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VOL 21, No. 1100

October 23, 2015

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Periodical Postage

JAITLEY SLAMS SHIV SENA VANDALISM

NEW DELHI: Union minister Arun Jaitley has come out strongly against the "extremely disturbing trend" of people resorting to vandalism to register contrarian views and said there has to be a proper "civilized mode" of discussing and debating issues.

"All right-thinking sections will have to distance themselves from these kind of methodologies," he said in the backdrop of a series of incidents including where BJP ally Shiv Sena stormed the BCCI headquarters and blackened the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni in Mumbai.

Asked about the tactics employed by Shiv Sena to register protests, he said the same standard of civility applies to all.

He also said that the BJP President has "strongly" taken

up with the "few leaders" in his party, who had made statements on sensitive issues, adding, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed his views.

Jaitley said that those using these methods must also "introspect" whether they are adding to the quality of Indian democracy or are they really "reducing" the credibility of India as a country before the eyes of the world itself.

Noting that it was "an extremely disturbing trend" where some people have been resorting to vandalism as an instrument of registering their protest or conveying their views, the minister said it is quite possible that in a large country like India there may be "divergent views" on many subjects.

FOG - Diwali & Fireworks with new attractions Details on page 24

Wal-Mart paid millions of dollars in bribes Details on page 12

Gandhi's greatgranddaughter faces arrest Details on page 6

Details on page 5

Sehwag retires from all forms of cricket Details on page 6 See pages on 14-22

Shiv Sena is growing into a 'monster': Pak

CONTENTS Bollywood -------------------------- 34 Classifieds ------------------------- 52

Details on page 5

Community Post -------------- 23-33 Date Book -------------------------- 47

INDIA POST SURVEY

Edit Page --------------------------- 54 HealthScience Post --------- 48-50

survey@indiapost.com

Horoscope ------------------------- 51

This week’s question

Immigration Post ------------- 44-46

Should BJP jettison Shiv Sena in Maharashtra?

Life Style ----------------------- 42-43 Philosophy ------------------------- 53

Last week’s result

Has intolerance increased under BJP rule?

YES 76%

NO 24%

GROW GRAINS, NOT GUNS: M S Swaminathan, father of India's Green Revolution, after his presentation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC on October 19, where he declared that the future belongs to countries with grains and not guns. (Details on page 8)

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 40-41 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-13 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 35-38

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Publisher’s Diary

T

he Iowa Caucuses are coming up in just about a couple of months and our very own man-in-a-hurry Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is still refusing to take a reality check on his floundering Presidential campaign.

It's not his fault, though. When good men, goaded by searing ambition, turn from being able administrators into wily politicians, they become thick skinned enough to not see what we call in a democracy, the people's will.

Of course we mean him well, even if he has, in so many words, disowned our ilk with much disdain. But, in case his campaign managers have failed to tell him so already, we would like to list out a few good reasons why he should call it day and withdraw from the race before he embarrasses himself completely.

Well, for one Jindal's approval ratings in his own home state are abysmally low owing to his preoccupation with establishing himself as a Christian and an (non-hyphenated) American. So, okay, that may be my personal surmise, but listen to what electoral experts are saying: Jindal's fundraising, at a little over half a million dollars in the last quarter, is lagging behind that of 11 other Republican contenders. And at the end of September, his campaign ended with just about $261,000 cash on hand. And that, they say, is "bad news".

Jindal has been consistent in one aspect though - that of routinely registering ONE percent or less in national surveys and opinion polls, which ostensibly relegates him to the line-up of also-rans in television debates. Like that is not enough, Jindal has not received a single endorsement from either his peers or media houses.

If you ask me, I think his campaign was a non-starter, what with a slogan like "Tanned. Rested. Ready." How serious can you be about running a country like the United States of America, if you sound like all you have been doing the past summer was bumming on the beach?

Well, Jindal may have jumped into the political marathon a good two decades ago, but he still has a long way to go before he can start clocking his time.

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Tere Ghar ke Saamne If the latest grapevine is to be believed then Ranveer Singh has purchased an apartment next to Deepika's.

Cover Story: Shiv Sena vandalism Arun Jaitley has come out strongly against the "extremely disturbing trend" of people resorting to vandalism

Community: Nonstop to Delhi Air India has announced that it will launch nonstop flights between the Bay Area and New Delhi starting Dec 2.

‘Leaky’ immigration Even the Bushes admit that "leaky" immigration enforcement was a major factor in leading to the terrorist attacks.

Life style: Schwarzenegger & Rajini Tamil filmmaker Shankar has signed the `Terminator' star Arnold Schwarzenegger for his sci-fi sequel starring Rajinikanth

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Climate ambition India has told a UN panel on sustainable development that the path to climate ambition must be paved with equity.

Imphal This quaint little beautiful city finds its abode in the basin of Manipur River. The city is encircled by hills

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Cover/Top Stories

October 23, 2015

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Jaitley slams Shiv Sena vandalism NEW DELHI: Union minister Arun Jaitley has come out strongly against the "extremely disturbing trend" of people resorting to vandalism to register contrarian views and said there has to be a proper "civilized mode" of discussing and debating issues.

"All right-thinking sections will have to distance themselves from these kind of methodologies," he said in the backdrop of a series of incidents including where BJP ally Shiv Sena stormed the BCCI headquarters and blackened the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni in Mumbai.

Asked about the tactics employed by Shiv Sena to register protests, he said the same standard of civility applies to all.

He also said that the BJP President has "strongly" taken up with the "few leaders" in his party, who had made statements on sensitive issues, adding, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed his views.

Jaitley said that those using these methods must also "introspect" whether they are adding to the quality of Indian democracy or are they really "reducing" the credibility of India as a country before the eyes of the world itself.

Noting that it was "an extremely disturbing trend" where some people have been resorting

to vandalism as an instrument of registering their protest or conveying their views, the minister said it is quite possible that in a large country like India there may be "divergent views" on many subjects.

"But we had a tradition of civility in conveying those different opinions. Also particularly because some of these issues are extremely serious," the Finance Minister told reporters in his office.

He said some issues can reflect on inter-community relations while others can reflect on sensitive areas such as Jammu and Kashmir.

"There are issues which impinge on our relations with our neighboring countries and therefore there has to be a proper civi-

Arun Jaitley

lized mode of discussing and debating these issues," he said.

Jaitley said he has no problem if people convey contrarian view because that is the essence of democracy and debate.

"But the debate will have to be conducted in a manner in which we are able to raise the level of debate rather than use vandalism

as an instrument for registering our opinion or protests," he said.

Jaitley, who is also the Information and Broadcasting Minister, said he feels that it is extremely

The News International said.

The paper said that Shiv Sena is allied to the ruling BJP which is a huge factor in the lack of government response to its extremist acts.

"The threat posed by the hard-line right wing Shiv Sena group seems to be growing into a monster that may prove very hard to control," it said.

The main thrust of the attack appears to be directed against anyone opposed to their extremist Hindu ideology; Pakistan and Pakistanis seem to be the main targets, the paper said.

have been spoken to.

"I am sure all our spokesmen have been conducting themselves in accordance with the spirit which I have just represented," he

Shiv Sena workers storming BCCI office protesting against Indo-Pak cricket meet in Mumbai on October 19

important that people indulging in this are strongly criticized.

"All right-thinking sections will have to distance themselves from these kind of methodologies which are being used.

"And those who are using these methods must also introspect whether they are adding to the quality of Indian democracy or they are really reducing the credibility of India as a country before the eyes of the world itself," he said.

He added that what is "disturbing" is when these acts of vandalism are increasingly "publicized", many others are feeling encouraged to use similar methods.

"So, you have actually seen a kind of copycat vandalism in at least two-three parts of the country in the last few days where protests have been registered," he said.

Jaitley hoped that everyone sees reason and they are able to conduct discussions, debates and difference of opinion in public space in a more civilized manner.

Asked about its own ally Shiv

Shiv Sena is growing into a 'monster': Pak daily ISLAMABAD: The threat posed by Shiv Sena is growing into a "monster" that may prove very hard to control, a leading Pakistani daily has said and asked the Indian government to take action against the party to safeguard the country's image.

"It is obvious the Shiv Sena terror is getting out of hand.

There have been repeated incidents over the past few months.

Yes, the party has existed in the past and raised its ugly threats from time to time, but never with such force and venom," an editorial "Shiv Sena madness" in

Sena indulging in vandalism, Jaitley said, "I think this applies equally to all. We will all have to have the same standard whether it is somebody belonging to po-

The editorial came after Shiv Sena activists stormed the headquarters of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai shortly before Indian cricket officials were scheduled to meet their Pakistani counterparts to discuss reviving cricket ties between the two nations.

Later the meeting was cancelled before Indian authorities mull over the option of shifting it to New Delhi.

Cont’d on page 8

litical opposition or somebody belonging to a political friend.

"I think the fact that we have to convey our opinion and differences in a more restrained manner is something which all of us have to realize".

Replying to a question on "loose cannons" in his own party, Jaitley said, "I don't think anybody in the BJP has resorted to these methods. Some people, a very few, two-three made some statements on sensitive issues and the party President has strongly taken it up with them".

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed his views and therefore all of them

said.

His comments also comes a day after President Pranab Mukherjee expressed serious apprehensions over whether tolerance and acceptance of dissent are "on the wane" in the country.

The President's strong condemnation came on a day when an independent MLA from Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh Abdul Rashid was the target of a fringe Hindu outfit which threw ink and mobil oil on him at the Press Club in Delhi protesting against the beef party he held in Srinagar earlier this month. He had also been beaten up in the state assembly

by BJP MLAs for doing so.-PTI

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Virender Sehwag retires from international cricket NEW DELHI: The flamboyant Virender Sehwag, one of the world's most destructive batsmen to have played the game, has announced his retirement from international cricket and the Indian Premier League, bringing an end to an illustrious career spanning 14 years.

Sehwag had hinted about his imminent retirement at a function

my day with my family, I hereby announce my retirement from all forms of International Cricket and from the Indian Premier League," Sehwag said in a statement.

"Cricket has been my life and continues to be so. Playing for India was a memorable journey and I tried to make it more memorable for my team mates and the Indian cricket fans. I believe that I

Virender Sehwag

in Dubai and chose his 37th birthday to put an end to his amazing career and said he was grateful to have done things his way.

"I have always done what I felt was right and not what conformists thought to be right. God has been kind and I have done what I wanted to do - on the field and in my life. And I had decided some time back that I will retire on my 37th birthday. So, while I spend

was reasonably successful in doing so.

"For that, I wish to thank all my team mates over the years some of the greatest players of the game. I would like to thank all my captains who believed in me and backed me to the hilt. I also thank our greatest partner, the Indian cricket fan, for all the love, support and memories," he added.

In a glorious international ca-

reer spanning 14 years, Sehwag played 104 Tests scoring 8586 runs at an impressive average of 49.34, hitting 23 centuries and 32 half-centuries.

He is the only triple centurion in Tests for India having scored a career-best knock of 319 against Pakistan at Multan, which also is an Indian record. He is also one of those rare batsmen to have scored two triple tons with his next one (309) coming against South Africa.

In 251 ODIs, he accumulated 8273 runs at an average of 35.05 and scored 15 hundreds apart from hitting 38 fifties.

In 19 Twenty20 Internationals, he managed 394 runs with two half -centuries.

The decision to retire comes after Sehwag signed up to play in the next year's Masters Champions League 2020, where only retired cricketers can play. Sehwag was unveiled at the launch ceremony of the veterans 2020 league in Dubai.

"I have also played against a lot of great players and it was an absolute pleasure and honor to do so. It was possibly the greatest motivation there was to play to the best of my ability. I have lived my dream and played at the finest of cricket grounds across the globe and I want to thank the groundsmen, clubs, associations and everyone who painstakingly prepare the arena for our performances," Sehwag said in a statement.

Nicknamed the Nawab of Najafgarh, Sehwag thanked his family and early coaches for grooming the swashbuckler that he went on to become.

"I miss my father today, he was there when the journey started and I wish he could have been there today as well but I know I made him proud and wherever he is today, he is watching me with pride. I want to thank my coach, Mr. A.N. Sharma sir, who was possibly the only coach who

"I would also like to thank the Delhi and District Cricket Association and particularly Mr. Arun Jaitley who always supported me and sought our feedback and implemented what the players wanted and his presence ensured that I always had someone to rely upon personally and for the furtherance of the game s best interest in Delhi," he said.

"I always gave my best for my team and consider myself fortunate to play with some brilliant

"I also want to thank everyone for all the cricketing advice given to me over the years and I apologies for not accepting most of it! I had a reason for not following it; I did it my way!" he said. could have groomed me into the player that I became.

"I would probably have struggled to play for my school under any other coach. My mother, my wife Aarti and my children Aaryavir and Vedant are my biggest strength and their presence in my life keeps my mind without fear and head held high," he said.

Sehwag expressed gratitude to the BCCI for its support over the years. The batsman lauded the Board for developing the game and appreciating the contribution of players.

players in the IPL ," he said.

"I also want to thank everyone for all the cricketing advice given to me over the years and I apologies for not accepting most of it! I had a reason for not following it; I did it my way!" he said.

Sehwag said he would now look to spend more time at the school he founded in Jhajjar.

"I want to tell everyone at the Sehwag International School, Jhajjar that I now hope to have a higher frequency of visits to the campus to be with you all," he said.-PTI

Gandhi's great-granddaughter faces fraud charges JOHANNESBURG: A 45-yearold great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi has been accused of defrauding two businessmen of more than USD 830,000 in South Africa.

Ashish Lata Ramgobin ap-

peared in the Durban Magistrate's Court on charges of theft, fraud and forgery.

Self-employed Ramgobin is alleged to have defrauded two local businessmen of more than 11 million rands (USD 831,380) by

claiming that she had secured a tender to import bedding from India for the private hospital group Netcare.

According to Brigadier

tors that three containers of linen were being shipped in from India.

A businessman named as S R Maharaj is said to have provided 6.2 million rands with a promise of

Ashish Lata Ramgobin

Hangwani Mulaudzi of the elite fraud investigation unit known as the Hawks, Ramgobin allegedly provided forged invoices and documents to convince the inves-

a share of large profits after Ramgobin requested this from him, allegedly to clear import and customs duties for the non-existent consignment.

A second unnamed businessman allegedly advanced 5.2 million rands under similar pretences.

Ramgobin is the daughter of renowned human rights activist Ela Gandhi and Mewa Ramgobind, who have both played instrumental roles in reviving the Phoenix Settlement established by Gandhi during his tenure in South Africa.

A founder and Executive Director of the Participative Development Initiative at the NGO International Centre for Non-Violence, Ramgobin described herself as "an activist with focus on environmental, societal and political interests."

A number of other South African descendants of Mahatma Gandhi have gained prominence for their efforts in human rights activism over many years, among them Kirti Menon, Satish Dhupelia, and Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie.

Ela Gandhi in particular has been internationally awarded for her efforts, including national honors from India.-PTI

October 23, 2015

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'Future belongs to countries with grains, not guns' WASHINGTON: Asserting that the future belongs to countries with grains and not guns, father of India's Green Revolution M S Swaminathan said India should give more priority to agriculture sector, the backbone of its economy.

"Agriculture requires much more priority. Science requires more priority. Scientific bodies require more autonomy. People should be able to work on a problem," Swaminathan said in response to a question after his presentation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies a top American think-tank.

During his presentation, Swaminathan mentioned how public policy works in achieving zero hunger target.

He said future belongs to the countries with grains, not guns.

He lamented that agriculture is not receiving necessary attention in India.

He said that the intentions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi "are good", but things are not happening the way they should

at the ground level.

"His (Prime Minister's) intentions are good. His announcements are good. But actually at the field level things are not happening the way I would like to see," Swaminathan said.

"In India, concerns have been

through her social welfare measures is able to meet people's need at a zero cost.

Noting that food storage losses are very high, he said this is one main area that needs to be focused on.

In his presentation, he also

His (Prime Minister's) intentions are good. His announcements are good. But actually at the field level things are not happening the way I would like to see," Swaminathan said raised about the new government's priorities not exactly being in alignment with the policy initiatives that have been described in your presentation," he said.

Swaminathan said one should maintain social protection methods and strengthen them further.

Giving the example of his home State of Tamil Nadu, he said the Chief Minister (J Jayalalithaa)

called for adaption and mitigation to combat climate change and use seeds that are resilient and product of local research.

Healthy oceans, he said, are key to achieving the sustainable development goals.

"We have 97 per cent water on earth - we can produce a lot of food with it though natural resources conservation and sustainability work," he said.-PTI

Cong to unite opposition against hate-mongers NEW DELHI: Accusing the Narendra Modi government of failing to take action against forces spreading hatred, the Congress has said it will take initiative to bring all like-minded parties together to press for "tangible action" to thwart the "diabolical plan".

"Congress will reach out to all democratic, secular and progressive forces to defeat this diabolical plan," party's senior spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters, insisting that events since the Narendra Modi government assumed office have been causing "grave concern".

Insisting that "tangible action" needed to be taken against elements, organizations and forces "besmirching India's fair name" globally, Sharma said Congress is not satisfied with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement against the "extremely disturbing trend" of people resorting to vandalism to register contrarian views.

The Congress leader said that Jaitley has not spoken of any action against such forces. The fact is that "there has not been a single instance of firm and effective ac-

tion" in the wake of such incidents as also controversial statements by leaders of the ruling party, Sharma said.

Bringing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the line of fire, Sharma said whatever he has done "falls short of his Constitu-

The Congress leader said that Jaitley has not spoken of any action against such forces. The fact is that "there has not been a single instance of firm and effective action tional and moral obligations".

"In fact, the Prime Minister was forced to explain his stand by President Pranab Mukherjee expressing concern ....What the head of state said twice should be a wake up call for all of us," he said.

The Congress decision to

reach out to other opposition parties comes amid growing concerns over the Dadri lynching incident and protests by writers and others on the issue of growing intolerance.

Jaitley's statement had come against the backdrop of a series of incidents including those in Mumbai where BJP ally Shiv Sena stormed the BCCI headquarters against talks for resumption of Indo-Pakistan cricketing ties and blackening of the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni over noncancellation of the book launch of former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.

Sharma said that for the Prime Minister and his government, it is "time to stop talking and act".

He said that the Prime Minister travels abroad claiming credit for things which his government has not done, but he has not been able to protect the "India that he inherited".

Alleging that there was clear evidence that autonomy of the institutions was under assault, he said that the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court in the NJAC case has alluded to what is happening in the country. -PTI

India seeks investment from BRICS partners MOSCOW: India has asked cover has been issued.

BRICS partners to invest in its flag"The manufacturing sector in ship programs including 'Make in India is witnessing a new dynaIndia' and 'Skill India' while mak- mism Under the Make in India. ing a strong pitch for removal of Initiatives such as Skill India and structural impediments for in- Digital India are transforming the creasing trade engagement climate for doing business in Inamongst members of the group. dia.

External Affairs Minister "The 100 smart cities program Sushma Swaraj, while speaking at is altering the paradigm of urbana meeting of BRICS (Brazil, Rus- ization in India and opening up sia, India, China and South Africa) unparalleled investment and Ministers of Industries, said the business opportunities," said government has laid down a clear Swaraj. roadmap for lowering corporate The External Affairs Minister taxes and that there is huge opportunities in India for trade and in- "The 100 smart cities vestment.

"India's medium term program is altering the growth prospects have significantly improved paradigm of urbanization in following several policy India and opening up initiatives. The FDI limit in railways, defense and unparalleled investment and insurance sectors have been liberalized. Coal business opportunities," and mining sectors are said Swaraj witnessing a revival.

We are working on an ambitious deadline for imple- said there has been renewed inmenting goods and services tax," terest in India by the global inshe said. vestors community and referred "There is also a renewed thrust to a leading consultancy describon public investment in infra- ing India as the most attractive structure. All these create im- investment destination in the mense opportunities for compa- world. nies from BRICS countries to work "The FDI inflows into India in in India," she said.

2014-15 have already reached a Listing initiatives by the historic high of USD 44 billion.

Narendra Modi government to Forex reserves are at all time high boost growth, Swaraj said finan- of over USD 350 billion," she cial inclusion was one of the fo- said. Swaraj said there was a need cus areas as part of which more for removal of structural impedithan 170 million bank accounts ments for increasing trade enhave been opened and over 100 gagement amongst BRICS namillion debit cards with insurance tions.-PTI

Shiv Sena is growing into a 'monster': Pak daily Cont’d from page 5

Shiv Sena also protested against Pakistani cricket umpire Aleem Dar for officiating in ODI matches of ongoing India-South Africa series in India.

"For the sake of India, its image and the region, New Delhi needs to act. Already, we see a huge gap opening up as far as relations between Pakistan and India go," the editorial said.

"It is hard to see how these will be patched over at any time in the near future. Relations are now more fragile than has been the case for years and through the actions of the Shiv Sena, we see how much

hatred exists for Pakistan in a country that has always held high its secular and democratic values," it said.

Meanwhile, Khurshid Kasuri, Pakistan's former foreign minister of Pakistan whose book launch was opposed by Shiv Sena in Mumbai has said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi could send back the 'Jinn of Hindutva' in the bottle he brought it out from.

Earlier this month, threats from Shiv Sena led to organizers canceling legendary Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali's show in Mumbai despite the ruling BJP assuring that the event would not be stopped.PTI

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Emergency brought RSS into mainstream: Jairam HYDERABAD: Emergency "disastrously" gave "democratic credentials" to RSS by bringing it into the mainstream of Indian politics, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said, terming its imposition as a "wrong" move by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Ramesh said his personal view is that Emergency brought disrepute to the Congress for having "killed" Parliamentary democracy and gave democratic credentials to people like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Arun Jaitley "who are not natu-

ral democrats".

"What Emergency did disastrously for Indian politics was to bring the RSS into the mainstream of Indian politics. And the Emergency gave democratic credentials to people like Mr Modi and Mr Jaitley who are not natural democrats," the former Union Minister told PTI. "The most intolerant of people, namely the BJP, acquired democratic credentials because of the Emergency," he said.

Ramesh said it was the "Nehruvian influence" that finally goaded Gandhi to order elections

Vijender to face Gillen in 2nd pro bout LONDON: After a knockout debut, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh will face Englishman Dean Gillen in his second professional bout and the part-time firefighter

Vijender Singh

has promised to be a "dangerous opponent" in the bout scheduled for October 30 here.

Vijender made an immediate impact in his professional debut this month when he destroyed Sonny Whiting in three rounds at the Manchester Arena.

The 29-year-old, who will be celebrating his birthday a day before his second fight, will face Nottingham's Gillen over four rounds as he looks to claim the record of his first unbeaten pro-fighter.

Gillen made his pro debut in May this year with a points win over Shaun White and followed that up in September with a points win over Lewis Van Poetsch.The fight between Vijender and Gillen also represents a Battle of the Badges, with the Indian being a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Haryana and Gillen a firefighter serving in

Nottingham.

As an amateur, Gillen's highlight was to win the 2013 World Police and Fire Fighter Games in Belfast where he knocked out all of his opponents to claim the gold medal and now he aims to extinguish Singh's fire in the ring.

"I've watched him in the Olympics and in his pro-debut, he's a world class kid and I can't wait to get in there and put him to the test," the 33year-old Gillen said.

"He's an Olympian and that speaks for itself, he's a hero in his country and he's idolized by millions of people, but at some point he'll have to get beaten and that could well be his second fight against me," he added.

Vijender is training in Manchester with coach Lee Beard as he aims to beat Gillen and stay on track to achieve his historymaking dream to become India's first ever world professional boxing champion.

Dean Gillen

"I can't wait for this fight against Gillen, he's talking the fight and it looks like he will bring me a challenge in my second fight," said Vijender.-PTI

and respect the people's verdict.

"Ultimately, verdict on Emergency was given by Mrs Gandhi

Jairam Ramesh

herself by calling for elections in early 1977 and she respected the verdict of the people.

"So, ultimately, I think Nehru's

daughter prevailed; ultimately the Nehruvian influence on Mrs Gandhi prevailed and she realized that she had to call for elections," Ramesh said.

T h e Congress R a j y a Sabha member said Emergency was "wrong because a party that built Parliamentary democracy in India acquired a reputation for having killed democracy for that period of Emergency".

"The same Mrs Gandhi who was

defeated by the people came back in January 1980. That is what democracy is all about," Ramesh said.

The RSS, he said, is not a believer in Parliamentary democracy.

"So, unfortunately whatever the historical circumstances were for the Emergency, it led to people getting democratic credentials," he said.

Ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, BJP had observed 40 years of Emergency on June 24, highlighting the excesses committed by the Indira Gandhi government and announcing a national memorial to Jayaprakash Narayan, the leader of the mass movement against it that saw installation of the first non-Congress government at the Centre, at his village in the state.

The party also celebrated the 113th birth anniversary of JP on October 11 as 'Save Democracy Day'.-PTI

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US does not recognize India's territorial claims WASHINGTON: The US does not recognize India's territorial claims with regard to territorial waters and exclusive economic zone and has been conducting operational challenges to such claims on a regular interval, US Defense Department officials said.

"India maintains an excessive maritime claim requiring prior consent for military exercises or maneuvers in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)," a senior Defense Department official told PTI when asked about a recent White House statement that US has challenged India's territorial claims in EEZs. "The US diplomatically protested the claim in 2007 and conducted operational

challenges in 1999, 2001, and 2008 through 2014," said the official, who requested anonymity.

While it is not known what was India's response in these operational challenges by the US naval forces, publicly available information says the United States does not recognize India's territorial claims since 1976 with regard to territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone and other maritime zones.

The US first protested way back in 1976, and then in 1983 and 1997.

And as such the Pentagon has been regularly conducting operational assertions since 1985.

India requires foreign warships to provide notice before entering its territorial water as defined and identified by it.

The Pentagon said it has been carrying out operational challenges in territorial sea, which India says is its own and as such foreign warships need to seek permission from it and notify it, since 1985.

Its warships entered India's EEZ with-

out notifying India multiple times between 1985 through 1989.

After a gap of two years, US warships are believed to have entered Indian EEZs without notifying India or seeking permission from it in 1991, through 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2007 and 2011.

US warships did the same multiple times in 2014.-PTI

Shahryar meets Shukla, bilateral series unlikely NEW DELHI: Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan met IPL chief Rajiv Shukla at his residence here in what was described as a "courtesy call" in the backdrop of the furore surrounding talks for a possible resumption of Indo-Pak bilateral cricket ties.

Shahryar is here to discuss the proposed bilateral series between the two countries in December with BCCI officials The PCB chief was to hold talks with BCCI President Shashank Manohar in Mumbai but the plan had to be aborted after angry Shiv Sena activists stormed the Board office to protest any move to resume cricketing ties between the neighbours.

They shouted slogans inside Manohar's office.

"It was a courtesy call, we exchanged pleasantries, there were no official talks.

Whatever talks happen will be done by the BCCI President, he will take a final call on these matt e r s , " Shukla said after meeting Khan.

"The sePakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan r i e s , whether it will happen or not, where it will happen, how it will happen, will be decided only after talks, if at all the talks take place.

"We should not jump to conclusions.

Process of dialogue should be on. When that dialogue will happen is up to the BCCI President," he said.

Shukla once again condemned the protest staged by Shiv Sena.

"Storming the BCCI office and creating a situation where talks cannot happen is not right," he said.-PTI

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Tech News AirAsia India slashes domestic fares NEW DELHI, OCT 19: No-frills carrier AirAsia India has offered rock-bottom fares, starting at as low as Rs 1,299 for domestic flights, as part of the parent AirAsia's global sale offer for a limited period.

Internationally, the Malyasian budget carrier has lowered its fares for as many as destinations across 20 countries, a release said.

Additionally, AirAsia India passengers can fly to international destinations connected by AirAsia Group airlines to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok with all-infares starting from as low as Rs 4,499 and Rs 4,999, respectively, it said.

AirAsia has presence across Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and India in the form of either joint ventures or subsidiaries.

Passengers availing the offer, however, would be allowed to travel with only one piece of cabin baggage weighing not more than 7kg, the airline added.

Booking for these promotional seats can be made from October 19 to October 25 with the travelling period from March 1 to October 29, 2016, the release said. -PTI

Govt hikes import duty on wheat to 25% NEW DELHI: The government has raised import duty on wheat to 25 per cent till March next year to restrict overseas purchases in the wake of falling global prices.

"In view of the continued fall in international prices of wheat and the anticipated adverse impact of increased imports during the first half of this financial year, basic customs duty on wheat has been increased from 10 per cent to 25 per cent for a period up to March 31, 2016," Finance Ministry said in a statement.

In August, the government had imposed a 10 per cent import duty on wheat, for the first time since 2006.

The Food Ministry had proposed raising import duty to cut imports and protect the domestic market.

The Agriculture Ministry was also in favor of a duty hike.

Private firms are importing highprotein wheat varieties as the domestic crop was damaged due to rains and hailstorms earlier this year.

Wheat production in India, the world's second-biggest grower, is estimated to have declined to 88.94 million tonnes in the 2014-15 crop year, as against the record production of 95.85 million tonnes in 2013-14. -PTI

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Sri Lanka asks China to readjust loans BEIJING: Reeling under heavy Chinese loans obtained by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the new Sri Lankan government has called on China to adjust the "exorbitant" terms of the loans as it expressed readiness to mend fences with Beijing.

"Chinese loans are a big part of our problem. A bulk of the government expenditure goes into servicing them. I urge China to put the acrimony of the past behind us and come and help us by adjusting the terms of the loans to make them more viable," said Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

"We are serious about putting our relationship on the right path and mending the pathetic finances we have inherited from a corrupt regime," Karunanayake said in an interview to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. -PTI

'Voices of developing countries on climate are being stifled' UNITED NATIONS: India has warned that global efforts to arrive at a climate deal in Paris later this year will not succeed if they are laced with persistent attempts to dislodge the balance of responsibilities between developed and developing countries, stressing that the path to climate ambition must be paved with equity.

Visiting Member of Parliament from India S P Muddahanumegowda said at a Second Committee meeting on sustainable development here that while India was not part of the problem of climate change it has "every intention" to be a part of the solution.

"We do believe that we have a good momentum going for a successful outcome in Paris later this year. However, our efforts will not succeed if these are laced with persistent attempts to dislodge the balance of responsibilities between developed and developing countries enshrined in the Convention principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities," he said.

He said India's submission of its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) is a reflection of its utmost sincerity in contributing with its full might to the global fight against climate change.

He however voiced disappointment that in the ongoing climate talks in Bonn, the "voices and interests of a vast majority of developing countries are being stifled if not ignored.

"This does not augur well. The path to climate ambition must be paved with equity," he said.

Expressing deep concern over the lack of climate ambition on dis-

He cited the 'Civil Society Equity Review of INDCs' which has shown that while the contributions of developing countries are more or less commensurate or even higher than their fair share, the contributions of developed countries remain far below their fair shares and also below what is demanded by science.

"By doing so, the developed

play by developed countries on both fronts of mitigation and support, he said the contributions being offered by the developed countries on both these counts are woefully inadequate and has once again been brought out by an independent assessment carried out by a group of civil society groups.

countries are inevitably shifting the burden of their climate action onto the shoulders of developing countries. The world cannot afford this inaction," Muddahanumegowda said.

Muddahanumegowda stressed that if the world has to achieve a meaningful and lasting agreement

at Paris, the developed countries "must step up to the plate and fulfill their responsibilities in good faith", adding that they will find developing countries like India walking in step with them to ensure a sustainable future for the planet.

On the issue of sustainability, he said sustainable development is as much about how to develop as much about how not to develop.

"In spite of the immense progress in technology and despite their command of considerable financial resources, truly decoupling between economic growth and carbon emissions has proved difficult even in the most advanced economies.

"This shows the enormity of the challenge faced by developing countries, where resources are meager, demands for even most modest human development more pressing, and availability and deployment of cutting edge technology still low," he said.

He added that for developing countries, ending poverty and hunger through rapid economic growth are the primary and overriding objectives.

"These are also indispensable for them to make their development sustainable. The burden of sustainability therefore cannot be placed on the poor," he said.-PTI

Wal-Mart paid millions of dollars in bribes WASHINGTON: The world's largest retailer Wal-Mart made "suspicious payments" towards "thousands of small bribes" totaling millions of dollars to local officials in India, according to a media report.

The Wall Street Journal said in a report that Wal-Mart's "suspected bribery" unearthed in India involved thousands of small payments to low-level local officials to help move goods through customs or obtain real-estate permits.

"The vast majority of the suspicious payments were less than

USD 200, and some were as low as USD 5, the people said, but when added together they totaled mil-

lions of dollars," the daily said.

According to the report, federal investigators "found evidence of

bribery in India, centering on widespread but relatively small payments made to local officials there" during the course of its "high-profile federal probe" into allegations of widespread corruption at WalMart Stores Inc's operations in Mexico.

When contacted, Wal-Mart India Vice President and Head Corporate Affairs Rajneesh Kumar said: "As we have said from the beginning, we are cooperating fully with the government in this matter and can't comment further on that process."

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Govt to import 3k tonnes pulses; curb hoarding NEW DELHI: As pulses prices touched Rs 200 per kg, the Centre decided to import additional 3,000 tonnes of lentils to control rising rates and asked the state governments to take strict action against hoarders.

The Cabinet Secretary reviewed the prices, production, procurement and availability of pulses in a meeting with secretaries of Consumer Affairs, Agriculture, Commerce and other ministries. A video conference was also held with the Chief Secretaries of all the states.

Meanwhile, speaking on spike in inflation, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan called for more supply side measures to temper prices.

"It was decided that the government would further import 2,000 tonnes of tur dal and 1,000 tonnes of urad dal and tender will be floated by MMTC immediately," an official statement said.

State-owned MMTC has already imported 5,000 tonnes of tur and has floated revised tenders for import of 2,000 tonnes of chickpeas.

In the review meeting, Cabinet Secretary asked the state governments to "carryout surprise inspections and raids to prevent hoarding and black-marketing of

pulses".

Continuing an upward trend, the prices of tur (arhar) dal shot up to Rs 200 per kg in the retail markets compared with Rs 85 per kg a year-ago. Prices have risen sharply as output dropped by two million tonnes in the 2014-15 crop year on deficient monsoon and unseasonal rains.

The Centre has taken several steps measures to control skyrock-

eting prices including creating of 40,000 tonnes of buffer stocks and improving domestic supply through imports and imposition of stock limits on traders as well as departmental stores, licensed food processors, importers and exports.

In Delhi, the Centre is selling imported tur dal at Rs 120 per kg through retail outlets of Kendriya Bhandar and Mother Dairy's Safal.

More than 200 quintals of pulses have been sold in last four days through their 100 outlets.

Cabinet Secretary directed that all the 400 outlets of Kendriya Bhandar and Safal in Delhi should start distributing imported tur dal immediately.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government decided to sell 500 tonnes of imported tur, allotted by the Centre, at Rs 110 a kg through 91 cooperative outlets from November 1.

The Centre informed the state governments about its decision to create buffer stock of pulses through procurement and directed them to be ready with their preparatory work for procurement of Kharif pulses from next month.

While reviewing the imposition of stock limits and the enforcement measures taken by States, the Cabinet Secretary informed states about the amendment issued by the Centre to enable them to impose stock limits on exporters, large food processing units and big departmental retailers.-PTI

Wal-Mart paid millions of dollars in bribes Cont’d from page 12

He further said that compliance with the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anticorruption laws is key priority for Wal-Mart.

"We work closely with thirdparty compliance experts on support and training as we continuously review and strengthen our programs around the world," Kumar added.

In Nov 2012, the company's erstwhile joint venture Bharti WalMart had suspended five people, including the then CFO Pankaj Madan, as part of an ongoing global investigation by the US retail giant against alleged corrupt practices in India.

The world's largest retailer, which entered India in 2007 through a supermarket joint ven-

ture with Bharti Enterprises, parted ways with the Indian partner in 2013, and shelved plans to open retail stores in the country and instead decided to become solely a wholesaler.

The investigations in India were part of a probe that included Wal-mart's operations in Mexico, China and Brazil, over allegations of violation of FCPA of the US, that bars bribing officials of foreign governments. According to the report, Wal-Mart's massive bribery efforts is unlikely to bring in any penalty on it under the provisions of the FCPA of the US, as the company's Indian operation does not yield any profit.

"Because penalties under the FCPA are often connected to the amount of profit the alleged misconduct generated, the payments in India wouldn't be likely to re-

sult in any sizable penalty, since Wal-Mart's operations there haven't been particularly profitable," it cited people familiar with the matter as saying.

Wal-Mart's Indian unit reportedly had suffered a loss of Rs 232 crore in 2014. Its revenue had dropped 32 per cent to Rs 2,992.7 crore in that year.

Wal-Mart, which was pushing the previous UPA regime in India for opening of the multi-brand retail sector was also involved in lobbying before the US Congress in this regard, Congressional disclosure reports have said in the past few years.

The investigations though have found little in the way of major offences in Mexico, and is likely to result in a much smaller case than investigators first expected, the daily said.-PTI

Reforms to improve banking sector: PM NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the government has initiated a series of banking reforms including re-capitalization of PSU banks, change in rules for hiring top management and paper-less transactions to curb the black money menace.

The Prime Minister said the entire banking sector is undergoing major transformation with the advent of latest technology.

"The banking sector is seeing changes. Mobile banking is coming up. Banking will be premisesless and paper-less," he said at the launch of IDFC Bank here.

Modi further said India is slowly moving towards a situation where the currency printing cost will come down.

"We have to take the country in that direction. As we use technology, we move to paper-less banking, currency-less business operations; the possibility of black money will gradually become negligible," he said.

He also stressed the need for banks to focus on rural areas as they have immense potential.

The Prime Minister also listed out the seven-point agenda to improve operations of the stateowned banks. It includes capitalization, setting up of Bank Board Bureau and introduction of a framework for accountability.

"We have decided to bring im-

provements in the appointments at the top levels of the banks. This improves efficiency," he said, adding private sector professionals have been hired in PSU banks after nationalization of banks in 1969.

Modi said the government would be infusing Rs 70,000 crore in the public sector banks in the

next few years to help them deal with the distress assets issue.

He also said import duties have been hiked on certain items to help the sectors facing problems and account for distress assets of the banking sector.

Talking about NPAs in the banking system, Modi said: "Bad loans in the past few years are a problem but we can't only cry about it. We are trying to solve this problem."

Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that Rs 35,000 crore has been provided to 61 lakh applicants so far under the MUDRA scheme to help small entrepreneurs.-PTI

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BIGGEST &

BRIGHTEST

Festival of India

T

he word Deepavali is a combination of two words, deep (lamp or diyas) + avali (row). Thus deepavali is a line or a row of lamps so during the festival of Deepavali (also known as Diwali), lamps are lit everywhere. Hence Diwali is also known as the 'Festival of Lights'. It is celebrated on four consecutive days - the thirteenth, the fourteenth and the new moon day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu lunar month Ashwin and the first day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month Kartik. These days are celebrated as Dhanatrayodashi (DhanTeras), Narakchaturdashi, Lakshmipujan and Balipratipada respectively.

Some exclude the thirteenth day and consider only the remaining three days as Deepavali. Since the festival of Vasubaras (a celebration held in the honor of cows) and Bhaubij (also called as bhai duj, a festival honoring the bond between brother and sister) respectively precede and follow Deepavali they are included as a part of Deepavali.

However, in reality, these are separate holy festivals.

The science behind Deepavali During the four months preceding Deepavali, the Absolute fire principle (Tej tattva) is almost absent in the atmosphere. As a result of this, in earlier times, mighty demons used to dominate and trouble the masses. To be able to counter their threat effectively, Deepavali, which is the worship based on the Absolute fire principle, was celebrated. So Deepavali stands for destroying the distressing elements that dominate the environment, with the Absolute fire principle.

Some rituals performed during Deepavali 1. On the evening of Dhanatrayodashi, thirteen wheat flour lamps with oil in them, are lit and kept outside the house, facing southwards.

2. A lantern (Akashdeep) is hung above the main door, on the right side. This symbolizes the active Divine energy. The lantern cleanses the atmosphere spiritually.

3. While doing Lakshmipujan (the worship of Goddess Lakshmi - Goddess of Wealth), unbroken rice is used to draw an image of either an eight petal led lotus or a swastik, on a slightly e l -

evated rectangular platform made of wood (chaurang). The Goddess' idol is then kept on it and invoked.

4. On all three days, from Narakchaturdashi to Balipratipada, a Holy bath (abhyangsnan) is taken in the morning.

5. On the second day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik (Bhaubij, also known as Bhaiyyaduj in North India) a woman waves a lit lamp (aukshan) around her brother, if she does not have a brother then she should consider the moon to be her brother and perform aukshan to it.

Celebrating destruction of unrighteous demons The fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu lunar month Ashwin (Narakchaturdashi), has been celebrated ever since Shrikrushna slayed the evil demon Narakasur. On the day of Lakshmipujan (worshipping the Goddess Lakshmi), rituals are undertaken to drive off poverty (Alakshmi).

The first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik (Balipratipada) is celebrated to symbolize Deity Vishnu's conquest over the demon king, Bali.

Bhaubij celebrates the slaying of the evil demon Shakatasur by Shrikrushna and the Bliss experienced by the multitudes of women He liberated from the demon's clutches. It celebrates the divine bond of love between brother and sister.

Hindu culture tells us that every day of Deepavali represents the conquest of good over evil, piousness over immorality and virtue over vice; all illuminated by the Deepavali lamps.

Ancient tradition and philosophy In the modern times it is important to retain the ancient tradition and philosophy for the present and future generations. Vedantic philosophy offers the purest lifestyle that is time tested from thousands of years and remains applicable to everyday life in the modern times.

By tradition we light "ghee lamps" or the "Dia" in every room of the house to invite auspicious light, health and wealth into the home.

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Ideal Diwali Gifts Ideas Here are a few Diwali gift ideas which will gladden the hearts of those who receive them.

SWEETS: No festive season is said to be complete without relishi n g y o u r t a s t e b u d s with delicious gulab jamun, soan papdi, rasgulla, barfi. The perfect treat for all gourmets, you can present sweets in case you are not able to decide on anything else.

DRY FRUITS: People love to receive Dry Fruits on Diwali. The advantage with Dry Fruits is that they can be stored for long periods of time besides you don't have to bother about the specific taste of the person as in the case of sweets.

D r y

Gifts.

DECORATIVE PIECES: Home decoration pieces are something which people might not buy for themselves but love to receive as gifts. Diwali is the time to make new beginnings, so spruce up the place of your closed ones with resplendent charisma of wall hangings, wooden sculptures, metal lantern etc.

DIAMOND GIFTS: Bejewel the moments of Diwali festival with the ravishing, elegant diamond gifts, melange of aesthetic beauty and style. Diamond studded pendant, necklace, ring, are intricately designed to glitter the festive occasion.

LAXMI PUJAN Tapping Source of Greatest Wealth

L Fruits are relished with joy in the winter season that is approaching at the time of Diwali.

DIWALI GIFT HAMPERS: Amazingly crafted attractive Diwali gift hamper is the bright choice for enjoying the blissful celebration. You can make your own or can go for ready made hampers, which consist of chocolates, Lord Ganesha statue, diya, dry fruits etc.

SILVER GIFTS: Silver Gifts are the traditional gifts for the occasion of Diwali. These are available in huge variety and trendiest of designs at the time of Diwali Festival.

Lakshmi - Ganesh Silver coins besides crockery items a n d small silver showpieces are quite popular as Diwali

DIWALI LAXMI GANESH GIFTS: Present beautifully crafted Laxmi Ganesh gifts and let the almighty powers bestow their love and affection on all your closed ones. Vividly crafted Laxmi Ganesh brass mandir with white metal sculptures are here to make the divine presence.

OTHER POPULAR DIWALI GIFTS: Household gifts like gadgets, chinaware along with the apparels, paintings, crackers, candles, books also enjoy great utility value. As the festival connotes with the enrich traditional values various pooja items like pooja thali, diyas, gold gifts, office stationary are also gaining immense popularity.

akshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Wealth is a vital ingredient bestowed upon us for maintenance and progress in our life. It is much more than just having money. It means abundance in knowledge, skills and talents. Lakshmi is the energy that manifests as the complete spiritual and material well-being of a person.

Lakshmi is connected to Lakshya - the goal. She is the Shakti that directs you to your source, the goal of your life. There are eight aspects of this divine energy that may be bestowed upon us.

Adi Lakshmi is the memory of the source. When we forget that we are part of the entire creation, we feel small and insecure. Adi Lakshmi is that aspect which connects us to our source, bringing strength and calmness to the mind.

Dhana Lakshmi is the D h a n a aspect of material Lakshmi is the wealth and Vidya aspect of material wealth and Lakshmi is the asVidya Lakshmi is pect of knowledge, the aspect of skills and talents knowledge, skills and talents.

Dhanya Lakshmi manifests as wealth in the form of food. There is a saying 'jaise ann, waise man' implying that the food we eat has a direct impact on our mind. The right amount and type of food, eaten at the right time and place affects our body and mind positively.

Santana Lakshmi manifests as wealth in the form of progeny and creativity. People full of creativity, talented and skillful in the arts are bestowed with this aspect of Lakshmi. Dhairya Lakshmi manifests as wealth in the form of courage and Vijaya Lakshmi is the aspect that manifests as victory. Bhagya Lakshmi is the aspect of good luck and prosperity.

At different stages in life, different aspects of this energy manifest in a person.

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Delectable Diwali Recipes Here are a few traditional Diwali Recipes to help you make this Diwali celebration more zestful!

Apple Gujiya Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins Gujiya - deep fried pastry with a sweet filling of evaporated milk and dry fruits.

Author: Dassana Recipe Type: Snacks Cuisine: North Indian Serves: 10-12 Gujiyas Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml) For the outer pastry/shell • 2 cups whole wheat flour • 1/3 cup melted ghee or butter • 1/3 cup cold water • salt For the applekhoya filling: • 1 cup crumbled khoya/mava/evaporated milk • 3-4 medium sized apples, peeled, cored and chopped • ½ tsp cinnamon powder • ½ tsp cardamom powder or crushed cardamom • 2-3 tbsp chopped nuts - almonds, pistachios, cashew • 2-3 tbsp sugar • oil for deep frying Only khoya-dry fruits filling: • 1 and half cup khoya/mava/evaporated milk • 1 tsp cardamom powder • 1 cup ground sugar • 2-3 tbsp chopped nuts - almonds, pistachios, cashew Instructions Preparing the pastry 1. in a large bowl sieve the flour and salt together.

2. add the melted ghee or butter.

3. rub the ghee in the flour with your fingertips till the mixture resembles bread crumbs or coarse meal.

4. add cold water gradually and knead the flour into smooth dough.

5. cover and keep aside for 30 minutes Preparing the sweet stuffing: 1. heat a pan and add the apples along with sugar.

2. stir on a low flame for 10-12 minutes.

3. add the spice powders and mix well.

4. after 4-5 minutes, add the khoya and stir the mixture.

5. the khoya would begin to melt. continue stirring.

6. add the chopped dry fruits and mix it with the mixture.

7. when all the khoya has melted, switch off the fire.

8. keep this mixture aside till it cools.

Preparing the Gujiyas 1. make medium sized balls of the dough.

2. roll in to a round/puri, neither thick nor thin.

3. put a few tbsps of the apple-khoya filling on one side.

4. apply water on one of the outer edges.

5. cover and press the edges together.

6. cut out the excess dough from the edges with a knife or pastry cutter.

7. pleat the gujiya neatly from top to end.

8. make all the gujiyas this way and keep them on a thali or plate. cover them.

9. heat oil for deep frying.

10. deep fry the gujiyas in moderately hot oil till they are golden browned from all sides.

11. drain gujiyas on kitchen paper napkins to remove excess oil.

12. serve gujiyas hot or warm.

Nankhatai

Paneer Tikka

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Total Time: 40 mins Nankhatai - Indian shortbread cookies flavored with cardamom and nutmeg.

Author: Dassana Recipe Type: Snack, Dessert Cuisine: North Indian Serves: 10 Large Nankhatais Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml) • 1 cup maida or all purpose flour, 125 grams • cup besan/gram flour, 40 grams • ½ tsp baking soda • 1 tsp baking powder • 2 tbsp sooji/fine rava/cream of wheat, 20 grams • 2 to 3 pinches or ? tsp nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg • ½ tsp cardamom powder • ½ cup ghee (semi solid) or butter at room temperature, 80 grams • ½ cup sugar, 100 to 110 grams or ? cup powdered sugar or icing sugar or as add as per taste • ½ tbsp dahi/curd or yogurt • 1 to 2 tbsp milk • few almonds or chironji/charoli Instructions 1. powder the sugar finely in a grinder.

2. then cream the ghee and powdered sugar with an electric mixer or blender. you can also cream in a food processor.

3. the mixture should become smooth, light and creamy.

4. sift the following dry ingredients - maida or all purpose flour, gram flour/besan, baking powder and baking soda. keep the sifted dry ingredients aside.

5. add curd/yogurt to the creamed ghee+sugar mixture. mix very well.

6. now add the sifted dry ingredients. also add the sooji/rava/cream of wheat, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.

7. gently mix everything. do not knead. just mix and gather to a smooth dough. if the mixture is too crumbly and you cannot bring together to a dough, then add 1 to 3 tbsp of milk. mix lightly and bring the mixture to a dough.

8. pinch medium sized balls from the dough.

9. roll them evenly in your palms. slightly flatten them. press chironji or almonds on the top lightly.

10. you can also make some criss cross designs on the nankhatais with a fork or toothpick.

11. place the cookies in a baking tray.

12. keep some space between them as they expand while baking.

13. bake the nankhatai in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees C for 20-25 mins till light golden.

14. remove and place them on wire racks.

15. when cooled, store the nankhatai in an air tight container.

Prep Time: 2 Hours 15 Mins Cook Time: 25 Mins Total Time: 2 Hours 40 Mins Paneer Tikka - spiced marinated grilled cottage cheese cubes.

Author: Dassana Recipe Type: Snack Cuisine: North Indian Serves: 10 Medium Size Skewers Ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml) the main ingredients for paneer tikka: • 250 gms paneer/cottage cheese • 1 large red bell pepper • 1 large yellow bell pepper • 1 large green bell pepper/capsicum/shimla mirch • 1 medium size onion For the marinade: • 200 gms hung curd/yogurt or thick curd/yogurt • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic • 1 tsp ajwain/carom seeds • 1 to 2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder • ½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi • 1 tsp jeera powder/cumin seeds powder • 1 tsp dhania powder/coriander powder • ½ tsp garam masala powder • 1 tsp dry mango powder/amchur powder • 1 tsp chaat masala • ½ tsp black pepper powder (optional) • juice of half lemon • 1 to 2 tbsp oil or ghee or butter for brushing • rock salt or black salt Instructions The veggies and paneer: 1. chop the paneer in square shaped cubes.

2. the veggies also should be chopped in square shapes. keep the chopped veggies and paneer aside.

The marinade: 1. in a large bowl, take the curd and whisk it till it becomes smooth 2. add ginger garlic paste and all the spice powders plus ajwain, including black salt.

3. mix the spice powders with the curd.

4. you could also add oil at this stage if you do not want to brush the paneer tikka with oil later.

5. add the veggies and paneer to the marinade.

6. marinate for at least 2 hours or more in the refrigerator.

7. remove after 2 hours and bring the marinated paneer and veggies at room temperature.

8. skewer the veggies and paneer alternately on skewers or tooth picks.

9. preheat the oven for 3 minutes at 180 degree celsius.

10. on a rack or a plate arrange the paneer skewers. brush some oil on the veggies and paneer.

11. bake the paneer tikka for 20-25 minutes at 180 degree celsius.

12. after 10 remove the skewers, and turn the skewers. brush some more oil.

13. keep again in the oven and bake for a further 10-15 more.

14. arrange the paneer tikka on a plate. sprinkle some chaat masala on paneer tikka.

15. serve the yummy panner tikka with mint chutney and onion rings with lemon wedges

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Biggest & brightest festival of India Cont’d from page 14

For many the home is Laxmi Devi Herself, therefore cleaning the home, chanting mantra, cooking healthy food, singing devotional songs, and keeping auspicious energy in the home brings the Divine Attributes into the home and blesses the family. The Ghee Lamps should stay lit throughout the night to symbolize our triumph over darkness and Healing Divine Light over evil.

Significance of Ghee Ghee Lamps are used in many different traditions. When Ghee is burned through the combustion process 100s of pounds of purified oxygen is pumped into the immediate atmosphere. Therefore the lighting of a Ghee Lamp while

meditating or practicing pranayama is highly regarded because of the vast intake of purified oxygen. During the auspicious Vedic Fire Ceremony, "Homa" or "Yajna," Ghee is offered to the Sacred Fire thus

cleansing the atmosphere and creating a "High Pranic" energy field all around.

We well know that sound can travel a great distance. When Mantra is chanted along with the purifying fire the Mantra is lifted with the purified oxygen into the atmosphere creating an "unseen" Divine Energy that grants blessings for all beings.

Coming full circle to the Dia! The Sacred Light of the Ghee Lamp represents the "Light of the Eternal Soul," the light of the Divine Source that cannot be quantified or explained.

We honor the Dia the Light of ALL Lights, which also exists as our individual soul.

Diwali is a Sacred Tradition of unifying our individual light (the

soul) to the source of all souls, the singular light to which all beings merge, the Paramatma (the eternal soul). Aham Brahmhasmi (I am that Eternal-Divine Soul).

This is the greatest blessing of taking birth in the human body.

We have the ability through meditation and pranayama to connect with the Ultimate Divine Source!

Therefore Diwali is an auspicious time to reconnect with the light within and set affirmations on the path of meditation, pranayama, saadhana (spiritual practices), and Seva (service to the greater good).

(Note: Ghee is best if home made or from a completely organic source of non-homogenized milk).

Role in other religions Many people associate Diwali with the Hindu religion.

However, it also plays a significant role in other religions, including Jainism and Sikhism.

The foundation for the holiday is rooted within old events that helped shape the religions through passed down legends.

Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains have molded the tradition into a unique, spiritual celebration.

Therefore, it has become an official holiday throughout numerous countries for millions of followers.

Diwali among Sikhs The Third Sikh Teacher, Guru Amar Das institutionalized this as one of the special days when all Sikhs would gather to receive the Gurus blessings at Goindwal. In 1577 the foundation stone of The Golden Temple was laid on Diwali.

The Diwali festival took place during the life of the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind Sahib. The Muslim Emperor Jahangir imprisoned the Guru and 52 kings. The Asian Indians begged the Emperor to release the Guru and the Emperor agreed but the Gurus said also release all the kings. Guruji had a

gown made with 52 string pieces for the Hindus to hold. The Guru and the Hindu kings were also freed at Diwali, Sikhs were very happy when their leader was released. Guru Hargobind Sahib went to the Golden Temple Amritsar in the Punjab. Sikh

Diwali is recalled throughout India and in many countries; each year to remember Guruji's release.

At Diwali they worship the religious freedom for Sikhs and this is why Diwali is called the Light Festival. As Guru's Mother was full of happiness that her son was released she ordered food and sweets and gave them to everyone. The worshippers float multicolored light candles on the water at the Golden Temple. The gurdwara holds a grand fireworks display.

Significance in Jainism In Jainism, Diwali was first referred in Harivamsha Purana (Holy Book of Jains) written by

Acharya Jinasena as Dipalika (splendor of lamps). In his words, the gods illuminated Pavanagari by lamps to mark the occasion.

Since that time, the people celebrate the famous festival of Diwali to worship the Jinendra (i.e.

Lord Mahavira) on the occasion of his Nirvana.

Rituals in the celebration: Diwali is the occasion to pay tribute to the ardent sacrifice of Mahavira. The Swetambara faction of Jains observes fasting during the three days of Diwali. The devotees sing and chant hymns in praise. They recite phrases from the Uttaradhyayan Sutra which contains the last preaching's of Lord Mahavira.

Unique way of celebration: Jains as a religion gives more stress on austerity and simplicity. Unlike other religious practices, who celebrate Diwali with lots of fire crackers, noise, songs and dances, Jainism follows a different form of celebration altogether. To Jains, physical triumph and pomp are just worldly emotions of joy and gratification.

So they practice penance during the period. The temples are decorated during this period and there is distribution of sweets among the devotees. Jains from India and all over the world visit Pavapuri, the home town of Mahavira.

Desi News FOG - Diwali and Fireworks with new attractions RITU MAHESHWARI India Post News Service

FREMONT, CA: A grand Diwali celebration with Fireworks is being held at Alameda County Fair Grounds in Pleasanton on Saturday, October 24. Thousands of people will be joining to celebrate the only Diwali festival with spectacular fireworks and an amazing laser show.

Cultural programs, Ramleela, a dazzling parade, fancy costumes, Fashion show, Yoga lessons, kids masti corner, train ride, a petting zoo, and animal rides will be there all day long starting at 11am. A devotional worship of the Lakshmi, the Indian Goddess of wealth and prosperity will be followed by Jhankis and Parade from 5 pm to 6 pm. Shopping for jewelry, clothes, and delicious food will be there at more than 100 booths.

Details on page 18

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA www.indiapost.com

23 India Post

Desire for happiness motivates us to perform actions

Non-stop Golden Gate to India Gate in 16 hrs 5 minutes Air India's limited offer for $999 VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service

SAN JOSE, CA: A week after India's national carrier flew the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to San Jose, Air India announced that it will launch nonstop flights between the Bay Area

according to Air India officials in San Jose. Passengers can enjoy a wide choice of non-stop in-flight entertainment, extra legroom, flat beds in first and executive class and delicious cuisine, on this flight. The flight will operate westbound, following a polar route over Alaska.

to Chicago, New York and Newark.

The airline is offering a promotion to passengers who book first and business-class seats on the maiden flights. Tickets booked between Oct. 1 and Jan. 15 for travel through Jan. 31 will earn a free return executive-class ticket

New dating app that bridges a gap POOJA

SAN FRANCISCO: Finding life partners in the South Asian community these days is hard. For parents, we want our kids to find someone that is nice and that will take care of our children, but also someone that hasn't lost touch with cultural values. However, children, especially in America still want to have some control over who they see and who they marry.

Dus, the newest South Asian singles app that has hit the iPhone App Store market has set out bridge the gap between what parents want for their children and what children want in a serious relationship.

Details on page 26

Sikhs join White House in antibullying campaign NEELA PANDYA

WASHINGTON DC: The Sikh Coalition has launched a national anti-bullying campaign in a leadership role with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

The campaign, Act To Change, seeks to broaden awareness about bullying and the specific problem it poses to Asian American and Pacific Islander students belonging to communities that are targeted at much higher rates than the national average.

Details on page 30

Details on page 32

October 23, 2015

Air India officials addressing press and community leaders

and New Delhi starting December 2. The thrice-weekly flights out of San Francisco International Airport will use Boeing 777 longrange aircraft.

The flight will offer a 3-cabin configuration, with 8 seats in First Class, 35 seats in Business Class and 195 seats in Economy Class,

The 7,692 miles route clocking 16 hours 5 minutes will be fully three-and-a-half hours less than the flying time any other airline (notably Emirates and other Gulf carriers) offer for their one-stop service on the route.

Air India currently operates daily non-stop flights from India

on Air India's domestic network, which flies to dozens of destinations, including the tech capital of Bangalore (Bengaluru). Economy class introductory offer will be $999 (inclusive tax).

Given India's deep connections with Silicon Valley and a substantial population of IT profession-

als and students from India, the non-stop flight will establish a premiere gateway to Asia and the Indian subcontinent thereby making travel easy and time saving.

With a morning departure at 10:00 hours (PST) from San Francisco, the flight will arrive in New Delhi at 15:35 hrs (IST). While the departure from New Delhi will be with an early morning flight at 2:45 hours (IST), the flight will arrive in San Francisco at 6:00 hrs (PST).

The option of a non-stop flight will be a boon for the large Indian Diaspora, the third-largest Asian group in California, students and parents to visit their families in India, whereas, business professionals looking for short stays will also benefit from this flight.

The service will also provide seamless connectivity to passengers from Silicon Valley to nine Indian cities, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Pune and Bhubaneswar some of which are IT hubs, too.

Air India passengers will now have the advantage of a smooth and seamless transition with easy connectivity, between domestic and international sectors, all from the same terminal in New Delhi and Mumbai, the airline said in a statement.

Cont’d on page 26

PNG promises widest variety & choice in Bay Area PNG marketing team

FREMONT, CA: Amid the Navrathri festivities all over the Bay Area, PNG Jewelers, India's leading jewelry retail chain and Bay Area's renowned jewelry brand, PNG Jewelers on Oct 16 inaugurated their latest showroom at Mowry Avenue, Fremont, the company's second showroom in San Francisco, Bay area.

Bollywood actress Priety Zinta along with Saurabh Gadgil, President/Owner of PNG; Rajendra

Soni, Managing Director of PNG jewelers, and other members associated with the brand, inaugurated the mega showroom in the heart of Fremont. This brand has been ruling the jewelry market over the years.

With a legacy of six generations of trust and customer delight, PNG Jewelers has always been synonymous with immense customer trust and transparency in the jewelry trade.

Cont’d on page 24

24 India Post

Community Across America

October 23, 2015

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FOG - Diwali and Fireworks with new attractions RITU MAHESHWARI India Post News Service

FREMONT, CA: A grand Diwali celebration with Fireworks is being held at Alameda County Fair Grounds in Pleasanton on Saturday, October 24. Thousands of people will be joining to celebrate the only Diwali festival with spectacular fireworks and an amazing laser show.

Cultural prog r a m s , Ramleela, a dazzling parade, fancy costumes, Fashion show, Yoga lessons, kids masti corner, train ride, a petting zoo, and animal rides will be there all day long starting at 11am. A de-

votional worship of the Lakshmi, the Indian Goddess of wealth and prosperity will be followed by Jhankis and Parade from 5 pm to 6 pm. Shopping for jewelry, clothes, and delicious food will be there at more than 100 booths.

A Free Health Fair from 11 am till 2 pm will offer free medical checkups to every visitor that includes BP check, BMI, body fat analysis, and free flu shots.

There will be a unique contest "Kaun Banega Best Rama".

All children are invited to dress up as Lord Rama and showcase their costumes on the stage. A brand new iPad by Chandru

Bhambhra will be given to the best dressed Lord Rama selected by a panel of judges. Children up to 12 years of age can participate. Par-

Shabir Ahluwalia

ents can use this opportunity to share with your children the story behind Diwali.

A Selfie with the Bollywood and TV celebrity Shabir Ahluwalia at FOG Diwali Festival and Fireworks at Zee TV booth is among the main attractions. Shabir is popular TV star from famous Zee TV show "Kumkum Bhagya". Simplicity in complexity is perhaps what defines Shabir Ahluwalia the best. Shabir performs his roles with passion.

His Bollywood debut movie is "Shootout at Lokhandwala". He has also worked in the movie "Mission Istanbul". He plays cricket in Celebrity Cricket League for Mumbai Heroes. He will be at the fair grounds for more than six hours and attendees can take

selfie with him. " FOG Diwali and Fireworks" will have Global Kids Quiz - "It's a small world". Kids can learn about rich culture, dances, costumes, monuments, places, and information about states from all over India. Everyone will have chance to collect the information, participate in quizzes, win prizes, and having fun while learning.

For more information about FOG Diwali and Fireworks, please visit FOGsv.org. Join Facebook event "FOG Diwali (Festival of Lights) for latest updates.

For online special visit Sulekha.com/FOG. The FOG Diwali celebration is being organized by Federation of Indo Americans of

Northern California (FIA) in association with Fremont Hindu Temple.

PNG promises widest variety & choice in Bay Area Cont’d from page 23

Some of the most-consecrated idols in iconic temples around India have adorned a Gadgil creation. Amongst their patrons have

been the members of the Royal Family of Sangli. Not to forget the billions of cherished patrons around Maharashtra who have showered their love and affection on P N Gadgil Jewelers.

PNG is growing at a great pace.

Nine stores were opened in 9

months in India this year, said Saurabh Gadgil. Early this year PNG opened their showroom in Dubai. PNG ventured into USA in 2008 and stayed through the economic downturn and is the only Indian jewelry house to do so.

Their jewelry lines inc l u d e m o s t modern to traditional collection in diamond, temple, yellow gold, antique, kundan/polki, ruby/ emerald. The pillars of PNG's success are authenticity in all its products, excellence in service and unparalleled craftsmanship. Offering a plethora of jewelry in Gold, Platinum and Silver, all their pieces bear the purity hallmark. Every PNG dia-

mond is of the highest quality and certified by the International Gemological Institute. Lately PNG has also introduced the premier luxury watch brand RADO instore.

The Fremont store launch announcement has created a lot of anticipation among residents of the Fremont area, and PNG confirms that along with Preity Zinta's appearance, many more surprises are in store for customers. A special inaugural offer of 40 percent off on all diamond collection has been announced, available exclusively at the new store from 16 October to 25 October. CEO Rajendra Soni says, "This is PNG's humble way of expressing gratitude to our customers, without whose support we could not have come this far. The entire launch event is a celebration of the employees' untiring efforts and a salute to our patrons."

Brand ambassadors of PNG include a league of superstars from Bollywood ranging from Soha Ali Khan, Raveena Tandon, Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan. In the

past, PNG has partnered with super hit movies like Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Bajrangi pendant designed by PNG). Now PNG is gearing up for Salman starrer Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo. They are the

movie's exclusive jewelry partner and have conceptualized the entire royal jewelry adorned by all the stars.

The 1400 sq ft showroom located in Mowry Avenue of Central Fremont will showcase gorgeous range of bridal jewelry, com-

prising pieces made of 22 k gold blended creatively with diamonds and other precious stones, ruby, emerald, pearls in various finishing. The store will also showcase a wide array of light weighted jewelries and exquisitely crafted diamond jewelries.

Speaking at the launch, Rajendra S o n i , Managing Director, PNG Jewelers said, we want the momentum of its expansion reach out to our wide customer base in various parts of Bay area and also nationally. With our strong presence in Sunnyvale, we feel it is important to provide similar service and quality jewelry to our customers in the East Bay."

October 23, 2015

Community Across America

India Post 25

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Grand musical captures plight of Vrindavan widows ARCHANA ASTHANA India Post News Service

PALO ALTO, CA: Dasis or Gopis, the widows of Vrindavan see themselves as consorts to Lord Krishna, and view Vrindavan as their husband's home or sasural. Steeped in divine love, they continue their existence within the solitude and deprivation that their place in society as a widow has landed them in. They no longer can dream of any other home, in fact, many do not recall, or want to recall their parents' or

in laws' homes. They prefer to call Vrindavan their abode.

The reality and the fantasy sometimes overlaps and sometimes is starkly unique. The widow's conflict in this societal issue was raised in Naatak's 50th production, the grand musical, "Vrindavan" recently in Cubberly Theater in Palo Alto.

This musical seemed befitting its stature as a milestone production, where multi sensory elements, including dance, music, acting, and the story in its concept and creative execution, meld together seamlessly. Rajiv Nema, the marketing director was thrilled at all the sold out performances, "including the folding chairs", indicating the huge popularity of this play with the savvy audience.

He also shared that there were close to 150 hard working people involved with this production, with only 40 being on stage. It does take a village to pull off a grand production!

Nachiketa Yakkundi and his ensemble of seven, created melodious magic, emoting jubilation, pathos and authenticity, as they wove the magic of the KrishnaMeera divine love into the reality of the widows' lives. It was also interesting that the visual arts component included younger dancers this time.

Reya Shah and Richa Bhattacharya, both high schoolers, were excited at the opportunity, although admitted how hard it was sometimes to stay focused on academics while having so much fun with rehearsals and the performances. The props and production designers, Savitha Sanu and Snigdha Jain, as well as

set director, Asheesh Divetia deserve special mention, for creating the image of Calcutta's Kalibari, the multi level ashram setting, and the illusion of the Yamuna river, in particular.

The dramatic entry of the twelve widows on stage carrying the basket with the baby Lord Krishna's idol introduced the audience to the impending occasion of Janmashtami, where the widows

would carry the idol across the Yamuna from Mathura to Gokul as part of the celebrations. Their mundane lives then unfolded on stage where their rations were exchanged for a token that they earned from the caretaker, Mishraji, and whose quantity was determined by their dutiful singing of the mandatory bhajans.

A source of great excitement in their bleak lives appears as a scheduled visit to the Kalibari Vidhwa Ashram, by a yesteryears TV artist, Binakumari, who has now become a political figure, an MP (Member of Parliament). This visit spins their lives around in a series of unexpected incidences. Sujit Saraf, in his directorial wisdom has based the character of Binakumari on the real life visit of movie star Hema Malini to Vrindavan, where she made an innocent comment about the widows of Bengal remaining in Bengal, instead of traveling to over-crowded Vrindavan.

There was some serious fall out stemming from this statement, and here it revealed the inner most fears of the dasis, as their place in

Pics Balmiki Sur

and love Murari, played by Navjyoti Sharma, who she meets regularly for trysts. She is, however devastated when that trust is betrayed, and she learns that a widow can never take the place of a wife.

Telling moments presented through dance, song and dialogue reveal how the new widows were

Telling moments presented through dance, song and dialogue reveal how the new widows were given a last meal, gifted a few rupees, and dropped off at the steps of the ashram by their own kith and kin, who never looked back, or inquired about them. society was once again threatened if they were sent back to their "homes".

Binakumari suggests an accurate count of the homeland and family of each dasi to determine who could stay in the crowded ashram. This proclamation to carry out a census of the widows of Vrindavan strikes terror in the hearts of the dasis, who try to derail the data gathering by claiming to forget where their homes where, or if any family members are still alive.

Amidst the austere outlook, and meager existence, the indomitable human spirit cannot be curbed as the essential definition of a breathing, living being, no matter what her condition in life. The dozen widows on stage are shown to be feisty, indulging in raucous gaiety, deviousness and flirtations with men. They derive great glee by reenacting parts of the television show that Binakumari was cast in.

Some act childlike and steal tokens from Mishraji's trunk at night when they think no one is looking, accompanied with much giggling. Meera dasi, played by Roopcy Dhiman begins to trust

given a last meal, gifted a few rupees, and dropped off at the steps of the ashram by their own kith and kin, who never looked back, or inquired about them. These ladies, many of them mere children had to redefine their identity while living as outcasts. Their families considered them as financial bur-

dens, or as contenders for property, and were sent packing. For the past five decades, in these

ashrams, that they call their "sasural", they were taught some skills to manage a meager living by making candles or sewing; however many fell on such hard times, that some resorted to begging, or worse, prostitution. Some yearned for information about their once family, while others dreaded it.

As the day of Janmashtami draws near, and the widows keep up the enthusiasm, and gather at the Koile ghats to carry the basket with Lord Krishna's idol across the Yamuna to Gokul, the mood turns somber. The other dasis ask Protima dasi, convincingly played

by Ranjita Chakravarty, the surrogate mother, and leader of the troupe why the boat that was to carry them across had not arrived.

Protima's response stuns everyone, as it is revealed that the widow count at Vrindavan has shown ninety four available spots, and the total residents currently number one hundred and six.

Pinki (Neha Goyal), the mute dasi's math skills determine the gap to be twelve, which matches the number standing at the shores

of Yamuna at that moment.

Cont’d on page 30

Community Across America

26 India Post

October 23, 2015

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New dating app that bridges a gap POOJA

SAN FRANCISCO: Finding life partners in the South Asian com-

munity these days is hard. For parents, we want our kids to find some-

one that is nice and that will take care of our children, but also someone that hasn't lost touch with cultural values. However, children, especially in America still want to have some control over who they see and who they marry.

Dus, the newest South Asian singles app that has hit the iPhone App Store market has set out bridge the gap between what parents want for their children and what children want in a serious relationship.

We had a chance to review the app and we have to say it's absolutely stunning. I had a chance to catch up with Shawn Sheikh, the app's Founder & CEO, and he said: "We didn't want to just build an-

other Tinder, Shaadi.com, or Match.com, we wanted to really focus on the pain points for dating, and help foster serious relationships. Women also have an especially hard time with singles

If two users mutually match then they get sent to a private chat that is only open for 10 days. The app also features a hidden mode that hides users from their friends and family apps, especially in our community so we set out to change that. We also wanted to be mindful of reli-

Sachin Tendulkar to play in America India Post News Service

NEW YORK CITY: Global cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne will headline a starstudded lineup of renowned cricket players from around the world in the inaugural "Cricket AllStars," a three-game series in New York City, Houston and Los Angeles. The historic tour marks the first time these legends have played in the U.S., and also renews the famous rivalry between "Master Blaster" Tendulkar and "King of Spin" Warne.

The "Cricket All-Stars" kicks off on November 7 at Citi Field in New York City with a special opening ceremony prior to the match as well as other functions and galas. The second match will be on November 11 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The final match in the series will be on November 14 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, followed by a special trophy presentation to the winning team.

The format will be T20, a much shorter and boisterous form of cricket with the games taking around three hours instead of multiple days. Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Australian spinner Shane Warne will each captain a hand-picked team.

"Sachin's Blasters" and "Warne's Warriors" will feature some of the best players to ever play cricket hailing from eight different countries including Ricky Ponting (Australia), Brian Lara (West Indies), Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), Wasim Akram (Pakistan), Jonty Rhodes (South Africa) and Michael Vaughan (England), among others.

"Americans are so passionate about sports, and I think there's a huge potential for cricket to take off," said Sachin Tendulkar. "This

is also the first time that international cricket will be played in these beautiful baseball stadiums in New York City, Houston and Los Angeles, which will be a lot of fun.

We're also planning some other events and festivities in each city so we can reach as many fans as possible. It would be great someday to see cricket bats right alongside the baseball bats, basketballs and soccer balls in America."

"We've signed all the top players you'd ever want to see," said Shane Warne. "I'm excited for cricket fans in the United States to be able to see these amazing

Sachin Tendulkar

players for the first time, and I also think that the T20 format will appeal to new audiences who have never seen or played cricket before. I'm really looking forward to the matches in November, and helping to grow the sport of cricket in America."

As a sponsor of "Cricket AllStars," MasterCard will provide its cardholders exclusive access to event tickets and Priceless experiences throughout the series. A few lucky cardholders will even have the opportunity to meet some of the players. The pre-sale for MasterCard holders will begin on October 6. Tickets go on sale to the general public on October 8.

Tickets are available through the following: Citi Field (NYC): Mets.com/ cricket Minute Maid Park (Houston): T i c k e t m a s t e r. c o m / e v e n t / 3A004F3195293147 Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles): Dodgers.com/cricket

gion, cultural and South Asian society, especially when it comes to privacy".

What Shawn has set out to do is definitely a not an easy task, but they've executed it brilliantly. The

"Cricket All-Stars" is being produced by NYC-based Leverage Agency, a full-service sports and entertainment marketing company.

Leverage will also handle the marketing and promotion for the event.

Sponsors for "Cricket All-Stars" include MasterCard, State FarmÂŽ and Uber.

"It's been a dream of mine to help bring the best of cricket to America," said Ben Sturner, CEO of Leverage Agency. "Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world and we couldn't ask for better partners than Sachin and Shane on this exciting venture."

way Dus works is: everyday at 12:00PM they feed users 10 potential matches of which they can like or dislike. These potential matches are fed based on religious, cultural, location, and other personal factors. If two users mutually match then they get sent to a private chat that is only open for 10 days. In the chat they can play structured games to break the ice.

The app also features a hidden mode that hides users from their friends and family, which is one of my favorite features in the app.

The app has been out for a couple of months now and is growing quickly. With more players entering the market it'll be very interesting to see how parents and children react. Hopefully apps like Dus can help foster stronger relationships and can really help South Asian singles find life partners in a more tasteful way.

Non-stop Golden Gate to India Gate in 16 hrs 5 minutes Cont’d from page 23

Air India now offers all Star Alliance customer benefits across its network and Air India's customers enjoy the same benefits when they travel on any of the other 26 Star Alliance member airlines. Now, AI flyers from will be able to earnand-burn miles on any member carrier, apart from enjoying seamless connectivity across the globe and having access to lounges at all airports.

About Air India India's national airline, Air India provides domestic and international air transport services to both passengers and cargo. Air India pioneered the country's aviation sector and its history is synonymous with the history of civil aviation in India. Air India embodies the spirit of India by extending warm hospitality and the urge to satisfy its guests, an inherent characteristic of the country's culture.

Since the first flight on Octo-

ber 15, 1932, Air India has grown to become a mega international airline connecting to 34 destinations in the USA, Europe, Australia, Far-East and South-East Asia and the Gulf. The airline's domestic network covers 51 destinations, including all state capitals and far-flung areas of India's North-East, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The airline also provides ground handling and engineering & maintenance services, as well as low-cost travel options, through its subsidiaries. Air India's young fleet of 103 aircraft comprises a mix of the latest stateof-the-art B787 Dreamliners (21 aircraft), B777s, B747s, Airbus A330s, A321s, A320s and A319s.

Constantly adapting and re-inventing itself to stay ahead of competition, Air India has been and will continue to be committed to providing superior service, supported by the latest technology, to flyers worldwide.

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Sikhs join White House in anti-bullying campaign NEELA PANDYA

WASHINGTON DC: The Sikh Coalition has launched a national anti-bullying campaign in a leadership role with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

The campaign, Act To Change, seeks to broaden awareness about bullying and the specific problem it poses to Asian American and Pacific Islander students belonging to communities that are targeted at much higher rates than the national average. The new initiative consolidates quality resources for parents, educators and

students to identify and respond to the critical problem.

It also works to engage local communities through community pledges and interactive social media. National organizations, community organizations, media outlets and celebrities alike endorse the campaign.

Sikhs have become the poster child for this pervasive problem in post 9/11 classrooms, largely due to their articles of faith.

The Sikh Coalition's 2014 national bullying report found that 67% of turbaned Sikh

Harjot Kaur, the Sikh Coalition's New York City Community Development Manager and Sapreet Kaur, Executive Director (National)

children in varying U.S. communities have been bullied.

"The bullying of Sikh children is an epidemic," said the Sikh Coalition's Law and Policy Director, Arjun Singh. "Misinformation and misunderstanding regarding the Sikh faith, coupled with a dramatic increase in bigoted dialogue towards religious minorities, has resulted in intolerance and bullying in our schools."

The Sikh Coalition worked with the Department of Justice to settle a landmark bullying case in Georgia against a Sikh child at the end of 2014. The settlement now better protects over 100,000 students across the school district from bullying and represents a first of its kind policy change in the United States.

Harjot Kaur, the Sikh Coalition's New York City Community Development Manager, works full time with Sikh youth leaders on the bullying frontlines in the largest public school system in the nation.

Grand musical captures plight of Vrindavan widows Cont’d from page 16

Led by Protima dasi, one by one, the dasis enter and offer their final prayers to Yamuna, who engulfs this ultimate sacrifice of the twelve widows.

There is felt an audible gasp and suppressed sobs heard from the audience, so poignant is this scene captured on stage.

The drama casts this issue in bold spotlight and dares society to confront the plight of the widows of Vrindavan again.

The white saris of women reconciled to a joyless existence striving to maintain a semblance of normalcy, leave a black mark on the foreheads of those that consider such banishment appropriate.

No being should be meted out such a fate by another, by virtue of sheer bad luck befalling them. I applaud Naatak for courageously raising a sensitive issue yet again by showcasing this as their milestone performance, and for throwing a gauntlet for others to take notice. It is no wonder that this drama company has sustained in the Bay Area.

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UIUC hosts interdisciplinary conference on Ganga SUNTHAR VISUVALINGAM

CHICAGO: Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (CSAMES) at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) hosted an all-day multidisciplinary conference on

threats to its sustenance, and planning initiatives to conserve it. Researchers from various UIUC depts. were joined by speakers from other U.S. universities, and the audience included members of

dammed and channelized, begins to fail in its role of sustaining cultural practices, artistic traditions, and worship rituals, and to lose thereby its centrality in the cultural and religious imagination of India.

Panelists (from left) Kelly Alley, Alpa Nawre, conference organizer Amita Sinha and CSAMES coordinator Angela Williams take audience questions

October 9 on "The Ganga (Ganges), National River of India: Its Heritage and Future."

The symposium brought together presentations on the Ganga's multi-faceted heritage,

the local Indian community.

"Rarely has any river gathered in itself so much meaning and reverence as the Ganga has over three millennia. This heritage is at stake as the polluted Ganga,

"The efforts by the Indian government to clean the Ganga since the mid-1980s have achieved only mixed results and are widely considered being failures," stated the conference prospectus aiming "to

Sister Cities to celebrate Gandhi birth day SURENDRA ULLAL

Smita Shah, chairman Delhi Committee of Sister Cities International (left) Gandhi Birthday celebrations 2014

CHICAGO: The Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International has slated celebration of Mahatma Gandhi birth day on Friday October 23 at RadissionBlu Aqua Hotel in Downtown at 11 -30 am.

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

Mayor of the City of Chicago who will attend as Special Guest.

She observed that there has been a long standing exchange with Mahatma Gandhi and the US. Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by the works of Henry David Thoreau and he in return inspired Martin Luther King in the nonviolent

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

develop an integrated conserva- parently haphazard distribution of tion framework that addresses en- temples and pilgrimage sites asvironmental pollution, urban deg- sociated with sun worship were radation, and vanishing sites of astronomically correlated to the memory." movement of the celestial body Among topics addressed by and curvature of the Ganga. the four panels were water manSwati Chattopadhyay, by conagement, religious aesthetics, riv- trast, argued that the riverine aeserine architecture, sacred geogra- thetics as revealed in British paintphy, life and death along the ghats ings of the ghat architecture, es(stepped landings to the Ganga). pecially in Bengal, could be unLively discussion and Q&A derstood as display and confirmathroughout the day continued tion of colonial power. over dinner among speakers, orKelly Alley, Alpa Nawre and ganizers and guests. conference organizer Amita Sinha Trevor Birkenholtz and An- focused on the endangered ghats. t h o n y Acciavati spoke respectively on India's national river-linking project and the proliferation of tube wells along the Ganga watershed. While detailing the centrality of waterresources to India's future, they also highlighted the challenges, costs, risks and unintended consequences of such massive attempts to dominate the natural environment.

While Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz highlighted the Prof. Rana P.B. Singh delivering his presentation at the uniqueness of conference on the Ganga held at University of Illinois Ganga vis-Ă -vis Urbana Champaign the better known Hindu goddesses (Durga, Taking on governance, Alley exLakshmi, etc.), Pradeep Dhillon pressed skepticism regarding amshowed how modern and contem- bitious top-down approaches and porary artists had sought, in dif- argued for local grassroots initiaferent ways, to capture the es- tives towards rejuvenation. Nawre sence of Banaras on canvas. emphasized how, though continuQuestions were raised on a ous, each ghat is not just a physipossible 'dark side' to the nurtur- cal but a mental space, with its ing river-goddess and the appli- own character, atmosphere, uses, cability of relatively recent West- and draws its strength from its ern aesthetic norms to a sacred multiple activities and neighborcity with such an ancient (pre-) ing communities. history. Ranjit Makkuni's video Sinha sought solutions for con"The Crossing: Life, Death, and tinued pollution resulting from Transformation" highlighted his cremation. Rana Singh observed pioneering exhibition of the that many practices, such as Banarasi religio-cultural heritage throwing remains (e.g., ashes) into that sought to "rematerialize its the river, were not sanctioned by symbolic world through com- the scriptures: they could be abanputer technology," which can doned while retaining the ritual ensure the vanishing past a glo- symbolism. bal future.

By the end of the day, this MidWorld-renowned cultural geog- west conference bore testimony to rapher of the sacred city from how Ganga, sacred river of the Banaras Hindu University, Rana Hindus, is increasingly capturing P.B. Singh, showed how the ap- the global imagination.

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Aurora 2nd Diwali celebration Diwali gets a kick on Oct. 24 off by Wells Fargo ASHOK EASWARAN

AURORA: The Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board of Aurora has organized the second Diwali celebrations at the Waubonsie Valley High School on Saturday, October 24.

The Diwali or the Festival of Lights is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains throughout the world. Diwali, which coincides

people.

The festival of Diwali is several thousands of years old, celebrating the return of a mythological king after a victorious battle over an evil aggressor. To celebrate the return, homes are decorated with earthen lamps (diyas) and intricate colorful designs (Rangoli).

Among those scheduled to attend are Aurora Mayor Tom

Aurora and the neighboring suburbs is relatively recent, the Indian American community has contributed significantly to the fields of business, academics, medicine and technology.

Food is a central part of the festivities, but unlike the traditional roast turkey of Christmas, each family prepares its favorite dish.

Sweets are exchanged between friends and neighbors and food given to the needy. Shopping is a major activity in Diwali and consumer purchases rival the Christmas shopping season in the West.

Diwali was first celebrated in the White House in 2003 and was given official status Aurora Diwali celebrations last year. Pic courtesy City of Aurora by the United States Conwith the Hindu New Year is about Weisner and members of the city gress in 2007 by the former presithe victory of light over darkness, council, elected officials and other dent George W. Bush. President or the triumph of good over evil. dignitaries. A spectacular outdoor Barack Obama became the first The festival, free and open to fireworks display will be the high- president to personally attend all, is as much a celebration of the light of the evening. Visitors will be Diwali celebrations at the White diversity of India's music, dance treated to vignettes of India's tra- House in 2009. and cuisine as much as the contri- ditional and folk cultures as well as For more information Conbution of Indian Americans, and the cuisines from different regions tact: Krishna Bansal/Ashok the community's assimilation into of the country. Ethnic jewelry and Eswaran 630-300-0345 / 847the City of Aurora. Last year the apparel will also be on sale.

477-1068 or visit web site https:/ event was attended by over 4000 Although its immigration to /www.facebook.com/iacoab

HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: Wells Fargo, a leading financial institution here, announced a $50,000 donation to

out the country including a concert in San Jose on November 13 and Diwali festivals in

Wells Fargo and Operation Smile Diwali. From left Rahul Baig, managing director ; William P. Magee, Jr. D.D.S., M.D., CEO and co-founder of Operation Smile and Kathleen S. Magee, president and co-founder of Operation Smile.

Pic Jay Mandal

Operation Smile to help provide life-changing surgeries for children and young adults in India who are born with cleft lip and cleft palate.

The announcement kicks off the company's Diwali celebratory campaign and encourages customers and the community to share in the spirit of the Diwali season by making a donation to Operation Smile through the Wells Fargo Diwali landing page from October 16 to November 30.

Additionally, to celebrate Diwali with customers and the community, Wells Fargo will be supporting celebrations through-

Pleasanton, Calif. on October 24, Dallas, Texas on October 31 and Edison, New Jersey on November 7.

Wells Fargo will be supporting celebrations throughout the country including a concert in San Jose on November 13 and Diwali festivals in Pleasanton, Dallas

Desire for happiness motivates us to perform actions SWAMI NIKHILANAND

F

or the last several articles, we have been discussing the philosophy of the 4th chapter of the Gita. Before proceeding further, let us have a brief review.

In the beginning of the chapter, Shree Krishna told Arjun that He had given this same knowledge to Vivaswan millions of years ago.

When Arjun asked how this was possible, Shree Krishna explained His avatar rahasya (the secret of Divine descension) to him. In doing so, He declared that His birth is not a material birth, but a Divine appearance, and revealed that He has a Divine body which is eternal and omnipresent. He merely makes His body visible to material eyes, which is seen as His avatar.

He does this repeatedly, and has

in fact made uncountable such "descensions" or "appearances" on our earth.

Every action has a reason The next question that must be addressed is, why does He "visit" our earth? He must have a reason for appearing on the material plane, because no one - even God - can perform any action without a motive behind it. Firstly, one must visualize their goal, and only then will they act. Without a goal in mind, it would be impossible to perform any action.

In this world, we are accustomed to people being motivated by selfish goals. This is natural, since everyone desires happiness, and thus, is in constant pursuit of that happiness through various activities. It is this desire for hap-

piness that is at the root of all our other desires, and it is this desire for happiness that compels us to act. In other words, you can say that the reason behind every one of our actions is our desire to be

It means that the only reason for God to do anything is out of compassion for others. It is His nature to want to see others happy. We call this inherent quality of God His kindness, mercy or grace.

happy.

However, God would seem to lack this motivation, because He already is happy. He Himself is the very form of happiness. Then what could possibly motivate Him? Reason behind God's actions A great sage named Shandilya Maharshi has answered this question when he wrote: 'mukhyam tasya hi karunyam' [Shandilya Bhakti Sutra]. It means that the only reason for God to do anything is out of compassion for others. It is His nature to want to see others happy. We call this inherent quality of God His kindness, mercy or grace. Therefore, we should make this understanding firm in our mind - God would never do anything out of His own self-interest - whatever He does is for the good of others.

If someone thinks that perhaps God visits this world for His own amusement, you should consider that what possible amusement could God get out of this imperfect material world, when He is already perfectly happy in His Divine world? He has only manifested this world for the purpose of giving souls a chance to attain Him and be free from material bondage. He did so by activating the eternally existing material power maya, which evolved into the form of the universe according to its inherent good and bad qualities (it has already been explained that this is an eternal cycle of creation and dissolution of the universe).

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Desire for happiness motivates us to perform actions Cont’d from page 32

Thus, the universe is necessary for the non-God-realized souls (to give them a chance to realize God) but it is not required for God. In other words, He does not gain anything from the existence of the universe, and He does not gain anything by visiting our world.

The reason behind God's avatar Why does God take avatar?

Shree Krishna tells Arjun: "Whenever dharm declines and adharm increases, I manifest Myself (in My personal form) at that time. For the protection of the pious, destruction of the wicked, and to reestablish dharm, I appear age after age."(Chapter 4, shlok 7 & 8).

The central point to focus on is that Shree Krishna says He comes to re-establish dharm. It has already been explained that dharm is of two types: apar dharm, which relates to a person's physical duties, and par dharm, which is the path to God. Therefore, when Shree Krishna takes avatar, He does so with the goal of re-estab-

lishing both the apar dharm and par dharm. Apar dharm is required for the harmonious functioning of society, and par dharm is required for the attainment of Divine bliss.

In order to establish apar dharm, Shree Krishna set an example in many ways. For instance, when He was in the ashram of Sandeepani Muni, He was an exemplary student. He was respectful and studious with regards Guruji and the school, and He was friendly to all the other students. He was exemplifying the apar dharm for a student.

When He was in Dwarika through His behavior with His wife and children - He exemplified the apar dharm for a married man.

He also showed how a person should combine spirituality with everyday duties. He rose early each morning, and after bathing -

Kala-utsav celebration on November 1 SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: The Consulate General of India in Chicago celebrates Kala-Utsav annual with a view to promoting Indian culture and dance in the mid-west area.

Kala-Utsav weaves tapestry of the vibrant cultural groups that Midwest's India migrants offer. It offers a stage for Indian

More than 25 reputed Cultural Academies/Organizations/ Dance Troupes from Midwest will perform and show their talent The categories include Indian Dance (Classical, Folk, Bollywood & Modern, Indian music (Classical, Sufi & Light) & Indian Theatre Forms (Folk & Modern). Kala-

community's cultural entities to display their performing best. It brings to fore top-class performances by Indian community in the US Midwest.

The Chicago Indian Consulate in collaboration with the participating organizations has slated celebration of "Kala -Utsav 2015" on 1st November at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave, Chicago starting 5 m till 9 pm

Utsav encompasses such organizations from across the nine Midwest States of the US (Illinois, Indiana, IOWA, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin).

The registration and EntrĂŠe for the event is free for all nationals loving Indian Dance, Music & Culture.

More information on KalaUtsav 2015 is available at www.kalautsav.org.

though He Himself was God - He prayed to God. Then He gave charity to those in need. Then He went to His royal court and discharged the duties of a king (His "job").

Swami Nikhilanand

Then He returned home and interacted with His family.

By hearing about such actions of Shree Krishna, a person can become inspired to follow the apar dharm that is appropriate for him, and this will lead to harmony in the family and society. Therefore,

we understand why Shree Krishna would come to earth and model proper behavior in order to re-establish apar dharm (He also did the same when He came as Shree Ram).

At this point, someone may question that many of Shree Krishna's actions - like stealing butter - do not seem to exemplify dharm. What was the reason behind these actions? This will be addressed in the next article.

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

Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swamiji eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to In-

dia, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, Darshan Shastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and practiced meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti. In 2003, he was given sanyas. Now, with the blessings of his Guruji, he offers satsang programs throughout America, engaging audiences with his clear explanations of Hindu philosophy coupled with inspired chanting of Sanskrit mantras and shlokas and charming nam sankirtan. His informative and compelling speeches provide practical insight into how to adopt the teachings of Sanatan Dharm into our daily lives, and inspire us to awaken our inner spiritual potential.

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

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Tu Chahiye : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 Baaton Ko Teri: All Is Well 3 Bhar Do Jholi Meri : Bajrangi Bhaijaan 4 Main Hoon Hero Tera: Hero 34 India Post

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October 23, 2015

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

R

L

ove is in the air for Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh but being the busiest actors of Bollywood, the rumored couple hardly gets time to spend with each other. The best way to manage time and space for them is to move closer to each other. If the latest grapevine is to be believed then Ranveer Singh has purchased an apartment next to Deepika's.

Though the couple is yet to admit their love in public, their public display of emotions clearly indicates that the duo shares something special.

Ranveer's house is in the same residential complex as Deepika's but in another wing of the skyscraper. The couple was also spotted working out in the gym together.

Ranveer is also the choice of Deepika's parents. Couple of times, he has had an interaction with them.

W

ith Kaminey and Haider, Vishal Bhardwaj has given Shahid Kapoor breakthrough roles in his career and the actor is on cloud nine for getting a chance to work with the director for the third time in Rangoon.

The upcoming period drama also stars Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut in lead roles. The 34-year-old actor heaped praise on his co-stars, calling them "phenomenally talented".

"I am very excited to be starring in Rangoon. Any film with Vishal Bhardwaj is like a precious jewel for me. So, I hope I can give him the character that he needs me to play. That's what I need to do and I am focusing on that," Shahid told reporters.

There is a lot of buzz around the casting of the film as it brings together for the first time Shahid and Saif, who have a personal history with the latter married to the Shahid's former girlfriend Kareena Kapoor.

I am very excited to be starring in Rangoon. Any film with Vishal Bhardwaj is like a precious jewel for me. So, I hope I can give him the character that he needs me to play.

ecently, reports claimed that Farhan Akhtar and Shah Rukh Khan are keen to start work on the third instalment of the Don franchise.

Speculations were rife that Priyanka Chopra, who played the female lead in Don (2006) and Don 2 (2011), might not be a part of Don 3.

Refuting the rumors, Ritesh Sidhwani, who co-produced the film with Farhan, announced that Priyanka will be part of the project. "Much speculation on #Don3 & it's Casting. No thoughts of changing it's casting... Working towards developing the script. Will keep u posted. Luv (sic)," he tweeted.

Priyanka, who has been busy shuttling between the US and India to shoot for her international TV show and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani respectively, is apparently excited to be in Farhan's film. "She is looking forward to the next installment. The makers will meet her once the script is locked to take things forward," says a source.

However, adding to the confusion, Farhan also tweeted the following post on October 13, "Dear #Don fans, please do not react to rumors regarding the sequel. As & when the time comes, you'll hear the truth from me.@iamsrk (sic)"

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t is generally believed that battle scars render a handsome face obnoxious; however one look at Imphal, the capital city of Manipur, would force a change of opinion. This charming city has acted as the backdrop for the famous and bloody battle of Imphal (along with Battle of Kohima) which turned the course of World War II when the Japanese lost the battle in Asia for the first time. Prior to this claim to fame, Imphal was the seat of the Emperor of Manipur and has been the capital of Manipur State since 1826.

This quaint little beautiful city finds its abode in the basin of Manipur River. The city is encircled by hills that protect it from almost every direction. However, being the center of attraction and major war operations during the British rule, Imphal has always been treated with importance by the British. Various monuments

October 23, 2015

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and spots created by the erstwhile rulers still attract nature lovers and students of History in hordes to Imphal.

The city of Imphal offers an interesting mix of natural resources and man made marvels to the tourists. These include monuments, museums, archeological and religious sites, animal parks, markets and heritage sights. The State of Manipur stands out amongst the seven sisters as one of the cleanest and most peaceful states.

The people of Manipur are extremely cooperative and courteous. Generally they are categorized into two focals viz. the people living on the plains (Meities) and those from the hills.

Tourist Attractions INA Memorial: Kadam Kadam Badhaye Jaa.. was how Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose motivated his young army of men and women

possessed by the idea of total freedom to the motherland from the clutches of British.

The Army without any backing from any major World armies, trained itself and fought many eventful battles with honor and even came out victorious. The first flag was hoisted at Moirang and a memorial saluting the brave hearts and their deeds was instituted as INA memorial at Imphal, the unofficial Headquarters of the Indian National Army.

Kangla Fort: Situated right near the bank of the Imphal River and at the heart of Imphal city is 'Kangla', the ancient capital of Manipur till Imphal took over from 1891.

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Winter tourism planned around Kedarnath KEDARNATH: With an aim to attract tourist footfall during winter, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has said his government is planning to develop the areas adjoining Kedarnath as a "paradise of tourism".

He laid the foundation stone of reconstruction projects worth nearly Rs 115 crore here.

Disclosing his plans to organize a festival in Kedarnath in January next year aimed at luring more and more people to areas adjoining it, Rawat said, "We want to develop the area as the paradise of winter tourism and will do whatever is needed for this."

Rawat also said he will soon be writing to his counterparts all over the country requesting them to create lodging facilities in the name of their respective states in the area to encourage more tourists from across the country to visit the famed Himalayan shrine.

"I will soon write to Chief Ministers of all states in this regard and make land available for the purpose," he said.

Projects worth over Rs 23 crore includ-

ing a helipad for MI 26 choppers were inaugurated whereas foundation stones of projects worth over Rs 91 crore were laid by

the Chief Minister.

Rawat said that the helipad will give a push to reconstruction work in the area by making transportation of heavy equipment

possible at the high altitude shrine.

Elaborating on the details of the state government's reconstruction plans for Kedarnath which witn e s s e d large scale devastation in 2013 f l a s h floods, Rawat said the state government is working on a threet i e r e d safety plan for the shrine.

These include canalization of rivers flowing behind it, raising security walls in Kedarpuri, securing the temple from inundation and strengthening the communication system in the entire region, Rawat added.

Praising the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) engaged in reconstruction

work in the area despite precarious weather conditions in high altitudes, the Chief Minister said he salutes their indefatigable spirit which makes them work in difficult terrain amid vagaries of the weather.

Projects inaugurated include IT and WiFi projects implemented by District Disaster Management Authority to strengthen the communication system in Kedar valley, installation of LED digital display boards for weather related information and 25 cottages equipped with modern facilities for devotees visiting Kedarnath.

Foundation stones were laid for 113 houses to be built by NIM to rehabilitate teerth-purohits and other land owners who volunteered to give their land for reconstruction purposes near Kedarnath.

Rawat paid obeisance at the Lord Shiva Temple and interacted with devotees including foreign tourists outside the temple premises.

He was accompanied by state Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat, local MLA Shailarani Rawat and Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma.

He also launched a DVD on the reconstruction work carried out in Kedarnath after the 2013 calamity. -PTI

Sikkim's airport to open next year GANGTOK: The first airport of Sikkim is expected to be operational from December 2016, which will provide direct connectivity to the land-locked state and also help boost tourism.

"Preparations are afoot and we are hopeful that the state will have its first airport operational from December 2016," said Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma at the 4th In-

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling

ternational Tourism Mart here.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said the airport will come up at Pakyong which is 35 km from Gangtok. Currently the nearest airport is Bagdogra in Bengal and one has to drive down to Sikkim from Bagdogra.

Besides, the state is also going to be declared as an "organic state", first in the country, by next year, he said.

Giving details about the concept of organic state, Chamling said it is a green ini-

tiative and the concept has been prepared to make entire farming activities environmentally friendly.

There will be no use of pesticide or chemical fertilizer in the farming, and crop and vegetables will be grown with organic manure.

The Sikkim chief minister also said that there will be no use of biodegradable materials in the state as part of the organic drive.

Chamling also said that yoga will be a part of the school curriculum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to declare Sikkim as organic state.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Tourism minister said that Sikkim and other northeast states are the focus area of the government for promotion of tourism in the country.

Hailing Sikkim as a peaceful state, Sharma said not a single case of communal incident has taken place in the state for long and use of police force is minimum here.

Sharma said," We are proud of Sikkim and the state has great potential for tourism and the Centre is extending all help to promote northeast including Sikkim as a tourist hub.

"The ministry has allocated Rs 98 crore to Sikkim for the development of tourism out of which Rs 90 cr is already released".

Sharma said the government has extended e-visa facility to 113 countries and as a result there has been increase of about 40 per cent of foreign tourist arrivals.

The foreign exchange has also increased due to more footfalls, the Tourism Minister said. -PTI

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IMPHAL Charming city which turned course of World War II

Cont’d from page 35

During ancient times, 'Kangla' was the royal palace (King Pakhangba 33 A.D.). The monarchy of Manipur was found and enlarged from 'Kangla'. A place of such an important political and religious stature, Kangla soon became an astounding fortress city.

Khongjom: Khongjom is the place where the last warriors of the Manipur Empire breathed their last, fighting a gallant battle to repel the strong British Army columns after the British Govt. had declared war against Manipur on 31st of March 1891. The British won the battle and beheaded General Paona on 23rd April.

Langthabal: Langthabal is at a distance of 9 km from Imphal and provides an insight into the glorious history of Imphal. Standing tall on a hill Langthabal revels in the glory provided by the aura of the relics of the historical palace, traditional dwellings and architecturally complex and accomplished temples of importance.

Manipur State Museum: The Manipur State Museum instituted in 1969 has been the central authority in preservation and display of various cultures, nature, Art forms and history of the state of Manipur. The Museum has developed now into a full-grown versatile resource and boasts of expertise in various wings. The galleries depicting different aspects of the state through light upon almost every aspect viz. Ethnology, Natural History, Art work and Handicraft, Archeology etc.

Moirang: It would be a rare occasion to know an Indian who is

not aware about the Indian freedom struggle and the great Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. However, not many people know where Netaji started his freedom struggle and hoisted his flag. Moirang, located at 43 km from Imphal was the chosen one for first hoisting of the flag of the Indian National Army on 14th April 1944.

Shaheed Minar: Shaheed Minar (Martyr's Memorial) salutes the determined and indomitable sprit of the Meetie and tribal warriors who gladly sacrificed their lives and families while waging a war for survival of the identity against the British Army in 1891.

This lofty Minaret at Bir Tikendtrajit Park in the center of the city reminds passers by of the sacrifices of those great men.

War Cemeteries: The land of Imphal has been a mute spectator to many hostilities and confronta-

tions over the last millennium. The scars of the war have faded with time but efforts have been made to remember those great warriors who laid their lives for a noble cause.

Phubala: The Loktak Lake appears like a mini sea and the vast shoreline of this lake has been utilized, not only by fishermen but also by nature lovers. The Phubala resort has been created on the western periphery of the Loktak Lake and is joined to the mainland by a low walkway.

Waithou Lake: The Waithou Lake located at a distance of 16 km from Imphal on the Indo-Myanmar road is a mesmerizing location where the grand lake breaks monopoly of the verdant forests and creates a water body space that stretches for long distances and provides a picturesque weekend relief for the jaded.

Keibul Lamjao National Park: If your notion of National Park is limited by the run of the mill Parks that you have often visited in the past then a visit to the Keibul Lamjao National Park gives you an opportunity to add something new to your knowledge and wandering repository. Considered to be the first and the only floating National Park in the world, the park plays host to a variety of animal and bird species and is a natural habitat if the brow antlered deer, Sangai.

Manipur Zoological Gardens: The Manipur Zoological Garden is situated about 5 km away from Imphal. This Garden at Iroishemba on the Imphal Kangchup Road specializes in preservation and breeding of some rare and protected species of Manipur.

The Lissome and charming brow-antlered Thiamin deer, "Sangai" is one such rare species (not only in India but the entire world) which can be seen lazing away in its sylvan surroundings.

S h r i

Govindjee Temple: The Govindjee temple situated in the vicinity of the Royal palace is an unpretentious hitherto striking edifice. The temple, a Vaishnavite center, has twin domes, a tiled courtyard and a considerable congregation hall.

The temple houses various idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses viz.

Krishna, Balaram, Jagannath, Subhadra etc.

Best time to visit: Imphal has moderate temperature during summer and monsoon. Post monsoon

By Train: Imphal doesn't have its own railway station and the nearest railhead is the Dimapur railway station, 215 km away.

By Air: The airport in Imphal is at a distance of 8 km from the city center. This airport is well-connected to places like Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. International travelers have to get connection flights from Kolkata or Delhi.

By Bus: Nagaland and Manipur State buses operate from the towns of Aizwal, Dimapur, Itanagar,

and winter are cool seasons. The place can be visited throughout the year but the best time is from September to April.

How to reach

Kohima, Shillong and Agartala.

The frequency of the buses is every day. It takes about 8 hours to reach Imphal from Dimapur by bus or taxi.

Israel woos Indian tourists with cuisine India Post News Service

I

ndian tourists enjoy Indian food while they travel to any overseas country. Having analyzed the importance of Indian food for the Indian traveler, the IMOT (Israel Ministry of Tourism) has invited India's prestigious flight kitchen company, Taj Sats to conduct workshops at culinary institutions in Israel to familiarize chefs of the leading hotel chains with Indian food.

Over the years Israel has been receiving more and more Indian tourists and the demand for Indian cuisine has always been growing.

The tourism industry in Israel is ensuring that they cater to every need of the Indian traveler.

Indian restaurants already operate in various cities in Israel.

However serving Indian food in hotels has several constraints on account of kosher requirements.

Kosher are Jewish dietary laws where there is total separation of meat and dairy and certain foods are forbidden. Keeping in view of these restrictions, Israel will introduce Kosher Indian meals to tourists which will suit both vegetarian and non-vegetarian palettes.

"We feel that our leading chefs will be able to assist Israeli chefs to make a difference in making the Indian tourist feel at home in Israel." says Sagar Dighe, CEO, Taj Sats "This is a positive step to further boost tourism and facilitate the needs of the Indian traveler in Israel." says Hassan Madah, Director, India.

Travel & Hospitality Post

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Coastal tourism rebounding Hyatt hotels banning porn movies after historic SC rains CHARLESTON, S.C.: South Carolina, after tens of millions of dollars in tourism losses due to this month's historic rains, is working to assure visitors that the state's coast is open again for fall vacations.

Myrtle Beach, Charleston and the state are mounting media campaigns with television, print, Internet and social media letting visitors know tourist destinations are open, as are the roads leading to the coast.

The theme of the state campaign featuring a television ad voiced by Gov. Nikki Haley is ``Our Coast is Clear.'' The state will also use the theme ``Want to Help South Carolina? Take a Vacation.''

The coast is the heart of the state's $18 billion tourism industry, which took a hit when as much as 2 feet of rain fell in some areas earlier this month. The rain first caused visitors to cancel reservations and then, when skies cleared, flooded roads made it hard to get to the coast.

State officials estimate the disruption caused the industry as much as $10 million a day.

Hotel occupancy statewide was down 8.4 percent compared to a year ago. In the Myrtle Beach area it was down 19 percent, while in downtown Charleston and the city's West Ashley section it tumbled 25 percent, according to figures from STR Inc., a company that tracks tourism trends. ``Initially the question was: `Are you open for business?' The answer was `Yes,''' said Brad Dean, the president and CEO of the

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. ``Then the question became, `If you are still open, can I get there?''' ``Seventy-five percent of our visitors travel on I-95 and that presented a challenge,'' Dean added.

The interstate linking Maine and Miami was closed in the state for more than a week following the storm as bridges were repaired. It finally reopened completely on Oct

``It's been difficult and honestly a lot of it is perception,'' said Duane Parrish, the director of the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. He said some of the media coverage made it look as though the entire state had been washed away. ``We've had groups cancel their vacations and we have even had people cancel in November,'' he said. The challenge, he added, is

People stand outside the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, S.C. South Carolina is working to assure visitors that things are back after historic rain and flooding and that the state's coast is open for fall vacations.

13.

Myrtle Beach is expanding a broadcast campaign in 70 markets, still urging people to come to the beach for a fall vacation. ``But we tweaked that message to assure those who were considering booking that you can get to Myrtle Beach quickly and safely.''

The state is replacing its existing ads with those for the coastal campaign.

to let people now that the coast is in good shape. ``We really concentrated on letting people know that while we certainly had flooding here it wasn't the kind that damaged businesses,'' said Perrin Lawson, the deputy director of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. ``The flooding downtown was more of an issue of access rather than damage.'' -AP

London welcomes record international visitors LONDON: London's tourism continued to boom in the second quarter of 2015, with the city welcoming a record 5.1 million international visitors, 6 per cent more compared to the same period last year, according to a new survey.

Tourist spending over the same period was 3.2 billion pounds, an eight per cent increase compared with the second quarter of 2014.

Over the past five years (20092014), the number of overseas visitors coming to London has risen by 22.5 per cent, the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey said.

The national picture is also positive with 9.9 million interna-

tional visitors coming to the UK between April and June 2015, five per cent more than the same period last year.

Over half of these international visits to the UK were to London.

Tourist spending across the UK over this period was 5.8 billion pounds, a 7 per cent increase compared with the second quarter of 2014.

The latest figures follow on from a record-breaking 2014 when 17.4 million overseas visitors traveled to London, spending 11.8 billion pounds across the city's restaurants, hotels and attractions.

Earlier this year the capital was named the most popular tourist

destination in the world for the second year running by MasterCard in the Global Cities Index report.

According to the report, London is forecast to host 18.82 million international visitors in 2015 putting the city ahead of Bangkok and Paris.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, welcomed the figures.

He said: "These numbers prove that our great capital is without a doubt the best place on earth to visit. People come from around the world to experience our unique mix of history, culture, shopping and world-class events." -PTI

H

yatt Hotels will no longer of fer on-demand pornographic movies in its rooms, the company has said. ``This content will not be introduced to any new Hyatt hotels, and it will be discontinued or phased out at all hotels,'' the company said in a statement.

Hyatt is just the latest hotel company to ban on-demand adult entertainment from its rooms. De-

creasing revenue from movie rentals in hotels has driven the trend, with movie rental revenue per available hotel room dropping from $339 a year to $107 a year between 2000 and 2014, according to a report from PKF Hospitality Research.

Hotel guests are renting fewer inroom movies because they can

watch them on smartphones or laptops instead.

Marriott hotels ended the practice of offering adult video on demand several years ago. The company's chairman, Bill Marriott, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told The Associated Press in 2012 that not only was the church ``very, very opposed to pornography,'' but that demand for the movies had ``gone way down'' because ``if they want that stuff, they can get on the computer.''

Hyatt, a U.S.-based c o m p a n y, owns 618 properties in 51 countries.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation in Washington applauded the change. ``With this step, Hyatt is proving itself to be a leader among corporations that value a positive and safe environment for their consumers,'' the organization's president, Patrick Trueman, said in a statement. -AP

Greece plans steep ticket hike for ancient sites ATHENS, Greece: Cashstrapped Greece is planning steep increases in ticket prices for ancient sites and museums, which travel agents say could hit the country's key tourism industry.

The Culture Ministry wants to raise the ticket for the Acropolis from 12 euros to 20 euros, and to double entry charges for other popular sites and museums - which all together attracted more than 6 million visitors in January-June.

The leftist-led government says

current charges are ``unacceptably low.''

It argues additional revenues could offset austerity measures demanded by international bailout creditors, such as higher taxation on all private education.

The new prices would apply from April-November 2016, with a 50 percent discount for the rest of the year.

The federation of Greek travel agents said the hike would drive tourists away. -AP

Panda gives birth to 2 cubs at Toronto Zoo TORONTO: The Toronto Zoo says a panda on loan from China has given birth to two cubs.

The zoo said the cubs were weighing 115 grams and just under 188 grams.

Zoo staff say the cubs and their mother, Er Shun, ``all appear to be doing well,'' but note the next few days and weeks are critical and all three will be monitored around the

clock.

It's the first time giant pandas have been born in Canada. The cubs, if they survive, will live at the zoo for about two years and will likely return to China once they are weaned.

Er Shun and another panda, Da Mao, arrived in 2013 and are slated to move to the Calgary Zoo in 2018.

-AP

October 23, 2015

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Realty Tidbits

Make Real Estate Bill an Act: Bhushan NEW DELHI: Amid cases of home buyers being cheated by builders, activist-lawyer and Swaraj Abhiyan leader Prashant Bhushan has urged the government to take steps to make the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill 2013 an Act. Addressing a news conference in association with Home Buyers Association, Bhushan said the RERD Bill has been pending for over two years now and was very essential for safeguarding the interests of home buyers.-PTI

Real Estate 40 India Post

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October 23, 2015

Crompton Greaves selling land for Rs 496 crore NEW DELHI: Crompton Greaves has said its board has approved entering into a definitive agreement for sale of a portion of its land parcel at Kanjurmarg, Mumbai, to Evie Real Estate for an aggregate sum of Rs 496.48 crore.

"As a part of its continuous asset optimization initiatives, the board of directors of the company has approved entering into a definitive agreement for sale of a portion of company's land parcel situated at Kanjurmarg, Mumbai...to Evie Real Estate Pvt Ltd for an aggregate sum of Rs 496.48 crore," the company said in a regulatory filing. -PTI

Terrace Ridge offers 36 exquisite luxury homes in Dublin India Post News Service

DUBLIN, CA: Terrace Ridge by William Lyon Homes presents a limited collection of 36 exquisite luxury homes and is among Dublin's most coveted new addresses. Three distinctive singlefamily home designs boast indoor/ outdoor living spaces that are spectacular from every perspective, architectural detailing that is unparalleled and breathtaking views of the valley and rolling hills in select locations. Richly appointed interiors also feature impressive great rooms for entertaining, casual dining areas, versatile lofts in select plans, chef-inspired kitchens and desirable covered patios. Visit www.LyonTerraceRidge.com or stop by the sales gallery to see firsthand why these terraced residences are a sales sensation.

"This exceptional collection of luxury homes is ideal for family living, offering lots of room to grow in a convenient Dublin location," said Kathy Floyd, Director of Sales for William Lyon Homes. "Buyers should visit soon to experience the grandeur of this neighborhood and find the floorplan that best suits their family's needs."

The residences at Terrace Ridge span approximately 2,829 to 3,127 square feet, with four to five bedrooms, four to five baths and twocar garages. Prices start from the high $1.1 millions.

Conveniently located in Dublin, residents enjoy easy access to TriValley's business employers, shops and leisure destinations. Nearby are I-680 and I-580, as well as a BART station for commutes to San Francisco and Oakland. In Pleasanton, the Altamont Corridor Express 'ACE' Train is on-hand for trips to Fremont, San Jose and Santa Clara.

Abundant retail and dining opportunities are also close by, including the new Persimmon Place Shopping Center that offers Nordstrom Rack, Whole Foods, Home Goods and more, and Hacienda Crossings

Shopping Center with Regal Cinemas and IMAX. Recreational opportunities feature Mount Diablo State Park, Emerald Glen Park, Fallon Sports Park, Dougherty Hills Dog Park and Dublin Ranch Golf Course.

Parents enjoy inclusion in the wellregarded Dublin Unified School District and nearby private schools.

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

homebuying and homeownership experience, William Lyon Homes has earned a solid track record for outstanding construction and customer service since 1956. The company continues to expand its wellrespected brand beyond California, Arizona and Nevada and into other market areas across the Western region with the acquisition of Polygon Northwest Homes, its newest division in Washington and Oregon, and its Village Homes division in Colorado. William Lyon Homes' shares are publicly traded on NYSE under the symbol WLH. For updated information and to learn more, visit www.lyonhomes.com.

To visit Terrace Ridge, travel I580, exit Tassajara Road and proceed north. Turn right on Silvera Ranch Drive, right on Terrace Ridge Court to enter the neighborhood, then left on Highpointe Court. The Sales Gallery is located on the left and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 925.551.0416, or visit www.LyonTerraceRidge.com.

Pricing is approximate and is subject to change without prior notice.

October 23, 2015

Real Estate Post

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Slower house sales this festive season: JLL NEW DELHI: Housing sales are expected to rise at a slower pace of 15-20 per cent during the ongoing festival season due to high prices in big cities and subdued sentiments in the property market, according to consultant JLL India.

Real estate market, especially residential segment, has been witnessing a slowdown for last 2-3 years, leading to sluggish housing sales and 4-5 years of delay in the completion of projects.

"Sales traditionally increased by up to 25-30 per cent during the festive season. However, this year we do not anticipate more than 15-20 per cent increase due to the fact that sentiment is still somewhat subdued and there is an affordability gap in the larger cities like Mumbai," JLL India Chairman and Country Head Anuj Puri said in a report.

Festival season is considered auspicious for real estate purchase and therefore developers gear up for increasing their sales, he added.

"Many households pinpoint this time for upgrading to more spacious and better-located homes, and even investors are driven by the traditional sentiment as this is a time considered ideal for wealth creation," Puri said.

DDA app to monitor land encroachment NEW DELHI: Seeking to curb land encroachment and effect speedy removal, the DDA has launched a new mobile application that will allow the housing authority to keep a tab on vacant lands under its jurisdiction.

The new app, which will become functional from October 20, was launched by DDA Vice-Chairman Arun Goel in presence of a number of officials from the Land Management Department, Engineering Wing and Planning, who also offered their feedback on it.

In order to ensure smooth working of the mobile app, the vice-chairman addressed all the officials up to the level of Kanoongo at the DDA headquarters, Vikas Sadan here, the DDA said in a statement.

"Suggestions from all the officers were invited and decisions taken on the spot thereby resolving ambiguities or explicitly outlining the policies in case of confusion," it said.

It was also decided that henceforth possession of land to allottees or institutions as the case may be, will be given by the engineering wing so that they remain updated regarding the ownership of the land and not by the Survey Department as was being done till now, it further said.

Explaining the app, it said, as per the standard operating procedure there will be regular monitoring and all the Kanoongos and Junior Engineers concerned will visit the property or inspect the property at least once a week.

"The officials will be required to take photographs and upload the same on the server on a weekly basis. The next officer in rank shall inspect the site once a month and take a photograph of the site and upload the same on the server.

"The Deputy Director/Executive Engineer in-charge shall personally inspect at least 10 per cent of the most valuable plots every two months and also take photograph along with coordinates and upload the same on the server using mobile application. In case any encroachment is noticed it shall be the responsibility of Land Management Department to get the same removed," the housing authority said.

Deputy Director, Land Management, of the zone shall be the nodal officer for their respective zones for removing encroachment as well as removal of malba and debris. After removal of the debris, photographs will be uploaded and the land shall be handed over to Engineering Wing for proper demarcation of boundaries by site staff, it said.

"All senior officers including vice-chairman, will be informed on the same day," the DDA said. -PTI

JLL said that the housing market is currently flush with options for prospective buyers and developers are offering discounts in almost all the projects, especially those which are ready-to-move-in.

"The offers and freebies that are being made available during this period must be closely examined to establish their true contribution in terms of the overall value of the property, and the deal itself," JLL advised buyers.

Stating that hard discounts would be better for end users and investors, Puri said the buyers could consider the offers wherein developers waive stamp duty and registra-

tion fee as this translates into an actual saving.

To boost housing demand, Puri said the government needs to review the taxes and duties that affect the pricing of any project. Also, the process of granting approvals needs to be speeded up so that the time taken from conception to actual delivery of homes is reduced.

In January this year, JLL had projected that housing sales would rise this year to 1.92 lakh units in the country's top seven cities. Sales had fallen to 1.75 lakh units in the primary markets of seven major cities in... in 2014 against nearly 2 lakh units in the previous year.-PTI

42 India Post

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amil filmmaker Shankar has signed the `Terminator' star Arnold Schwarzenegger for his scifi sequel. Shankar's Rajinikanth starrer Enthiran (Robot in Hindi, Robo in Telugu), was touted as India's most expensive film, until SS Rajamouli's two-part fantasy drama, Baahubali, broke the record.

The director is now set to raise the stakes with Enthiran 2 with Rajini reprising his role in the sci-fi drama. What's more, Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his Indian film debut with the sequel.

"Arnold was impressed with the storyline of Enthiran 2 and agreed to be a part of the film," Shankar confirmed.

When Schwarzenegger came to India in 2014, he mentioned that he was open to the idea of working in an Indian film. "It's true that Arnold has been approached to play the antagonist in the sequel. But he has not signed the project yet. The star will soon participate in a trial test for the role in Los Angeles," said a source close to the filmmaker.

Reportedly, Arnold has been offered a whopping Rs 100 crore for his role. Amy Jackson has already been finalized as the leading lady.

"Enthiran 2 is a superhero film, a sci-fi adventure, a triangular love story with bits inspired from the Ramayana."

To be produced by Lyca International on a lavish budget, the film will be shot in 3D and will have music by AR Rahman.

Arrives in Chennai Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived in Chennai on Oct 19 amidst tight security to attend the audio launch of Vikram-starrer Tamil romantic-thriller I. The audio launch took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, where the star of the Terminator film series shared the dais with Tamil movie superstar Rajinikanth.

October 23, 2015

India Post 43 www.indiapost.com

'Chevalier' best picture at London Film Festival LONDON: Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari's comedy of manhood ``Chevalier'' was named best picture at the London Film Festival during a ceremony that honored Cate Blanchett with a major career award.

It was a fitting finale to a festival that sought to showcase the work of talented women both onscreen and behind the camera.

Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski, who headed a prize jury that included actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kristin Scott Thomas, said Tsangari's film about a battle of egos among six men on a yacht was ``both a hilarious comedy and a deeply disturbing statement on the condition of Western humanity.''

Tsangari - whose film beat much-praised contenders including child-soldier saga ``Beasts of

No Nation'' and searing Holocaust drama ``Son of Saul'' - thanked ``all of the strong women who have inspired me - and all of the strong men.''

During a blacktie dinner ceremony at London's 17thcentury Banqueting House, Blanchett was awarded the British Film Institute Fellowship by her ``Lord of the Rings'' co-star Ian McKellen, in recognition of a career that has already netted her two Oscars, for ``The Aviator'' and ``Blue Jasmine.''

The award was preceded by a compilation of clips from Blanchett's 20-year film career, in-

terspersed with praise from directors including Peter Jackson, Todd Haynes and Richard Eyre.

``It's a cross between an obituary and a tribute,'' Blanchett said. ``I feel like I've died and gone to

Court rules in favor of Google's online library NEW YORK: Google is not violating copyright laws by digitizing millions of books so it can provide small portions of them to the public, a federal appeals court ruled in a decade long dispute by authors worried that the project would spoil the market for their work.

vember 2013 that Google's digitization of over 20 million books, mostly out-of-print titles, did not violate copyrights because the Mountain View, California-based company only showed short sections of the books in its database.

Chin had said it would be difficult for anyone to read any of the

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan agreed with a judge who concluded that the snippets Google showed customers from its database was a transformative use of the information and thus did not violate copyright laws.

Judge Denny Chin ruled in No-

works in their entirety by repeatedly entering different search requests.

In an opinion written by Judge Pierre N. Leval, the appeals court agreed, saying the snippet feature ``substantially protects against its serving as an effectively competing substitute for plaintiffs'

books.''

It added: ``Snippet view, at best and after a large commitment of manpower, produces discontinuous, tiny fragments, amounting in the aggregate to no more than 16% of a book. This does not threaten the rights holders with any significant harm to the value of their copyrights or diminish their harvest of copyright revenue.''

The three-judge appeals panel did acknowledge, though, that some book sales would likely be lost if someone were merely searching for a portion of text to ascertain a fact.

The Authors Guild and various authors had challenged Google in 2005, contending that the digital book project violated their rights.

Writers included Jim Bouton, author of the best-seller ``Ball Four,'' Betty Miles, author of ``The Trouble with Thirteen,'' and Joseph Goulden, author of ``The Superlawyers: The Small and Powerful World of Great Washington Law Firms.'' -AP

heaven.''

Blanchett said she'd never thought of her work as career, or even a choice. Acting, she said, ``chose me.''

Blanchett starred in two films at the festival: Haynes' 1950s-set lesbian romance ``Carol'' and James Vanderbilt's ``Truth,'' in which she plays TV news producer Mary Mapes, who was fired over a story about former U.S. President George W. Bush's military service.

American director Robert

Eggers' Pilgrim horror film ``The Witch'' won the festival's firstfeature prize. Jennifer Peedom's Himalayan study ``Sherpa'' was named best documentary and ``An Old Dog's Diary'' by Shai Heredia and Shumona Goel took the short-film trophy.

The 59th annual London festival aimed to put strong women center stage, opening with Sarah Gavron's political drama ``Suffragette'' and featuring 46 female-directed films among its 240 features. -AP

Parineeti Chopra 'not a feminist'

P

arineeti Chopra, the brand ambassador for Haryana's 'Beti Bachao Beti Padao' campaign, says she is not a "feminist" but strongly voices for gender equality.

The 26-year-old actress said she would like to be seen as a role model rather than a "feminist".

When asked if her understanding on women issues developed more after joining films, she said, "I am very often confused to be a feminist but I am not. I am really not.

Coming into Bollywood, I think definitely it has made me stronger and more responsible.

"I do feel proud of my gender, of being a woman. I do speak against gender inequality. I am the brand ambassador for Haryana's 'Beti Bachao Beti Padao' campaign. And I think it is very important for me personally to strive for equality, especially the industry that I come from," said the ac-

tress.

The Ishaqzaade star feels her entry in Bollywood has reaffirmed her belief in gender equality and that there is a need in the society to fill gaps of inequality among men and women.

"Now, I und e r stand a n d accept that anything that I do, could and I hope should inspire young girls.

Now, I am very particular about what I say or do. If that makes me half a feminist, then that's okay. I want girls to be treated the way men are. Somewhere we lack that in our country. So, I do want to be a role model but not a feminist," she added.

In Brief Immigrants sue colleges over higher tuition rate JEFFERSON CITY, MO.: Immigrant students have sued three Missouri public colleges for charging them higher tuition, a change prompted by a new state law aimed at blocking students without lawful immigration status from paying less than international students.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri filed the suits in several circuit courts against the University of Missouri Board of Curators, the Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City and St. Louis Community College on behalf of three students, who were identified as either ``John Doe'' or ``Jane Doe'' in the lawsuits.

The lawsuits claim the students were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and now are lawfully present through the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, although that doesn't grant them legal status. Some have lived in Missouri for years, or previously qualified for resident tuition rates.

Instead of receiving the same lower tuition rates as other students who live in the state or nearby a college, they had to pay more than twice the cost of tuition they had expected, the lawsuits allege.

For example, a student previously enrolled at the Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City said she dropped out in the fall semester because her tuition was raised from $95 per credit hour to the out-of-state rate of $229 an hour.

Cont'd on Page 45

Agent pleads not guilty to new charge

SALT LAKE CITY: A Utah Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of slamming a man's face into a concrete floor has pleaded not guilty to a new charge filed against him.

Court records show that Jon Martinson Jr. is facing a one count of deprivation of rights under the color of law. The charge was filed in September, after the first indictment against him was dismissed.

Prosecutors say Martinson violated the man's constitutional rights forbidding the use of unreasonable force while the inmate was shackled in July 2013.

Martinson's lawyers contend he used a common tactic to control an aggressive inmate awaiting deportation at an ICE facility in West Valley City.

U.S. District Judge Dee Benson decided that the so-called hip-toss was legal under use-of-force rules for inmates and tossed out the first case in July.-AP

Immigration

Restaurants putting immigration reform on menu

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Details on page 46

'Leaky' immigration checks led to 9/11, says Trump

F

ormer Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign is furious with 2016 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump over Trump's comments that the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened on Bush's brother former President George W. Bush's watch. But a review of the basic facts of the situation-and Jeb Bush's own writings-reveals that even the Bushes admit that "leaky" immigration enforcement was a major driving factor in leading to the terrorist attacks.

While Trump has attacked Bush before-describing the candidate as "low energy"-this line of questioning represents a new level in the war as Trump soars over Bush in recent polling, and has essentially replaced Bush as the establishment frontrunner. The latest Trump-Bush bout began in the most recent debate.

In the CNN Republican presidential debate, Trump blamed George W. Bush's unsuccessful presidency for giving us President Obama, prompting an immediate response from Jeb Bush.

TRUMP: "Your brother - and your brother's administration gave

us Barack Obama, because it was such a disaster, those last three months, that Abraham Lincoln couldn't have been elected."

BUSH: "You know what? As it relates to my brother, there's one thing I know for sure. He kept us

declaration that if he were president and were able to enact his immigration policies, 9/11 would not have happened under his watch.

On Fox News Sunday, Trump said: Look, look, Jeb said, "We

Donald Trump

safe. I don't know if you remember…"

This exchange sparked a war of words between the two campaigns-culminating in Trump's

were safe with my brother, we were safe." Well the World Trade Center just fell down. Now am I trying to blame him? I'm not blaming anybody. But the World Trade Center

came down. So when he said we were safe, that's not safe. We lost 3,000 people, it was one of the greatest-probably the greatest catastrophe ever in this country… I am extremely, extremely tough on illegal immigration. I am extremely tough on people coming into this country. I believe if I were running things, I doubt those-I doubt those people would have been in the country. So there is a good chance that those people would not have been in our country With that being said, I'm not blaming George Bush, but I don't want Jeb Bush to say, "My brother kept us safe," because September 11th was one of the worst days in the history of this country.

The Bush campaign was quick to attack Trump in response, declaring that "Across the spectrum of foreign policy, Mr. Trump talks about things as though he's still on 'The Apprentice'… My brother responded to a crisis, and he did it as you would hope a president would do. He united the country, he organized our country and he kept us safe."

Cont'd on Page 45

Indian woman wins right to British passport LONDON: An Indian woman has won a UK high court case to be granted a British passport based on her father's British citizenship.

Deelavathi Bondada, the daughter of an Indian immigrant who settled in Britain and became a citizen of the UK, had requested a British passport from the UK home office to escape an abusive marriage in India.

However, UK immigration authorities had denied her request based on some doubts over her paternity.

A British judge has now ruled those doubts were "untenable" and granted the 45-year-old British citizenship on the basis of her descent.

Justice Walker was asked to rule on the dispute between the Home Office and Bondada, who

was born in India in 1969, two years after her father Chandraiah became a British citizen.

He ruled that she was a British citizen by descent and therefore entitled to a British passport.

The ruling quashed the Home Office's October 2013 decision refusing her one.

Walker said government officials who objected to Deelavathi's claim had ignored "compelling DNA evidence".

He said the unsupported speculation that her mother, Ganikamma, who is now 86, had had a secret lover who fathered Deelavathi was "so far-fetched as to be absurd".

"It is not a real possibility, let alone a possibility of such substance as to enable the court to make a finding that Deelavathi has not shown on the balance of prob-

ability that Chandraiah was her father," the judge said in a written ruling.

"The result was that this stance effectively made an accusation that [Deelavathi s] mother has lied

The judge said lawyers representing the Home Office were not to blame but had been asked to "defend an impossible position". about the patronage of her children for more than 60 years. At a very late stage in the present proceedings the home secretary ac-

cepted the DNA evidence.

"Nevertheless the stance taken on behalf of the home secretary when rejecting (Deelavathi's) claim has, without a shred of evidence to support it, continued to make the same effective accusation. The conduct of the UK government in this regard has been grotesque."

The judge said lawyers representing the Home Office were not to blame but had been asked to "defend an impossible position".

Deelavathi s family said she had been born in the village of Nagullanka near Chennai, Walker said.

He had analyzed "crucial issues" about her date of birth and her parents' marital status before concluding that a decision to refuse her a passport should be quashed.-PTI

Immigration Post

October 23, 2015

India Post 45

www.indiapost.com

'Leaky' immigration checks led to 9/11, says Trump Cont'd from Page 44

However, a review Jeb Bush's 2013 book Immigration Wars reveals that Jeb Bush himself agreed with Trump's argument and admitted that our "leaky" immigration policy was responsible for the attack.

Bush wrote: "In addition to the Mexican drug cartels, the fact that several of the 9/11 terrorists entered the country lawfully under a leaky immigration system has heightened national security concerns-so much so that immigration enforcement has been placed under the Department of Homeland Security.

for two people would run north of $15,000, yet there is no indication that the consular officer even attempted to determine that Wail in fact had the financial means to fund the planned excursion. They appear to have received their visas the same day they applied.

ABC News covered Mowbray's report: "Abdulaziz Alomari claimed to be a student but didn't name a school; claimed to be married but didn't name a spouse; under nationality and gender, he didn't list anything.

Visa approved.

Three months later, Alomari followed his friend Mohamed Atta through airport security… head-

‘All of the nineteen September 11th hijackers were voluntarily imported into the country on visas issued to them by our federal government. Almost all of the visas were issued in the predominantly Muslim country of Saudi Arabia.’

"Indeed, all of the nineteen September 11th hijackers were voluntarily imported into the country on visas issued to them by our federal government. Almost all of the visas were issued in the predominantly Muslim country of Saudi Arabia. Four of the September 11th hijackers-Zacarias Moussaoui, Satam al Suqami, Nawaf al Hamzi, and Hani Hanjourwere visa overstays.

In a blockbuster 2002 report, National Review's Joel Mowbray acquired the visa applications of 15 of the 19 hijackers and exposed how every single one of their applications should have been flatly rejected.

Mowbray wrote: "Brothers Wail and Waleed al-Shehri applied together for travel visas on October 24, 2000. Wail claimed his occupation was "teater," while his brother wrote "student." Both listed the name and address of his respective employer or school as simply "South City." Each also declared a U.S. destination of "Wasantwn." But what should have further raised a consular officer's eyebrows is the fact that a student and his nominally employed brother were going to go on a four-to-six-month vacation, paid for by Wail's "teater" salary, which he presumably would be foregoing while in the United States. Even assuming very frugal accommodations, such a trip

ing for the World Trade Center.

Khalid Al Mihdhar, who helped crash the plane into the Pentagon, simply listed "Hotel" as his U.S. destination - no name, no city, no state - but no problem getting a visa.

"They were handing these things out gift-wrapped with ribbons on top," Mowbray said. "[AlQaeda operatives] didn't have to beat the system, the system was rigged in their favor from the getgo."

By definition, had the visas been rejected or had the visa-overstays been deported, September 11th would not have happened.

Interestingly, even though George W. Bush remained in office for more than six years after the attack, millions of visa overstays were still not deported. In fact, the United States continues to churn out hundreds of thousands of visas to Muslim immi-

As Center for Immigration Studies' Executive Director Mark Krikorian wrote earlier this year, "This view, that foreign visa applicants rather than the American people are to be served, continues; the number of student visas issued to Saudis, for instance, is up more than 500 percent from 9/11."

The Republican presidential candidates have taken starkly different positions on the issue of Muslim immigration.

For instance, while Donald Trump has repeatedly articulated a strong stance against increasing the number of Muslim immigrants voluntarily admitted into the country, Marco Rubio has adopted an entirely different position on the matter.

Although four of the 9/11 hijackers were visa overstays, Sen. Rubio authored legislation that would have legalized visa overstays and would have made them American citizens. At the same time, Rubio voted against a visa tracking system offered by his Republican colleague Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) 71%, which sought to prevent future foreign nationals from illegally overstaying their visas.

Rubio has also expressed support for expanding the resettlement of Muslim immigrants-on top of the annual 280,000 Muslim migrants the United States admits annually, which includes 100,000 Muslim immigrants who are brought in on green cards and will eventually be able to bring in their family members and vote in U.S. elections.

Moreover, while Trump has declared that he would be cautious about the Muslim migrants that are admitted into the United States on temporary visas, Rubio has introduced legislation that would substantially boost temporary visas to some of the most terror-prone regions of the world.

Rubio's legislation, however, does not include any corresponding enforcement measures to track

Rubio has also expressed support for expanding the resettlement of Muslim immigrants-on top of the annual 280,000 Muslim migrants the United States admits annually, which includes 100,000 Muslim immigrants who are brought in on green cards grants, some of whom have gone on to commit terror attacks in the United States.

foreigners brought into the country on temporary visas.

A review of recent terror activ-

ity-provided by the Senate Immigration Subcommittee-reveals that a number of attacks have been committed by Muslim immigrants admitted entry to the United States on visas.

A refugee voluntarily admitted from Uzbekistan and "living in Idaho was arrested and charged with providing support to a terrorist organization, in the form of teaching terror recruits how to build bombs."

A college student voluntarily

admitted from Somalia, "who later applied for and received U.S. citizenship, attempted to blow up a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Oregon."

An immigrant voluntarily admitted from Kazakhstan "with lawful permanent resident status conspired to purchase a machine gun to shoot FBI and other law enforcement agents if they prevented him from traveling to Syria to join ISIS." -Courtesy breitbart.com

Immigrants sue colleges over higher tuition rate Cont'd from Page 44

``Our Missouri public institutions of higher learning exist to open the doors of opportunity to hard-working students striving to

get ahead. Now, there are extreme financial burdens being put on the backs of students already struggling to achieve their goals of higher education,'' said Jeffrey Mittman, executive director of the ACLU of Missouri, in a statement. ``To punish students who had no say in how they arrived in this country is not only mean-spirited, it is against the law.''

At issue is a law signed in May

that guides state spending on public colleges and universities. An introduction to the legislation includes a provision that colleges receiving state money must charge students without a lawful immigration status nothing less than the international rate of tuition.

The students argue the provision in the budget legislation is not binding because of a technicality: the restriction on immigrant tuition rates is in the introduction, not the body of the measure.

Metropolitan Community College spokeswoman Christina Medina declined to comment on the pending lawsuit, but said in a statement that the college ``is committed to serving students and our community within the confines of the regulatory parameters provided by state and federal requirements.'' -AP

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Immigration Post

46 India Post

October 23, 2015

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Restaurants putting immigration reform on menu PHILADELPHIA: Cristina Martinez arrives at work at 4 a.m., ties a white apron high across her chest, and starts preparing a lamb cooked in vapor for 10 hours.

An hour later, she and her husband, Ben Miller, open their South Philadelphia restaurant, Barbacoa, serving premium tacos _ and hefty sides of activism _ in their bid to mobilize restaurateurs on behalf of the many undocumented immigrants who work in America's kitchens.

Hosting organizational meetings and screening documentaries, the couple hopes to spark a culinary crusade in a city famous for its restaurant scene _ and pressure the deadlocked Congress to overhaul the immigration laws. ``Mexican undocumented workers are in every restaurant in this country,'' Miller wrote in one online post. ``They cook, clean, and busboy for Marc Vetri, Steven Starr, Jose Garces, every hotel, every university dining hall, and in our restaurant . . . as well.''

It's no secret that immigrants, many of them undocumented, are essential to America's $550-billiona-year restaurant trade. The Pew Hispanic Center has estimated that 20 percent of the nation's 2.6 million chefs, head cooks, and line cooks are here illegally, as are 28 percent of the 360,000 dishwash-

ers. ``All I want,'' Miller said in an interview, ``is for some chefs to step up and say, `Yes, we are in favor of making a way for our undocumented workers. They matter.' `` The Philadelphia-area restaurant all-stars who Miller has called out on Facebook have thus far stayed silent. A spokeswoman for Garces said he declined to comment. Neither Vetri nor Starr responded to multiple interview requests.

But others said Miller's message begs an important conversation.

David Suro, a native of Mexico who opened the Center City restaurant Tequilas 29 years ago, estimated the city's commercial kitchens and dining rooms employ at least 1,500 Mexican immigrants as cooks, servers, busboys, and dishwashers. He said his policy is in line with what he believes is true of the other major restaurant employers: ``Anyone hired must have papers.''

That's not always so easily determined, Suro said, acknowledging the possibility of forgeries. ``But they pay their taxes'' through payroll withholding, he said, ``and are very hardworking.''

Tom McCusker, chef-owner of Honest Tom's Tacos in West Phila-

delphia, supports Miller as someone who ``kind of broke the barrier to talk openly about this.''

But he said Miller needs bigname support if his cause is to get lift. ``If one of those dudes signed off,'' he said, ``we could run with this.''

What Miller, 31, has in mind is a movement built on the testimonials of prominent chefs who might be more comfortable talking about a sensitive subject if they tackle it together. He wants the federal government to create restaurant guest-worker permits so workers can ``travel home for five days at

Immigration activists protest outside the federal appeals court in New Orleans

Christmas,'' or attend family funerals, without fear of arrest. He wants

St. Louis archbishop supports immigrants ST. LOUIS: St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson has issued a pastoral statement in support of immigrants and refugees, citing concerns about what he called ``the language and rhetoric of discrimination, hate and alienation.''

Carlson's statement was released in both English and Spanish. He also sent a memo to priests within the archdiocese, asking them to read the statement in both languages at all Masses.

Archbishop since 2009, Carlson did not specify the source of the language that concerned him. Recently, several politicians have been outspoken in their belief that those living in the U.S. illegally should be deported. A message seeking an interview with Carlson was not immediately returned. ``In my visits and conversations with our Hispanic sisters and brothers, in particular, I have heard how difficult, painful and divisive this rhetoric of hate has been, and how it is creating an atmosphere of anxiety, withdrawal and fear,''

Carlson's statement read.

He urged others to join him in expressing ``solidarity and hope'' with immigrants and refugees in

Archbishop Robert Carlson

the St. Louis archdiocese, which includes 10 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis, where more than a half-million Catholics reside.

Antonio Maldonado, an activist in the St. Louis Hispanic community and a Catholic, said the statement is overdue but welcome. ``A lot of people will be more at

recognition that anyone who dines out benefits from the labor of immigrants, many of whom are undocumented.

A quirky, unlikely standard bearer _ who said he lived in shelters for a while and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor indecent assault charge a decade ago _ Miller said his knowledge of the restaurant scene comes from having worked at two prominent Philadelphia eateries alongside people he knew to be undocumented but otherwise upstanding. ``While they are here, they are paying taxes,'' he said. ``They are

ease because they've lived some of this hate, especially the newer immigrants,'' Maldonado said. ``But more importantly, in the Anglo parishes, we'll get some awareness of the plight that not only Hispanic immigrants but a lot of immigrants are going through.''

Pope Francis has made immigration a top priority of his pontificate, condemning indifference to the plight of immigrants, decrying what he has called the ``inhuman'' conditions facing migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and calling on every parish and religious community in Europe to take in refugees who have been arriving on the continent from Syria and other war-torn countries. Francis urged a generous welcome for immigrants repeatedly in his visit last month to the U.S. -AP

consumers, shopping at the Acme, willing to do the (low-level kitchen) jobs . . . that kids who come out of culinary school don't want to do.''

His desire to use Barbacoa as a platform for social change, he said, is driven largely by his love for Martinez. They met working at another restaurant, and married in 2012.

She was a 6-year-old in Mexico, she said, when her mother and father taught her to cook the succulent barbecue they sold at openair markets.

Forty-six and moonfaced, with black hair in a tight bun now, she moves by rote in Barbacoa's kitchen, where her thoughts often turn to her daughter, Karla, 23, a nursing student in the Mexican state of Michoacan.

Martinez said she came illegally to the United States in 2009 to earn money for Karla's tuition and expenses, about $2,000 monthly, which was unattainable as a barbacoa peddler in Mexico.

Then a single mother of four, she had made the perilous trek across the desert to the U.S. before and knew the drill: a bit of peyote to battle fatigue; a plastic bottle to scrounge water from cow troughs; the clothes on her back.

Caught by U.S. Border Patrol and fingerprinted in 2006, Martinez has an ``unlawful presence'' on her record, which makes her ineligible for a green card despite her mar-

riage to Miller, a U.S. citizen, who was raised in Easton.

Among the hardships of being undocumented, she said, the hardest is being unable to go home to see her family and return to Philadelphia without another desert crossing and at least $8,000 to pay the human smugglers. She could leave and try to return legally but the law bars people with her immigration status from applying for 10 years.

So the couple behind Barbacoa, which began as a lunch cart near their home on South Eighth Street, and opened as a storefront on South 11th in July, saw no alternative but to add movement-building to their menu.

On Sept. 20, with 25 people in attendance, they screened the documentary The Hand That Feeds, about working conditions at a New York City sandwich shop.

A meeting to discuss an unspecified ``direct action'' campaign to take effect in the spring is scheduled for Nov. 8.

Miller imagines a ``show of solidarity'' in which restaurant owners would close for a day and issue a joint statement to raise consciousness about the needs of the industry's workforce.

The National Restaurant Association, the country's largest restaurant industry group, has lobbied Congress for immigration reform, including ``a path to legalization'' for undocumented immigrants. The industry has a lot of power, Miller said. ``Of course, it's a personal story, with my wife and me,'' he said. ``But it is also about our customers and colleagues in food service. We want these people to have stability and comfort.''

He said he's not advocating just opening the borders. But he wants debate. ``Donald Trump has his podium. He has his microphone,'' Miller said. ``We can't let that be the only one.''

There is some precedent for prominent people, including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, speaking out on immigration. ``Our businesses broke the law by employing them,'' he told Congress in 2006. ``(But) our city's economy would be a shell of itself had they not, and it would collapse if they were deported.''

Speaking to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus last week, Washington, D.C.-based restaurateur Jose Andres, who recently backed out of a deal to open a restaurant in a Trump hotel after Trump disparaged Mexicans and called for mass deportations, echoed the sentiment. -AP

Datebook

October 23, 2015

NEW JERSEY Upcoming Fri, Oct 23

• Navratri 2015 with Achal Mehta

NEW YORK Upcoming Fri, Nov 6 • Diwali Party

Venue: New Jersey Expo-Raritan Center, 97 Sunfield Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837 Time : 09:00 pm Contact: 718-639-9200

Venue: The Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 Time : 07:00 pm Contact: 631-928-3800

Fri, Oct 30

Sat, Nov 7

Venue: Guru Palace, 2215 U.S. 1, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08902 Time: 6:30 pm Contact: 551-358-6669

Venue: PRANNA, NYC, 79 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Time : 10:00 pm

• Karva Chauth Puja & Celebration New Jersey

Sun, Nov 1 • Deepavali Vizhaa - Neengal Kettavai 2 Venue: West Windsor - Plainsboro High School - South, 346 Clarksville Road, West Windsor Township, NJ 08550 Time: 3:00 pm

• Biggest Bollywood Diwali Party with DJ Notorious!!

Fri, Nov 20 • Alka Yagnik Live in New York Venue: Colden Auditorium, Reeves Avenue, NY 11367 Time : 08:30 pm Contact: 7186392881

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ILLINOIS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

CHICAGO

Upcoming

Upcoming

Sat, Oct 24 • Raas-Garba With Hemant

Sat, Oct 24 • Rashi Chakra - A one-man comedy show by Shri.

Yashavant SirDeshpande

1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's

Venue: Towne3 Cinemas, 1433 The Alameda,

Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807

Mehla & Group Venue: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 951-318-7375

Sat, Oct 24 • Come, join celebrate Diwali with FOG - Festival of Lights Venue: Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566 Time: 11:00 am Contact: 209-640-9914

San Jose, CA 95126 Time: 05:00 pm

Fri, Nov 13 • Diwali extravaganza with Golu Awards Venue: Sakoon Indian Restaurant, Fremont, 94538, 39195 Farwell Drive, Fremont, CA

Sat, Oct 24 •Spandana Laser Dandiya and Bollywood Night Venue: Windemere Ranch Middle School, 11611 E Branch Pkwy, San Ramon, CA Time: 06:00 pm Contact: 201-606-3949

Fri, Nov 6 • Bollywood Singers Club Party Venue: Shehnai Cuisine of India, 705 E Birch St, Brea, CA 92821 Time: 7:00 pm

Sat, Nov 7 • Bharatanatyam Dance With Leela Samson Venue: Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054 Time: 6:00 pm

Sun, Nov 8 • Bhuvnesh Komkali Live Concert in Milpitas Venue: Serra Theaters, 200 Serra Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 Time: 10:00 am Contact: 4084618390

Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 5103644271

ATLANTA Upcoming Sat, Oct 31 • YG Mahendra and play back singer Saindhavi light music program Venue: Balaji Temple auditorium, 1145 Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506 Time: 4:00 pm Contact: 8159557794

Sat, Nov 7 • Diwali Milan Venue: Holiday inn 17W350, 22nd Street, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 Time: 11:00 pm Contact: 630-886-3106

Sat, Nov 7 • Diwali Bollywood Dhamaka Venue: Bombay Grill Indian Restaurant, 2165 Savoy Drive, Atlanta, GA 30341 Time: 07:30 pm

Upcoming

Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Swami Ishatmananda • Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life Venue: Public Library-95th Street 3015 Cedar Glade Rd Naperville IL 60564 Time: 1st friday of every month 7-8 pm Contact: 630-637-0662

• India Eternal: From the Vedic Age to the Present Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago 10915 N. Main Street Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 630-655-8822

„ Health

Line

Mobile app 'M-Sehat' for health workers LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has launched the mobile app M-Sehat for health workers to record maternal and infant data in real-time, saying a new beginning is being made in the state's health services.

Equipping frontline workers of the health department like ASHA workers, auxiliary nurse midwives and medical officers with latest technique would improve their proficiency, he said while launching the project here.

"It would help in registration, tracking, counseling, reporting, screening and referral of the beneficiaries," Yadav said, adding that effective monitoring of steps to bring down mother-child death rate could be done through the app.

By providing smartphones to Asha workers, corruption can also be checked, he said.

"A new beginning is being made in the health services in Uttar Pradesh with the launch of this project," he said adding that the state government was setting up primary and community health centers in large numbers for better services.

The state's Medical and Health Minister Ahmad Hasan claimed that M-Sehat was world's biggest mobile pilot project.

Initially the project will be launched in five districts Sitapur, Kannauj, Faizabad, Mirzapur and Bareilly for a period of three years, Hasan said, adding that it would be later implemented in all districts.-PTI

„ Bill to increase children's access to healthy food BOSTON: Health care advocates are pushing a bill aimed at increasing children's access to healthy food in Massachusetts.

Supporters say the bill takes a holistic approach to children's well-being by improving access to food assistance.

The bill also aims to reduce barriers to emergency shelter and ensure all children are screened for medical issues and can get to medical appointments.

Backers say children without health care are more likely to be in poor health and perform poorly in school. And children who are homeless or don't have stable housing are more likely to exhibit mental and behavioral health needs.-AP

Health Science 48 India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 23, 2015

Border Patrol makes few immigrant arrests Details on Page 49

Jaitley cautions Health Ministry against AIIMS micro-management NEW DELHI: Stating that "over-involvement' has in the past led to "crisis" for AIIMS, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said here that the Health Ministry should play a supportive role to encourage the institution without getting into its "micro-management".

Observing that the number of medical colleges are still "inadequate" in the country, he also said that a serious review is needed to increase the numbers of such schools.

The minister also advocated the need to take a serious look into the policy of organ donation by assessing the best practices around the world.

"I have been a keen observer of the institution (AIIMS). It grew through challenges and even crises at times. I wish to recount that one mistake or error which ministry normally makes is to get overinvolved with AIIMS. I think this has led to several problems and crises in the past.

"Health Ministry has a great supportive role to play. It has to support and encourage the institution while not getting into the micro-management of it," he stressed.

Pointing to the tenures of recent Union health ministers, the senior BJP leader further said that "to the credit of the present health

minister (JP Nadda), his predecessor Harsh Vardhan and his predecessor Ghulam Nabi Azad, three of them deviated from the past practice, not getting involved in the micro-management of AIIMS, and left it to the professionals of

leges. Both public and private sector education has expanded. But medical colleges are still inadequate. A review of the policy is required as far as increasing the number of medical schools is concerned," he said.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addressing the 43rd Annual Convocation of AIIMS, in New Delhi

the institution".

"That break from the past makes your job easier," he said at the 43rd Annual Convocation of the premier medical institute here.

Observing that there is a need to expand quality institutions, the minister said a serious review is required to develop medical colleges near existing institutions by relaxing municipal and medical council laws.

"We need more medical col-

He noted that India is capable of producing "huge" human talent as one out of every seven patients in the US is treated by a doctor of Indian origin while a large part of British healthcare is managed by Indian doctors.

"We need to expand quality institutions. The restraints on the great hospitals - unavailability of contiguous land, inability to have medical colleges next to it - needs a serious review.

"We have ready-made hospitals of excellence which have worked for decades and there is no reason why, by relaxing municipal laws and medical council regulations, we are not able to encourage the expansion of a few hundred more medical colleges in India," he said. Noting the challenge vis-a-vis the policy on organ donation, the Finance Minister said, "We must look at the standard best practices in the world and try to see how some of them work in the Indian context without commercializing the whole activity."

Referring to AIIMS completing 60 years, he said that while, conventionally, to reach that age was worrisome and in government one retires at 60, he was "delighted" that nothing of the sort had happened to the premier institute.

"In some states of North India, the word 'sathiya' (senile) drew its origin from 60 because when you are 60 other things start happening to you. I am delighted that it has not happened to institution," he said.

The Finance Minister said that in situations of dire need, people in the country look to AIIMS for their healthcare needs and the institute has an "onerous" responsibility to be the best and excel in the face of challenges to cater to them.

Cont'd on Page 50

Ban likely on foreigners having surrogate kids NEW DELHI: A blanket ban may be imposed soon on NRIs, PIOs and foreigners having children through surrogacy in India with the Health Ministry and National Commission for Women proposing it as part of a new legislation.

The Health Ministry, which had drafted a bill to deal with issues relating to surrogacy, has also agreed to suggestions

by NCW to make legal provisions to allow single women including divorcees and widows to become surrogate mothers, besides setting up of a regulatory body.

At a national consultation on the Assisted Reproductive Tech-

nology (Regulation) Bill, the NCW and Health Ministry were in agreement that there should be a blanket ban on NRIs, PIOs (Persons of Indian Origins) and foreign nationals to have children through surrogacy in India.

NCW Chairperson Lalita Kumaramangalam said Health Ministry has decided to finalize the bill on surrogacy-related issues by November 15.

The consultation was attended by officials from Home Ministry, Women and NCW Chairperson Lalita Kumaramangalam Child Development Minis-

try, National Human Rights Commission and representatives of various states besides NCW and Health Ministry. The bill was first drafted in 2010 which was revised in 2013.

The Health Ministry has now sought public opinion on the bill before it could be finalized.

Kumarmangalam also said the Home Affairs has conveyed that it will make changes in the bill to make provisions on not to allow NRIs, PIOs, overseas Indians along with foreign nationals to have children though surrogacy.

Cont'd on Page 50

October 23, 2015

Health Science Post

India Post 49

www.indiapost.com

Chemists in nationwide protest against e-pharmacies NEW DELHI: Over 6,800 chemist shops across Delhi and adjoining areas remained shut as druggists joined the one-day nationwide strike by All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) demanding action from the Central government against "illegal" online sale of medicine.

The AIOCD, which has eight lakh member chemists across the country, opposed the Central government's move to regularize online sale of medicines, said its president J S Shinde.

"Over 90 per cent of the chemist shops across the country are shut. However we allowed 10 per cent of them to remain open to avoid any difficulty to patients," said Shinde.

The association has also warned of an indefinite strike if the government failed to address the issue within a week.

"The move towards regularizing the sale of medicines through internet would increase the risk of adverse drug reaction and give an opening for the entry of low-quality, mis-branded and spurious products.

"This is estimated to hit eight lakh chemists and about 80 lakh workers and their families," he said.

Shinde said the AIOCD had earlier noti-

fied the government authorities, including ministries and departments concerned as well as the central drug control office, about e-pharmacies "not following the law in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940" but haven't received any re-

sponse from them yet.

"We have met Drug Controller of India G N Singh and submitted a memorandum to him. The association's representatives have also been to the Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry.

Border Patrol makes few immigrant arrests TUCSON, Ariz: Less than one percent of immigrant arrests made by the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona happen at the various inland checkpoints, according to a new report.

The figures obtained by the ACLU following a lawsuit raise questions about the efficacy of the checkpoints and come amid growing opposition to them.

Critics say the checkpoints result in racial profiling and abuse of power by agents.

The Border Patrol says they are crucial to catching human and drug smugglers who cross illegally into the United States.

But very few arrests are made at checkpoints. For example, only about 800 of the 120,939 immigrant apprehensions made by the Border Patrol in the Tucson Sector in fiscal year 2013 were made at checkpoints. That's 0.67 percent.

The checkpoints can be within 100 air miles of the country's border and are usually located on highways and small roads.

People who drive through a checkpoint are asked to reveal whether they are U.S. citizens.

James Lyall, an ACLU attorney who focuses on the Arizona border with Mexico, said the data show why the Border Patrol has been less than forthcoming with arrest and seizure statistics from checkpoints. ``If policy makers and the public are able to get complete and accurate information from the agency, it may be a lot harder for

the Border Patrol to justify these operations with the usual blanket claims that they're efficient and effective,'' Lyall said.

Tucson Sector chief Manny Padilla has defended the checkpoints. At a protest in May, he said the checkpoints are a crucial component of the agency's strategy and that they are strategically located in routes that smugglers take.

The agency said in a statement that it can't comment on ongoing litigation.

Lyall is helping represent two residents of a small Arizona town called Arivaca who say the checkpoints are marred with racial

profiling and constitutional violations. The residents and others from the area have spent the past year monitoring agents at a checkpoint in Amado, Arizona, jotting down details they observe, such as the model of cars and the apparent ethnicity of drivers pulled over for secondary inspection.

A federal magistrate judge recently denied the ACLU's request for a temporary injunction that would have allowed the monitors to get closer to the agents. The lawsuit is ongoing.-AP

"We have even submitted a memorandum on this issue to the Prime Minister's Office, (Health Minister) J P Nadda and chief ministers of all states. And a copy has been sent to all the members of Parliament, both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha but no one has responded," he said.

Kulpreet Kaur, cofounder of Shop Pirate, a brand involved in sales of medicines online, said, "There is no harm in technology acting as an enabler in offering convenience to customers.

"We need to bring in comprehensive laws and process to avoid any social issue. E-commerce has always played a role of giving opportunities to everyone in the ecosystem."

Of late, online pharmacies have significantly risen due to e-commerce boom in the country. The rise has been attributed to the lack of regulation of the industry.

"The government's move towards regularizing the sale of medicines through the Internet would increase the risk of adverse drug reaction, which will give an opening for the entry of lowquality... mis-branded and spurious products.

"Entering of low-quality products will have a major setback economically, which is estimated to hit 8 lakh chemists and about 80 lakh workers and their families," Shinde said.

Govt clarification Union Health Minister J P Nadda has clarified that no such decision on allowing sale of medicines using the Internet has been taken by the government.

He had informed them that views of all stakeholders would be taken into account as and when the matter is taken up for consideration by the government.

Chemists in the northern states like Punjab and Haryana too joined the strike against e-pharmacies. Reports from Chandigarh said over 35,000 chemists and wholesalers in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana kept their shops closed.

Chandigarh Chemist Association President Vijay Anand said the bandh is to support 8 lakh chemists across the country.

They also took out protest marches at various places in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.-PTI

Health Science Post

50 India Post

April 3, 2015

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Jaitley cautions Health Ministry against AIIMS micro-management Cont'd from Page 48

"People all over the country, particularly patients who are in dire need, look to AIIMS. AIIMS is somehow a great healer for them and they get a sense of satisfaction that the last and final opinion about their wellbeing and possibility of improvement comes from it," he said.

Noting that people turn to God only for faith, Jaitley said that whenever he is in need, he turns to AIIMS first.

"AIIMS has developed not only the competence but also the credibility of faith which is extremely necessary. And to preserve an institution like this and to allow it to grow is no mean task," he said, adding that despite lucrative and tempting offers, the missionary zeal of service and research has kept many glued to this institution.

He said that AIIMS did not ever aspire to become an elite institution in terms of volumes.

"While keeping the reality of footfall alive, I doubt there is a hospital in India which has the kind of footfall that AIIMS has and to still continue to achieve excellence is no mean task.

"It became an institution for the common man and, at the same time, it was not an elite institution made only for some.

It was always available for millions of people and yet to achieve excellence in the midst of that crowd was one of the

"AIIMS has developed not only the competence but also the credibility of faith which is extremely necessary. And to preserve an institution like this and to allow it to grow is no mean task," he said biggest challenges that this institutions has faced," he said.

Jaitley also said that AIIMS is a nursery of talent as a large number of private healthcare institutions in India are presently manned by the alumni of the pre-

mier institute.

"You are a great nursery of medical talent. Therefore, this institute has to expand," he said.

He said that he has been in touch with the director and the health minister and they have been discussing a vision to have residential facilities shifted somewhere else and use the campus for healthcare facilities only.

"The trauma centre, the other campus which you wish to develop at Masjid Moth, the Jajjar campus which is now developing, are very important institutions.

I am one of those who believe that ingratitude is a political sin.

"I remember when I was a few months ago here as a patient, the director and me were discussing this. That is when the vision of expansion came up. There are proposals which are being discussed in the health ministry and department of expenditure. I can assure you that within

the constraints of budgetary allocations, we will certainly do the utmost that we can in order to support the expansion," he said.

He termed growth of good private healthcare institutions in India a positive development and said that, in the absence of adequate insurance back-up and given the costs involved; only a limited section of the population can avail such treatment.

"Therefore, an institution of this kind (AIIMS) in the public healthcare system needs to be encouraged and nourished.

That is why, despite the initial difficulty of availability of adequate faculty, there is this whole idea of having such institutions come up in other parts of the country.

"It is a challenging job, but one which has no option or alternative. Expanding the existing resource that we have in Delhi is a great idea," he said.-PTI

Ban likely on foreigners having surrogate kids Cont'd from Page 48

"The bill says only 'Indians' will be allowed and not 'of Indian origin'. The Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that they will make changes in the bill and there is going to be a blanket ban on all foreign nationals and NRIs, Overseas Citizens of India or Persons of India Origin," Kumarmangalam said. .

Kumaramangalam also said NCW has asked Health Ministry to allow single women apart from married Indian women to go for surrogacy.

"This is very unfair to single women whether they are widow or divorced. It is in a way restricting their reproductive rights," she said.

The other recommendations by the Commission and experts include maintaining the anonymity of surrogate mothers and making provisions for intensive care and medical check-ups for surrogate mothers.

"Most of the surrogate mothers are poor women. They face several hardships during the process. These include ambiguous contracts, health concerns, exploitation by middle men or hospital authorities, lack of enforceability of contract by mothers due to their socio-economic vulnerability," she said.

Noting that unregulated surrogacy is leading to human trafficking, the NCW chief said that the new law will have provisions to deal with the problem.

As per NCW, around 30,000 illegal fertility clinics are operating in the country with majority of them being located in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi.

"We don't want to become hub of sur-

rogacy in the world.

There are a huge number of women who are trapped into this.

The increasing amount of unregulated surrogacy happening in India is causing various problems for mother and the child," she said.

She said India was emerging as a surrogacy hub across the world with a 17-20 per cent annual growth.

"This is a multi-billion dollar business in India and totally unlegislative field.

There is no law except few guidelines of

"This is a multi-billion dollar business in India and totally unlegislative field. There is no law except few guidelines of ICMR which are not binding. It has been growing 17 to 20 per cent annually," she said.

ICMR which are not binding. It has been growing 17 to 20 per cent annually," she said.

The sudden increase in surrogacy has been due to comparatively low cost of medical services and easy availability of surrogate mothers and lack of laws to regulate it.-PTI

Horoscope

October 23, 2015

India Post

www.indiapost.com

October 23rd - October 29th 2015

big family reunion will take place in near future. Money will be well spent and go on some nice items. You may also have some minor repairs done inside your home. Your past behavior will offend a real friend who may completely delete you off his list. All business meetings this week will go well.

A

ou may just kind of take it easy this week.

Some of you may slowly start sending out resume, looking for opportunity close to home. Though expenses will not leave you alone for a second but still you will stay comfortable.

With slight negotiations you will be able to save a lot in long terms.

Y

D

C

ombination of Mars, Venus and Jupiter in fifth will be helpful. Religious activities performed recently will take you one step closer to salvation.

Gambling instincts will continue to pay off in shape of rich rewards. You may buy some beautiful items for the home. You will quickly overcome minor illness.

M

ind will be set this time and you will not think twice before making all important decisions. Things scattered in life will come back on the track. A child not doing so well in the past will finally make up mind to go with full force this time. Relocation still in the air but will happen at a later time.

P

lanets will bring sudden boost in life. Things stuck or on hold in the past will suddenly hit their goals.

A very old friend will connect you via social media. You will take few very crucial decisions about career and get rid of some people creating obstruction in your way.

Money will come fast and go out fast.

Y

ou may take extra days off to finish some project going on in the house. You may for the time being put off your idea to make any change in career.

Extra hours will be needed to finish office work before deadline. You may have few visitors at your place this week. It will be better to follow the guidelines provided by a matured person.

ivine help is within reach if you focus correctly. Boss may not reply to your plan but will come back next week with a positive answer. You may visit a close relative with family this week and attend a big event.

Expenses will slightly exceed your budget. You will receive some valuable tips and advise from an older person this week.

A

here is a major over seas trip in the air for some. There should be some sensational developments in career and the Deal you had been waiting for, will be offered on better terms.

Extra money in pocket will be a factor for buying beautiful items for the immediate family. You may be calling an older person more frequently to inquire about his health.

T

ou will end up spend ing more than your budget. Extra time spent at work, will be rewarding. You may take family out to a nice place for dinner this week.It will be in your best interest to stay away from a new and young colleague. Be little careful when handling any tool this week. Do not hesitate to buy few lottery tickets also, for fun.

Y

tocks and all other speculations will be fruitful. Planets will bring energy back and a child may come home for few days. You may take family out to a nice place for dinner or buy some special item you had been craving for some time. Everybody will be excited about upcoming short trip. You may also sign some legal documents in a hurry.

S

hings will slow down a lot causing little panic in your mind to the extent that some of you may start questioning your self and seriously think of even changing field. A small reunion will be pleasant. You may go to the mall and buy some nice things for immediate family. You may think of calling someone for advise.

nd things will take place in a very dramatic way. You will be pleasantly surprised as to how things will keep turning in your favor. You will be very lucky in almost everything. Don't get too excited and keep an eye on blood pressure. Spouse may feel little exhausted with the extra running around and work.

T

51

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Philosophy

October 23, 2015

India Post 53

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T

hose who have looked upon God as mother - as Durga or Amba -their understanding is much deeper than those who look upon Him as Father. If God exists anywhere, He is feminine, for man does not have the ability and the patience to give birth to such a vast Universe.

That which gives birth to the myriads of stars and moons must have a womb, without which it is impossible.

Therefore the three extensions of the Jewish order - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - have given a very wrong concept of God to the world - that of God, the Father.

This is a very dangerous concept for it gratifies the ego of man.

Man looks upon himself as established in the form of God but this has no connection with the Reality of Existence. More befitting, more proper, is the concept of a Universal Mother. But this can only be understood when you understand the Feminine Mystery, when you understand Lao Tzu. Else it cannot be understood.

Have you ever seen the image of Kali? She is the mother, She is terrible! In one hand she holds a human skull! She is the mother Her eyes are filled with the ocean of tenderness. Down below - She stands on the chest of someone!

Someone lies crushed under Her feet! Why? Because that which creates, destroys also. Destruction DESH KAPOOR

W

hen Ram had defeated Ravan, the Demon king; Ram walked over and bowed to him as a person of immense knowledge. Albeit gone awry.

If we are looking for Good vs Evil characterization of a fight, then it makes no sense for the "Good" to bow down to the "Evil". But in popular parlance, that is how Vijay Dashami or Dusshera is characterized. We are told it's a fight between "Good" and "Evil" and the moral of the story is that "Good always wins".

Ram's behavior at the end of the war says something totally different.

For, one who has gone beyond the dichotomies of Good / Evil, the Right/Wrong and Likes/Dislikes; a war is not a statement of morality. A war is a necessity of maintaining social balance in human life, as life is lived in every moment sans ideas and morals. Beyond that war and violence have no significance nor relevance.

The problem with the world is that when one fights a war for greed of power or money or lust; he loves to posit moral dualities.

Usurping the high road to himself.

From Alexander to Muhammad to

is the other part of creation. Those were wonderful people who conceived this image. They were people with great imagination who could visualize great possibilities.

They have erected the image of Mother standing on a dead body!

In her hands she holds the head of a dead man, dripping blood.

Round her neck she wears a necklace of skulls but She has the eyes of the Mother, the Heart of the

The imagination of those who conceived of the Mother as an embodiment both of creation and destruction was a very far-sighted imagination but together with this it was very deep and very near Truth.

Lao Tzu says, "That alone is the original source of the Earth and Heaven." Everything takes birth therein. But remember everything is re-absorbed in the same place.

That is the ultimate source also. It

existence is ceaseless - altogether ceaseless. It does not cease when the mountains cease. Its power is indivisible, indestructible. No matter how much energy is withdrawn from this emptiness, it never decreases.

A man misses, a woman never misses. A man is enfeebled, a woman never.

Those whom we ordinarily call women, they too do not waste

If God exists anywhere, He is feminine

I truly attained nothing from complete, unexcelled Enlightenment.

-The Buddha

Man looks upon himself as established in the form of God but this has no connection with

Even if you go through all

the Reality of Existence. More befitting, more

the stages of a Bodhisattva's progress

proper, is the concept of a Universal Mother.

Durga

Mother from where the milk flows - and yet, the necklace of skulls!

Actually, the Annihilation of the Universe starts from the very place where creation starts. The circle completes at the same point.

Therefore the mother gives birth but when she becomes terrible she can also give death.

When a woman becomes terrible she becomes extremely dangerous. She has a great store of energy. The energy is the same whether it creates or destroys.

is altogether continuous. This Feminine Existence, this passive awaiting empty Existence is never divided. It is continuous - without any discontinuity whatsoever.

The lamp is lighted and extinguished; but darkness is continuous. Birth comes, life becomes visible; but death is ceaseless. Mountains appear and disappear, the valley remains forever. When the mountains are there, the valley can be seen; when they are no more, the valley cannot be seen but its

away as much as men. If a woman gains the full knowledge of her Feminine Mystery, she can remain established in an immaculate beauty even in old age. T his is difficult for man. A man comes like a storm and goes away.

If a woman attains to the height of her motherhood, she can remain beautiful till her last moment of existence.

Excerpted from The Way of Tao Volume 1. Durga Pooja is being held from Oct 18 to 23

Babar to Aurangzeb to Hitler to Bush. Everyone was fighting a "Just" battle. And at the end of the battle, everyone of these generals demonstrated a hatred for the vanquished.

Whether it was in taking slaves, killing the opponents, or vilifying them. Or all of these actions to-

Where a woman becomes a property. For, if a woman is a property, then one evaluates the return of one's very action.

Is taking all this trouble even worth it? Ram had no such thought. If Ravan could have returned Sita, Ram's love and responsibility, without a fight - none

fact or one's experience. Truth is objective. Truth is in every moment. Not in a moment as you experience or state it or me for that matter. But as it occurs Eternally and Perennially.

That which was there before the beginning of time, that which is during the reign of time, and that,

If Ravan could have returned Sita, Ram's love and responsibility, without a fight - no war would have occurred. It wasn't an action of calculation by him. would have occurred. It wasn't an action of calculation.

War was not ideological either.

Again, if one looks carefully then one can see that a "Good vs Evil War" is fundamentally a war of ideologies. Because the concepts of Good and Evil are merely Ideological. Not Existential. Existentially, only two things are important. Truth and Untruth. Truth, not as an idea or as a statement of

single flash, you attain to full realization, you will only be realizing the Buddha-Nature which has been with you all the time; and by all the foregoing stages you will have added to it nothing at all.

-Huang Po Enlightenment is not a goal to achieve or an idea to grasp. It is the timeless presence that you already are.

-Scott Kiloby Enlightenment is not something you achieve. It is the absence of something.

-Charlotte Joko Beck

Ram's war was not against Ravan

gether. Making a war opponent as an Enemy is a moral necessity for the one who fights a war of greed.

Ram's war was not a war of greed. He had not come to usurp anything from Ravan. He did not covet anything that Ravan had.

He fought the war to take care of his love and responsibility - Sita, who had been abducted by a lusting man. It was not a war to even get "my woman back".

toward Buddhahood, one by one; when at last, in a

which will still be existing after the end of time. That is the irrevocable, indestructible and inviolable. Only one that is Sanatan or Eternal is the Truth. Rest, because it is temporary - whether for a fleeting second or millions of millennia - is Untruth.

Excerpted from website Drishkitone. The festival of Dussehra is being celebrated on Oct 22

Realization is nothing to be gained anew....Realization consists of getting rid of the false idea that one is not realized.

-Ramana Maharshi Enlightenment is not what you think but rather the ultimate, unimaginable dissolution into all that IS. -Wayne Liquorman

Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

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October 23, 2015

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Iran and Russia in Syria: What are the stakes?

India Post

MAJID IZADPANAHI

I

ran has a number of reasons to prop up Assad while Iran's Arab rivals, especially in the Persian Gulf, and Turkey, are supporting the opposition groups including extremists to force him out of office. The fall of Assad can bring into power Saudi-Turkeybacked successors that would be anathema to Iran.

First, Iran and Syria along with Hezbollah in Lebanon constitute an "axis of resistance" and a 'Shia crescent" in the view of Iran's rivals, and Syria is the only way that

Iran's credibility and prestige as a revolutionary dominating state.

Russia's Motives Syria's alliance with Russia dates back to the days of the Soviet Union. There might have been some tactical changes in their policies towards each other at certain times, but the nature of their alliance has always been the same. Syria and Russia's opposition to the West has brought the two countries close together.

Russia has a naval military

Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin

Iran can keep in touch with Hezbollah.

Second, Iran is concerned about Iraq, which shares a long border with Iran. Iran considers Syria a key element in the protection of the Iraqi government. If the Syrian government loses to Sunni extremist opposition groups, it can adversely impact the Iraqi government, and directly threaten Iran's western border.

Third, Syria, which has been Iran's only Arab ally in the region, holds a significant position in Iran's anti-imperialist revolutionary principles.

Thus, it has been a vital figure in helping Iran break the isolation caused by being surrounded by a Sunni and Arab majority. If Syria were to collapse, it would change the balance of power in the Middle East against Iran, and lead to its further isolation.

Involvement in Syria is a zerosum game for Iran, and the Saudi Arabia-Turkey combine. Iran sees Syria as part of the solution while Saudi Arabia and Turkey, would like to see Syria without Assad.

So, Assad's government collapse will definitely have security, political and economic repercussions for Tehran and damage

base in Tartus, Syria. This is Russia's only naval base in the Mediterranean, which plays a vital role in Russia's Syria policy and its maritime doctrine.

This is significant motivation to support Assad. Unlike Russia's claim of targeting the Islamic State (IS), most of Russia's recent strikes have been planned in the Western part of Syria - Hama, Latakia and Idlib - where anti-

from Soviet republics have joined the IS and other Islamist groups fighting against Assad. Prominent among them is the Chechen IS leader Abu Omar al-Shishani, who hopes to return home and fight against Moscow after bringing Assad down.

These jihadists could pose a big threat inside Russia's borders.

Hence, considering the frequent attacks by Chechens inside Russia, this is a national security issue for Putin and a pre-emptive war.

For Assad, this is a question of self-preservation. Without Iranian and Russian involvement, his government would have toppled. From his point of view, there is no difference between extremists such as the IS and seculars such as the Syrian Free Army. In fact, secular fighters could very well be more threatening to Assad's Syria than the IS if the former are to grow in strength.

What brings Iran and Russia together in Syria? Iran and Russia have become close partners given common enemies, and common friends. Both, for different reasons, share similar attitudes towards Syria.

According to the Iranian point of view, extremists in Syria are supported by the US and its regional allies to bring down Assad.

Iran's cooperation with Russia could therefore be a turning point that could undo their attempt.

Saving Assad means Iran can secure its regional hegemonic position and restore a favorable balance of power.

For Russia, their victory would mean removing opposition to Assad, which could also involve

For Assad, this is a question of self-preservation. Without Iranian and Russian involvement, his government would have toppled. From his point of view, there is no difference between extremists such as the IS and seculars such as the Syrian Free Army Assad non-IS operatives dominate. This is in order to secure the naval bases, and check any threat to Assad that could undermine Russia's authority in the region.

Jihadists from Chechen and Caucasus are another reason that has brought Russia to Syria. It is estimated that around 2,500 Russian nationals and 7,000 others

the crushing of Chechen rebels before their return to Russia. This would also allow Russia to play an international role and gain decision-making power in the Syrian crisis that would, in turn, help Russia expand its influence and emerge as a crucial player in the region.

The writer is former Research Intern, IPCS

I

Shiv Sena target

t is said that all politics is local. The latest fulminations and vandalism of Shiv Sena are not really against Pakistan or Muslims. It is just a ploy to draw attention to itself and assert its separate identity which is in danger of being subsumed by the BJP. All its actions are designed to bring bad name to the BJP so that in comparison it emerges a better alternative. Both the BJP and Shiv Sena fight for the same turf. In the last Assembly elections the BJP stole a march and the Shiv Sena had to be content to be a junior partner. It hasn't accepted the fact with grace and although a part of the BJP led government, it keeps embarrassing it even to an extent that the BJP might think of jettisoning the errant cousin.

The last time they had formed a government of alliance the BJP was the junior partner. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, son of the redoubtable Bal Thackeray, had openly declared his ambition to be chief minister of Maharashrtra. The election results put paid to his hopes. He wants to regain the dominance that the Shiv Sena had earlier. And the only way it knows to make its presence felt is violence against its declared pet targets, which keep changing.

The reason for the present rise in its depredations is the looming municipal elections where its shares the spoils with the BJP. This time however the two parties will be fighting as rivals. The Shiv Sena doesn't want to lose the lucrative corporations which are dens of corruption. That is why it wants to be in the news everyday so that the people know it is their "true" representative.

While the Shiv Sena activities are to be condemned in no uncertain manner, it is amusing to find a Pakistan newspaper complaining that Shiv Sena is growing into a "monster." They seem to forget about the monsters they are hiding in their own backyards and which are visible to rest of the world but not to Pak authorities.

They have advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to control the Shiv Sena. The "monsters" in Pakistan wrecked cricket in their own country by attacking the visiting Sri Lanka team. After that outrage no international cricket playing country is willing to travel to Pakistan. If those monsters had not been let loose, it would not have become necessary for Pakistan cricket board chief Shahryar Khan to visit Mumbai to plead with India's cricket chief to resume cricketing ties.

There is also a sea change in the Modi government's policy towards Pakistan. Earlier, under the pusillanimous Manmohan regime, India would react to Pakistan pin pricks with soft admonitions like "please don't do it." That emboldened Pakistan to carry on with its mischief both in Kashmir and the rest of the country.

Under Modi the Army has orders to hit back with double the force every time there is an infringement. And Pakistan seems to have noticed. Appeals to its good sense have failed. But after getting a fitting reply it is now running to its international benefactors pleading for intervention. It is obvious that words carry no weight in dealing with Pakistan. It has to be demonstrated that it will get a bloody nose everytime it enters a house it doesn't own.

The fringe elements in the BJP are also causing a headache to Modi. With their unbalanced utterances they are not only frightening the minorities but also bringing a bad name to India.

On the one hand Modi is visiting foreign countries and claiming that India has changed for the better and is the ideal ground for investment, on the other hand the intolerance and killings of dissenters are sending the opposite message. All the good work done

by Modi seems to be in danger of being overlooked if people, whichever community they may belong to, are not feeling safe.

October 23, 2015

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