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VOL 21, No. 1105

November 27, 2015

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PM FOR JOINT FIGHT AGAINST TERROR

KUALA LUMPUR: Joint fight against terror and the need for early settlement of territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea figured prominently in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's discussions with ASEAN leaders and his counterparts from China and Japan.

The Prime Minister's emphasis on tackling the scourge of terrorism came even as US President Barack Obama and his Malaysian host Najib Razak vowed to fight the "evil" and "hateful" ideology unleashed by the Islamic State group, especially in the backdrop of last week's terror attack in Paris.

Addressing the ASEAN-India Summit here, Modi called for enhancing cooperation with ASEAN to tackle the major global challenge of terrorism.

"Terrorism has emerged as a major global challenge that affects us all here. We have excellent bilateral cooperation with ASEAN members. And, we should see how we can enhance our cooperation at the regional and international level, including through support for adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism," he said.

Details on page 5

Rajnath Singh with Li Keqiang

China, India to share intel on terror groups Details on page 10

ASEAN leaders launch EU-style economic bloc Details on page 12

AI offers seamless travel from Bengaluru-SF Details on page 12

Benny Dayal performs a 'Bang Bang' show

Govt decries Aamir Khan's comments

Details on page 21

Details on page 11

Community rallies behind Raja for Congress

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 48

Details on page 19

Community Post -------------- 19-27 Date Book -------------------------- 39

INDIA POST SURVEY

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

survey@indiapost.com

HealthScience Post --------- 32-35

This week’s question

Horoscope ------------------------- 30

Has Modi become Foreign Minister of India?

Immigration Post ------------- 44-46 Life Style ----------------------- 47-51 Philosophy ------------------------- 53

Last week’s result

Should Modi apologise to people of Bihar?

YES 67%

NO 33%

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

LAUGHING MATTER: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong during a meeting in

Real Estate -------------------- 36-38

Singapore on November 24. (Details on page 9)

TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

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Publisher’s Diary

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hile mulling over a subject to comment on, I came across this rather vacuous statement from Indian actor Aamir Khan where he cites his wife (a Hindu) Kiran's fear for her children's safety in an "intolerant" India and wonders whether they should leave the country.

Now if ever there was a profoundly asinine projection of a viewpoint from a celebrity, I would count this as one; and it is symptomatic of how narrow, onesided and utterly childish recent words and actions of all those so called intellectuals and Aamir-like celebs in India have been in recent months where they have been jumping like cattle onto the anti-Modi bandwagon.

I mean, can't these people simply open their eyes wider to look beyond communal politics and see that India per se is not the problem in the world today and realize already that the demonic forces of terrorism that are spreading across the world are at their doorstep?

At a time when the world is being swept over by the terrorist agenda from ISIS and its followers to establish a global caliphate (and rule over ruins and a maimed humanity perhaps), which INCLUDES INDIA, the left-leaning Indian intellectuals are resorting to something as trivial as returning governmentconferred awards, and of course the ilk of the Aamirs are spouting lectures on communal tolerance.

I would like to ask Aamir Khan and his wife what their options are of a "safe haven" outside of India: The US? Europe? Africa? Asia? Or the Middle East?

They might yet find an igloo on the North Pole if they hurry because the ISIS hasn't set its sights so high at least for now.

When will these self-appointed keepers of India's conscience realize that the so called "intolerant" statements are but from a handful of loud mouth Hindu politicians who do not represent the vast majority of Indians; and that for every such statement there is no dearth of counter and even more intolerant statements from their Muslim counterparts in the country?

It's good to see Indian actors speaking out, but perhaps they should choose the right bandwagon to jump on.

Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: What chemistry?

Kajol says there is no hidden secret behind the so-called chemistry between herself and Shah Rukh Khan

Cover Story: Tackling terrorism Addressing the ASEAN Summit Modi called for enhancing cooperation to tackle the major challenge of terrorism.

Community: Community support Raja Krishnamoorthi’s candidature for Congress has received support from members of Indian American community

GOP split Some Republicans are pushing back against the party’s aggressive opposition to Syrian refugees settling in the US

Life style: Trawlers vs boatmen There is a fight in India’s eastern coast between fishermen with small boats and owners of mechanized trawlers

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Single market ASEAN leaders have established an EUstyle regional economic bloc, ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

Badrinath Mentioned in the great scriptures and legends, the importance of Badrinath as a holy place has been imbibed in Indians

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PM for joint fight against terror KUALA LUMPUR: Joint fight against terror and the need for early settlement of territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea figured prominently in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's discussions with ASEAN leaders and his counterparts from China and Japan.

The Prime Minister's emphasis on tackling the scourge of terrorism came even as US President Barack Obama and his Malaysian host Najib Razak vowed to fight the "evil" and "hateful" ideology unleashed by the Islamic State group, especially in the backdrop of last week's terror attack in Paris.

Addressing the ASEAN-India Summit here, Modi called for enhancing cooperation with ASEAN to tackle the major global challenge of terrorism.

"Terrorism has emerged as a major global challenge that affects us all here. We have excellent bilateral cooperation with ASEAN members. And, we should see how we can enhance our cooperation at the regional and international level, including through support for adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism," he said.

Meeting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the Summit, Modi said the two countries should raise their strategic coordination to tackle the threat of terror.

Condemning the recent spurt of terror attacks in Paris and Mali, Modi said the menace of terrorism was the biggest challenge facing humanity.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister said that there was a need for the international community to eschew their political differences and unite to face this menace, External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup told reporters.

Modi said that countries should put aside their political differences and came together to help the affected. He said that both India and China faced the threat of terrorism and there was a need to increase strategic coordination.

On his part, Li said China was against terrorism and cooperation between the two countries on terrorism would help Asia become more safe.

In his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Modi discussed key issues like regional connectivity, maritime security and South China Sea disputes.

Modi underlined the need for settling territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea through peaceful means.

He suggested evolving specific plans for cooperation with

the 10-member grouping in key areas of maritime security, counter-piracy and humanitarian and disaster relief.

"As our rapidly transforming region navigates its way through uncertain times to a peaceful and

law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Territorial disputes must be settled through peaceful means."

Modi said India hopes that all parties to the disputes in the South China Sea will abide by the

tronic-visa facility to all ASEAN countries, Modi said.

Terming science, technology and innovation as a vital pillar of India-ASEAN cooperation and economic partnership, he said, "We will enlarge the ASEAN-In-

Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Earlier, wooing foreign investors, Prime Minister Modi promised reforms "with speed and boldness" along with a transparent and predictable tax regime and

Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving his Opening Statement at the 13th ASEAN-India Summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 21

prosperous future, we look forward to ASEAN leading the way in defining the regional architecture," said Modi, who attended the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit here.

Referring to the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, he said, "India shares with ASEAN a commitment to freedom of navigation, over flight and unimpeded commerce, in accordance with accepted principles of international

guidelines on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and redouble efforts for early adoption of a Code of Conduct on the basis of consensus.

Terming connectivity as the pathway to shared prosperity, he said the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project is making good progress and should be completed by 2018.

India will soon extend elec-

dia Science and Technology Development Fund from the current USD one million to USD 5 million."

India intends to set up an ASEAN-India Innovation Platform to facilitate commercialisation of low cost technologies, technology transfer and collaborative Research and Development projects, he said.

ASEAN grouping includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the

protection of intellectual property rights.

Addressing the Summit, he announced a USD one billion line of credit to promote projects that support physical and digital connectivity between India and ASEAN. With a growth rate of 7.5 per cent, India, he said, is the fastest growing major economy in the world adding it is likely to go higher in the near future. -PTI

'Terrorism's long shadow stretches across world'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the leaders of other nations in a group photograph, during the 10th East Asia Summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 22

KUALA LUMPUR: Voicing concern over a spate of recent terror attacks in several countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said terrorism is no longer a "peripheral problem" for the region as its long shadow stretches across the world and called for new strategies to combat the menace.

"We often thought of terrorism as a peripheral problem for this region. The barbaric terrorist

strikes in Paris, Ankara, Beirut, Mali and on the Russian aircraft is a stark reminder that its shadow stretches across our societies and

our world, both in recruitment and choice of targets," Modi said in his remarks at the East Asia Summit here.

He called for a new global resolve and new strategies to combat terrorism, without balancing it against political considerations and said no country should use or support terrorism

He called for a new global resolve and new strategies to combat terrorism, without balancing it against political considerations and said no country should use or support terrorism.

"There is no distinction between groups. There are no sanctuaries. There are no funds. There is no access to arms. But, we also have to work within our societies and with our youth," he added.

Cont’d on page 6

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India, Malaysia to cooperate in security, defense PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: India and Malaysia will deepen cooperation in security and defense, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here as he emphasized that the recent attacks globally and the "ceaseless" terror attempts against India and Afghanistan were a reminder of the global nature of terrorism.

Modi also complimented his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak for providing leadership in combating extremism and radicalization, rejecting any link between terrorism and religion and in highlighting the "real values of Islam".

"I am particularly grateful to you for our security cooperation.

It underlines our shared commitment to deal with our security challenges. We will continue to deepen our cooperation in this area," he said in a joint press briefing after his talks with Najib at Putrajaya, the sprawling administrative capital on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

Modi, who was here to attend the ASEAN and the East Asia Summits, said recent spate of attacks in different countries, "not

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a delegation level meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 23

to mention the ceaseless terrorist attempts against India and Afghanistan are a reminder of the global nature of this threat."

Appreciating Najib's leadership in combating extremism and radicalization, Modi said this is a great contribution an important aspect of global efforts against this challenge.

Warning that terrorism is the "biggest threat" to the world, Modi had earlier said it should be delinked from religion.

Talking about security and de-

fense cooperation, Modi said both countries will make it stronger, including for advancing maritime security and strengthening disaster response in the region.

"I am pleased that we have agreed to upgrade our joint exercises and set up the SU-30 Forum," he said, adding that both sides will do more in terms of level and complexity of exercises and collaboration in training and defense equipment.

"Our agreement to cooperate in cyber security is very impor-

Regulatory uncertainty over, PM tells Malaysian biz

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2015, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 21

KUALA LUMPUR: Wooing foreign investors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here India has ended regulatory uncertainties and created a policy driven state that offers ample scope for investment.

At a meeting with leaders of Corporate Malaysia, he said India is looking at strengthening commercial ties with the South East Asian nation.

"We have ended regulatory uncertainty to a large extent, creating a policy driven state," foreign office spokesman Vikas

Swarup tweeted, quoting the Prime Minister.

Modi assured the business leaders that India wants to progress. "You have the experience and expertise. We have the requirement. It is a perfect match."

India, he said, is the fastest growing economy in the world, with a stable polity and offering "ample scope for investment".

Earlier, the Prime Minister had promised reforms "with speed and boldness" along with a transparent and predictable tax regime and protection of intellectual property rights.

Addressing the ASEAN-India Summit, he said with a growth rate of 7.5 per cent, India is the fastest growing major economy in the world adding it is likely to go higher in the near future.

"And now we have environment that is open and welcoming. ....And we will continue with our reforms with speed and boldness," Modi said.

"Our inflation is down as also our fiscal and external deficits.

And, business and international confidence has increased sharply," he said. -PTI

tant. As our lives get more networked, this is emerging as one of the most serious concerns of our age," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said he

shares Najib's belief that bilateral trade and investment relations can be scaled up significantly.

Cont’d on page 8

'Terrorism's long shadow stretches across world' Cont’d from page 5

and abide by international rules and norms," he said.

Noting that oceans remained the pathway to prosperity and security, Modi said India shared with ASEAN a commitment to freedom of navigation, over flight and unimpeded commerce, in accordance with accepted principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Noting that India and Bangladesh had recently settled their maritime boundary using the mechanism of UNCLOS, he said

The Prime Minister welcomed the commitment to delink religion from terrorism and the efforts to promote human values that define every faith.

Noting that the East Asia Summit is the key forum to shape the region's collective future, Modi told the leaders of the 18-member grouping that the world still looks to the region to address global challenges and uncertainties.

He said that since his government assumed office 18 months ago, no region has seen greater engagement from India than the Asia ‘India hopes that all parties Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region. to the disputes in the South "This reflects a long standing national con- China Sea will abide by the sensus in India on the importance of this re- Declaration on the Conduct gion for India and the world," Modi said. on South China Sea’ On upcoming Paris climate talks, the Prime Minister said, "There, we must not territorial disputes must be settled only come together to craft a bal- through peaceful means. anced and concrete outcome on "India hopes that all parties to climate change. But we must also the disputes in the South China stand together to send a clear Sea will abide by the Declaration message that we will not retreat in on the Conduct on South China the face of terror."

Sea and the guidelines on the Modi reaffirmed India's active implementation. participation in the ASEAN led Parties must also redouble efsecurity dialogue and cooperation forts for early adoption of a Code forums and said the East Asia of Conduct on the basis of conSummit must continue to support sensus," Modi said, without namthe evolution of an inclusive, bal- ing any country. anced, transparent and open reChina claims sovereignty on gional architecture for security almost all of the South China Sea and cooperation. which is firmly opposed by Viet"We must deepen our collec- nam, the Philippines, Malaysia, tive commitment to strengthen Brunei and Taiwan.-PTI

November 27, 2015

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India to grow faster than 7.5%: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses people from Indian community during an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 22

KUALA LUMPUR: Projecting India as a bright spot amid global slowdown, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here the country is "running at" 7.5 per cent and will grow "even faster" in the coming years.

"India is today the fastest growing major economy in the world...We are running at 7.5 per cent per year, but will grow even faster in the coming years," he

growth even when rest of the world, including parts of Asian region, are experiencing a slowdown.

Indian economy witnessed a growth of 7.3 per cent in the last fiscal. During the first quarter of 2015-16, the growth was 7 per cent.

Talking about the 18 months of his government, Modi said, there is also a change in the way government is working. "We are mak-

People from Indian community click photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrive for the event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

"There is change in the cities.

There is momentum in the villages.

And, there is confidence in our citizens, especially our youth.

And, there is change in the way government is working," he added.

On the cooperative federalism, Modi said, "we are changing the way government and citizens interact with each other. And, Central and State Governments work

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting with MPs and MLAs of Indian origin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

said while addressing the Indian Diaspora in Malaysia.

"Every major global institution has placed its bets on India growing strongly," Modi said.

He said India is witnessing

ing government transparent and accountable. We are eliminating corruption at all levels. We are making governance driven by policies and systems, not by discretion of individuals," he said.

Modi acknowledges greetings on arrival in Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia on November 21

with each other. States compete with each other now. That is healthy."

At the same time, he noted that the world is inter-dependent and "our national progress will depend on the strength and success of our international partnerships...

What happens in a far off country can affect the livelihood of workers in another place."

Modi said the decision that may be taken in a conference room in the UN or World Trade Organization (WTO) can affect the life of a farmer in a village in India and the lifestyle in one part of the world affects climate and agriculture in another part of the world.

"We need each other's markets and resources...We don t have to look far to find friends and partners. Southeast Asia is our neigh-

bor on land and sea. This is one of the most dynamic and peaceful regions of the world. This is a region of culture, talent, enterprise

and hard work," he said.

He said India has excellent relations with all Southeast Asian countries. -PTI

India, Malaysia to cooperate in security, defense Cont’d from page 6

Indian presence in the Malaysian economy," he said.

Modi said he and his Malaysian counterpart are determined to explore steps to show concrete and early results.

"I am happy that we are strengthening our excellent cooperation in Public Administration and Governance. I have personally interacted with PEMANDU, and am pleased that our Niti Ayog will work with them," he said.

The Prime Minister said both countries will place special emphasis on cultural and people-to-

"We intend to exploit the full potential of our bilateral agreements and the India-ASEAN Agreements. We look forward to an early conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement," he said.

Modi expressed confidence of taking the bilateral strategic partnership to a new level.

India and Malaysia also signed MoUs on cyber security, culture and public administration.

Speaking at the joint press briefing, Prime Minister Najib said a New convention Centre will be Modi invited Malaysian built in New Delhi under government to gov- students to study in India ernment contract. and urged early conclusion Modi said, "We have built a vibrant economic of an agreement on Mutual partnership.

We are located on Recognition of Degrees the same maritime route."

Noting that Malaysian compe- people ties. tence in infrastructure is well Modi invited Malaysian stuknown and that Malaysia has dents to study in India and urged completed several important early conclusion of an agreement projects, including in the road on Mutual Recognition of Desector, in India, Modi said he grees. wanted to see enhanced Malay"I am very pleased with our sian participation in areas such as excellent and growing cooperaexpansion and upgrading of infra- tion in Traditional Medicine, instructure, Make in India, and cluding Ayurveda and Siddha," he said. Talking about the inauSmart Cities projects.

"Indian companies have a guration of the Torana Gate at the entrance of Little India in strong presence in Malaysia.

IRCON is contributing to de- Bricksfield, Modi said, "This is a velopment of rail infrastructure gift of India, but a labor of love here. We want to raise the level of for Prime Minister Najib.-PTI

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India, Singapore enhance ties; ink 10 pacts SINGAPORE: India and Singapore have elevated their ties to 'strategic partnership' level and signed bilateral agreements for enhanced defence cooperation and in areas like cyber security, shipping and civil aviation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

Modi also met Singapore President Tony Tan Keng on the second day of his visit and was accorded a ceremonial welcome here at Istana, the official residence and office of the President.

The ten pacts signed by the two sides included a joint declaration by the two Prime Ministers on a strategic partnership.

"India and Singapore elevate their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership to deepen and broaden engagement in existing areas of cooperation and catalyse new ones ranging from political, defence and security cooperation to economic, cultural and peopleto-people contact. The strategic partnership is also a framework to contribute to greater regional stability and growth," the joint declaration said.

The other pacts included an agreement between the two countries on enhanced defence coop-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong after signing agreements in Singapore on November 24

eration, which provides for defence ministers' dialogue, joint exercises between armed forces, cooperation between defence industries to identify areas of coproduction and co-development.

The two sides also signed an agreement on the extension of loan of artifacts to the Asian Civilisations Museum of Singapore and an MoU between

Modi invites Singapore firms to invest in PSUs SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited investors here to participate in the proposed divestment of Navratna PSUs and sought the Singaporean government's help in building at least 20 smart cities.

In wide-ranging discussions with Singapore leaders, including its Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan Keng,

Besides, Modi sought faster completion of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to create a new economic block within Asia.

The Prime Minister also invited his Singaporean counterpart to visit India, especially Gujarat to see with his entire family the Asiatic lion, which forms part of the symbol of Singapore.

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the Indian IT department and Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCERT), Singapore's Cyber Security Agency on security cooperation.

The MoU promotes closer cooperation and exchange of information pertaining to cyber security between the Computer Emer-

Narendra Modi visiting the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), at Ang Mo Kio, in Singapore on November 24. Lee Hsien Loong is also seen

gency Response Teams of the two countries by establishment of a broader framework for future dialogue; exchange of information on cyber attacks; research collaboration in smart technologies; cyber security policies and best practices as well as professional exchanges.

An MoU was also signed between Airports Authority of In-

'Oceans should not become new theatres of contest' SINGAPORE: Amid a standoff between China and some East Asian nations over South China Sea, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here oceans, space and cyberworld should not become

that must define our collective behavior," he said. "...We must all come together, in East Asia Summit and other forums, to build a cooperative and collaborative future, not on the

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the gathering at the 37th Singapore Lecture, in Hotel Shangri-La, Singapore on November 23

Narendra Modi at the "Global Conversation", an interaction with the Corporate Singapore, at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Singapore on Nov 24

Modi stressed on the idea to 'create many Singapores' within India.

He also pitched for issuance of rupee bonds and infrastructure bonds in Singapore.

Singapore sought doubling of flights to India while Modi wanted the city-state to play a key role in upgradation of railway stations in India.-PTI

"new theatres of contests" but be the avenues of "shared prosperity" and offered to work in this direction.

Delivering a lecture here, he talked about how India and China have kept their border region peaceful and stable despite the "unresolved issues", including the boundary question between the two countries.

"In the flux and transition of our times, the most critical need in this region is to uphold and strengthen the rules and norms

strength of a few, but on the consent of all," Modi said in his 20minute '37th Singapore Lecture India's Singapore Story.'

In an apparent reference to the standoff between China and some East Asian Nations over South China Sea, he said, "India will work with countries in the region and beyond, including the US and Russia, our East Asia Summit partners, to ensure that our commons - ocean, space and cyber remain avenues of shared prosperity, not become new theatres of contests." -PTI

dia (AAI) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) to facilitate mutual cooperation in a number of mutually agreed areas of civil aviation services and airport management beginning with Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports.

Another pact was signed between National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) on cooperation in the field of planning. This MoU promotes knowledge and information exchange in urban planning, waste water management, solid waste management and public-private partnerships between the two organisations.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of India and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) of Singapore also signed an MoU on cooperation to combat illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substance and their precursors.

The agreement facilitates and enhances cooperation by exchange of information on trends in illicit manufacture and those arrested on drug trafficking charges and establishes direct contact points between the two bureaus. Other areas identified for cooperation include capacity building, skill upgrading and knowledge development.

Another MoU between the Town and Country Planning Organisation of India and the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise in Capacity Building in urban planning and governance provides for wider engagement between the two nations.

Besides, both sides inked an executive programme document on cooperation in the fields of arts, heritage, archives and library for 2015-18.-PTI

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China, India to share intel on terror groups BEIJING: In a major boost to bilateral security cooperation, China and India have agreed to actively exchange intelligence on terror groups and their activities through a dedicated communication channel.

A comprehensive joint statement issued after talks between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and top Chinese leaders and security officials said, "Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in combating international terrorism through exchanging information on terrorist activities, terrorist groups and their linkages."

China and India also agreed to "coordi-

nate positions on antiterrorism endeavors at regional and multilateral levels and supporting each other" and promote "exchanges by groups of counter-terrorism experts to discuss Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh calling on the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, in Beijing, China on November 19

counter-terrorism cooperation," the statement said.

Indian officials told PTI that such cooperation would provide a major boost to the security cooperation between the two countries to share intelligence and analyze operations on regional and international terror groups and it would be of great value.

Besides cross border terror networks, which in India's and China's case are operated through Pakistan and Afghanistan, such a cooperation would be of great value to India specially in cracking down on various militant groups in India's northeastern states, officials said.

The terror groups thrived with patronage of China and Myanmar in the past.

While Singh and the Indian officials were tight lipped about the fallout of close anti-terror cooperation on militant networks of North East groups, sources said the new deepening of Sino-India security cooperation will have significant positive impact on India's terrorism related challenges.

The joint statement also referred to the formation of the new security mechanism headed by the two Home Ministers which will meet every two years to review security issues between the two countries and the formation of an official committee headed by a Joint Secretary and Director General-level official to conduct an annual review.

"This mechanism will be held once a year, alternately in Beijing and New Delhi.

The Ministry of Public Security of China will send a Director General-level delegation to India and hold the first Director General-level annual meeting in 2016," the statement said.

The joint statement was released coinciding with the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.

Modi thanked Li for a very fruitful outcome of Singh's talks here with Chinese officials in the last three days.

Li reportedly delayed his visit to Kuala Lumpur to meet Singh.

During the meeting with Singh, Li emphasized on security cooperation between the two countries specially to put up a united fight against terrorism.

In his talks with his counterpart Guo Shengkun and China's security czar Meng Jianzhu, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in exchanging experiences on anti-hijacking, hostage situations and other terrorism related crimes.

"The two sides shall strengthen the cooperation in the fields of combating terrorism, drug-related crimes, cyber crimes including telecom fraud, economic crimes, illegal immigration activities, illegal trafficking in firearms and ammunition and other transnational crimes and encourage the long-term, healthy and stable development of law enforcement cooperation between them," it said.

"Therefore, the two sides may exchange visits by groups of experts in relevant fields. The two sides shall strengthen the exchanges and cooperation in the area of law enforcement capacity building," it added.-PTI

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Govt decries Aamir Khan's comments on intolerance NEW DELHI: The Government has termed as "misplaced" superstar Aamir Khan's comments on growing intolerance, saying such statements only bring disrepute to the country as well as Prime

Minister Narendra Modi.

"His comments on intolerance are completely misplaced. Comments like this only bring the image of country and the Prime Minister Modi down," Union Minis-

Call for unity to fight menace of terrorism HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: Terrorists blinded by their mistaken religious beliefs are creating havoc in many parts of the world. Their latest victims are Parisians who in no way had come in their way of practicing religion or way of life however different they were. It is time for all right minded people around the world to get united and seek to stop this type of destruction and killing of innocent lives, says Madhu Patel, founder President NRI Press Club Chicago.

Madhu Patel's sentiment has

"We just celebrated our very important festival Diwali." The festival of lights "signifies that one need to move from darkness to light to eradicate the darkness from our lives and embrace the light. We can only pray that everyone imbibes that quality so that the world would be a better place to live," Shah said.

The Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) representing 150,000 Jains condemned the despicable act of terror in Paris that took over 132 in-

Madhu Patel and Sunil Shah

been echoed all around by Chicagoans crossing caste, creed, color and religious borders. Sunil Shah, founder president to Federation of Indian Associations, said in a statement that "terrorism is nothing but an act of cowardice."

Recent target of terror were innocent 132+ people who were killed and hundreds injured in a series of attacks that took place in Paris and African nation Mali.

In this horrific act nothing is gained only innocent lives are lost.

23 Governors in the US expressing fear about terrorism, have misgivings about settling Syrian refugees in their States.

The question is whether people fleeing from Syria harmed by terrorism in the wake of civil war and strife should be accepted on humanitarian ground or opening the door to them would expose fellow Americans to unacceptable peril and their safety and security?

The global threat is not diminishing but growing and as President Obama stated it is "an attack on all of the humanity and the universal values that we share."

nocent lives and injured more than 350 civilians.

"We are deeply saddened by this monumental loss. Jainism holds that the taking of any life is a cardinal sin and we reiterate that nothing can ever justify terrorism and murder. Our thoughts and prayers are therefore with the victims and their families," said HR Shah a spokesman for the Federation "These horrific acts moreover should NOT be permitted to vilify and stereotype the peaceful and law abiding faith based community in France, America and worldwide. These terrorists are not adhering to any religion, no matter how they may seek to deceitfully justify their actions. Their savage acts violate the most basic tenets of any and every religion.

We reiterate our Jain principle that teaches love and respect for all lives and that is the only avenue to an enduring peaceful life in every circumstance," he added.

Jains all share the grief and profound anguish of every person of good heart and faith in France, and around the world, he said.

ter of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told reporters on the sidelines of a function here when asked to comment on Aamir Khan's statement at an award function in the national capital.

The 50-year-old actor had said he has been "alarmed" by a number of incidents and his wife Kiran Rao even suggested that they

should probably leave the country.

Rijiju said communal incidents in the country have come down ever since the Modi government came to power in May 2014.

"Communal violence has come down since NDA came to power.

There were fewer communal incidents," he said.

According to Home Ministry

statistics, 86 people were killed till October this year in various communal violence incidents in comparison to 90 deaths in the corresponding period of 2014.

However, the total number of communal incidents till October witnessed a rise this year with 630 incidents being recorded as compared to 561 incidents in 2014.-PTI

Good that I left Arvind's company: Hazare MUMBAI: Social activist Anna Hazare his expressed his disappointment on the warm embrace his former protege Arvind Kejriwal and Lalu Prasad shared on stage on the sidelines of the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's oath ceremony in Patna.

"It's good that I left Arvind's company, or else I would also be facing a similar predicament," Hazare said.

"Shaking hands with Lalu and

hugging him is not okay," Hazare told reporters at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district.

Hazare's comments came even as Kejriwal sought to clear the air on the Lalu hug that has become a much discussed topic in the country.

Yadav, Kejriwal claimed, was the sole author of the warm embrace the two leaders shared.

"He shook my hand and pulled

me into a hug and then he held my hand and raised it," said the Delhi chief minister, adding, "It was projected and questions were asked."

Photographs of the two leaders went viral on social media and a Kejriwal tweet from two years ago was dug up to remind the former anti-corruption activist of his stand on Lalu Yadav when the latter was convicted in a corruption case. -PTI

Tech News Economy will do better this year: Rangarajan COIMBATORE: Indian economy will slightly perform better this year as the productivity level of capital may remain high, former governor of RBI C Rangarajan has said.

"Though the growth rate of economy will be somewhere around 7.5 per cent, the productivity of capital is less than investment growth and should catch up," Rangarajan told reporters on the sidelines of the 24th session of the India Art History Congress at Kumaraguru College of Technology here.

The rate of agriculture growth is expected to be lower this fiscal too, he said.

On raising FDI cap, Rangarajan said there could be 100 per cent FDI in certain sectors, but there should be restrictions in some cases, particularly Defense.

Listing out the positives, he said more foreign capital should not just add to finances, but contribute to use of newer technologies. -PTI

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Visitors at the 35th India International Trade Fair (IITF-2015) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on November 21

ASEAN leaders launch EU-style regional economic bloc

Utah technology can improve truckers' safety TOOELE, Utah: Utah is testdriving new technology that could improve safety and fuel efficiency for big-rig truckers.

The Utah Department of Transportation started conducting field tests of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system aimed at the trucking industry. The tests were done in Tooele County with two semi trailers on I-80.

Developed by California-based Peloton Technology, the system lets trucks ``platoon'' together.

Two trucks within 40 to 60 feet of each other will be able to simultaneously brake, accelerate and react to road hazards as far as 800 feet away, according to data engineering lead John Jacobs. The new technology monitors travel and operational data that can reduce driver reaction time and lower fuel costs, the Deseret News reported. ``We'll have one truck driving ahead that is in complete control of the driving,'' he said. ``The rear vehicle uses a combination of sensors, including radar, high precision (global positioning satellites), a camera and two-way communications between the truck to get a precise idea of the location of the front truck.''

Jacobs believes it could lower fuel costs for big-rig drivers up to 10 percent. The system analyzes various pieces of data to find the best driving pace for the ``platoon.'' -AP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with other leaders in the family photo during the 13th ASEAN-India Summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 21

KUALA LUMPUR: ASEAN leaders have declared the establishment of an EU-style regional economic bloc, ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labor in the region.

The Kuala Lumpur declaration on the establishment of the AEC was signed by the leaders of 10nation grouping in front of world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The AEC envisages a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labor across borders in the highly competitive economic region. It will integrate Southeast Asia's diverse economies, a region with 620 million people and a combined gross domestic product of USD 2.4 trillion.

The ASEAN leaders also adopted the declaration on "ASEAN 2025, forging ahead together".

"ASEAN is working towards a community that is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible," the declaration said.

Recently, Asian Legal Busi-

ness, quoting a partner in a leading Singapore law firm, said, "China is cooling down and India is heating up, we believe that rivalry and competition from China and India will drive the ASEAN member-states to push the AEC agenda."

The ASEAN 2025 document charts the path for the AEC build-

ing over the next ten years.

"It is a forward looking roadmap that articulates ASEAN goals and aspirations to realize further consolidation," the leaders said.

ASEAN 2025 means a community committed to working with external partners to strengthen cooperation in combating non-traditional security challenges like

terrorism, drug related crimes, human trafficking and maritime issues through various initiatives and projects, the declaration added.

ASEAN grouping includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. -PTI

AI offers seamless Bengaluru-SF travel NEW DELHI: Air India has said it would offer seamless travel to its customers flying to San Francisco from Bengaluru via its Delhi flight despite change in the aircraft as passengers would be allowed to complete all custom and immigration formalities at the originating airport itself for their onward journey.

The airline is scheduled to commence a direct flight service to the Silicon Valley from the national capital from December 2.

Air India has already announced that the new flight will be operated by the wide-body

Boeing 777-200LR aircraft.

Air India would offer seamless travel between Silicon Valley of

Francisco will undergo all custom and immigration formalities at Bengaluru airport itself for

East (Bengaluru) to San Francisco (Silicon Valley of West) via Delhi and passengers traveling to San

their onward journey, the airline said in a release.

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China's economic slowdown 3 ASEAN nations to adversely affected India: Rajan ratify FTA with India BEIJING: China's pain of economic slowdown is India's pain too, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said contradicting government assertions that India will not be affected by deceleration of Chinese economy.

"The Chinese slowdown is a concern for the whole world.

There is a lower demand for some of our exports to China. But indirectly too, many of the countries are not exporting to China as much as they did and they are buying less from us," Rajan said in an interview with Hong Kongbased South China Morning Post.

"But India being a commodity importer, has been helped a bit by cheaper commodities. So the impact has not been as bad as it could have been. Still, on the whole, we have been adversely affected by the Chinese slowdown because China's slowdown has impacted global growth and India is very well integrated into the global economy", Rajan said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had told a gathering at Columbia University last month that India is "not impacted" by the slowdown as it is not part of Chinese supply chain and India could become the "additional shoulder" the global economy needs to stand on as China slows.

Some comments from India that China's pain is India's gain has drawn strong reactions from the Chinese media.

Rajan was in Hong Kong to receive honorary doctorate awarded by the Hong University of Science and Technology.

In his interview Rajan also pointed to "growing interdependence" between India and China.

"The prime minister has clearly laid out a path for improving relations with neighbors. The focus is on the East, rather than the traditional emphasis on the West.

from things China got right.

"We would like to learn from its manufacturing success, how it built up its infrastructure, how it encouraged its village enterprises and how it manages FDIs in such enormous quantities. A lot of Indian businesspeople who travel to China also keep coming back with stories of why it works better than India", he said.

"But I also stress we cannot

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan

Whether it is through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank or through China's Silk Road initiative, we will have greater engagement with China and Chinese projects. This will also feed well into China's interests in expanding its engagement in the region," he said.

Rajan said he hopes India will emulate China's growth rates and the country would like to learn

blindly follow the path that China followed as it has already been on that path and has changed some of the conditions. We have to determine which path we follow so that there is room for both of us.

Would it, for example, make sense for India to specialize in industries that China has already specialized in? In some cases there is room for both, in some maybe not", he said. -PTI

Black money: ED probing Indians in HSBC list NEW DELHI: Tightening the noose around Indians whose names figured in the 'stolen' Swiss HSBC bank black money list, the Enforcement Directorate has begun a preliminary investigation in these cases for an independent hawala and money laundering probe.

The agency recently has begun obtaining from various court registries the details of Income Tax department's prosecution charge sheets filed against over 140 entities till now.

The ED itself and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money had desired that these cases be shared by the tax department and its apex policy-

making body Central Board of Direct Taxes with the former agency but the request had been continuously turned down citing strict

treaty obligations riding the exchange of data from the authorities of foreign shores by India.

Sources privy to the develop-

ment say the agency, sometime back, finally decided to obtain the case reports from various courts in the country and examine them.

Some cases have already been obtained by the agency, they said.

Sources said a number of cases in the HSBC list, provided to India by the French government few years back after they were allegedly 'stolen' by an employee, prima facie invite charges under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and many of them would also attract the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Cont’d on page 14

NEW DELHI: ASEAN member lion. Both India and ASEAN have nations Indonesia, Philippines and been seeking greater economic Cambodia are likely to ratify the engagement and set a target of long-pending FTA on services USD 100 billion in trade by 2015. and investment with India by next "We are confident that Indonemonth that will pave way for its sia, Philippines and Cambodia will full implementation by the 10-na- ratify the pact by December. Laos tion bloc, considered one of the is yet to implement the investment world's fastest growing regions. part of the pact and we are hopeMany Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member Full implementation of the countries including Singapore have been FTA on Services and Investimpressing upon the ment is likely to scale up three nations to ratify the agreement at the economic engagement earliest and India has between the two sides been conveyed that the process will be com- significantly. pleted by December, government sources said. ful it will be done soon," said a The free trade agreement (FTA) senior External Affairs Ministry in services and investments came official handling issues relating to into force from July in countries ASEAN. which have ratified it.

Full implementation of the FTA Besides the three countries, on Services and Investment is other members of ASEAN are likely to scale up economic enBrunei, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, gagement between the two sides Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. significantly.

Laos has ratified the services part India had signed a FTA in of the pact but it is yet to clear the goods with the ASEAN in 2009. investment component.

New Delhi was keen on the serASEAN is India's fourth larg- vices deal as it did not gain much est trading partner and India in from the pact on goods due to alturn is sixth largest trading part- ready lower tariffs in the region. ner for the bloc. The combined India is also part of the RCEP which GDP of both sides is USD 2.57 tril- is negotiating a mega FTA. -PTI

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Quick FIU report on black money suspects NEW DELHI: Government has bolstered the capabilities of the elite Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which can now dish out volumes of data on suspicious transactions in 72-hours flat and gain access to secret database of offenders maintained by various law enforcement agencies in the country.

Earlier, when an agency wanted to get any information on financial transactions and other similar details on entities on its scanner the time taken used to be between

FIU’s capabilities should be enhanced so that it can timely and pro-actively help probe agencies.

The FIU is the national agency mandated to collect, analyze and disseminate Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs), Cash Transaction Reports and Counterfeit Currency Reports to various investigative agencies of the country after receiving it from banks and other financial intermediaries under a stipulated mechanism.

The agency is also empowered to act and take penal action against

“Getting quick data in high-value and sensitive probe cases is as important as ensuring security of such data. With FIU graduating to full electronic mode, all the persisting issues are expected to get resolved on this front,” a senior official said a fortnight to 20 days.

The elite financial snoop wing under the Union Finance Ministry has switched to full electronic mode for exchange of data, from the earlier existing paper-based pattern, with all probe and enforcement agencies of the country like the Income Tax department, CBI, ED, DRI and Intelligence Bureau among others, beginning November 1.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money had also favored and recommended to the government in its first report that

defaulting agencies under select provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Official sources said that under the new and enhanced mechanism the FIU, through its special electronic platform called FinNex (financial network), has upgraded its systems so that it can inform a requesting agency like ED or I-T department within 15 minutes of getting an email if it has any information on such an individual or entity under the scanner of these agencies.

In case, the agency has any

data on such a flagged case, it will be able to send all information in 72 hours time via the secure electronic communication link to the requesting agency, except in cases of extreme complexity.

Officials, quoting a recent meeting of all agencies held in this regard, told PTI that this new method will not only ensure fast liaison and cooperation between probe agencies in tackling cases of black money, terrorist financing, hawala and money laundering but will also ensure “secure and reliable” communication between them as it pertains exchange of sensitive data.

“Getting quick data in highvalue and sensitive probe cases is as important as ensuring security of such data. With FIU graduating to full electronic mode, all the persisting issues are expected to get resolved on this front,” a senior official said quoting decisions taken in the recent meeting.

Earlier, when an agency wanted to get any information on financial transactions and other similar details on entities on its scanner the time taken used to be between a fortnight to 20 days.

The central probe agencies have also decided to open up their respective databases of offenders to the FIU which would glean into it and prepare required dossiers for multiple agencies working on a common or big black money case.-PTI

AI mops up Rs 7,000 cr through aircraft sale NEW DELHI: Air India has mopped up Rs 7,000 crore by selling nine of its 21 Dreamliner planes to a Singaporean lessor, which it has taken back on lease from the company under an SLB arrangement.

A major chunk of these funds will go into repayment of the bridge loan availed earlier for purchasing these Boeing 787-800s, airline sources said.

Under a Sale and Lease Back (SLB) arrangement, the seller of an asset leases it back from the purchaser for a long-term period and continues to use it without actually owning it.

Air India has 131 aircraft in its fleet, consisting of Boeing, Airbus and ATR planes as well as CRJs. Of these, 21 are Boeing 787-800s.

Earlier also, the flag carrier had sold and leased back 12 Dreamliners under a similar arrangement.

"Air India has sold all the nine Dreamliners to one Singaporean lessor for a little over Rs 7,000 crore.

These planes have now been taken back on lease by the same firm," Air India sources told PTI.

‘Air India has sold all the nine Dreamliners to one Singaporean lessor for a little over Rs 7,000 crore.

These planes have now been taken back on lease by the same firm’ Sources said that of the total proceeds, about Rs 6,000 crore will be used for repayment of the bridge loan taken against these

planes at the time of acquisition while the remaining Rs 1,000 crore will be utilized for other purposes.

The airline is saddled with a debt of about Rs 40,000 crore that includes a long-term loan taken for aircraft purchase and working capital loan. It has accumulated a loss of close to Rs 30,000 crore. The airline, however, is expected to report around Rs 6 crore operating profit this fiscal.

These nine B 787-800s were inducted into the national carrier's fleet between March 2014 and June this year.

Air India had last month invited bids from domestic and international banks /financial institutions to sell these planes.

The airline had fixed a reserve price of not less than USD 123 million for the planes acquired in 2015 and USD 120 million for the aircraft inducted in the fleet during 2014.-PTI

Black money: ED probing Indians in HSBC list Cont’d from page 13

select cases could also entail a jail term under PMLA given their gravity on a case-to-case basis.

There are a total of 628 names of Indians appearing in the HSBC list, where 200 were either non-residents or non-traceable, leaving 428 cases of residents which were found actionable.

The net amount of peak balance for these 428 cases was about Rs 4,500 crore, a government data had said. The Swiss government on its part had said these names are from "stolen data" and this stand had

In what will spell more trouble for stash fund holders figuring on this list, legal proceedings under PMLA are criminal in nature and a recent circular issued by the agency also states that any case which is booked under section 120B of the IPC (criminal conspiracy) could become the 'predicate offence' for the central probe agency to slap money laundering charges.

The tax department, it is understood, has slapped this section of the Indian Penal Code in many of There are a total of 628 these cases while prosnames of Indians appearecuting the offenders.

Sources said the ing in the HSBC list, where agency was at an advanced stage of exam- 200 were either non-resiining few cases and dents or non-traceable subsequently issuing FEMA notices to those against whom the I-T department been an impediment for Indian inhas filed court cases, even as it is vestigators in getting additional forced to go slow as obtaining all details on these accounts as the the over 140 cases from various alpine nation's legal systems do courts is a time taking affair. not allow international cooperaWhile undisclosed income of tion on data sourced by stealing over Rs 3,000 crore has been or theft. brought to tax on account of deThe I-T department has subseposits made in unreported foreign quently launched over 140 prosbank accounts in this case till now, ecutions so far for willful attempt penalties under FEMA laws for to evade taxes and failure to furdoing hawala-like trade and money nish accounts and documents laundering is going to pinch the among other tax evasion charges. accused further monetarily and -PTI

AI offers seamless Bengaluru-SF travel Cont’d from page 12

According to the airline, the flight AI-173 from Bengaluru to Delhi will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Bengaluru at 2115 hours with a A321 aircraft.

The flight will arrive in Delhi at 2345 hours. Flight AI-173 to San Francisco will leave Delhi on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 0235 hours and will be operated with B777-200LR aircraft, it said.

This flight will arrive in San Francisco at 0700 hours (local time) on the same day, Air India said adding the return flight will depart at 1030 hours and arrive at Delhi next day (Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays) and at 1620 hours it will depart for Bengaluru with A321 plane to arrive at 1745 hours.

Passengers will have huge benefits traveling to San Francisco as

they will undergo immigration and customs at their boarding point itself and can have comfortable journey further, according to the release.

Passengers can enjoy non-stop entertainment, specially chosen

food and best of the comfort on this one of the world's longest flights, it added.

AI expects passengers from other Indian cities - Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad and Pune - as well will have seamless connections to the flight from Delhi. -PTI

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'No increment for non-performing employees' NEW DELHI: Central government employees should not be allowed to earn annual increments if they fail to meet performance criterion, the Seventh Central Pay Commission has recommended

tion that increments as well as upward movement in the hierarchy happen as a matter of course. The perception is that grant of Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP), although subject to the

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley receiving the report of Seventh Pay Commission from its Chairman Justice A K Mathur in New Delhi on November 19

even as it sought upgradation of performance benchmark to "very good" from "good" level.

It has also recommended introduction of the Performance Related Pay (PRP) for all categories of central government employees.

There is a widespread percep-

employee attaining the laid down threshold of performance, is taken for granted, the panel said.

"This Commission believes that employees who do not meet the laid down performance criterion should not be allowed to earn future annual increments. The

Commission is therefore proposing withholding of annual increments in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the benchmark either for MACP or a regular promotion within the first 20 years of their service.

"This will act as a deterrent for complacent and inefficient employees. However, since this is not a penalty, the norms for penal action in disciplinary cases involving withholding increments will not be applicable in such cases.

This will be treated as an efficiency bar," it said in the report submitted to the government.

Additionally, for such employees there could be an option to leave service on similar terms and conditions as prescribed for voluntary retirement, the panel said.

Employees get MACP at 10, 20 and 30 years of service. The panel rejected the demand of raising its frequency.

"There is, however, one significant aspect where this Commission feels that a change is required. This is with regard to the benchmark for performance appraisal for MACP as well as for regular promotion. The Commission recommends that this benchmark, in the interest of improving performance

level, be enhanced from 'good' to 'very good'.

"In addition, introduction of more stringent criteria such as clearing of departmental examinations or mandatory training before grant of MACP can also be considered by the government," the Commission recommended.

There are about 47 lakh central government employees.

The Commission feels that PRP for central government employees should provide a credible frame-

operationalisation of PRP," it suggested.

In this backdrop, the Commission recommends introduction of the Performance Related Pay for all categories of central government employees, based on quality Result Framework Documents, reformed Annual Performance Appraisal Reports and broad guidelines, the panel said.

The Commission recommended that PRP should subsume the existing bonus schemes. The Com-

The Commission recommends introduction of the Performance Related Pay for all categories of central government employees, based on quality Result Framework Documents, reformed Annual Performance Appraisal Reports and broad guidelines, the panel said. work to drive performance across ministries or departments.

"Rather than a new system design, the favored approach should be an incremental adaptation which can operate within the existing framework of rules with minor changes that can enable smooth implementation and

mission notes that there could be a time lag in implementing PRP by different departments.

Till such time, the existing bonus schemes should be reviewed and linked with increased profitability or productivity under welldefined financial parameters, it said. -PTI

PBD in LA

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Debate over intolerance in India politically motivated: VK Singh LA Pravasi Diwas promotes Diaspora reach to motherland VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Aiming to link the vast Indian Diaspora and other parts of the world with India, the two-day gala event "Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas" was officially launched on November 14 in Los Angeles. It was

India in USA, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco; and the Indian Associations in USA. Los Angeles is only the second US city to host the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (RPBD), after New York. Previous venues for RPBD events were London, Sydney, Toronto, Singapore, Durban, Mauritius

Mr and Mrs Tolani with Union Minister V K Singh

attended by hundreds of IndianAmericans from across the US. The RPBD and OIFC Business Meet were organized by Ministry of Overseas India Affairs in close coordination with the Embassy of

and The Hague.

RPBD LA was inaugurated by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. The theme of the two-day event was 'The Indian Diaspora: Defining a New Para-

digm in India-US Relationship,' which aimed to capture the ethos of the India-US relationship. Attending the two-day event in place of External Affairs Minister S u s h m a Swaraj, who had to return mid-way from Dubai in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, Singh alleged that debate over intolerance in India was politically motivated and purposefully generated before the Bihar Assembly elections.

"Things in India have changed.

After the new Modi led government came to power in India last year, the thrust of the Government of India has changed. Inclusiveness has become hallmark of government policies. The present climate that is being created in India is investor friendly, to ensure people feel confident in investing and to ensure that you reap the benefit of investing in India," VK Singh said.

Indian Ambassador to the US Arun K Singh told India Post that "There were focused discussions

related to the policies in India, economic opportunities, plans of the government, measures taken on ease of doing business, Make

States - Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Haryana highlighted the investment opportunities in their States

RPBDLA delegates and organizing committee members

in India, Digital India, Startup India and various other initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission, Namami Gange movement and to see how we can also involve the Indian Diaspora in these schemes."

He also pointed out that Indian Americans were contributing to the US economy significantly and called on them to explore opportunities to engage in the new focus areas of Government of India via Digital India, Make in India, Start up India and Renewable energy.

The delegations from five

and the favorable business climate.

An eminent Indian-American community leader from Los Angeles and key sponsor, Mr Sunil Tolani of Prince Organization said the objective of the convention is to connect the Indian Diaspora with India, to provide a platform to the Indian community and to contribute to Indo-US ties. "Members of the Indian community had an opportunity to convey their concerns and aspirations to the Government of India and will explore ways to give back to the mother country," he said.

AAPI lists healthcare initiatives in India India Post News Service

LOAANGELES: Dr Seema Jain, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) led a delegation of AAPI leaders at the 2015 Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention in Los Angeles, marking Indian Diaspora contributions that helped to spur India's development, Organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, the US government and other members of the Diaspora, Dr Jain addressed on healthcare initiatives

by AAPI in India.

During a panel discussion on Healthcare, Dr Jain referred to the numerous initiatives AAPI has

AAPI president Dr Seema Jain addressing the Los Angeles PB Meet

taken in India to make healthcare affordable, accessible and of best quality.

Dr Jain drew the attention of the delegates to the Global Health Summit by AAPI that continues

to offer educational and training programs on areas that need special attention, including high pri-

ority areas such as Cardiology, Maternal & Child Health, Diabetes, Oncology, Surgery, Mental Health, HIT, Allergy, Immunology & Lung Health and Gastroenterology, Transplant and impact of comorbidities.

She emphasized the need for digitalizing Indian medical system, including the prescriptions of medications, which will eliminate people abusing and getting addicted to prescription drugs. In collaboration with others, AAPI has established fully operational Trauma/EMS systems in Pune, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Delhi, since the year 2000.

Cont’d on page 18

PBD in LA

November 27, 2015

India Post

17

www.indiapost.com

Contribution of Indian-Americans lauded DILIP BUTANI

LOS ANGELES: The two day 9th Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas event was celebrated on November 14 and 15 at The Hotel Westin Bonaventure, Los Angeles. The dignitaries that graced the occasion were Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Janice Hahn, Congressman Brad Sherman, Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh, Secretary of Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Anil K. Agrawal and Consul General of India, San Francisco Venkatesan Ashok. Over 1000 delegates attended the seminar.

The program started with singing of the national anthems of the US and India followed by lamp lighting ceremony.

In his address, Ambassador Arun Singh said that there is a great desire among the Indian Diaspora to connect with India and be a part of the growing opportunities there. So also there is a desire to celebrate the great changes taking place in India with a projected growth rate of about 8 percent and rising Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and consumer confidence

Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2015 coordination committee.

L-R: Abdulgani Shaikh, Subba Gopavarapu, Navin Gupta, Dilip Butani, Inder Singh, Ashok Madan, Vasu Pawar & Kewal Kanda

Anil K Agrawal lauded the contribution of Indian-Americans in various fields. He said members of the Indian American Community created many opportunities for themselves, achieved prosperity, excellence in academics and also made significant contributions in various fields.

Congresswoman Judy Chu called for increasing representation of minorities at all levels of government. She also encouraged young Americans to get involved in the government.

Congresswoman Janice Hahn said LA County was home to 500K

Congressman Brad Sherman also complimented the Indian Americans who have achieved success in various fields.

Indian-Americans and the state of California to a million. She expressed admiration for the traditional values upheld by the Indian American community.

Congressman Brad Sherman

also complimented the Indian Americans who have achieved success in various fields.

In his vote of thanks, CGI Venkatesan Ashok recognized the huge number of individuals, sponsors and Indian-American organizers who helped to make the event possible. Also present on the occasion was Deputy Consul General K J Srinivasan. The evening wrapped up with a cultural show and dinner.

Overall it was a great event and will be remembered by the Indian American community for a long time.

OIFC invites Diaspora to do business in India India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: The Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) Indian Diaspora Business Meet was held in Los Angeles, USA during the Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (RPBD) in collaboration with the Consulate General of India in San Francisco and the Indian community organizations in USA. OIFC brought to LA a business delegation of 34 members led by Deep Kapuria, Chairman, Hi Tech Gears Ltd, and comprising leaders from Infosys, TATA Consultancy Services, Wipro LLC, Fox Mandal & Co, Centre for Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship, etc. The OIFC delegation also included Jupally Krishna Rao, Minister for Industry, Govt of Telangana, IYR Rao, Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, and senior officials from Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIDC), Department of Industries, Government of Jharkhand and Department of NRI Affairs, Government of Kerala.

There were three Panel discussions on: • Investment Opportunities in

Clean & Renewable Energy Sector in India • Technology Partnerships, Investments & Innovation through the Digital India Initiative • Impact Investments into Social Enterprises in India OIFC facilitated several business meetings between Overseas

to students of Indian origin. The internships are a window to the Indian work culture, an opportunity to connect to roots and experience working in a multi-cultural environment.

The second program that generated interest was the announcement of OIFC's India Fel-

preneurs, webinars, CEOspeak webinars, meetings with senior government officials as well as domain experts. OIFC will also work with partners in USA to organize visits to India by business delegations of overseas Indians, under the 'Business Connect' Initiative.

Ambassador of India to the United States Arun Kumar Singh addressing the audience during the opening session of the OIFC Indian Diaspora Business meet in Los Angles on November 14

Indians and members of the official & business delegation from India which are expected to pave the way for economic engagement of the Indian Diaspora with India.

At the Business Meet OIFC launched the India Corporate Internship initiative which offers from Summer 2016, 60 paid internships at 23 top Indian corporates

lows Program for young Diaspora entrepreneurs at the Indian School of Business (Hyderabad).

The course, specially designed

by OIFC for the Indian Diaspora, focuses on the Indian economy and doing business in India. The year-long engagement program includes a special 10 day residential program, curated networking opportunities with Indian entre-

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India and Chairman, Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre A K Agarwal, said "The Indian Government has a keen desire to engage with the Indian Diaspora and to invite them to participate in India's economic Growth story."

He offered the services of the

Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre to facilitate Overseas Indians' investments from USA into India.

Indian Ambassador to USA Arun Singh pointed out that Indian Americans were contributing to the US economy significantly and called on them to explore opportunities to engage in the new focus areas of the Government of India viz Digital India, Make in India, Start up India and Renewable energy.

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry & Co-chair, OIFC noted that Indian Diaspora in the US has contributed tremendously to shaping the brand image of India in US and the story of India is moving towards the States of India. The delegations from five States - Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Haryana highlighted the investment opportunities in their States and business climate.

The Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) was setup as a public private partnership between the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), Government of India and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to enhance economic engagement of Indian Diaspora with India.

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PBD in LA

November 27, 2015

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Why Andhra Pradesh is best investment destination LOS ANGELES: A top delegation from Andhra Pradesh told the Indian Americans and others at the Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas here why it was wise to invest in the

Govt. of India, September 2015).

Detailing the facilities the delegation members said in the field of Power, Andhra Pradesh was the 1st state in South India to offer 24X7 power to industry; capacity addition from 9,600 MW to 17,000 MW by

newly carved out State. The delegation was led by IYR Krishna Rao IAS, Chief Secretary and included J. Krishna Kishore IRS, Chief Executive Officer, AP Economic Development Board and Dr P. Ravikumar Vemuru, Advisor, NRI Affairs.

The delegation explained that Andhra Pradesh ranks amongst top Indian states in creating conducive business environment. It holds the 2nd Rank amongst Indian States (World Bank Study for DIPP,

2019 through solar, wind, thermal; massive strengthening of electricity grid; focus on green energy projects and 3.5 GW of solar power capacity being added.

On the issue of land acquisition, they said Andhra had an existing land bank of 300,000 acres. Adding further 700,000 acres, the total planned land bank available is 1 million acres. The State provides GIS enabled online Land Bank information; affordable land rates and land given on 99-years

India Post News Service

lease and also scope for developing industrial parks on PPP basis On the issue of connectivity, the State boasts of Ports 6 under operation, 6 under development and 5 planned; Airports - 6 existing, 1 mega Aerotropolis and 5 no-frills airports to be developed; Road Network - 45,000 km (4,423 km of National Highways); Railway - 7,040 track km of network and Inland Water Transport - 888 km National Waterway The commitment of the State is to pro-

vide external infrastructure, industrial water, developed land, 24x7 power and skill upgradation facilities to the industries setting up in Andhra Pradesh.

The focus sectors in the State where targeted approach is being followed are: Agro and Food Processing; Life Sciences; Electronics and IT; Mineral Based Industry; Automobiles and Auto Components; Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals; Energy; Leather; Aerospace and Defense.

AAPI lists healthcare initiatives in India Cont’d from page 16

the world's best healthcare providers, including Apollo Hospitals, Narayana Health, and Max Group are only a few who are looking forward to our budding physicians to be part of this initiative.

This program offers students of Indian origin an opportunity to re-connect with their roots and work in their areas of interest in a dynamic multicultural environment, through paid internships.

It is a unique and exciting opportunity for Indian Diaspora students to contribute

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who was part of AAPI's campaign to create awareness on Trauma and Brain Injury, has been requested to be part of the next Global Healthcare Summit to be held in New Delhi from January 1st to 3rd, 2016.

AAPI's focus of GHS 2016 will be on women-related issues, creating awareness among women on their role as nation builders, campaigning to prevent infant and maternal mortality, and mental health is- Superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who was part of sues, Dr Jain AAPI's campaign to create awareness on Trauma informed those and Brain Injury, has been requested to be part present.

AAPI is sup- of the next Global Healthcare Summit to be held porting three cancer centers in New Delhi from January 1st to 3rd, 2016. and has developed three major trauma centers and a hos- and benefit from one of the world's forepital in India. AAPI-CF has also raised funds most, vibrant and increasingly global Inand mobilized medical equipment and per- dian business eco-system at US $2200 per sonnel for international disasters including month. Students could explore options the Tsunami, and Earthquakes in Gujarat and such as a matching grant or support in some Maharashtra. In addition, AAPI's local chap- other way from their University.

The host company will either provide ters operate several free health clinics serving the uninsured and the underprivileged accommodation in a hotel/guest house or recommend suitable stay options. Interpeople across the United States Dr Jain urged aspiring young physicians ested candidates can apply to the program to take advantage of a unique initiative on the OIFC website (www.oifc.in/indiaannounced at the PBD in LA, the India corporate-internship/about) or the UniverCorporate Internship Program that invites sity recruitment portal. them for paid internships in world class For more details, please visit: Indian companies for 2-6 months. Some of www.aapighsindia.org

Desi News North Dakota trade delegation to visit India RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: A high-level North Dakota trade delegation headed either by Lt Governor Drew Wrigley or Governor Jack Dalrymple is likely to visit India in February-March 2016 to promote trade relations between India and North Dakota, according to Indian Consulate sources here.

The delegation, which would also include Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and several leading business persons from North Dakota, is expected to visit cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Amritsar. Ahmedabad and possibly Bhopal and Hyderabad.

Details on page 20

I put all my focus and energy into singing: Benny RITU MAHESHWARI India Post News Service

SAN JOSE: Benny Dayal was in San Francisco Bay area to perform his debut solo concert. He spoke to India post about his singing career and the secret of his success: In a short period of a few years, your name is associated with so many hit songs. How did you start your journey in Bollywood?

Benny Dayal: Bollywood just happened. I started my journey in Tamil songs. I started experimenting in Hindi as my language was very good. This helped me get more and more Hindi songs as one usually doesn't find singers with strong Hindi language in south India. I was looking to expand my horizons and was lucky to get an opportunity with A.R. Rehman.

Details on page 21

GOPIO hosts Thanksgiving & Feed the Needy event Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: The Chicago Chapter of Global Organization for People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) held its "Thanksgiving and Feed the Needy Charity Event" atViceroy of India Banquet Hall, Lombard, on Saturday Nov 14.

The event was attended by Consul of India, O.P. Meena, Judge Ketki Sheroff, CTA Board Vice Chairman, Dr Ashish Sen, politicians, technocrats, businessmen, community leaders, and a large number of Indian-Americans.

GOPIO Chicago President Gladson Varghese presided over the meeting.

Details on page 24

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA www.indiapost.com

19 India Post

Wedding Expo at Waterford a big success Details on page 22

November 27, 2015

Chicago community rallies behind Raja for US Congress A.Q. SIDDIQUI

CHICAGO: Having already received several high profile endorsements, Raja Krishnamoorthi is further bolstered with members of Indian American led by community Iftekhar Shareef coming together to bring about greater national awareness about his candidacy as Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress from the eighth Congressional district in Illinois.

The event held on Friday, November 13 at India House in Hoffman Estate, a northwest suburb of Chicago, also had the backing of Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), a prestigious national level body of hoteliers in the country Raja Krishnamoorthi thanked the community leaders and AAHOA leadership for invigorating new enthusiasm and new excitement in the community in rallying behind his candidacy. He said that this gives new momentum to his campaign. Raja said "I am running for Congress for you and for your families" and emphasized that he deeply understands the challenges the families are facing and will fight for their economic security. He pledged that when he goes to the Congress,

"you will go with me to the Congress to represent the dreams and hopes of each one of us."

Raja thanked the leaders gathered at the event for extending a

lies.

Iftekhar Shareef, in his introductory address, said Raja Krishnamoorthi bears great promise as the next United States Con-

tinue to strive to evoke collective community enthusiasm to deliver for Raja the victory he so tremendously deserves. He asserted that this " team will remain a driv-

Raja Krishnamoorthi flanked by community supporters headed by Iftekhar Shareef and the AAHOA team

substantive and meaningful help and said he is deeply committed to working families' agenda and he will employ his valuable experience both in the public and private sector to strengthen the working fami-

gressman. He is uniquely and exceptionally qualified because he deeply understands the issues and the challenges the nation and the local communities face.

Shareef added that he will con-

ing force in helping put together many more events in order to bring energy and momentum to Raja's candidacy."

Cont’d on page 23

NRIs lend support to solving Netaji mystery MADHU PATEL

CHICAGO: Netaji was missing in action since August 1945. Neither the British Government, nor the Bose family and not even Mahatma Gandhi believed the news about his death in the so-called plane crash in Taiwan.

Pandit Nehru had expressed doubt about the so-called plane crash to the British Prime Minister Atlee in a private letter but publicly accepted the theory of death in a plane crash. Shahanawaz Commission (which never bothered to visit Taiwan to check) and the subsequent Khosla commission (never checked the Russian files) confirmed it as the truth.

Cont’d on page 23

Anuj Dhar at the Bangbhavan meet in Chicago

Community Across America

20 India Post

November 27, 2015

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North Dakota trade delegation to visit India RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: A high-level North Dakota trade delegation headed either by Lt Governor Drew Wrigley or Governor Jack Dalrymple is likely to visit India in February-March 2016 to promote trade relations between India and North Dakota, according to Indian Consulate sources here.

The delegation, which would also include Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and several leading business persons from North Dakota, is expected to visit cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Amritsar. Ahmedabad and possibly Bhopal and Hyderabad.

This is sequel to a recent visit of Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General of India in Chicago and D.B. Bhati, Consul (Commercial) to North Dakota early this month.

The Indian CG assured that his office would extend all possible assistance to make the visit of the ND trade mission to India a great success.

He exuded confidence and optimism that the proposed visit of high-level ND delegation to India would usher new partnerships between the US and Indian companies in different areas.

During his visit to North Dakota early this month, Dr Sayeed had useful interactions with Drew Wrigley, Lt. Governor of the State of North Dakota; Al Anderson, Commissioner, North Dakota Department of Commerce; Tom Bodine, Deputy Agriculture Commissioner and Dean Gorder, Executive Director, North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO), besides faculty members of North Dakota State University (NDSU) and several business leaders, agriculturists and members of professional bod-

Al Anderson, Commissioner, North Dakota Department of Commerce (on the Left) and Consul General of India Dr Ausaf Sayeed

ies.

Dr Sayeed began with a visit to a local soybean processing facility- Sinner Bros. & Bresnahan (SB&B) which produces a full line of non-GMO soybean varieties after extensive research in the field followed by which he visited NDSU's Agricultural and Bio-systems Engineering department, where he was apprised of the research being done in precision agricultural technologies and Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS).

He also attended a presentation given by BioPro Power organization on the production of renewable energy by using byproducts of agriculture crops as biomass fuels.

The Consul General also gave a presentation at NDTO office in

Indian CG Dr Ausaf Sayeed with ND Lt Governor Drew Wrigley (center) and Consul Bhatti

Fargo on the topic 'India - Ushering in reforms' to a group of prominent business persons, legal professionals and members of NDTO. The Indian CG had detailed discussions with Lt. Governor Drew

climate in India and the series of initiatives that are being undertaken by the Indian government to facilitate investment and business by simplification of procedures and investment regulations.

He mentioned that North Dakota has vast coal reserves and is the second largest oil producing state in United States. Indian companies may take advantage of the research and innovations being made in North Dakota in these areas.

Wrigley, who is also the Chairman of North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO), during which he gave a briefing on the positive economic

This would make India a land that offers extraordinary opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors, he observed.

Lt. Governor Drew Wrigley said there are vast opportunities for partnership between the Indian and US companies in the fields of agriculture, coal and energy. He mentioned that North Dakota has vast coal reserves and is the second largest oil producing state in United States. Indian companies may take advantage of the research and innovations being made in North Dakota in these areas.

The two sides identified the fields of oil & gas, renewable energy, including wind energy & biomass, value-added agriculture, manufacturing, innovation and technology as potential areas for increasing economic collaboration and partnership between Indian and US companies.

Temple vandalism in Ontario deplored ARVIND PATEL

ONTARIO: Reports that Shri Ram Dham Hindu Temple in Kitchener, Ontario (Canada) was vandalized by anti social elements has worried Hindus across North America. Coming close on heels of similar vandalism in this county in the past six months, it has now become a matter of grave concern to many in the community.

There were reports of smashing of windows with large rocks of Shri Ram Dham Hindu Temple on November 15 night by vandals.

Police in Kitchener, Ont., are investigating. The incident happened on Nov. 15 around 11:15 p.m.

Ram Dham Hindu Temple presi-

Ram Dham Hindu Temple in Kitchener (right) and smashed windows

dent Dilip Dav says several windows at the rear entrance of the temple were shattered. He says no one inside the temple was injured and they were unable to see who

did the damage.

The incident follows an arson attack on a Peterborough, Ont., mosque a day earlier. Investigators say they haven't drawn any link

between the attacks. Authorities said a total of five rocks were thrown at two panes of glasses at the rear of the building. No injuries were reported.

"People will jump to certain conclusions, however our investigation will continue," said Staff Sergeant Michael Haffner.

Cont’d on page 22

Community Across America

November 27, 2015

India Post 21

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Benny Dayal performs a 'Bang Bang' show India Post News Service

SAN JOSE: The Bang Bang Diwali Concert with Benny Dayal and his band Funktuation held in

company formed by Excel Test, NRI Wealth Management and Media Mahima.

The evening began with a slide show tracing the life and times of

evening, Benny Dayal kicked off the musical proceedings with his rendition of the super hit song Locha-E-Ulfat. The excited crowd received the singer with a thunderous applause. Benny was supported by his talented band Funkuation.

The evening continued with Shakthisree joining Benny and the duo jamming together on popular

gaged the audience with her rendition of popular Hindi songs like Kabira, London Thumakda...to name a few, in her own style.

The highlight of the evening was Benny's mashup of hit Punjabi pop songs and a tribute to some of his contemporaries in the industry like Sonu Nigam, Mika and Daler Mehndi. His rendition of Saawan Main Lag Gayee Aag, Bola Ta Ra

performance stage witnessed the crowd dancing away to Benny and Shakthisree's tunes. The Bang Bang Diwali event crescendoed with Benny's all time popular hit, Badtameez Dil. This concert was also unique owing to its altruistic nature. Three non-profits working in the Bay Area were chosen by the organizers as beneficiary partners of the

Benny Dayal performing on the stage

the Bay Area on November 13 was a grand success. The concert held at The Jubilee Center, San Jose was Benny's first solo concert in the Bay Area and America. The event was organized by GiG Gurus - an entertainment and events

the Late Mahima; the founder of Mahima Creations. Following a short introduction by Kavita S and Kishan S, the hosts of the evening and founding members of Gig Gurus, the grand musical evening got off to a flying start. The star of the

Shakthisree performing on the stage

Hindi songs. Shakthisree started her solo performance with the super hit Tamil melody Nenjukulle which had shot her to instant fame. The vocalist further en-

Hosts of the event Kishan S. and Kavita S

Ra had the crowd in raptures.

The exclusive dance floor concept, unique to the concert, hit it off with the audience greatly. A special enclosure closer to the

event. Each of the non-profits managed to raise a reasonable amount of funds and create awareness about their respective causes thanks to the Bang Bang Concert.

'I put all my focus and energy into singing' RITU MAHESHWARI India Post News Service

SAN JOSE: Benny Dayal was in San Francisco Bay area to perform his debut solo concert. He

spoke to India Post about his singing career and the secret of his success: In a short period of a few years, your name is associated with so many hit songs. How did you start

your journey in Bollywood?

Benny Dayal: Bollywood just happened. I started my journey in Tamil songs. I started experimenting in Hindi as my language was very good. This helped me get more and more Hindi songs as one usually doesn't find singers with strong Hindi language in south

singing. It was a smooth transition. Rehman sir supported and encouraged me during this phase.

All of your songs are super hit.

How do you choose a song?

BD: Most of the time I don't have a choice of songs I sing. I put all my focus and energy in making the songs successful.

BD: My favorite is Kishore Kumar Which is your favorite song?

BD: It is "Kaise tum mujhe mil gayi" from movie Gajni You have sung in so many languages. How do you prepare?

BD: I just pay attention to the sounds and singing comes

Benny Dayal’s press conference with Dr Romesh Japra (right) and Community Partners and Sponsors

Ritu Maheshwari interviewing Benny Dayal

India. I was looking to expand my horizons and was lucky to get an opportunity with A.R. Rehman.

You left corporate job to be a singer? Was it an easy decision?

BD: As I started my singing, my songs started becoming famous and my career took off. I was in fact in a company where I was media shy. This helped me to leave them and start focusing on

There are many youngsters who aspire to make it big in music world. What is one key quality they need to develop to gain success?

BD: They should be extremely passionate and have an open mind to learn new things. Without an open mind, they will not be successful in any new field.

Who is your favorite singer?

easily. I don't need to learn the language for that.

What is secret of your success?

BD: I don't really have a secret. It is by god's grace. I just work hard and don't speak a lot about the success. I just focus on my singing. Energy I put in the songs is what makes my songs famous.

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November 27, 2015

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Gandhi Samaj celebrates anniversary and Diwali Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: The Gandhi Samaj of Chicago (GSC), one of the oldest cultural organizations of Indian Americans in the US, had the double delight of celebrating its 31st anniversary and also Diwali on November 14 at Maine East High School, Park Ridge. It was attended by a large number of people, along with their families and friends.

The event started with singing of American National Anthem

by Sriya Gandhi and the Indian National Anthem by Daksh and Isha.

Ashwin Bodalia, President, called upon people to illuminate their hearts, rather than merely their physical surroundings by committing themselves to bring about a positive change in lives.

Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General of India in Chicago, who was the Guest of Honor, said that keeping the Indian culture alive in a foreign land is a huge challenge.

"The young generation should take inspiration from the commitment of youth belonging to GSC to their culture and keep the flag of Indian culture flying high across the US", he added.

Sunil Shah, who was the Chief Guest at the event, called upon the people to pledge to follow the path of righteousness, and thereby take the message of Diwali to its logical conclusion.

"If we start helping people in need, each day of our life will turn out to be as auspicious as Diwali", he added.

Awards were given to Dr Ausaf Sayeed for his rich contribution in promoting India's culture abroad, Sunil Shah for his outstanding services to people of Asian Indian

Gandhi Samaj Board Members

community in Chicago. Bhumika Gandhi for her contribution as a President of the Samaj, Rita Gandhi for her exceptional services to the community, Hitesh Gandhi for his involvement not only in the Samaj but also other organiza-

tions, and to Vandana Jhingan for her contribution to Indian community in Chicago area.

The cultural program commenced with the performance of Bharatanayam by Krishna Gandhi, which was a beautiful

presented a captivating contemporary dance performance.

Rohan and Mansi Gandhi presented a dance performance to "Selfie Le le", Risha Bhagat and Lovepreet Singh, to "Dhol Bhaje" and Krishna Modi and Tanisha

Dr Ausaf Sayeed presenting award to Hitesh Gandhi and Sunil Shah presenting award to Bhumika and FS Presdeint

Dance artists Mona Bhalla, Manpreet Bhalla, Simran Bhalla, and Kiran Bhalla

prayer to Lord Ganesha, the God of Wisdom.

Junoon Dance Company presented a classical dance performance. Another unique classical music performance was

by Bindu Pathak and her students. Shalini Saxena and Alpesh Gandhi enthralled the audience by rendering choicest classics of Bollywood. Mona Bhalla sang 'Chttiyan kalaiaan" and a few Gujarati songs. Her three daughters, Manpreet Bhalla, Simran Bhalla, and Kiran Bhalla, danced to the catchy tunes.

Lovish, Mahi Thakur and Anand Bhatt

Naik, to "Sadda Dil Bhi Tu".

Bhumika Gandhi proposed a vote of thanks. Reshma Gandhi and Vivek Gandhi were the MCs at the event.

"Thanks to all the sponsors of the grand event without whose support it would not be possible to have such a wonderful event "said Hitesh Gandhi, Exec Vice President of Gandhi Samaj.

The 2016 Executive Board of Gandhi Samaj comprises Keyur Ghayal (President), Hitesh Gandhi (Exec VP), Bhumika Gandhi (Vice President), Ashwin Bodalia (Treasurer), Manhar Gajjar (Secretary), Bharat Ghayal (Joint Secretary), Hary Gandhi (Joint Secretary), Hiral Gandhi (Joint Secretary), Hiren Ghayal (Joint Secretary), Ramesh Gandhi (Joint Secretary), Priya Ghayal (Youth Secretary) and Roma Bhagat (Cultural Secretary).

Temple vandalism in Ontario deplored Cont’d from page 20

"It's one of the questions that will be posed for those responsible."

Police said patrols were stepped up at places of worship across the region following the act of vandalism.

Shri Ram Dham Hindu Temple, whose tagline is "Wisdom Love Service", opens and conducts two aartis daily, has services on Sundays-Tuesdays-Thursdays and organizes festivals-kirtan-discourses-special services year round. It contains the murtis of Hindu deities of Sita Ram, Radha Krishna, Shiv Parvati, Durgaa

Maa, Ganesh and Hanuman.

The temple offers classes in yoga, Sanskrit, Bharatnatyam and vegetarian cooking; Hindu culture course and yoga camp for kids; and consultation on spiritual-religious issues and rituals.

Chaitanya Jyoti and Haripriya Parivrajika are Head Preacher and Preacher respectively.

Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, called for swift action by administration and urged Ontario Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to contact the Kitchener area Hindu community to reassure them.

November 27, 2015

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India Post 23

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NRIs lend support to solving Netaji mystery Cont’d from page 19

The next Mukherjee Commission rejected the plane crash theory on available documents but needed an official government letter to the Russian authorities to get permission to study KGB documents. For ten years, the Congress Government cold shouldered the responsibility and put this historically important issue in cold storage.

Anuj Dhar, one of the researchers along with the Bose family and millions of staunch followers of Netaji however, persisted to get to the bottom of this case. Dhar has been single handedly and passionately pressurizing the Indian Government to declassify the confidential files about Netaji.

Along with Bose family members, researcher Anuj Dhar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.

Mission Netaji, a US based organization, invited Anuj Dhar to USA on a lecture tour last month.

Dhar was in Chicago recently at the invitation of Friends of India Society. He addressed a public meeting at Bang Bhavan, Glendale Height, a northwest suburb of Chicago and a press conference at Mini India Town on Devon Avenue.

During these meets, he shared some of his findings on the Netaji death issue that he had researched and presented his views on this historically important matter. He pitched for creating wider awareness not only in India but globally about this mystery. His sole aim, he mentioned, was to unearth the truth. Satyamev Jayaate was one of his motivating factors.

He said that global NRIs have a tremendous influence now in India's politics. He urged using social media to help him in opening the confidential files on Netaji

to bring the truth out.

Dhar is also a founder-member of Mission Netaji and has been working relentlessly demanding declassification of all confidential files on Netaji. His efforts bore results. The West Bengal government declassified Netaji's secret files last month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the family members of N e t a j i Subhas Chandra Bose on October 14 in New Delhi and assured that his government will start declassification process of Netaji's files from January 23, 2016, the birthday of Netaji. Dhar was also

in Political Science from Delhi University. He worked at Hindustan Times and at NDTV as a Reporter.

While working with the Hindustan

Times, he was assigned to cover Justice Manoj Mukherjee Commission where he became interested in inquiring about Netaji's

mystery.

On his own he decided to dwell in detail and did extensive research on Netaji, especially to know what happened to that man after he flew out of Saigon in the month of Au-

Chicago community rallies behind Raja for US Congress Cont’d from page 19

Balvinder Singh, another champion of Indian-American community, offered his full support to Raja's candidacy and said that he would work with Washington leadership in mobilizing support for Raja.

Kalpesh Joshi, Regional Director [Upper Midwest] of AAHOA and the event Co-Chair, earlier welcomed the gathering of community leaders and outlined the commitment of AAHOA in throwing its far reaching robust support

behind Raja. He said that AAHOA is deeply committed to backing him with its resources and networking capabilities to help in reaching out nationwide awareness.

Earlier, Chirag Patel, AAHOA's Vice President for Governmental Affairs outlined the strategy of AAHOA and its political action committee in channeling the support for Raja because he understands the growing challenges and impediments the hospitality industry faces and the burdensome regulatory provisions which

views across the meet, but some of the speakers lengthened their speeches and "bored" the attendees, many felt. The feeling was that

A group of organizers and attendees at the Dhar meet in Chicago

Anuj Dhar, one of the researchers along with the Bose family and millions of staunch followers of Netaji however, persisted to get to the bottom of this case. Dhar has been single handedly and passionately pressurizing the Indian Government on this issue. invited to that meeting along with 38 members of the Bose family. He still writes and delivers talks on Netaji all over the world. .

Born and raised in Delhi, Anuj Dhar obtained a Master's Degree

gust in 1945. He shared his views authoring the books 'Back from Death: Inside the Subhas Bose's Mystery' - 2005; 'CIA's Eye on

seriously impede it. Patel said AAHOA recognizes the potential in the candidacy of Raja who can defend the goals AAHOA is committed to.

Keerthi Kumar Ravoori in his brief statement said Raja is gaining momentum among the voters as he represents a new and fresh invigorating voice for the Asians to help represent their dreams and hopes. .

In conclusion, Raja Krishnamoorthi thanked his supporters and acknowledged the event hosts gratefully.

South Asia' - 2008; 'India's Biggest Cover Up' - 2012; 'No Secrets' - 2013 and 'What Happened to Netaji' 2015.

The Chicago Bangbhavan program could have been better scheduled with the guest speaker Dhar given more time to put his

Dhar could not share enough, as he had to catch the next flight. Yet with slides projections, he spoke non-stop and was very impressive! People wished he had more time to go into details, but there was no time left for scheduled question-answers even.

24 India Post

Community Across America

November 27, 2015

www.indiapost.com

GOPIO hosts Thanksgiving & Feed the Needy event Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: The Chicago Chapter of Global Organization for People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) held its "Thanksgiving and Feed the Needy Charity Event" at Viceroy of India Banquet Hall, Lombard, on Saturday November 14.

The event was attended by Consul of India, O.P. Meena, Judge Ketki Sheroff, CTA Board Addressing the gathering is Indian Consul OP Meena; Singers Saarang and Shalini who entertained the crowd and GOPIO President Gladson Verghese with Chief Guest Lou Lang and Stephanie Kifowit, IL State Representative

Vice Chairman, Dr Ashish Sen, terms of its size and diverse in politicians, technocrats, business- terms of its composition. This calls men, community leaders, and a for voluntary action, characterized large number of Indian-Americans. by kind, loving, and humane apGOPIO Chicago President proach, for the collective welfare Gladson Varghese presided over of different sections of society" the meeting.

Stephanie Kifowit added.

Lou Lang, Illinois Deputy MaDr Gopal Lalmalani, Mayor of jority Leader, who was the Chief Oak Brook, in his Keynote AdGuest, said that the Government dress, said there is an urgent need earmarks huge budgets for schemes aimed at the welfare of weaker sec- “Active participation of tions of society. How- people in the functioning of ever, he called upon voluntary organizations, democratic institutions is a including GOPIO, to prerequisite for ensuring come forward to create wider awareness about multifaceted welfare of these schemes and to society", Lou Lang said ensure that their benefits reach the target groups. for addressing the universal prob"Contributing to democracy is lem of poverty by serving the one's sacred duty. All American poor, considering the fact that citizens, including their counter- poverty anywhere is a danger to parts from India, should exercise prosperity everywhere. their right to vote in elections for "Even though the US is a deall democratic bodies in the USA veloped country, there are quite a and enrich its political system", few patches of poverty across its Lou Lang asserted. length and breath. Considering "Active participation of people this, the practice of serving the in the functioning of democratic poor becomes relevant even in the institutions is a prerequisite for context of the US", Gopal opined.

Lamp Lighting ceremony with invited dignitaries and Chicago Chapter of GOPIO Board members

ensuring multifaceted welfare of society", Lou Lang added.

Stephanie Kifowit, IL State Representative, in his Keynote Address, said that bringing about change is not the duty of Government alone; each and every citizen should contribute to this challenging task.

"The US is a huge country in

Raja Krishnamurthi, a Congressional candidate, said that shelter, which is one of the fundamental needs of people, has not been fully met, across the globe. "GOPIO's initiative of providing shelter to the people of Nepal is therefore, a worth-emulating initiative", he added.

Cont’d on page 25

November 27, 2015

Community Across America

India Post 25

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Spectacular Diwali by Telugu Association ASHWIN PATEL

Telugus in St Louis celebrate Diwali

SAINT LOUIS: The Telugu Association of St. Louis (TAS) celebrated Diwali on Saturday, November 14 in a way at Kirkwood School in St Louis, MO. More than 1100 people at-

tended the event. There were a wide range of cultural programs performed by local talent. Huge cutouts of Shiva Lingam, Indralokam, country-side house and peacock props set the festive

Indralokam with Indra, Narada and Indraja (Indra daughter)

mood for the audience Dressed in attires reflecting Telugu culture and tradition, artists presented programs which drew huge applause from the audience. Stage decoration, audio visuals and great themes to reflect Telugu culture were the highlights of the event.

TAS members and their kids participated in a variety of skits, classical and Tollywood dances and singing. TAS organized a socio-fantasy skit with more than 60 participants "Jyothirgamaya", which drew a huge applause from the audience.

President Muralikrishna Puttagunta reminded everyone of the marvelous successes of the past TAS events, both cultural and social service programs and laid out TAS's plans for 2016. He praised and thanked the parents and kids who were actively en-

Telengana Meet & Greet program a big success India Post News Service

MILPITAS: Telangana America Telugu Association (TATA) presented an excellent Meet and Greet

program with Deshapathi Srinivas, Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister of Telangana. The event was organized by TATA of Bay Area on Saturday November

14 at 556 S Milpitas Blvd, Milpitas, and was well attended by over 400-450 enthusiastic audience of Telugu community.

Cont’d on page 26

gaged in social service programs this year.

Vice-President Ravindranath Karnati and Secretary Raviraj Kolakaleti played a key role in conducting the event successfully.

Treasurer Subakalyan Vuyyuru managed member registrations

and reception area while Cultural Secretary Srilahari Dasyam coordinated the cultural events. The participants were awarded TAS trophies.

Authentic South Indian dinner satisfied the taste buds of everybody.

Scene from Socio-fantasy drama "Jyothirgamaya"

GOPIO hosts Thanksgiving & Feed the Needy event Cont’d from page 24

Gladson Varghese, in his Presidential Address stated that the funds raised at the event will go to Nepal-based charity organization and Missionaries of Chicago run by Mother Teresa's Sisters.

"The Missionaries of Chicago will use the same to provide food and clothing to poor people in Chicago", Varghese added.

Earlier, Krishna Bansal, Naperville City Planning Commissioner and GOPIO Board Member, welcomed the guests. He said that over 20 million people of Indian origin are spread across the globe and GOPIO is committed to establish a mechanism of their live networking.

The function commenced with the singing of the Indian and the US National Anthems by Dr Narayan Tata and his team and lighting of the lamp by Chief Guests and the Board Members of GOPIO.

The formidable team of singers and dancers presented a brilliant potpourri of all-round stage performances and mesmerized the audience.

Saarang Sane kick started the scintillating musical evening with the most haunting melody, "kahin door jab din dhal jaye" from movie Anand. Shalini Saxena rendered a wave of well-known tracks, including "Sunona sangemarmar" On public demand, Saarang and Shalini sang duets, including "Tu hi ye mujhkobata dechahun main yanaa." They received huge admiration of the audience for giving them an authentic "Bollywood Music Experience".

The dancers, who performed different genres of dances and the DJ who provided electrifying music, added great value to the event.

Savi Singh and Vikrant Singh, who were the MCs, conducted the proceedings of the event in a professional fashion.

Community Across America

26 India Post

November 27, 2015

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IACS Career Expo meets huge success SURENDRA ULLAL

DALLAS, TX: Indo American Community Services (IACS) conducted its 6th Annual Diversity Career Expo in Dallas on Thursday, November 12 with a grand success.

IACS had earlier hosted Annual Diversity Career Expos this year in New York and Chicago with huge success and good participation.

Over 80 companies participated in all three cities combined and attracted around 2000 job seekers.

Some of the fortune 500 companies that participated were ITW, Dover Corporation, Grainger, Walgreens, United Airlines, Nielsen, Capital One, AT&T, Exelon, USG and others. The event was attended by graduating students seeking internships, fresh graduates looking for entry level jobs and experienced professionals in pursuit of better career opportunities.

The participants were not only from the Indian American Community but also from Asian American, Hispanic, African American and other communities. The Career Expo was well received by over 400 job seekers There were two major highlights.

One was its popular resume review, career advice and counseling service provided by industry veterans

with different backgrounds and exposure. He said that by bringing in diversity, employees can gain a better understanding of different cultures and can build respect and appreciation, which in turn leads to workforce harmony and better productivity. Sai mentioned that with many corporations relocating or opening offices in Dallas area, Career Expo gives a unique opportunity for companies to find and hire talented people with diverse backgrounds.

Participating employers set up stalls manned by recruiting and hiring managers. Each stall had a display board that listed out open

with recruiting background. Many participants lined up for this service, as job aspirants appreciated honest critique on the strengths and weaknesses of their resume and guidance to make it more attractive for recruiters. The second highlight was a professional photograph service. Participants who had their professional photos taken would be able to use them on networking sites like LinkedIn or even for electronic resumes.

Diversity Career Expo at Renaissance Dallas Richardson was inaugurated by Sai Bilanuka, VP US Income Tax Software Engineering, Thomson Reuters. In his inaugural speech, Sai commented that diversity is an essential part of business which brings in ideas from people

positions in the company. This information was very useful for job seekers to focus specifically on the employers whose positions matched their skills. Job seekers also had a unique opportunity to interact with hiring managers, seek their perspective on open positions, skill expectations, growth and educational opportunities.

The event provided the job seekers with an opportunity to network with colleagues as well to make new connections. Swati Verma, an MIS student from The University of Texas at Dallas who is graduating in December, commented that the Expo provided a great opportunity for her to talk with many hiring managers from ITW and said that the 'resume critique'

Participants at the Dallas Career Expo

service was also very useful for students like her, as she learnt what recruiting managers look for in potential hires.

Amit Kale, one of the experienced professionals who attended the event, commented that this was a great opportunity for prospective job seekers to meet with recruiting managers. The hiring companies can 'put a name to the face' so to speak, which is not possible when one applies for a job online.

Shweta Kurvey-Mishra, Director, Diversity & Inclusion at ITW commented that she and her team came looking to fill number of open positions in Engineering, Sales and Marketing departments and also mentioned that ITW has participated in number of professional development conferences that IACS has hosted.

Rama Venkatasubramanian, Development Manager at Texas Instruments and also one of the IACS Organizing Members, gave full credit to dedicated volunteers who contributed their time and effort to give something back to community.

Jagan Bukkaraju mentioned that IACS is pleased to see many of the employers participate every year as they view the event as a great opportunity to hire talented candidates from diverse backgrounds.

Sreenivas Katragadda, President IACS mentioned that IACS is supporting the South Asian community not only through these grand Diversity Career expos but also through many activities like Women's Empowerment forums, Professional, Leadership, Business and Entrepreneurial Conferences. The IACS also provides student internship opportunities both in public and private sectors apart from free job portal, mentoring and career counseling services.

Telengana Meet & Greet program a big success Cont’d from page 25

He explained how Telangana Government is working towards self-sustained rural economy and briefed about the re-design of water and power projects by it.

Deshapati Srinivas Garu being a poet and very knowledgeable about state history, most of his narration was filled with poetic recitals to reference the life and history of the people, which made the evening live and energized. The packed audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

The event organizers, TATA felicitated Deshapathi Garu and Produtoor Yella Reddy Garu with shawls, flower bouquets. Local Telangana cultural associations (TCA), Silicon Andhra Association heads and members showed their support to TATA and its activities.

TATA event organizers Ramesh Thangellapalli, Abhilash Rangineni, Uday Jonnala, Bhasker Maddi, extended their thanks to everyone who attended and the sponsors who supported the event.

They thanked Venkatesh Bukka

The event took place with blessings of TATA Malla Reddy Garu, Jhansi Reddy Garu, Mahender Musuku, Srinivas Anugu, Bharat Madadi and Anil Arrabelli and was supported by MicroInfo and AHR Foundation.

It started with a minute silence in respect of Telangana Amara Veerulu followed by Sri Srinivas Manapragada (National Cultural Chairman) of TATA singing Telangana Patriotic song "Jaya hey Jaya hey Telangana".

He explained the ideals of TATA and the ambitious plans of service including supporting "Mission Kakatiya".

TATA Board of Director Vijay Chava introduced TATA members and talked about TATA Membership drive. Appi Reddy (Regional Vice President) spoke about youth involvement in TATA activities and future programs.

The evening entertainment was presented by Nishanth, Shashank Goud and Srinivas Manapragada.

There were folk songs and dance performances by Tirumalesh.

Produtoor Yella Produtoor Yella Reddy, Reddy, Professor and Professor and noted poet noted poet talked on history of Telangana and talked on history of contribution of poets in Telangana and contributhe Telangana struggle.

Sri Raja Reddy Garu a tion of poets in the leading industrialist of Telangana struggle.

Bay Area and TIE President elect, spoke on the involvement of Telangana IT professionals and for his effort in covering complete their participation in the community. event for media coverage. They As an NRI from Nizamabad, he extended special thanks to media mentioned how technology can be partners HMTV, NTV, Aina TV, V6 used in villages and rural sector and News, TV9, TV5, encouraged youth involvement in Telugucoummunitynews.com, IT activities.

Mission Telangana.com, He also mentioned about recent Telugutimes, NamstheAndhra, involvement with T Hub initiated TelanagaTimes, Eenadu, by the Telangana Govt.

N a m a s t h e Te l a n g a n a , Deshapathi Srinivas Garu, celeb- Greattelangana.com, San Jose rity of the event explained the rich Mercury News, Ragalahari, culture and heritage of Telangana GreatAndhra.com, Deccan and importance of it in the history Chronicle, Andhra Jyothy, Indian of forming the state. As the state is Express, Sakshi, India West, India doing its best to preserve and pro- Post, Deccan Abroad, TNIlive, mote the heritage, he stressed upon Andhra Patrika, Vaartha, Siasat, the need for NRIs to step forward Munsifdaily and rahnumadeccan. to do their part.

Event MC was Nishanth Reddy, He explained the evolution of and his team of TATA Yuva dance Telangana struggle and the great performers were Shashank Goud, contributions of late Jaya Shanker Lalith Kumar, Satish Banavath, Garu - how he relentlessly made an Amith Reddy, Nishanth, Srujan effort to motivate people to come Reddy, Sushruth Reddy, Ravi to his meetings which started from Varma, Bal Reddy, Sadvik Reddy, mere 50 people to 50 lakhs people Sreeja Anam and Abhi Rao Katari, at his last speech at Warangal. He Special thank you note and gesexplained with examples how ture were rendered by TATA MiTelangana Telugu is rich in its form, nority Chairman G. Mohd. Iqbal, expression and how it influenced Abdul Kudus, Mateem, Akhil & other dialects.

Sohil.

November 27, 2015

Community Across America

India Post 27

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Cricket All Stars enthrall US fans India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Shane Warne's Warriors pulled off the 3-0 series sweep over Sachin Tendulkar's Blasters with an exhilarating fourwicket win at Dodger Stadium on November 14. For a stadium filled with fans hoping to see some of their sporting heroes, the Cricket All-Stars series provided the fans with an unforgettable memory.

More so than the actual play on the pitch, fans and media alike were able to take in some of the greatest players in a venue that's never before hosted the sport.

Indian stalwarts, Sachin Tendulkar (56) and Sourav

Ganguly (50) s h o w e d glimpses of the past as they hit half-centuries to help their team post a challenging 219 for five in 20 overs. However, the Warriors overhauled the target with just one ball to spare, scoring 224 for six, riding on some spectacular innings by Kumar Sangakkara (42), Ricky Ponting (43) and Jacques Kallis (47). Skip-

per Warne then came out onto the middle and finished the Hollywood ending with a six off his first ball when his side needed two to win off two balls, with Ponting unbeaten on the other end at 43.

Prior to the final match in Los Angeles, two others took place November 7 at New York's Citi Field and November 11 at Houston's Minute Maid Park. "The whole idea of Cricket All Stars is to get as many people from different countries to enjoy it, to globalize

cricket," Tendulkar said. The Indian batting legend felt that the atmosphere was as electrifying and history was created in US by having 100,000 fans in all 3 games put together.

New York-based sports marketing company Leverage Agency joined with United Sports Associates to organize the series. The icons spent a day before all three matches interacting with fans and young cricketers. By some estimates, there are about 200,000

cricket players in the United States, playing in more than 150 leagues. Most of these players are expats who continue to follow their passion. Capturing the attention of the average American sports fan remains cricket's biggest challenge, and the star power of Cricket All Stars created a big buzz for the sport.

Top tier sponsors of the event were Citi, MasterCard, PepsiCo, State Farm, Azur Global, Sling TV, Oxigen, Lycamobile, Etihad and Uber.

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Gulaabo : Shaandaar 2 Main Hoon Hero Tera: Hero 3 Shaam Shaandaar : Shaandaar 4 Prem Leela: Prem Ratan Dhan 28 India Post

November 27, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Payo 5 Matargashti : Tamasha 6 Tung Tung Baje : Singh Is Bliing 7 Bandeyaa : Jazbaa 8 Afghan Jalebi : Phantom 9 Singh & Kaur : Singh Is Bliing 10 Raitaa Phail Gaya : Shaandaar

T

he iconic pair of superhits like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol say they have been close pals for over two decades and share a great comfort level.

"We have been here since over 20 years and we (Kajol and I) have tried to give our best. We don't have this thought of working on it (chemistry), the 50-yearold star said at the video release of Rohit Shetty's latest Dilwale song Gerua.

Kajol, who was also present at the event, said there is no hidden secret behind the chemistry between herself and Shah Rukh.

"The way I look at it is 'Oh wow, we have done such a good job and we have given such a great shot together'. We look at our work per se."

Shah Rukh explained: "I never thought that what we are doing is something special or extraordinary. Just being ordinary makes it look so special. When we watch ourselves on screen, we feel, 'Areh, yeh toh acha ho gaya yaar'. We never thought about it really. Over the years, people have asked us so often about this chemistry and I wish I had a different answer.

The best part, according to me is we both don't know how good we can be."

R K

ajol's on-screen chemistry with Shah Rukh Khan in Dilwale may be driving fans crazy, but for the actress her husband Ajay Devgan taking care of their kids while she was shooting is the most romantic thing that has happened to her.

The 41-year-old Bollywood star, who was busy filming for her upcoming release since past few months was bowled over to see her actor husband perform the dotting father duties so well.

"He (Ajay) was baby sitting the kids at home. I think that is the most sweet and romantic gesture. I was bowled over. He told me you go out to work, I will take care of the kids," Kajol said when asked about the most romantic thing Ajay has done for her recently.

anbir Kapoor might be a hero of Hindi films and takes pride in his Kapoor khandaan lineage. But the entire idea of a hero makes him uncomfortable.

The actor prefers being an underdog to larger-than-life characters. "I am a believer in films like Shree 420 and Life Is Beautiful where heroism is not interlinked with beating people into pulp. It is not so much about dialogues as it is about the deeds. I have done a lot of coming-of-age films which makes me the Harry Potter of the film industry. I love playing the underdog," says Ranbir.

Bollywood

November 27, 2015

www.indiapost.com

A

fter 'having worked with legendary actors like Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper in his Hollywood outing Silver Linings Playbook, iconic actor Anupam Kher will now be seen in yet another Hollywood film with Hollywood star Gerard Butler. He will be playing the role of an Indian-American oncologist. The film will be directed

by Mark Williams, written by Bill Dubuque and is being co-produced by Gerard Butler.

Speaking about the film, Anupam Kher said that after Silver Linings Playbook, this film was the most powerful script that he had read. He started shooting for the film in Toronto, Canada. He added that Gerard was a great actor and a fun guy to work with.

Besides Anupam Kher and Gerard Butler, the yetuntitled film also stars Alison Brie, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina and others.

P

an Nalin's internationally-acclaimed film Angry Indian Goddesses on female bonding and combating patriarchal tyranny has encountered an expected snag.

The Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has objected strongly to what they see as profane references to Hindu goddesses.

"Major portions of the film have been hacked off by the Examining Committee," says a source. "The biggest sufferer is actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, whose role has been reduced to smithereens."

Confirming this, Tannishtha says, "The film that fetched me so much acclaim abroad and the film that has been cut by the censors are two different entities. Now my role is almost nothing."

The film's producer Gaurav Dhingra has taken the film to the CBFC's Revising Committee.

S

outh actress Kriti Kharbanda will be making her Bollywood debut with the fourth installment of horror series 'Raaz'. The actress will be seen romancing Emraan Hashmi who was also a part of the last two films of the series. Kriti is also shooting for her maiden Tamil venture 'Bruce Lee'.

Besides Kriti who has acted is several Telugu and Kannada films, model Gaurav Arora who was reportedly dating 'Heropanti' actress Kriti Sanon, has also been roped in for 'Raaz 4', according to an agency report.

"We have got Kriti and Gaurav for 'Raaz 4'.

They both are good and fit the bill. It will be a love triangle," producer Mukesh Bhatt said.

"We have got Kriti and Gaurav for 'Raaz 4'. They both are good and fit the bill.

It will be a love triangle"

India Post 29

Horoscope

30 India Post

November 27, 2015

www.indiapost.com

Nov 27th - Dec 3rd 2015

W

estern medication will not work, only change of diet and relaxing technique will. Mind will be full of bright ideas and you will work on them. You will be associated with some like minded people on new project. Business trips and meetings will be fruitful. You have some real easy money coming during the week.

I

ou will be spending lots of money on children and their needs. You will continue to work on your plans to move to a better location. Very favorable week for people trying to change job or career. You will receive help from an elderly person. Some of you will be travelling long distance to attend an important meeting.

t will be an expensive week but money will go towards family and a good cause. You will make friend with an important person who will be very useful in future. Some of you will be traveling in direction East for an important meeting.

You may change the business partners you had been working for quite some time.

ou will benefit from a powerful person. Financially you will continue to well and meet your goals easily. You will hear some good news from overseas.

Contract you had been waiting for will finally be in your hands. You may take a short trip with family to meet an old friend. Park your vehicle at proper place.

Y

roblems will come but if you stay focused, you will be able to resolve them not only quickly but to your advantage. You may dispose off some old items and pocket the money. An old friend will make an offer that will be hard to turn down. Some of you will be taking a trip with family to a nice area.

P

Y

R

elationship may be come permanent. You will sign and quickly return the contract. You will be full of energy and work on your plans with full force. Results will amaze every body at home. You will also perform some noble deed or make a serious commitment towards charity. Physical activities will bring blood pressure down.

B

usiness will improve and there will be few interesting changes in career.

Dream assignment is within your reach. Money wise you will have to stay very careful. Avoid taking any risks and do not loan money to any one for some time. Energy level will be on peak. You may invite few friends and subordinates for dinner.

M

any good things will happen this week.

Timing will be perfect and you will make much needed extra money. Stocks and other speculation will pay off. People who made commitment in the past will keep their words. You may invite few colleagues at your place for dinner. Try mild medication for the health issue.

ou will spend an evening with some important and famous people.

Things will get more relaxing at work and you will enjoy company of a new colleague. You will utilize extra time on hands by taking care of old papers gathering dust in the house. You may find something you had been searching for in the past.

Y

ack of communication may create some confusion with some one close.

You will buy some nice items for personal use and may take family out to movies and dinner this week. Time and energy will go on resolving few important issues at work.

You may call an old trusted friend to seek guidance and advice.

L

L

ou will come across a weak opportunity and quickly ignore it. All meetings will go well and you will be assured of help and assistance. Strong Sun will help overcome opponents and will help recover from health issue quickly. Some of you may also pass a very competitive exam with flying colors. An old friend will call to invite you.

uck is definitely on your side. Judgement will come in your favor. Value of your stocks and other assets will appreciate.

Money wise you will continue to do well. Spouse may get irritated several times for small reasons.

You will receive guidance and help from a well known and powerful person.

Y

November 27, 2015

India Post 31 www.indiapost.com

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„ Health

Line

Steps to prevent disease outbreak in TN CHENNAI: With Tamil Nadu ravaged by North East monsoon, authorities have gone on a warfooting to avert any major epidemic by setting up medical camps in the rain-hit areas where 55,000 people have already been examined.

In Chennai, 199 medical camps have been held besides 17 mobile camps with 36,040 persons having been screened so far, a top Tamil Nadu Government Health official told PTI. Several additional medical camps have been set up in lowlying areas where people are stranded in their houses or in relief camps.

Measures have been taken to ensure prevention of outbreak of infections and diseases and over 55,000 people have been screened in medical camps in badly hit Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram Districts, the state government said here.

"All steps have been taken to prevent the possibility of outbreak of diseases and infections," the official said.

TV footage showed paramedics and doctors attending to the ailing people and providing them medicines in the inundated areas of Chennai and around.

„

Cont'd on Page 35

Health Science 32 India Post

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November 27, 2015

Indoor air pollution causing more deaths Details on Page 35

WHO highlights misunderstanding about antibiotic resistance in India NEW DELHI: Around 75 per cent of Indians who took part in a WHO survey think, incorrectly, that colds and flu can be treated with antibiotics, the UN agency said as it sought to highlight the issue of widespread misunderstanding about antibiotic resistance.

Sharing the findings of a multicountry survey, WHO said that misunderstanding about antibiotic resistance poses a threat to public health while many also do not understand how to prevent it from growing.

The survey, conducted in 12 countries and released in Geneva, also said that in India only 58 per cent of the respondents knew that they should stop taking antibiotics only when they finish the course as directed.

"More than three quarters (76 pc) of respondents report having taken antibiotics within the past

six months. 90 per cent say they were prescribed or provided (antibiotics) by a doctor or nurse.

"Three-quarters (75 pc) of respondents think, incorrectly, that colds and flu can be treated with antibiotics, and only 58 per cent know that they should stop taking antibiotics only when they

finish the course as directed," a WHO statement said.

Elaborating about the respondents in India, it said that while 75 per cent agreed that antibiotic resistance was one of the biggest problems in the world, 72 per cent believed that experts will solve the problem before it

becomes too serious.

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change and become resistant to the antibiotics used for treating the infections they cause. Over-use and misuse of antibiotics increases the development of resistant bacteria.

"As the WHO ramps up its fight against antibiotic resistance, a new multi-country survey shows people are confused about this major threat to public health and do not understand how to prevent it from growing," the statement said.

As per the survey, almost twothirds (64 pc) of some 10,000 people covered across 12 countries said they know that antibiotic resistance is an issue that could affect them and their families, but how it affects them and what they can do to address it are not well understood.-PTI

Med Assn backs prescription drug ad ban

Large health care workers union backs Clinton

CHICAGO: The American Medical Association has called for a ban on direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs and implantable medical devices, saying they contribute to rising costs and patients' demands for inappropriate treatment.

Delegates at the influential group's policy-making meeting in Atlanta voted to adopt that as official policy as part of an AMA effort to make prescription drugs more affordable. It means AMA will lobby for a ban. ``Today's vote in support of an advertising ban reflects concerns among physicians about the negative impact of commercially driven promotions and the role that marketing costs play in fueling escalating drug prices,'' said Dr. Patrice Harris, an AMA board member.

According to data cited in an AMA news release, ad dollars spent by drugmakers have risen to $4.5 billion in the last two years, a 30 percent increase. Other data show prices on prescription drugs have climbed nearly 5 percent this year. -AP

DALLAS: Hillary Rodham Clinton has won the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union giving her the support of a labor powerhouse that backed President Barack Obama in 2008.

The nation's largest health care union represents about 2 million nurses, health care workers and other caregivers and is among the most ethnically diverse unions in the country. The decision is a blow to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose supporters had pushed against an endorsement. ``Hillary Clinton has proven she will fight, deliver and win for working families,'' said SEIU president Mary Kay Henry in a statement. ``SEIU members and working families across America are part of a growing movement to build a better future for their families, and Hillary Clinton will support and stand with them.''

Clinton was holding a rally in Dallas in which she planned to discuss the health care overhaul under Obama. It represents another show of strength for

Clinton, who has locked up most of the major unions despite Sanders' message of helping workers overcome income inequality. In a

to Iowa and other early states as he struggles to raise money.

SEIU endorsed Obama over Clinton in early 2008, giving the

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton walks on stage before speaking at the Central Iowa Democrats Fall Barbecue Nov. 15, in Ames, Iowa.

statement, Clinton said she was ``deeply honored'' by the endorsement.

The third main Democratic candidate, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, is shifting staff from his Baltimore headquarters

future president a boost in the lengthy Democratic primary battle. Union officials said Clinton received a strong majority in the vote of its leadership and a recent poll of its membership found about 70 percent back Clinton.

Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said the campaign was ``gratified that hundreds of thousands of workers are part of the growing grassroots movement supporting Bernie's campaign to help working families.''

The union has been at the forefront in the fight to get cities to adopt a $15 an hour minimum wage.

Clinton has endorsed raising the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour, a level below the $15 an hour that Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley have sought. But the union says its support was about building a movement for higher wages, not about a candidate or a campaign.

The union could be an asset to Clinton in the general election because it has a large presence in several battleground states, including Florida and Colorado. Half of its members are women and about 40 percent are minorities, with many speaking languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Creole.-AP

November 27, 2015

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Young Whites more optimistic than minority peers India Post News Service

WASHINGTON, DC: A new study of young people finds that, with one exception, whites are more optimistic - sometimes drastically so - than their minority peers about their likelihood of living to 35.

"Whites are not subject to the racism and discrimination, at institutional and individual levels, experienced by immigrants and U.S.-born racial and ethnic minorities that undermine health, well-being, and real and/or perceived life chances," said Tara D. Warner, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

"Such experiences - including fear of victimization and/or deportation - can be a source of chronic stress for racial and ethnic minorities, as well as immigrants, that further undermines well-being, even among youth."

According to Warner, on average, across adolescence and the transition to young adulthood, approximately 66 percent of whites were "almost certain" about their chances of surviving to age 35, while only 38 percent of foreign-born Mexicans, 46 percent of second-generation Mexicans (U.S.-born respondent and immigrant mother), and 50 percent of blacks were "al-

most certain."

Titled, "Adolescent Survival Expectations: Variations by Race, Ethnicity, and Nativity," the study, which is the first to document patterns of survival expectations across racial, ethnic, and immigrant groups, appears in the December issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. It relies on data from the first three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) and considers the responses of 17,100 people who

That young foreign-born Mexicans were the most pessimistic about their chances of survival is particularly surprising given extensive literature documenting 'immigrant advantages' range in age from 12 to 25. Warner and her co-author Raymond R. Swisher, a sociology professor at Bowling Green State Uni-

Research planned on medicinal benefits of Ganga NEW DELHI: The Centre has assured to conduct a comprehensive research for establishing the medicinal benefits of Ganga River and its related health impact on crores of people taking dip in the holy river.

"We will hold a conference after six months where we will discuss all the research papers and make a coordinated effort in the direction of establishing the health impacts of Ganga water," Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda said while addressing a workshop here on 'NonPutrefying Properties of Ganga Water'.

The minister assured financial support to Indian Council of Medical Research which will conduct the research along with Water Resources and Environment and Health Ministry.

The findings of the research will be published in the form of a declaration, he said.

Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Uma Bharti said the initiative can provide a new direction to the much-talked about National Mission for Clean Ganga.

"There are three aspects of the Ganga River; religious, economic and its medical benefits. While much has been known about the religious and economic aspects of the river, the health impact of its water has never been researched upon. It is very important as it will give a direction to the National Mission for Clean Ganga," she said.

Bharti said that the biggest challenge was to maintain consistency in cleaning the

Ganga due to its religious characteristic.

"Cleaning of Ganga is not a challenge for us. It is more important to maintain its consistency as thousands of people take dips in it in a day. So, cleaning it only once will not work," she said.

The minister said that, roughly, more than 20 crore people take dip in the river in a year.

Talking about the economic relevance of the Ganga, she said that more than 50 crore people are dependent on the holy river for their daily earnings.

The one-day workshop is being attended by scientists, environmentalists and experts from organizations like, NEERI,

CSIR, IIT Roorkee and AIIMS. The workshop will also discuss about the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the river, that is a big concern for human health along with other impacts.

Ganga River is spread across nine states and is utilized as a main water source for many activities, especially for drinking water supply.-PTI

versity, limited their respondents to people who self-identified as white, black, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or Asian.

"Our most surprising finding is that foreign-born Mexican young people are the most pessimistic about their future survival - even more pessimistic than their black peers," Warner said. "This pessimism remains even after accounting for a number of risk factors known to undermine survival, such as lack of routine health care, exposure to neighborhood poverty, and experiences with violence.

That young foreign-born Mexicans were the most pessimistic about their chances of survival is particularly surprising given extensive literature documenting 'immigrant advantages' among Hispanics."

In addition to being more optimistic about their chances of living to 35 than foreign-born Mexicans, second generation Mexicans, and blacks, whites were also more optimistic than Puerto Ricans, thirdgeneration Mexicans (U.S.-born respondent and mother), foreign-born Cubans, foreignborn Asians, second-generation Asians, and third-generation Asians.

The one exception - US-born Cubans Their survival expectations were virtually indistinguishable from those of whites,

according to Warner. In fact, U.S-born Cubans even appeared slightly more optimistic than their white peers about their likelihood of living to 35 when the researchers controlled for family structure and family socioeconomic status.

"Young people of Cuban descent who are born in the United States tend to be more economically advantaged than their minority peers, so their more positive expectations for future survival are not all that surprising," Warner said. "U.S.-born Cubans also have higher aspirations and expectations, even compared to whites, for significant events, including attending college and getting married."

In terms of the study's implications, Warner said young people's survival expectations are important because they shape how young people plan for their future, and low survival expectations are associated with numerous risky behaviors, such as substance use and violence, that contribute to continued racial, ethnic, and immigrant disparities in health and well-being across the life course.

"If young people don't expect to live very long, they may engage in risky behaviors that help make those survival expectations a reality," Warner said. "We should be thinking of ways to change that."

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Drug spending to jump 30% in 2020 TRENTON, N.J.: As criticism of soaring prescription drug prices in the U.S. grows, global spending on medicines is expected to rise 3 percent to 6 percent annually for the next five years, according to a new forecast from IMS Health.

The health data firm predicts global spending will increase by about 30 percent cumulatively from about $1 trillion now to about $1.3 trillion in 2020, driven by expensive new drugs, price hikes, aging populations and increased generic drug use in developing countries.

The increase would be higher but for a huge, looming wave of patents for expensive brand-name pills expiring over that stretch, allowing cheaper generic versions to then enter the market.

Here are some key findings from the report, called ``Global Medicines Use in 2020: Outlook and Implications.''

SPENDING TOTAL IMS expects 2020 global sales of brand and generic prescription drugs, plus nonprescription medicines, to total $1.4 trillion, based on list prices. That's up about $349 billion from 2015 spending, nearly double the increase of $182 billion from 2011 through 2015.

The $1.4 trillion will be a new record _ not surprising, since medicine use and brand-name drug prices tend to increase every year.

However, that total will be reduced by $90 billion globally by dis-

counts and rebates not stated on invoices.

Drug manufacturers routinely give insurers and other payers in the U.S. and Europe such deals in exchange for inclusion and favorable copayment levels on their formularies of approved prescription drugs. Insurers demand those discounts to hold down costs, as they do in the U.S. through contracts with hospitals and doctors that slash what insurers and pa-

Brazil and Indonesia strengthen their health systems and expand insurance coverage, said Murray Aitken, executive director of the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics and one of the report authors.

Those four countries have more than 3 billion residents combined and will account for nearly half of the higher volume use _ but not spending growth _ of medicines around the world.

By 2020, IMS projects annual use of medicine will hit 4.5 trillion doses, up 24 percent from this year. More than half the world's population, which is expected to exceed 7.6 billion in 2020, will be taking more than one medicine dose per day tients pay from the charges on bills.

DEVELOPING COUNTRY TRENDS Different trends in wealthier countries and poor ones will boost medicine spending from 2016 through 2020. ``Globally, it's all about expanding access in low- and middle-income countries,'' as China, India,

That's because even with rising incomes and much-lower prices in those and other developing countries, most residents can only afford generic pills. In addition, not enough hospitals and doctors' offices have the equipment and trained staff needed for administering expensive injectable medicines, limiting their use.

WEALTHY NATION TRENDS

``In developed countries, it's all about the innovation coming out of the R&D pipelines. We've got this surge of innovation, particularly in oncology and rare diseases and hepatitis C,'' added Aitken.

Those new drugs sometimes carry major improvements in patient care and survival, but even drugs bringing moderate advances are hitting the U.S. market with annual price tags topping $100,000. That's compounded by price increases as high as 5,000 percent imposed by several drugmakers who snap up older drugs with limited competition and then jack up prices.

In the U.S., the two price trends have generated harsh criticism by patients, advocates, doctors and politicians, plus multiple congressional investigations.

NARROWING THE GAP Medicine use is much higher in wealthy countries, but the gap will narrow as people increase use of generic drugs in developing countries.

By 2020, IMS projects annual use of medicine will hit 4.5 trillion doses, up 24 percent from this year. More than half the world's population, which is expected to exceed 7.6 billion in 2020, will be taking more than one medicine dose per day then, up from 31 percent in 2005.

In the U.S., about 90 percent of prescriptions dispensed in 2020 will be for generic medicines, up

from 88 percent now.

NEW DRUGS COMING Over the next five years, IMS projects that 225 new medicines will be approved and go on sale, though mainly in developed countries. ``We haven't seen that level since the late-1990s,'' when 223 drugs were approved in the second half of that decade, said Aitken.

Some of those new drugs could transform treatment of diseases, including certain cancer types, heart disease, hepatitis C, respiratory conditions, rare disorders such as muscular dystrophy, neglected tropical diseases and autoimmune disorders.

TECHNOLOGY IMPACT Along with the new drugs approved in the next five years, patient care likely will be affected by technology aimed at improving diagnosis of diseases, tracking patients' health and helping patients stick to the medicine schedules their doctors recommend.

IMS forecasts most patients with chronic diseases will have access to smartphone applications and wearable technology to track vital signs, physical activity and treatment effects. Insurers in the U.S. often won't cover those costs now, but Aitken expects coverage will increase once studies show the technologies help keep patients healthier and control costs of their care.-AP

Less prostate cancer seen after new guidance CHICAGO: Far fewer U.S. men are being diagnosed with earlystage prostate cancer and getting blood tests to detect the disease since an influential governmentappointed panel recommended against routine screening of all men, an American Cancer Society study found.

A big question remains: Did that shift have any effect on death rates from prostate cancer, the most common non-skin cancer in U.S. men? About one in seven U.S. men will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetimes.

While most will die from something else, more than 27,000 are expected to die from the disease this year alone.

The decrease in cancer diagnosis doesn't mean the disease disappeared; in some men it's there but just isn't being detected. With current technology, there's no way to know which early-stage tumors will grow to become lethal, said cancer society researcher

Ahmedin Jemal, the lead author.

The results are ``a doubleedged sword,'' he said. ``We may be reducing overdiagnosis and overtreatment ... but we also may be missing opportunities to detect cancer'' that will cause harm. ``That's the dilemma with PSA testing.''

Doctor groups used to recommend routine, yearly blood test screening for prostate cancer starting at age 50. The test identifies blood levels of PSA protein prostate specific antigen. Elevated levels sometimes indicate prostate cancer, but they also can be caused by other things.

PSA screening can lead to detection of early, slow-growing cancerous tumors that will never pose a threat, but that lead to treatment sometimes resulting in impotence, incontinence and other life-changing problems. For that reason experts in recent years have eased screening recommendations, although disagreements on

if and when to test remain.

The government-appointed U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which issues guidance based on reviews of scientific evidence, recommended against routine PSA screening in men aged 75 and older in 2008, and changed

taling about 18,000. They also examined prostate cancer incidence during the same time using data from national registries.

PSA screening rates climbed to 41 percent in 2008, then dropped to 38 percent in 2010 and 31 percent in 2013 - an 18

The results are ``a double-edged sword,'' he said. ``We may be reducing overdiagnosis and overtreatment ... but we also may be missing opportunities to detect cancer'' that will cause harm. ``That's the dilemma with PSA testing.'' that to all men in draft guidance issued in October 2011 and finalized in May 2012. That advice has been debated, but the research suggests it is also being followed.

In the study, researchers tracked PSA testing in men who participated in national health surveys from 2005 through 2013, to-

percent decline.

A second study looked at similar PSA testing data and found the largest declines were in men aged 50-54.

The studies were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the cancer society study,

diagnosis of early-stage prostate cancer increased slightly from 2005 to 2008, but dropped after that, most sharply from 498 cases per 100,000 men in 2011 to 416 cases per 100,000 in 2012 - a 16 percent decline. In 2011, almost 214,000 men were diagnosed, versus 180,000 in 2012 34,000 fewer men.

There was no change in diagnosis of later-stage prostate cancer.

The decrease in early-stage prostate cancer occurred within a year after the release of the draft recommendation, and an alternative explanation for the decline is unlikely, the researchers said.

The results ``sound an alarm that maybe we've gone too far,'' said Dr. David Penson, a Vanderbilt University prostate cancer specialist who wrote a journal editorial. ``Basically we've gone from one extreme to the other.'' -AP

November 27, 2015

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Parenthood clinic can Indoor air pollution causing more deaths reapply for privileges COLUMBIA, Mo.: University of Missouri Health Care has said that it's compiling documents so a doctor at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia can apply for state-required privileges after the university decided to pull privileges earlier this year.

Even with the latest move by the university, the clinic in Columbia is likely to lose its license allowing it to provide medi-

leges.

The Planned Parenthood doctor's upcoming loss of refer-and-follow privileges comes amid upheaval at the university. Two top leaders stepped down last week following student protests and one student's hunger strike over the administration's handling of racial issues.

The university also dealt with blowback after it began breaking ties with Planned Parenthood amid legislative investigations that delved into the Columbia clinic's relationship with the University of Missouri.

Former Columbia campus Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, who announced his resignation Nov. 9, had called for a review of university policies and procedures. A number of agreements with Planned Parenthood were canceled as a Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, center, questions result, although three addiwitnesses during a Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing on Planned Parenthood videos tional agreements have since covertly recorded that target the abortion provider in Austin, been finalized.

Texas.

How interim leadership will cation-induced abortions. The physician's handle the university's relationship with current privileges will end on Dec. 1, and Planned Parenthood is unclear.

University of Missouri Health Care spokesAbortion-rights supporters and abortion woman Teresa Snow said in a statement that foes continue to pressure the university the application process takes months. over its relationship with Planned ParentUnder state law, Missouri clinics or phy- hood. sicians at those clinics must obtain certain Kathy Forck, a campaign director with privileges with local hospitals to be able to the Columbia chapter of anti-abortion provide abortions. group 40 Days for Life, said she and others A panel of University of Missouri Health met with Loftin days before he resigned and Care medical staff voted in September to delivered nearly 3,800 letters backing decistop offering so-called refer-and-follow sions to cut ties with Planned Parenthood. privileges that Planned Parenthood used She said groups opposed to abortion are to obtain approval from the state health working on more letter-writing campaigns. department to perform medication-induced Forck said anti-abortion activists stand abortions. The Health and Senior Services by former calls to administrators and the Department has said the Columbia Planned University of Missouri System's governParenthood will lose its license to conduct ing board to get the university ``out of the abortions without the needed hospital privi- abortion business.'' -AP

Steps to prevent disease outbreak in TN Cont'd from Page 32

At Kancheepuram, over 11,000 persons have been screened through 106 medical camps and 9,372 persons benefited in 89 camps held in Tiruvallur District.

Also, 402 mobile medical units are on the job in the state, the official said.

Such mobile camps are held by using 770 jeeps, he said, adding, similar medical camps and other precautionary measures are in place in all other affected regions.

"We have asked local authorities to ensure adequate chlorniation of water bodies so that probability of epidemics could be controlled," he said.

Similar measures were being taken to ensure proper sanitation to help tackle the

situation.

"We are continuously monitoring the situation across the state. So far, there is no incidence of any disease outbreak anywhere in the state," a top health official added.

According to a doctor in one of the camps, preventive measures are being taken to check outbreak of dysentery and vector-borne diseases.

Medical camps are active at Velachery, Perumbakkam, Saidapet, Thoraipakkam and Nandambakkam in Chennai, where waterlogging continues to hit normal life.

A team of doctors are also attending to the people in Kancheepuram district, where life is slowly limping back to normalcy.-PTI

NEW DELHI: Indoor air pollution is causing more deaths than outdoor air pollution and needs to be addressed with an integrated approach to increase the access to clean fuel in the country, leading environment experts have said.

They called to form a community of researchers who can come together to draw a roadmap for reducing air pollution in the country, particularly in the national capital, which has been rated as the most-polluted city in the world by WHO. Speaking at a panel discussion on 'Your Breath Your Health' at the American Center here, Lesley Onyon, Region Advisor, WHO, said that approximately 40 per cent of all the diseases burden can be attributed to household air pollution.

She said that the government needs to improve the access to cleaner fuels like LPG and CNG to deal with indoor air pollution as more than 60 per cent of the household are still dependent on solid fuel combustion.

"As much as 81 per cent of the rural households use dirty fuels like wood for cooking, and in urban areas it is 20 per cent, making the national average of 64 per cent.

"The government needs to take longterm measures to deal with air pollution in the country, which includes increasing ac-

cess to cleaner fuel as 64 per cent of the households use solid fuel combustion as a primary source of cooking," she said.

Onyon said that Health Ministry will have to play an effective role in reducing air pollution with strong coordination and integra-

tion of local and national health policies.

The World Health Assembly in their resolution had highlighted the key role that health authorities needed to make in raising the awareness about the potential to save lives and reducing health costs if air pollution was to be addressed effectively.

The Health authorities should resolve for strong cooperation between different sectors and integration of health concerns into all regional, local and national health policies," she said. -PTI

Realty Tidbits

Housing.com to restructure business NEW DELHI: Realty portal Housing.com will restructure its business to focus only on buying and selling of apartments, and also reduce its employee strength.

SoftBank backed-Housing.com, which was founded in 2012, provides independently verified listings of homes. It has presence in 50 cities with about 2,500 staff members.

"The company is restructuring to focus on the home-buying real estate segment and drive further efficiencies across the company", Housing.com said in a statement.

"Furthermore, Housing.com will be reorganizing its teams to more efficiently execute this new focused strategy and, as a result, will be reducing its employee base", it added.

The company however did not specify the number of employees it would reduce.

"Housing.com will now be laser focused on solving the pain points in home buying and selling...We will be reorganizing the company to fit this new focused strategy and, to this end, expect to reduce our workforce", the portal's new CEO Jason Kothari said.

The company values the contribution of its talented team and would do everything it can to support its departing team members, he added.

Earlier this month, Kothari was promoted as the new CEO.

Cont’d on page 37

64 properties sold via online auction NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority has sold all 64 vacant properties up for grabs in its first online-only auction, with winning bids totaling $2.9 million.

Officials announced that more than 160 bidders participated in the auction held Nov. 9-10. The New Orleans Advocate reports properties that buyers snagged included single- and multiple-family homes and vacant lots in several neighborhoods.

The highest winning bid was $186,000 for a home on Voisin Street. The lowest winning bids were properties and lots that sold for $2,500 each.

Officials said auction participants included first-time homeowners, young buyers wanting to have their ``dream home,'' developers and investors interested in the rebuilding of New Orleans.

Buyers are required to build on or rehabilitate the property within a year of the sale. -AP

Real Estate 36 India Post

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November 27, 2015

Firm rehabs some buildings, removes others OKLAHOMA CITY: A development team making headway around the city is going to tear down one of the buildings it purchased this summer.

The former Herman's Seafood restaurant will be demolished, said Jonathan Dodson, a partner in the firm The Pivot Project. His partner Ben Sellers said the 1.1acre site is being studied for a mixed-use, multifamily development. He said it will fit in with the neighborhood.

David Wanzer is the third member of The Pivot Project team.

Details on Page 38

How to pay for home improvements ERIN PETERSON AND JUDY MARTEL

I

magine what you'd do with more space or updated fea tures in your home - a new master bathroom, a renovated kitchen or a spacious home. Now

cards, you may earn rewards or cash back valued at a few percentage points of the total amount that you spend.

The downside of this option is

for the reality check: Figure out how you'll pay for it.

There are many options available to homeowners who want to spruce up or increase the square footage of their home. Understanding the various choices can help you make a decision that's as good for your pocketbook as the renovation is for your house.

Read on for 9 possible sources of extra cash for home improvement, as well as the pros and cons of each.

Will you need a loan to complete your remodeling? Better get a free credit score first at myBankrate.

that if you can't pay the cards back in a timely fashion, you'll owe interest that far outweighs the perks.

And because rates are variable, you may end up being hit with even higher monthly payments than you planned.

Pros: No paperwork needed for established credit lines; also, there is a possibility of cash back or other rewards.

Cons: There is a possibility of high interest rates; variable rates mean you could pay more over time.

Major credit cards If you have a smaller project or a great introductory offer, like 0% interest for a year - credit cards can be a good option. With some

Store credit cards Cards from home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe's can be a good option if you know you can pay off the balance fairly quickly. Many cards provide an introductory offer with no interest for a set period of time, while

others provide periodic specials on a range of products.

Like traditional credit cards, you want to make sure you can pay off the balance in a timely manner to avoid high interest payments. Watch out for expiring introductory offers - if you don't pay off the balance in full by the time the offer ends, you'll generally be hit with all of the back interest, as though you never got the offer at all.

Pros: These cards offer the same pros as major cards and occasionally offer specific bargains for home improvement buys.

Cons: Cards can only be used at a single chain of stores.

Home equity line of credit A HELOC, or home equity line of credit, is a bit like a credit card.

The main difference is that the line

of credit is secured with your home. If you don't pay on time, there's a chance that you may lose your home.

The rates are variable and often will start with a very favorable

rate and adjust upward.

A HELOC generally doesn't require as much paperwork as a full refinance or a second mortgage, and in most cases you can take a tax deduction on interest.

Finally, a HELOC may be a good option for remodeling in stages.

"You only pay interest on the amounts you borrow on the HELOC," says Matt Coffin, founder of Coffin Capital. "If you don't use the line of credit, you don't have any monthly payments to make." You can also use it again and again, borrowing money, paying it off and borrowing again.

Pros: HELOCs may have lower interest rates than credit cards, and can offer tax benefits.

Cons: Collateral is required in order to sign up; variable rates can climb.

Home equity loan

A home equity loan is a second mortgage - it offers a fixed rate, but it typically has a higher rate than it would be for a first mortgage or refinance.

Cont’d on page 37

Flats worth Rs 250 cr booked on Diwali NEW DELHI: Realty portal Housing.com has said properties worth Rs 250 crore have been sold during its online sale this Diwali.

About one lakh units with prices ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 crore are on offer with discounts and freebies in the ongoing property expo from October 29 to November 22.

Over 60,000 customers have registered on its platform to buy homes, the SoftBank-backed portal said in a statement.

Last week, online marketplace

Snapdeal had said nearly 10,000 customers have registered to purchase property on its platform during its pre-Diwali home shop-

average value of houses booked till date on the platform is Rs 80 lakh," Housing.com said, adding that over 150 developers, cover-

With approximately 2,500 employees in 50 cities, Housing.com provides independently verified listings of homes. It has raised over USD 100 million in capital ping festival.

"Houses worth Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of Rs 250 crore have already been sold. The

ing more than 400 projects, are taking part in the expo.

Developers taking part in expo include Prestige Group, Godrej,

Hiranandani, Rustomjee, Mahindra, ATS, Jaypee Greens, Kalpataru, DB Realty, Radius, Nirmal Lifestyle and Dosti Realty.

The expo has received significant traction from customers across global markets such as US, UK, UAE and Singapore.

With approximately 2,500 employees in 50 cities, Housing.com provides independently verified listings of homes.

It has raised over USD 100 million in capital from investors, including SoftBank. -PTI

Real Estate Post

November 27, 2015

India Post 37

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Can my landlord renege on our lease-withoption-to-buy contract?

STEVE MCLINDEN

Dear Real Estate Adviser, I have a lease-option contract with my landlord, but I discovered that he is considering selling the house outright to another party. Can he do this and render my lease-with-option-to-buy contract with him null? Can I get my money back?

- Joe U.

up and is now a seller's market, unlike when the owner inked that rent-to-own accord with you.

Most such lease-option agreements last 2 to 5 years, and your

rights to execute the contract. And the owner, by the way, is attempting to do something illegal, or so it seems.

First, study your contract care-

Dear Joe, He can sell it out from under you - read, "get away with it" - if you don't have the means to fight him. At least, that's what this presumably self-serving owner/landlord may be banking on.

Lease option A contract in which a landlord and tenant agree that, at the end of a specified period, the renter may buy the property. The tenant pays rent plus an additional amount each month. At the end of the lease, the renter may use the cumulative extra payments as a down payment.

Also called rent option, leaseto-buy option, rent-to-buy option, lease with option to buy, lease with option to purchase.

Turnaround creates opportunity My guess is the local homesales market has suddenly heated

market would have still been in the doldrums 4 to 5 years ago.

Lately, perhaps, the owner got a discreet but generous offer on the house you're occupying and he's probably thinking, "Hmm. I can get 15 to 20 grand more than my deal with my renter; if I renege, he can't afford to sue me."

Read the accord Assuming your lease-option contract is in order, however, and you haven't failed to make a payment or perform required maintenance, or neglected to comply in any way, then you're still in your

fully because lease-option accords are often landlord-loaded with unforgiving, or at best, ambiguous language. Some rent-toown sellers will slip in requirements saying buyers must qualify for a mortgage by a set date or the deal is broken. Is there such a date on your contract? If so, has it come and gone? Whatever the case, the landlord may believe (or at least hope), he has a "gotcha" there somewhere.

Ask, don't wonder The fact that the guy hasn't talked with you about these plans

California home sales cool in October SAN DIEGO: California home sales cooled in October after a summer rally, while prices held steady, a research firm here said.

An estimated 39,191 new and existing houses and condominiums sold last month, down 4.1 percent from September but up 2.3 percent from a year earlier, CoreLogic Inc. said. It was the eighth straight month that sales grew from a year earlier but the smallest gain during the current streak. Sales were unusually robust from June through September.

The median sales price was $407,500, up 0.6 percent from $405,000 in September and up 5.6 percent from $386,000 a year earlier. It was the 44th straight month that prices rose from a year earlier but below a nearly eight-year high of $415,000 reached during the summer.

Supplies remained tight, keep-

ing a lid on sales. The California Association of Realtors said there was a 3.7-month supply of unsold single-family homes, far below what is considered a normal supply of five to seven months. The San Francisco Bay area had a 2 . 5 month supply.

T h e Bay area registered is first annual sales decline in e i g h t months, which CoreLogic analyst Andrew LePage said may partly reflect a lack of affordability. The nine-county region posted 7,673 sales, down 2.4

percent from September and down 2.5 percent from last year.

The median sales price in the Bay area was $635,000, up 0.8 percent from $630,000 in September 2015 and up 4.3 percent from

doesn't bode well, either. You need to call him about the rumors. If he fails to respond, send him a certified registered letter, return receipt requested. He will at least know you're serious about your investment. And I say investment, because in most lease options, an option price is paid either upfront or accumulates via rent premiums added to the base rent. Those monies are typically applied to the purchase by the owner, along with a small portion of the base rent paid.

That money, at least hypothetically, is supposed to be credited at the time of settlement for your use as earnest money, down payment or closing costs. If you've been at this upward of 5 years, you may have $10,000 or more accu-

title until you are made whole.

Before it comes to this, the owner may offer to rebate you the option money or any down payment monies otherwise proffered to him, or both. You will have to decide whether it's worth it to stand your ground.

Alternatively, a civil court suit is a possibility, and a judge may indeed rule in your favor if you're fully paid up and have maintained the property and otherwise dutifully doled out the monies which constituted a down payment for you.

Possible resources Go to USA.gov/state-consumer for a list of local consumer protection offices or state regulatory agency licensing board that

Assuming your lease-option contract is in order, however, and you haven't failed to make a payment or perform required maintenance, or neglected to comply in any way, then you're still in your rights to execute the contract. mulated.

Consider legal action If it looks like the owner is going to play hardball, tell him your next step will be to file notice with the county clerk to cloud his property's

has jurisdiction over sellers.

NOLO.com is a good source for tenant rights issues.

Good luck in keeping what's yours!

-Courtesy Bankrate.com

Housing.com to restructure business Cont’d from page 36

The appointment came four months after Housing.com board on July 1 sacked co-founder and then CEO Rahul Yadav. Later, Rishabh Gupta was appointed as an interim CEO in July.

Stating that home-buying is the

would allow the company to focus its resources on gaining market leadership in this space.

In the last few months, it has made numerous additions to its senior management team, including Mani Rangarajan, Chief Financial Offer, the company said.

The portal has raised over

Rahul Yadav

$608,750 in October 2014, CoreLogic said. The median price in the city of San Francisco hovered over $1 million.

largest and most lucrative segment in Indian real estate, the company said the strategic change

USD 100 million in capital from investors, including SoftBank. PTI

Real Estate Post

38 India Post

November 27, 2015

www.indiapost.com

How to pay for home improvements Cont’d from page 36

On the other hand, there usually isn't nearly the amount of pa-

low rate and just tack on a second payment.

Pros: A home equity loan is less complicated than a full refinance,

If someone currently has a high interest rate on their home, it may make sense to refinance rather than get a higher-risk, higher-rate second mortgage. As with any mortgage, you may qualify for tax deductions on your mortgage interest.

Pros: Refinancing can likely get you the lowest interest rate available and is good for those looking to do substantial remodeling; also offers tax benefits.

Cons: Refinancing can be complicated and is initially costly.

Title I loan Title I is a government program

perwork involved as there is for a full refinance.

"There's a lot less documentation for a second mortgage," says Lance Melber, CEO at Valutrust Solutions LLC. Often, homeowners can get approved the same day, and an appraisal can (frequently) be done online." Like a refinance and a HELOC, you may be able to take a tax deduction on the interest.

A home equity loan also may be appropriate if you want a fixed rate but have a great interest rate on the first mortgage. With this type of loan, you can continue to pay off your first mortgage at the

less expensive than a line of credit and can offer tax benefits.

Cons: These loans tend to have a higher interest rate than full refinances.

Refinancing There are a few reasons why you may want to consider a full refinancing of your home to finance your remodeling project - even though it will require some significant paperwork and often quite a few upfront costs. If you've got a major home improvement project to take on and have built up significant equity, refinancing and taking cash out might make sense.

that helps make home improvement loans more affordable for consumers by insuring lenders against

Firm rehabs some buildings, removes others OKLAHOMA CITY: A development team making headway around the city is going to tear down one of the buildings it purchased this summer.

The former Herman's Seafood restaurant will be demolished, said Jonathan Dodson, a partner in the firm The Pivot Project. His partner Ben Sellers said the 1.1acre site is being studied for a mixed-use, multifamily development. He said it will fit in with the neighborhood. David Wanzer is the third member of The Pivot Project team.

Sellers said the demolition has been a point of contention with Dodson and his son, who wanted to save the building that dates back to 1949. ``We're saving a lot of historic buildings, but that won't be one of them,'' Dodson said.

Dodson and Sellers spoke at the Commercial Real Estate Council luncheon about other buildings the team is saving and refurbishing.

The Journal Record reports

losses on those loans. The improvement must be light or moderate, and the loan cannot exceed $25,000 on single-family residences. (Other limits apply to different structures.) Title I allows lenders to provide funding to homeowners who have minimal or no equity in their homes. That is, an owner's total loans would exceed the value of the house.

Upfront costs usually amount to 1% of the loan. The Department of Housing and Urban Development offers online help in finding a lender for Title I loans.

Pros: A Title I loan is a good option for those with little or no

that Pivot Project is in the middle of renovating the Tower Theatre.

In October 2014, the team purchased the theater and some surrounding retail spaces, totaling 30,000 square feet. Dodson said 4,400 square feet of retail space

Like many historic renovation projects, the developers have come across unexpected challenges like the cost for restoring the Tower Theatre sign and 3,000 square feet of second floor office are still available. ``All the leases have been at 20 percent higher than what we were underwriting a year ago,'' Sellers said.

Levelland Productions has a

15-year lease on the former theater and a two-story spot east of the auditorium for the Savings and Loan cocktail bar. The bar will open in December, Dodson said. The theater is expected to open in early 2016. There is another bar planned for the west side of the development, but few details were given about that project.

Like many historic renovation projects, the developers have come across unexpected challenges. Sellers said the surprise in this development was the cost for restoring the Tower Theatre sign, which had a price tag of $85,000.

Sellers and Dodson also discussed the Sunshine Cleaners building. It will house a restaurant and a brewery with a taproom.

Joel Irby, a Colorado brewer that is originally from the area, will run the bar. ``He is preparing the taproom with the anticipation that state (liquor) laws will change,'' Sellers said. -AP

equity in their homes.

Cons: Your remodeling must fit certain requirements.

401(k) or IRA loan If you've got money in a 401(k) or a traditional IRA, it may be tempting to raid the account to help finance those home improvements.

But, unless you're old enough to take distributions (59 1/2), try to make sure you've exhausted all of your other options first.

In some ways, borrowing seems like a good deal. Because you're borrowing money from yourself and paying the principal and interest back to yourself, you benefit, right? Not really. First of all, if you don't pay the money back within a specified period of time, you'll be hit with a 10% penalty. And if you leave the job that's providing the 401(k), you'll need to pay back the loan in a short time or face penalties.

You're also losing out on the money you'd otherwise be earn-

ing if it were in the account.

Pros: Borrowing from a 401(k) or IRA is an option if no other options are available.

Cons: Borrowing from a 401(k) or IRA can have possible tax consequences and result in long-term losses in retirement funds.

Life insurance borrowing If you've got a cash-value life insurance policy, 1 of its benefits is your ability to borrow up to the policy's cash value (but not the earnings). Not only that, there's no set repayment schedule or even a required monthly payment.

That said, there are drawbacks.

You're not actually borrowing from yourself; you're borrowing from the insurer. The cash value serves as collateral (an important technicality). Your loan balance could end up growing faster than the cash value of the policy if you don't pay it back. Even worse, if the amount that you owe exceeds the cash value, you'll get a bill to pay the difference, and you may face tax consequences.

Like borrowing from your retirement, this is an option you should exercise as a last resort, not your first.

Pros: There is no set repayment schedule; you can borrow up to the cash value of the policy.

Cons: There are possible tax consequences, and your payments could eat into the collateral.

Private loans Private loans can be had from any number of sources, including the contractors who do your improvements or even the stores from which you bought the supplies to do it yourself. These unsecured loans often have higher interest rates and fees, but it's also often fast and simple to get approved.

You won't be able to deduct any of the interest from the loan on your taxes, as you can with a variety of home loans and lines of credit.

Pros: Private loans boast fast approval times.

Cons: These loans have higher interest rates and fees.

-Courtesy Bankrate.com

Datebook

November 27, 2014

NEW JERSEY Upcoming

NEW YORK Upcoming

Sat, Dec 12

Thu, Dec 31

• EduCare - 2015 Annual Gala Dinner/Fundraiser

• New Year Eve 2016 Extravaganza

Venue: Royal Albert’s Palace, 1050 King Georges Post Road, Edison, NJ 08837 Time : 06:00 pm Contact: 201-933-8963

Venue: Antun's by Minar, 244 W Old Country Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801 Time : 08:00 pm

Sat, Dec 19 • IFMP - Annual Cultural Show 2015 Venue: West Windsor Plainsboro High School North, 90 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro, NJ 08536 Time: 2:00 pm

Thu, Dec 31 • Chand Palace - New Years Eve 2016 Venue: Chand Palace, 269 Littleton Road, Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ 07054 Time: 8:00 pm

Thu, Dec 31 • New Years Eve Bash 2016!

Venue: The Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 Time : 08:30 pm Contact: 631-928-3800

The, Dec 31 • Midnight Masquerade Ball Venue: BOWLMOR - CHELSEA PIERS, 59 Chelsea Piers, New York, NY 10011 Time : 10:00 pm Contact: 631-928-3800

India Post 39

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

CHICAGO

Upcoming

Upcoming

Sat, Dec 5 • Rain, An Indian Classical

Thu, Dec 31 • Nye 2016 Bollywood Cruise Carnival

Dance Performance Venue: The Performing Arts Education Center, 28545 West Driver Avenue, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 Time: 6:00 pm

Venue: Pier 40, 89 King Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 Time: 08:30 pm Contact 315-746-0250

Fri, Dec 11 • Naeem Abbas Rufi And Tarannum Naz Venue: Chandni Restaurtant, 5748 Mowry School Rd, Newark, CA 94560 Time: 7:00 pm

Thu, Dec 11 • Oasis Palace - Desi New Year’s Eve Party 2016 Venue: Ballroom at Oasis Palace, 35145 Newark Boulevard, Newark, CA 94560 Time: 06:00 pm Contact 650-670-6665

Fri, Dec 11 • Bollywood Singers 6th Show Club Party Venue: TANDOOR RESTAURANT, 1132 E Katella Ave, Orange, CA 92867 Time: 7:00 pm

Thu, Dec 31 •Desi Dhamaal 5 - New Year 2016 Venue: Wyndham Anaheim Garden Grove, 12021 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92840 Time: 6:00 pm

Thu, Dec 31 •Desi Dhamaal 5 - New Year 2016 Venue: Wyndham Anaheim Garden Grove, 12021 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92840 Time: 6:00 pm

Thu, Dec 31 • QP-Asian Association presents 2016 New Year Venue: Anaheim Plaza at Celebrity Ballroom, 1700 South Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA 92802 Time: 7:00 pm

ATLANTA Upcoming Sun, Dec 12 • Shaam E Sangeet Venue: The Impact Center at Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Norcross, GA 30071 Time: 06:30 pm

ILLINOIS Upcoming 1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Thu, Dec 31 • Beautiful Grand New Years Eve 2016 Atlanta

Swami Ishatmananda

Venue: Forsyth Conference Center (Lanier Tech), 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd, Cumming, GA 30041 Time: 8:00 pm

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

Thu, Dec 31 • Grand Premier New Year Eve 2016 Venue: Taste of India Banquet Hall, 3070 Windward Plaza, Alpharetta, GA 30005 Time: 8:00 pm

• Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life

• 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

40 India Post

B

adrinath, a Hindu holy town, is situated in the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. In 2006, around 6,00,000 pilgrims visited this place but with increasing popularity, more than 10 lakh (1 million) pilgrims were reported to have visited Badrinath in 2013.

Badrinath finds mention in the great scriptures and legends. Its importance as a holy place has been imbibed in Indians since childhood. The name Badrinath was derived from Badri meaning 'berries' and Nath meaning 'Lord'.

The town acquires the label of being a 'holy town', which is due to the presence of the famous Badrinath Temple, one of the Char Dhams. The pilgrim site is a famous Hindu and Jain holy place.

Badrinath Temple The Badrinath Temple also known as the

www.indiapost.com

Badrinarayan Temple, is considered the most holy among the Char Dhams. It is among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped in this temple as Shri Badrinath.

The temple stands tall at a height of 50 ft, has a colorful main entrance also known as the Singhdwar. It is known to have three sections; the Garbhagriha, the Darshan Mandap, and the Sabha Mandap. The idols of Lord Badri Narayan, along with other gods' statues are situated in the Garbhagriha or the Sanctum. The Sabha Mandap is the spot where all the pilgrims gather to offer prayers.

The statue of Lord Vishnu or Badrinarayan is

November 27, 2015

around 3.3 ft tall and is made of black stone (Saligram stone), which is worshipped by pilgrims as one of the eight forms of Lord Vishnu. The image is believed to have Vishnu in a dual form of Nara and Narayana.

Location of Badrinath The Badrinath temple is situated along the River Alaknanda banks in the hills in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It stands tall at a height of 3,133 m, and is among some of the most visited pilgrimages in India. The

temple is surrounded by the Nar and Narayan mountains, which lie 9 km east of the Nilkantha peak. Badrinath lies north of Rishikesh and 62 km northwest from Nanda Devi mountain peak.

History of Badrinath The existence of the temple dates back to the Vedic period and is known to have been turned from a Buddhist shrine into a Hindu temple by Adi Shankara. The current structure of the temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, was created by the King of Garhwal, known as the place where Lord Vishnu performed his penance. And, in order to provide him shelter, Goddess Mahalaxmi took the form of a Badri tree, giving the name Badrinarayan.

Various other legends are attached to the town, one of which speaks that the Pandavas crossed the town of Badrinath on the way to heaven passing through the Mana village, also known as the last Indian town near the Tibetan border. A cave in the village is named as the Vyasa cave after Saint Vyasa, who is known to have authored the Mahabharata in the cave.

Cont’d on page 42

November 27, 2015

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post 41

www.indiapost.com

Israel - The new favorite of Indian travelers India Post News Service

I

srael is rapidly gaining popularity in India as an emerging tourist destination. It has witnessed a phenomenal growth of 44% of Indian tourist arrivals in the month of October 2015 as compared to October 2014. Indians are currently eager to explore new destinations and diverse offerings. Israel fits in well and offers perfect holiday to enjoy snow-clapped mountains, desert regions, water sports and historic sites all together in one holiday.

A press release by the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) says

it aspires to expand the diverse products offering of the destination and is targeting Indians to include a vacation to Israel in their

bucket list.

Israel is one of the top destinations of the world and has visitors from across the globe. Not only India, but the tourist arrivals from countries like China (116%), Portugal (97%), Germany (64%) and many other countries also have seen a significant increase in October 2015. United States has seen a 4% growth while Africa has seen 2% growth from January to October 2015 as compared to January to October 2014.

Total percentage of tourist arrivals to Israel has increased by 5% in October 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014. These notable increase in tourist arrivals, has given a great boost to the tourism of Israel.

Pleased by the response, Hassan Madah, Director, Israel Ministry of Tourism, India said, "Indians are excited to explore Israel and its various options of tourism. Israel is a blend of history, tradition and modern cosmopolitan experience.

The destination offers tourism as-

pects for all kind of age groups and this is evident from the latest increase in Indian arrivals. We are working on further enhancing the destination visibility through tra-

ditional as well as online media and also looking at India as a significant emerging market for the destination".

The travel-friendly country offers a gamut of attractions. The largest health spa - The Dead Sea is among the biggest attractions to visit the country. The city of Tel Aviv has both historic and modern attractions and is known for its amusing nightlife. The Red Sea resort, Eilat is home to both - water adventures and desert activities within a short distance. Jerusalem is packed with art, music, ar-

Dudhwa National Park opens for tourists LAKHIMPUR KHERI, UP: The famous Dudhwa National Park (DNP), situated on Indo-Nepal border, has opened its doors for nature enthusiasts, with the tourist season beginning.

"The park administration has completed its preparations for the fresh tourist season," P P Singh, deputy field director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) told PTI. "All the tourist corridors and roads inside the park have been maintained," he said.

The official noted that Uttar Pradesh forest corporation has been assigned to look after the booking of huts and rest houses and other tourism arrangements.

"Tourists and visitors intending to visit Dudhwa should log on t o www.upecotourism.in and ensure their bookings" Singh said.

He said that the tourists would not be allowed to visit the park on their personal vehicles.

"Instead, eco development committees operating in Dudhwa would provide jeeps to the tourists on prescribed rates," he said, adding that every tourist group will be provided with a guide to accompany them during their visit.

Singh said the Suheli nature interpretation center would give a deep insight into Dudhwa life while the tourists would be able to purchase handicrafts and spices prepared by local Tharus as souvenir.

Attracting tourists from across India and abroad, DTR has four forest rest houses in Dudhwa, Sathiana, Bankati and Kishanpur.

Besides, there are 14 Tharu huts in Dudhwa, four huts in Sathiana and a dormitory in Dudhwa.

The visiting tourists may also seek accommodation in Pallia township which is just 10 km away from Dudhwa.

The national park is famous for its rich flora and fauna.

It houses various wild species including royal Bengal tigers, unihorned rhinoceros, five species of deer including its flagship specie swamp deer, extinct specie of Bengal florickan bird besides a number other avian and aquatic species.

Dudhwa is also famous for its successful relocation program of rhinos in which unihorned rhinos were brought to Dudhwa after a gap of over a century.

Starting with just five rhinos in 1984, the park today enjoys a population of 32 rhinos.

The authorities have now finalized to develop another rhino area near Bhadi Tal.-PTI

chitecture and gastronomic delights.

Other cities and regions like Haifa, Acre, Massada, Negev Desert, Mountains of Galilee, etc have some unique historic attractions, picturesque locations, colorful markets and distinctive excursions for an exciting holiday. Israel has a favorable climate all round the year and it's easy to get in and around the country.

Israel tourism is enhancing in India and is a favorable destination for vacationers offering hassle free and convenient holiday options. With world class accommodations, undisputed attractions, adventurous activities and tranquil nature, Israel is a perfect vacation destination which suits the

needs of Indian travelers.

About Israel: Israel is a vibrant and modern country with vast diversity and rich culture. Jerusalem - the well known city; is among the most sacred places in the world. Along the eastern Mediterranean coastline is the vibrant, modern, fashionable and cosmopolitan Tel Aviv.

One must explore Israel's diversity and visit archaeological sites of Eilat, beautiful beaches of Haifa, UNESCO World Heritage Site of Acre and fascinating history of Nazareth. Be it family and leisure getaways, party and nightlife experiences, adventure and rejuve-

nation, Israel has a variety of holiday options to explore.

William, Kate to visit India next year LONDON: Prince William and his wife Kate will undertake their maiden visit to India next year, Kensington Palace has announced.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit #India in the spring of 2016, at the request of HM's Government," Kensington Palace said in a tweet.

"It will be the first time The Duke and Duchess have visited the country. Further #RoyalVisitIndia details will be announced early next year!" it said.

The royal couple, both aged 33, are likely to travel without their two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte on the trip, media reports said.

The visit is set to be their first official overseas tour together since their three-day tour of New York in December 2014.

It will be the first time William and Kate have visited the region, and as such they will undertake a broad range of engagements during their time in India, reports said.

Although Prince William has never visited India before, his father Prince Charles has carried out eight official royal tours to the nation, the most recent being a nine-

day tour of Dehradun, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Kochi in November 2013.

William's mother Diana, Princess of Wales also visited India in 1992.

Meanwhile other British royals to tour the region include Sophie Wessex, Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth II, who last travelled to India in 1997.

The tour announcement came after the 89-year-old monarch met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for lunch at Buckingham Palace.-PTI

Prince William and his wife Kate

42 India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

November 27, 2015

www.indiapost.com

BADRINATH Famous Hindu and Jain pilgrim site

Cont’d from page 40

Badrinath Yatra Badrinath is the only sacred place which is a part of the Chota Char Dham as well as the Char Dham Yatra. The Char Dham Yatra holds an important significance in Hindu religion. Pilgrims visiting only the Badrinath Temple go on the Ek Dham Yatra. This holy trip or the Dham Yatra is considered as the most auspicious religious

activity. There is a common belief that those who go on the Char Dham Yatra would have the gates of heaven opened for them. The same can be achieved by Ek Dham Yatra or the Badrinath Yatra.

The period between May until October is the ideal to visit the Badrinath Temple and is also the peak season for tourists. The monsoon months must be avoided as the region is prone to landslides.

Tourists are advised not to visit during winters as the region sees heavy snowfall and harsh cold conditions. The temple is closed from October to March and is reopened around April.

Places to Visit Tapt Kund: Tapt Kund is the abode of Lord Agni and is famous for its medicinal properties. Before entering the Badrinath Temple, one has to take a holy dip in the Tapt Kund. The dip into the hot water of this kund is believed to be spiritually rejuvenating and relieves

the sins.

The temperature of the water of Kund is 45° Celsius and there are a number of hot water springs on the banks of Alaknanda River.

Brahma Kapal: Brahma Kapal is a ghat situated on the banks of Alaknanda River in the vicinity of Badrinath temple. It is a flat platform where Hindus perform several rituals and pay homage to the departed souls and also proffer sraddha to their ancestors.

It is believed that Lord Brahma resides in Brahma Kapal Ghat. It is also believed that the head of Brahma had fallen off at this place.

Travelers visiting Brahma Kapal can also visit Mata Murthy Temple, Sheshnetra Temple and Charanpaduka Temple which are situated nearby.

Vasudhara Falls: Vasundhara

Falls is one of the famous tourist attractions, which lies in the Mana Village. These falls are surrounded by beautiful mountain peaks and are situated at a distance of 4 km from Badrinath.

Situated at an altitude of 12,000 ft, the water of this cascading falls flows down from the height of 400 ft. It is believed that the water of Vasundhara Falls turns away from visitors who are not pure at heart.

From a distance, the water of the fall seems to be like milk flowing down the mountain.

Neelkanth: Neelkanth peak, which is also known as the 'Garhwal Queen', is named after Lord Shiva. It is a snowy peak in the shape of a pyramid that forms the background of Badrinath Temple. The peak is situated at 6,597 m above sea level.

Neelkanth is the site where the sun casts its first ray. Tourists can also come across various Brahmakal at the foot of the Neelkanth Peak. Moreover, travelers can also cover 6 km of trekking route on this peak.

Surya Kund: Surya Kund is situated beside Tapt Kund. A holy dip is taken in the hot water springs of this kund. Narada Kund which is situated close to the Surya Kund is also visited, as it is the place where the idol of Vishnu was discovered.

How to Reach

By Air The nearest airport is the Jolly

Grant Airport in Dehradun. From Dehradun there are taxis and buses that can be hired to reach the destination.

Badrinath lies at a distance of 331 km from Dehradun.

By Train The nearest railway stations to Badrinath are at Rishikesh, Kotdwara and Haridwar. The first two are small stations and are not connected by fast trains. However, Haridwar is connected via the Indian Railway network to major cities in India.

By Road Badrinath can be reached via National highway 58 which connects the town to Delhi and other major cities of India. Buses from Delhi to Badrinath via Haridwar and Rishikesh are available

throughout the year. Bus and taxi services are increased during the summer season when the pilgrims travel for their Char Dham Yatra.

Buses and taxis are available from Rishikesh and Haridwar too.

November 27, 2015

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post

43

www.indiapost.com

Colortopia opens at Disney World in Florida

T

here's a colorful new attrac tion at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Colortopia is an interactive exhibit about color theory, psychology and perception, located at Innoventions in Disney World's Epcot area.

The experience includes a Color Lab where guests mix red, green and blue to create new colors, and Spinning Spectrum, where multicolored disks appear to change color as they spin. The exhibit also includes a short video, ``The Power of Color.''

Another part of Colortopia, Color Our World, invites participants to play with color shadows and a magic paintbrush. A mobile app lets guests save the murals they create. The app also allows users to match colors from photos with paint hues.

The immersive experience takes about 30 minutes.

Disney Imagineers collaborated with Glidden paint manufacturers on the exhibit. Details at http:// disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/ 2015/11/add-a-splash-of-color-to-

your-epcot-visit-with-colortopiapresented-by-glidden/.

CANAAN VALLEY SKIING IN WEST VIRGINIA The Canaan Valley ski area in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia is launching its 2015-16 season Dec. 18.

The resort, located in Davis, West Virginia, has a summit elevation of 4,280 feet, 91 skiable acres, three lifts, lighted night skiing on weekends and holidays, a terrain park and a ski school. Its annual average snowfall is more than 180 inches.

Canaan Valley has 47 trails and

Colortopia, a new attraction in Epcot's Innoventions building, opened Nov. 13.

The attraction is presented by Glidden Paint.

New this year is the addition of glade skiing between two black diamond runs.

slopes with 30 percent beginner runs, 40 percent for intermediate skiers and 30 percent for advanced skiers. The longest run, Timber

New Vail megaresort opens in Park City SALT LAKE CITY: Utah ski officials are hoping the ``bigger is better'' card lures more skiers and snowboarders to their mountains this season after several resorts completed multi-million dollar improvement projects - highlighted

by Vail Resort's merging of two well-known ski areas into one mega resort.

The new Park City Mountain Resort, which now includes the ski area formerly known as the Canyons Resort, will offer 7,300 skiable acres and 41 lifts to make it one of the largest in North America.

After purchasing Canyons for $182.5 million last year, Vail spent $50 million to build an eight-person gondola connecting the resorts, upgrade other lifts and build a new restaurant. The new gondola is set to open around midDecember, resort officials say.

The resort will be marketed sim-

ply as ``Park City,'' the same name as the city where it's located. The National Ski Areas Association doesn't track the size of U.S. resorts by skiable acres to say for sure which is the biggest, but it says it is certainly among the largest.

At Snowbird, a new 23,000square-foot restaurant and lodge sitting atop Hidden Peak at 11,000 feet elevation is set to open. The two-story lodge with large glass windows and deck that offer spectacular views highlights $35 million in upgrades from the resort that sits in the Little Cottonwood canyon east of Salt Lake City.

At Solitude Mountain Resort, skiers will find a new high-speed quad lift, a new run and upgraded restaurants that are part of $7 million in investments from Deer Valley Resort, which purchased Solitude earlier this year. At Deer Valley, $5 million was spent for be-

hind-the-scenes improvements that include better snowmaking and a remodeled restaurant.

The flurry of upgrades marks the largest package of improvements since the late 1990s when Utah resorts geared up for the 2002 Winter Olympics, said Nathan Rafferty, president of industry group Ski Utah.

Vail's expanding footprint in the Utah mountains has ``elevated the game'' of all other resorts that knew they couldn't stand by idly and still compete, Rafferty said. ``There's anticipation this year that I haven't seen since the Olympic year,'' Rafferty said. ``Any one of these upgrades would be a marquee upgrade in one single season.''

Skier visits were down 5 percent last season, mirroring a nationwide drop. Utah officials are hoping the improvements catch people's attention and that better snow makes for good powder after a season when the snowfall waned after a good start likely keeping many skiers away.

Even though other Utah resorts must compete with the Park City mega resort, they think Vail's entry into the market will pay dividends for the entire industry. -AP

Trail, is one and a quarter miles long. At the resort's Bear Paw Lodge, there's cafeteria-style dining and the Quenchers Pub with a full bar, soups, sandwiches and snacks.

If weather cooperates, Canaan Valley plans to open its tubing park and covered outdoor ice skating rink on the day after Thanksgiving.

The resort recently completed a two-year, $34 million renovation of guest rooms and public areas including the main lodge.

Canaan is about 175 miles west of Washington D.C. and 140 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Details at http://canaanresort.com/winter/ .

LIVING MUSEUM OF RURAL LIFE WINS PRIZE A living museum of contemporary rural life in upstate New York called Behold! New Lebanon has won a $175,000 prize for innovation.

The prize from the J.M. Kaplan Fund honors inter-disciplinary innovation in cultural heritage, human rights and the environment.

The museum, located in New Lebanon, New York, ran its first full season of programming this past summer, with residents using their own fields, barns and kitchens to teach visitors about rural living.

Local guides, all of them real townspeople, offered some 40 different programs to show visitors various aspects of their lives, from how they cook and raise animals to fixing cars and designing jewelry.

The award honors museum founder Ruth J. Abram, a social activist and historian who was the founding president of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in Manhattan, which tells the stories of the immigrants who lived in the building where the museum is located.

Behold! New Lebanon will start its mostly outdoor daily programming again next summer. Occasional offseason programming begins in March.

Details at http:// www.beholdnewlebanon.org/.

New Lebanon is located about 145 miles from New York City.-AP

Tourists flock to Taj balloon festival in Agra AGRA: The first edition of the three-day Taj Balloon Festival, supported by Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, has proved to be a big hit with the tourists.

Fifteen hot air balloons carrying guests on board, could be seen lifting off from the PAC ground near the Circuit House in the city as part of the festival.

Despite the hazy conditions, the tourists who had a rare aerial

glimpse of the Taj Mahal, said they had never had a more thrilling experience.

The organizers planned concerts, lighted balloons and performances by famous musical bands in the evenings, Tourist Officer Dinesh Kumar said.

The unique festival provides tourists a glimpse of the culture and heritage of the city against the backdrop of the monument.-PTI

Upper class rail travel becomes dearer NEW DELHI: Travel in railways' upper class categories has become costlier as a service tax levy of 14 per cent and a Swachh Bharat cess of 0.5 per cent has become effective.

According to a rail ministry circular, the levies make for a 4.35 per cent hike for travel in First Class and all AC Classes from November 15.

The decision to increase passenger fares is in line with a government notification on November 6 for imposing a Swachh Bharat cess on all taxable services.

"Service tax of 14 per cent and Swachh Bharat cess of 0.5 per cent are chargeable on 30 per cent of total passenger fare equivalent to

4.35 per cent of the total fare on first class and all AC fares," the circular said.

However, the service tax will not be applicable for tickets issued before November 15. Neither would the levy be applicable for general and sleeper-class travel.

With the hike, AC-I fares on mail and express trains from New Delhi to Mumbai are up by Rs 206 while the rise is of Rs 102 for AC-III fares from New Delhi to Howrah.

On the Delhi-Chennai route, the increased fare works out to about Rs 140 for the AC-II segment.

According to an estimate, the service tax levy and the Swachh Bharat cess are expected to fetch about Rs 1,000 crore in a year. -PTI

In Brief Mayor says New York will welcome refugees NEW YORK: Mayor Bill de Blasio says New York City will not turn away any refugees fleeing Syria.

De Blasio said that New York ``is a proud immigrant city'' and would welcome refugees trying to escape the conflict in their homeland.

Many public officials and U.S. presidential candidates have expressed wariness at admitting refugees in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris.

De Blasio chided a pair of local Republicans running for president. He called New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ``an embarrassment to this country'' and said that the city ``will adhere to the words of our Founding Fathers, not Donald Trump.''

Neither candidate immediately returned a request for comment.

De Blasio also defended the city's Muslim community as an integral part of New York.-AP

„

Car used in Uzbek woman's murder found

NEW DELHI: Four days after a Delhi-based placement agent was arrested in connection with the murder of an Uzbek woman, the car in which the crime was allegedly committed was recovered from south Delhi's Khirki Extension.

The Indica car in which the alleged crime took place was found at Khirki Extension area under Malviya Nagar police station, a police source said, adding that several mobile phones and women's garments were recovered from inside the vehicle.

The accused, Gagan alias Gurvinder, who has been arrested, had purchased the car from a Khirki Extension resident around three months ago, but he allegedly did not get any sale agreement done, police said.

According to the source, after allegedly carrying out the murder, he left the car near the residence of its old owner with the excuse that he was going out of station for a few days and had no other place to park the vehicle.

Gagan had been misleading police in every point of the investigation due to which the recovery of the car took time, the source added.

Meanwhile, the other accused in the case, identified as an Uzbek woman named Naaz, is still at large.

A separate police team, who still believe that the woman has not fled the country, is looking for her in several cities, the source said.

Cont'd on Page 46

Immigration

Immigrant legacy vs 9/11-era fears over refugees

44 India Post

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November 27, 2015

Details on page 46

Republican presidential hopefuls split on Syrian refugee policy ATLANTA: Some Republicans are pushing back against aggressive opposition in their party to Syrian refugees resettling in the U.S., offering fresh evidence of a rift within the GOP that could complicate the party's outreach to minorities heading into the 2016 presidential contest.

These Republicans have joined Democrats who liken the refugee backlash to the U.S. government turning away Jews fleeing Nazi Germany and placing Japanese in internment camps during World War II. While conservatives cite security concerns following the Paris attacks that may have involved Syrian refugees, others in the party fear the GOP's position in Congress and state capitals across the country reeks of xenophobia. ``A refugee is someone who has a credible fear that they're going to be killed,'' said Alfonso Aguilar, a Republican who served in the George W. Bush administration and now leads the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles. ``To close the door re-

minds me of FDR not letting Jews land in the US during the years of Nazi Germany. Where are they

and intolerant. He warned that could haunt the GOP in next fall's general election. But Republi-

People wait in line to enter the migrant and refugee registration camp in Moria, on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Some Republicans are pushing back against aggressive opposition in their party to Syrian refugees resettling in the U.S.

going to go?''

Aguilar said moderate voters who hold outsized influence in general elections could view Republican opposition as extreme

cans pressing for a pause in the refugee influx see a need to be mindful, too, about fears of an attack on US soil days after the deadliest assault in France in 70

years.

A number of GOP presidential candidates, governors and Senate Republicans have issued calls to delay or stop accepting Syrian refugees, pointing to indications that one of the perpetrators in Friday's attacks might have entered France with a Syrian passport. Legislation introduced by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a GOP presidential candidate, could allow Republicans to block President Barack Obama's goal of bringing 10,000 more Syrian refugees to the US during the current budget year. ``Filling your country up with people who have a completely different belief system ... and expecting they won't rise up against their benefactor is foolish,'' Rep. Steve King of Iowa, a leading immigration hardliner, said in an interview. He added that no refugees should be permitted into the US from Syria ``unless they be Christian refugees that are facing genocide.''

Cont'd on Page 46

NRI crashes SUV at Indo-Pak border AMRITSAR: In a major security breach at the Wagah-Attari border crossing with Pakistan, an NRI crashed his SUV into the security gates at the Attari Joint Check Post (JCP) and reached the Zero line at the International Border.

The 42-year-old NRI from Canada, who originally hails from Jalandhar and was identified as Surinder Singh Kang, was later arrested by the BSF, Punjab Border Range IG Lok Nath Angra said.

Kang smashed his SUV into two gates before being overpowered by BSF personnel, Angra said, adding that "few medicines consumed for mind relaxation were recovered from his possession."

BSF IG Anil Paliwal said that "the person broke into two gates before being arrested and was handed over to Punjab police."

Angra said that a case under attempt to murder, Passport Act and preventing government official from performing his duties had been registered against the person who was driving a grey-colored Mahindra Scorpio vehicle.

"Investigation is under process," Angra said, adding that it

Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, but thought obtaining visa and going through other formalities would take time.

The Attari-Wagah JCP is about 30 km from the holy city of Amritsar.

Giving details, another senior BSF official said that after paying obeisance at the Golden

was "pre-mature" to establish that he was a psychiatric patient.

A senior BSF official said that the NRI has told investigators that he wanted to pay obeisance at

Temple here, the NRI crossed the first gate near the border after which he smashed a Customs barrier whose pillars broke and then proceeded towards the

Swarn Jayanti Dwar, and was apprehended before he could further proceed towards the international gate.

"He told us that he wanted to pay obeisance at Nankana Sahib, but did not want to wait for the visa and other formalities and adopted the illegal way," the official said.

The vehicle stopped near the Pakistani gate at the border, BSF sources said.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Rangers are understood to have written to the BSF authorities seeking an inquiry into the incident.

Some media reports said that the NRI was apparently "drunk" at the time when he rammed his vehicle into the security barriers.

BSF DIG R S Kataria said that the vehicle, in which the NRI was travelling, bore a Chandigarh registration number. -PTI

Immigration Post

November 27, 2015

India Post 45

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UK opens new visa centre in Delhi NEW DELHI: British High Commissioner for India Sir James Bevan has formally opened the UK & Ireland's new visa application centre (VAC) in Connaught Place here.

The new VAC is situated in the same premises as the Schengen VAC, allowing Indians planning a

dia good memories of the UK, which benefits the wider relationship between our two countries," Bevan said.

"We are committed to improving the visa service we offer to Indian customers to make it as straightforward as possible to apply for a visa and the opening of

Sir James Bevan, British High Commissoner to India, at one of the centres

European holiday or business trip, the convenience of applying for both visas at the same time.

"Following Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's successful visit to the UK last week, we hope that more Indian visitors will be inspired to choose the UK for their next holiday. Not only do Indian visitors benefit our economy (last year they spent 444 million in the UK) but they also take back to In-

this new visa application centre is another example of the improvements we are making," he said.

Applicants can now apply for their UK visa, purchase the passport pass-back service in order to keep their passport while their UK application is processed, and then go across the hall to the Schengen VAC to apply for their Schengen visa, the British High Commission said in a release.

Other recent improvements to the visa service in India include the introduction of new services at selected VACs across India, provided by UK Visas and Immigration's (UKVI) commercial partner, VFS Global.

The new services include online payment assistance, allowing customers to pay for their visa by cash at VAC using VFS Global's credit card to make the payment; certification to enable customers to keep hold of their original documents.

Customers need to bring original documentation to VAC to show VFS staff, who then photocopy the documents which then get sent to the decision hub along with the application; walk- in appointments for customers short on time, or who can no longer make their booked appointment; a digital assist scheme providing help to customers who do not have internet access, by filling in their application forms for them at the visa application centre.

It also offers group appointments allowing groups to book appointments at the same time in the same VAC, regardless of the size of the group.

The new UK & Ireland Visa Application Centre at Baba Kharak Singh Marg replaces the one in Nehru Place, which closed on November 6 and no longer accepts visa applications.-PTI

Visa problem in crossborder marriages BUNDI: In one of the crossborder marriages, 21-year-old Salma from Rajasthan's Bundi district is all set to tie knot with her fiancee from Pakistan.

But a major hurdle in the social harmony between the two families is "obtaining visas".

Even as Salma's family welcomed the 23-year-old Karachibased groom Danish Mehmood and his family, both the families 'pray' for relaxation in visa norms.

This is not the first cross-border marriage between the two families.

According to the head of Salma's family, Hazi Nuruddin, the wedding relations between the families of the late Hazi Mohammed Baksh and Hazi Iqubal Hussain of Karachi began in 1963.

Nuruddin's sister Rehmat

Bagam was first from his family to be wedded in Iqubal Hussain's family. It was followed by another in 1979 and 1983 and the tradition has continued since then.

Getting visas, both in India and Pakistan, is a great problem. We have to apply six months in advance and the formalities are tough, Nuruddin said.

The families have written to governments several times in the past for flexibility in visa proce-

dures and extension in visa period, he said.

Abdul Azij (52), uncle of the bridegroom Danish, said that he could not obtain visa to India two years ago for the marriages of his two sons in Bundi.

"I still bear the pain of missing the wedding of my two sons as my name was dropped from visa list at the last moment," Abdul said.

For Danish's wedding too, 15 members applied for the visas, but it was granted to only 11 of them, he said.

Abdul too wants flexibility in visa procedures and an extension of visa period from 30 to 60 days.

Hazi Sayeed Mehmood, bridegroom's father deals with hotel business in Karachi. -PTI

Immigrant spouses in UK must speak English LONDON: The UK Supreme there was no disproportionate inCourt has rejected a challenge terference with family life. against immigration rules requirIn written submissions to the ing people to speak English be- Supreme Court justices, James fore joining their spouses in Brit- Eadie, representing the UK Home ain, a landmark ruling which could Secretary in the case, told the court affect thousands of immigrants that the case concerned the provifrom countries like India. sions of the immigration rules reThe case was brought by two quiring applicants for "spouse vifemale British citizens whose hus- sas" to demonstrate that they have bands, from Yemen and Pakistan, want to come to the UK to be with their families.

However, under the UK's spouse visa rules for nationals outside the European Union, the men must learn a basic level of English and pass a test at an approved centre before being allowed to enLord Neuberger led the panel of judges ter the country.

Saiqa Bibi and Saffana Ali achieved a certain level of compeclaimed their husbands would not tence in the English language, subbe able to pass a test before com- ject to certain exceptions. ing to the UK and argued that the The visa entitles the spouse to men would have to learn computer enter the UK for a limited probaskills and travel long distances to tionary period. take their English tests, making it After that period is over, the unfeasible. spouse can then apply for indefiThe court was told that this nite leave to remain if the requiremeant their right to a private and ments of the immigration rules are family life under Article 8 of the satisfied.

European Convention on Human Where an applicant for a Rights (ECHR) was being spouse visa does not satisfy the breached. pre-entry language requirement, A panel of five judges were asked the entry clearance officer will auto rule whether the pre-entry mea- tomatically consider the issue of sure was "unreasonable, dispropor- whether there may be exceptional tionate and discriminatory". circumstances that warrant the They unanimously dismissed grant of entry clearance outside the appeal but indicated that the the immigration rules on grounds way the scheme operated might of Article 8 "because refusal would be unlawful and asked the result in unjustifiably harsh conwomen's lawyers to present fur- sequences for the applicant or ther arguments. their family".

They also suggested that exEadie said if an application was emptions may be made in cases refused, the applicant could apwhere it was impractical to apply peal against that refusal on Article the rule.

8 grounds.

The Supreme Court judgment He argued that the pre-entry follows earlier rulings in the High language requirement did not vioCourt and Court of Appeal that late Article 8.-PTI

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November 27, 2015

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Immigrant legacy vs 9/11-era fears over refugees WASHINGTON: The Paris attacks are rapidly weakening U.S. support for bringing in thousands more Syrian refugees, as pressure grows in Congress and the Republican presidential campaign to reverse course and governors once open to resettlement try to shut their states' doors.

President Barack Obama held firm to current plans appealing to Americans to ``not close our hearts'' to Syria's victims of war and terrorism and denouncing calls from Republican candidates to favor Syrian Christians over Muslims in the refugee influx. His remarks, at a summit of world leaders in Turkey, seemed aimed at heading off a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment reminiscent of the 9/ 11 era, as much as keeping open the pathway for refugees.

America's vision of itself as a welcoming destination for the displaced was colliding with its recent memories of devastation caused by terrorists, all part of a quandary over what to do about the masses of people escaping the brutality of the Syrian conflict, perhaps with radicals in their midst.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered his state's refugee resettlement

program not to accept any more Syrians, and some other Republican governors - including two GOP presidential contenders, John Kasich of Ohio and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana - announced or suggested they were suspending cooperation with Washington on the program, at least until assured the newcomers were being vetted effectively for security

be trusted to check people properly.

Republican lawmakers called for suspension of the federal Syrian refugee program and threatened to try to stop it in legislation that must pass by Dec. 11 to keep the government running. New House Speaker Paul Ryan neither endorsed nor ruled out that course.

Other Republican presidential

Syria refugee Nedal Al-Hayk works as a fabricator in Warren, Mich. Several U.S. governors are threatening to halt efforts to allow Syrian refugees into their states

risks. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, also a presidential candidate, said not even ``orphans under 5'' should be let in because the government can't

candidates, already skeptical if not hostile to the refugee-welcoming plan before the attacks, stepped up their rhetoric against it. Donald Trump said that, rather than allow-

Republican presidential hopefuls split on Syrian refugee policy Cont'd from Page 44

That's exactly the kind of message Republican leaders hoped to avoid after a disastrous 2012 election in which minority voters shunned GOP candidates in near record numbers. While there are few Muslim voters in America, the pointed Republican resistance against Muslim refugees comes as party leaders try to win over other minority groups.

The Republican National Committee outlined a series of recommendations after the last presidential contest calling for a more welcoming and inclusive tone on divisive issues such as immigration. ``The perception that the GOP does not care about people is doing great harm to the party and its candidates on the federal level, especially in presidential years,'' the RNC's Growth and Opportunity report found. ``It is a major deficiency that must be addressed.''

One of the report's authors, RNC committeeman Henry Barbour, said that it's ``common sense to tap the brakes'' on Syrian refugees given security concerns, but ``people need to be careful with their tone.''

``This is about safety,'' Barbour said. ``This isn't about keeping out this religion or that religion.''

Former New Hampshire Republican Party chairman Fergus Cullen said there is ``a little bit of ugliness'' around the refugee debate. ``A specific group of refugees is being treated differently be-

Former New Hampshire Republican Party chairman Fergus Cullen said there is ``a little bit of ugliness'' around the refugee debate. cause of their country of natural origin and faith,'' he said. ``This is inconsistent with America's history and our founding creed. That is alarming.''

It's not exactly like rounding up Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II, Culllen continued, ``but it's the same line of thinking'' that feeds ``immigrant bashing.''

The US has admitted fewer than

2,200 Syrian refugees since Oct. 1, 2011 and the process for entering this country as a refugee is lengthy.

Obama administration officials insist the vetting is good and there's no need to back down from the goal of admitting 10,000 more refugees this year.

The administration announced that goal earlier in the fall after a photograph of a little Syrian boy washed up on a beach sparked calls for compassion, including from some congressional Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a GOP candidate for president, was one of those who supported accepting more Syrian refugees. This week, he called for a ``timeout'' in such admissions.

Many GOP candidates, already skeptical if not hostile to welcoming refugees, came out even stronger in recent days. Donald Trump said the U.S. should increase surveillance of mosques, consider closing any tied to radicals and be prepared to suspend some civil liberties.

Ben Carson said, ``Until we can sort out the bad guys, we must not be foolish.'' Regarding Syrians already in the U.S., he added: ``I would watch them very carefully.''-AP

ing refugees into the country, the U.S. should build ``a big, beautiful safe zone'' in Syria where refugees can wait out their brutal civil war. He'd been among the first to warn that the refugee crisis could represent a ``Trojan horse'' with terrorists infiltrating the ranks of innocent refugees.

Calls by GOP rivals Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush to give preference to Christian refugees from Syria prompted a sharp rebuke from Obama. ``Shameful,'' he said. ``We don't have a religious test for our compassion.''

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders expressed support for Obama's position. ``We will not turn our back on refugees,'' the Vermont senator said at a campaign event in Cleveland.

At the heart of the debate is the Obama administration's decision to raise the nation's annual limit of 70,000 refugees by 10,000, with most of the new slots for Syrians, in the budget year that started Oct. 1.

That potential Syrian influx pales in comparison with the masses coming to Europe and those being accepted elsewhere.

Canada, with just more than onetenth of the U.S. population, plans to take in 25,000 Syrians in the next few months.

But indications that at least one of the attackers who killed 129 people in Paris may have crossed into France with refugees have given critics of Obama's plan a footing to demand a cutoff.

``Until we can sort out the bad guys, we must not be foolish,'' Republican presidential contender Ben Carson said after a Nevada campaign swing. And he said of Syrians already in the U.S., ``I would watch them very carefully.''

Like Trump and others in the GOP race, Carson was critical of the resettlement program before Paris came under assault. But the attacks were persuasive to some who had been more open to the idea or on the fence. ``It's not that we don't want to, it's that we can't,'' said one of them, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

Bush, too, altered his tone, asserting the ``focus ought to be on the Christians who have no place in Syria anymore,'' because ``they're being beheaded, they're being executed by both sides.''

Before the attacks, he had spoken of moderate Muslims also being slaughtered in Syria, when arguing that the U.S. had a responsibility to protect them, as well.

The mood in Congress, too, may be shifting, although the issue was just taking shape. Ryan did not tip his hand on whether he would try to use House budget powers to counter an administration initiative that did not need congressional approval.

Absent congressional action, said Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, ``the United States will begin resettling tens of thousands of poorly vetted Syrian refugees who will eventually be able to bring in their relatives.'' -AP

Car used in Uzbek woman's murder found Cont'd from Page 44

The victim had gone missing from South Extension area here around seven weeks ago and was later found murdered with police saying that Gagan and Naaz allegedly abducted her on September 24 and strangled her to death inside a car.

The accused are then alleged to have driven the vehicle to a village on the outskirts of Samalkha town in Haryana's Panipat district.

There they allegedly dumped the body in an open field and set it on fire, said police.

The victim had arrived here in August on a tourist visa and was to leave by the first week of October. She had travelled to Delhi on and off in the past eight years, police said.

The complaint in connection with the woman's disappearance

was registered on September 26.

When records were checked, it emerged that Haryana Police had found a charred body at a field in a village on the outskirts of Samalkha on September 25 and a

The victim had arrived here in August on a tourist visa and was to leave by the first week of October. case of murder was registered there, police added.

So far, investigators are going

by Gagan's version of the story, according to which Naaz had a dispute with the victim over the latter allegedly having driven away her clients in the past few years.-PTI

47 India Post

www.indiapost.com

November 27, 2015

'They have destroyed the entire sea' says an old fisherman

I

ASHIM CHOUDHURY

n Tamil Nadu's (TN) Pudukottai district on India's eastern coastline, a storm of sorts is brewing. It's between old rivals, traditional fishermen with small boats and owners of mechanized trawlers. By inter national standards these aren't big trawlers, but compared to the boats they are like monsters. Mechanized trawlers are of relatively recent origin starting out in the 1970s and 80s, proliferating the entire Indian coastline.

ys iyah sa give Chinna ld u o h ment s ." "govern compensation e m o s us

In Pudukottai the clash between trawlers and traditional boatmen took on an ugly turn in 1978, leading to the 'threefour' agreement. Now trawlers go out into sea on three days of a week, while the small boatmen go out for four days. Yet the small traditional boatmen are far outrivaled. Their catch has shrunk.

The culprit is the push nets that trawlers use, scraping the bottom of the sea. It catches not only juvenile fish but a whole range of life forms found on the seabed, including seaweeds. This is destroying precious fish breeding habitat that is telling on the size of the catch. The push nets that the traditional boatmen use are "mini trawls". Yet, across Pudukottai's 32 fishing villages, traditional fishermen have decided to stop its use.

It's not been an easy decision as it affects their livelihood in the short term. But thanks to FAO's co-management process through its Fisheries Management for Sustainable Livelihoods or FIMSUL project, the traditional fishermen have ceded to the idea of saving the marine ecosystem in the shallow Palk Bay waters, and more importantly, the source of their future sustenance. Trawler owners have

' from Dead 'waste ed ab se e th

been pushed to a corner, and thus the 'storm'.

Disappearing species In Pudukottai's coastal village of Muthukuda Karmegan, 47, who has been a fisherman for over 30 years speaks passionately against the use of push nets. "This (push net) is harmful…it takes away the young fish….Over 20 species of fish have already disappeared," he says. "It scrapes the bottom of the sea where fish lay their eggs….Now we don't get lobsters here anymore," he adds wistfully.

Cont'd on Page 51

Counting the day’s catch

48 India Post

November 27, 2015 www.indiapost.com

Cate Blanchett grateful to Shekhar Kapur NEW DELHI: They had many "happy fights" during the making of 'Elizabeth' but Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett, who is in India to attend a summit, says working with Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur was a turning point in her career.

The 46-year-old actress, known for her strong roles in English movies and theatre world, played the British queen in Kapur's 1998 period drama and its sequel 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'. She was here to attend the summit- 'Women in the World'.

"I am a passionate lover of history. I was passionate about the history of the Elizabeth. Shekhar is also like that. He was more excited about the fact that an Indian and Australian, who were once colonized by British, are recreating their history. "We had many healthy and productive fights. I think when everyone is in agreement, creative art can be a little bit

monotonous. But I must say that meeting and working with Shekhar is the turning point of my career," Blanchett said in a discussion with the summit founder Tina Brown here.

'Elizabeth' is considered Blanchett's break-out performance in Hollywood. The actress subse-

quently went on two win two Oscars - best supporting actress trophy for her role in 'Aviator' and the best actress trophy last year for her role in Woody Allen's 'Blue Jasmine'.

Blanchett's latest big screen outing 'Carol', revolving around the relationship between two

Cate Blanchett and Shekhar Kapur

Delhi girl to represent India in Miss World

Aditi Arya

NEW DELHI: During the 65th edition of Miss World, Aditi will be seen competing for various sub-contest titles like, Beauty with a Purpose, Talent Round, Multi Media, Best Designer Dress, Dances of the World, Fitness and Sports, Top Model and People's Choice Award.

With a dream to bring home the crown, Aditi Arya will be flying to China to take part in the 65th edition of Miss World pageant and the Delhi girl wants to give it her best shot.

Aditi, who will be competing with 108 participants from across the globe in a finale scheduled to take place on December, 19 in Hainan Island, Sanya, China, is not nervous as she considers it a "prestigious" moment.

"I am not at all nervous. I have worked on every possible aspect and now I am just waiting for the big day and give my best performance. I don't want nervousness to come in between. For me India means a lot and being the identity of India is a prestigious thing,"

Aditi told PTI in an interview.

Aditi, 22, said that she aspired to make her country proud since childhood, but never thought beauty pageants can be a possible route. She was persuaded by her mother to participate in Miss India contest. "During my growing up days I never thought of beauty pageants as a medium to represent my country. But, as I grew up and thanks to my mom I realized that beauty pageant is also a powerful way.

"When I went through the pro-

women in the New York of 1952, is once again garnering Oscar buzz.

The movie is based on the novel "The Price of Salt" by Patricia Highsmith. Comparing her film to Deepa Mehta's 'Fire', Blanchett said 'Carol' too spoke about a similar gender relationship.

"Carol is about two females falling in love with each other in the era of 1950s. I didn't have to bring much psychology to my character because the novelist Patricia Highsmith and the film's scriptwriter did a brilliant and interesting job. The film also shows the age difference between two women. It's like 'Fire'," she said.

Married to playwright and screenwriter Andrew Upton

for 18 years, the Australian beauty said she likes to collaborate with her husband because he is a strong, creative person.

"He is deeply private and he is somebody with whom you could have a critical dialogue. You could hold his hands, sleep with him and have children with him.

And that's what I did. We run a theatre company together and he is somebody who is not threatened by what I do. He is the strongest person I know," she said.

Blanchett also adopted a baby girl in March in the family of three boys. Asked what was the reason behind the adoption, Blanchett said, "We had been thinking about it since my first child was born. I thought we had enough space to have a fourth child. But biologically we didn't have the provision to have the fourth child. It's been a remarkable thing to have her in our home."-PTI

files of previous winners I realized that beauty pageant is a great way to work for society and that excited me. Now I just want to be one of the best delegates and not let India down," she said. The beauty queen believes one needs to be a good human being and soft spoken to win everyone's heart at the pageant.

"For me, it is very important to be soft spoken and friendly as we meet so many people during our preparations, contest and then while traveling across the globe, we should be gentle with people only then we can connect with them."

Apart from working on looks and panache, Aditi is involved with child development sector and the project she is taking forward is to do with knowledge and equality and will be working in the rural areas of places like Haryana.

Asked if like previous pageant winners, she also aspires to join Bollywood, Aditi said she is currently focused only on Miss World, but if in future she gets some good opportunity she will surely consider it. "For most of my journey till now I haven't thought about Bollywood. Mostly my focus has been representing India. However, when we are in a field like this many offers come. And it would be disrespectful if one just says no to them.

"I think one should be open to whatever comes their way. I am not incredibly keen to make my career in Bollywood, but I am open to opportunities. And I will pri-

oritize things accordingly," she said.

During the 65th edition of Miss World, Aditi will be seen competing for various sub-contest titles like, Beauty with a Purpose, Talent Round, Multi Media, Best Designer Dress, Dances of the World, Fitness and Sports, Top Model and People's Choice Award. While representing India Aditi, who was crowned fbb Femina Miss India World 2015, will be seen donning beautiful dresses curated by her fashion director Rocky S. Her wardrobe will include designs by Ritu Kumar, Gauri amd Nainika, Shantanu & Nikhil. Designers Falguni and Shane Peacock have created the finale outfit for her. The pageant will be hosted at the Beauty Crown Grand Theatre, Hainan Island in the city of Sanya, China. -PTI

November 27, 2015

India Post 49 www.indiapost.com

Masaba Gupta's big fat Indian wedding

T

hey've already had a regis tered marriage. Now they are all set to have a big fat Indian wedding. On the eve of her wedding to producer Madhu Mantena, the bride Masaba Gupta speaks her heart out

aged her serials, home, me, and everything else. I don't know how she did it. I keep telling her to do more work. But where are the roles?

She can never ask for work. She never has. This is her biggest strength as well as her weakness.

Also television serials during her

Why the second wedding ceremony?

We couldn't involve all our friends in the first ceremony. A marriage is the biggest happening in one's life. It's important to celebrate it with everyone. When I look back I don't want my marriage photographs to show the two of us just signing papers .This is specially for my mother who hardly socializes and has never had the chance to invite her friends to something of her own.

Your mother (Neena Gupta) had to be both the parents to you while you were growing up. Was that tough on you?

It was tough on her. But I never saw her break down or become weak in any way. She kept working and looking after me. She man-

heydays were more relevant.

How was your life influenced when you got to know that you were a love child and that your father was Sir Vivian Richards?

I don't think at any point of time was anything hidden from me‌thankfully! I was told I was born out of wedlock. I didn't understand the term back then. Now when I do I wonder what the big deal was. I've seen parents of friends breaking up because of an extra-marital relationship. I think I was comparatively in a more welladjusted home. But just because my parents were celebrities my parentage was blown out of proportion. They decided to pull my parents down. My birth certificate was published.

You look so much like your father?

I look ONLY like him except maybe my eyes. I even walk like him, and we both have a sinus problem. So I'd say I'm 80 percent like my father.

Masaba Gupta and Madhu Mantena

Do you crave to see your father more often?

Not really. I am not the kind of person who craves for anything or anybody. I love being on my own. Besides I never had a chance to bond with him during my childhood. I speak to him constantly.

And that's enough for me. He isn't the kind of guy who goes out much. I've made peace with the fact that he likes being home in Antigua with his phone switched off. I respect his privacy. When I am in Europe or America I make sure I make a trip to see my father.

Has Madhu met your father?

Yes, they met a month back.

They bonded on the music Bob Marley. My Dad likes Madhu. Getting my father's approval for anyone is not easy, let alone someone his daughter has chosen to spend her life with. My Dad has a soft corner for South Indians. Yes, he is coming for the wedding. I am the first of his children getting married. So he doesn't want to miss it.

-Courtesy DNA

Javed's crusade for musicians' rights

Javed Akhtar

F

or 10 years now poet, lyri cist, writer and activist Javed Akhtar has been fighting a long lonely battle for royalty rights for musicians, sing-

ers and composers, taking on the powerful Indian Performing Rights Society Ltd (IPRS) and PPL (Phonograph Performance Ltd) which monitors and channels musicians'

royalty.

According to reliable sources, the Central Government has now taken a call to amend the Copyright Act drastically in favor of musicians and is on the verge of sanctioning financial benefits close to 600 crores for them.

Says Javed, "We're very close to achieving our goal whereby musicians get their dues." The Copyright Act was amended in 2012, thanks to Javed. Then, he sent a letter to the Central government to bring alleged irregularities in the working of the IPRS and PPL. The government issued a showcause notice to both organizations.

Javed says he is proud that he has carried forward a crusade for musicians' right that Lata Mangeshkar started in the 1960s.

"Lataji was the first musician from the Indian film industry to raise the

issue of royalties. If she had been able to secure her rights whereby musicians get paid each time their song is played in public, she would have been one of the three richest women in the world."

50 India Post

November 27, 2015 www.indiapost.com

Heritage Week celebrates India's cultural legacy NEW DELHI: The Heritage Week (November 19-25) like the Heritage Day in April is one of the rare occasions to reach out to children and youth of the country to ingrain the values of reservation of heritage.

From theme walks to photography exhibitions, a whole host of activities have been planned

by ASI, INTACH and other heritage-conscious organizations across the country to celebrate the architectural and cultural legacy of

program this year, we are focusing on our outreach program and especially municipal schools", Convener, INTACH Delhi Chapter, A G K Menon said.

"During these seven days our volunteers would go to as many schools as possible and develop in children a sense of appreciation and respect for the heritage they see around, but often either miss or feel ignorant about."

Headquartered in Delhi, INTACH, a non-profit organiza-

exhibition to portray the history of our region that predates the Islamic heritage‌Most people assume that Mughal-era and Islamic civilization are the only predominant elements in the history of this area, but there's more to it.

"So, our exhibits, spanning in length to over 200 ft would display the old photographs and texts relating to excavation of areas associated with ancient history, such as Hastinapur (1960s excavations) and Ahirchatta (1940s excavations) mounds, and other segments of the history of Agra and the neighboring region which existed before the arrival of the Mughals, before Taj came up," ASI's Superintending Archaeologist, Agar Circle, Bhuvan Vikram, told PTI over phone.

The Agra ASI chief also said that during the Week, a reverse outreach program has been planned for school chilRani ki Vav, a stepwell lightened up on the eve of World Heritage Week at Patan, dren.

Ahmedabad "This time, instead India during the ongoing World tion established in 1984, besides of taking the children to monuHeritage Week. the Archaeological Survey of In- ments and sites, we will take the In Delhi, the city-based Indian dia (ASI), works on protection, country's heritage wonders to National Trust for Art and Cultural conservation and promotion of them, using multi-media presentaHeritage (INTACH) and Delhi gov- tangible and intangible heritage, tions and talking about our gloriernment co-hosted cultural pro- through its numerous chapters ous architectural and cultural grams near Jehaz Mahal in historic spread in various cities. wealth that many youth today are Mehrauli area to mark the occaIn Agra, the ASI has also unable to assimilate into their sion. planned a host of events to mark lives, now so much defined by "The Heritage Week like the the week designated by UNESCO material and commercial intent," Heritage Day in April is one of the as a period to celebrate heritage he said. rare occasions to reach out to chil- around the world.

INTACH Delhi also held a sesdren and youth of the country to "We hold a series of activities sion of 'Dastangoi' which is a traingrain the values of reservation every year on this occasion, and ditional way of storytelling of heritage. Besides the cultural this year we are hosting a special through theatrical narratives, and

a 'Dhrupad' performance was showcased, a senior INTACH official said. Delhi, motley of ancient, medieval as well as modern history, including the British legacy, has three world heritage sites - Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar.

Incidentally, the national capital was earlier sent as a nomination from India for inclusion into the World Heritage List, the results for which were announced this year. However, the BJP-led Modi government had withdrawn the nomination, drawing sharp reactions from heritage experts and lovers alike. Even AAP-led Delhi government had expressed its surprise and unhappiness over the sudden de-

Kumar Prabhat said. "We have organized walks, painting and essay competitions and seminars on various topics in the past. This year too we wish to engage school children and educate them about the value of heritage of our country, of which we are only the trustees and custodians," INTACH's Patna Chapter founding member, S K Sinha, told PTI over phone.

Sinha, a retired state government engineer, in his 80s, rues that unlike states like Rajasthan, Bihar could never project its heritage in the right way, except a few sites like Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya, the state's only world heritage site, and Nalanda university ruins in Rajgir, which were recently inspected for inclusion into the

"This time, instead of taking the children to monuments and sites, we will take the country's heritage wonders to them, using multimedia presentations and talking about our glorious architectural and cultural wealth that many youth today are unable to assimilate� cision, and had said that it would fight for the coveted tag for the city.

INTACH's Patna Chapter, one of the oldest city units of the heritage body, has also planned a few activities during the week-long celebrations. "We will be holding an interactive session on 'Conservation of Heritage' at NIT Patna's Department of Architecture on November 25, where a noted historian from the city has been invited as a speaker," Bihar Chapter Co-Convener Arun

World Heritage List, the results of which would be announced by UNESCO next year.

In Ahmedabad, where the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, had become one of the first municipal bodies in the country to open a 'heritage cell', a whole host of colorful activities are lined up to observe the week. World Heritage Week is marked around the world from November 19-25, after the UNESCO declared the designated period a few decades ago.PTI

'Concept of beauty evolving in Bollywood' NEW DELHI: With the concept of beauty changing in Bollywood, Soha Ali Khan is happy to be a part of the industry when actresses are experimenting with their looks.

Soha, 37, who is the daughter of veteran Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore, said beauty still plays an important role.

"Beauty is very important in Bollywood because you are casting somebody in a particular role.

There are romantic films where a hero has to be attracted to the actress.

"So, she has to be beautiful.

But the concept of beauty is changing in the industry. Things which were not considered beautiful earlier now have become a mainstream. They are embracing

different definitions of being beautiful," Soha told PTI on the

sidelines of "Women In The World" summit.

The actress said she is always ready to experiment with her looks when it comes to playing a character.

"I am not apprehensive at all. If you see my filmography, I have mostly done non-glamorous roles.

The one where I really had to do something substantial with my look was 'Khoya Khoya Chand', where I played an actress of 1950s. I am open to trying With the concept of beauty changing in Bollywood, Soha Ali Khan is happy to be a part of out new looks," the industry. she said.

Having tied the knot with actor Kunal Khemmu, Soha said marriage has not changed her thinking towards her career in any way.

"I don't think anything changes after marriage. Things change in a big way after becoming a mother. Kunal and I have known each other for a very long time. We are both actors."

Asked if the perception towards a married actress is changing in the industry, Soha said, "A lot of actresses today are breaking that barrier now. I am happy to be a part of the film industry today as opposed to 10 years ago."

The actress will be next seen in "October 31" and "Ghayal Once Again". -PTI

November 27, 2015

India Post 51 www.indiapost.com

Trawlers vs boatmen Fight in India’s eastern coast over sustainable catch Cont'd from Page 47

Karmegan says he knew of the harm all along but after the outreach meetings with FIMSUL he was fully convinced, "The net should be banned."

Chinniaiyah, 52 is another fisherman leader who also heads the Pudukottai district fishermen's union affiliated to the ruling party.

"We have to safeguard the sea for the next generation…But we also have to earn our livelihood," he says. Chinnaiyah voices a common demand when he says, "The government should give us some compensation …" He says the push nets also get entangled with crab nets, destroying them.

Panchavarnam, another fisherman leader from the same village, who has attended several co-management meeting organized by FAO's partners says, "We now realize what we are losing…within fisheries we have to look at alternate sources of livelihood." He says most fishermen don't want their children to be fishermen as fishing has already become unsus-

tainable. He demands job reservation for fishermen's children in the fisheries, navy, coast guard and other maritime departments.

In nearby R-Pudupattinam village the shoreline is littered with mounds of 'waste' from the sea dead shells, starfish, sponges, sea

He says most fishermen don't want their children to be fishermen as fishing has already become unsustainable. He demands job reservation for fishermen's children urchins, coral, and seaweed - a testimony to the damage done by the push nets. An old fisherman weaving a net sums it all, "They have destroyed the entire sea." Nearby, at a crab-processing unit T.A

Kannan a young fisherman says forcefully, "They should ban the push net…It is destroying our crab nets."

Chinnaiyah, doubling as our guide in the sultry shore, recalls how Fishmarc, the NGO partner, had formed a 10 member committee of traditional boatmen and another ten member team of trawler owners to discuss the issue of sustainable fishing. It was a long journey starting in 2013. "In the beginning the villagers were suspicious…It took us several rounds of discussions to convince the traditional fishermen," he says.

The trawler owners refuse to comply saying they have invested

Mrs Aditya Chopra is glowing

T

hose who saw Rani Mukerji glowing at the Bachchans' Diwali party swear she has never been happier. A close friend who met her at the party says, "You see, Rani was always a homemaker at heart. She dreamt of finding the right man settling down, having a baby…It's all happened.

She pinches herself to ensure it isn't a dream."

The friend reveals Rani's role as Mrs Aditya Chopra demands

her to be a multitasker. "She looks after her husband's home and his workplace. The Yash Raj office is supervised by her. Rani also sits on script readings, costume sessions and scene rehearsals.

Lately, she has taken a slight break. The doctors have asked her to be careful about the baby."

The baby's due in January next year. Rani might have her firstborn's birth in a foreign country. The actress plans to head for

a long maternity leave for an unknown destination during the baby's birth. Says the friend, "Rani got married in Italy. She may have her baby outside India. It was her wish to get married in Italy. Adi just did it for her sake. Likewise it's her wish to have the baby abroad."

Incidentally Rani tells all her friends that this would be her second child, as she dotes on her brother Raja's daughter as her own.

Shah Rukh, Bhansali bonding big time

T

he world and its favorite paparazzi may bitch about relations between filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The fact is, they are the best of friends even though the world around them would love to see them fight over their respective film Bajirao Mastani and Dilwale, respectively.

Evidence of the SLB-SRK dosti was on full display at the Bachchans' Diwali party.

According to a star-guest at the Diwali bash, "Bhansali and Shah Rukh bonded big time at the Bachchans' on Diwali. When they met, they hugged one another and were seen locked in serious conversation for a good half an hour.

Shah Rukh congratulated SLB on the songs of Bajirao Mastani and Bhansali expressed happiness over the trailer of Dilwale."

According to those in the know, the two buddies have prom-

ised one another there won't be any backbiting and bitching about one another's film.

Says a reliable source. "SLB and SRK are not going to fall into the trap this time of getting into a slinging match as they did in 2007 Diwali when Saawariya and Om Shanti Om were released simultaneously. Their films are coming together. But sorry, there will no fireworks between Bhansali and SRK this Christmas."

large sums of money. But once the boatmen give up the net, the trawler owners will be forced to follow suit. While the traditional fishermen co-management committee has agreed to stop the use of push nets, it is still being used.

The committee's decision, with a few riders for compensation, has been sent to the fisheries department. "We hope the TN government will impose a ban soon," they say. The Fisheries department is yet to respond. But once the ban comes into force, the trawlers will have fall in line. If Pudukottai follows the ban,

$50 to be shared among five crew members.

After cutting costs his average income is just $5. Yet small traditional fishermen like Nayakam, curiously all of them Roman Catholics, have agreed in principle to return berried lobsters and juveniles to the sea, thanks partly to persuasions from the church that was part of FIMSUL's outreach team.

They have also agreed to increase the net size from 90 mm to around 110 mm so that juvenile lobsters can live. When asked if he would actually return a ber-

neighbouring districts of TN cannot stay behind for long. Soon, other coastal states too may follow the TN example and the fish population along India's coastline stands a chance of regeneration.

Berried lobsters in the net A few hundred kilometers further south, in India's southernmost district of Kanyakumari facing the Arabian sea, the problem is the same - species depletion. Lobsters, once found in abundance here, was overexploited because of the export market, fetching as much as $25 a kilo. From an annual average of 150 tons the catch has dropped to a mere ten tons.

"What I got in one day, I get in a whole year now," says an old fisherman who uses traps to catch lobsters that thrive among the rocks. He blames the trawlers. Berried lobsters, a single 'fish' holding as many as a 100 thousand eggs, on their way to the deep sea for spawning, are being trapped by trawler nets.

And also by the smaller fishermen. They are also catching juvenile lobsters.

The drop in catch is steep. In village Keelamannakudi, seven kilometers short of Kanyakumari, Susai Nayakam is just back from retrieving his net after 48 hours.

All he has got is eight lobsters weighing around 1.5 kilos. At current prices he will get around

ried lobster from his catch to the sea, Nayakam says a bit hesitantly, "Yes…sometimes. ...But why should we sacrifice when the trawlers are catching the berried lobsters…?"

The decision to return berried lobsters to sea has not been easy as they weigh more, fetching good money. For implementing partner Kanyakuari District Fishermen Sangam Federation (KDFSF) networking with 48 fishing villages across the district and convincing them was not easy. "If the government issues orders people will listen," Nayakam and his friends are convinced.

For now the ten member district co-management council, comprising fishermen, scientists, NGOs and officers of the fisheries department, has sent its recommendations to district authorities asking them to enforce a ban.

Rubert Jyothi, Assistant Director, Fisheries in Nagercoil, who was closely associated with FIMSUL's co-management process says, "Definitely…sooner or later the government will issue orders for the ban..." If the lobsters get a new lease of life it will mean better catch and income for the poor fishermen of Kanyakumari.

Ashim Choudhury is a Communications Consultant and author of 'The Sergeant's Son'

India Post

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Philosophy

November 27, 2015

India Post 53

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis

T

he following verses con stitute the teachings of Siva to Ribhu, who in turn transmits those teachings to his disciple Nidhaga Rishi. The treatise goes by the name Ribhu Gita: The universe was neither born, nor maintained, nor dissolved; this is the plain truth. The basic screen of pure Being-Awareness-Stillness devoid of all the moving shadow pictures of name and form of the universe is the sole, eternal Existence. (Ch.2, v.33) Some may argue that this universe of duality (multiple existences) is a factual second reality, clearly seen by the senses operated by the mind. But then, are the senses anything apart from the mind? Can they function without the support of the mind in which they are imbedded?

What is this mind except a bundle of thoughts? What are thoughts except evanescent ripples in the still, limitless ocean of pure Being-Awareness-Self, which is the sole Existence without a second? (Ch. 2, v.34) The existence of the illusion of silver in mother of pearl is not a reality apart from the reality of mother of pearl, which is the basic reality. The illusion of the universe is based on the mind, which again is an illusion based on the still Awareness-Being-Self. (Ch.2, v.35) In the unitary, undifferentiated still ocean of Existence-Awareness-Self, body, senses, mind, intellect and jivas (embodied souls) are nothing but evanescent ripples not apart from that sole Self. (Ch.4, v.6)

The universe of name and form, the embodied creatures and their creator, mind, desire, Karma (action), misery and everything other than the Self, are merely thought formations projected by the powers of the Self on its screen - Self.

(Ch.5, v.25) The state of firm abidance in that thought-free alert AwarenessSelf, constitutes integral perfection, yoga, wisdom, Moksha, Sahaja Samadhi, the state of Siva

JOEL S. GOLDSMITH

M

en, women, and children are prisoners of the mind. Think of the average man, woman and child, and see if they aren't locked up inside of their minds, and they know not what is going on in this world except what's going on in here - what they are thinking, their own limitations. They are living in there restricted, limited; they don't know about the free world.

They don't know about the coal in the ground, the oil in the ground, the diamonds, the platinums, gold and silver and copper, pearls in the sea. They don't know anything. All they are doing is living inside here, in a shell that we call the skull - seeing only their own thoughts, believing only their own concepts, their own limitations.

It's a terrible world to live in, the world of one's mind, because that mind doesn't know anything beyond its own limitations. It knows nothing except what it has experienced, or what its parents told it or its Sunday school teacher, or somebody else that may have

banished, with no trace of thought or nescience, with all the three states of waking, dream and sleep wiped out, with all thought of death and birth abolished, and ever established in the spontaneous blissful state of Brahman-Self, the condition of the Videha Mukta cannot be conceived, and much less expressed in words. (Ch.5, v.39) The continued repetition of 'I am Self-Brahman' constitutes the

picture of the universe in manifestation and into that again it is absorbed in dissolution. All luminaries like the sun, moon, fire, stars and lightning derive their luminosity as a gracious gift from the Sakti inherent in that screen of Self-Siva only.

Though bright in themselves, they can only obscure and cannot reveal the Siva-Screen which they cover up. Out of fear of that Siva, their creator, Devas and

Thoughts are ripples in ocean of pure Being The universe of name and form, the embodied creatures and their creator, mind, desire, Karma (action), misery and everything other than the Self, are merely thought formations projected by the powers of the Self on its screen sole mantra-japa leading to Mukti (Liberation). All other mantrajapas connected with diverse gods should be firmly eschewed, as they aim at mundane objectives other than the Self. All other mantra-japas always entangle one inextricably in the bondage of worldly enjoyments. (Ch.6, v.37)

Greatness of Videha Mukta With all objective knowledge

Sat-Chit-Ananda-Self Siva and His worship On the eternal and infinite screen of Sat-Chit-Ananda-Self Siva, by His own power, Sakti is projected as the moving shadow

Asuras (gods and demons) are ever alertly engaged in their ordained duties. That Siva must be meditated upon and realized to be the Self, by making the restless mind stay still and alert after it has been adequately restrained, and completely prevented from the pursuit of sense objects. (Ch.7, v.35) Excerpted from 'The Essence of Ribhu Gita', Selection and English translation by Prof. N. R. Krishnamoorthi Aiyer. Published by Sri Ramanasramam Tiruvannamalai 2001.

had a limited concept of the world.

So it accepts every kind of belief that is given to it. It accepts every kind of law of limitation, and finally settles down on a little plot of ground about twenty by sixty and calls it home - lucky if they ever get one that is a hundred by a hundred, or call that home.

a desire for Truth, or a reaching out for Truth.

Once you begin to pick your way through this shell of the human mind and look outside, you will find that all of this is there for you and me. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and Son, all that I have is thine."

whom? It must have been a love or us, that all of this is given to us to love, to enjoy.

God doesn't make us all travelers, but we've discovered that we don't have to be. Once we've opened our mind, our consciousness, to the tremendous world about us, it begins to come to us.

and the state of AtmanSelf, which scriptures proclaim by the title of Brahman. (Ch.5, v.26) There never was a mind nor any of its countless forms like world, jivas, etc. There isn't the least doubt that all these are the form of the eternally undifferentiable Supreme Brahman Self. This is the Truth. The one who hears this great secret diligently and understands completely, abides as Brahman-Self (Ch.5, v.28)

God made this world for us, men and women

It's a terrible world to live in, the world of one's mind, because that mind doesn't know anything beyond its own limitations. It knows nothing except what it has experienced Some few are fortunate that the law - whether we want to call it nature or whether we want to call it God - something stirs inside of the mind and makes them wonder, "Is there something beyond this that I know? Is there something beyond this that I am seeing with my eyes, or hearing with my ears, or thinking with my mind?" We call it a desire to know God, or we call it

Everything that exists, exists for you and for me. God has created a tremendous universe - but why, why? - not only for birds to fly around in, and fish to swim around in, but that we should travel around in, and own this, enjoy this.

To have created this universe takes all the wisdom of an infinite Intelligence, of a divine Love, a great Love...but love for what, or

Joel S. Goldsmith

It comes to us in books. It comes to us in visitors. It comes to us in new experiences. It comes in interior revelations.

Excerpted from joelgoldsmith.com. Joel S. Goldsmith (1892-1964) was an American spiritual author, teacher, spiritual healer, and modern-day mystic. He founded The Infinite Way movement.

You cannot see That which is the Seer of seeing; you cannot hear That which is the Hearer of hearing; you cannot think of That which is the Thinker of thought; you cannot know That which is the Knower of knowledge.

This is your Self, that is within all; everything else but This is perishable."

-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad There is One who is the eternal Reality among non-eternal objects, the one [truly] conscious Entity among conscious objects, and who, though non-dual, fulfills the desires of many. Eternal peace belongs to the wise, who perceive Him within themselves-not to others.

-Katha Upanishad "From Joy we have come, in Joy we live and have our being, and in that sacred Joy we will one day melt again.-Taittiriya Upanishad That which cannot be expressed by speech, but by which speech is expressed That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

-Kena Upanishad In the beginning, my dear, this [universe] was Being (Sat) alone, one only without a second.

-Chandogya Upanishad

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Integrating Climate Change into Security Strategy

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COMMANDER KAPIL NARULA

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limate change is a pressing concern which requires urgent action. On the eve of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the spotlight is on Paris and French President Francois Hollande to forge a legally binding universal agreement.

As government negotiators work behind the scenes to build support for their respective positions, there is widespread optimism that the leaders will reach an effective and comprehensive climate deal to limit global warming below 2 degree centigrade.

While India has called to base the deal on the principle of "climate justice," it has declared an ambitious Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) which it hopes will con-

flooding, drought, temperature extremes, frequent and/or more severe extreme weather events, sea level rise and temperature changes, exuberates the threats to food, water and energy security which impact the society at micro and macro levels.

These societal impacts interact to affect national security and it is therefore essential that these impacts are quantified for national security planning.

Apart from the impact on society, an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events directly impacts military assets and undermines military readiness. These findings were reaffirmed by the MAB in its May 2014 report, 'National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change', which also concluded that climate change affects the internal and external stability of a country and impinges on national security.

It can be argued that the US operates in various parts of the world and provides security hegemony universally and is therefore impacted by the security implications of climate change across the globe.

However, such an argument is equally valid for India at least in the regional context tribute to a fair and an equitable climate deal. Notwithstanding the above, India needs to integrate climate change in its national security strategy.

Does climate change impact national security?

Yes, it does. The path-breaking 2007 report, 'National Security and the Threat of Climate Change', penned by the Military Advisory Board (MAB) of the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA) based in Washington D.C. concluded that "climate change acts as a threat multiplier for instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world" and "projected climate change will add to tensions even in stable regions of the world."

As this would affect the US national security, the report recommended that "the consequences of climate change should be fully integrated into national security and national defense strategies."

This conclusion proved to be correct and over the years it has been observed that recurring

The US has been at the forefront of integrating climate change concerns in its national security and military strategy. In the July 2015 report, 'National Security Implications of ClimateRelated Risks and a Changing Climate', the Pentagon said climate change is an "urgent and growing threat to our national security."

The report reinforced that global climate change would have wide-ranging implications for US national security interests over the foreseeable future as it would aggravate existing problems such as poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership, and weak political institutions that threaten domestic stability in a number of countries.

This is viewed as a security risk as it impacts human security as well as affects the ability of governments to meet the basic needs of their citizens.

In response to this assessment, the US Department of Defense (DoD) directed the Geographic Combatant Commands

(GCCs) to integrate "climate-related impacts into their planning cycles."

This includes "monitoring, analysis, and integration of climate related risks into existing overall risk management measures, as appropriate for each combatant command."

The DoD also directed every US defense installation in the world to undertake a "global screening level vulnerability assessment" to chart the risk to military assets.

True for India What is true for the US and other countries is true for India as well. While India has a well defined and independent National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), it lacks in analyzing the impact of climate change on national security.

There is also no thought on integrating the responses to increased threats due to climate change in the existing military strategy. The US provides a good example of how military planning and operations can be viewed through the climate lens to enhance national security.

It can be argued that the US operates in various parts of the world and provides security hegemony universally and is therefore impacted by the security implications of climate change across the globe.

However, such an argument is equally valid for India at least in the regional context.

Integrating climate change in India's national security strategy should therefore be a priority, considering that the risks from the impact of climate change are increasing both in terms of the probability of occurrence of extreme climate events and in terms of the quantum of loss of human, natural and economic capital from climate related disasters.

Early action on the assessment of risk and vulnerability, building capacity and capability to enhance resilience and adaptation will lead to lowering the impact of climate change.

It can therefore be concluded that fine-tuning the national security strategy to analyze, assess, and prepare for the uncertainties of climate change are likely to reap rich dividends for India and steps must be taken to act in this direction.

The writer is Research Fellow, National Maritime Foundation (NMF)

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Amity at home

rime Minister Narendra Modi has been on a lecturing spree around the world. The high sounding words and the noble sentiments contained in these speeches are laudable and unexceptionable. Here is a sampling from his recent utterances at the ASEAN summit in Malyasia: "There is a need for the international community to eschew their political differences and unite to face this menace (terrorism)… Countries should put aside their political differences and come together to help the affected…evolve specific plans for cooperation … in key areas…welcomed efforts to promote human values that define every faith."

How we wish Modi would put these sentiments into practice at home. Is not there need to put aside political differences and reach out to groups other than the BJP for the sake of benefits for the country? Should he not lead the efforts for unity in the face of the menace of communalism that is beginning to raise its head? The need for promoting human values at home was never greater.

Modi has been addressing world parliaments with great aplomb.

And yet is hesitant to speak in Indian Parliament. His interaction with Indian MPs has been the minimum. He is unable to answer crucial questions addressed to him in the Lok Sabha.

In parliament Modi needs to make friends just has he has been able to make fiends abroad. He is like a family man who hates to return to his wife in the evening. He would rather play high games in the outside world.

Unless Modi improves the atmosphere at home, that is India, the leaders abroad will cease to take him seriously. Obama started taking him seriously because he won a huge mandate from the people of India. He can change his mind if the people of India start changing their minds owing to the negative image that the BJP has been able to present of itself.

The lesson for value of cooperation is equally valid for the Opposition, particularly the Congress, which has not learnt a lesson from its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. Best selling novelist Amish Tripathi sees India following the US trend of animosity in their public debates.

During a recent visit to the US he found, "The so-called 'Left' and 'Right' commentators holding pre-decided positions on most issues.

Their job: garner support for their side. Convinced that theirs is the Absolute Truth and the other side is 'pure evil.' They do not aim to find common ground. This debating style has, of late, stormed into the Indian media space."

He finds that the rise of the Right "has energized debate; that's the good news. This manthan of points of view will lead to much needed nuance. However, emulating the antagonistic American approach will derail the possibility of a common ground emerging."

Indeed there is need for some civility in the dialogue at home.

And a beginning could be made by the Prime Minister himself and his party the BJP. If Modi can instantly become friendly with Nawaz Sharif during a one-to-one meeting, what prevents him from using diplomacy to win over his opponents for the sake of getting the business of running the country back on the rails?

The Bihar results have been very interesting. The Congress discredited and trounced for its corruption and inefficiency not so long ago performed the best, winning 21 seats out of the 40 it contested.

Lalu who was feared to be a dead weight which would pull down Nitish's prospects came off the second best winning more percentage of seats than Nitish's JD (U).

Does it mean that Bihar is moving backwards? Is it abandoning the development model that Nitish had represented? It could be that Bihar voted for safety first in view of the threat to life and security that the BJP seemed to be representing. It is hoped the BJP would learn the lesson of civility.

November 27, 2015

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November 27, 2015