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Kshama Sawant is first elected socialist in US Details on page 5
Narendra Modi VOL 19, No. 1002
November 29, 2013
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Periodical Postage
'AMERICANS EVERY WAY BUT NOT ON PAPER'
Modi shortlisted by Time for Person of Year title Details on page 5
Obama cites plight of talented immigrants
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has cited an Indian-American woman entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley after she got a green card following over 12 years of agonizing wait to push for a comprehensive immigration reform that would attract best talents from across the globe. "We're training our own competition, rather than invite those incredibly talented young people, like Geetha, to stay here and start businesses and create jobs here," Obama said in his remarks on immigration in San Francisco.
Geetha Vallabhaneni, an entrepreneur who immigrated to the United States from India 15 years ago in pursuit of the American dream, was given the privilege to introduce Obama at the event. According to a White House official, after waiting for 12 long years to obtain a green card, Geetha is now living her dream in Silicon Valley where she started Luminix, an enterprise software company, within 10 months of receiving her green card. Details on page 5
Public apathy marks 26/11 anniversary Details on page 6
Five Asian Americans get special awards
India seeks Congressional help on bill
Details on page 18 Details on page 44
Indo-US ties hold immense possibilities: Rao
Neeraj Sahai appointed president of S&P
Details on page 7 Details on page 6
Indian envoy to China hosts farewell dinner
CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 52
Details on page 7
Community Post -------------- 18-25 Date Book -------------------------- 48 Edit Page --------------------------- 54
INDIA POST SURVEY
HealthScience Post --------- 32-35
survey@indiapost.com
Horoscope ------------------------- 11
This week’s question
Immigration Post ------------- 44-46
Will Obama succeed in immigration reform?
Life Style ----------------------- 50-51 Philosophy ------------------------- 53
Last week’s result
Nirupama Rao has been the best Indian envoy to US? YES 63%
NO 37%
DID THEY OR DID THEY NOT?: Rajesh and Nupur Talwar arrive at the special CBI court in Ghaziabad, near Delhi, to hear the verdict in the twin murder case of their daughter Aarushi (See insert) and domestic help Hemraj. A special CBI court has sentenced the dentist couple to life imprisonment. (Details on page 6)
Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate ------------------------ 47 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-14 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43
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ocial psychologists have been crying hoarse about violence in mass media having a devastatingly negative impact on the youth, but hey, who cares, so long as violence sells, and for billions of dollars through movies, television, video games and online interactivity. American society is so desensitized to violence that forget one individual physically harming another, here we don't even pause long enough to introspect even when semi-automatic weapon-wielding youth go on killing rampages in schools, colleges, cinemas and malls. We are a nation that loves violence, voyeurism and vain pursuits. So did you hear about this great new real life game that is becoming a rage among youth these days? It's called "Knockout" - it's a game where you randomly pick someone who is unsuspectingly going his or her way, minding their own business, and simply sucker punch them in the face - a single blow, just like that, for no rhyme or reason, but for the thrill of it, and walk away like nothing happened. Well, it doesn't end there, though. These 'heroic' deeds are then posted on social media and bragged about. The game is unfairly one-sided. The chosen "victims" stand no chance, whatever, to retaliate. It so happens that some such "knocked out" victims have died because of subsequent injuries, like falling on the concrete sidewalk or on a fence. Let's not feel left behind in this great game of the cowardly, one of our own, an Indian American from Brooklyn in New York has been arrested for knocking out a Jewish guy on the street and is now facing hate charges too. It just makes me so sick. While I find absolutely no rationale or justification for the sick minds of these youth who feed off violence for their 30-seconds of YouTube fame, I blame the industry of violence that is thriving by creating whole generations of desensitized humans. For these sick people, thrill is no longer what they vicariously live through characters on screens. There is always that next level - which unfortunately happens to be at the cost of other people's lives. Romesh K Japra
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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Saif choice Saif Ali Khan says wife Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan make a "lovely pair" in 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein'
Cover Story: Immigration reform President Obama cited the plight of an Indian-American woman entrepreneur to push for immigration reform
Community: Five honored Five Asian Americans were recognized by Asian Chronicle for their services to the community in different fields.
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Immigration: Discriminatory bill India has sought Congressional help over certain discriminatory provisions of the comprehensive immigration bill
Life Style: Avoiding 'Singh Saab' Sunny Deol says he will continue to work with new talent as established actresses are not keen to work with him.
Techbiz: Smartphone growth The exponential growth of smartphone users in India will help the mobile applications market, says firm
Travel: Kochi Kochi’s strategic importance over the centuries is underlined by the sobriquet ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea.’
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November 29, 2013
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'Americans every way but not on paper' Obama cites plight of talented immigrants WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has cited an Indian-American woman entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley after she got a green card following over 12 years of agonizing wait to push for a comprehensive immigration reform that would attract best talents from across the globe. "We're training our own competition, rather than invite those incredibly talented young people, like Geetha, to stay here and start businesses and create jobs here," Obama said in his remarks on immigration in San Francisco. Geetha Vallabhaneni, an entrepreneur who immigrated to the
United States from India 15 years ago in pursuit of the American dream, was given the privilege to introduce Obama at the event. According to a White House official, after waiting for 12 long years to obtain a green card, Geetha is now living her dream in Silicon Valley where she started Luminix, an enterprise software company, within 10 months of receiving her green card. Referring to his recent meeting with top American CEOs, Obama said their top priority was that the US invites the brightest minds from around the world to study here and then does not let them
stay. "We end up sending them home to create new jobs and start
Geetha Vallabhaneni
new businesses someplace else," he said. "I hear from folks who've been separated from their families for years because of green card backlogs who desperately want their loved ones to be able to join them here in America. "I hear from young dreamers who are Americans through and through in every way but on paper, and they just want a chance to study and serve and contribute to the nation that they love," Obama said. Pushing for his case for the comprehensive immigration reform, Obama said the law would
modernize America's legal immigration system in order to eliminate the backlog of family visas and make it easier to attract highly skilled entrepreneurs from beyond its borders. "It would make sure that everybody plays by the same rules by providing a pathway to earned citizenship for those who are living in the shadows - a path that includes passing a background check, and learning English, and paying taxes and a penalty, and getting in line behind everyone trying to come here the right way," Obama said. -PTI
Kshama Sawant is first elected Modi shortlisted by Time for Person of Year title socialist in US WASHINGTON: Indian-Ameri"The machines are here, the can Kshama Sawant has been workers are here. Let us take this elected to the prestigious Seattle entire productive activity into City Council, making her the first democratic public ownership and socialist to be voted to an elected retool the machines to produce office, 97 years after the city sent mass transit," Sawant said. their first outspoken radical into office. P u n e born Sawant, 40, was dec l a r e d elected after her nearest rival 16-year incumbent Richard Conlin conceded defeat as her lead grew to 1,640 votes - less than one per cent of the total votes. The victory of the first socialist was celebrated with Kshama Sawant an impressive gathering in Se- Sawant said as a city councilor, attle. she will use her position to help Her call to build, unite, and give political take Boeing the biggest voice to the struggles of low-paid private em- workers, youth, people of color, ployer of the r e g i o n , and all those who are shut out by which is the political machine threatening to move jobs out of the state - into "Our campaign is not an isopublic ownership was welcomed lated event, it's a bellwether for what's going to happen in the fuwith a standing ovation.
ture," she added. Sawant is an economics teacher at Seattle Central Community College and a member of the American Federation of Teachers Local 1789. She was an activist in the Occupy Wall Street movement. In 2012 Sawant won a 29 per cent with over 20,000 votes as a Socialist Alternative candidate against Democratic WA State House Speaker Frank Chopp - the strongest vote for an independent leftwing candidate in the US in 2012, and the highest vote for a socialist in decades. Sawant said as a city councilor, she will use her position to help build, unite, and give political voice to the struggles of low-paid workers, youth, people of color, and all those who are shut out by the political machine that runs this city on behalf of the wealthy elite. During the campaign she did not accept any corporate funding. Born to Vasundhara and H T Ramanujam in Pune in 1973, Sawant grew up in Mumbai where she later studied computer science and graduated with a BS from the University of Mumbai in 1994. Sawant married Vivek, an engineer at Microsoft, and moved to the United States. After moving to the United States Sawant decided to abandon the computer engineering field. She began to pursue study in economics due to what she described as her own "questions of economic inequality." She entered the economics program at North Carolina State University where she earned a PhD. She became a United States citizen in 2010.-PTI
NEW YORK: BJP's Prime MinObama, who has twice been isterial candidate Narendra Modi named 'Person of the Year', is in is among Time magazine's the shortlist with the US magazine shortlisted candidates for its 'Per- saying the President's "second son of the Year' title and has term started with a slew of selfemerged as an early favorite inflicted wounds and unfulfilled among the readers in an online promise(s), from an IRS scandal poll. and stalled immigration reform to Time has shortlisted 42 global the bungled Obamacare launch". leaders, entrepreneurs and celebSyrian President Bashar Assad rities for its 'Person of the Year is also among the contenders. 2013' and will announce the winAmong the other candidates ner next month. Other candidates in fray are Japan's Prime Time said "the controversial Minister Shinzo Abe, Hindu nationalist and Chief US President Barack Obama, Pakistani teen- Minister of the Indian state of age education activist Gujarat is the most likely Malala Yousafzai, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, candidate to unseat India's NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and ruling Congress party in the even the new heir to the world's largest democracy." British throne Prince George. On Modi, Time said "the con- are New Jersey governor Chris troversial Hindu nationalist and Christie, Twitter CEO Dick Chief Minister of the Indian state Costolo, J P Morgan Chase CEO of Gujarat is the most likely candi- Jamie Dimon, Pope Francis, Oscar date to unseat India's ruling Con- winner Angelina Jolie. gress party in the world's largest International Monetary Fund democracy." head Christine Lagarde, Yahoo Modi is the only Indian in the CEO Marissa Mayer, Germany's shortlist. While Time's editors will re-elected Chancellor Angela choose the winner, it has asked Merkel, Russian President readers to cast their votes for the Vladimir Putin are other contendperson they think "most influ- ers. enced the news this year for betIsrael Prime Minister Benjamin ter or worse". Netanyahu, Iranian President So far Modi has got over 2650 Hassan Rouhani, Chinese Presivotes and with about 25 per cent, dent Xi Jinping are also among is leading the online readers' poll. those shortlisted. Modi is way ahead with Snowden, Chechen brothers Dzhokhar who garnered the second highest and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the susnumber of votes at about 7 per pects in the Marathon terror bombcent as on November 20. ings, are in the shortlist too.-PTI
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Aarushi parents sentenced Public apathy marks 26/11 anniversary to life in prison GHAZIABAD: A day after they were held guilty, a special CBI court has sentenced dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar to life imprisonment for killing their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj over five years ago. Lawyers of the distraught couple, who were present in the court and immediately taken back to the Dasna Jail in Ghaziabad district after the sentencing, said they would appeal in a higher court against the verdict. The prosecution had sought death penalty for the Talwars, calling it a "rarest of the rare" case. But the counsel for the Talwars sought leniency from the court. Delivering the verdict, Special CBI Judge Shyam Lal said: "They are not menace to society. So, death sentence is not warranted." The ends of justice will be served by sentencing them to life imprisonment, he said in his fourpage judgment. The judge also sentenced the Talwars to five years in jail for destruction of evidence and Rajesh to an additional year in prison for giving false information to investigators. A fine of Rs 10,000 each was imposed on the couple on the
murder charge, Rs 5,000 each for destruction of evidence, and Rs 2,000 on Rajesh for misleading police. Earlier, the judge had convicted them for the murder of their daughter, saying they were "freaks" who "became the killer of their own progeny". The dentist couple was con-
The judge also sentenced the Talwars to five years in jail for destruction of evidence and Rajesh to an additional year in prison for giving false information to investigators victed of killing their 14-year-old daughter and 45-year-old domestic help, Hemraj, on the intervening night of May 15 and 16, 2008. The Class IX student was found with her throat slit and head battered in her plush Noida residence. Police initially suspected the
then missing Hemraj for Aarushi's killing but discovered his body from the terrace of the house the next day. It marked the start of one of India's most keenly followed crime cases that took several dramatic twists and turns before the CBI finally blamed the Talwars for the gory double murder. The Talwars say they are innocent and have vowed to fight for justice. The Talwars were booked under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The court also charged Rajesh under section 203 (misleading the probe). The Hemraj family's lawyer Naresh Yadav came under attack from other lawyers in the court premises soon after he broke the news of the verdict against the Talwars. Yadav sprinted from the scene with police assistance and took shelter in the court. Outside, two groups of lawyers got into a heated argument and a scuffle with police desperately trying to keep them apart.-PTI
MUMBAI/DELHI: Five years after Mumbai was brought to its knees in a hail of gunfire and grenade blasts by 10 Pakistani terrorists, the nightmare continues to haunt the survivors and families of victims of 26/11 attack but appears to have begun fading from public memory. Though some solemn ceremonies were organized to pay tributes to the fallen heroes and victims of the most brazen terror assault in the country, there was no public outpouring of grief and outrage, no gigantic posters of bravehearts who laid down their lives in the line of duty in street corners for passersby to pay homage. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, his deputy Ajit Pawar, Home Minister R R Patil and Union
any action to dismantle terror infrastructure. Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi expressed disappointment at the Center's failure to bring the real perpetrators of 26/11 attacks to justice. "Center's failure to bring the real perpetrators of 26/11 to justice is disappointing. It is high time Centre acts decisively," Modi said in a series of tweets. "26/11 is a grim reminder of the security threat India faces. Let us assure families of the victims that sacrifice of their near ones will not go in vain. Time to work towards a stronger & safer India," he said. BJP too charged the Centre with having failed in putting diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to hand over
Indian-American appointed president of S&P Ratings Services NEW YORK: A top IndianAmerican executive at Citigroup has been appointed president of Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, the world's largest ratings firm. Neeraj Sahai, 56, will assume his new role at S&P from January 6, 2014, financial intelligence com-
He succeeds Douglas Peterson, who became president and chief executive officer of McGraw Hill Financial on November 1. Peterson has taken over as chief executive of the parent company earlier this month. Sahai has "significant experience serving global capital mar-
pany McGraw Hill Financial said in a statement here. Sahai, who did his master's in economics from the University of Delhi, is currently head of Citi's Securities and Fund Services business and also acts as chief fiduciary officer of Citigroup.
kets. His insights, leadership and background in driving growth, as well as in risk, control and governance will be enormously valuable to Standard & Poor's Rating Services, to market participants and to credit markets," Peterson said. He added that as debt markets
expand around the world to finance the increasing demand for development and infrastructure projects, S&P and its 1,400 analysts would offer globally comparable measures of relative credit risk. "I am eager to get started, to work alongside S&P's deeply talented employees and to build on the progress Doug and the management team have achieved," said Sahai. In his previous role at Citi, Sahai significantly grew the business, which offers securities services to investors, issuers and intermediaries. From 2002 to 2005 he was chief financial officer of Citi's Global Transaction Services and before that has served in a range of other roles with Citi in the US and early in his career he held a number of positions of increasing responsibility with Citi in India. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, part of McGraw Hill Financial, is the world's leading provider of independent credit risk research.-PTI
Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and others after paying homage to the martyrs and victims of 26/11 terror attacks at a memorial at Police Gymkhana in Mumbai on November 26
Minister Shashi Tharoor were prominent among those who paid floral tributes to martyrs at the Police Memorial at Marine Lines in Mumbai. Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde deplored that Pakistan had not yet punished the plotters of the attack facing trial in that country despite India giving enough evidence. "We have handed over all the relevant proof to Pakistan. We are urging them to take quick and urgent action against the perpetrators of 26/11 attack," he told reporters in Delhi. Shinde said for expediting the trial in Pakistan, India had permitted a judicial commission from there to visit the country twice to examine and take statements of investigating officers and others in connection with the case. He also said despite repeated appeals, Pakistan has not taken
the perpetrators based in that country and asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to explain the steps taken in that regard. In a statement on his Facebook page, BJP President Rajnath Singh said the mastermind and real perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage are still roaming free in Pakistan. "The incumbent government at the Centre has failed miserably in putting any diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to act decisively against the forces of evil operating from its territory. The Prime Minister should explain to the people of this country what concrete steps his government had taken in this direction since 26/11," he said. "Five years after the Mumbai attack, we believe not much has changed. India continues to be a soft target for terrorists as it bleeds through a thousand cuts," the BJP chief said. -PTI
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Indo-US ties hold immense possibilities: Nirupama Rao WASHINGTON: Indo-US ties have liberated themselves from the shackles of the past to become a defining 21st century partnership, former Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao has said, underlining the immense possibilities for bilateral cooperation in areas like defense, IT and space. "I leave with the impression that this is a relationship of im-
touches every field of human endeavor," Rao, who till early this month was India's top envoy in the United States, told PTI. "The cooperation established in areas such as business and investment, the energy partnership, science and technology which includes cutting edge research, space cooperation and higher education impacts the lives of or-
Rao now plans to write a book focusing on how the advent of new media technologies is changing the way countries respond to policy-related situations. Rao, possibly the only Indian diplomat to have more than 196,000 followers on Twitter, also acknowledged the role social media in diplomacy mense possibilities, and the record of achievement in the last few years for our strategic partnership encourages me to think on these lines. The bilateral partnership
dinary people in very beneficial ways," she said. "Similarly, the defense technology initiative has the potential to impart greater strategic meaning
and substance to the relationship. These are all areas of cooperation based on principles and pragmatism, underscoring the fact that this is very much a defining 21st century partnership which has essentially liberated itself from the shackles of the past," said Rao. The former Indian Ambassador now been named Meera and Vikram Gandhi Fellow at the prestigious Brown University. Her appointment begins in January 2014. Rao now plans to write a book focusing on how the advent of new media technologies is changing the way countries respond to policy-related situations. Rao, possibly the only Indian diplomat to have more than 196,000 followers on Twitter, also acknowledged the role social media in diplomacy. "The new communication and social media tools do have a place in diplomacy especially in defining the role of the citizendiplomat who is responsive,
3 Indian writers shortlisted for DSC Lit Prize NEW DELHI: Three Indians are among the six authors who have been shortlisted for the USD 50,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2014. DSC (formerly known as D.S. Construction Ltd) is an international infrastructure development group. The shortlisted works include "The Book of Destruction" by Anand and "Goat Days" by Benyamin both fiction translated from Malayalam by Chetana Sachidanandan and Joseph Koyippalli respectively. The third is "Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer" by Cyrus Mistry. The winning titles were announced at a ceremony held at the London School of Economics in London. Pakistani authors Mohsin Hamid and Nadeem Aslam have
Benyamin
been shortlisted for "How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia" and "The Blind Man's Garden" respectively. Nayomi Munaweera from "Island of a Thousand Mirrors" is the sole writer from Sri Lanka who is in the running for the Prize. This is her first book. "Of the excellent 15 longlisted books, we selected six which offer the heart of South Asia in all its cultural, linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity" jury chair, Antara Dev Sen said. Currently in its 4th edition, the Prize, is open to any author belonging to any part of the world as long as the work is based on the South Asian region and its
Cyrus Mistry
Anand
people. Over the last three years, the Prize has gone to H M Naqvi from Pakistan for "Homeboy", Shehan Karunatilaka from Sri Lanka for "Chinaman" and Jeet Thayil from India for "Narcopolis". "We were forced to abandon some superbly crafted, smart and stylish novels as we chose six beautiful books from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, each a window opening onto the complexity of the South Asian experience. ...We trust this shortlist offers a glimpse of the enormous power and variety of South Asian fiction," said the jury chair. The final winner of the Prize is scheduled to be announced at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival in January 2014. -PTI
alert, and ready to engage with the public in order to educate, enlighten and inform on foreign policy related questions and issues that need to be explained to the people," she said.
"Our accelerated economic growth, our developmental achievements, the stellar record of our scientists and engineers, the rise of our IT companies, the vibrancy and strength of our de-
A firm believer in cultural diplomacy, Rao was instrumental in opening of Indian cultural center in Beijing; while in Washington she ended up decades of search for cultural center when she purchased in property which is now all set to be the hub of India's cultural activities in the US. "Cultural diplomacy provides the space in which we can utilize our unique attributes as a great civilization, our pluralism and rich diversity, our cultural heritage and contemporary trends in artistic expression, to create a compelling and magnetic image of a great country that embodies the human experience in an incomparable way," Rao said. "Our culture is a precious asset and it can play a powerful role in building influence and winning friends all over the world," she said. Rao believes that there has been a sea change in perception about India, globally.
mocracy, our profile as a responsible and mature global player have all contributed to this phenomenon," she said. Rao, who joined the foreign service in 1973, is proud of Indian diplomats. "In forty years, I have also seen how the nature of the challenges we face has evolved significantly; areas like energy security, counter-terrorism, public diplomacy, development cooperation have all acquired a great significance for our diplomatic work. Regional cooperation, and trade, investment and business related issues are also much more salient than before," Rao said. When asked what would be her recommendations for new foreign career service officers, Rao said, "Never abandon the quest for knowledge, be ever observant, be sensitive and responsive to the needs of our citizens, hone your communication skills, always observe the highest standards of integrity, and be security conscious, always." -PTI
Indian envoy to China hosts farewell dinner BEIJING: Top Chinese Foreign Ministry officials, diplomats and media personnel attended a farewell dinner hosted by outgoing Indian envoy S Jaishankar. Jaishankar, who played a key role in Indo-US Nuclear accord will be succeeded by Ashok K Kantha, currently Secretary East in the External Affairs Ministry. Jaishankar would be the next
Indian Ambassador to the US. After taking over as envoy to Beijing in Aug 2009, Jaishankar dealt with several challenges in bilateral ties, including the issuance of stapled visas by China to residents of Jammu and Kashmir as well as incursions by Chinese troops into the Depsang valley in Ladakh in April this year. -PTI
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'Buddha lived as early as 6th century BC' WASHINGTON: Evidence of a previously unknown wooden structure unearthed at the Buddha's birthplace suggests the sage might have lived in the 6th century BC, two centuries earlier than thought, archaeologists said here. Traces of the ancient timber structure was found under a brick temple that is itself within Buddhism's sacred Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini, in southern Nepal near the Indian border. In design it resembled the Asokan temple erected on top of it. Significantly, it featured an open area, unprotected from the elements, from which it appeared a tree
once grew. "This sheds light on a very very long debate" over when the Buddha was born and, in turn, when the faith that grew out of his teachings took root, said archaeologist Robin Coningham in a conference call. It's widely accepted that the Buddha was born beneath a hardwood Sal tree at Lumbini as his mother Queen Maya Devi, the wife of a clan chief, was traveling to her father's kingdom to give birth. But much of what is known about his life and times has its origins in oral tradition, with little scientific evidence to sort out fact from myth.
Many scholars have maintained that the Buddha - who renounced material wealth to embrace a life of enlightenment - lived and taught in the 4th century BC and died in his 80s. "What our work has demonstrated is that we have this shrine (at Buddha's birthplace) established in the 6th century BC" that supports the hypothesis that the Buddha might have lived in that earlier era, Coningham said.
Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence techniques were used to date fragments of charcoal and grains of sand found at the site. Geoarcheological research meanwhile confirmed the existence of tree roots within the temple's central open area. Coningham was co-director of an international team of archeologists at Lubini, partly funded by the Washington-based National Geographic Society. -AFP
US warns Karzai it may leave no troops in Afghanistan WASHINGTON: US National Security Advisor Susan Rice told Afghan President Hamid Karzai Washington could not wait until after the 2014 Afghan elections to sign a security pact and, without a deal, may have to plan to leave no troops behind next year. "Without a prompt signature, the US would have no choice but to initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no US or NATO troop presence in Afghanistan," Rice told Karzai, according to a White House statement. "Ambassador Rice stressed... that deferring the signature of the agreement until after next year's elections is not viable" when she met with Karzai at the end of a three-day trip to Kabul, it added. Washington was ready to sign the deal in the coming days after the Loya Jirga, or traditional assembly, urged the Afghan leader to sign the bilateral security agreement (BSA), Rice said. But "in response, President Karzai outlined new conditions for signing the agreement and indicated he is not prepared to sign the BSA promptly," the White House said. Rice argued that waiting to sign the deal, which is meant to provide the legal protection for US troops remaining in the country, "would not provide the United States and NATO allies the clarity necessary to plan for a potential post-2014 military presence." "Nor would it provide Afghans with the certainty they deserve regarding their future, in the critical months preceding elections," Rice told Karzai as they met over dinner on the last day of her visit. She warned too that "the lack of a signed BSA would jeopardize NATO and other nations' pledges of assistance made at the Chicago and Tokyo conferences in 2012." AFP
November 29, 2013
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Iran briefs India on moving ahead on cooperation
Lawyers of Pak accused in Mumbai case step down
NEW DELHI: Iran briefed India in "deBut Iranian negotiators insisted they still tail" over the Interim Agreement between had a right to nuclear power. Iran and six super powers while outlining In return, there will be no new nuclearprospects of moving forward in the evolv- related sanctions on Iran for six months. ing situation and discussed various possiSingh and Rahimpour also "discussed bilities of furthering bilateral economic co- various possibilities of furthering bilateral operation. economic cooperation, particularly the In a meeting with Foreign Secretary Chabahar port project in which India has Sujatha Singh, Iranian Deputy Foreign Min- evinced a keen interest in participation", ister Ebrahim Rahimpour also discussed the the sources said. strategic Chabahar port project in Iran in which India has evinced a keen interest in participation. "The visiting Deputy Minister provided a detailed briefing to the Foreign Secretary about the scenario in the region in the light of the Interim Agreement between Iran and E3 plus 3 and outlined Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ebrahim Rahimpour meeting the Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari, in New Delhi on November 25 prospects of moving forward in the evolving situation," official sources said Chabahar is Iran's closest and best achere. cess point to the Indian Ocean. For this Capping days of negotiations, represen- reason, Chabahar is the focal point of Iran tatives of the US, the UK, Russia, China, for development of the east of the country France and Germany (P5+1 group of nations) through expansion and enhancement of reached an agreement with Iran in Geneva transit routes among countries situated in to slow its controversial nuclear program the northern part of the Indian Ocean and in return for about USD 7 billion in sanc- Central Asia. tions relief. India is in the process of constructing a Under the deal, Iran agreed to give bet- 900-km railway line that will connect ter access to inspectors and halt some of Chabahar port in Iran to the mineral- rich its work on uranium enrichment. Hajigak region of Afghanistan. -PTI
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: In a develop- if there was any pressure on him and ment that could delay the trial of seven Pa- Ahmad. kistanis charged with involvement in the Cheema said new defense counsel would Mumbai attacks, two lawyers defending the be named soon. accused have separated themselves from He had been pursuing the case since the the case for "personal reasons". trial began in early 2009 while Ahmad had Defense lawyers Khwaja Haris Ahmad replaced his father, Khwaja Sultan Ahmad, and Riaz Akram Cheema after his death over a year will no longer represent ago. the accused, including Cheema was also Cheema was also part Lashkar-e-Taiba com- part of the Pakistani of the Pakistani judicial mander Zakiur Rehman commission that recently Lakhvi, who have been judicial commission visited India to question on trial for over four that recently visited key witnesses, including years. The move came judge who recorded India to question key the days ahead of the fifth attacker Ajmal Kasab's anniversary of the brazen witnesses, including confession and the police attacks. officer who led the probe the judge who "I have separated into the attacks on India's myself from the Mumbai recorded attacker financial hub that killed case for personal rea- Ajmal Kasab's 166 people in November sons," Cheema told PTI. 2008. He said Ahmad had confession However, Special Pubearlier separated himself lic Prosecutor Chaudhury from the case and handed it over to him. Mohammed Azhar said the trial would not The exit of the defense lawyers could be delayed. "There is no question of any slow down the pace of the trial since new delay. The case will go on. New defense counsel would take time to familiarize them- lawyers will be appointed," he told PTI. selves with the case, legal experts said. India has repeatedly expressed its disAsked repeatedly why he would no appointment at the slow-paced trial in Palonger represent the accused, Cheema only kistan. Indian High Commissioner T C A said he had to look after his ailing mother. Raghavan even said the trial was in the He declined to comment when he was asked "freezer" for long. -PTI
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Kayani has no plans to work or UK media names Indianorigin 'slave owner' couple write book: Brother ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has no plans to take up a job or pen his memoirs after he hangs up his boots this week, his brother has said. "A COAS (Chief of Army Staff) never does a job," Brig (retired) Amjad Kayani, the army chief's brother, said while speaking about his plans after he retires on November 29. He said the family was happy that Kayani would join them after retirement as he was not in good health due to chain smoking. "He needs rest; he will not be doing any job," he said. Amjad, a successful businessman who retired in 2005 after serving in the infantry, told The News daily that his brother had no plans
to pen a book after stepping down. "He will not; if he asked me, I will not advise him (not to) be-
Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
cause one cannot write the whole truth," he said. He said Jahangir Karamat was the only former army chief who
opted for a job after retirement. Kayani, who was appointed army chief by former dictator Pervez Musharraf in 2007 and given an unprecedented threeyear extension in 2010, has already announced that he will step down when his term ends this month. Referring to the family's reaction to Kayani's extension in service, he said almost every family member was against it. Amjad said there were "some military compulsions" that required Kayani to continue in office. Asked if it was true that their mother called Kayani a 'majh' (buffalo), Amjad nodded in affirmation and said this was because his brother was a reticent person.-PTI
LONDON: An elderly Indian- met the man through a "shared origin man and his wife, both political ideology". former Maoist activists who were The three alleged victims, a 30arrested for allegedly holding year-old Briton, a 57-year-old Irish three women as slaves here for 30 woman and a 69-year-old Malayyears, have been named by the sian, are now in the care of a nonBritish media. governmental organization folThe alleged suspects have lowing their rescue last month, the been named as 73-year-old report said. Aravindan Balakrishnan and his The couple were arrested on 67-year-old wife Chanda. suspicion of being involved in According to Marxist archives forced labor and slavery. They they were leading figures at the have also been arrested for immiMao Zedong Memorial Centre gration offences. They have been based in Acre Lane, Brixton, south released on bail until January. London, in the 1970s, a BBC rePolice said they were of Indian port said. and Tanzanian origin and came to The centre was raided by police and The couple were arrested on five people, including suspicion of being involved the pair, were held. Three women were in forced labor and slavery. rescued from their home in Brixton a month ear- They have also been arlier. rested for immigration ofThe couple has been fences. They have been linked to 13 addresses across London, the released on bail until Metropolitan police has January.Police said they confirmed. The force, however, would not were of Indian and Tanzaconfirm or deny their nian origin and came to names, the report said. the UK in the 1960s Police carried out house-to-house inquiries in and around Peckford Place, the UK in the 1960s. They were Brixton, where the women were previously arrested in the 1970s, rescued, over the weekend, it said. but it is not known if they were Officers said the women had charged. suffered years of "physical and Thirty-seven officers from the mental abuse". Metropolitan police' human trafThey lived together as a "col- ficking unit are working on the lective" after two of the women case. -PTI
Ex-PM declared fugitive in Bugti murder case ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has been declared a fugitive along with two others by an anti-terrorism court in Quetta in connection with the 2006 murder of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Khan Bugti. The court also rejected former president General Pervez Musharraf's request for exemption from attendance in the case in which he is also an accused. Aziz, former governor of Balochistan Owais Ahmed Ghani and former district coordination officer (DCO) Abdul Samad Lasi were declared fugitives and the court ordered the authorities to seize their properties. The trio have arrest warrants pending against them. During the hearing of the case, former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan
Sherpao was produced before the court. The court rejected Musharraf's application seeking exemption from attending court proceedings and ordered him to appear at its upcoming hearing on December 24. Musharraf, who is already on bail in the case, had cited security concerns in his application for exemption. Bugti was killed in a cave on August 26, 2006 during a military crackdown ordered by Musharraf who was president and army chief at the time. Bugti had led an armed campaign to press for provincial autonomy and a greater share of profits from Balochistan's natural resources. His death sparked angry protests in the country. -PTI
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November 29, 2013
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Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar
NOVEMBER 29ND
- DECEMBER 5TH , 2013
(March 21 to April 20)
S
ome of you may finally decide to move on in life and start looking for another job, within and even outside country of current residence. Money wise you will stay comfortable. You may call and old confidant for advice and guidance on career related matter. It will be an excellent week for people in food business.
(July 23 to August 22)
N
ew strategy will be helpful in turning things around for your benefit. You will be able to prove your point and reap rich rewards money wise. Spouse will be little stressed out for no visible reason. You will continue your search for another location and may fill up some kind of applications in a hurry this week. (August 23 to September 22)
(April 21 to May 20)
Y
ou will have better control over things in life and will be able to take all decisions with a cool and rational mind. Any changes in career at this point will be a blessing in disguise. New contract will relieve you of previous tension. You may arrange a small get together at your place and invite few close friends.
Y
ou will be selected among number of applicants for the prestigious job. People in business will continue to gain an edge over their competitors with the new strategy. Help will come from totally unexpected place. Just do not stretch your limits and avoid making any big financial commitments during the week. (September 23 to October 22)
(May 21 to June 20)
O
bstacles will cause some frustration. You will travel to another state to attend an important meeting. You may also make final payment on a short term loan or credit card. Home remedy will be enough to resolve health issues. You may be slowly working on taxes also. You will do some serious cleaning inside and outside home.
(June 21 to July 22)
Y
ou will lay your hands on some real easy money this week. A big refund or payment will also come via mail. Just do not involve your self in other people's problems. Keep working on your plans as ultimate success is just few weeks away. Some of you may start looking for a better place to move this coming summer.
H
aving almost everything and things going right way, you may still feel little uneasy and lack the real motivation. You have to overcome it quick and just look at what you got and feel content. People in business will experience better sales. Quick thinking and action will help make money through stocks also. (October 23 to November 22)
T
here is absolutely no harm in being ambitious as long it does not turn into greed. Avoid initiating a legal case just to harass some one who could not fulfill his commitment. You will continue to make slow and steady progress as far as money is concerned. (November 23 to December 22)
E
xcellent week for people in marketing and sales. This is the right time to approach boss or a government agency to seek big favors. Its high time that you should throw all your fears out and implement your plans. You may receive some money though small amount through a legal process. Trip will be very fruitful. (December 22 to January 19)
M
oney will come but will be hard to hold. Loan application will be approved with added conditions. A government agency giving run around in the past, will ease off their requirements and you will start to see the light at the end of tunnel. It is favorable week for those looking for a change in career.
(January 20 to February 18)
W
ith new strategy, you will be able to turn things around in your favor all of a sudden. Some one creating problems will quit the scene. You may one more time put your needs aside and help a needy sibling or a friend. You will be studying some very useful material. You may start your search for another location to move.
(February 19 to March 20)
H
elp will come from unexpected place. An incidence which will make you unhappy will prove to be a blessing in disguise the very next day. You should not not change your travel plans and proceed with positive attitude. Email or letter you mail out will bring positive response. An electric item will need to be replaced.
Tech News India should open up banking sector: Expert SINGAPORE: India should open up its banking sector to foreign banks and tap the strength of international financial institutions, an expert has said. Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive of Singapore's DBS Group Holdings, said India could tap foreign banks to bridge its capital shortfall. Speaking at the second South Asian Diaspora Convention here Gupta said countries such as India often look to banks to fulfill multiple agendas, which could include those for the financial sector and rural development. "There are multiple requirements that a country has, and you need to find different participants to be able to address different sets of those requirements," Gupta said. He announced that DBS would open 50 branches in India once restrictions on setting up of branches were removed. DBS is rated the fourth largest foreign bank in India with 12 branches and 37 ATMs since it entered the country's market in 1995. He said red tape should be reduced and companies allowed to raise capital from overseas markets.-PTI
Monaco invites Indian firms to invest in IT, pharma MUMBAI: The Monaco government has invited Indian companies to invest in various sectors, including information and technology, pharmaceuticals and real estate. "We are interested in participation of Indian companies in Monaco and there is a good atmosphere for their participation in all aspects of economic cooperation like information and technology, pharmaceuticals and real estate and tourism," Monaco Ambassador to India Patrick Medecin told reporters here. Over the years, Monaco has attracted FDI investment from Europe and America. The country is looking at talent from India for developing its R&D in pharmaceutical and IT sectors, Medecin said, adding that Monaco has people from around 120 nationalities working in various sectors and they enjoy no taxation benefits. "India is increasingly becoming a niche strategic market for us and we are also witnessing a good growth in the number of tourists visiting Monaco from India," Medecin said. -PTI
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Models pose with the new edition of Fiat Linea car during its launch in Kochi on November 26
November 29, 2013
Big growth of smartphone users in India to help app market NEW DELHI: The exponential growth of smartphone users in India will help the mobile applications market to expand in the country, enterprise mobility solutions firm Xcube Labs said. "As per current estimates, we're expected to have close to 400 million smartphones in use in India by 2016. This is an impressive figure and it will eventually lead to development of a more robust mobile app market in the country," Xcube Labs CEO Bharath Lingam told PTI. India did not start out being the country with one of the largest base of mobile users; however, it surpassed most of the first world countries in a short span of time once carrier prices as well as the handset prices dropped, he added. "We see a similar opportunity for mobile apps in India. The growth of mobile apps in India is driven by the growth of smartphones, availability of bandwidth and of local content and relevance of global apps to this ecosystem," Lingam said.
India, which has the world's second largest mobile phone user base, saw dip in feature phone sales for the first time in the JulySeptember quarter as smartphones continue to capture the consumer interest.
On growth of 3G in India, which will help the mobile apps eco-system, Lingam said: "Once smartphones started getting traction in advanced nations, 3G data consumption really took off and we expect a similar projection in
According to a report by CyberMedia Research (CMR), mobile handset shipments grew 10.9 per cent to 62.9 million units during July-September 2013. Of the total, 51.8 million units were feature phones, while 11.1 million were smartphones.
the case of India as well. Industry projections measure 3G adoption to be at 250 million by the end of 2016." On the back of these trends, Xcube sees a great opportunity for users to initially use popular utility and entertainment apps
such as whats app, angry birds etc, and then move to local content and entertainment, he added. The initial investments on mobile apps in India will be on the large media and entertainment segment and once that gets critical mass, more content from smaller players is expected to come in, he said. Lingam, however, said the problem with mobile apps is how the firm, which creates the app, will entice the user to use that. Also, app discovery is a big challenge. "Top 100 apps make for about 80 per cent of revenues on the Apple App Store and this is the problem that faces app developers. Xcube has been constantly working in this space and has come out with some solutions," he said. Xcube's Insta Sense product humanizes the mobile app so that it thinks for the user. It also makes the application intuitive, which again helps it to prioritize as per the usage of the smartphone, Lingam added. -PTI
India to have world's largest Facebook population WASHINGTON: Indians are increasingly logging into their Facebook and Twitter accounts, with the country recording the highest social networking growth of 37.4 per cent this year, according to a new study. India will also have the world's largest Facebook population by 2016, research firm eMarketer found. India, with the highest growth this year, will increase user numbers by 37.4 per cent, while Indonesia's numbers will climb 28.7 per cent and Mexico will grow its social network user base by 21.1 per cent. All three of those countries are also high-growth areas for Facebook, the world's largest social network, which eMarketer estimates will reach a worldwide
monthly user base of 1.026 billion this year. The US remains the single country with the greatest number
of Facebook users, at 146.8 million this year, and India comes in a distant second. But with India's large population and high expected growth
rate, eMarketer believes the country will develop the largest Facebook population of any country in the world by 2016. Since Facebook is banned in China, eMarketer assumes there are no users of the social network in the country. Growth in the number of social network users around the world may be slowing, but it shows little sign of stopping, based on eMarketer's latest forecast of internet, broadband and social network users worldwide. This year, eMarketer estimates, 1.61 billion people will log in to
social networking sites at least monthly, from any electronic device. That is a 14.2 per cent gain on social networker numbers from 2012, and double-digit growth is expected to continue for another year. By 2017, 2.33 billion people will use social networks, the research found. Currently, the highest penetration of social network users as a share of total population occurs in the Netherlands, where 63.5 per cent of all residents are social network users; Norway follows just behind at 63.3 per cent. Majority of residents in Sweden, South Korea, Denmark, the US, Finland, Canada and the UK also use social networking sites monthly. -PTI
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India poised for more stupendous leap: Mukesh Ambani NEW YORK: India is poised for another even more "stupendous leap" in its growth trajectory, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has said but underlined that economic expansion has happened only after the government loosened its "regulatory shackles". "I believe India today is potentially poised for another even more stupendous leap on its upward trajectory. India's relative weight in the global economy and in the world affairs in general is bound to grow," Ambani wrote in an essay titled 'Making the next leap' in the book 'Reimagining India: Unlocking the potential of Asia's next su-
perpower' edited by global consulting firm McKinsey. Ambani stressed that the actions India should take to move forward should be sweeping and comprehensive and not timid. "As the old India gives way more completely to the new India, a certain amount of flux will be generated. However the good developments will far outnumber others," he said. The billionaire industrialist noted that economic empowerment for the hundreds of millions of excluded Indians and jobs for the nation's youth can be achieved only through concerted action by the citizens, businesses and government
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani
working together. "That is one of the great lessons of the past two decades, when the economy expanded at a rapid pace only after the gov-
FICCI calls for establishing North East Corridor to ASEAN SINGAPORE: The Federation east across Indonesia. of Indian Chambers of Commerce The Indian-ASEAN bilateral and Industry (FICCI) has suggested the establishment of a North East Corridor, linking businesses in the region to the economically prosperous South East Asia. "There will be tremendous opportunities there for realizing what we are all talking about the connect between ASEAN and India," said FICCI Secretary General Dr A Didar Singh FICCI Secretary General Dr A Didar Singh said here. "I am suggesting, sir, this is the future. You must trade has grown to USD 75 billion create an economic corridor in the in 2012 from USD 2.5 billion in North East area," Singh made the call to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who delivered a keynote address at the second South Asian Diaspora Convention. "In Assam, if you build an economic corridor, link up the differNEW DELHI: Airports Authorent industries with it and link it to the ASEAN," he said, highlight- ity of India is expecting a net profit ing the vast amount of business of Rs 1,500 crore this fiscal on acopportunities in the regional mar- count of increase in revenue after the Airports Economic Regukets. He cited the models of India's latory Authority (AERA) refour economic corridors - Delhi- vised the airport tariffs. "We have seen improvement Mumbai, Delhi-Bangalore, Bangalore-Chennai and Amritsar- in our bottomline because of new increased tariff regime of Kolkatta. Singh also highlighted the pro- AERA. We expect to earn a net jected of USD 100 billion trade by profit of Rs 1,500 crore," AAI 2015 between India and ASEAN - Chairman V P Agrawal said here. Speaking on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations comprising 10 a function organized by AAI Ofcountries from Myanmar to south- ficers Association, he claimed
1997. The business and economic growth potential was huge, given the recent emphasis on the development of land, sea and air routes between the Southeast Asian countries and India's North East. Singh said the North East region was now a gateway to India and no longer a corner. In his keynote address, Chief Minister Gogoi outlined Assam's plans to carry out massive development which would offer new business opportunities. He highlighted business opportunities in power and energy sector among others, pointing out that Assam was home to the world's second oldest oil refinery and still had that edge to be a major energy producer. He also pointed out the young Assam people being accounted among the global Diaspora and were working across India. -PTI
AAI eyes Rs 1,500 crore profit this fiscal that the state-run airport operator would not lose any revenue on account of privatization of six airports, including Kolkata and Chennai which were recently modernized by it. "We will not lose any revenue due to privatization of airports, as they are being leased out" for a period of three decades. AAI employees and several major political parties have been opposing the government's attempt to privatize the AAI-run airports. -PTI
ernment loosened its regulatory shackles," he said. He said India is projected to overtake China by 2030 as the most populous country in the world with the third-largest
economy in US dollar terms. Also working to India's advantage is that it is a very young nation, with nearly two-thirds of its people below the age of 35. "The possibilities are breathtaking. The most exciting prospect of all is the impetus that could come from tapping the surging aspirations of the 700800 million Indians who remain excluded from India's success story," Ambani said. "If we manage to bring this segment of the population into the economic mainstream, the result will be an enormous enhancement in India's economic and non-economic power as we generate equality in access despite inequality in income," he added. -PTI
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India should develop manufacturing exports SINGAPORE: India can create more jobs for its people and boost economic growth by developing its manufacturing exports, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said. Speaking at the closing of the second South Asian Diaspora
Shanmugaratnam, who is also Singapore's Finance Minister. But to grow the export manufacturing sector, India would need to ease its rigid labor laws and liberalize its financial sector, making it easier for the private sector to raise capital and not cause a drain on state coffers, said
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Convention here, he said manufacturing exports would also provide India with opportunity to grow and deepen its integration with South East Asia. "That is very much within India's comparative advantage, given the size of its labor force, given its wage levels and give its potential skill levels," said
Shanmugaratnam. Elaborating, he said an open financial sector in India would provide more funding, such as seed funding to venture capital for startups as well as small and mediumsized enterprises to spur innovations. Among India's important challenges were the development of
rural population and creation of jobs for subsistence farmers in livable cities. Shanmugaratnam also touched on the important role of the private and public sectors which, he said, need to collaborate both in skills and infrastructure developments. The government, facing fiscal constraints, must find ways to attract investors, he said in his concluding remarks to more than 1,000 international business delegates of South Asian origin at the close of the convention. Shanmugaratnam also saw the role of manufacturing supply chain improving India's relations with Pakistan. "I would not underestimate the importance of this market driven private sector supply chains, to be part of the solutions," he said. Development of industries would make people more comfortable with each other, and more importantly, giving countries a vested interest in each other's stability and prosperity, he pointed out. The Minister said Singapore, though being a small and neutral nation and of no threat to any of the parties, could help bring a meeting of minds between the two neighbors. This could be done by starting with the think tanks, academics and civil societies "but do it with humility", Shanmugaratnam added. -PTI
UAE's Ajman Free Zone woos Indian firms NEW DELHI: Aiming to attract Indian businesses, a delegation from the Ajman Free Zone Authority (AFZA) is here to promote the
benefits of investing in Ajman, UAE. AFZA said it offers 100 per cent foreign ownership, repatriation of capital and profits, no corporate tax, no personal income tax and no
import and export duties. Besides, the authority offers benefits like lowest lease prices and tariff, extremely low handling
charges, easy access to workforce, single window clearances and cheap energy to businesses interested in setting up an offshore company.
"With a large Indian Diaspora residing in UAE and around the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), India and its business community is of strategic importance to us," General Manager of AFZA Mahmood Al Hashemi told PTI at a Ficci event here. "We have a streamlined bureaucracy sans any red tape. The pricing is very competitive. The world-class infrastructure at Ajman Free Zone comes with no hidden fees or service charges," he added. India is the largest trading partner of the UAE. At present, over 8,000 companies are registered and operating in the Ajman Free Zone out of which 38 per cent are of Indian ownership. "For small & medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs who find entry cost prohibitive, office space is available for USD 555 per month and bigger offices for USD 777 per month in 12 installments.-PTI
HTC launches tracker device for its mobile phones NEW DELHI: Smartphone maker HTC has launched a tracking device called Fetch that can help display handset locations on Google Maps and alert owners when they leave their instruments behind. "You will never lose you HTC phone if you have Fetch. This can be paired (connected wirelessly) with any HTC One series phone. As soon as an HTC One owner walks 10 meters beyond the phone, both device and phone will start ringing. An e-mail will immediately go on his mail showing location of the phone on Google Maps," HTC India's Country Head Faisal Siddiqui said here. The company introduced the tracker along with the HTC One Max, which has a maximum retail price of Rs 61,490. The new phone is offered by some retailers at Rs 56,490 and customers will have to pay an additional Rs 2,500 for Fetch. Siddiqui said HTC Fetch uses
the Global Positioning System (GPS), Assisted GPS and mobiletower triangulation technology to detect a phone's location. He said it will be difficult to steal an HTC One Max that is paired
with Fetch because the phone has a finger scanner and will open only after recognizing the owner's fingerprint. "A thief will not be able to unpair Fetch from HTC One Max as his fingerprint will not match. This will not allow him to change any setting in the phone," he said. -PTI
Indian launches Big Data site in Singapore SINGAPORE: An Indian entrepreneur has launched a content and resource aggregation website here which aims to be a one stop shop for anyone looking for information related to articles, events, videos, announcements across sectors, companies and technologies.
simplifying the quest for information for visitors to this platform. "It is the one stop for everything that you need to know about Big Data and Analytics," said Shanker. Srikant Sastri, founder of Crayon Data said on the occasion of the website going live, said.
Crayon Data founder Suresh Shankar said his company's BigData-MadeSimple.com is the first ever of its kind outside of the United States. This big data knowledge platform uses the latest data aggregation technology for collating and categorizing information from numerous sources on big data, hence
"We hope to achieve two things: to de-mystify the world of Big Data, and make it more accessible and action-oriented for everyone; and to provide a single source of information, and destination for anyone who is interested in tracking Big Data trends, whether enterprise users, analysts, investors, techies or students." -PTI
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Desi News ‘Children have to live out their own dreams’ VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
FREMONT, CA: 'Angelina Ballerina the Musical' show in Santa Cruz is the finale of a three year run with limited US tour. The show is absolutely riveting for kids! In this exclusive interview, Sam Viverito, director and choreographer for the show, talks about himself and the show: How did you get your start, and how did you end up directing/ choreographing? I have been dancing from 11 years old. I did my schooling in New York and have been directing and choreographing for about 28 years. Who or what are your biggest sources of inspiration? My dance teacher Beverly Fletcher was my biggest source of inspiration. She was a like a motherly figure to me and I used to dance 52 hours/week when I was in college. I have performed in South Korea, Bali, Hawaii, South Africa. Details on page 24
Tri-State Telugu Assn hosts anniversary celebrations MADHU PATEL
CHICAGO: Tri-State Telugu Association (TTA), a non-profit organization, hosted its grand 30th anniversary celebrations at Samarathi auditorium in Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, Lemont, a south side suburb of Chicago, on Saturday Nov 16. The spirit of Telugu culture was brought forth in vibrant colors with an all day cultural program with more than 320 Chicagoland performers participating in the event. Consul General of India Dr Ausuf Sayeed was the Chief Guest with TANA President Dr Mohan Nannapaneni as the Guest of Honor for this event. Details on page 21
Kadva Patidar celebrates Diwali in grand fashion JAYANTI OZA
CHICAGO: Kadva Patidar Samaj (KPS), an Illinois based no profit body, had its Diwali celebrations organized recently at Ashyana Banquet in Downers Grove, a south west suburb of Chicago. Details on page 23
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BAYVP celebrates Annakut Utsav in style
November 29, 2013
Details on page 25
Five Asian Americans honored for service to community HARISH RAO
CHICAGO: Asian Chronicle, USA held its 12th Annual Distinguished & Exemplary Awards 2013 at the Four Points in Chicago Sheraton at O'Hare Airport honoring a cross section of community activists with special awards. Five Asian Americans from the Indian subcontinent were recognized for their services to the community in different fields. They are Dr Austin Prabhu and Terry Prabhu, Bala Ghimre, Dr Amrajit Singh, Zehra Qudri, Nadirshah & Sehr Ali family and Qasim & Nasim Gillani family. Dr. Austin Prabhu & Terry were given Lifetime Asian Humanitarian Couple Award, 2013 for their involvement in Lions Clubs International. Exemplary Civic Service Award 2013 went to Bala Ghimere of Curry House. Asian Humanitarian 2013 Awards went to Zehra Quadri and Dr Amarjit Singh, among others. Asian Model Awards went to Nadirshah & Sehr Ali family and Qasim & Nasim Gillani family from Bangladesh. Friends of Asian Americans 2013 award went to George VanDusen,
A group of Asian awardees and invitees
Mayor of Skokie. All the awardees received the US President's Call to Service Volunteer Awards 2013. Asian Chronicle USA is a television program on public access cable aired every Saturday at 5:30 pm on Channels 19 and 35 (N & NW Chicago suburbs), and every Tuesday at 10:00 pm on Channel
19 (SW Chicago suburbs). It is produced and directed by a professionally-trained crew extending their services pro-bono. It has gotten recognition from the Office of the Governor for its excellent programming and professionalism. Every November, it honors exemplary Asians, philanthropic or hu-
manitarians, who have paved the way or have made significant contributions for the betterment of the lives of the less fortunate, the impoverished and the under-served. It also recognizes exceptional young professionals and youths who are leading the path of today's generation and those of the future.
Sadhvi Sahelaji impresses with her straight talk SURENDRA ULLAL
CHICAGO: A highly educated young Indian woman of a rich business family of Mumbai turned Sadhvi (nun) came to Chicago for a short visit and impressed all those who came to meet her and listen to her sagacious talks. An erudite scholar, Sadhvi Dr Sahelaji gave discourses about Jain Dharma and the principal teachings of Vardhaman Mahavir, the most popular spiritual Master, considered the founder of this order at Chicago Jain Temple located in Bartlett, a suburb of Chicago. She is equally adept and familiar with essence of Sanatan Dharma and other religions too and has never cast herself as one professing Jainism. Principles of universal love, harmony, tolerance and Vasudaha Aive Kutaumbak define her view about what is true reli-
Sadhvi Sahelaji with former All India Radio star singer Leela Joshi
gion. Sadhviji was in Chicagoland visiting devotees and Jain/Hindu temples and at the behest of her numerous followers decided to
give some talks and Swadhaya at the temples here. She visited a few nursing homes too since she plans opening one in Mumbai. She is actively engaged in edu-
cational programs or spiritual and scientific healing in which she has mastered the art of 24 spiritual healing Anahata symbols. People across the globe invite her to share her invaluable thoughts on spiritual practices. In her journey to different parts of the world and regions of India she preaches the importance of moral values in daily life. She has combined spiritual and scientific healings with social services to achieve peace and self-realization. In order to realize her dream of promoting self-reliance and self-realization she established Anahata Sarvatobhadram Charitable Trust and has dedicated her life to help older people to share their experience and knowledge for the welfare of society. Cont’d on page 20
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IAMA holds its 33rd annual banquet ASIAN MEDIA USA
CHICAGO, IL: The Indian American Medical Association of Illinois (IAMA), a non-profit professional organization comprising Illinois physicians of Indian origin, held its 33rd Annual Meeting and Banquet on Saturday, Nov 16 at Meadows Club reflecting on the
dress by Dr Raj Arora, IAMA President. He underlined the need to promote awareness of IAMA charitable activities, continuation of community educational activities and participation in community health screenings and health fairs etc. Guest of Honor was Sant Rajinder Singh Ji, an internationally recognized spiritual master of meditation heading Science of Spirituality. He was honored along with Special guest Dr Kenneth G. Busch, MD. Among the awardees, the Distinguished Physician Award was given to Dr Ramanathan Raju, President's Appreciation Award to Dr Birinder Marwah. New IAMA President Dr Hemlata addressing the Golden Stethoscope Annual Banquet gathering Awards were given to highlights of this year and focus- Dr Trinadha Pilla (1st Prize) and ing on its line of action in the com- Dr Abhishek Reddy (2nd Prize). ing year. Addressing the elite gathering, Cocktail Reception started from the incoming President Dr Hemlata 6 pm onwards. There were differ- Bakane recollected Swami ent booths of Vendors. Vivekananda's speech delivered at Among the dignitaries were the Parliament of Worlds' ReliManju Goel, Candidate for Con- gions in Chicago. "We are ingress from 8th District and Swati debted to Swamiji for building a Dandekar Candidate for Congress bridge between East and West and from IOWA. Master of Ceremonies for introducing India and Indian were Anita John, MD and Balu culture to America. Swamiji was Natrajan, MD. Singing of Ameri- well known for his humanity. He can and Indian national anthems sacrificed his health and ultimately was followed by a welcome ad- his life for betterment of mankind.
Three of the IAMA Awardees Sant Rajinder Singh Ji, Dr Bappu Arekapuri and Dr Birendra Marwah
Dear friends, we physicians also work long hours and dedicate our life for the similar goal, that is, betterment of human life/ human
President elect : Kamal Patel, MD; Secretary : Samir Shah, MD; Treasurer: Deepak Bakane, MD Secretary Elect : Manoj Duggal, MD
Entertainment group artists with Madan Kulakrni
health" she added. Vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Priti Singh 2014 Executive committee:
By-laws Committee Chair: Kirti Talsania, MD; Communications and Public Relations Committee
Chair: Bapu Arekapudi, MD; Entertainment Committee Chair: Tapas Dasgupta, MD; Health awareness Committee Chair: Urmila Talsania, MD; Academic affairs Committee Chair: Alka Waiker, MD; Young Physician Committee Chair: Jay Joshi, MD; Liaison Committee for CMS/ISMS Chair: Roger Rodrigues, MD; Resident Physician Committee Chair: Tejas Patel, MD; Membership Committee Chair: Kiran Bais, MD; Education Committee Chair: Parag Jain, MD; Auxiliary Committee Chair: Kathakali Dasgupta; Presidential Advisor: Aruna Vade, MD. The Entertainment program was planned and presented in a gorgeous manner having synchronized all facets of entertainment Direction, Choreography, Video Presentation, Digitization by Shebani and Madan Kulkarni.
America Tamil Sangam honors Tamil scholar PM SWAMY
NEW YORK: America Tamil Sangam and Christian Tamil Church jointly organized a reception to Chennai-based Chairman of VGP Group of Companies Dr V G Santhosam, who is also the founder-president of VGP World Tamil Sangam, at a function held in the Church in Queens recently. Dr Santhosam, a leading poet and a scholar in Tamil, has unveiled statues of Tamil savant Thiruvalluvar in ten cities of the world including Washington DC. Dr Santhosam has penned more than 100,000 poems and lyrics in Tamil earning him the title Kavi Chakravarthy (King of Poems). He is also the patron of literature and arts. He has conducted international Tamil conferences in Australia, Malaysia, United States and Mauritius without any governmental support. He was bestowed with the highest state honor of the Tamil Nadu Government - Kalai Mamani - for his ser-
Tirukkural with all its 1330 verses. It was mounted on a wooden platform. He donated it to the government at the end of the conference. Santhosam spends most of his time spreading Tamil and promot-
ing literature, arts, culture and heritage, he added. Presiding over the function Rev Sundar Deva Prasad, parish priest of the Christian Tamil Church, said Dr Santhosam is a well-known evangelist who spreads the message of Christ all over besides devoting his time to promote Tamil. In his address, Dr Santhosam said he has been visiting the US for the past 30 years and is now happy to see Tamils holding very high positions such as Judge of the US Court of Appeals Judge Sri Srinivasan and Pepsico CEO Indira Nooyi. Tamils have occupied pride of place in various professions such as medicine, law, academics, research, IT and now politics as well. He praised the Tamil parents living in the US for inculcating Tamil knowledge and culture to their children from a very young age so that they remain Tamils at heart though born in the US.
Rev Sundar Deva Prasad and Prakash Swamy present a plaque to Dr V G Santhosam while Koshy Oommen looks on
Cont’d on page 20
vice to Tamils. Welcoming the gathering Prakash M Swamy, president of America Tamil Sangam, said Dr Santhosam is known for his love for Tamil and has visited almost
all the countries in the world to write travelogues. On the occasion of World Classical Tamil conference held in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu he prepared a 6 feet x 3.5 feet laminated acrylic book on
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St. Louis Telugu Association Grays Lake Temple celebrates Diwali celebrates Tulsi Vivah ASHWIN PATEL
ST LOUIS: Telugu Association of St. Louis (TAS) celebrated Diwali on October 26 in a spectacular way in Kirkwood School, Saint Louis, MO. More than 1000 people attended the event. There were wide range of cultural pro-
and palace props set the festive mood for the audience. TAS members and their kids participated in a variety of skits, classical and Tollywood dances and singing. TAS organized two skits; one with social message "Nijamaina
GEETHA PATIL
praised and thanked the parents and kids who were actively engaged in social service programs this year. Vice-President Dr Rama Krishna Gondi and Secretary Kishore Janga played a key role in con-
CHICAGO: The Hindu Mandir of Lake County celebrated Tulsi Vivah on Friday Nov 15 and Saturday Nov 16 with spiritual devotion and grace. Over one hundred ladies took part in Mehendi Raat on Friday
Gujarati Samaj welcomed the dancing Baraat with aarti and exchange of uttaria to each other. Pt. Anil Joshi performed pooja along with the Ganapati and Sarvadeva poojan before Vivah ritual. The whole ceremony was per-
Ganapati poojan
Cultural performance by young Telugu talents
grams performed by local talents. 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 Hindu mythology were the highlights of the event. Huge cut outs of Ganesh, elephant-head God, train station, country-side house
Diwali" (True Diwali) depicting helping less fortunate people and another one from Mahabharat (Kshatra Pariksha). Both drew a lot of applause from audience. President Dr Ramamamohan Reddy Paduru reminded everyone of the marvelous successes of the past TAS events, both cultural and social service programs and laid out TAS' plans for 2014. Dr Reddy
She says that in order to bring up our underprivileged and tribal people we must support them to make them self-reliant. In view of this she encourages to develop projects called "gaushala" with a dual objective of protecting cows and organize milk distribution centers on the basis of popular Amul Milk producing distribution facilities. She says that projects like this will have multi-dimensional economic benefits creating rural employment and reducing the problem of cow-slaughter, which is virtually against the Hindu/Jain view
of life. She assed that this will also provide cow-dung, which is an important bio-pesticide. Yet another dear project dear to the heart of Sadhviji is to establish a Mahila Gruha Udyog project focusing on welfare of women and protection of their interests, which unfortunately both the government and society had ignored even after 60 years of independence. Women in rural India lacks facilities for their empowerment. Sadhviji called for promoting their welfare through encouraging more and more educational facilities and opportunities for women to help them cope with the advancing world and to enable Indian
formed according to Hindu marriage rituals as Var Poojan (Krishna), Gotrachar, Hastha Milap, Kanyadan, Phere, Mangalsutra and Sindoor offering to Tulsi Devi. Varsha, Sanjay Jethva parivar performed the Kanyadan with devotion. Cont’d on page 22
ducting the event successfully. Treasurer Muralikrishna Puttagunta managed member registrations and reception area while Cultural Secretary Srikanth Saraswathula coordinated the cultural events. The participants were awarded TAS trophies. Authentic South Indian dinner left the taste buds of everyone satisfied.
Sadhvi Sahelaji impresses with her straight talk Cont’d from page 18
evening by singing traditional Maharastrian and Gujarati bhajans and dances. On November 16 afternoon, Maharashtrian Samaj led by Rakhi and Subhas Deodhar acting as father of Divine Saligram (Krishna) entered with their traditional outfits and dancing on Dhol with Baraat. Manubhai, Sanjay Jethva family led the Kanya side.
women to be at par with women in the West. Of course, their traditional role as mothers and torch bearers of Indian values and culture should not suffer by blind westernization, which happens in our schools and colleges creating setbacks in our efforts to strengthen our mores. Sadhvi Dr Sahelaji was born and brought up in Amritsar, Punjab in a highly respected Jain family. Having completed B.A. (Honors) she pursued Master of Arts in Sanskrit. She chose to become an ascetic and received Bhagwati Diksha. She also received degrees like "Prabhakar Shastri" and lives the life of a traditional Jain Sadhvi.
Tulsi and Kanya Parivar
America Tamil Sangam honors Tamil scholar Cont’d from page 19
Hailing from a very poor family from a remote village in Tamil Nadu, Santhosam moved to Chennai with his brothers at a very young age and worked in tea shops, carried loads on head and distributed newspapers to eke out a living. Despite abject poverty, the brothers led by late V G Pannerdass had confidence in themselves and now after 50 years, the conglomerate has real estate, amusement parks, beach resorts,
building and construction, housing, super markets, tourism and travel, hospitality and consumer durable products. America Tamil Sangam bestowed on him a title and a plaque - Ulaga Tamil Maa Mani (World Tamil leader) for his service to Tamils worldwide. Josh Joseph, secretary of the Sangam, Koshy Oommen, vice president, executive committee members Jaya Sundaram, Shobha Ravi, Masilamani and V Sankaran spoke in praise of Dr Santhosam.
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Tri-State Telugu Assn hosts anniversary celebrations MADHU PATEL
CHICAGO: Tri-State Telugu Association (TTA), a non-profit organization, hosted its grand 30th anniversary celebrations at Samarathi auditorium in Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, Lemont, a south side suburb of Chicago, on Saturday Nov 16. The spirit of Telugu culture was brought forth in vibrant colors with an all day cultural program with more than 320 Chicagoland performers participating in the event. Consul General of India Dr Ausuf Sayeed was the Chief Guest with TANA President Dr Mohan Nannapaneni as the Guest of Honor for this event. Amazing performance by the local talent with a spectrum of flavors ranging from classical to semiclassical music and dances, sloka recitals, theme based productions, fusion fashion show, folk and con-
youth, adults and senior citizens that gave immense pleasure to the audience. Classical presentation "Ganesha Panchartnam" by students of Nrithyanjali School of Dance and Contemporary Kuchipudi presentation "Elements" by students of Aananda Dance Theater, "Thillana" in Bharatanatyam dance style by students of Bharatam Academy were executed with grace and poise. In the traditional folk dance presentation 'Jada Kolatam', the dancers wound the ropes while beautifully plaiting, moved in different geometrical patterns to complete the braid. They changed places while tapping the sticks for rhythm. Synergy - a Kathak, Bharatanatyam Jugalbandhi presentation by Chithra and Gurmeet and "Jaya Janardhana Krishna"
Comedians presetting skits
temporary presentations by professional artists kept the crowds mesmerized the entire duration. The first session of the cultural show started at 1pm with a beautiful rendition of opening prayer on Lord Ganesha followed by Sanskrit sloka recital "Annapoornashtakam." Presentations by kids for thematic songs, and dances and classical dances for Annamacharya compositions in the classical dance forms were received very well by the audience. The spirit of the festival was well captured by several movie and folk dances too. "Telugu Padyalu" presentation by students of Manamdari Badi, was executed very neatly. Ashta Lakshmi Stotram depicting a group of eight secondary manifestations of Lakshmi were very well choreographed and executed. Marking the spirit of Children's day, patriotic themed Orchestra was executed with perfection. "Fusion Show - Jewel'ed Melodies" depicting the spirit of cultural diversity, was another grand event of the evening. "Shastipoorthi theme" depicting the essence of 60 years of life was a grand event of the evening with participation from kids,
choreographed by Apuroopa Tipparaju, depicting the spirit of
Lavanya Shasti Purti
Deepavali, were executed with ease. The second half of the day's festivities commenced with the traditional Lighting of the Lamp Ceremony by Consul General of India Dr Ausuf Sayeed. Dr Ramaraja Yalavarthy, trustee of Sri Balaji Temple, who compeered the second segment of the cultural show, welcomed the guests. Guest of honor Dr Mohan Nannapaneni, President of TANA, was introduced by TANA Vice president Dr Jampala Chowdary. After a brief presentation about the 30 year history of the organization Dr Ramaraju introduced the Anniversary special attraction of the evening "Melodious Moments". The live show was presented
by Sunitha Upadrashta, one of the best playback singers in South Indian film industry. Sunitha's team included playback singers Sri Krishna, Sai Shilpa, Sai Charan, comedians Rakesh and Trinadh (Jabardasth Fame), and talented
musicians providing live orchestra support. The sold out show with jam packed audience at Rathi auditorium was thoroughly entertaining. The event ended with the rendition of Indian National Anthem.
A section of the audience at the TTA Anniversary celebrations
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Bal Vihar celebrates its 21st Diwali with pomp RAJ IYER
ST LOUIS: "Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya" means from darkness unto light. What better time than the auspicious occasion of Deepavali (or Diwali as it is commonly known) to remember this thought? Bal Vihar of St. Louis with a tradition of 21 years celebrated this festival on November 10 at Ma-
hatma Gandhi Center (MGC) with record 700 attendees. Bal Vihar students did a Diya project ahead of Diwali that raised funds for charitable institutes in US and India. Students prepared clay Diyas (lamp holder) during this project. The day began with the students and teachers heading to The Hindu Temple of St. Louis.
Students participating in Puja
The priests led the prayers and students participated with great devotion. While the prayers were in full swing, a group of 40 volunteers were busy packing boxed dinner for all present. Another group of volunteers were preparing for the fire crackers distribution.
Puja in progress
Once the puja was over, students came back to MGC. After the dinner everyone went outside for the fireworks. Soon, the place was lit with sparkles and joy was in the air. Center for Indian Cultural Education - Bal Vihar of St. Louis is a non-profit organization. Since its inception in 1992 it has been serving the Metro St. Louis Indian com-
5-18 and its application and integration with the global multicultural and multifaceted society. Over last 20 plus years Bal Vihar has helped groom a breed of multicultural global leaders of next generation that have been shaped by the best of the cultures from East and West. The ultimate goal is "to make every child an outstanding
Grays Lake Temple celebrates Tulsi Vivah Cont’d from page 20
Further, seven families from both the sides performed agnipradakshana phere one by one by holding Lord Krisha and Devi Tulsi. At each phere, Pt. Joshi sang emotional Lava (phere) song to bless the Kanya Tulsi Devi for her Akhanda Saubhagya. People were enjoying the ceremony with devotion because it was performed by following actual Hindu tradition. In between, different Bhajans added wedding colors to the occasion on various steps of the ceremony. The most important phase of the ceremony came when the 300 gathered devotees enjoyed the Tulsi Katha narrated by Pt. Joshi in such an emotional and interesting way that people were
Fireworks display
munity. The primary focus of this organization is to provide Indian cultural education to students age Krishna and Tulsi Phere
crying after listening to the story. Later he talked of Tulsi created by Lord Vishnu and Amla and Babri plants created by Lord Shiva for the purification of environment,
Var Paksha (Maharashtrian Samaj) and Kanya Paksh (Gujarati Samaj)
blood and diabetes respectively. Tulsi pooja is incomplete without Saligram which is a form of Lord Vishnu. Performing Tulsi Vivah is considered highly auspicious, good for married life and it removes obstacles to marriage. Popular belief is that performing the wedding ceremony of marrying Tulsi to Vishnu bestows Akhanda saubhagya and considering her as their own daughter is equal to performing Kanyadan in one's life. Finally, Archana and Aarti were performed for Lord Krishna and Devi Tulsi by the sponsors. Mahaprasad was sponsored by Jethva Parivar and served by temple kitchen committee members Neelakanth and team.
citizen and to spread the song of peace and harmony around the world.
Land acquired for Katy-Texas temple India Post News Service
HOUSTON, TX: Efforts by a group of Indian American community activists in Houston Katy area to set up a Sai Durga Shiva Venkateshwar Temple seem to be bearing fruit. Land measuring 2.40 acres has been acquired and preliminary work for the next phase has commenced. Uday Kumar, a spokesman for the temple said in a talk to this paper that "we have a mobile temple and that it needs some reno-
vation and remodeling costing about $20,000." If everything goes according to the plan drawn by the organizing group, the temple would have the mobile temple with parking space and regular worship hours at the newly acquired site by May of 2014. The organizers have planned hosting fundraisers to cover the cost. This Hindu temple of Katy will be termed as Adhamottamam (Best of the least). Cont’d on page 23
November 29, 2013
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Kadva Patidar celebrates Diwali in grand fashion JAYANTI OZA
CHICAGO: Kadva Patidar Samaj (KPS), an Illinois based no profit body, had its Diwali celebrations organized recently at Ashyana Banquet in Downers Grove, a south west suburb of Chicago. Over seven hundred KPS members, families, friends, relatives, community leaders and well wishers of the KPS, Chicago gathered to celebrate this Gala Diwali Din-
the gathering. The evening started with social hour with many choices of delicious appetizers and soft drinks. The Emcee for the occasion was Raj Patel, who kept the crowd involved for the entire length of the program. Thanking the huge response from members, executive board trustees and sponsors, Raj Patel called sponsors on the stage and lighted Diwa befitting Diwali
participant, Yatri Desai. The KPS Chicago team was introduced by Raj Patel, MC. Jill and Dhara Chokshi's Fusion Dance was also enjoyed by KPS members. Another excellent performance was by Halie Harmil Patel & Amy Ashish Patel, a Kathak dance on song "Yashomati Maiya se". Greeting everybody present on the occasion, KPS president Vijay Patel said, "Our goals are to enAt the lamp lighting ceremony
Recognizing community leaders and Past President Narendra Patel for their services
ner Night. "We are a long way from India, so it is good for us to do this, to remember our heritage," said Vijay Patel, KPS President, whose team worked tirelessly for
Celebrations while in background Stuti (ya devi sarva bhutesu) was sung by young participants. After Stuti, the Gaj Vandana was performed by another youth
courage people to explore and learn about rich Gujarati culture. Together let us keep this light lit for life and joy for many years to come."
Rajchandra Vachanamrut available as audio book SURESH SHAH
CHICAGO: Shrimad Räjchandra, an acclaimed Jain scholar and sage of modern times, had a huge following not only among Jains but also Hindu aspirants, including Mahatma Gandhi, seeking spiritual awakening and self-realization. Shrimad's personal writings to his close associates and his personal notes are the essence of his writings on Jain religion. In his short life of 33 years he wrote about 1000 pages of the spiritual message of eternal importance to his close associates. Shrimad always maintained that since he had not taken the five great vows of conduct (dikshä or sainthood), he was not eligible to deliver a sermon to the public. Therefore, he did not address or deliver any lecture to people at large. After his death, his writings were compiled into a book known
as Shrimad Rajchandra Vachanamrut. He has given us priceless spiritual gifts including Mokshamälä, Ätmasiddhi-shästra,
Shrimad Rajchandra
Apurva Avasar and many other spiritual writings in the form of let-
ters, articles, and poems. Shrimad Rajchandra Vachanamrut (1000 page book) is now available as an Audio Book (MP3 files) recited and prepared by Pujya Shri Jaisinhbhai of Devlali. Each letter and other topics of Vachanamrut are compiled separately and this way a total of 1107 audio files are prepared. Shri Dineshbhai D Mehta of Valkeshvar Mumbai organized these files for easy access and made the data available to the Jain eLibrary project. All the 1107 audio files fit into 15 zip Audio files (each zip file will be about 250 MB in size) for anyone who desires to download the entire Vachanamrut Audio Book. Please click the Audio/Video link located in the left column of Jain eLibrary website (www.jainelibrary.org) home page to view and download these Audio Book files.
Amidst applause, President Vijay Patel and his Executive Team members presented a plaque to the outgoing KPS President and current KPS Trustee, Narendra Patel, in appreciation of his services for the past 18 years. Thanking all for their support and appreciation, Narendra Patel then recognized other community activists for their support beginning with Mafat Patel from Patel Brothers, Babu Patel of Patel Realty, Dr Kamal Patel, Dr Indrajit Patel, Suryakant Patel of Gujarati Samaj of Chicago, Lalbhai Patel and Dr Hemant Patel of Gujarat Pragati Mandal, Davendra Patel of 42 Gaam Kadva Patidar Samaj and Haribhai Patel of Senior Citizens Society. Surinder Jain of Ashyana Banquets was honored with a plaque for his unconditional support. Seventeen senior citizens from the KPS community were presented
with imported Kashmiri Shawls for their contribution to society. The traditional Garbo and Bharat Natyam dances were performed by age group of 4 to 16 years young girls. The Garbo was choreographed by Dr Hina Patel, followed by a group dance. The program persuaded all age group members to dance with the flurry of songs sung by talented artists. DJ Arun kept the audience zooming till late midnight. There were also live song performances throughout the evening. After dinner, the audience enjoyed the open floor dances until mid-night. Kadva Patidar Samaj of Chicago, established in 1988, is one of the largest community organizations of Chicagoland. It provides an excellent platform for socializing among all age groups as well as personal & professional networking.
Land acquired for Katy-Texas temple Cont’d from page 22
Currently Sai Durga Shiva Vishnu Temple is open seven days a week, conducting pujas of various deities, havans, discourses, chanting, story-telling, Veda classes. It offers Veda mantra chanting lessons, Vedic astrology, Vastu Vedic architecture, Panchangam besides various priestly services for homams, marriage, house-warming, namakaranam, samskaras and pujas. Sudarshan Homam costs $501. The mission of the Temple is to "provide a forum for scholarly discussions of the Vedas, Hindu philosophy and Sanatan Dharma." It plans to conduct/sponsor various charitable, educational, social and cultural activities for the benefit of Hindu community, besides regular religious services.
Udayakumar Gullapalli is the priest and other community leaders associated with it include Ram Cheruvu, Santosh Guha, Vivek Natrajan, Chandra Gannavarapu, Durgaprasad, Usha Kavarthapu, and others. The City of Katy, west of Houston, which started as a hunting ground of the Karankawa Indian tribes, was settled in 1872 and incorporated in 1945. Its tagline is "a City with a heart" and it is known for annual Katy Rice Harvest Festival. Notable residents associated with Katy include actresses Renee Zellweger, Kimberly Caldwell and Renee O'Connor; football player Andy Dalton; ice hockey player Tyler Myers and professional female bodybuilder Iris Kyle. Fabol R. Hughes and Johnny Nelson are Mayor and City Administrator respectively.
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Children have to live out their own dreams: Sam Viverito choreographing? I have been dancing from 11 years old. I did my schooling in New York and have been directing and choreographing for about 28 years. Who or what are your biggest sources of inspiration?
VIDYA SETHURAMAN India Post News Service
FREMONT, CA: 'Angelina Ballerina the Musical' show in Santa Cruz is the finale of a three year run with limited US tour. The show is absolutely riveting for kids! In this exclusive interview, Sam Viverito, director and choreographer for the show, talks about himself and the show: How did you get your start, and how did you end up directing/
Sam Viverito
Exclusive interview with director of Angelina Ballerina
My dance teacher Beverly Fletcher was my biggest source of inspiration. She was a like a motherly figure to me and I used to dance 52 hours/week when I was in college. I have performed in South Korea, Bali, Hawaii, South Africa. What has been your favorite part in the musical?
It is a fun show with a warm message conveyed to the kids of age 3-11. Kids have shorter attention span and it is a show which keeps their attention with right blend of teaching and dancing. It is a first time theater experience for most of the kids of age 3-11. What do you think makes children identify with Angelina? Children identify with her because she's very recognizable to them. She has such big emotions; she gets in little scrapes and difficulties she has to figure out how to get out of; she has to apolo-
gize; she has to deal with the adult world and all these issues about will she ever be able to dance like a real ballerina. I think children have these big aspirations and dreams, but that doesn't mean they have to be a prima ballerina. They have to experience their own dreams and live them out. I hope it's inspiring to children that way. Why is it important for families to get out and experience Angelina Ballerina the Musical? It is important for the parents to introduce their children to lot of new things and this theatre experience is one such. Obviously the actor that plays Angelina has to be very talented with singing, dancing, and acting. How big is the competition to win the major role? Auditions happen in New York and they are asked to sing, dance, read and act. The character should be cute, sweet, nice personality and who can relate to the kids at a personal level. In future will there be more Angelina or is there another character you're interested in? Yes, interested in doing the Angelina series. I have few performances based on children books. What advice would you give to new artists? The artist should be brave, constantly study and have good communication skills.
Dance along with Angelina
T
he show stars Angelina Ballerina, her best friend, Alice, Camembert Academy classmates A.Z., Viki, Gracie, and teacher, Ms. Mimi. The show also includes Angelina's dad, Mr Mouseling, and visiting Prima Ballerina, Serena Silvertail. Angelina and her friends, Alice, Gracie, AZ, Viki, and even their teacher, Ms. Mimi, are all aflutter because a special guest is coming to visit Camembert Academy! Angelina and her
friends will perform all types of dance, including hip-hop, modern dance, the Irish jig and of course, ballet, and they are excited to show off their skills to their famous visitor. Angelina is the most excited of all, but will she get the starring moment she hopes for? Kids can dance along with Angelina and her friends through home entertainment, toys, published materials, and through mobile and web platforms.
November 29, 2013
Community Across America
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BAYVP celebrates Annakut Utsav in style RASESH PARIKH
MILPITAS, CA: Every year Bay Area Youth Vaishnav Parivar (BAYVP) celebrates Annakut Utsav in style and thousands attend this festival to have a glimpse of Krishna Leela which depicts Bal Krishna lifting the Govardhan Parvat with a touch of finger and standing thus for seven days.
As the name denotes, innumerable varieties of food called sakhadi and unsakhadi are displayed. Sweets, farsan are prepared by devotees and offered to Lord Krishna. This is offered to Krishna to celebrate the Hindu New Year on Kartik Sud One. All the devotees who attended received a feast as Mahaprasad af-
ter the darshan. This year the theme was based on Ashray Leela wherein Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Parvat with his small finger to save all Vraj people, cows, calves and other animals from the wrath of "Indra". All the Leelas of Shri Krishna were displayed around the temple hall giving the feeling to visitors that they are in the Vraj B h o o m i , Krishna's abode on earth. On one side of hall there were eight darshans of Shrinathji. The sequence of eight darshans is set out as Mangla, Shringar, G w a l a , Rajbhog, Utthapan, Bhog, Sandhya Aarthi and Shayan. On other side of the altar, traditionally decorated huts and gopa & gopies of "Vraj" are seen involved in their daily routine. The breathtaking display included waterfalls and creation of young Shri Krishna frolicking on the bank of Yamuna River. A replica of Govardhan Parvat
was also created in front of temple entrance for Govardhan pooja. Here devotees worshipped and circled the hill considered as Shri Krishna's incarnation. Hundreds of volunteers worked day in and out for over two weeks to make this event successful. Every family contributed their time in this once a year event either through preparing variety of sweets, food or giving donations for success of this event. The Tulsi vivah celebrations will follow after a few days.
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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Party All Night: Boss 2 Gulaabi: Shuddh Desi Romance 3 Main Rang Sharbaton Ka: Phata Poster Nikhla Hero 4 Boss (Title Track): Boss 5 Nagada Sang Dhol: Ram-Leela 28 India Post
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6 Hum Na Tode: Boss 7 Laal Ishq: Ram-Leela 8 Besharam ( Title Track) :
“I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FILM... IT LOOKS GOOD. IMRAN AND KAREENA MAKE A LOVELY PAIR�
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aif Ali Khan is quite excited about his actress wife Kareena Kapoor's upcoming film 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein' and says she and Imran Khan make a "lovely pair" on screen. Kareena and Imran are teamed up for the second time after delivering 'Ek Main Aur Ek Tu', which was a hit. "I am looking forward to the film... It looks good. Imran and Kareena make a lovely pair," Saif said. Responding to a query, the actor said he and Kareena are ready to act together on screen provided the script is good. Saif was addressing reporters at a promotional event of his upcoming film 'Bullett Raja.' In 'Bullet Raja', Saif will be playing the role of a Brahmin gangster while Sonakshi plays a struggling actress. Saif's character in this film reminds of 'Omkara' but the actor disagrees with the comparison.
Besharam 9 Ye Tune Kya Kiya: Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara 10 Ram Chaahe Leela: Ram-Leela
S
unny Deol, with his exciting stunts and vociferous dialogues on screen, has thrilled the masses through the years. He is back to doing what he does best - action - in director Anil Sharma's 'Singh Saab The Great'. The actor plays an honest collector, Saranjit Singh Talwar, who takes it upon himself to rid society of corruption. Sunny says, "It has been years since a film with this kind of subject has been made - it advocates family values and at the same time, brings about awareness in society through its message against corruption. When Anil narrated the story, my character reminded me of my dad's film Satyakam. I instantly agreed to do it." He says that the response at the promotional events has been encouraging. "As a result, I am more confident now," he adds. Sharma says, "The film puts across the message - Badla nahin, badlav ki zaroorat hai.
Bollywood
November 29, 2013
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fter a reigning career in Tamil films, Dhanush entered Bollywood with Sonam Kapoor starrer Raanjhanaa which became a huge success at the box office. And now taking his victory a step further, the actor will be doing his next with none other than the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. The film will be directed by R Balki. Ilayaraja will be giving the music for the film, making it hat-trick collaboration with BalkiAmitabh after Paa and Cheeni Kum. Confirming about his next big ticket in Bollywood, Dhanush posted on his Twitter handle saying, "Yes guys, my next Hindi film is with Balki sir. Very excited and eagerly looking forward to it :) thanks for all your wishes. Privileged to share screen space with Big B himself. Ecstatic 2 be part of Raja Sir's musical again." However, t h e rest of t h e details of the star cast a r e still bei n g kept under wraps.
M
uch to the relief of Madhuri Dixit, the release date of her upcoming film 'Gulaab Gang' has been postponed to March 7 - a day before the International Women's Day. The film is based on an all-female vigilante group fighting for the rights of women and is helmed by debutante director Soumik Sen and is produced by Anubhav Sinha. Sinha said: "It is a perfect tribute on Women's Day. What better way to celebrate the greatness of our mothers and sisters than to release a film that talks about women empowerment?" Earlier, the film was scheduled to release along with her other big budget film 'Dedh Ishqiya' and this step will ensure the films don't eat into each other's pie on the box office. For quite some time now, there was a deadlock with none of the producers agreeing to shift the release dates. Apparently, Madhuri was not too keen on having two of her big films clash on the box office.
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hahid Kapoor has dis missed reports which said that his father, Pankaj Kapoor was looking a girl for his son. Shahid said that he would look for a girl himself. Recently, news was rife that Pankaj Kapoor had made several trips to Punjab to look a bride for his son, Shahid. Shahid said, "I can promise you that my father is not looking for any girl for me. When I read that article I was shooting for 'Haider' in Kashmir and my father was shooting for 'Finding Fanny' in Goa. And according to the article my father was in Punjab... So no truth in it." Shahid added, "He (father) goes there (Punjab) because some of our family and his spiritual guru is there. People are drawing a different meaning out of it. He will never take the pressure on himself (of looking for a girl), because I am quite finicky. And I like making my own choices."
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India Post News Service
NEW DLHI: 55 Corporates participated in the third Edition of Corporate Games held here on November 22 to 24. The events were held in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Dhyanchand National Stadium, Siri Fort Complex, Jamia Millia University and Saket Sports Club. The participants competed in 12 sports disciplines, namely, Badminton, Billiards, Squash, Tennis, Table Tennis, Chess, Cricket 8s, Golf (Men-Women), Soccer 6s and Soccer. Major Ports Sports Control Board, who had entered 113 sports persons, were awarded Sports For Life Trophy. It was collected by their Chairman P.D Vaghela. They also won the overall trophy known
Sports 31 India Post
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Ladies Golfers in action
Major Ports wins top award at 3rd India Corporate Games
Corporate Games Director O.P Bhatia addressing the players
as Medalist Award for winning maximum number of medals. Cricket as usual was the most popular discipline. Major Ports won Cricket Finals against HSBC in a well-fought match. In Chess, all the medals Gold, Silver & Bronze went to Major Ports. Garden Reach Ship Builders
November 29, 2013
In athletics there were five events 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m & 1500m which were conducted at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The medal winners belonged to Major Ports Sports Control Board, IRCTC, ITC, Punj Lloyd, Railtel and ONGC. In Soccer 11 Major Ports Sports Control Board defeated Garden Reach by 5-4 goals. In Soccer 6s Major Ports Sports Control Board won defeating HDFC. In Golf, Oscar Dung from MPSCB secured Gold medal. The Silver was won by Capt Krishan Sharma of India Post and bronze by Sandeep Sharma. In Women's Golf, Manju Jakhar won gold. Silver medal was won by Kiran Vaid and Shagun Agarwal won bronze medal.
Saran Vaid, also of Sirifort Sports Complex.
was Kunal Verma of HSBC. Cairn India's Subhash Chandra
Squash Men 40+ Singles gold was won by Subodh of Aviation & Defense. Second was Amit Bhatia from Sirifort and third was
In Squash Men's Open Singles Harjinder of Jet Airways won Gold and Silver medal was won by Chitvan Bedi of Jet Airways. Third
won gold in Cycling followed by HSBC's Manmeet Sahni. Third was Shiva Prasad of ONGC Videsh. Tennis Men Open Singles winners were Aditya Khanna of Rebound Ace followed by Jitin Bishnoi of Sirifort and third was Anshul Bagai of Rebound Ace. There was a glittering closing award function where winning companies were given trophies followed by an Aerobic Dance performance. A group of children from Punjab made an impressive karate demonstration followed by closing of games by Shri K.P Singh Deo, former Union Minister & Patron of the Games. Shri Deo emphasized the need for Corporates to permit maximum number of employees to participate in games and sports for their lifelong fitness.
Engineering from Kolkata lost to Major Ports in the finals of Volleyball. TCS defeated Cadence in Basketball with a score of 17 to 13. Rohinton Mehta from ITC, Mumbai participated in three events of Running Discipline 100m, 200m & 800m and got the gold medal in all 3 events.
Capt. Krishan Sharma of India Post won the Silver Medal in Golf
Cultural program
„ Health
Line
Obama seeks to shift focus to economic progress WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama says the U.S. economy is improving even if its progress has been overshadowed by political gridlock and the messy rollout of his health care law. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama sought to shift the focus away from negative headlines. He said jobs have been created, the auto industry is recovering and deficits are falling. But Obama says if Democrats and Republicans were working together, the economy could be even further along. He accused Republicans of wasting time with dozens of votes to repeal his health care law. In the Republican address, Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas says despite Obama's promise, some who like their doctor may lose their doctor. He says the U.S. should scrap Obama's health law and start over. -AP
„ Gene behind freckles, brown hair & blue eyes WASHINGTON: A gene which causes people to develop freckles, dark brown hair and blue eyes has been discovered by scientists. In the study of Icelanders, researchers uncovered an intricate pathway involving the interspersed DNA sequence, or noncoding region, of a gene that is among a few dozen associated with human pigmentation traits. It is more common to find people with ancestors from geographic locations farther from the equator, such as Iceland, who have less pigment in their skin, hair and eyes. The researchers, including scientists from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), analyzed data from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 2,230 Icelanders. A GWAS compares hundreds of thousands of common differences across individuals' DNA to see if any of those variants are associated with a known trait. "This study explains a complex molecular pathway that may also contribute insights into skin diseases, such as melanoma, which is caused by the interaction of genetic susceptibility with environmental factors," said NHGRI Scientific Director Dan Kastner. Researchers focused on the interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) gene, previously associated with immunity. -PTI
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Should kids play sports all year round? Details on Page 34
Obamacare sign-up delayed until 2015 WASHINGTON: US health officials have decided to delay open enrollment in Obamacare until 2015 after President Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform plan suffered a series of technical problems, a media report said. The program, which had its official launch on October 1, aims to provide access to medical care for millions of Americans who often are priced out of other health care options. But the healthcare.gov website has been beset by technical problems. Phone lines were jammed and websites overloaded, making the offerings inaccessible to many who had hoped to sign up. Many users have experienced error messages and long waits in trying to sign on to the website, which has become a political embarrassment for Obama. The Department of Health and Human Services now want to give insurers, consumers and engineers more time to avoid the first go-round's site crashes, coverage
train wrecks and cost surprises. It has now moved the start of next year's open enrollment from October 15 to November 15 and extended the sign-up period from roughly seven weeks to eight, an HHS official, who spoke on con-
The postponement "will give issuers the benefit of more time to evaluate their experiences during the 2014 plan year and allow them to take into account those who may enroll late, including young adults, before setting 2015 rates,"
dition of anonymity, told CNN. The change will not affect this coverage year, which begins January 1, 2014.
the official said. Known widely as "Obamacare," the Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and
signed into law in 2010, on the promise of helping 30 million uninsured people get health care coverage. Despite its ambitions to revolutionize American health care, the plan is not free and will not be able to cover all 57 million people in America who lack full insurance coverage for health care. Young adults are less likely than their older counterparts to take out a health insurance policy, but even without that issue, enrollment in Obamacare has been minute overall, particularly via the sign-up website. Exact numbers are hard to pin down in the 36 states using the site. But as of November 2, just 26,794 people had enrolled in the healthCare.gov states. The health department officials hope that the added time will encourage insurers to get coverage details right and make their plans more affordable, while consumers have more time to flush the devil out of the details. -PTI
Senior with terminal illness still plays softball THE VILLAGES, Fla.: When John Brake heard the unwelcome news from his doctor in April, he had a life-altering decision to make. Brake had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and doctors had given him just six months to a year to live. So Brake faced a choice: Did he want to spend his time moping, watching TV and being angry at the world, or did he want to fight back and reclaim what little time he had left? He chose to make the best of his situation and get back to doing what he loves - playing softball. Seven months after the diagnosis, Brake still is playing in The Villages Men's Recreation League. It's a fight that has left his peers in awe. ``Knowing that he doesn't have much time left and he's playing, well, we all love him,'' softball teammate Jack Skelly said. ``It's one of those feel-good stories.'' Of course, it hasn't always
been a feel-good story. After the diagnosis and a few rounds of chemotherapy, Brake had lost a lot of weight and wasn't feeling like himself. The chemo-
cal activity - no softball, no golf, he barely could walk. ``I was looking bad, looking like I was a dead man,'' Brake said. Upset at his failing condition and
John Brake
therapy had hit Brake hard - so hard that he calls it the worst month of his life. Brake was alive, but he wasn't living. He couldn't do any physi-
ineffective treatments, he decided to discontinue chemotherapy and see what would happen. ``I knew it wasn't going to cure anything,'' he said. ``They said it might give me a little better qual-
ity of life, which it didn't. So I just said, `That's it; it is going to go whatever way it goes.''' The way it went was up. Brake was determined to sink or swim on his own. He had no idea it would turn out to be one of the best decisions he ever made. Coming back to life Brake started eating more, getting back up to his normal weight. He felt much better. He started getting out of the house more, even finding the strength to play a little golf. ``There is no time to be sitting around watching the idiot box in the daytime when you could play golf,'' he said. He continued to get out, get back in shape and put back on the weight he had lost during chemotherapy treatments. After golf, the next step was to go back to something he loved, something he had been missing - the softball diamond. Cont'd on Page 35
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Combo of plant nutrients can Too much TV can affect cognitive kill breast cancer cells development in kids WASHINGTON: A super cocktail of six natural compounds found in turmeric, vegetables, fruits and plant roots can kill breast cancer cells without harming normal cells, a study led by an Indian-origin scientist has found. The study led by Madhwa Raj, Research Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Louisiana State University
Researchers tested ten known protective chemical nutrients found in foods like broccoli, grapes, apples, tofu, and turmeric root (a spice used in Indian curry). They finally settled upon six - Curcumin known as turmeric, Isoflavone from soybeans, Indo-3-Carbinol from cruciferous plants, C-phycocyanin from spirulina, Reservatrol from grapes, and Quercetin, a flavonoid present in fruits, vegetables, and tea. The researchers administered these six at bioavailable levels to both breast cancer and control cells. They tested the compounds individually and in combination. They found that the compounds were ineffective individually. When combined, though, the super cocktail suppressed breast cancer cell growth by more than 80 per cent, inhibited miSix natural compounds found in turmeric, vegetables, fruits and gration and invasion, plant roots can kill breast cancer cells without harming normal caused cell cycle arrest, cells. and triggered the process Health Sciences Center, found that the leading to cell death resulting in the death combo killed 100 per cent of sample breast of 100 per cent of the breast cancer cells cancer cells without toxic side effects on in the sample. normal cells. The researchers observed no harmful "One of the primary causes of both the effects on the control cells. Further analyrecurrence of breast cancer and deaths is a sis also identified several key genes, small group of cancer stem cells that evade which could serve as markers to follow therapy," said Raj. the progress of therapy. "These often multi-drug-resistant cells Although the cocktail was not tested have the ability to generate new tumors, so against BRCA1 and BRAC2, previous it is critically important to develop new apstudies have shown that they are molecuproaches to more effective and safer treatlar targets of four of the six compounds. ment or prevention of breast cancer," Raj The results are published in The Jouradded. nal of Cancer. -PTI
Bacterial infection hitting northwest Iowa SIOUX CITY, Iowa: At least 95 cases of a ``This type of bacteria is a little more uncontagious bacterial infection that causes common,'' he said. diarrhea have been reported in northwest Shigellosis spreads rapidly at day care Iowa's Woodbury County. centers. Brock said the health department The majority of those sick are children, is working with operators to make sure but a number of adults have contracted healthy children are protected by keeping shigellosis, too, Siouxland District Health the sick ones at home. Department Deputy Director Tyler Brock told Day care children with diarrhea should the Sioux City Journal. Most people who are infected Woodbury County recorded a have frequent watery stools that could be bloody, as well as fe- single case of shigellosis last year. ver and stomach cramps, start- But last Friday, 95 cases had been ing a day or two after exposure reported. About 20 of those were to the bacteria. Symptoms usudiagnosed in early November. ally last several days. Woodbury County recorded a single case of shigellosis last year. But last be tested, Brock said. It takes about 48 Friday, 95 cases had been reported. About hours to get the results of a stool sample 20 of those were diagnosed in early Novem- test. If the test is positive, he said, chilber. dren will receive antibiotics from their doc``There's always a certain amount of diar- tor, then be tested again once they've finrheal illness going around,'' Brock said. ished the medication. -AP
WASHINGTON: Parents, please note! Having a TV in the bedroom may affect your children's cognitive development, a new study has found. Researchers from The Ohio State University found that preschoolers who have a TV in their bedroom and are exposed to more background TV have a weaker understanding of other people's beliefs and desires. The team interviewed and tested 107 children and their parents to determine the relationship between preschoolers' television exposure and their understanding of mental states, such as beliefs, intentions, and feelings, known as theory of mind. Parents were asked to report how many hours of TV their children were exposed to, including background TV. The children were then given tasks based on theory of mind. These tasks assessed whether the children could acknowledge that others can have different beliefs and desires, that beliefs can be wrong, and that behaviors stem from beliefs. The researchers found that having a
bedroom TV and being exposed to more background TV was related to a weaker understanding of mental states, even after accounting for differences in performance based on age and the socioeconomic status of the parent. However, preschoolers whose parents talked with them about TV performed better on theory of mind assessments.
Kid watching TV.
Many studies have investigated the effects of children's TV exposure on social behaviors, without examining if TV exposure affects the neuropsychological function that underlies social behavior, and without taking theory of mind into consideration. -PTI
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Should kids play sports all year round? ST. LOUIS: It starts out innocently enough. You buy your kindergartner hockey skates, or a soccer ball. Maybe a T-ball bat. You get involved in a community or church recreation league. The first year plays out like the feelgood parts of the movie ``Parenthood.'' There's no stealing bases or basketballs. The nets are low, the fields are half-sized. The kids fist-pump when they make a goal - sometimes on the wrong net. Nobody keeps score. The next year, they get better. They make plays. They pass the puck. They catch the ball. So you form your own team and coach. You win some games. The next season, you consider registering the team with a club. And, just like that, you're hooked. You have no clue that in as little as three years you could be caught up in a dizzying and expensive youth sports scene - a scene that's playing out not only in St. Louis but in most metropolitan areas in the country. It's a scene fraught with overuse and even traumatic injuries in young bodies still growing and developing bone and muscle - so much so that medical associations, athletic trainers and even professional athletes are speaking out against it. More than 3.5 million kids 14 and under are treated annually for sports injuries, and the numbers are increasing. More than half of all youth sports injuries are preventable. In about half the cases, the injuries are associated with overuse, often linked with the growing trend of children specializing in one sport and playing year-round. Despite the warnings, the options to practice and play have exploded over the past decade. Competition now ratchets up before middle school, with select teams in clubs and leagues. And there is pressure to specialize in one sport very early and
play it year-round, lest your child get left behind. ``This whole dynamic has become big business at this point. It's moving in that direction, and it's not going to stop,'' said Rick Strickland, owner of the youth baseball club franchise St. Louis Pirates. Baseball pitcher Tommy John considers it a racket, with parents being led by the nose to spend with promises of scholarships and better performance. John is tired of hearing about kids getting his namesake elbow repair surgery from pitching and throwing too much. He's now
the spokesman for the STOP Sports Injuries campaign sponsored by nearly a dozen medical associations. Its supporters advise against children playing the same sport year-round without downtime. ``I asked parents who do this, `Who is
the best pitcher in MLB?' They say, `Well, probably Justin Verlander.' I say, `You think Justin Verlander plays baseball yearround? If he's the best, why wouldn't he do it to get better?''' Wherever you stand, parents with kids who love sports are caught in the middle trying to make responsible choices. Angela Andrasko of Webster Groves sees it with her firstborn, Miles. People were noticing his knack for athletics. A basketball and a baseball coach both suggested to Andrasko that Miles pick a sport and specialize. She declined. Last summer, a coach from an opposing baseball team shook Miles' hand on the field just before the start of the first inning in a Florissant tournament. The coach wouldn't let go and kept talking. Andrasko looked on, concerned. Turns out, the coach was hoping to recruit Miles to his team. Andrasko joked he should first talk to Miles' agent: her. ``I'm flattered that someone would think Miles is talented, because he works very hard at baseball, and he loves it so much,'' she said. ``But it's also a daunting thing as well. I think, `OK, some adult is interested in approaching my kid.' ``But he's 8.'' Everything you remembered about youth sports when you grew up has changed. Forget the eight-game season of the middle schooler, though they still exist in some recreation leagues. Heck, forget the once universal dream of making varsity in high school. In some sports, particularly club hockey and soccer, some high-level club teams forbid players from competing on their high school teams. The level of com-
petition is too low. Now there are a vast array of year-round club choices in almost every sport: hockey, baseball, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, swimming, lacrosse. You've probably seen the stickers on the rear windows of minivans and SUVs: Scott Gallagher and Metro Strikers, Gateway, Rockets, Americans, Pirates, Prospects. There are annual tryouts for elite and traveling teams for kids in elementary school. Fees for select clubs can be upward of $1,000 for kids as young as 6. There are hours of weekly evening practices in training facilities in remote industrial parks. Mandatory spirit gear. Pressure for private instruction. Travel tournaments on weekends. Parents admit the time and money spent shuttling kids to competition and practices appear overthe-top. Robert Goldson of Ladue said he's in for $2,500 a year for a swim club team for his two girls, 8 and 12, for membership, training and equipment. They swim three to four times a week, yearround. Most parents point to the benefits: the
discipline of balancing sports with school, the strong instruction, the friends and the fun of traveling over a weekend where kids make human pyramids or play hot box in the hallways of a hotel. That points to the growing social component in this. ``There's the pressure for the social status of your kid,'' Goldson said. ``I think that's why people feel pressure to get their kids up and running, I think they want to make sure their kids are included.'' All this is happening amid escalating sports injuries. An alarming April study presented to the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine studied 1,206 ``specialized'' athletes ages 8 to 18. Nearly two-thirds had had an injury, and more than half had suffered an injury from overuse - 139 of them serious. The authors of the study concluded that specialization resulted in ``higher rates of injury, increased psychological stress and quitting sports at a young age.'' Jim Hoffman, an owner of Advance Training and Rehab, deals with injured young athletes. He describes the youth sports scene as a ``hamster wheel'' that burns kids out. ``At some point, I want to ask the parents, `What have you really enjoyed doing in your life that you've had to do three hours a day? If you did something two to three hours a day, every day, would you still enjoy it three years later?''' -AP
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USI simulator prepares nursing students for crises EVANSVILLE, Ind.: It had been a few days since 64-year-old Ms. Wilson received a total hip replacement, and all appeared to be going well before she experienced a few complications and became unresponsive. Now she was lying in a hospital bed waiting for a gaggle of college students to revive her after she quit breathing. Young and fresh-faced, one nurse's bangs kept falling in her face, obstructing her view as she quickly performed CPR on the patient. She alternated with another nurse, pumping Ms. Wilson's chest rhythmically. After two rounds of the defibrillator, Ms. Wilson awoke. And that was it. The students fell back, crowding together in the back of the room, cracking jokes to break the sense of exhilaration, which still lingered in the air. On any given day, people passing by the clinical simulation center on the second floor of the University of Southern Indiana's Health Professions Building could see nursing students dressed in scrubs hastily trying to revive or, perhaps, attach an IV to one of three SimMan Classic Laerdal simulators. And it's all a part of an operation to better prepare USI health professions students like senior Karen Hoss for the real world. ``This is so life like, it's hard to distinguish the difference between this and when I saw a real code in the ICU,'' Hoss told the Evansville Courier & Press. The nursing student, who is a student nurse extern at St. Mary's Hospital and
Medical Center, said working in the simulation center during her college career has better prepared for her for a career as a nurse. ``I'm nervous, but excited to put all of this learning to good use,'' she said. Christine Thompson, clinical simulations coordinator at USI, said the clinical simulation center offers students experience
have pulses,'' she said. ``They all have these very humanlike capabilities that allow the students to come in and practice what they've learned in a scenario and actually have to use their critical thinking skills.'' For instance, students recently participated in a postpartum hemorrhage simulation last week. The ``mother'' gave birth at home.
On any given day, people passing by the clinical simulation center on the second floor of the University of Southern Indiana's Health Professions Building could see nursing students dressed in scrubs hastily trying to revive or, perhaps, attach an IV to one of three SimMan Classic Laerdal simulators. And it's all a part of an operation to better prepare USI health professions students like senior Karen Hoss for the real world. before entering workforce. ``Classroom learning is wonderful, but in a situation where you're going to be doing very important things with real people, it's nice to be able to practice,'' Thompson said. `` If they make a mistake here, we can reboot the computer. It's not so easy in the hospital, and there's a lot more paperwork. `` Each simulator has its own hospital bed, attached to heart monitors and various equipment, depending on what the simulation is that day. ``They can breathe, we can talk through them, they have bowel sounds and they
``When she came into the hospital, she only spoke Spanish, so (students) had to think about how they were going to take care of her, find out what she's feeling, make sure they're addressing all of her needs,'' Thompson said. ``When they noticed her vitals dropping, they called a physician and a translator.'' One of the most unusual aspects of the simulation center, Thompson said, is its realistic hospital environment that's in place after renovations over the summer. ``So many of the students have said `it just feels so real here,' and that's what we're going for,'' Thompson said. ``It's not some-
Senior with terminal illness still plays softball think he was going to get his strength back.'' ``Around late August and early SeptemBrake didn't tell his teammates about his ber, I got feeling really good again,'' Brake illness. He just played like he always had. said. ``Eating like a horse, put some weight Since he already had missed a season beon, so I thought, `Hell, I'll try softball.' Came cause of the knee procedure, it wasn't unback and here we are.'' usual that he was out of softball shape. Brake had missed the summer season Then, the rumors started. because of knee surgery, never thinking the ``The stories started coming out about season before might have been his last. his terminal cancer,'' Skelly said. ``And it Now, he's finally back, and this time he's was really somewhat of a lifter for all of us not taking anything for granted. to see a guy playing like that.'' But it wasn't just the illness that made Brake's daughter noticed the change, as people take nowell. The man she had been watching fade tice, it was the away in front of her eyes suddenly was back level of play and the happyon the field legging out a triple. ``I am so go-lucky demeanor radiatglad he is out here playing again,'' Raines ing from Brake said. ``I am absolutely thrilled. It's the best.'' in the dugout. ``At first, you think that Gaining back his strength he can't be strong enough to play,'' Skelly During the darkest times, the option to said. ``I think the first or second time up, he play softball wasn't something that he or hit a home run. So at that point it was like, his family thought ever would present it`Wow, where did this guy come from?' And self again. he is always cheering in the dugout, he is ``He wasn't feeling so good. We never always up.'' thought he would feel good again,'' Brake's ``I'd gotten to feel pretty good,'' Brake daughter, Jennifer Raines, said. ``I didn't said. ``I'm not on pain meds or anything.'' Cont'd from Page 32
An inspiration to all Suddenly, Brake wasn't just a teammate coming back from knee surgery, he was an inspiration to his league mates. They saw a man who was near death only a few months earlier, a man who at one point was a shell of himself. They saw a man who made a concentrated effort to change his life for the better, not with medicine or through doctors, but with old-fashioned determination. They thought about what decisions they would have made - would they be as happy to be on the diamond as Brake was? Would they even be playing softball at all? ``To be up when you have terminal cancer is really a good thing for him, and (it's) a good thing for all of us to see that,'' Skelly said. ``It's really been a good thing for us the whole league - to notice.'' Brake's daughter noticed the change, as well. The man she had been watching fade away in front of her eyes suddenly was back on the field legging out a triple. ``I am so glad he is out here playing again,'' Raines said. ``I am absolutely thrilled. It's the best.'' Brake knows he is fortunate to still be playing softball, and he doesn't plan on wasting any of the moments he has left. ``I figured I would be dead by now, frankly,'' he said. ``So why not ride it as long as you can?'' -AP
thing you'll find in every university. This is something that prospective students are most excited about.'' The USI physical plant gutted the existing space and transformed it into a realistic hospital environment over summer break to better suit students. The renovations transformed the one room area into a space with several rooms with real, hospital doors and a centralized control room. ``The students are afforded more opportunities to get that confidence built before they go to the workforce,'' Thompson said. And confidence, she said, is one of the most important skills students learn in the simulation center. ``Confidence is one of the things that makes a new hire attractive, and what we build in here is confidence,'' Thompson said. ``These things they're learning to do aren't things you're born with. These are skills you have to practice over and over again.'' The simulation center helps students with the concept of teamwork, a trait health care employers emphasize to ensure patient safety. ``A lot of hospitals will educate their staff about that, but we really want out students be one step ahead and know those teamwork skills,'' Thompson said. ``When they get there, they hit the ground
``Confidence is one of the things that makes a new hire attractive, and what we build in here is confidence,'' Thompson said. ``These things they're learning to do aren't things you're born with. These are skills you have to practice over and over again.'' running, and they know what they need to do.'' Ann White, the dean of USI's College of Nursing and Health Professions, said the simulation center helps produce quality and prepared health professions graduates. ``When we talk to the people who hire our graduates, they always tell us that our graduates have a good understanding of what it's like to be a member of the team and how to work together in the best interest of the patient,'' White said. With the simulation center producing results like it has in the past 10 years, White sees a heavier incorporation of simulation in future health professions studies. ``What we will continue to do is very strongly integrate more simulation into our inter-professional opportunities,'' she said. ``We'll be use it more and more, and utilize it in different ways with different groups of people. We're pushing the edge and asking students to do more and more.'' -AP
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40 India Post
K
ochi (colonial name Cochin) is a vibrant city situ ated on the south-west coast of the Indian penin sula in the breathtakingly scenic and prosperous state of Kerala, hailed as 'God's Own Country'. Its strategic importance over the centuries is underlined by the sobriquet Queen of the Arabian Sea. Informally, Cochin is also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala. From time immemorial, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have left indelible marks on the history and development of Cochin. Over the years, Cochin has emerged as the commercial and industrial capital of Kerala and is perhaps the second most important city on the west coast of India (after Mumbai/Bombay). Cochin is proud of its world class port and international airport that link it to many major cities worldwide. This lovely seaside city is flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Its proximity
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to the equator, the sea and the mountains provide a rich experience of a moderate equatorial climate. Strictly speaking, Cochin is a small town. But, Cochin has outgrown its original bounds and is now the general name given to much of the region adjoining the original town, which now includes Cochin, Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Ernakulam and many other nearby towns and villages. Cochin is situated in Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala. Ernakulam is also the name of a town - the administrative capital of Ernakulam district - but, for all prac-
November 29, 2013
tical purposes Ernakulam and Cochin, generally, refer to the same place. Cont’d on page 42
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Detention of US tourists in North Korea unusual PALO ALTO, California: Hundreds of Americans like the 85year-old Korean War veteran apparently being detained in North Korea travel to the communist nation each year, despite strong warnings from the U.S. State Department. Many go as part of humanitarian efforts or to find long-lost relatives. Some, like war veteran Merrill Newman, simply want to see a closed society shrouded in mystery. In the case of Newman, an inveterate traveler and long-retired finance executive from California, that desire was fueled by the three years he spent as an infantryman during the Korean War six decades ago, according to his son. North Korean officials detained him at the end of a nine-day trip last month as he sat in an airplane set to leave the country, the son said. ``We don't know what this misunderstanding is all about,'' Jeffrey Newman told The Associated Press as he awaited word on reported efforts by the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang to secure his father's release. ``All we want as a family is to have my father, my kids' grandfather, returned to California so he can be with his family for Thanks-
tity. In this case, since Sweden is the diplomatic intermediary for the U.S. in North Korea, one of its officials needs to see Newman. The State Department has revised its travel warning for North Korea to advise all U.S. citizens against going there, saying it had received reports of authorities ``arbitrarily detaining U.S. citizens and not allowing them to depart the country.'' Although travel to North Korea is not common, Americans have been making the trip in increasing numbers since the country opened itself up to American tourism two years ago, said Jenny Town, assistant director of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. ``Tourism is on the rise, especially of Americans, because it's such an isolated state. People are kind of fascinated by the novelty of going somewhere where no one else has gone,'' she said. Travel to the country is arranged through tour companies that have local guides receive tourists and help them get around, Town said. There is no North Korean consulate in the United States, so visas are obtained abroad, often in Beijing. But entering the country legally without a tour company would be
General view of the square in front of the 'Monument to the Party Founding'.
giving.'' Speaking to reporters in Beijing, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies wouldn't confirm Newman's detention but said, generally, that U.S. officials were working with Swedish diplomats ``to try to move this issue along and of course calling on North Korea ... to resolve the issue and to allow our citizens to go free.'' Sweden acts as America's protecting power in North Korea because Washington and Pyongyang don't have official diplomatic relations. For the U.S. government to acknowledge that someone is being held, a consular official must see the detainee and confirm the iden-
almost impossible, since North Korea requires tourists to be accompanied by guides, Town said. Merrill Newman was traveling with a friend, Bob Hamrdla, who was allowed to return to the U.S. Newman's son said that he heard from Hamrdla that before his father was detained he had had a ``difficult'' discussion with North Korean officials about his experiences during the 1950-53 war between U.S.-led United Nations forces and North Korea and ally China. That war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically at war. Another U.S. veteran of the Korean War named Merrill
Newman was awarded the Silver Star in 1952 for leading his Marine platoon in a series of attacks that inflicted heavy casualties on
according to the Military Times. Jeffrey Newman told the San Jose Mercury News there is no indication North Korean authorities
North Korea has detained for more than three weeks an 85-year-old American retiree who was on an organized tour due to an "misunderstanding," friends and relatives say
North Korean troops and for taking effective defensive actions during a massive counter-attack,
have confused his father with the other Merrill Newman, who is now 84 and lives in Oregon.
He said his father always wanted to visit North Korea and took lessons in the language before leaving on the nine-day trip. He said he believed North Korea would eventually release his father after realizing that all they have is an ``elderly traveler, a grandfather with a heart condition.'' Korean War veteran Thomas Hudner, a retired Navy captain and Medal of Honor winner, went to North Korea in July to fulfill a promise he said he made 60 years ago to recover the remains of a pilot who was trapped in his downed fighter jet. While in North Korea, Hudner ``didn't mention the war at all'' and had no complaints about how he was treated. ``We wanted to maintain as close of relations as we could and we think we accomplished that,'' he said. ``They were very business-like and helpful.''-AP
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Kochi− −Starting point for exploring beauty of Kerala Cont’d from page 40
Kochi is the arguably the ideal starting point for exploring the unfathomable diversity and beauty of Kerala, rated in the top three tourist destinations by the World Travel & Tourism Council and featured in National Geographic Traveler's '50 greatest places of a lifetime'. History: Like most cities in India, Kochi has a very long and illustrious history. But, the origin of the name is still shrouded in mystery. Many theories exist, but none are strong enough to be conclusive. Some historians believe that Kochi is a modified form of the word 'Cochazhi' which in Malayalam means 'small sea'. Others are of the opinion that 'Kochi' was named so by the Chinese. According to them, traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan, gave Kochi the name of their homeland. The peculiar
Chinese fishing nets found here, the only place outside China where they have been spotted, can possibly be attributed to the heavy Chinese influence the city has had in the past. Still another theory is that Kochi is derived
from the word 'Kaci' meaning 'harbor'.
Cochin harbor: Kochi earned a significant position on the world trading routes after the world famous port at Kodugallur (Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river Periyar in 1340 AD. Records show
that Kodugallur (Cranganore) was known to the Arabs and Chinese
traders for centuries. After the Kodugallur port was destroyed, the forces of nature created a natural harbor at the nearby city Kochi. Kochi started to grow and soon developed into a major trading point dealing in pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, etc., which were and still are famous for their quality. The Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, Italians and Portuguese helped Kochi emerge as a bustling centre of commercial activity, connecting the mainland to the rest of the world. Kochi owes a lot to great travelers, scholars and traders like Fa Hien, Vasco da Gama, Sir Robert Bristow, etc. to her growth and prosperity. The English called Kochi 'Mini England', the Dutch called it 'Homely Holland' and the Portuguese called it 'Little Lisbon' highlighting Kochi's prominence. Italian traveler Nicolas Conti wrote in his travelogue: "China is where you make your money, then Cochin is surely the place to spend it." LOCAL AND FOREIGN RULERS Over the centuries, the princely state of Kochi came under numerous empires. Over time, the original local rulers were controlled by the Portuguese, Dutch, British and
even the Zamorin of Kozhikode (Calicut). Around 1530 AD, under the Portuguese, Kochi grew into a prosperous town. The ruler of Kochi gave the Portuguese permission to build a fort at Kochi called 'Manuel Kotta' (Fort Emmanuel) - which is the first European fort in Kochi. The Dutch invasion began around 1653 and by 1663 they emerged victorious over the Portuguese. The Dutch then built Fort Williams here. The Dutch were defeated by the great rulers of Mysore - Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Finally, when the whole nation lost to the British, Kochi too became a part of the British
Empire in 1814. The magnificent forts built here were destroyed by the British. Under the supervision of Sir Robert Bristow, Kochi was developed into a major harbor and Willingdon Island was created. Willingdon Island now accommodates the Cochin Port, Naval Airport and the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command apart from a host of other trading and commercial establishments. POST-INDEPENDENCE After India became independent in 1947, the state of Kerala was formed in 1956 by the unification of provinces Kochi, Malabar and Travancore. The Corporation of Kochi was formed in 1967 by the merger of the towns - Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Ernakulam and many nearby villages. Growth in trade and commercialization has led to the rise of Kochi as the most important city in Kerala and one of the major cities on the west coast of India. THINGS TO DO BOAT RIDE The backwaters separating Ernakulam from Fort Kochi and Mattanchery are dotted with
many small and mid-sized islands. A boat ride through the backwaters is an unforgettable experience. KATHAKALI PERFORMANCE India Foundation (Kalathiparambil Road, near the Ernakulam Junction railway station), The Cochin Cultural Centre (Manikath Road, behind Medical Trust Hospital) and Art Kerala (Kannanthodathu Lane, near Valanjambalam Temple) organizes Kathakali performances every evening. Kathakali is a traditional dance form of Kerala and the impressive facial expressions, hand gestures and dance moves will leave one spellbound.
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Potential of social media and IT in travel KOCHI: There is a need to step up exploring the potential of social media and information technology in promotional activities of travel and tourism industries, experts said here. Speaking at a workshop 'Travel Goes Social' organized jointly by Kerala Tourism and Facebook here, Anand Parthasarathy, senior journalist and IT expert, pointed
out that 'mobile plus social media' was a compelling combination for travel and tourism industry. "You have to actively engage consumers across the mobile and social media channels. A web presence is a key business tool," he said, addressing representatives of the travel and tourism industry. He suggested that the indus-
try handle social media with care. 'Close the gaps and improve your offerings before you go and explore the possibilities of social media and IT', he said. Sachin Rao, Head of Small & Medium Business, Facebook (India), said travel is inherently social and it is today more difficult to capture customers attention than before. The travel industry thrives on recommendations shared among trusted friends. Rao said Facebook's unique ability to connect people lets the travel and tourism industry to source feedback for products and services and strengthen their brand. Esme Lean, Facebook Advertising Specialist, gave a talk on 'How to use Facebook in Travel industry', Abraham George, president of the Kerala Travel Mart, and C K Ponnappan, Joint Director, Department of Tourism, were among those who spoke. -PTI
India's largest pilot training facility opened in Noida MUMBAI: Aviation and travelrelated services provider InterGlobe Enterprises is collaboration with CAE has inaugurated country's largest pilot training facility in Greater Noida in the National Capital Region. The New York Stock Exchange-listed CAE is a major player in modeling, simulation and training for civil aviation and defense sector. Set up with an investment of USD 25 million, the facility has also tied up with Nusli Wadia-promoted GoAir for imparting training to its A320s pilots, a release said here. The NCR Centre is the fourth aviation training location that CAE operates in the country. "We are confident that this venture will enable pilots to be well-equipped and trained in making the experience of flying hassle-free and safe," InterGlobe Enterprises Managing Director Rahul Bhatia, who runs the largest domestic carrier IndiGo, said. India is amongst the fastest growing civil aviation markets in the world with a growing need for trained pilots and this Centre will
help address this requirement, Bhatia said. The NCR Centre is the fourth aviation training location that CAE operates in the country. It already provides training to IndiGo pilots.
part Airbus certified training here, the company said. The facility provides "wet" and "dry" type-rating, recurrent, conversion and jet indoctrination training for commercial aircraft pilots.
CAE trains more than 1,500 crew members every year at its training centre in Bengaluru, the first independent training centre in the country "This new facility will not only better serve the rapidly growing regional carrier market in the region, but also provide our customers with the flexibility and proximity they want as well as the highest fidelity and reliability for their training programs," CAE president and chief executive Marc Parent said. With its six simulator bays, the Centre will have the capacity to train over 5,000 aviation professionals per year, and will be the largest such facility in the country and also the first centre to im-
CAE trains more than 1,500 crew members every year at its training centre in Bengaluru, the first independent training centre in the country and the first to earn approval as a fixed-wing Type Rating Training Organization (TRTO), the release said. It also operates a joint venture helicopter training centre in Bengaluru equipped with the first advanced, full-fidelity helicopter simulators and also operates abinitio flight schools in Gondia and Rae Bareli in partnership with the Central government. -PTI
Kerala gets UNESCO backing for Spice Route Project THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala's plan to tap the potential in the tourism sector of the ancient spice route treaded by merchants and explorers in search of spices and herbs has received support from the UNESCO. The Spice Route Project is aimed at sharing the heritage among the 31 countries along the ancient route. The initiative is expected to bring in a substantial number of foreign tourists to Kerala to trace the historic journey.
initiative in reviving a lost heritage. "We are delighted to receive the support of UNESCO for the Spice Route Project," Kerala's Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar said. The centre-piece of the project is Kochi-Kodungallur belt in central Kerala, where the ancient spice port Muziris was located and where merchants from West Asia and Mediterranean region came by sea and land. Archaeological evidence from
The UN cultural agency's backing for the Spice Route Project of the state government came during meetings and presentations by a team of officials from Kerala in Paris last week. The meetings were led by India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO Vinay Sheel Oberoi and Kerala Tourism Secretary Suman Billa. Billa also met Unesco's Assistant Secretary-General (Culture) Francesco Bandarin and Ambassadors of several countries that are part of the Spice Route. During his meeting with Billa, Bandarin supported the idea of the project and lauded Kerala's
excavations carried out by the Kerala government in Muziris have already given boost to the project. They have pointed to spice trade between Muziris - a port that flourished two millennia ago and the West, before it mysteriously disappeared. Earlier, the Spice Route initiative had received the support of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The project was aimed at reestablishing Kerala's maritime ties with the countries on the Spice Route and also promoting tourism and revive cultural, historical and archaeological exchanges between these nations. -PTI
NYC stores trim their windows as gifts to the city NEW YORK: Forget window shopping, some of Manhattan's biggest and most storied retailers say their elaborate seasonal window displays are a gift to passersby. Reimagining every major holiday covered in a slick coating of ice, recreating cozy Christmasmorning scenes and paying homage to a local legend can be a yearlong labor of love. ``Every store has their own style,'' says David Hoey, senior director of visual presentation at
Bergdorf Goodman. ``We try to pick a theme that will lend itself for us to go to town. We all do.'' At his corner of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, arguably one of the most famous shopping intersections in the world, Hoey isn't just celebrating Christmas, he's paying homage to 12 holidays, including Valentine's Day, Independence Day and Halloween. One of his favorite windows is the April Fool's Day display that depicts a lovely outdoor springtime scene - assembled upside down. -AP
In Brief Biden visits immigration fasters to show support WASHINGTON: Vice President Joe Biden has visited a tent on the National Mall to show his support for immigration activists on the 11th day of a hunger strike. In video released by the Service Employees International Union, Biden tells activists, quote, ``We are going to win this.'' White House spokesman Jay Carney says Biden's visit reflects President Barack Obama's views. The White House says Biden prayed with the activists for immigration legislation and listened to why they're fasting. The group organizing the fast, Fast for Families, wants the House to vote on an immigration overhaul that's already passed the Senate. Biden and President Barack Obama have sought to keep a spotlight on that bill and the need to fix immigration laws even though the bipartisan Senate deal stalled in the House. -AP
Indian jailed in Britain for use of fake passports LONDON: A 29-year-old Indian has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for entering Britain using a fake French passport and will be deported at the end of his sentence. Yunus Mohamed Patel claims that he bought the fake passport for Rs 6,000. Last year, He had submitted a counterfeit Indian passport in an attempt to remain in the UK. Home Office investigators raided his home at Daubhill in Bolton, Greater Manchester, where numerous counterfeit documents were recovered, the Bolton News reported. Patel admitted to four charges of forgery, obtaining property by deception, possessing false identity documents and seeking to obtain leave to remain in the UK by deceptive means. He was sentenced to an 18month jail by the Bolton Crown Court and will be deported when he completes the sentence. "The prison term handed down in this case will act as a deterrent to others who think they can cheat the system. Using a forged or counterfeit passport is a serious offence and anyone who does so can expect to face arrest, jail and removal from the country," said Nick Wood of the UK Home Office's immigration crime team. -PTI
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GOP congressman lends support to immigration march
Details on page 46
India seeks Congressional help over immigration bill WASHINGTON: India has sought Congressional help in addressing its concerns over certain alleged discriminatory provisions of the comprehensive immigration bill, which if passed into law would adversely impact Indian IT companies. "One of the concerns, Indian businesses are seeking to address, and where the US Congress can help them, is about the current debate, on restrictions on the movement of high-skilled non-immigrant professionals employed by Indian IT companies into the United States," Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Charges d'Affaires of the Indian Embassy in the US, said. "These discriminatory provisions, if they are enacted, will essentially create a market access barrier for Indian IT companies in the US and will not only cause damage to their operations but will also impact the ability of US companies, who depend on their services, to innovate, grow and be competitive, and affect the local economies," Sandhu said. He was addressing the 'Indian American Meetup' event organized by the GOP Conference and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, at the Capitol Hill.
The Indian IT industry has led the way, in strengthening the India-US trade and investment relationship, Sandhu said adding that today, companies like TCS, Wipro,
expanding India-US ties, creating jobs for hundreds of thousands of people in both countries, he said. "Our bilateral trade today, has reached 100 billion dollars, and
“If the discriminatory provisions of the immigration bill are enacted, it will create a market access barrier and will cause damage to operations of Indian IT companies in the US.”
Infosys and HCL employ well over 50,000 US citizens and support more than 280,000 other local US jobs. "They are integral, to the operations of many US companies, helping them in developing new products, and improving operations and efficiencies," he argued. Trade and economic partnership, remains a central pillar of
maintains an upward trajectory. Indeed, despite global economic slowdown, US exports in goods and services to India, which is nearing USD 50 billion, have grown by an impressive 12 percent, in the first half of 2013," Sandhu said. Noting that US is an important source for foreign direct investment in India, he said for the US,
India is now among the fastest growing sources of inward investment. More than 65 large Indian corporations, including Tata, Reliance, Essar, Piramal and others have invested in the US about USD 17 billion in a number of US states including Colorado, Oklahoma, Georgia, Idaho, Tennessee and Kansas, among others, over the last five years, he said. Taking note of the concerns expressed in US about the pace of reform in India and its investment climate, Sandhu said New Delhi is sensitive to these views. "Government of India has focused, on improvement of our investment regulations, leading to significant FDI liberalization in the past year in a number of sectors of US interest including, multibrand and single-brand retail, civil aviation, telecommunications and defense," he observed. "In addition, clearances for pending projects, have been fasttracked, taxation issues have been addressed upfront and clarified and the much talked about Preferential Market Access guidelines for private sector companies have been kept in abeyance," Sandhu said. -PTI
Immigrant game puts Republicans in tight spot AUSTIN, Texas: When young Texas conservatives announced a ``catch an illegal immigrant'' game, they expected condemnation from the left. But the surprise came when fellow Texas Republicans either denounced them or remained conspicuously silent. Perhaps no incident better crystallizes how the state GOP is trying to mitigate its immigration policies to win Hispanic votes and keep the party vital. The dilemma couldn't have been clearer when several 2014 Republican candidates campaigned for votes in the Young Conservatives of Texas online straw poll while trying to distance themselves from the game sponsored by the group's University of Texas at
Austin chapter. The game - which has been played at several other campuses across the country since at least 2005 - rewards students for cap-
turing one of the group's members wearing a sign that reads ``illegal immigrant.'' It was canceled after university officials called it an honors code
A sign at an immigration rights rally on the University of Texas campus was prompted by a plan by the Young Conservatives of Texas to play a game called “Catch an Illegal Immigrant.” The game was canceled because of public outrage.
violation, but the publicity gave Democrats yet another opportunity to paint Republicans as uncouth on Hispanic issues. ``Out of one side of their mouths they say that they want the Hispanic community's vote, at the same time they're begging for the endorsement of anti-immigrant extremists,'' said Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party. Among those in the GOP blasting the game was Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, whose gubernatorial campaign spokesman called it a ``repugnant effort.'' Abbott did not actively campaign in the straw poll, but easily led it. Cont'd on Page 46
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Secret sauce for Administrative immigration reform GARY ENDELMAN & CYRUS D. MEHTA
O
n November 15, the USCIS issued a Policy Memoran dum formalizing the granting of parole to persons who are present in the United States without admission or parole and who are spouses, children and parents of US citizens serving in the US military or who previously served in the US military. While parole traditionally applies to those who seek to come to the United States, the expansion of this concept to those already here is known as "parole in place". According to this memo, military preparedness can be potentially adversely affected if active members of the military worry about the immigration status of their spouses, parents and children. The memo makes a similar commitment to veterans who have served and sacrificed for the nation, and who can face stress and anxiety because of the immigration status of their family members.
An alien present in the United States without being admitted or paroled, or who arrives in the United States at any time or place other than as designated by the Attorney General, is inadmissible. Section 212(a)(6)(A)(i) renders an alien inadmissible under two related grounds: 1) an alien present in the US without being admitted or paroled or 2) an alien who arrives in the United States at any time or place other than as designated by the Attorney General. The grant of PIP to a person who is present in the US without being admitted or paroled can wipe out the first ground of inadmissibility in section 212(a) (6)(A)(i). PIP would then also allow this person to adjust status in the US under section 245(a) as the person needs to have been "inspected and admitted or paroled" - without needing to leave the US. The ability to adjust status through PIP would obviate
Military preparedness can be potentially adversely affected if active members of the military worry about the immigration status of their spouses, parents and children. The memo makes a similar commitment to veterans who have served and sacrificed for the nation, and who can face stress and anxiety because of the immigration status of their family members. Such persons can now formally apply for parole in place (PIP) through a formal procedure pursuant to the ability of the government to grant parole under INA section 212(d)(5)(A). PIP would allow them to adjust status in the US rather than travel abroad for consular processing of their immigrant visas and thus potentially triggering the 3 or 10 year bars. As a quick background, an individual who is in the US without admission or parole cannot adjust status through an immediate relative such as a US citizen spouse, parent or son or daughter. This person is inherently inadmissible under INA section 212(a) (6) (A) (i), which provides:
the need to travel overseas and apply for the visa, and thus trigger the 3 or 10 year bar pursuant to INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i) and (ii). Since there will be no departure triggering the 3 and 10 year bars, this person would no longer need to file a waiver or an advance provisional waiver by demonstrating extreme hardship to a qualifying US citizen relative to overcome the 3 and 10 year bars before leaving the US. So far so good, but how does one overcome the second ground of inadmissibility in section 212(a)(6)A)(i), which relates to "an alien who arrives in the United States at any time or place other than as designated by the
Attorney General?" The memo skillfully interprets this clause as relating to an alien who is in the process of arriving in the US
How about granting PIP to families of, outstanding researchers striving to unlock the mysteries of science and tech-
The extension of PIP to the families of current or former military service men and women is a proper recognition of their contribution to the nation and an attempt to benefit those who have given so much to the rest of us. While such logic is compelling, why not expand its application to other instances without inspection. Thus, the second ground only applies to an alien who is presently arriving in the US while the first ground applies to an alien who already arrived in the US without admission or parole. If the second ground is interpreted as applying to an alien who arrived in the past, then it would make the first ground superfluous, according to the memo. It would also then make the 3 year bar under INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i) superfluous as a person who at any point arrived, if used in the past tense, at a place or time other than designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security would be permanently inadmissible rather than inadmissible for only 3 years. Thus, if the second ground of inadmissibility is no longer applicable with respect to an alien who has already arrived in the US, then the grant of PIP would allow such a person to adjust in the US by overcoming the first ground under INA section 212(a)(6)(A)(i). The extension of PIP to the families of current or former military service men and women is a proper recognition of their contribution to the nation and an attempt to benefit those who have given so much to the rest of us. While such logic is compelling, why not expand its application to other instances where aliens have served and strengthened the national interest or performed work in the national interest?
nology, those with exceptional or extraordinary ability, and key employees of US companies doing important jobs for which qualified Americans cannot be found? And there is also a compelling
interest in ensuring family unification so that US citizens or permanent residents may feel less stressed and can go on to have productive lives that will in turn help the nation. All such people do us proud by making our cause their own and the need of their loved ones to come in from the shadows is real and present. Indeed, the nonmilitary use of PIP was advocated by top USCIS officials several years ago in a memo to USCIS Director Mayorkas, a memo leaked by its critics who wished successfully to kill it. To be continued * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com
PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law
Former Assistant StateÂ’s Attorney
Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc. 1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1
http://www.proy-singh.com
2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659
Immigration Post
46 India Post
November 29, 2013
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GOP congressman lends support Washington man convicted of posing as ICE agent to immigration march RENO, Nev.: Rep. Mark Amodei lent his support to immigration activists who took part in a Reno march and pledged to work with leaders of both parties to ensure passage of immigration legislation. The Nevada Republican greeted activists at his Reno office, spoke about 10 minutes and passed out water to them before
Rep. Mark Amodei
they marched about 3 miles to the landmark Reno Arch. He told them he recognizes the need for an overhaul of the nation's immigration system and has been working hard to secure passage of immigration legislation. Over 300 immigration activists marched from four different locations, including Amodei's office,
to the Reno Arch. Speakers there urged them to keep up pressure on Congress to enact immigration legislation. Amodei has said he supports legislation that allows immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship after undergoing a 10-year probationary period, passing background checks, learning English and American civics, and proving they have jobs and are not dependent on government aid. Many House Republicans question the offer of citizenship to people who broke U.S. immigration laws to be in the country. Organizers praised Amodei's support of the march, saying they appreciate his leadership on the issue. ``Congressman Amodei previously told us he would speak out `forcefully' in favor of comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship,'' Bob Fulkerson, state director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said in a statement. ``We are hopeful that with his leadership we can pass a bill this year
so that no more Nevada families are separated as a result of a broken immigration system.'' Activists presented Amodei with a petition asking House leaders for swift action on immigration legislation. The Senate has passed a bill that includes billions for border security, a reworked legal immigration system to allow tens of thousands of high- and low-skilled workers into the country and a 13-year path to citizenship for those living here illegally. Marchers chanted and waved placards reading, ``Fix Our Broken Immigration System,'' ``Keep Families Together'' and ``No Human Being Is Illegal.'' Speakers from the NAACP, Catholic Church and the University of Nevada, Reno, were among those addressing the crowd at the arch. Organizer Cory Hernandez said the most moving moment came when 25 young American-born children with ``undocumented'' parents came forward and recited the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States. ``We keep hearing that immigration reform is dead,'' Hernandez said. ``The reason we gathered here is to send the message that we are not going to let that happen. This isn't a party issue, it's a justice issue.'' -AP
Immigrant game puts Republicans in tight spot Cont'd from Page 44
Bob Quasius, president of a Hispanic group called the Cafe Con Leche Republicans, said the group was being ``stupid'' by giving Democrats ammunition to define conservatism as anti-Hispanic. ``Many of us were young and foolish in our college days,''' he said in a statement. But he added: ``How politicians and political groups talk about immigration has an outsized impact on perception from Latinos and Asians. `` William Hampton Williams II, who as a Young Republican at New York University supported a similar immigrant game in 2007, now manages Eric Opiela's campaign for Texas agriculture commissioner. In a statement to The Associated Press, he took a dim view of the game, which was also played at the University of North Texas in 2005, the University of Michigan and Michigan State in 2006 and the
University of Iowa in 2007. ``Illegal immigration is a serious issue and the conservative argument wins on its own, and stunts and gimmicks like this detract from the debate,'' he said. ``Clearly the kids were mistaken.'' The Opiela campaign did not
``I have been shocked at the uproar over the event's premise and at the personal attacks against me,'' Garcia said in a statement after canceling the game. use social media to campaign for the straw poll, but was in the lead. Lorenzo Garcia, the chapter chairman for Young Conservatives of Texas, acknowledged the game was ``over the top'' but was meant only to spark a debate on a crucial
national issue. ``I have been shocked at the uproar over the event's premise and at the personal attacks against me,'' Garcia said in a statement after canceling the game. No single law divides conservatives and Hispanics quite like the federal DREAM Act, which provides a path to citizenship for college students whose parents brought them to the United States as children, and its Texas counterpart, which provides those students with in-state tuition. The laws have overwhelming support among Hispanics, including some Republicans in other states. Houston Sen. Dan Patrick, in his campaign for lieutenant governor, has criticized his competitors for supporting the Texas law in the past, and some have backtracked to say they want to repeal it. Patrick remained silent on the game and actively campaigned for the straw poll on social media, as did Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. -AP
SEATTLE: Despite being in the deterring this type of fraud and country illegally, the woman ap- preventing others from becoming proached a detective at the Kent victims.'' Police Department parking lot to The office usually investigates say in her limited English that she'd in-house misconduct by ICE, Cusbeen raped. toms and Border Protection and What emerged after that first Citizenship and Immigration Serstep was the harrowing story of a vices. The office led this investiwoman who authorities say was gation because Haughton posed harassed and extorted by a man as an ICE officer. preying on immigrants by imperThe woman, referred to as G.C. sonating a U.S. Immigration and in probable-cause documents, said Customs Enforcement agent. Pros- Haughton approached her at a fast ecutors say he eventually raped food restaurant in Kent in Januher. ary 2012, saying he could get her That man, Jose ``Panama'' Antonio Haughton, was Haughton's case led ICE convicted of sec- officials to the unusual step of ond-degree rob- asking immigrants illegally in bery, first-degree theft and seven the country to come forward if counts of criminal they had been victims of impersonation. Haughton's. In total, investigaThe 37-year-old faces additional tors found seven people charges of first-de- victimized gree robbery and second-degree rape in King County Superior $3,000 worth of food stamps for Court next month. $400. She rebuffed him, but he Immigrants illegally in the coun- wrote down her number when she try are vulnerable to abuse and said it aloud during a call, chargscams because of the threat of ing documents say. deportation, an immigrants rights Charging papers say that over advocate said. a month, Haughton managed to Haughton's case led ICE offi- convince the woman he was an imcials to the unusual step of asking migration officer, telling her that immigrants illegally in the country he could fix her and her family's to come forward if they had been status. She referred Haughton to victims of Haughton's. In total, her brother-in-law, named in docuinvestigators found seven people ments as ``Arturo.'' Haughton victimized by Haughton. asked Arturo for $1,000 to fix his ``Our focus in these cases is to status. He then began demanding arrest and criminally prosecute im- more money and threatening the postor officers, like this defendant, family. who hope to profit by preying on ``Over this period of time the vulnerable,'' Shawn Fallah, resi- Haughton became more angry and dent agent in charge of ICE's Of- scared G.C., making her believe he fice of Professional Responsibil- would hurt her and her family if ity in Seattle, said in a statement. she did not help him get money ``Having people come forward to from Arturo,'' probable-cause report such schemes is crucial to documents say. -AP
Regents nix proposal for discount for immigrants TUCSON, Ariz.: A proposal to give a university tuition discount to some immigrant students in the United States illegally has been rejected by the Arizona Board of Regents. The board rejected Regent Dennis DeConcini's proposal with other regents saying the proposal wouldn't survive a legal challenge. Students not in the country legally have to pay out-of-state tuition rates, which are much higher than in-state rates.
Arizona law prohibits providing in-state tuition rates or statefunded financial aid to students not legally in the country. DeConcini's proposal would have created a new rate of 110 percent of in-state tuition for so-called ``dreamers'' in the federal program for deferred action from deportation. Maricopa County's community college district has been sued by Attorney General Tom Horne over its giving in-state status to ``dreamers.'' -AP
Realty Tidbits
Housing prices in 12 cities rise, 10 witness decline in Q2 NEW DELHI: Housing prices increased in 12 cities by up to 5.30 per cent, while it declined in 10 cities, including the national capital, by up to 7 per cent during the second quarter ended September 30. Housing prices in Delhi witnessed a decline of 4.53 per cent during July-September period compared with the previous quarter. However, it jumped by 6.7 per cent on annual basis, as per Residex released by National Housing Bank (NHB). On annual basis, the prices in Delhi rose by 6.7 per cent. Maximum price moderation was seen in Meerut by 6.88 per cent while, highest appreciation in rate was witnessed in Kolkata by 5.30 per cent.-PTI
Pilot makes propeller home's hub FAIRBANKS, Alaska: There are a lot of custom-built homes in Fairbanks, but Andy Lyon almost certainly has the only one with a ceiling fan as the centerpiece. That fact says more about the fan than the house. Above the living room, a Douglas DC-6 propeller slowly spins, moving air through the handsome wood-accented building off Chena Ridge. Lyon designed his house specifically to accommodate the 131/ 2-foot propeller. For Lyon, a pilot and the director of maintenance for Everts Air, it was a chance to bring his love of aviation home.AP
Real Estate 47
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India Post
November 29, 2013
THANE: The Ready Reckoner (RR) rates for Maharashtra, which will be declared on January 1, is likely to see a hike of an average 10 to 15 per cent at most locations across Thane and Mumbai as compared to last year's rate. According to government officials, the sales barring residential have been sluggish across Mumbai, but somewhat marginal in Thane where buyers are slowly resisting the high prices.
New 4 bedroom homes in desirable Palo Alto India Post News Service
PALO ALTO, CA: Monroe Place is selling fast. And it's no surprise with such a unique combination of a prime location, stunning design, and high quality that come together so beautifully. Not to mention, this is the only place you will find a new home in Palo Alto, and at a great value. This stunning new community provides a lavish collection of 4 bedroom single-family homes and duet homes with attached 2-car garages. The architectural designs are contemporary with huge floor to ceiling windows that allow the homes to have an abundance of natural light. The modern interiors are impressive and equipped with the latest high-end features and designer finishes. The spacious floor plans have volume ceilings, hardwood flooring, fine cabinetry and solid surface countertops. And, first floor bedrooms with adjacent
full bathrooms make the perfect space for visitors or the in-laws. Monroe Place is Bay Area living with endless comfort and convenience. This tree-lined community is situated in an established
to impress! Family and friends can enjoy each other's company inside as well as outside. Take in the fresh breeze from your private backyard or stay in for dinner with family
Palo Alto neighborhood with all amenities you desire is in close proximity. And your kids will attend highly ranked Los Altos schools that have API scores sure
and friends in the comfort of your stunning gourmet kitchen. You gain much more than just a brand new house when you buy at Monroe Place, you gain a place you
are proud to call home. This exciting new neighborhood is close to everything: schools, shopping, dining, entertainment and more. Classic Communities is pleased to offer this extraordinarily beautiful collection of homes in an unbeatable location at a great value. This is your chance to own a brand new 4 bedroom home in the heart of Silicon Valley. Because these homes are in such a wonderful area, Palo Alto, and have such a great style, they are in big demand but limited supply. Prices start at $1,560,900. Hurry in to select the home that best fits your style and needs before it's too late! For more information about and directions to Monroe Place, please visit the website: www.ClassicsMonroePlace.com, or call the sales center at: (888) 3320783. Sales office is located at 4301 El Camino Real in Palo Alto (take Monroe Drive off of El Camino Real), open daily from 10am-5pm.
NBFCs make a beeline to fund realtors MUMBAI: As private equity firms and banks are adopting a cautious approach to funding real estate projects, non-banking fi-
"Since they cannot take loans for repayment, they are now looking at NBFCs. These NBFCs are also coming forward to bail out de-
nance companies (NBFCs) are coming forward to help cashstrapped developers with the expectation of higher returns, say experts. Industry experts also say NBFCs are more keen on investing in residential projects than commercial units mainly because of lower risk and quicker returns. "Currently sales are low in most of the major markets, which has impacted cash inflows. Developers who have earlier taken loans have repayment liabilities.
velopers to retire their loans," Knight Frank India executive director for capital transactions group Rajeev Bairathi told PTI. After the recent RBI directives tightening bank funding to realty sector, banks have been very conservative on lending to real estate projects. Owing to several risks such as clearance issues and lower sales, as asset bubbles, PE firms are shying away from investing in real estate projects, he said. The rates of interest charged by NBFCs are typically around 18-
100% rebate on property tax to defense personnel CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has decided to give 100 per cent rebate on property tax to serving defense or para-military force personnel and ex-servicemen or their spouses on houses owned and self-occupied by them. This rebate will also be given to families of dead soldiers, ex-servicemen or ex-central para-military force personnel, an official spokesman said here today. The rebate will be given provided they have no other residential houses and are residing there themselves and have not let out any portion of the house, he said. A notification in this regard was issued recently by the Haryana Urban Local Bodies Department, the spokesman said. -PTI
Buying a home in Thane may get dearer
19 per cent for early stage financing and 15-16 per cent for inventory financing, which is more than 12-14 per cent of bank interest. PEs on the other hand expect 25-30 per cent returns on their investments. "NBFCs are blending caution with keenness for lending to realty projects. Higher rates of interest, availability of hard assets as collateral, and ability to trap sales proceeds or cash flows in escrow accounts are principal reasons for NBFCs' interest in lending to real estate companies and projects," IndoStar Capital managing director and chief executive
Vimal Bhandari said. Along with the established players such as HDFC, DHFL, LIC Housing Finance and Kotak, there are a number of new ones such as Indostar Capital Finance set up by Ashmore Group, Piramal Capital, the NBFC set-up by the Ajay Piramal Group, the NBFC floated by the Xander Group, and Edelweiss Capital, which are active in real estate lending. From a PE market perspective, over the past 5-7 years, most development projects have suffered huge cost and time overruns. -PTI
Datebook
48 India Post
November 29, 2013
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NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Upcoming
ILLINOIS
Upcoming
Upcoming
Upcoming
Upcoming
Sat, Dec 7 • Classical Piano Music Concert Venue: Thomas Deverin Community Hall, 100 Cooke Ave, Carteret, NJ 07008 Time: 11:30 am
Sat, Dec 7 • Dance India Dance North America Finale Venue: State Theatre, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 973 402 4655
Sun, Dec 8 • Meet and Dine with Sir Vivian Richards Venue: Deewan Banquet, 560 Stelton Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 Time: 5:00 pm
Sat, Dec 7 • Inauguration of Radha Govind Dham New York Venue: Radha Govind Dham, 260-01 Hillside Ave, Floral Park, NY 11004 Time: 11:00 am
Thu, Dec 5 • DJ Rekha Presents Basement Bhangra Venue: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012 Time: 7:00 pm Contact: 718.207.0058
Sat, Dec 7 • Operation Gratitude Mil-
Sat, Nov 30 • Ayyappa Bhajans -2013
lionth Package Celebration
Venue: SVCC Temple, 40155 Blacow Rd,
Venue: National Guard Armory, 17330
Fremont, CA 94538
Victory Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91406
Time: 5:00 pm
Time: 9:00 am
Contact: 408-475-7822
Sun, Dec 8 • Chennai
Diamonds Jewellery Exhibition Venue: Sheraton Cerritos Hotel, 12725 Center Court Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703 Time: 11:00 am
Sat, Dec 7 • Ek Yadd Rafi Ke Baad - Live In
Contact: 044 4210 4050
Concert
Fri, Dec 13 • Jai Ho! Dance Party
Venue: Resorts World Casino, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, New York, NY 11420 Time: 8:00 pm
Venue: Chakra, 151 S Doheny Dr,
Venue: TAT&T Park in San Francisco,
Website: www.jkyog.org
Time: 8:00 pm
ATLANTA Upcoming Sat, Nov 30 • UCarnival Atlanta 2013
Sat, Dec 21 • Kickass Desis Presents:
Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel At-
Badass Badtameez Holiday Party
GA 30339
lanta - Marietta, 2055 S Park Pl, Atlanta, Time: 11:00 am
Venue: Nirvana Beverly Hills, 8689 Time: 9:00 pm
Fri, Dec 6 • Akshaya Raaga 2013
Contact: 310-698-9223
Venue: Taste of India, 3070 Windward
2014 Venue: Nirvana Beverly Hills, 8689 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Time: 9:30 am Contact:
310-698-9223
Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807
24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, CA
Contact: 971-344-2022
Tue, Dec 31 • Nirvana Red Carpet NYE
Venue: Clarion Inn/Waterford Banquets, Board Room, 933 South Riverside Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126 Time: 3:30pm-5:30pm
Time: 10:00 pm
Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Chicago Satsang Information: J K Yog, Chicago - Swami Mukundananda
Fri, Dec 6 • Men's health urbanathlon san francisco, Urbanathlon san francisco
94107
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
• J K Yog Satsang and Bal Mukund Hindi Classes are held every 2nd and 4rth Sunday of Month
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 Website: www.jkyog.org/bal-mukund
Every third Tuesday • Hindi Kavi Manch Organized by Hindi Lovers Club Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago Lemont Il...0915 Lemont Road IL Time: 6:00 to 8:30 pm
Plaza, Alpharetta, GA 30005 Time: 6:00 pm
Tue, Dec 31 • Pujari Atlanta New Year Eve Venue: Ashiana banquet hall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, GA 30071 Time: 8:00 pm
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
November 29, 2013
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India Post 49
50 India Post
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S
unny Deol is seen romancing a much younger Urvashi Rautela in Anil Sharma-directed 'Singh Saab The Great' and he says he will continue to work with new talent as established actresses are not keen to work with him. He is also in no mood to mince words about the way the film industry functions nowadays. "About time a film of mine was well-received. I am tired of the long non-happening phase. Unfortunately I haven`t had too many releases recently. There are some of my films that are on hold. Hopefully, they`ll be released soon. But let me add, I don`t need to prove myself. I just need good cinema, the kind of cinema I believe in," said Sunny. Sunny, 57, is seen romancing 19year-old Urvashi Rautela in the film.
US set to celebrate Indian cuisine NEW YORK: The aroma of authentic Indian cuisine will tease American connoisseurs as the first week-long Indian food festival in the US begins next month to showcase a wide variety of regional cuisines. The "Indian Festive Food Week" will be held in fine dining Indian restaurants in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as well as the major cities of Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Francisco during December 12-20. "The food week is sure to provide unprecedented gastronomical delights to food connoisseurs across the nation," Indian Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay said at an event ahead of the festival. The food week is an initiative of India Unlimited, a series of multi-city fashion, dance, food
November 29, 2013
Why a co-star half his age? "We are acting. We are not really husband and wife. If she`s much younger, that`s fine. A lot of wives are much younger than husbands. That`s no secret. And by the way,
I am sure Urvashi is not 19 year either," said the actor who completes 30 years in filmdom after starting his journey with 'Betaab' in 1983. On the way, he has given hits like 'Ghayal' and 'Damini'. The actor, who worked with the likes of Dimple Kapadia and Meenakshi Sheshadri, says that the current lot of established actresses are not keen to work with him. Cont'd on Page 51
Urvashi Rautela with Sunny Deol
and cultural events being organized in the US to promote the heritage of India. Several restaurants across the US have partnered with India Unlimited. A special prix fixe menu will be served for lunch and dinner that would include a variety of re-
gional cuisines ranging from Awadhi, Mughlai, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Bengali and Udupi. During the week, several food workshops and sessions would be organized with industry experts to create awareness about Indian cuisine and regional methods of cooking. -PTI
November 29, 2013
India Post 51 www.indiapost.com
Shy shooting intense scenes Rise of a lovable gangster with Naseer S India Post News Service
aif Ali Khan returns to the big screen with Bullett Raja. Directed by last year's National Award winner Tigmanshu Dhulia (Paan Singh Tomar), the film costars Sonakshi Sinha and mixes action, comedy, and romance into a full-on entertainer with some of the hottest music of the year. Saif sat down to discuss his latest role, working with Sonakshi, and his musical influences.
M
adhuri Dixit, who has some intimate scenes with award winning actor Naseeruddin Shah in the forthcoming film "Dedh Ishqiya", says she was shy doing them, thanks to her co-star's intense eyes. "I found his eyes very intense. Whenever I did intense scenes with him, I used to get very shy. This is for the first time I found myself in such a situation," Madhuri told reporters. "When you are with him, you don't have to act, you just have to react. He is such a natural actor," added the actress. A sequel to Vidya Balan starrer 2009 hit film "Ishqiya", this will be Madhuri's first full-fledged movie role in six years. She feels filmmaking has undergone a lot of changes in the last few years. "Things have changed. There
Madhuri Dixit with Naseeruddin Shah
is a lot of discipline now. Things are well planned now, which is good for the actors. Promotions
have become a big deal and it's very hectic, but it's all for the good," said the actress.
Top heroines avoid 'Singh Saab' Cont'd from Page 50
"I`ve had problems with established heroines. For reasons best known to them, they don`t want to work with me. It`s a fact. The top heroines turn me down whenever I ask them to work with me.
They want to work with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan. So it`s fine," said Sunny. "I search for new heroines, like Urvashi Rautela. These girls do not ration dates. While working on a film I don`t have to deal with my heroine`s tantrums when she`s a
newcomer. Now if you give an Alister co-star I won`t be able to work with her. Also, I get a chance to give new talent to the film industry. So yeah, I`ll be seen with new co-stars in the future. "There are lots of new talented and pretty girls in the industry. And trust me, these new girls won`t look mismatched with me. I am open to adapting myself to the changes around me," he added. Sunny plays a Sikh in 'Singh Saab The Great' and this is said to be the sixth time he is playing a turbaned character on the screen. Speaking of his affinity to Sardarji roles, he said: "I don`t know how it happened. It started with J.P. Dutta`s `Border`. These Sardarji roles offer me powerful characters. `Singh Saab The Great` may seem old-fashioned to some. I suggest they move out of Mumbai and look at the rest of the country. Har kahaani ka apna rang hota hai."
a nice fun guy. Bullett Raja is quite a star as a character. The kinds of clothes he would wear would be quite flashy, and I think he's aware that he's a charming guy.
Tell us about the catchy title of the film and how it came to be. Titles are very important. I can't remember the title that Tigmanshu wanted to call it … oh … Jai Ramji! Can you imagine!? It doesn't sound like a fun title. We had a title called Revolver Rani. Instead of Revolver Rani we said why not Can you tell us about your Revolver Raja? And then if not character in Bullett Raja? Revolver Raja, why not Bullett It's a thriller about somebody Raja? That's how it actually came. who is quite an intelligent guy. I think a lot of people liked the title He's from a well-to-do Brahmin instantly. family so it's very surprising that What was it like working with he ends up in this line of mafia Sonakshi Sinha? work. But there is no other option It's a nice pair-up that grounds for him. It's the rise of a gangster Bullett Raja. It's an interesting role but his personality is larger than for her. She's from Calcutta and life and Tigmanshu has made it a she's somehow in Lucknow as a struggling actress … meeting Gulshan Grover for a part. (smiles) So she's definitely on the wrong track. Totally. And luckily she meets Bullett Raja who also is on the wrong track. So two people on the wrong track meet and find something Saif Ali Khan in Bullett Raja special. And that's romanpoint to make it lovable and enter- tic. She has a sense of calm, and taining. patience, and simplicity. She He's very charming with women doesn't seem to be like a star who and great to his friends. He's also is in a rush. She's very patient, violent and has a temper but he's kind, fun.
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November 29, 2013
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Philosophy
November 29, 2013
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re you sure you are who you think you are? If your reply is that you know who you are, is this a knowing that is learned or dependent on thoughts, ideas and beliefs? If so, then you have reduced your identity to concepts. Mind creates opinions and perspectives; that is its job. Can mind present Truth? Can it know or recognize Truth? Mind is a conditioned machine that adapts to ever-changing circumstances, repositioning itself constantly in order to protect, survive and seek out experience. It does not have the capacity to know Truth. Yet within you there is an ability to recognize that which is beyond mind, beyond conceptual thought. Mind constantly creates perspectives that range from subjective to global. These stories of mind are not an issue, however, wholeheartedly believing anything that your mind presents is the cause of all suffering. Here is how it works. Believing in or identifying with thoughts creates the idea of a thinker. This is the weak foundation on which your personal identity is based. As long as the thinker is taken to be real, the potential to suffer is present. Is your identity wrapped up with the one who thinks? In other words, do you believe you are the SHAYLA WRIGHT
O
ne day, when the Buddha was alive on earth, a very accomplished team of acrobats came to see him. The team consisted solely of a grandfather and his granddaughter. They were famous all over the country, and performed daring acrobatic feats to large crowds. The two of them had been debating one crucial point for years, and finally decided to go to the Buddha, and ask him for help. It was the grandfather who put their question to the Buddha: "The feats we perform together are dangerous, and our safety is crucial," he told the Buddha. "However, my granddaughter and I have different ideas about how to maximize our safety. My feeling is that each one of us should have our first attention on the other one. No matter what happens when we are working together, I have committed to taking care of my grand daughter first, even beyond concerns or fears for my own safety. This really seems to me to be the way that love works, and the best way to care for our safety. My granddaughter disagrees.
one thinking your thoughts? This ownership idea creates an imagined and autonomous 'you.' These constructs of mind are very potent and without examination they are believed into a subjective reality. When this happens, life presents as real and the one you call yourself is the central focus. This idea of 'personal' brings the potential to suffer into existence. In the examination of this pro-
about me, my life' to the impersonal, to consciousness itself and finally to prior to consciousness. Mind has a working capacity, using common sense and skills, for living, planning, working, etc. The thinking capacity of mind, however, is where all pain (spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical) is birthed and sustained. It is nearly impossible to stop thinking, but if you identify yourself as the one who owns
are manifests as the totality of creation. However, in essence you are prior and beyond all that manifests. Running the idea of a desire is a natural movement of the thinking mind. However, believing your thoughts and imagining that satisfying desire will make you happy is suffering. Watch the unending play of desires and see if you can recognize that the absence of desire allows the arising of an innate
The idea of 'personal' brings potential to suffer
Jac O' Keeffe
Watch the unending play of desires and see if you can recognize that the absence of desire allows the arising of an innate natural peace and happiness.
cess of thinking, the idea of a personal 'I,' or the one you call yourself is seen to be no more than a thought enabling communication. In everyday language, the first person singular refers to a character, an intellect and a body but this is not what you are. Nonduality explores the validity of what is commonly accepted to be real and true. It requires a willingness to see that life is not all about you. Events come and go and the central reference point shifts from 'all
thoughts, then you, as the thinker will suffer. Thinking is natural. Believing your thoughts makes this movie appear to be real and this is the problem. At its core, this is simply mistaken identity. It is only from your thinking mind that the idea that you are separate in any way can arise. Mind will seek your attention until you examine and find out who/what you really are. Within this exploration, perhaps the knowing will arise that what you
natural peace and happiness. Mind will quickly conclude that this state is boring or empty or lacks experience and opportunities. Recognize that this is the reemergence of desire again seeking something better. What appears to be happening is as good as it gets and it's a waste of energy to resist manifestation. Excerpted from Paradoxica: Journal of Nondual Psychology. Jac O'Keeffe was raised in rural Ireland. She travels extensively facilitating satsangs.
Her point of view is this: We need to take care of ourselves first, no matter what is happening. Our first attention should be on our own safety. We cannot reconcile our two points of view, so we have come to you, to ask for the blessings of your wisdom and clarity." The Buddha smiled at both of
if you yourself are in danger? Where will you stand? What kind of help can you offer her, if your foundation is shaking and trembling? We would all do well to follow the wisdom of your granddaughter. Taking care of ourselves first is not selfishness, it is basic sanity."
back seat to everything and everyone else: our lists of tasks, our family and their needs, our work, our social life‌. Where is there room here for deep rest, for exercise, for eating well and wisely? For doing what we need to do in order to live strong, alive and grounded in our body?
Discovering the basic sanity of caring for ourselves How can you possibly help her if you yourself are in danger? Where will you stand? What kind of help can you offer her, if your foundation is shaking and trembling? them. Then he turned to the grandfather and said, "How lucky you are to have a granddaughter with such intelligence. I invite you to really listen to her, for she is clear about this. You have been conditioned to another way of thinking which will not serve you here. Listen to the voice of this young one. Question your ingrained ideas about what love is. How can you possibly help her
Of course, this is no news to most of us. We know it in our heads, with our minds. We hear it every time we fly: "Please put your own oxygen mask on first, before you try to help anyone else.' It's kind of a no-brainer. Except when it comes to really caring for ourselves, in the middle of our everyday lives. Then this basic sanity takes a
Shayla Wright
The reason we have gotten lost in all this crazy busyness is because we've let the basic sanity of real self respect fall away. It may exist as an idea, but is no longer a genuine priority for most of us. Excerpted from website Barefoot Journeys. Shayla Wright teaches inquiry, presence, and the transformation of consciousness. She lives in Nelson, BC, Canada.
We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes, 'Why did this happen to me?' unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way. - Lord Rama On this path effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure. Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear. - Lord Krishna Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. - Mahatma Gandhi Great compassion penetrates into the marrow of the bone. It is the support of all living beings. Like the love of a parent for an only child, the tenderness of the Compassionate One is all-pervasive. -Nagarjuna Truth can not be suppressed and always is the ultimate victor. -The Yajur Veda Life and death, joy and sorrow, gain and loss; These dualities cannot be avoided. Learn to accept what you cannot change. -The Ramayana (book 2)
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November 29, 2013
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Interim Iran deal can lead to further cooperation
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fter months of negotiations, the P5+1 and Iran have managed to reach an understanding on Tehran's nuclear program that gives each side a small portion of their demands. In exchange of temporary relaxation of sanctions, the P5+1 reached an interim agreement to freeze parts of Iran's nuclear program. After years of estrangement between the US and Iran, what pushed Iran to clinch a deal which dragged on due to lack of consensus? Does the deal signal the end of the Cold War between Iran and the West or just a temporary thaw? Does the deal indicate a fundamental restructuring of Iran?
AYESHA KHANYARI
both face a common threat - the Salafi Sunni extremist al Qaeda, which abhors Shiite Iran as much as the US. However the hostility between Iran and the US has prevented them from coming together against this threat. With the revised relations between the two, this common enemy can be dealt with. The situation at home was such that it didn't leave Iran with much choice than to comply with the great powers and agree to give up a little in return for greater benefits.
THE OTHER SIDE OF IRAN Iranian intentions might not be
The Israelis fear a strategic realignment that will help Iran rise as a regional hegemon in the near future with US at its side. To claim its position in the region, it needs the US to keep the hardliners at a distance. Iran's vested interest in the deal is apparent. Once the threat of sanctions is over, Iran can flex its muscles in the region without the US pointing its gun at it. An unrestrained Iran is what the West Asian countries fear. The primary concern for the Iranians was to survive the economic malaise and thwart war. Political freedom and human rights became lesser priorities for them. Once a full blown deal is in place, possibly within a few months, will Iran's focus shift towards issues of democracy, human rights and freedom? The United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in Iran Ahmed Shaheedi's report reads "‌.ethnic, linguistic and other minorities continue to see their rights violated in law and in practice." He also adds, 'prisoners of conscience'; hundreds more remain in detention, many of them with 'inadequate provision of food, water and medical treatment'.
IS IRAN TRULY CHANGING?
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shakes hands with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva
The Iranian government cannot be indifferent to the harsh consequences of the most crippling sanctions in history. Such back-breaking sanctions have affected Iran's economy with high rates of unemployment, lower levels of productivity and rising poverty. The relief from sanctions is overwhelmingly welcomed by the leaders of the Islamic Republic. Given the state of its economy, Iran cannot afford going to war with the US. It would rather join hands with the adversary than go against it. Its economy cannot absorb the cost of going to war with a super power. It would be a nightmare scenario for both Iran and the US. Despite the long festering stand-off between the US and Iran, some issues have found common ground. The US and Iran
all that benign. The Obama administration believes that Iran can play a positive role in addressing the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria. For the US, it is important to engage Iran for finding a political solution to the Syrian conflict. However there is no indication that Iran will back off from its support to President Bashir al Assad and not ensure his survival. On the contrary, all indicators suggest Iran's support for the inhuman attacks by Assad on his own people will continue to flow unabated. The Israelis are quite vocal about their skepticism of US-Iran rapprochement. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu argues that the slowdown is occurring simply because Iran already has all the capacity needed to produce a bomb.
His report highlights the fact that a moderate Rouhani is not looking forward to rule Iran along democratic lines as the different sections of minority groups are still targeted by repression and violation of their rights. Iran has realized that to reconstruct its economy and get it back on track it needs US support. However, when it comes to reorienting its society; it is still a long tale of unfulfilled promises. Claims about a restructured Iran can only be tested when both its economy and society experience change and openly welcome ideas of democracy and freedom. How far beyond the nuclear deal the US-Iran friendship will last is questionable. It comes across as a temporary fix than a long-term restructuring strategy to end the Cold War between the two. However, the interim deal opens the path for addressing other issues between Washington and Tehran and a way to go about for further cooperation. The writer is Research Intern, IReS, IPCS
India Post Stinging the stinger
I
t is tough to challenge entrenched political formations. This is what the fledgling Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejriwal must be finding after the latest round of sting operations. It is one thing to level charges against a political party from the sidelines but to face similar charges and respond to them with denial while in the ring makes for a spectacle. It was interesting to find political scientist and now an AAP leader Yogendra Yadav, so far given to questioning the probity of political parties on TV debates, using similar language to defend his own party against the sting. It is entirely credible to suspect the two main political parties ganging up to stop the upstart Arvind Kejriwal who has been leading in the opinion polls as the future chief minister of Delhi. The polls however do not give a substantial number of seats to AAP but enough to disrupt the plans of both the major contending parties, the Congress and the BJP. AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal hinted on Twitter that a sum of Rs 1,400 crore had been distributed amongst a few media houses to malign AAP. As for the sting operation by media portal mediasarkar.com, which showed some AAP members allegedly accepting donations without proper verification, Yogendra Yadav claimed that portions have been edited and deleted to show AAP candidates in bad light. "There is political motivation behind the operation. All our members are honest and innocent," he said. It is possible that what Yadav claims is true. But the language seems so much like other parties' reactions when confronted with similar stings. There has been another case in limelight with similar shades. A known sting maker, which has harmed a number of political reputations, is now caught with its pants down. Tehelka news portal had badly tarnished the image of the BJP which was then ruling as the leading party of NDA under Atal Behari Vajpayee, when it caught the then BJP chief Bangaru Laxman accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh cash. Since then Tehelka did a number of more stings and investigations. It had become the brand name for pursuit of truth and exposing wrongdoing in politics. That brand name has been damaged for good with its founder editor Tarun Tejpal being accused of sexual assault by a young colleague of his. The case has received wide attention in the media and angry reactions from women's groups, as expected. Tejpal must receive his just desserts. But it should also be taken note of the way the Goa government has gone all out to nail Tejpal. The incident took place in Goa and the chief minister of the BJP ruled state is guiding the investigations with great zeal. It needs to be remembered that the BJP was at the receiving end of most Tehelka stings and here is now an opportunity for the party to take its revenge on the man behind the web portal and the magazine. On the other hand, the Congress party has been tame in its reaction to the charges against Tejpal. BJP leader Arun Jaitley has even charged the Congress of trying to protect Tejpal. Pointing to how the Congress leaders had taken to their blogs and Twitter to express outrage at the police in Gujarat protecting or allegedly keeping an eye on a young lady and hinting at Narendra Modi's hand in it, Jaitley sarcastically remarked in his blog, "Just because the assailant has connections in the Congress party, the nation is deprived of the sage advice of P. Chidambaram, the caustic comments of Kapil Sibal and the exaggerated tweets of Manish Tewari." Meanwhile, Congress minister Kapil Sibal has tied himself in knots by denying that he has any stake in Tehelka. He owns 0.04 percent shares of the web portal and by his own admission donated Rs 5 lakh to it when Tehelka was launched.
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