drive, Ashburn Village Community, Ashburn, Virginia, 20147 Time: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm Contact: Chitra Ramesh, Phone: 703-723-8181

• Dr. Pantula Rama - Vocal Venue: Center for Employment Training, 701 Vine Street, San Jose, California Time: 3pm Contact: 408-252-5231

Sat Nov 20 • Euphoria at Roobaroo 2010 Venue: Chabot College Theater, Hayward, California Time: 5pm to 8pm Contact: (415)320-8243

Sat Nov 13 • Diwali Dhamaka - 2010 Venue: Thomas Hart Middle School, 4433 Willow Road, Pleasanton, California Time: 6pm Contact: 925-699-6159

• Fun At "Boo At The Zoo"! Venue: Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Time: 10am to 4pm Contact: 323-644-4200 Highlights: The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.

Wed Nov 3 to Sat Nov 6 • 4th Annual Festival of Lights Red Carpet DIWALI Venue: Tanzore Restaurant & Special Events, 50 North La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, California Time: 6pm to 11pm Contact: 818-512-8888

Classifieds

October 22, 2010

India Post 51

www.indiapost.com

PART TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE Virtual Investments is looking for part time workers for the post of a payment representative sales, and A bookkeeper. The requirements for these positions underline that you are computer literate, have two to three hours of access to the internet weekly, If you are interested or just need more information. Please Contact

ETHAN MIN by email ethan1955@gmail.com

Eyebrow Threading Artists NEEDED FOR LOS ANGELES AREA. Good Pay. Good Hours. Training Provided. Call Sunny at

626-410-3646 or email

sunny@bombayeyebrowbar.com.

Notice is hereby given that sealed competitive bids will be accepted in the office of the GSA-Purchasing Department, County of Alameda, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907, Oakland, CA 94612 NETWORKING/SOUTH COUNTY BIDDERS CONFERENCE RFP #900721 for Ergonomic Evaluation Services, Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 10:00 a.m.単 Castro Valley Library, 3600 Norbridge Avenue, Chabot Room, Castro Valley, CA NETWORKING/NORTH COUNTY BIDDERS CONFERENCE RFP #900721 for Ergonomic Evaluation Services, Thursday, October 28, 2010, 2:00 p.m. 単 General Services Agency, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Room 1105, 11th floor, Oakland, CA Responses Due by 2:00 pm on December 02, 2010 County Contact : Stefanie Taylor (510) 208-9610 or via email: stefanie.taylor@acgov.org Attendance at Networking Conference is Non-mandatory. Specifications and bid copies regarding the above may be obtained at the Alameda County Current Contracting Opportunities Internet website at www.acgov.org. 10/22/10 CNS-1959144#

Philosophy

India Post

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Page Sponsored by Sahanis SWAMI RAMATIRTHA

here is a story in India about an emperor who was put into prison by his son. He was put into prison because his son wanted to see himself possessed of the whole kingdom. The son put his father into prison so that he might satisfy his hunger after lucre. At one time, the father wrote to his own son to send him some students so that he might amuse himself by teaching them something. Then the son said, "Will you hear this fellow, my father? He had been ruling over the kingdom for so many years, and even now he cannot give up his old habit of ruling. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He still wants to rule over students; he wants somebody to rule over. He cannot give up his old habits." So it is. How can we give up our old habits? The old habit clings to us. We cannot shake it off. The Real Self of yours, the emperor Shah-i-jahan (the literal meaning of the word is 'ruler of whole world,' and so the name of that emperor Shah-i-jahan means the emperor of the whole universe) is the emperor of the universe. Now you have put the emperor into a prison, into the blackhole of your body, into the quarantine of your little self. How can that real self, that em-

DEEPAK CHOPRA

y father is a cardiologist in India. For many years he served as an army doctor, which required us to move from post to post throughout the country. While I was an infant, he was sent to Jammu, far away to the north in the state of Kashmir. I remember nothing of our stay there, but for years I heard about the terrible allergies my mother suffered in that place. Her tormentor was the pollen of a native flower that covered the ground when it blossomed every spring. It caused her to have severe asthma attacks; her body swelled, and on her skin appeared large red welts and blisters. My father is very devoted to my mother, and out of compassion he drove her every spring to Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. The air in Srinagar is free of this particular pollen, and she was delighted to find herself in a mountain valley that is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. One spring the heavy rains had made the road impassable, and my father decided that they should fly back home early. They boarded the plane, and after an hour it touched down. He put his hand reassuringly on my mother's arm,

peror of the universe, forget his old habits? How can he give up his nature. Nobody is capable of shaking off his own nature. Nobody can jump out of his own nature. So the Atman, the true Self, the real Reality in you-how can that give up its nature? You have confined that in the prison, but even in the prison it wants to possess the whole world, because it has been possessing the whole; it cannot give up its old habits. If you wish this ambitious

him the other. When you have to preach the Holy Gospels, take with you no money, bare-footed, bareheaded you should go. If you are called to the courts of justice, before going to the courts think not of what you will have to say. Open your mouth and it will be filled. Look at the lilies of the field and the sparrows of the forest. They take no thought for tomorrow, and the lilies and the sparrows wear garments which even Solomon might grudge.

should give up your riches; do this alone, and you can be in peace." This spirit of renunciation, this chapter which is so much kept in the background by at least the missionaries in India, and even all over the world, this chapter teaches Vedanta and the teachings which are lived by the Indian monks even at this time. In the name of that holy religion, in the name of that teaching of renunciation, just mark people going as priests and missionaries

It is impossible for anyone to give up ambition

Swami Ramatirtha

So the Atman, the true Self, the real Reality in you-how can that give up its nature? You have confined that in the prison, but even in the prison it wants to possess the whole world

spirit, the avarice should be shaken off, if you desire that the people in this world should give up this ambitious nature, could you preach them to give it up? Impossible. In the Bible it is stated in the fifth chapter of Mathew, in the Sermon on the Mount, if somebody slaps you on one cheek, turn to

Have you not a statement in the Bible that it may be possible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, but it is impossible for the rich to realize the kingdom of heaven? Have you not read in the Bible about the rich man who came to Christ and asked to be initiated and Christ said, "There is only one way with you, no other way; you

to India. If you regard Self as the body, nobody should feel offended. Nobody has a right to feel in the least offended if anything is said against his little body. Excerpted from 'In Woods of God-Realization' The 137th birth anniversary of Swami Ramatirtha falls on October 22

but he could already see the red spots on her skin and the effort it took for her just to breathe. My mother's allergy was so severe that the steward ran up and asked what was wrong. "There's nothing you can do," my father said. "It's the pollen in Jammu." "Jammu?" The steward looked puzzled. "We haven't landed there yet - this is Udhampur, our first

sorts, to our family mystery. My mother has only one personality, but this shift was both extreme and swift. Many multiple-personality cases have been studied and verified, particularly by Dr. Bennett Braun, a research psychiatrist and specialist in the field. When the patient's personality shifts, warts, scars, and rashes have been seen to appear and disappear, along with

in it, being composed only of memories and psychological tendencies; yet these are more permanent than the cells being affected. This is not a huge mystery - every molecule in your own body is wrapped up, as we saw, with a bit of invisible intelligence. Memory is not a term used by physicists, and yet it is easy to find it in the quantum world-particles that are separated by immense distances of space-time

Universe is knitted together in memory network

Deepak Chopra

stop. Didn't they tell you?" My father was quite startled. When he looked at my mother, her wheezing had subsided and her sores were vanishing on the spot. For years afterward he would shake his head and mutter, "All you have to do is say the word Jammu and your mother breaks out." When I told him about the IgE experiment, he was very relieved now he had a scientific answer, of

Memory is not a term used by physicists, and yet it is easy to find it in the quantum world-particles that are separated by immense distances of space-time know what one another are doing hypertension and epilepsy. A specific personality can be color blind, only to return to normal sight when the personality changes back. Mystified researchers are looking for a mechanism to explain these seemingly impossible occurrences; it will be found, I believe, only by seeing that a quantum shift has taken place. A personality has no molecules

know what one another are doing. When an electron jumps into a new orbit on the outside of an atom, the anti-electron (-or positron) paired with it must react, no matter where it lives in the cosmos. In fact, the entire universe is knitted together by this kind of memory network. Excerpted from Quantum Healing The 64th birth anniversary of Deepak Chopra falls on Oct 22

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. -Helen Keller The important thing is this: to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. -Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. -Jalal ad-Din Rumi Whether you accept Radha and Krishna, or not, please do accept their attraction for each other. Try to create that same yearning in your heart for God. Yearning is all you need in order to realize Him. -Ramakrishna Paramhansa The man who never weakens when things are against him will grow stronger and stronger until all things will delight to be for him. -Christian D. Larson

You Insure all your Valuables, all are replaceable except YOU! So Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

Edit Page

October 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

The cold end of cold start doctrine? YOGESH JOSHI

ecently, the Chief of Army Staff General VK Singh of ficially announced the demise of the Cold Start Doctrine. Under the threat of nuclear war, the possibility of use of force as a state policy in the region was under serious strain. Cold Start was supposed to make the military usable in the region. The cold end of Cold Start is therefore puzzling. Cold Start doctrine was touted as an answer to Pakistan's asymmetric warfare in the sub-continent and its use of terrorism as an active tool of state policy. Both Kargil and Operation Parakram were eye-openers for the military

nuclear weapons is a non-zero sum game in the sense that both parties have a common interest in avoiding nuclear exchange. Bargaining is always a possibility. India's cold start doctrine assumed this mutual interest in avoidance of nuclear exchange. In other words, the strategy was to call out Pakistan's bluff. Secondly, this was to be done in a blitzkrieg manner - lightening fast. As Ali Ahmed has delineated, the doctrine aimed at massive but limited thrust across the border using the so called Integrated Battle Groups - a fire power packed modern swift action forces which can

Divya Astra military exercise (2004)

in this regard. They underscored two important points. First, it is very hard to undertake a normal conventional attack against Pakistan under the threat of a full-blown nuclear exchange between the South Asian rivals, which Pakistan has left no stone unturned to convey to the whole world. This is evident in its first-use nuclear doctrine and the theory of nuclear redlines. Second, the inordinate delay in moving the Indian war machine, as was the case during operation Parakram, allows Pakistan to sell the moral hazard of nuclear war between the two states effectively to the international community, especially the USA. So how was the Cold Start doctrine supposed to overcome these hurdles? The fundamental premise was based on an assumption that there exists strategic space between a nuclear catastrophe and terrorism based proxy war within which a limited conventional war can be fought. The idea was to keep the threshold of the war to such a level that Pakistan would not be able to use its nuclear weapons. Since, as Thomas Shelling has argued in The Strategy of Conflict, conflict under the shadow of

move rapidly across the border and hold small territories which were to be used as hostages' visĂ -vis Pakistan while bargaining for a political settlement. This would not give international community time to respond

It is easy to strategize war. However, it is equally hard to calibrate it. Nuclear weapons deter both nuclear wars as well as conventional wars because war is a continuum not a discrete set of actions to Pakistan's blackmail of using nuclear weapons. The Indian Army doctrine of 2004 discussed these possibilities. In line with these ideas, the Indian Army held a number of major military exercises on the western front applying the operational modalities which a Cold Start strategy encompasses. Divya Astra (2004), Vajra Shakti (2005), Desert Strike (2005), Sanghe Shakti (2006) and Aswamedh (2007) were some in

this line. Even organizational changes were brought about. The new southwestern army command was result of these new designs of limited warfare. This shows that a considerable amount of attention and resources were devoted towards operationalizing this new limited war concept. A number of problems abound the idea of Cold Start. Four of them have been explicitly identified by Walter Ludwig in his paper in International Security. These are the problem of Goal Setting, Misperceptions, Mission Creep and Geography of the region. These are, according to him, peculiar to the South Asian region. However, there is a systemic problem which engulfs the idea of strategy in the nuclear context. As Kenneth Waltz has said, "nuclear weapons dominate strategy." It is easy to strategize war. However, it is equally hard to calibrate it. Nuclear weapons deter both nuclear wars as well as conventional wars because war is a continuum not a discrete set of actions. Cold Start attempts to compartmentalize war. This is conventional thinking. The history of Cold War is an apt example of this dynamic. One cannot separate existence of nuclear weapons from the use of force. Intellectual chaos surrounding strategic studies literature on limited war in the nuclear age is another indicator. It is still hard to say whether innovations in strategy really helped policy makers to solve the conundrum of use of force and concomitant possibility of nuclear exchange in the world where absolute weapons rule absolutely. The proponents of limited war strategy and by default Cold Start base their analysis on a deductive logic derived from game theory and logical necessity. However, the fundamental problem with this kind of deductive reasoning is that, unlike physical sciences, there is no way you can test the validity of one's hypothesis. There has been no precedent in history where a calculated limited nuclear war under nuclear shadow has been fought. On the other hand, the history of Cold War has shown time and again that testing such a possibility, though logically derived, is rendered untenable by the very existence of nuclear weapons. The writer is Research Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Courtesy IPCS

India Post New India

ll the doom-sayers and gloom pervaders have not been able to check the march of a new India visible in the incredible performances in the Commonwealth Games matched by equally vigorous support from the stands. Despite the massive and discouraging security cover and the corruption exposes leading up to the games, slowly the stands started filling up and in the last few days a chorus of 60,000 was heard when four Indian women athletes snatched up an unprecedented gold in 4x400 meters relay. Every day of the Games, India's prestige went a little up not only by the medals won but also in the way the Indians fought and put up a brave show. What was perceived to be a "coming of age" party for India has shown up to be much more of "coming of age" for Indian women. They have surprised the nation with medals in disciplines considered too tough for them. It can be said that the best-ever Indian performance in Commonwealth Games can be attributed to home conditions and home crowds. This may be true but it is also true of the western nations who have been traditionally holding the games due to infrastructural superiority. Still, it required going out in the arena and doing it. And they surprised not only the world but the Indians themselves! The memory of the infrastructure hiccups and corruption lingers. But New India has a different approach here. They won't mind paying a little more, even as bribe, if it works. In the old days of Congress-raj, there was deep corruption but there was no relief from it and no exposures. There was no guarantee that the job would be done even after greasing palms. Today's youth want delivery. The problem with Commonwealth Games was that the organizers were shown as corrupt but also that they did not deliver, neither in time nor in quality. That was the major crime. And then there was a daily competition in the media to expose them and they did not know where to hide their faces. The India story got a big boost by the recent United Nations vote where 187 of 190 nations voted in its favor for the nonpermanent member seat in the UN Security Council. It is a vindication of India's restrained approach in conducting international diplomacy as against that of Pakistan and China. In spite of the human rights mess in Kashmir, the threat of terrorism, the western nations' attempt to trip up India with adverse travel advisories and scary stories and Chinese saber-rattling, there is more support in the world for India. The success of the Commonwealth Games and the economic upsurge is a stark contrast to the state of Pakistan which is still engaged in fighting over religion and trying to sink India's boat as well since its own boat is sinking. China's muscleflexing the world over has instilled fear but has not made it very popular. The China-Pakistan method of conducting business is based on violence which hasn't brought great fruit to either. One Noble Prize to a dissident has sent jitters down the spine of Chinese strongmen. Among the chief detractors of the Games was Mani Shankar Aiyer, ironically the sports minister when preparations for the Games had to begin. He publicly wished that the Games fail because a success would egg the organizers on to bid for Olympic Games, which, in his view, would take away energy from improving the lot of the poor. And to avoid facing the Games he escaped to London. And now that the Games have been a success, Aiyer will have to seek permanent asylum, perhaps in Pakistan.

54 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

India Post 55

56 India Post

October 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Car + Home Savings Total average savings of $696* Let us show you how combining home and auto policies can really add up. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® CONTACT AN AGENT TODAY.

Yogi Chugh Insurance Lic. #: 0E74122 Cupertino, CA Bus: 408-996-9999

Ashish Dhawan Insurance Lic. #: 0F91589 Danville, CA Bus: 925-837-3577

Kevin Jopes Insurance Lic. #: 0E00735 Fremont, CA Bus: 510-438-9922

Aman Kashyap Insurance Lic. #: 0E88912 Fremont, CA Bus: 510-445-1511

Becky Rivers Insurance Lic. #: 0E35610 Fremont, CA Bus: 510-791-1100

Vickie Stephens Insurance Lic. #: 0C89220 Fremont, CA Bus: 510-796-8164

Richard L Storelee Insurance Lic. #: 0595470 Fremont, CA Bus: 510-490-2566

Gurbinder S Mavi Insurance Lic. #: 0F22244 Palo Alto, CA Bus: 650-326-0660

James M Harrington Insurance Lic. #: 0G39186 Pleasanton, CA Bus: 925-520-0290

Nafees Subedar Insurance Lic. #: 0F91511 San Francisco, CA Bus: 415-954-7100

Rachel Bhan Insurance Lic. #: 0C67215 San Jose, CA Bus: 408-272-2629

Atul Saini Insurance Lic. #: 0F92298 San Jose, CA Bus: 408-929-1100

Harjeet S Ghuman Insurance Lic. #: 0721072 San Leandro, CA Bus: 510-346-9800

Bal Claire Insurance Lic. #: 0C75550 San Rafael, CA Bus: 415-479-8086

statefarm.com® *Average annual household savings based on national 2009 survey of new policyholders who reported savings by switching to State Farm. 0907502

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company • State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm General Insurance Company, Bloomington, IL