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Sandeep Mathrani

Trump meets real estate CEO Mathrani Details on page 5

VOL 22, No. 1157

December 2, 2016

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Periodical Postage

'KAMALA HARRIS IS PRESIDENTIAL'

Bajwa takes over as Raheel warns India

Avinash Iragavarapu

‘Persistent effort makes difficult things easy’ Details on page 26

Merchant Navy's Radhika wins bravery award Details on page 6

Ind-Am teen wins $100K in quiz show

Details on page 5

BJP MPs, MLAs to submit accounts

Details on page 6

Indian journalist honored with IPF Award

Details on page 6

Tips for NRIs on demonetized currency

Details on page 7

CONTENTS

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Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 52

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

Will US weaken under Trump as world power?

Last week’s result

Do you think demonetization is good for India?

YES 79%

NO 21%

BRIGHT FUTURE: File picture of Democratic US Senator-elect Attorney General Kamala Harris being greeted by supporters as she entered the campaign office of Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., right, in Elk Grove, Calif., Nov. 3 during electioneering

WASHINGTON: Kamala Harris, the first Indian-American to be elected to the US Senate, is a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2020 elections, a leading American newspaper has said.

Harris, 51, whose mother was from Chennai and father from Jamaica, is one among the six Democratic leaders whom The Washington Post said are the top contenders to bag the party's nomination for the 2020 presidential elections.

Interestingly four of these are women. The other three being outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama, Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York.

Other two potential Democratic presidential candidates according to the US daily are Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey and Governor John Hickenlooper from Colorado.

Certified by “CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL Readership 117,765”

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Community Post -------------- 16-25 Date Book -------------------------- 39 Edit Page --------------------------- 54 HealthScience Post --------- 34-38 Horoscope ------------------------- 48 Immigration Post ------------- 11-15 Life Style ----------------------- 30-33 Philosophy ------------------------- 53 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 50-51 TechBiz Post ------------------- 44-47 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

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uffering as I am with post-election anxiety syndrome, my thoughts on what a Trump administration is likely to look like, are still incoherent.

When 60 million Americans decided they wanted Donald Trump as their President, I knew I had no choice but to subscribe to at least four years of Trumponomics (Well, I just coined that term and you may define it to mean anything to do with the President-elect as you want). But, increasingly, I get the feeling it's going to be more insanity hitting you in the face by the day than what you signed up for.

I am just dizzy from trying to keep up with what Trump said during his campaign, to the things that he has since backtracked on, to the things he has had a re-think on, and to the things he has completely lied to his supporters about. The day-to-day unfolding of his reality TV-like hijinks, which throw up more contrived situations than the Real Housewives, that make me fear for the collective future of the world.

I am not sure the mainstream media has come to grips on how they are going to handle Trump. Ever since Trump sat down with media representatives, the press corps in general has been treating him with kid gloves. It's almost as if they are afraid he can hear them; after all who wants to be at the receiving end of his rants? The New York Times certainly can't afford it.

Bravely, however, the media keeps asking rather loudly, why Trump is backing down on his campaign promise to prosecute and jail Hillary Clinton, while pointing out how magnanimous he was being in not wanting to "hurt" her. How effortlessly this woman, who until a few weeks ago was the most qualified individual to be the country's President, has been relegated to a non-human entity that apparently has no eyes or ears.

What scares me the most is when I hear those media pundits paste a knowing smile on their faces and say 'oh but Donald Trump will be Donald Trump'. If that's a valid justification, then pray. For a miracle recount.

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Non-stop 'wedding' Ranveer Singh would like to tie the knot at an island with all his loved ones around having a blast.

Cover Story: 'Kamala Harris Presidential' Kamala Harris is a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2020 elections, a leading American newspaper says.

Community: Gandhian values Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel underscores the need to embrace Gandhian values of tolerance, harmony

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Immigration: Flood of questions Donald Trump's tough talk on immigration has stirred anxiety nationwide among immigrants regardless of legal status.

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'Kamala a potential presidential candidate' WASHINGTON: Kamala Harris, the first Indian-American to be elected to the US Senate, is a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2020 elections, a

maica, is one among the six Democratic leaders whom The Washington Post said are the top contenders to bag the party's nomination for the 2020 presidential

Kamala Harris

leading American newspaper has said.

Harris, 51, whose mother was from Chennai and father from Ja-

elections.

Interestingly four of these are women. The other three being outgoing First Lady Michelle

Obama, Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York.

Other two potential Democratic presidential candidates according to the US daily are Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey and Governor John Hickenlooper from Colorado.

"Harris will not officially become a US senator from California for more than a month, but she is already regarded as nationalcandidate material in four years," Washington Post columnist Chris Cillizza wrote in his article.

"It is not hard to see why. She is the first African American woman elected to the Senate since Carol Moseley Braun in 1992.

Harris also represents the largest and most Democratic state in the country, a huge financial launchpad to a presidential bid," he said, noting that through midOctober, she had raised more than USD 13 million for her Senate candidacy.

"Her law-and-order background - she was elected and re-

elected attorney general in California - also will appeal to many Democrats. Whether Harris wants to - or will be ready to run for national office so soon after being elected to the Senate remains to be seen," Cillizza said.

Harris is a two-term popular Attorney General of California.

years - the first at the Democratic National Convention in July, the second in New Hampshire in the fall, an emotional condemnation of Trump's America," he said.

"Obama has one thing - with the possible exception of Booker - that the rest of the people on this list lack: true star power. She

"Harris will not officially become a US senator from California for more than a month, but she is already regarded as national-candidate material in four years," Washington Post columnist Chris Cillizza wrote in his article She was elected to the United States Senate from California in a landslide. She was endorsed by outgoing US President Barack Obama, in her Senate race.

The Washington Post columnist also said First Lady Michelle has true star power.

"She gave the two best political speeches of the past two

would start the race not only totally known by base Democrats but also absolutely beloved. The issue for Obama is that being a candidate in your own right is very different from being a surrogate for a candidate," he wrote.

However, Michelle Obama in the past has said she has no interest in running for office. -PTI

Bajwa takes over as Raheel warns India ISLAMABAD: General Qamar Javed Bajwa, an expert in PoK affairs, has taken over as Pakistan's new army chief succeeding Gen Raheel Sharif, who warned India against adopting an "aggressive stance" in Kashmir.

Gen Raheel handed over the command of world's sixth-largest army by troop numbers to 57-yearold Bajwa at a ceremony held in the Army Hockey Stadium, close

aggressive stance" in Kashmir have "endangered" the region.

"India should know that mistaking our policy of patience for weakness would be dangerous," he said.

"This is reality, that in South Asia, lasting peace and progress is impossible without solution of the Kashmir issue. For that, international community's special attention is necessary," he said.

Gen Raheel said.

"The army will remain alert to threats, whether external or internal," he said.

For regional peace, he said, issues should be resolved politically.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a major factor in ensuring regional peace, he said.

"The departure of the first cargo from Gwadar port has shown this journey cannot be halted now," he warned. "The time is here now that the enemies of CPEC stop working against it and become a part of it."

Bajwa was earlier serving as Inspector General of the Training and Evaluation and also commanded the famed 10 Corps, the army`s largest, which is responsible for the area along the Line of Control (LoC).

As a major general, Bajwa led the Force Gen Raheel handed over the command to 57-year-old Bajwa at a ceremony held in Command Northern Arthe Army Hockey Stadium, close to the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi eas. He also served in to the General Headquarters He also stressed the need for the 10 Corps as lieutenant colo(GHQ) in Rawalpindi. institutions to work together for nel.

In his final speech as the army the nation's progress. "It is imporHe served with a UN mission chief, 60-year-old Gen Raheel cau- tant that all institutions work to- in Congo as a brigade commander tioned India against adopting an gether against external threats alongside former Indian army aggressive stance in the region. and internal threats. For this, we chief Gen Bikram Singh, who was He said that in recent months will need to follow the National also there as a division com"India's increasing terrorism and Action Plan in letter and spirit," mander.

The new army chief has wide experience of LoC affairs due to his extensive involvement with Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and northern areas.

According to reports, General

Bajwa's "pro-democracy credentials" and his low-profile influenced the Prime Minister to appoint him to the powerful post of army chief superseding four top generals.-PTI

Trump meets real estate CEO Mathrani WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump has met Sandeep Mathrani, a top Indian-American real estate industry veteran from Chicago amid reports of him joining the new administration.

Mathrani, 54, the Chief Executive Officer of General Growth Properties - the secondlargest mall portfolio owner in the US, met the President-elect at the Trump Towers in New York.

The presidential transition team, except for announcing the scheduled meeting, did not issue a readout of the meeting Trump had with Mathrani, real estate executive from Chicago, the hometown of outgoing President Barack Obama.

Local media reports speculated that Mathrani could join

Trump administration.

According to Chicago Business, Mathrani earned USD 39.2 million last year, more than any other CEO of a US real estate investment trust.

Mathrani joined General Growth in 2011, right after the company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Before joining General Growth, which has a market capitalization of nearly USD 23 billion, Mathrani was president of retail real estate at New Yorkbased Vornado Realty Trust.

Mathrani is a real estate industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience and holds a Master of Engineering, Master of Management Science and Bachelor of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. -PTI

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Merchant Navy's Radhika wins bravery award LONDON: India's first female Merchant Navy captain has become the first woman to be awarded by the IMO for her exceptional bravery in the dramatic rescue of seven fishermen from a

headquarters.

"I am honored and humbled with this great honor for me and my team. It is a seafarer's duty to help souls in distress and I did my duty. Seafaring is a noble pro-

Captain Radhika Menon received her medal and certificate of commendation at an awards ceremony at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London

sinking fishing boat in tumultuous Bay of Bengal waters last year.

Captain Radhika Menon received her medal and certificate of commendation at an awards ceremony at the International Maritime Organization (IMO)

fession which contributes massively to world trade and economy as well as cultural integration. It does not always get the recognition it deserves," said Menon in her acceptance speech.

Menon, who was nominated by

the Indian government, became the first woman to receive the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, an annual award established by IMO to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery.

"Seafaring is a gender-neutral profession and if you work hard, like in any other field, you will win appreciation," said the Keralaborn ship captain.

Her award related to her successful rescue of all seven fishermen from the fishing boat 'Durgamma', which was adrift following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather.

Food and water had been washed away and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage.

Through wave heights of more than 25 feet, winds of more than 60 knots and heavy rain in June 2015, the 'Sampurna Swarajya' vessel operated by the Shipping Corporation of India Ltd spotted the boat 2.5 kilometers away, off the coast of Gopalpur, Orissa.

Menon, who was in charge of the vessel, ordered a rescue operation, utilizing the pilot ladder, with life jackets and buoys on standby.

It took three arduous attempts in the lashing wind and rain before all seven weak and starving fishermen, aged from 15 to 50 years old, were brought to safety on board the ship.

"This act of exceptional bravery and the award will go a long way in raising the profile of this great profession. We will plan a publication to publicize this widely," said Dinesh Patnaik, the Indian Acting High Commissioner to the UK. The IMO Council had also endorsed the recommendation of its panel of judges that out of a total of 23 nominations, received from nine member states and one intergovernmental organization, four should receive Certificates of Commendation and six should receive Letters of Commendation.

Another Indian to receive a commendation during the ceremony in London was B M Das, Uttam Navik, a winch operator and diver of the rescue helicopter CG 822, Indian Coast Guard Air Station Daman.

He was also nominated by India for rescuing all 14 crew members of the merchant ship 'Coastal Pride', which capsized and eventually sank.-PTI

BJP MPs, MLAs to submit accounts NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked BJP MPs and MLAs to submit their bank account statements of transaction between November 8, the day he announced demonetization, and December 31 to party chief Amit Shah on January 1, 2017.

Modi's direction at the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting came

Narendra Modi

following allegations by opposition parties that the BJP had tipped off some of its own leaders ahead of the demonetization announcement.

In an apparent response to the charge that the bill to amend IT Act will help turn black money into white, the Prime Minister said the amended Act will channel the money looted from the poor for their welfare.

The amended Act, he said, is a program for the poor's welfare from Lok Kalyan Marg, the new name of the road where the Prime Minister's residence is located.

"The amendment is not for turning black money into white but to spend the money looted from the poor on their welfare," he said.

Quoting Modi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters that the bill is part of his government's fight against black money.

A part of the tax collected on the money deposited under this scheme will be spent on electricity, roads, toilets and education among other welfare measures, he said.

Modi also sought everybody's support in his effort to usher in digital/mobile economy and push the society towards cashless transactions.

At the meeting, Amit Shah told party MPs to motivate traders in panchayats, municipalities and other local bodies falling in their constituency to shift to cashless transactions.-PTI

Ind-Am teen wins $100K in quiz show WASHINGTON: An Indian- Europe with my family (maybe American teenage boy has won Italy or Germany!), but the maUSD 100,000 in a top US quiz jority of it will probably go toshow. wards taxes and college tuition," Sharath Narayan, a sophomore he said after winning the award. from Madison, Alabama, won "I'm definitely more confi'Jeopardy! Teen tourdent now since I won the tournament', the most coveted quiz show of the Sharath Narayan, a country by defeating two other finalists sophomore from Madison, Alex Fischthal and Alabama, won 'Jeopardy!

Michael Borecki, who came second and Teen tournament', the most coveted quiz show of the third, respectively.

Hosted by long- country by defeating two time host Alex Trebek, "Jeopardy!" attracts other finalists 23 million viewers each week and is in its 33rd season. nament and it showed me that Sharath won the game by the I'm able to surprise myself and slimmest of margins: one dollar, accomplish things that I never a media release said. would have thought possible," he "I'd still like to go on a trip to said.-PTI

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Indian journo honored with IPF Award NEW YORK: Indian journalist known as Shawkan, was given an Malini Subramaniam has been award in absentia. conferred with the International Subramaniam, a contributor to Press Freedom Award for her re- the news website Scroll, has reporting from the Naxal-infested ported on abuses by police and Bastar area, one of the four journalists felicitated by the annual award for their commitment to a free press.

She was honored by the Committee to Protect Malini Subramaniam Journalists along with El Salvador's Oscar Martinez and security forces, sexual violence Turkey's Can Dundar. Jailed Egyp- against women, the jailing of mitian photographer Abou Zeid, nors, the shutdown of schools,

extrajudicial killings, and threats against journalists in the Bastar region in Chattisgarh, the CPJ said in a statement.

"She has been interrogated, surveilled, and harassed by police and members of a pro-police vigilante group in connection with her critical coverage of human rights abuses and politics.

Police have attempted to malign her and label her as a Maoist agent," it said.

Martinez was forced to flee El Salvador for three weeks after receiving death threats over an investigation into the killings of eight gang suspects by police.

Dundar was another honoree.

He was arrested on November 26, 2015, after publishing an article alleging the government intelligence service sought to send weapons to Syrian rebel groups.

He was charged with disclosing state secrets, espionage and aid-

ing a terrorist group and was sentenced to five years in prison.

He remains free, after spending 92 days in jail, while his appeal is considered.

Zeid has been jailed since August 14, 2013, on charges of weapons possession, illegal assembly, murder and attempted mur-

"These four brave journalists have risked their freedom - and their lives - to report to their societies and the global community about critical news events," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.

"CPJ is proud to honor these journalists who, in the face of re-

"She has been interrogated, surveilled, and harassed by police and members of a propolice vigilante group in connection with her critical coverage of human rights abuses and politics. Police have attempted to malign her and label her as a Maoist agent," it said der, the charges levied against hundreds of protesters in the clashes between Egyptian security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

pression and violence, continue to bring us vital news."

CPJ executive director Joel Simon said threats against journalism are increasing around the world.-PTI

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KLF Chief was in touch with Pak groups CHANDIGARH: Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, who had escaped from Nabha jail in Punjba along with five other inmates and was arrested by Delhi police from Nizamuddin railway station, was in touch with terror groups in Pakistan, Punjab police has said. “Mintoo was in touch with associates of terror groups in Pakistan," Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora said.

The dreaded terrorist would be subject to "intensive interrogation" when he would be brought from Delhi, the DGP said.

"We will put him to intensive interrogation after we bring him to Punjab," he further said.

Earlier, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal

had voiced apprehension that Pakistan could be behind the sensational Nabha jailbreak, saying

Harminder Singh Mintoo

the neighboring country was "desperate to revive terrorism"

after Indian army conducted the surgical strike across the LoC. "Pak desperate to revive terror post surgical strike. Could be behind jail break," Sukhbir had tweeted.

Mintoo, who was wanted in ten terror offences, was arrested

by Punjab Police after he was deported from Thailand in November 2014.

DGP further said that Parminder Singh Pinda would also be questioned when he would be brought to the state.

Pinda was arrested from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district by UP Police.

In a sensational jailbreak, Mintoo had escaped along with five other prisoners after armed men in police uniform stormed the high-security Nabha prison in Patiala.-PTI

Ban hopes India, Pak will resolve water issue UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed hope that India and Pakistan will bilaterally resolve issues over water-sharing, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the waters of Sutlej, Beas and Ravi riv-

reporters at the daily press briefing here when asked about Modi's remarks on the Indus Water Treaty amid escalating tensions between the two nations.

During a Security Council debate on water, peace and security,

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

ers that rightfully belong to India will be stopped from going waste in Pakistan.

"We will take a look at the issue on water. Obviously, we hope it's something that the two parties can resolve themselves," Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told

Ban had cited the Indus Water Treaty signed by India and Pakistan as well as other similar agreements "as instruments promoting stability and peace" and said "shared water resources often generated cooperation".

During the debate, Pakistan's

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the waters of Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers that rightfully belong to India will be stopped from going waste in Pakistan Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi had warned against use of water as instrument of coercion or war.

She had said the 1960 Indus Water Treaty is an example of what can be achieved through bilateral agreements but also a case study of what could wrong if such agreements are not honored or threatened with abrogation by a state party.

Ban had also expressed deep concern over the deterioration of the situation along the Line of Control in Kashmir in recent days, saying he "trusts" India and Pakistan can find "common ground" and work towards a sustainable peace.

The UN Chief had called on all involved to prioritize the restoration of calm and stability in order to prevent any further escalation and loss of life.-PTI

Pakistan says focus to remain on India border ISLAMABAD: With new army of the new army chief and exchief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa tak- pressed hope that the country ing over, Pakistan has asserted would never allow the use of its that focus will remain on country's soil for terrorism against its eastern border with India, even neighbors. as the US nudged Islamabad to The US embassy in keep the pledge of not allowing Islamabad, in a statement, weluse of its soil for terror attacks comed Prime Minister Sharif's against neighbors. appointment of Bajwa.

"The military policy will con"We look forward to continutinue and there will be no imme- ing our work with Pakistan's diate change in it (under elected leaders, with Lieutenant Bajwa)," Defense Minister Khawaja Asif "The focus will remain on told Geo News.

"The focus will re- country's eastern border and main on country's eastthe armed forces backed ern border and the armed forces backed by the nation will meet all by the nation will meet challenges," he said. all challenges," he "The legacy of General said.

"The legacy of Gen- Raheel Sharif would coneral Raheel Sharif tinue in the light of the exwould continue in the light of the examples amples he set," Asif said he set," Asif said.

General Raheel became the General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and first army chief in more than 20 with the Pakistani military to adyears to step down at the end of vance our shared counter-insurhis term. Previous army chiefs gency and counter-terrorism have either obtained extensions goals for Pakistan and the reor in the case of General Pervez gion, and to enable Pakistani auMusharraf, staged a coup. thorities to honor their pledge US welcome to prevent the use of Pakistan's Meanwhile, the United States soil for terrorist attacks against has welcomed the appointment its neighbors," it said.-PTI

China firm to invest $2 bn in Gujarat AHMEDABAD: Chinese conglomerate Sany Group has signed an MoU with the Gujarat Government to invest a staggering USD 2 billion over the next five years in various energy and infrastructure projects in the state.

The pact for the proposed investment in the west Indian state was signed in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at Gandhinagar after his meeting with the Chinese delegation, led by Liang Wengen, Chairman of the board, Sany Group, an official release said.

After an hour long meeting, it was decided that Sany Group would be investing USD 2 billion over the next five years.

This is one of the biggest single MoUs signed by any state government in India, it added.

Gujarat Industries Commissioner Mamta Verma said, "I welcome Sany Group to Gujarat and ensure all support from the Government. We look forward to

timely completion of the projects and am confident that these projects will help us make Gujarat greener, smarter and futureready".

As per the MoU, Sany Group will invest in five different projects, including development of a 1000-MW wind energy project, another 1000-MW of wind-plus-solar power generation project, setting up facility to manufacture wind turbines, developing one small size smart city and setting up a factory to produce pre-cast concrete for the mass housing projects and other real estate Projects.

As per the MoU, which was signed ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit to be held next year, state government will provide necessary support to Sany Group in obtaining necessary permissions, registrations, approvals, clearance, etc from the concerned departments of the state. -PTI

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India-China trade liaison office opens

Indian and Chinese officials and businessmen attending the inauguration of China-India Business Council in Chinese city Changsha

CHANGSHA, China: The liaison office of the first official business body set up by China to step up its investments in India was inaugurated here amid concerted efforts by both countries to boost their trade ties.

The liaison office of China and India Business Council, (CIBC) was launched here in the capital of Hunan province, the birthplace of Mao Zedong, founder of ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) at a ceremony attended among others by top officials of both the countries.

Though set up in 1985 by China, the CIBC remained inactive.

Setting up of a liaison office in Hunan province in coordination with Indian Consulate in Guangzhou will make it active, officials said.

The revival of the CIBC is

backed by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), country's official body which coordinates Chinese investments and businesses abroad. It was seen as significant step by China to boost its investments in India.

The ceremony was attended

by Deputy Ambassador of India Amit Narang, the Consul General of the India in Guangzhou YK Sailas Thangal as well as Vice Chairman of the National CCPIT, Lu Pengqi and Chairman of the CCPIT, Hunan province, He Jian.

A Chinese official said the office eventually would coordinate investments from all over China and will also open its offices in India.

Hunan has strong trade ties with India with some of its top companies like Zoomlion, a Chi-

Foreign students to pay Rs 6 lakh fees at IITs NEW DELHI: Foreign students who are selected to the coveted Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) through JEE (Advanced) or GATE exams will have to pay an annual fee of Rs 6 lakh per year.

According to officials in the

HRD ministry, the issue was discussed in a meeting of the IIT council and as per the decision taken the annual tuition fee has

been fixed at Rs 6 lakh per annum while suitable scholarships may be provided in certain basis.

In a bid to attract more international talent, the IITs for the first time are planning to hold their entrance tests in Singapore, UAE, Ethiopia and SAARC nations, except Pakistan next year to select foreign students for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Fees for Indian students at the IITs were earlier this year increased from Rs 90,000 to Rs 2 lakh. However, there is a total fee waiver for the differently abled and students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and weaker sections. -PTI

nese manufacturer of construction machinery and sanitation equipment and Sany heavy machinery manufacturing company which have already made investments in India.

Chinese officials said, China's investments in India amounted to USD 4.07 billon till last year though Indian officials say it is less than USD 2 billion.

But more Chinese firms evinced interest to invest in India. For its part Indian government in coordination with the various state governments is also conducting campaigns to attract Chinese investments.

The bilateral trade last year amounted to USD 71.62 billion with over USD 53 billion trade deficit in favor of China. In view of the growing trade deficit, India has been asking China to promote investments. -PTI

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Tata Steel pact for sale of UK operations LONDON: Tata Steel has clinched a pact with UK-based Liberty House Group that allows it to start exclusive talks for potential sale of its Speciality Steels business for an enterprise value of 100 million pounds subject to due diligence and corporate approvals.

The signing of the letter of intent (LoI) is in line with the company's overall restructuring strategy of the UK portfolio.

Liberty House Group, led by India-origin businessman Sanjeev Gupta, had emerged as the frontrunner for the Indian steel giant's UK plants when these were put on the block earlier this year.

The agreement covers some of Tata Steel's South Yorkshirebased assets, including the Rotherham electric arc steelworks, the steel-purifying facility in

Stocksbridge and a mill in Brinsworth as well as service centers in Bolton and Wednesbury in the UK and in Suzhou and Xi'an in China.

Speciality Steels employs nearly 1,700 people making steel for aerospace, automotive and oil and gas industries.

"The Speciality Steels business is independent of the pan-European strip products supply chain and today's announcement is in line with the overall restructuring strategy of the UK portfolio," said Bimlendra Jha, CEO of Tata Steel UK. "This is an important step forward in seeking a future for Speciality Steels and we have reached this stage, thanks to the efforts of employees, trade unions and management. We now look forward to working with Liberty on

the due diligence and other work streams so that the sale can be successfully concluded."

The firm also revealed plans to pursue 85 million pounds worth of capital investments covering a

sis.

The Liberty Group said its latest acquisition is expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2017, subject to various clearances, and will mark a significant

The planned purchase of Tata Steel's Speciality Steels business is the latest in a succession of key acquisitions undertaken by Gupta over the past year, including assets in South Wales, the West Midlands, Scotland and Kent range of "sustenance and improvement schemes".

Jha also expressed the intent to continue to work closely with trade unions and communicate any material news on this issue to the employees on an ongoing ba-

step in realizing Liberty's GreenSteel vision, which promotes widespread melting and upcycling of UK domestic scrap metal, using arc furnaces powered from renewable energy sources.

Gupta, Executive Chairman of the Liberty House Group, said: "We look forward to working

with Tata Steel over the coming weeks to complete this hugely important milestone transaction. We recognize the world-class skills of the Speciality Steels workforce and are eager to join with them to develop the business and increase market share, both domestically and internationally, using our global presence."

The planned purchase of Tata Steel's Speciality Steels business is the latest in a succession of key acquisitions undertaken by Gupta over the past year, including assets in South Wales, the West Midlands, Scotland and Kent.

Meanwhile, Tata Steel stated that it is actively seeking solutions to the structural challenges.

There has been speculation in the UK media over the company's plans to retain the bulk of its steel business under the interim chairmanship of Ratan Tata. -PTI

Ohio attacker student angry at US interference COLUMBUS: A university stu- gered a tense lockdown on the dent whose family immigrated from university's main campus in CoSomalia rammed his car into a lumbus, with panicked students crowd at Ohio State University hiding in bathrooms before the and attacked them with a butcher scene was declared secure. knife, injuring 11 before police faOfficials said 11 people were tally shot him. being treated at local hospitals for Identifying the assailant as stabbing wounds and injuries Abdul Razak Ali Artan, officials from the motor vehicle. None of in the northern US state said he their injuries were life-threatening. appeared to have acted alone in Columbus police chief Kim what was being investigated as a Jacobs said earlier in the day they possible terror attack. were considering the "possibility" He also appears to have made that it was terrorism related. an anti-US posting on Facebook US media reported that Artan minutes before the attack, on a was of Somali descent, though ofpage that was quickly disabled or taken down by authorities, US me- Officials said 11 people dia said.

"I can't take it any were being treated at local more. America! Stop in- hospitals for stabbing terfering with other countries, especially wounds and injuries from the the Muslim Ummah. We motor vehicle. None of their are not weak.

We are not weak, re- injuries were life-threatening member that," the post quoted by ABC television said, ficials did not confirm that inforusing a term referring to the glo- mation. They did not release his bal community of Muslims. exact age, saying only that they "If you want us Muslims to believed he was born in 1998. stop carrying lone wolf attacks, An OSU student of the same then make peace," the post reads. name also was profiled in the Au"We will not let you sleep unless gust issue of student newspaper you give peace to the Muslims."

The Lantern, for an article in Artan also referred to Anwar which he spoke of the lack of al-Awlaki, a US-born Al-Qaeda Muslim prayer rooms on campus. cleric, as a hero in the posting.

Artan, who was identified as a His shocking attack lasted just third-year transfer student studya few minutes -- from the car ca- ing logistics management, told the reening into the crowd until the paper he was uncomfortable with suspect was shot dead -- but trig- praying on campus.-AFP

In Brief Dangers faced by migrants in border shelters PHOENIX: A spate of vandalism and other threats has occurred this year at a soup kitchen for deported migrants in Nogales, Mexico, which borders Arizona.

The leader of the Kino Border Initiative-run center says the incidents likely are tied to the shelter's work helping migrants report crimes.

The incidents illustrate a border-wide problem of drug cartels that see migrant shelters as an impediment to their business. The shelters protect migrants who otherwise could be forced into smuggling drugs or extorted for money to enter the U.S. The Rev. Sean Carroll, who heads the Nogales shelter, says migrants have increasingly told the center they were robbed or kidnapped by criminal organizations hoping to seize on attempts to cross the border. He says staff and volunteers have escorted migrants to police departments and helped them file reports at least 10 times this year.-AP

Cuomo plan to combat hate crimes in NY ALBANY, NY: Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he has directed state police to create a special unit to investigate reports of hate crimes in New York.

Cuomo, a Democrat, announced the initiative at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Manhattan as part of a plan to combat hate crimes in the aftermath of the divisive presidential election.

The governor told the Harlem church's congregation that he'll also push for legislation that expands protections under the state's human rights law to all students statewide. The other aspect of the three-part plan will create the nation's first emergency legal defense fund to ensure all immigrants have access to representation.

Cuomo's plan is a response to what he called the ``ugly political discourse'' that didn't end with Republican Donald Trump's win over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the election.-AP

Justice Dept pick could influence immigration

Details on Page 13

Immigration

Photographer captures images of immigrants

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Details on page 15

Trump's election triggers flood of immigration questions CHICAGO: Immigration hotlines are buzzing. Legal clinics are seeing an influx of clients. Public schools are fielding frantic questions from parents and students.

Since the election, Donald Trump's tough talk on immigration has stirred anxiety nationwide among immigrants regardless of legal status. They are turning to lawyers, schools, advocacy groups and congressional offices for help. ``We're operating with a lot of unknowns, and a certain amount of fear comes with that,'' said Vanessa Esparza-López, a managing attorney at the Chicago-based National Immigrant Justice Center.

In Chicago, a hotline run by the state's largest immigrant-rights group received more than 330 calls in the week after the election, compared with the usual 100 or so.

Denver school officials sent a letter to parents in response to questions about the election's effect on students living in the country illegally.

The New York Legal Assistance Group said it's receiving 40 to 60 daily calls about immigration, up from 20 to 30. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles reported 19 walk-ins on a single day, all with citizenship questions.

The most urgent inquiries have been from young people benefiting from a 2012 federal program started by President Barack Obama's administration that allows immigrants brought to the country illegally as children to avoid deportation and get work permits. About 740,000 people have participated in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals system.

Attorneys say the program is vulnerable because it was created by executive order, not by law, leaving new potential applicants second-guessing whether to sign up.

Andrea Aguilera, a 20-year-old who attends a suburban Chicago college, feels in limbo with her DACA paperwork expiring next year.

She was brought across the Mexican border illegally as a 4year-old and largely kept her immigration status secret until she was able to get a work permit through DACA four years ago.

She's since worked as a grocery

During the campaign, Trump pledged to deport the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally and to build a border wall. The Republican president-elect has not detailed how he will proceed and recently walked

Donald Trump

store cashier and as a finance office intern at a Chicago organization. Two of her siblings are in the program. Another is a U.S. citizen. ``It's been hard to focus on school,'' Aguilera said. ``I just don't know what's going to come next for us.''

back the number of anticipated deportees.

The Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower immigration levels, explained the spike in activity as uncertainty about whether existing laws will be enforced by Trump's adminis-

tration. Jon Feere, a legal analyst at the Washington D.C.-based research organization, said those enrolled in DACA were aware of the risks when they signed up.

Others should have little concern. ``Those who are in compliance with the law have nothing to worry about,'' he said.

Still, even immigrants with permanent legal status have had questions since the election.

Attorneys and immigrant organizations said green card holders feel new urgency to ensure that paperwork such as a renewal application is in order over fears that laws could change under a new administration. Most immigrants can seek citizenship three to five years after getting a green card.

Roughly 9 million green card holders are currently eligible for citizenship, according to the most recent Department of Homeland Security statistics. Some citizens also sought clarity about when they could sponsor family members abroad. ``People need reassurance,'' said Irina Matiychenko, who leads the immigrant protection unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group. ``People need guidance.''-AP

Scant resources to deal with migration SAN DIEGO: President-elect Donald Trump will face an immigration system that is maxed out when he takes office in January as a high number of Central Americans and Haitians continue to come to the U.S. through the Mexican border.

Resources to process the immigrants, detain them and to try their immigration cases in court are extremely strained.

Now, federal officials say they are releasing Haitian immigrants who have been entering the country in large numbers, backtracking on a pledge to jail them before they are deported.

A U.S. government official told The Associated Press that the decision to free Haitians ar-

riving in Arizona and California is in response to a lack of jail space.

The official said releasing immigrants with orders to report later to immigration court is a tactic used when detention space is

not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and insisted on speaking on condition of anonymity.

Federal immigration officials announced they are opening a

Federal officials say they are releasing Haitian immigrants who have been entering the country in large numbers, backtracking on a pledge to jail them scarce, under certain humanitarian conditions or as part of efforts to keep families together.

Before the Haitians are released, they are subjected to a criminal background and national security check. The official was

large processing facility in west Texas in an effort to deal with the large number of families and young children coming through the border.

Cont'd on Page 14

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Justice Dept pick could influence immigration WASHINGTON: As a senator, Jeff Sessions became Congress' leading advocate not only for a cracking down on illegal immigration, but also for slowing all immi-

ney general, he'd be well positioned to turn those ideas into reality.

Immigration laws are enforced by other agencies, but the Justice

Jeff Sessions

gration, increasing mass deportations and scrutinizing more strictly those entering the U.S. As attor-

Department plays a crucial role in setting the policies and legal underpinnings that shape the sys-

tem. And if Donald Trump sticks with his campaign promises, immigration will be a top priority for his administration.

As the nation's top law enforcement official, Sessions could execute maneuvers to limit which nationalities the U.S. would accept as refugees and to reverse a federal policy that protects young people from deportation. ``The president has the clear power to suspend immigration to protect America,'' Sessions said during the Republican convention when he was discussing the threat of terrorism and the need to scrutinize refugees more closely.

The fourth-term Republican from Alabama was the first senator to support Trump's candidacy, and he helped shape Trump's positions on immigration. Sessions favors limiting the number of refugees coming into the U.S. and turning away children who arrive at the border alone who are attempting to reunite with families living in the U.S.

Trump supporter pitches hardline immigration plan WASHINGTON: An immigration adviser to President-elect Donald Trump and a possible candidate for a top government post wants to make some changes at the Homeland Security Department, including recreating a system that required certain immigrants, including men and boys

with enforcing immigration laws and securing the border. Kobach carried his ``Department of Homeland Security Kobach Strategic Plan for First 365 Days'' into his meeting with Trump. It was visible in a photograph from The Associated Press.

The top suggestion was to

President-elect Donald Trump stands with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach

from 25 mostly Muslim nations, to register with the federal government upon their arrival.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach met with Trump and brought with him a detailed list of proposals for the agency tasked

``update and reintroduce'' the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, or NSEERS, for all foreigners from ``high-risk'' areas, a program he helped create while working for the Justice Department in the wake of the Sept. 11

terrorist attacks.

The effort, which ultimately included the registration of more than 80,000 foreigners, was widely derided by civil rights groups who said it profiled foreigners based on their race and religion.

The document, which is partially obscured by Kobach's left arm and hand, does not specify which foreigners would be required to register as part of an NSEERS update.

Kobach did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Obama administration formally abandoned the system in April 2011, saying a newer data collection program would be sufficient to collect biometric information for all foreigners coming into the country.

Kobach's plan also proposes adding ``extreme vetting questions for high-risk'' foreigners coming into the U.S. Those would include questions about a would-be visitor's ``support for Sharia law, jihad, equality of men and women, the United States constitution.''

The Kansan's list also included ending the flow of Syrian refugees into the United States. As a candidate, Trump proposed a temporary ban on all Muslims coming into the country. Several other suggestions for DHS were obscured in the photo, taken as Kobach was greeted by Trump.-AP

The attorney general can direct federal prosecutors to boost the number of criminal cases brought against immigrants caught crossing the border; guide legal opinions to defend executive actions; prioritize hiring more judges for federal immigration courts; overturn key decisions made by a federal immigration appeals panel and challenge the legality of state immigration policies. ``The attorney general has a lot

fication and invited discrimination against Latinos. The Justice Department sued the state, along with immigration advocacy groups, and won.

Given Sessions' and Trump's positions on immigration, it's unlikely they'd use the department to fight such state laws. ``The courts have always paid much greater attention when the United States is a party,'' said Bill Hing, a professor at the Univer-

One of the most important legal opinions on immigration that came out of the Justice Department in the past eight years defended the Obama administration's policy of formally shielding immigrants who arrive in the U.S. as children of power when it comes to immigration,'' said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor at Cornell law school. ``He has a seat at the table when important decisions are being made.''

One of the most important legal opinions on immigration that came out of the Justice Department in the past eight years defended the Obama administration's policy of formally shielding immigrants who arrive in the U.S. as children from being deported. This policy also gives those immigrants permission to work in the U.S. Sessions and other GOP lawmakers have called this ``backdoor amnesty.'' The Trump White House can rescind the policy that protects these young immigrants, and as attorney general, Sessions could provide legal guidance to defend Trump's actions, which would put more than 700,000 people at risk of being deported.

sity of San Francisco law school and director of its immigration and deportation defense clinic.

Immigration advocates are preparing to go it alone. ``Private organizations are going to have to rely on their own resources to pursue these kinds of cases,'' said Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The Justice Department also houses the immigration court system, which for years has been woefully understaffed and amassed a backlog of more than 500,000 pending cases. The parties in the case can wait years for a final ruling. The attorney general could ask Congress for a significant increase in funds to staff the courts and blast through the backlog.

The Board of Immigration Appeals, which is the last stop in the

he Justice Department also houses the immigration court system, which for years has been woefully understaffed and amassed a backlog of more than 500,000 pending cases ``Tweaks of the pen over there can have large implications across the country,'' said Victor Cerda, a former Justice Department immigration attorney who led the Immigration and Naturalization Service after the 9/11 attacks. The agency has since become part of the newly created Homeland Security Department.

The Justice Department's Office of Immigration Litigation, housed in the civil division, is the force behind fighting state immigration actions like Arizona's landmark immigration crackdown that required immigrants to carry identi-

immigration court system to challenge a judge's ruling, is part of the Justice Department as well.

The attorney general is responsible for appointing that 17-member board and can overturn a decision, which can then be challenged in federal court. The board's decisions have widespread ramifications and are applied by judges across the country, Cerda said.

And the attorney general can influence the grants the department issues annually for a range of state and local law enforcement programs.-AP

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Massachusetts hub of resistance to Trump BOSTON: As Republican Donald Trump prepares to take over as president, Massachusetts is fashioning itself into a hub of resistance, with politicians and

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren who once likened herself to ``Star Wars'' rebel leader Princess Leia is helping lead the opposition.

In a letter sent to Trump Tower

Elizabeth Warren

advocacy groups vowing to battle what they see as the extremes of a Trump agenda.

last week, the Massachusetts Democrat excoriated the incoming president for relying on what she

described as ``insiders, lobbyists, and other special interests'' to help shape his administration.

She called on him to replace them with advisers who will fight for the interests of the American people. ``Should you refuse, I will oppose you, every step of the way, for the next four years. I will champion the millions of Americans you will fail to protect,'' Warren wrote. ``I will track your every move, and I will remind Americans, every day, of the actions you take that fail them.''

Warren wasn't alone.

Since Election Day, the state attorney general has set up a hate crimes hotline, local officials have pledged not to cooperate with stepped-up deportation efforts, and abortion rights and health care advocacy groups have vowed to fight any Trump-led effort to curb access to both.

It's a dramatic shift for a largely Democratic state whose political

Refugees will keep coming to Maine AUGUSTA, Maine: Refugees will continue entering Maine despite Republican Gov. Paul LePage's announcement that the state will no longer participate in a federally funded resettlement program.

So far this year, about 607 refugees were resettled in Maine, and more will arrive next year. Over the past decade, the state has worked with Catholic Charities of Maine to settle more than 3,400 refugees.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said its Office of Refu-

entering Maine. ``We were certainly disappointed the governor didn't contact us directly,'' spokeswoman Judy Katzel said, adding that LePage didn't have to under federal law.

The governor amped up his criticism of refugee screening and taxpayer-funded benefits for refugees after learning that an Iranian refugee briefly lived in Maine and died last year fighting for the Islamic State group. The man, Adnan Fazeli, became radicalized while living in Maine, and family members alerted authorities when they learned he had

The governor amped up his criticism of refugee screening and taxpayer-funded benefits for refugees after learning that an Iranian refugee briefly lived in Maine and died last year fighting for the Islamic State group gee Resettlement is working to appoint an interim agency that will administer earmarked federal funds, though a timeline is still uncertain.

That agency will likely be Catholic Charities. The federal government will later accept competitive bids for an agency that will take federal funds directly for refugee resettlement.

LePage's office didn't respond to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for Catholic Charities of Maine stressed that for now, the agency will continue providing services to refugees in and

left for Turkey and Syria.

The Health Department said individuals receive services only after they are granted refugee status following ``stringent security screenings.'' That process takes 18 to 24 months.

This year, Maine received $2.6 million in federal grant awards to fund contracts and services for refugees like medical support and employment-related help.

LePage wrote a Nov. 4 letter to Democratic President Barack Obama saying he no longer wants Maine associated with the federal refugee resettlement program, and

he has also opposed the settlement of Syrian refugees in Maine ``until adequate vetting procedures can be established.''

LePage said FBI Director James Comey had told Congress the government can't conduct thorough background checks on all refugees. -AP

Connecticut will sue if Trump withholds money WOODBRIDGE, Conn: Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy says he'll sue if the Trump Administration tries to withhold federal funds to New Haven and other so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials.

WTNH-TV reports that the Democratic governor says any attempt to withhold such money would be violating the law. He says Connecticut would go to court to protect its rights as a state and to receive the benefits to which it is entitled.

Republican President-elect Donald Trump said during the campaign that he would ``end the sanctuary cities'' and said those that don't cooperate with immigration officials will not receive taxpayer dollars.

Malloy made the comments during a refugee celebration event at the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven.-AP

leaders have enjoyed strong relations with Democratic President Barack Obama and who nearly uniformly rejected Trump, including Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who refused to vote for his party's nominee.

On election night, Massachusetts backed Clinton by about a 27-point margin.

While some leaders, Warren included, acknowledged the economic pain that helped drive some of Trump's support, they said they were concerned by the tone Trump set during his campaign and by his pledges to eliminate Obama's health care law and to deport mil-

the state gave him one of his most decisive primary wins. ``Donald Trump knows that great minds and great states are valuable to him,'' Diehl said. ``It may take some time with Massachusetts, but the Legislature will come around and appreciate what he brings to the table.''

Trump's election has renewed efforts at the Massachusetts Statehouse to pass legislation that would bar local law enforcement officers from detaining suspects for possible deportation unless they were charged with serious or violent crimes.

Some sanctuary cities - includ-

Trump's election has renewed efforts at the Massachusetts Statehouse to pass legislation that would bar local law enforcement officers from detaining suspects for possible deportation unless they were charged lions living in the country illegally.

Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat and a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, set up the hate crimes hotline just days after the election following reports of harassment and intimidation of ``racial, ethnic and religious minorities, women, LGBTQ individuals and immigrants.'' ``Such conduct has no place in Massachusetts,'' Healey said.

Democratic Senate President Stan Rosenberg stuck a similar note, warning of what he called the ``repeated expression of bigoted views'' during the campaign, which he said targeted women, racial minorities, people of the Jewish and Muslim faiths, immigrants, members of the LGBT community, and people with disabilities.

Republican state Rep. Geoff Diehl, co-chairman of the Trump campaign in Massachusetts, said Trump won't hold a grudge against Massachusetts, noting

ing Cambridge, Somerville and Amherst - already largely refuse to cooperate with deportation efforts. There's been a push since the election to add Boston to that list.

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone said he'll defend the city's decision. ``We are not going to stand voiceless and in silence and let a Gestapo-like atmosphere be cultivated in this nation and come to our communities and break families apart,'' the Democratic mayor told The Boston Globe. He said his city risks losing $6 million in federal funding.

Christian Miron, deputy director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, called Trump's election ``nothing if not a call to action in the movement for reproductive freedom.'' Brian Rosman of the group Health Care For All said Trump's pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act puts coverage for 22 million people at risk.-AP

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Hall of Fame celebrates Scant resources to deal with migration immigrants' success

is removing Haitians in accordance with its enforcement prioriThe facility in Tornillo, outside ties. of El Paso, can hold up to 500 ``ICE prioritizes the removal of people and will be up and running national security threats, conby next week, officials say. victed felons, individuals conThe influx of migrants and lack victed of significant or multiple of jail space on the border will be misdemeanors, and individuals one of the most immediate immi- apprehended at or between ports gration challenges for Trump. of entry while attempting to unAmong the issues Trump will lawfully enter the United States,'' face is growing opposition to con- she wrote. ditions at Border Patrol holding The decision to release Haicells and ICE detention centers. tians will likely add to the growing For example, the Border Patrol backlog of more than half-a-million in Arizona faces a lawsuit from cases already pending in immigraimmigrants who say its holding tion court. That backlog has efcells are overcrowded, dirty and fectively meant that immigrants extremely cold. A federal judge in routinely wait years for a judge to Tucson said he was inclined to decide if they should be kicked out direct the Border Patrol to improve of the country. sleeping conditions, although he At a bus station in Phoenix, hasn't issued a directive yet. several Central American women Immigrants who enter through said authorities released them on Texas also report that Border Pa- condition that they promise to trol holding facilities - known as appear in immigration court. Yarely ``hieleras'' - the Spanish word for Cobon of Guatemala was wearing ``freezers,'' are difficult to sleep in. an ankle monitor and was with her CBP has said it is ``committed to 4-year-old daughter. the safety, security and welfare of Cobon, 22, said she left Guatethose in our custody, especially mala over three weeks ago and crossed the border in Texas. She turned herThe decision to release self in to the Border PaHaitians will likely add to the trol and was detained for about six days. Her growing backlog of more family paid for a bus than half-a-million cases ticket to join them in Los Angeles, where already pending in she has a court hearimmigration court ing.

Cobon said the Borthose who are most vulnerable.'' der Patrol holding cell where she In California, thousands of Hai- was held with her daughter was tians have arrived at the U.S. bor- packed with women in children. der with Mexico in recent months, ``I was just standing, sitting, many after traveling 7,000 miles by desperate. There's children cryfoot, taxi and bus from Brazil ing. It was dirty,'' Cobon said. through eight nations. They Ana Lidia Dubon Martinez is present themselves to U.S. border nearly eight months pregnant inspectors, often at San Diego's San with twins and left Honduras Ysidro port of entry, the nation's with her 11-year-old brother albusiest crossing. most a month ago. The pair About 5,000 Haitians had swam across the river in shown up at San Ysidro from Oc- Matamoros, Mexico, and turned tober 2015 through late Septem- themselves in to border agents ber, overwhelming border inspec- in the U.S. tors. Another 40,000 were on their Dubon Martinez is headed to way, officials have said.

Los Angeles via bus.

The Department of Homeland The U.S. policy shift anSecurity last week said there were nounced in September lifted speabout 41,000 people in immigration cial protections that Haitians got detention facilities, compared to a after their country's 2010 earthtypical population of 31,000 to quake and treats them like immi34,000. grants from other countries and It was unclear how many Hai- regions, including Mexico and tians have been released since the Central America. Central Americhange, although ICE says it has cans, particularly adult men, are deported 203 Haitians to their often detained until they can be home country and that about 4,400 flown home. Mexicans are typiremain detained. cally turned around immediately, ICE spokeswoman Jennifer made possible by their country's Elzea said in a written statement it shared border with the U.S.-AP Cont'd from Page 11

NEW BRITAIN, Conn: It was a twist of fate that led Naeem Khalid into the convenience store business.

He needed a job quickly when he arrived in the United States from his native Pakistan in 1984 and found work at a convenience store.

He found he enjoyed the business so much that he never returned to school, instead coming to Connecticut and founding Sam's Food Store, now with 300 locations including the DB Mart and Smoker's Discount World chains. ``I liked the convenience store business. It seemed recession

lies to move into New Britain, in the 1950s. ``It's great to honor these individuals and families who have contributed to our community,'' said New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart. ``It's important to remember we are a melting pot from many different countries. I think tonight was the perfect opportunity to honor them.''

Nowak is co-founder and coowner of Focus Technologies Inc., a machining company in Berlin. He moved to the U.S. in 1973 hoping to establish a better life for himself as well as his wife and three

“It's great to honor these individuals and families who have contributed to our community,” said New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart.

“It's important to remember we are a melting pot from many different countries. I think tonight was the perfect opportunity to honor them” proof,'' Khalid said. ``It doesn't matter who you are or how much money you make, people need gas, they need to buy their milk. If you are happy you buy chocolate, if you are unhappy you still buy chocolate.''

The Farmington resident not only parlayed his idea into 300 successful stores, he also started a charity to help families of sick children with their financial burdens. Khalid was among the leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the community honored at a gala as they were inducted into the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame.

Founded by the Polish American Foundation, the Hall of Fame

daughters, who joined him in June 1976. Since the mid-1990s, he has served as the president of the Polish American Council of Greater New Britain Charities, organizers of the annual Dozynki Festival in New Britain. He is a past member and president of Falcon Club Nest 88, a member of the Polish American Business and Professional Association, a member of the Pulaski Club, and member of the board of trustees of the Polish American Foundation. ``I was very surprised,'' Nowak said as the crowd of about 200 gathered at Alumni Hall at Central Connecticut State University to enjoy refreshments before the induction ceremony and gala. ``It

The Farmington resident not only parlayed his idea into 300 successful stores, he also started a charity to help families of sick children with their financial burdens. Khalid was among the leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the community celebrates the diverse ethnic heritage of Connecticut and the people who have made a significant contribution to their communities. In addition to Khalid, this year's fourth class of inductees also included New Britain attorney and community leader Nicholas DeNigris; Roman Nowak, a longtime business leader and philanthropist with Polish roots; and two generations of the Alverio family, one of the first Puerto Rican fami-

was something that many people said was long overdue but I always enjoyed helping people. It's my nature. When I came to this country, someone helped me. I want to help someone else.''

Khalid is now chief executive officer of Sam's Food Store. Organizers credit him for working tirelessly over the years to build his company into one of leading independent convenience store chains on the East Coast. Since

opening its first store in the summer of 1992, Sam's has expanded from Hartford to over 200 locations on the Eastern Seaboard and in Canada. The company now includes the convenience store chain DB Mart and the tobacco specialty store Smoker's Discount World. Khalid is also the founder of Sam's Children, Inc., a Connecticut-based charity operating in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut that raises funds for children battling life-threatening diseases.

Born and raised in New Britain, DeNigris settled in his hometown and in 1964 joined the firm that is now Januszewski, McQuillan & DeNigris. DeNigris' parents were born in the coastal city of Bari, Italy, and over the years he has cultivated a relationship with the area's Italian community. He served on the New Britain Board of Education from 1963 to 1967 and again from 1971 to 1975. He also served as the president of the Boys & Girls Club from 1999 to 2002 and is a New Britain-Berlin YMCA trustee.

Along with other awards, DeNigris in 2005 was named Man of the Year by the Order Sons of Italy in America.

DeNigris admitted he was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the gala. ``I thought it would be a nice quiet dinner with a few speakers.

This is quite a production,'' he said. ``I am very pleasantly surprised.''

The late Gerardo and Vicenta Alverio raised one of the first Puerto Rican families in New Britain and contributed to their community for more than 40 years.

Their daughter, Diane Alverio, is the founder and publisher of the award-winning news website CTLatinoNews.com.

Gerardo Alverio was born in Puerto Rico and settled in New Britain, where he worked in the city's thriving manufacturing industry.

Over the years, the Alverios became members of several organizations, with Gerardo going on to serve as president of the New Britain Puerto Rican Society Club.

Vicenta was a member of St. Mary's Church and was recognized for outstanding contributions to the advancement of women by the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund in 1997. She was also the New Britain Puerto Rican Society Club's first Mother of the Year in 1975 and had served as vice president of the club's Ladies Committee.'-AP

Immigration Post

December 2, 2016

India Post 15

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Photographer captures images of immigrants BOSTON: It didn't take a divisive presidential election to get Mark Chester interested in immigrants. Chester has been celebrating immigrants for years, making it his mission to photograph two people from every nation.

Chester is well on his way. Since 2011, he's photographed people from 185 of the world's 196 countries, all of them immigrants who

Chester's photos offer a glimpse into the lives of immigrants who have embraced their new country but retained some of the culture of their homelands.

There is 92-year-old Maria Dias, leaning on her cane in front of a beach shack in Truro, on the tip of Cape Cod, dressed in a traditional embroidered shawl and apron of her native Portugal.

Mark Chester

have settled in Massachusetts, a state he affectionately calls ``a mini United Nations.'' All his subjects have become naturalized U.S. citizens.

Chester's collection of more than 350 photographs have been exhibited around Massachusetts - most recently at the Statehouse - and he is now putting them into a book he plans to distribute free to schools and libraries around the state.

He said his project, called ``The Bay State: A Multicultural Landscape - Photographs of New Americans,'' has taken on new meaning since Republican President-elect Donald Trump said during his campaign he would build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S. ``It seems like it's more important to bring attention to this now,'' he said, adding that ``people from other countries are living here, they're Americans.

The purpose of this is to educate, to enlighten, to make people aware of people from different countries.'' ``This wasn't intended to be any kind of geopolitical statement when I first started this,'' he said.

Haseeb Hosein, originally from Trinidad and Tobago and now a Boston police district commander, is shown smiling in front of his office, dressed in his police blues.

Olga Kwasniewski, a native of the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, is shown standing in front of Boston Harbor, wearing a sash celebrating her win in a

2013 beauty pageant.

Kwasniewski, who is now a restaurant owner and model, said she agreed to be photographed

by Chester because she thinks it's important to celebrate the contributions immigrants make to America and the gratitude they feel to be U.S. citizens. ``The way he is picturing people at their workplace or their home, that shows how they are still bringing part of their country to American life, and how their lives have changed here,'' she said.

Chester, 71, a professional photographer who lives on Cape Cod, is applying for cultural grants, looking for corporate sponsors and raising private money to publish his book. To find subjects from countries around the world, he attends naturalization ceremonies, goes to ethnic restaurants and has even been known to ask cab drivers where they're from.

He's still searching for people from 11 countries, including Comoros, an archipelago off Africa's East Coast; Tonga, a Polynesian kingdom of South Pacific Islands; and Liechtenstein, a German-speaking principality between Austria and Switzerland.

One of the project's sponsors is the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.

Sue Parsons, MIRA's development coordinator, said Chester's photos capture the sense of optimism many immigrants have after they settle here. ``Each photo shows their energy, and their hopefulness shines through,'' Parsons said.-AP

Mayor wants Burlington to be sanctuary city BURLINGTON, Vt: The Demo``To get criminals off the street cratic mayor has said he wants to and protect victims, everyone in a make his city a sanctuary city to city has to feel comfortable reporthelp worried immigrant popula- ing crimes, cooperating with the tions, joining other mayors who police, and asking for help when say they plan to do all they can to they need it,'' he said in an emailed protect residents from deportation. statement. ``People worried the Republican President-elect local police are looking to deport Donald Trump has said he'll strip them will hesitate to help us apfederal funding from cities that prehend criminals and get services have policies to shelter or protect to victims.'' immigrants in the country illegally.

He said police want to continue Burlington Mayor Miro ``the relationship of trust'' they've Weinberger told Vermont Public Radio his city's intention is to keep following the practice of not asking about immigration status when providing municipal services. He said he wants immigrants to know they're living in the same Burlington today as they were before Election Day. He said Burlington isn't Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger going to turn police and city officials into deputies of the federal built with the people who need government. The city has about their protection by locally empha42,000 residents, 10 percent of sizing crime-fighting over immigrawhom were born outside the tion issues.

United States. ``This longstanding practice has The sanctuary city practice of enhanced Burlington's public delivering police services regard- safety,'' he said, ``and the mayor has less of a person's immigration sta- voiced support for continuing it.'' tus and of not inquiring about imTrump talked tough about immigration matters during police migration on the campaign trail, inencounters has been the practice cluding proposing building a wall of Burlington officers all along, along the U.S.-Mexico border, uspolice Chief Brandon del Pozo ing a deportation force and deportsaid. It's ``an important element of ing the estimated 11 million people public safety,'' he said. in the country illegally. -AP

Border Patrol told to improve detention conditions PHOENIX: A federal judge in Tucson, Arizona, has ordered the Border Patrol to improve conditions at its holding facilities in most of the state, saying the agency was not following its own standards by keeping migrants in crowded, cold cells without proper bedding.

Judge David Bury issued the temporary order requiring the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector to provide clean mats and thin blankets to migrants held for longer than 12 hours and to allow them to wash or clean themselves.

Bury said plaintiffs presented persuasive evidence that basic human needs of migrants were

not being met.

The case was brought last year by the ACLU, the Morrison and Foerster law firm, and other immigrant rights organizations on behalf of migrants who say the Border Patrol's holding facilities in Arizona are unsanitary, extremely cold and inhumane. Migrants regularly call holding cells ``hieleras,'' the Spanish word for ``freezer.''

``We believe that the conditions were so below par that when you have people, whether it's two

nights or one night sleeping on

the floor, that is just below any constitutional standards or norms of decency,'' ACLU senior counsel Dan Pochoda said.

Bury issued the temporary injunction after a hearing earlier this week at which both parties made arguments.

The Border Patrol has defended its practices and said it's committed to the safety, security and welfare of detainees.

It maintains that it provides migrants with basic human needs in accordance with its own policies, and that agents provide medical care, warmth, sanitation, food and water, and allows detainees to sleep.-AP

Desi News GOPIO host annual business convention ASHFAQ SYED

CHICAGO: Chicago Chapter of Global Organization for People of India Origin (GOPIO) hosted its 2nd Annual Business Convention and Gala on November 13 at Oak Brook Marriott Hotel, in Oakbrook, a South side suburb of Chicago. It was attended by many corporate executives, State and local Government officials, Asian-American and small and minority business leaders.

The objective of the event was to promote common cultural heritage and create binding relationship among the business community. Raja Krishnamoorthi, US Congressman Elect, who was one of the keynote speakers, congratulated GOPIO's Chicago leadership for hosting a business conference like this.

Details on page 19

Hina Trivedi recognized for community services SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: Hina Trivedi, President of Indo US Lions Club and a Trustee of Federation of Indian Associations Chicago , has now two more features in her cap - as Prudential Gold Medal winner from Washington DC and Asian Exemplary Civic Service Award 2016 for her exemplary community services for the past thirty years here.

President Barack Obama in his letter addressed to HIna Trivedi congratulated her for getting President's Volunteer Services Award for 2016 which will be presented to her by Secretary of State JC White during a felicitation event here.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

16 India Post

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Christmas Around the World event Details on page 24

Chicago Mayor Emanuel underscores timeless ideals of Mahatma RAMESH SOPARAWALA & KEERTHI RAVOORI

CHICAGO: Eulogizing the timeless Gandhian ideals of tolerance, non violence and inclusivity in the context of rising sea of discord and social disharmony, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel underscored once again the need to embrace Gandhi values of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, harmony and love at the Mahatma Gandhi Birth-Anniversary Luncheon held recently at Westin Hotel in downtown Chicago on November 15.

The event, the fourth in a row in the past as many years, was under the aegis of the Delhi Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities International and it attracted a good number of prominent corporate, community and business leaders.

Presiding over the stately luncheon, Smita N. Shah, Chair, Chicago Sister Cities International Delhi Committee, welcomed the august gathering and with her profound sense of eloquence outlined the far reaching deep-rooted global influence of Mahatma Gandhi and his noble ideals that till today bear huge relevance. She

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel being presented with a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi with a Gandhian inscription

was one of the prime organizers and she did demonstrate her organizing ability and leadership qualities.

Smita Shah brought forth the historical reference of Henry Thoreau's philosophy of civil dis-

Details on page 19

Washington hospital honors Perfusionist Jyoti NEELA PANDYA

WASHINGTON DC: India-born community activist and a well recognized perfusionist Jyoti Dharod added another feather in her cap when she was recently felicitated

by Prince George's Hospital center (Maryland) for her remarkable work in Cardio Vascular Perfusionist Manager, ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma).

Dr. Mohammed Nafici, Chief of Cardiac Surgery, introduced Jyoti and said "You always aim high and never give up in spite of all the difficulties."

Details on page 20

December 2, 2016

Konkani Carols at

Delhi Sister City Chair Smita Shah with Mayor Emanuel

obedience which she said was re- grandfather's migration and how affirmed by Mahatma Gandhi ap- he would like to see Chicago as a plying the principles of non-vio- welcoming city. He then acknowllence and civil disobedience edged valuable contribution of which led to India's tryst with des- Niranjan Shah & Smita Shah in the tiny of independence and freedom. cultural enrichment of Chicago She expressed heartfelt thanks city. to Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his Later, Mayor Rahm Emanuel presence and for his help in host- was presented with a portrait of ing the luncheon in observance of Mahatma Gandhi with a Gandhian Gandhi Jayanti. Mayor Rham has inscription which was presented been contributed greatly in mak- by Niranjan Shah along with Smita ing the City of Chicago a warm Shah, Keerthi Ravoori and Babu welcoming place for all immigrants regardless of their origin, faith and Mayor Rahm Emanuel paid color, which she added, rich tributes to Mahatma best exemplifies Gandhi describing him as Gandhian character.

Mayor Rahm 'the apostle of peace,' Emanuel paid rich trib- commended Chicago utes to Mahatma Gandhi describing him Sister City International as 'the apostle of peace,' commended Chicago Sister City Patel. Earlier, Jeff Malehorn, PresiInternational for honoring Ma- dent & CEO of the World Busihatma Gandhi with this commemo- ness Chicago, welcomed the rative event which serves as a re- guests and the Mayor. From the affirmation of "who we are as Chi- Indian Consulate Consul OP cagoans." He added that the ide- Meena had graced the occasion als of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Students from Loyola, East West Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and Columbia University performed pave the way for Americans and "A Cappella" a medley of melodihelp in guiding the succeeding ous songs to set the tone for the generations the timeless values of afternoon celebrations. The event their preaching. concluded with an elegant stately Mayor Emmanuel recalled his lunch at the Michigan Ballroom.

Community Across America

December 2, 2016

India Post 17

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Top leaders at Hindu economic forum meet Ed Royce, Congressman ad- tries that has grown leaps and mired the role of Hindus in his bounds making him a very sucspeech and emphasized how the cessful entrepreneur.

Hindu Americans have made a difThe conference was very well ference in America in different attended and most people look forspheres including hospitality and ward to participate the next year's building temples.

Srikanth Bolla, a blind entrepreneur from India The conference was very shared his inspirational story of how he over- well attended and most came adversity and could not even get ad- people look forward to mitted into any of the participate the next year's engineering colleges in India.

WHEF 2017 conference As a result, he applied and ended up going to Massachusetts Institute of WHEF 2017 conference. It is beTechnology. ing planned by Acting Chairman After graduation, Srikanth went PV Sambasiva Rao and is schedto India and started Bollant Indus- uled to be held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Dr. Manu Vora receives Collier Quality Award India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: The World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) organized its fifth Global conference in Los Angeles from November 18-20. WHEF aims to bring together the best and brightest of Hindu economic leaders and entrepreneurs, according to its founder Swami Vigyanand.

Since inception, WHEF's main goal has been to promote the name of Hindus and establish them as a strong and notable economic force. Being the third largest eco-

- Vice Chairmen, Bala Palanisamy Secretary, and Dr. Subbu Shanmugham/ Sharad Mehta - Directors. Anil Parekh, Raghu Kuppannan, Dr. Toni DasGupta, Sharad Mehta, Shailesh Shetye, Roshan Khandpur, Babubhai Gandhi.

The global community of Hindus has been doing wonderfully well and contributing to the development of a sustainable world in the areas of education, business, healthcare, and technology.

More than thirty countries were represented by delegates who

Mohandas Pai, ex-executive of Infosys, indicated that India has an opportunity to become a digital leader and instead could end up becoming a digital colony if investors don't invest and capitalize on it nomic metropolitan area in the world, Los Angeles has been an excellent choice to host the Forum.

A global hub for international trade, manufacturing, technology, finance and more, it has served as a means to inspire attendees and help them have a first-hand insight into the North and South American Markets.

The Organizing Committee included Avadhesh Agarwal - Chairman; Nadadur Vardhan/ Ravi Tilak

travelled to Los Angles to share their knowledge and experience including a delegation from Silicon Valley represented by Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), India Post, Festival of Globe (FOG), GitPRO etc. Entrepreneurs from every major industry - traders, bankers, technocrats, investors, industrialists, and economists shared their wisdom, experience and resources with more than six hundred attendees.

NEWS

on your desktop www.indiapost.com

The three-day event was kicked off by the Master of Ceremonies Sushil Pandit on Friday, November 18 with a prayer and ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Avadhesh Agarwal, Sajjan Bhajanka, Professor R. Vaidyanathan and Dr. Mukesh Aghi.

The conference attracted some of the global thought leaders including Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA 39th District), Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mohandas Pai, Chairman Manipal Global Education Services, Venture Capitalist Gururaj Deshpande, Dr Mukesh Aghi, President of the US-India Business Council, Srikanth Bolla - Chief Executive Officer of Bollant Industries, Dr. Abhaya Asthana, President, VHP America and many others.

Mohandas Pai, ex-executive of Infosys, indicated that India has an opportunity to become a digital leader and instead could end up becoming a digital colony if investors don't invest and capitalize on it. He shared that investment from US and China into India is at least 5 times higher than the investment from successful Indian investors themselves. He held the audience with his engrossing speech mixing numbers with humor. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard shared her experience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed optimism about India. Under leadership of current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India would unleash its untapped potential, she said.

SURENDRA ULLAL

NAPERVILLE: Dr. Manu Vora in Chicago, M.S. & Ph.D. in has received the 28th Simon Chemical Engineering from Illinois Collier Quality Award from the Institute of Technology (IIT) in ASQ Los Angeles Section for his Chicago, and B.S. in Chemical Enoutstanding achievement in the gineering with Honors from the Infield of quality. dian Institute of Technology This annual recognition was (BHU), Varanasi in India. started in 1986 in honor of Simon He received the "2015 DistinCollier, the 4th President of Ameri- guished Alumnus Award" from can Society for Quality (ASQ). BHU (his alma mater). He gave The Award was presented by 2nd IIT (BHU) Institute Lecture on James Morrison, Chairperson of January 15, 2014. He received the Award Committee and a 1995 "2014 Harrington/Ishikawa recipient of the Simon Collier Qual- Medal" from Asia Pacific Quality ity Award at Organization. a dinner in He has been Double Tree honored by Hotel in El ASQ with 5 Segundo, Medals.

California.

For over Dr. Manu 45 years, he Vora is Chairhas dedicated man and his life to President of community Business Exservice. cellence, In1989, he esand has over tablished the 41 years of Blind Foundaleadership tion for India experience as (BFI) to serve Dr Manu Vora a Past Vice 15 million visuPresident ally impaired from the American Society for people in India. The BFI team has Quality (ASQ) National Board of raised over $4 million to support Directors. He also served as a over one million people in India Chairperson for ASQ Chicago Sec- for their eyesight checkups. He tion. Manu was a Chief Judge at has shared his Leadership Excelthe Illinois Team Excellence Award lence Series (LES) focusing on lifeProgram from 1993-1999. He was a long transferable knowledge of Senior Examiner for the Asia Pa- soft skills and quality management cific Global Performance Excellence free-of-cost to over 675,00 people Award Program from 2004-2016. globally. The LES project won the He holds an MBA with Market- 2016 D. L. Shah Silver Quality ing Management from the Keller Award from the Quality Council of Graduate School of Management India (QCI).

18 India Post

Community Across America

December 2, 2016

www.indiapost.com

GOPIO hosts annual business convention ASHFAQ SYED

CHICAGO: Chicago Chapter of Global Organization for People of India Origin (GOPIO) hosted its 2nd Annual Business Convention and Gala on November 13 at Oak

was attended by many corporate executives, State and local Government officials, Asian-American and small and minority business leaders.

tage and create binding relationship among the business community. Raja Krishnamoorthi, US Congressman Elect, who was one of the keynote speakers, congratulated GOPIO's Chicago leadership for hosting a business conference like this. He said he would support the Indian community and GOPIO Chicago to create a business environment that will help to grow Indian businesses, especially the startup compaLamp Lighting ceremony and guests at GOPIO Annual Business meet nies.

Brook Marriott Hotel, in Oakbrook, The objective of the event was Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Consul Gena South side suburb of Chicago. It to promote common cultural heri- eral of India, Chicago, in his inaugural address said that GOPIO Chicago created a platform for all the small and large Indian business owners to do business networking and grow their businesses.

Mike Quigley, U.S. Congressman said that businesses are failing mainly on account of lack of proper direction to grow and paucity of required funding to launch new technology products. "I will work with GOPIO Chicago to find a solution for this issue", he added.

Sam Pitroda, a former Principal Advisor to Indian Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh, added that a business conference like this is a first step to bring Indian business owners under one umbrella and conferences like this need to be held in various parts of U.S cities

India as well, since India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world', he added.

Dr. Deepak Vyas, President & CEO, Redberri Corporation shared his views as to how he started his business as a small startup company, the challenges he faced to grow his company and the strategies he used to grow his company to a large corporation.

Dr. Neeti Parashar, Nobel Prize winning team member added that Indians are very bright in the field of business and technology, they are very hardworking and are people with a great vision. She shared some of her research experience, challenges she faced after coming from Delhi as an immigrant, and became a professor in Purdue University. "Eventually dedication and hard work helped me being part of the Nobel Prize winning team on their invention of Subatomic particles in 2013.

Dr. Gopal Lalmalani, Mayor of Oak Brook shared his career challenges as a cardiologist, Mayor of one of the affluent suburbs of US,

GOPIO members and guests

bringing more businesses and their headquarters to Oak Brook, balancing the budget for the city after maintaining lower tax rates.

He said that Oak Brook is one of the best and affluent suburbs to live in Illinois and he expressed his

GOPIO's Gladson Varghese presenting a Plaque to Raja Krishnamurthi

by GOPIO Chapters. "Also need to participate in events like PBD and to expand their businesses to

talked on various subjects at the business conference were Dr. Anil Oroskar, CEO of Orochem Chemical Corporation and Mr. Manish Gandhi, CEO of Power Plant Corporation.

Gladson Varghese, President, GOPIO-Chicago, while making his presidential remarks, said that GOPIO is one of the largest Indian organizations outside India with Chapters in over 20 countries. "Indians are highly visible in political and business landscapes and several Indian- Americans hold key positions in Fortune 500 companies and own large businesses.

"Because of their affluence and economic power, Indian-Americans are a natural marketing target for many organizations and businesses", Varghese added.

GOPIO presented awards to the winners in a ceremony. Sam Pitroda, former Principal Advisor to Indian Prime Minister & Chairman, C -Sam Corporation was awarded as Businessman of the Year, Deepak Vyas, Chairman, Redberri Corporation was awarded

gratitude to GOPIO Chicago's leadership for hosting the event in Oak Brook. Other CEOs who

as Community Leader of the Year, Congressman Elect, Raja Krishnamoorthi was awarded GOPIO Presidential Award for Excellence and Prerana Mitta, a medical student, was awarded Student of the Year.

The Business Conference was conducted by Board Member Krishna Bansal and Sharan Walia in a professional fashion.The guests were welcomed by Board Member Vikrant Singh and MC for the evening was Savi Singh.

Ashfaq Syed thanked all the dignitaries, GOPIO Board members, CEOs of various companies, Media, Sponsors and all the audience for their support for GOPIO Chicago.

The Business Conference ended with Bollywood style entertainment programs including dances, music and DJ. At the end of the program, Indian style dinner and cocktails were served to guests.

Community Across America

December 2, 2016

India Post 19

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Hina Trivedi recognized for community services SURESH SHAH

SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Hina Trivedi, President of Indo US Lions Club and a Trustee of Federation of Indian Associations Chicago , has now two more features in her cap - as Prudential Gold Medal winner from Washington DC and Asian Exemplary Civic Service Award 2016 for her exemplary community services for the past thirty years here.

President Barack Obama in his letter addressed to HIna Trivedi congratulated her for getting Hina Trivedi

Asian Chronicle USA Award

Barack Obama letter

Munish threatens Satyagraha over AAP donations

President's Volunteer Services Award for 2016 which will be presented to her by Secretary of State JC White during a felicitation event here.

Asian Chronicle USA, a Cable Access Television Program, had earlier selected Hina for the Asian Exemplarity Services for her being a bridge between India and USA serving the community as well with her command over seven languages and active association of with service organizations.

CHICAGO: Munish Raizada, a medical doctor and a suspended member of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has threatened to go for Satyagraha if AAP does not provide details of donations in a week from the Foundation Day (November 26).

It may be noted that Aam Aadmi Party has taken down the list of donations from its website since June, 2016. It coincided with the party receiving 3 notices from Income Tax Department asking for explanation of certain discrepancies. The notice states, "The donation entries in the AAP website don't match the Election Commission records, please furnish documentary evidences to explain the issue."

Raizada stated that AAP came into being with a claim that it would be a truly public funded party and will honestly put all its donations in the public domain.

It was this core principle that attracted thousands of people to volunteer for the party.

Raizada quit his medical career in USA and devoted time to the party from 2013 to 2015 in India.

He worked in various capacities within the party. He was sus-

Dr Munish Raizada

pended in November 2015 for raising issues in the public.

Raizada has demanded four specific conditions to be met: Put all donations in public domain, donations should be searchable by name (and not only via receipt

number), missing balance sheets after 2014 to be made public and inquiry to be ordered in the dubious donations of Rs 2 crore that the party received in 2014.

Kejriwal had promised an inquiry in to this if he came to power.

He believes that by hiding donations made to the party, AAP is lending credence to the speculation that it may be consuming black money. It is high time that Kejriwal 'de-monetizes' the hidden money within the party by displaying transparent funding.

He also said that if the party does not come clean on the funding issue, volunteers, members, and supporters will have no option but to launch a Satyagraha by take a pledge not to donate any further.

He believes that by hiding donations made to the party, AAP is lending credence to the speculation that it may be consuming black money. It is high time that Kejriwal 'de-monetizes' the hidden money within the party by displaying transparent funding

20 India Post

Community Across America

December 2, 2016

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Washington hospital honors Perfusionist Jyoti NEELA PANDYA

WASHINGTON DC: India-born community activist and a well recognized perfusionist Jyoti Dharod added another feather in her cap

ation) and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma).

Dr. Mohammed Nafici, Chief of Cardiac Surgery, introduced Jyoti and said "You always aim high and never give up in spite of all the difficulties."

In the words of Dr. Ucchena Nwaneri, (Director of Orthopedic Surgery) Jyoti had both the research and the math ready for this still experimental approach and doggedly convinced him to take the matter up with the Hospital Vice-President.

Both were flabbergasted that something this Jyoti Dharod with her husband Mohit Gala who is a simple could big time Marathon runner usher such amazwhen she was recently felicitated ing and unbelievable results and

by Prince George's Hospital cen- profits. ter (Maryland) for her remarkable Convinced, equipment was purwork in Cardio Vascular chased and incredibly PG HospiPerfusionist Manager, ECMO (Ex- tal broke even within a month and tra Corporeal Membrane Oxygen- began realizing profits to the tune

(L-R) Dr M Naficy, Chief of Cardiac and Trauma Surgery, Jyoti Dharod, Dr Teressa Hilliar Podiatrist; Dr Uchenna Nwaneri Director of orthopedic surgery

of over a million and half. Treatment of the hospital security guard and others showed amazing results.

Dr. Hilliard (Podiatrician) too tried this approach and was shocked with the results. Orthopedic surgeons could not believe

that something so simple could work wonders on the knees. Dr. Uchenna Nwaneri ended his speech saying "Jyoti, you always think ahead and give your best. It is a pleasure working with you.

Jyoti you always aim high, pushing a bit too much. You demand

excellence and get excellent results in all you do."

It was fitting that Jyoti an Indian, was felicitated on Diwali New Year with over 60 professionals in attendance. It also marked the first time that this Hospital gave such an honor to a past employee.

Madhu Saran Global Ambassador of WED PRAKASH M SWAMY

NEW YORK: Madhu Saran, a leading social entrepreneur from Chennai, was named 'Women Entrepreneurship Day Global Ambassador of India' by Wendy Diamond, Founder Women's Entrepreneurship Day (WED) at a glittering function held in the United Nations headquarters on November 18.

WED strives throughout the year in support of women in business globally and ignites women leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to initiate startups, drive economic expansion, and advance communities worldwide.

WED is celebrated in 144 countries and 110 universities/colleges internationally reaching over 1.4 million people.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio have proclaimed Women's Entrepreneurship Day an official day.

WED was first held at the United Nations in 2014 and, incredibly, observed in 144 countries right from the start, opening up a bounty of impact community service ideas across the world.

The third annual International

Women's Entrepreneurship Day at the UN, led by serious discussions about critical issues affecting women and men worldwide.

"Women worldwide have historically been underpaid, undervalued, underrepresented, underfunded and underestimated‌and still are," says Wendy Diamond, the entrepreneur instrumental in launching Women's Entrepreneur Day (WED).

"Women-owned businesses are set to increase by 90 percent in the next five years. We need to change the status quo because lifting women creates economic opportunity and vitality locally and globally," said Wendy Diamond.

"Our mission is to empower the 4 billion women across the globe to be catalysts of change and uplift the 250 million girls living in poverty globally. We are committed to gathering a think tank of inspiring women leaders who can amplify our message of expanding women in business in communities around the world," said Diamond.

Ms. Saran made her space in India and abroad over 16 years of business experience which in-

cludes software, construction, beauty industry, media and social

Madhu Saran

Services. Ms. Saran is the spirit behind the success of strategy and directions as Managing Director of her companies.

She combines her conviction that education is the most effective transformation tool and her unshakable belief in scalable and sustainable practices for social inclusion to champion the cause of academic-industry linkage.

She leads the seamless integration of the firm's s t r a t e g y, people and customers with the in-

tent to build a world-class organization committed to professional skill development, employability and inclusion. Her dream come true company is RIVER The Power of Women comprising social service companies which focus only on women's issues.

She is dedicating her time to rural female and young rural girls in their education, employability and molding the right females to become an entrepreneur in current industry. She holds a master degree from Madras University and has received several prestigious awards from many industries including Government of India.

Distinguished speakers for WED 2016 at the United Nations include Amir Dossal, founder and chairman of Global Partnership Forum, Amrith Rohan Perera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UN, Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, Cristina Gollach, UN Under-Secretary General for Communications, Ambassador Lizzie Flores; Dr. Shefali Tsabary (World-Renowned Clinical Psychologist); Monique Giggy (Director Singularity University Accelerator) and Randi Zukerberg, founder of Zuckerberg Media.

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December 2, 2016

India Post 21

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PCS participates in Thanksgiving parade HARISH RAO

"PCS has been participating in this parade since 2005. It gives our community great exposure in the mainstream, and it shows our commitment to celebrate the American festivals, in solidarity with the American people," pointed out Rajinder Singh Mago, a spokesman and a coordinator of the PCS participation in the parade.

"The theme of the PCS float and its contingent was an Indian Maharaja wedding procession (Baraat), which included the bride and the groom in traditional Punjabi wedding outfits, the baraatis in festive ethnic costumes, Punjabi Dhol (drum), ampli-

fied Bhangra music and dancing on the street interacting with spectators, all in the spirit of celebration," added Mago.

Kevin Atwal played the Bhangra Dhol drum. Punjabi Bhangra dancers entertained the crowds. Bhangra music blasting from the float made the cheering crowd clap and tap their feet to the beat. Mona and Manjeet Bhalla played the bride and the groom in their wedding dresses.

The Chicago Festival Association, a unique and exciting nonprofit organization in the city of Chicago, produced this McDonald'sÂŽ Thanksgiving Parade.

PCS Maharaja wedding and Baraatis

CHICAGO: The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) kept up its tradition of participating in the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade held on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 24, on State Street in the heart of downtown Chicago.

McDonald'sÂŽ Thanksgiving Parade is the biggest parade in Chicago.

Originally called the Christmas Caravan, the Parade was created in 1934 to help lift the spirits of residents suffering through the Great Depression. Since then the annual Parade has become a high-quality event attracting hundreds of thousands of spec-

tators in person and millions watching on TV at home. The Parade celebrated 83 years of Chicago holiday tradition this year.

Thousands of people packed both sides of the mile long route enjoying the parade consisting of over 100 units that included popular characters like Cookie Monster, Kung Fu Panda and Teddy Turkey gigantic balloons, top marching bands from across the country, festive floats, cultural groups, theatrical performances, equestrian groups, celebrity guests and over a thousand dedicated volunteers marching through the Loop to kick off the holiday season.

Telugu community tributes to Balamuralikrishna music.

Chandrahaas Maddukuri said that it is DALLAS: The Telugu community gath- unimaginable to see a person with no forered at Amaravathi Indian Restaurant in Irv- mal education raised to such heights in the ing, Texas on November 22 to pay rich trib- music world. His name and compositions utes to the legendry Carnatic musician will be remembered for ever by all.

Mrs. Meenakshi Anipindi, who was a Padma Vibhushan Dr. Mangalampalli close associate of Dr. Mangalampalli recolBalamuralikrishna.

Dr. Prasad Thotakura, one of the prime lected that she knew him since her childorganizers, recalled the mesmerizing concert hood days in Vijayawada. As a Carnatic held on October 8, 2011 in Dallas. It was a singer, she met Dr. Mangalampalli quite often to seek his blessings and advice to perfect her in Carnatic music. She shared many memorable moments spent with Dr. Mangalampalli.

Mrs. Syamala Rumala mentioned that she was hooked to his music. Mrs. Santha and Viswanadham Puligandla family hosted Dr. Mangalampalli many times during his Dallas trips. As a music lover, Members of Telugu community gathered to pay Shradhanjali to Mrs. Santha observed Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna that his name and works houseful concert, lauded by one and all. would be everlasting in music world.

Dr. Prasad Thotakura thanked the comBalamuralikrishna was moved by the hospitality and the honor bestowed on his team. munity for attending, media for covering and Subramanyam Jonnalagadda, TANTEX the management of Amaravathi restaurant President, stated that it was a great loss to for making needed arrangements. The atthe music world particularly to the Telugu tendees observed a minute of silence on Dr. community of Dallas. Rao Kalvala said he Mangalampalli's demise, offered flowers, revered Dr. Mangalampalli as simple humble conveyed deepest sympathies to his family person though he was a celebrity in Carnatic and prayed for his soul to rest in peace.

India Post News Service

PCS artists doing Bhangra

22 India Post

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Saraswati tales in 'Music of Water' dance India Post News Service

ST LOUIS: Dances of India, Missouri's oldest classical Indian dance company, delighted audiences with its spectacularly choreographed production 'The Music of Water-Tales of Adventure, Love, and Magic Along India's

A classical dance performance-

Sacred Rivers', at its 39th Annual Performance held on November 11-13 at Skip Viragh Center for the Arts in St. Louis.

With a script written and narrated by local writer and dancer Nartana Prem, and choreographed by co-director Theckla Mehta, The Music of Water featured Saraswati-who is always associ-

ated with water and words and little known tales such as why the moon ended up in Shiva's hairwhich have taken place alongside rivers.

Rivers are emblematic of the longing for the sacred in the Hindu worldview, and the company put clever, sometimes humorous spins on traditional tales set aside the background of flowing water. A scene in w h i c h Draupadi, played by M i t a l i Sharma, gets frustrated serving all five husbands was particularly efPic Mike Oransky fective and caused spectators to laugh at the line, "So many chapattis! So much chatter!

So many marriages!"

The Music of Water also achieved aesthetic, mystical heights, in a scene in which fifteen dancers dressed in blue saris longed for Krishna along the Yamuna. A stage upon which Saraswati played the Veena was

also used effectively, as there are not many productions which feature Saraswati as the protagonist.

Saraswati creates the tales of the collective Indian storybook, and thus is inside each of them as well, an abstract point fully realized in this profoundly poetic production.

As a counterpoint to The Music of Water, Saint Louis Ballet presented the Balanchine classic Serenade, an exquisitely fluid, deeply moving piece of absolute beauty.

Company dancers also performed classical dances in the Bharata Natyam style, choreo-

graphed by Artistic Director Asha Prem. An intriguing French-Canadian dancer, Patrick Suzeau, performed a fusion piece of Odissi and Western contemporary dance, to the sloka Bhumi Mangalam. He danced to this haunting melody with expertly controlled masculine grace.

Ahmediya Community hosts interfaith event HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: The Ahmediya Muslim Community (AMC) of Zion, Illinois hosted an interfaith event at Cristo Rey St. in Waukegan on Sunday, November 20 here.

The theme for the afternoon was, "Role of Religion in creating Peace in our Society", an especially timely topic considering the fear, acrimony and violence that has been on the rise leading up to and since the recent elections. At this time of uncertainty, this event hoped to generate peace through understanding various religious traditions that were represented, including Judaism, Christianity, Sikhi and Islam.

The proceedings began with a prayer by Alpha Bah, President AMC Elder Men Auxiliary, which was followed by a welcome address by Jim Dippold, Director of Ministry for CRSM. Following that, Tayyib Rashid, Director Public Relations for AMC managed the stage.

Judaism was represented by Rabbi Lisa Bellows of Congrega-

tion Beth Am in Buffalo Grove. She ted last year were based on the disharmony and conflict) and Sukh explained Shalom, which means victims' religion. (u), which is singular, peaceful and peace, wholeness and absence of Sikhs were represented by S. in harmony and connection with war. She stressed the Source, by drawthat to bring about ing upon "Dukh Shalom (peace) is a Daroo, Sukh Rog social and personal Bhaya..." Further, he obligation and that focused on the impliit should not be cation of Ik Onkar as taken for granted.

'All that was, all that Christianity was is, and all that ever represented by Fawill be, is 1'. We do not ther Corey Brost, see One, but we see former President of the Other. Conflict St. Viator High arises from fear and School Arlington the need to dominate Heights. He menthe Other. tioned that several Citing the example Catholic organizaof the masterful wartions are spearrior Guru Teg heading camBahadur's Shahadat paigns to aid immi(martyrdom), in degrants, under fense of the rights of threat by the Presithose he fundamen(L-R) Imam Faran Rabbani, Rabbi Lisa Bellows, Gaurav Singh dent-elect .During tally disagreed with, and Father Corey Brost his speech, Father S. Gaurav Singh Brost alluded to a recent Pew sur- Gaurav Singh. Drawing upon called upon those of all faiths to vey that 60% of Americans have Gurbani, S. Gaurav Singh distin- stand behind their principles. never met a Muslim, and that 20% guished between Sukh (happiThakar Singh Basati and Prof. of over 5,000 hate crimes commit- ness, desires), Dukh (suffering, Jagindar Singh Ramdev were also

present on behalf of Sikhs. Prof.

Sahib shared the painful story of his family's brutal murder during partition of Punjab.

Islam was represented by Imam Faran Rabbani of Upper Midwest Region Missionary AMC. Imam Rabbani spoke about how corrupt the society was at the time of the Prophet Mohammad, which is really not much different than today.

He said that the mother cause of moral decline is a lack of spirituality. Imam explained that like the Jewish "Shalom", Muslims wish peace unto each other by saying, "Assalaam-O-Alaikum". Alluding to the racial and social divide, he cited the incoherency of laws and mores, and a superiority complex that ensured conflict and division.

The program concluded with a question and answer session. An important question was asked about the term "Radical Islam".

The various faith leaders mentioned it as a political tactic which wishes to malign one faith by generalizing the most extreme elements as the norm.

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Asha's 25th anniversary celebration brings hope ANANYA RADHAKRISHNAN & MEGHA SANJAY

ST LOUIS: The St Louis chapter of Asha for Education - nonprofit, volunteer run organization that funds projects providing education for underprivileged children in India - hosted a dinner on Saturday November 12 to celebrate 25th anniversary of the organization.

The dinner was so successful that it helped raise $17,000 for the organization. The money raised will be used to fund a variety of activities such as providing cots for children with mental disabilities in Chennai and a new building for children of migrant construction workers in Pune.

The dinner was an elaborate event that aimed to bring members of the community together to shed light on Asha and it's progress and goals. The program was attended

A group of attendees

Asha lamps symbol of hope

by 160 guests and as organizer Charu Katyal said, "Our expectations that it would be very difficult to get even 100 people" and that the final turnout of 160 was "beyond our imagination".

The main program began with the volunteers introducing themselves and explaining the purpose of Asha. They highlighted the projects for which they were raising funds. After the formal program came a lavish three course Indian dinner. Despite the large

turnout and the buffet-styled din- guests were seen dancing until ner, things went very smoothly late in the night with the knowlas the other organizer, Padmaja edge and afterglow of having Suresh, directed the guests towards the buffet.

Charu Katyal said, the final After dinner, volunteer and Team Asha turnout of 160 was "beyond runner Laxmichand Fatnani urged the our imagination" guests to follow him through a quick and energetic contributed towards the worthy Bollywood dance sequence. The cause of universal quality educadance floor was then opened and tion for children in India.

SubDrift Boston displays multitude of talent GEETHA PATIL

BOSTON: The Subcontinental Drift (SubDrift), Boston organized its monthly open mic event on Friday November 18 at EWM book store, Cambridge, MA and dedicated this month's program to the theme of "Healing."

Many South Asian enthusiastic youngsters as performers and great audience rushed to the place and filled the hall. Aditya Nochur, the lead organizer welcomed all the performers and the audience and thanked them for their interest and support to the success of the SubDrift momentum. He stated that one of the aims of the SubDrift is to create a space on the mic for folks to speak out about whatever is there on their minds and hearts.

He then invited one by one all open mic performers to present their item/s on the theme.

The performers of the evening exhibited their various flairs via SubDrift open mic talent showcase. The evening acts included original funny poetry recitations, vocal and instrumental performances, humorous epilogs, and

dance performance. Aditya Nochur recited poetry that narrated the splendor of living in one world. Shahir sang a beautiful Irish

Maitreya singing Bengali song

song on Indian Harmonica which the audience enjoyed a lot. It was for the first time a singer sang a

non-Indian song on a Harmonium.

Priyasha and Shruthi sang a melodic Bollywood song.

Maitreya sang a tuneful sweet

Pankaj reciting poetry

Bengali song and entertained the audience. Pankaj from Italy who is on his sabbatical cancer research

here, read three of his short poems on the effects of the recent violent events in the world. A mellow and euphonious English song

Ms Taylor doing Bhangra

was sung by Reshica. Ms. Taylor entertained the audience with her lovely Bhangra dance. Many more

showcased their talents on the floor and made the evening a unique experience to everyone.

Hindustani classical singer Aditya Rohit was presented as a featured performer for this month.

Aditya Rohit was accompanied by Rohit Panchakshari on tabla. As a team, they presented wonderful closing episode of the program.

Aditya Rohit was a student of Pt. Radharaman Kirtane and Pt. Rattan Mohan Sharma of the Mewati Gharana. As the raga developed, the audience was drawn into its tunes and rhythms, and a thoughtful meditation descended upon both the audience and the players. As the raga progressed to its faster and more vibrant parts, the audience started nodding their heads and body and this continued in waves.

All the performers were very gifted and talented who brought out the voices and souls of their instruments and hearts. With their creativity, they transformed our daily mechanical life into an extraordinary experience.

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December 2, 2016

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Konkani Carols at Christmas Around the World event AUSTIN PRABHU

CHICAGO: As part of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago's 75th Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light event, the Mangalorean Konkan Christian Association (MKCA), USA presented variety of cultural activities to showcase the rich cultural heritage of India.

This is the Fourteenth program in succession presented by MKCA at this world cultural jamboree. In this mega event people from different ethnic backgrounds representing more than 65 countries (including India) participated. It was a unique experience for MKCA, USA, to represent India in this colorful event.

MKCA President Vissia D'Souza welcomed the gathering and thanked all participants and au-

Konkani Choir Group with Santa

Mother Mary, Baby Jesus and St. Joseph live on the stage

dience.

The Museum halls were decked, holiday singers and dancers fueled the festivities, and the sparkle of dozens of deco-

rated trees greeted all present at the 72nd annual Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light. The Museum's 45-foot Grand Tree took center stage in

the Rotunda with more than 30,000 lights and 1,000 ornaments, surrounding more than 50 smaller trees - beautifully decorated by volunteers from Chicago's 65 ethnic communities to represent their country of origin, culture and holiday traditions.

To showcase India's rich culture, Indian and Bollywood dances by children and adults were arranged. Spectators enjoyed the variety of dances and Konkani carols by MKCA Choir group under the leadership of Choir Master Concy Mesquita.

As the members and well-wishers clapped and sang, "Dashing through the snow" and "We wish you a Merry Christmas", the Santa Claus (Atina D'Souza) entertained the audience with her dance, "Jingle Bells" and wishes of the season.

Bharata Natyam dancers

Hindi Kavi Darbar by Hindi Lovers Club RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Hindi Lovers Club is turning a new leaf under the now rejuvenated leadership of Gurbachan Kaur Neelam. Its buffed up Hindi Classes project

has been getting rave review and a much better attendance and now comes its much awaited Hindi KaviDarbar The first ever such Darvrar was was held on Friday November . 18, 2016 at mini India town on Devon Ave., Chicago, at the newly set up

office of Hindi Lovers Club. The event was successful in as much as it was well attended by the poets and the Chicagoland Hindi Kavita fans alike.

There are various different groups who meet every month to recite poetry in Bengali, Urdu

A section of the audience

HLC founder pesidnet reading her poem

Roop Mehta reciting his poem

Prakash Naik reading his poem

Roopali Chand of E3 Entrepreneur reading her Hindi poem Anamika

,Punjabi and other Indian languages and I many felt that it was a shame that there did not exist similar platform or facility for holding poetry sessions for Hindi, the National language of India. Hindi Lovers Club picked dup the challenge and gave it a head start last

week The program started with social hour followed with a welcoming speech by Gurbachan Kaur Neelam, founder and present president of Hindi Lovers Club of Illinois.

Cont’d on page 25

December 2, 2016

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Alibaba removes Hindu gods yogamats SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: The Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba Group has removed the yoga mats carrying images of various Hindu deities from its Alibaba.com website within 24 hours after protests from well meaning Indian Diaspora.

The protest spearheaded by Rajan Zed, president of Universal

Society of Hinduism, had the backing of community members like Madhu Patel of NRI Press Club, Sohan Joshi Trustee National Federation of Indian Associations and Nand Kapur, former president of Association of Indians in America, Alibaba was asked for immedi-

ate withdrawal of objectionable yoga mats and the protest and urging did bring quick results. The Alibaba Group, appreciating the concerns of the community, took off the yoga mats with images of Hindu deities-Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

Gayatri Mantra at Interfaith Thanksgiving

These objectionable yoga mats, which were available for purchasing on Alibaba.com website on the early morning of November 21, were not seen on the website when searched on late November 21 evening.

Zed however observed that a formal apology from Alibaba Group to the upset Hindu community was still due. He suggested Alibaba Group and other

Alibaba was asked for immediate withdrawal of objectionable yoga mats and the protest and urging did bring quick results. The Alibaba Group, appreciating the concerns of the community, took off the yoga mats with images of Hindu deities corporations to send their senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.

Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are highly revered in Hinduism and are meant to be worshipped in

At the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, from left to right, are- Jeffrey Paul, JJ Tuttle, Rajan Zed, TJ Saputra, Evon J. Yakar and Anne Macquarie India Post News Service

NEVADA: In a remarkable interfaith gesture, the Thanksgiving Service at historic St. Peter's Episcopal Church (SPEC) in Nevada's capital Carson City on November 22 included discourses and prayers

by Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish leaders.

Participants included Very Reverend Jeffrey Paul, SPEC Rector; JJ Tuttle, Connected Nazarene Church Lead Pastor; TJ Saputra of the Muslim community; President of Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed; Buddhist Anne Macquarie; Evon J. Yakar, Rabbi at Temple Bat Yam in South Lake Tahoe (California).

Theme of the Service was "There is always something to be thankful for". Rajan Zed read Gayatri Mantra, considered most sacred mantra in Hinduism, in Sanskrit and the audience repeated after him. Tagline of SPEC, which began as an organized Parish in 1863, is "Historic Building~Modern Spirituality".

temples or home shrines and not to sit on or put feet/buttocks/legs on or sweat on, as was the case of yoga mats being sold with their images Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Hangzhou (China) headquartered Alibaba Group, estab-

lished in 1999, generated USD 17.8 billion of GMV in November 11 Global Shopping Festival. Its "mission" is "to make it easy to do business anywhere" and its "vision" includes "a company that lasts at least 102 years". Jack Yun MA, a former English teacher from Hangzhou, is the Executive Chairman. It also has offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, USA, United Kingdom and Italy.

Hindi Kavi Darbar by Hindi Lovers Club Cont’d from page 24

She briefly detailed the achievements of Club in the past 6 years and pointed out that the hosting ofKaviDarbar is yet another attempt to promote Hindi in this part of the world. Before the poem recitingSarawatiVandana was sung by DevendraDubeyaccompanied by Anil Dhalaria In this first gathering, the poets who participated and recited their own poetry were Savita Bhatia,Gurbachan Kaur Neelam.

Prakash Naik, Roop Mehta 'Badnaan', Vinita Gulbani and RoopaliChand,the founder of E3 Entrepreneur. Roopali used to pen poems in English to her father but it was her frist attempt at Hindi poem and it was well received Afterwards Sudaksa Kapoor recitedHarivansRaiBachhan's famous Hindi poetry " Koshish karne vaalon ki Kabhi har nahin hoti" which gave the members new energy to work hard in their attempt to promote India's National language.. Rohit Joshi ji re-

cited aSaraswativandna and shed more light on the formation of Hindi Lovers Club. RajashreeSen also talked about the establishment of the club.

Every one present felt and voted to have this typeofevent every third Friday of the month at the same place rather than holding at different places .

NandKapur, the former president of Association of Indian in America ad a Hindi protagonist, praised efforts by the Club team in promoting the cause of Hindi in Chicaognd Midwest area and said that more and more Hindifans should come together to shore up these efforts for this noble cause.

The successful event concluded with the vote of thanks by GurbachankaurNeelamto everyone who came and made this idea to a reality.

If anyone wants to participate in this KaviDarbar please email info@hindiloversclub.com or call 847-962-8595. The website www.hindiloversclub.com will soon have the event posted on it.

26

SATYAGRAH SOULS Indian Americans Making A Difference

India Post

December 2, 2016

www.indiapost.com

S

ATYAGRAH SOULS is a monthly political series presented by Silicon Valley's community leader, Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar, in highlighting the community involvement and success of Indian Americans in the United States.

This series seeks to inspire us in giving back to our local community. We Indian Americans are going through a transitional evolution, as we get entrenched in a new world, embracing new culture, exerting zealous work ethics, supporting the American economy as entrepreneurs, high tech geeks, doctors, lawyers and more. We are

definitely imposing the positive intentions and good citizen values upon this fantastic country and making a huge impact. But can our involvement run a bit deeper with issues near and dear to our hearts, perhaps within our local city, or with the local public school that our children attend? Do we sometimes hear our conscience imploring, "Am I doing enough?" Yes we can get involved just a bit more, push our comfort zone and enhance the learning and impact our involvement.

Our involvement can simply start with developing a healthy curiosity in our local community, instead of being 'busy' bystand-

Persistent effort makes difficult things easy

A

vinash, a lot of focus upon you and your role in President-elect Trump's victory in Arizona. Tell me, how did you get connected into his campaign team?

Being an MBA graduate, I like the Republican platform - minimum government, fewer regulations, incentives to business, balanced budget and no populist schemes.

It all started with curiosity about how election campaigns work in the US. In 2014, I was on a holiday in US. I saw that elections were around the corner. I researched about the Governor race and analyzed the past voting trends, did some polling and approached a candidate by name Doug Ducey, who was running for Governor. He was a successful entrepreneur and was impressed by my past political experience in India. He gave me an opportunity to work on his primary campaign. After successful primary, they recognized my contribution

and referred me to the state Republican Party to work on the victory efforts in general election.

I was recognized by all for my job in using data and building different models to fine-tune the campaign strategy and get a higher ROI for the dollars spent on the campaign. After the unprecedented success in turning out Republican voters, I was offered a job as the Political Director and within a short span, I was promoted as the Executive Director for Arizona Republican Party, the title which I hold to this day.

How difficult or easy was it to get engaged in a Governor's race? Was it easy enough to convince Doug about the value you bring to his race? Were you surprised at how easy it was to get involved in a Governor's race?

Success makes things look easy. However, things are always difficult, it is only

With President elect Donald Trump and VP elect Mike Pence

ers. Once we get involved, we will quickly discover, how easy it is for us to make progressive change happen and how receptive everyone around is, to leverage our skills for it.

There are leaders waiting to be discovered, why not "me", by taking that first step?

The give-back experience can be freeing, energizing, personally rewarding and transformative at the same time. There are many who have made their mark in doing just that. With this monthly series, we want to highlight these SatyAgrah souls who are showing us the path. Here is a SatyaGrah soul, who has found the calling:

A MONTHLY POLITICAL SERIES - BY RISHI KUMAR

Executive Director of Arizona Republican Party A

vinash Iragavarapu was born in 1985 in a small town Rajahmundry, in the Southern part of Andhra Pradesh. He believes politics was a natural career for him as his childhood memories are filled with political discussions in his family, thanks to his how he can better political campaigns in grandfather's active role in local politics. India. As it is not a norm for highly eduHe went to school in Rajahmundry till cated people to enter politics in India, his tenth grade and moved to Avinash was unsure if he can make a Vijayawada in 2000 for his 11th and 12th living in that field and took up a corpograde. rate job after graduaHe excelled acation in 2011 and condemically and got adtinued to pursue his inmission in one of the terest on weekends prestigious engineerand travelled to meet ing colleges in with various political Visakhapatnam. He leaders and discuss fell in love with the his proposal with them. b e a u t i f u l A year after managVisakhapatnam and ing a weekday job and six years later fell in weekend job, in 2012 love with his beautiful he quit his corporate wife in the same city. job and started in poliPolitics continued to tics as a full time cabe a draw. He vividly reer. He worked with Avinash Iragavarapu remembers the YSRCP, a political amusement on people's face when he party in Andhra Pradesh for 2014 genvolunteered to work in 2004 elections eral elections. as a freshman in engineering. He went By turn of fate, his uneventful holiday to work on a franchisee business for 3 trip to US opened doors for him in the years from 2006 to 2009 and exten- US political campaigns. He started by sively travelled in Andhra Pradesh. working for one of the governor candiHe managed to get admitted to one dates in 2014 primary and had a meteof the top business schools in India - oric rise to be the Executive Director of IIM Lucknow. At IIM, he would try to the Arizona Republican Party. He beadopt every management lesson he lieves that he is the perfect example to learnt in the context of politics and spent prove that Republican Party is not antimultiple nights discussing with friends immigrants.

the persistent effort that makes the difficult things easy. Early on, doing sales for my franchisee business, I realized that rejection is common and you need to be focused and should be always prepared for 'the' opportunity. To get engaged in the race, I made umpteen calls and emails and would hear only eerie silence but I never gave up. I would go to the library and spend long hours in reading and understanding the US

politics to be prepared for one meeting. Finally when the meeting happened, I was completely prepared with my homework.

Undoubtedly, my experience in Indian politics was helpful. This also shows how welcoming the Republican Party is toward legal immigrants.

Cont’ d on page 27

December 2, 2016

SATYAGRAH SOULS Indian Americans Making A Difference

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Persistent effort makes difficult things easy With Senator Marco Rubio in New Hampshire Cont’ d from page 26

In general, if it is something you are passionately committed to and have a core competence, you will be able to get opportunities. I am sure, if I applied for any other tech job, I would have not been successful.

Though I am good at technology, I don't excel in it and wouldn't be able to convince anyone to take a chance on me in that field.

Looks like you campaigned in the 2014 Andhra Pradesh elections. What is the draw to politics and elections?

I have been interested in politics since my childhood. My grandfather was involved in politics at the local level and therefore politics is not a stigma in my family. I remember even as a 10 year old, I went out to canvass for the candidate our family supported. As I grew up and my analytical abilities developed, I started getting more interested in the thought of advancing the election campaigns. In 2004, as a 2nd year engineering student, when I went to campaign in the general elections, some people thought I was crazy because I was the only engineering student and also the youngest in the group. Even during MBA, after every class I used to keep wondering how I can apply that concept in the field of political campaign. I used to write notes based on my previous experiences and how some processes can be bettered.

I was in Delhi after my MBA where I used to participate in NDTV debates and met political leaders there. I used to share my ideas with them and took their feedback. I worked a little in one of the northern state elections in 2011.

I took up a corporate job after MBA and I dedicated my weekends to meet political leaders and policy experts. I used to pack my bag and leave by Friday afternoon to any place where some political activity was happening and I used to interact with people over the weekend and return to work on Monday. After a year, I got some clarity and conviction that I can work in the political management field. I quit my job and worked with Yuvajana, Shramika, Rythu Congress Party (lit. Youth, Labor and Farmer Congress Party) which is a regional political party in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

How important is big data and analytics

in a political win? How do you see that shifting and evolving over time? Do you have a specific example how your big data analytics led to a campaign success?

The future of elections will depend largely on technology and big data. This is assuming that candidates on both sides are equal in other terms - capabilities, fund raising and popularity. Let us say, hypothetically some candidate has $10 billion to spend on the campaign. The candidate can bombard all available media of communication with messaging and high number of staff; it becomes difficult to match that juggernaut with an expenditure of only $100 million.

However an expenditure of $1 billion dollar can be easily outsmarted with an expenditure of $500 million, if the big data and technology are correctly used. Elections are very complicated, and understanding the voter's choice is a complex phenomenon.

This is simplified to a great extent by the use of Big Data. Use of technology simplifies the voter outreach programs and voter turnout programs.

Here is an example: During the initial early ballot returns, we observed a trend in a par-

tries other than India and US. Do you see the Indian community around you equally engaged in the world of politics? And is there a specific change you would like to see?

Quite a few Indian Americans are taking a very active role in engaging in the world of politics including those who successfully ran for office. It is a great initiative by Shalli Kumar to start Republican Hindu Coalition.

It will help in not only securing the Indian American interests through public policy advocacy but will also be helpful in producing future leaders from this community.

I would always want to see more people involved in politics. In democracies, politics is a process through which we determine most aspects of our life - from education to health to taxes. Democracy gets better when people from all walks of life are involved in the process. Fresh ideas, perspectives and solutions would be helpful.

One anomaly I observed is that not many young Indian Americans are involved in politics and I definitely want that to change.

So you have someone like you interested in being involved in politics, run for office someday. What advice would you give to him or her on how to get started?

I am not interested in running for office. I want to continue working in the political campaign field only. Here is the advice I would give to someone who would consider runFund Raising event- with Utah Senator Mike Lee ning for an elected office.

Firstly, they need to make ticular age demographic. The number of sure they are financially well settled. This early returns was proportionately smaller will reduce conflict of interest when they than the past year trends. As we had a clear are in office. Secondly, in the era of social definition of that group and the reasons, media, people have to be cautious of what we could laser focus on that particular age they post online. Certain things that are othgroup and customize our message so that erwise found to be funny or harmless will we could persuade them. Within eight days haunt you when you run for office. There we could see that our efforts were clearly are experts out there to dig out your past.

Thirdly, developing people skills. Anyone producing results hoping to run for office, should be patient Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do in answering people's questions. They you envision a political run yourself, after should be genuinely interested in solving all there is an interest in all things political? people's problems. Fourthly, I would say Contrary to some rumors out there, I will that they have to spend some time working be in the political campaign field. After my on policy so they can understand how to MBA, I made a conscious choice to be in fix the real world problems instead of just the campaign management field and not having good intentions. Finally, I would say become a politician or part of administra- that they have to be willing to work long tion. I would like to be part of political cam- hours and stay motivated. There will always paigns internationally. Currently, I am work- be a section of people who would disaping towards finding opportunities in coun- prove of you despite your commitment to

With Senator Ted Cruz during Primary

better the lives of people you represent.

Avinash thank you! We wish you success with all future endeavors. ******* Dear Readers, Do you have a story to share? We invite you to introduce us to folks in your community who are making a difference - we would love to profile them. Are there similar stories you are familiar with locally. The ones who helped address a simple issue in the community to make life a bit better. Perhaps someone you know decided to make a run for school board, was appointed to the planning commission. Provide us your insights on Indian Americans locally and nationally who are making things happen. These perspectives will help construct roadmaps for our community to empower ourselves, to hopefully ignite a desire in all of us to represent our local communities as doers, leaders, establish and entrench ourselves in this glorious country of America and help make it a better place

******* ABOUT RISHI: Rishi is an elected city councilmember in Saratoga, CA and politically active in the state of California, he continues to follow his passion for community service, seeking to provide services to his constituents cheaper, faster and better, seeking to truly make a difference. Rishi has community outreach and engagement a key focus for his political leadership. As Saratoga's community organizer, Rishi is host of many community events in Saratoga, many of which are free and always inclusive usually addressing a need or a cause. Rishi's day job is as a Silicon Valley hi-tech executive but his zeal for community service effervescent. Rishi is also the President of the Bay Area Indian American Democratic Club (www.baiadc.org) whose charter is to further the interests and values of Indian Americans, work towards political empowerment and advance ethical standards in the political system. You can reach him via his website www.RishiKumar.com.

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Channa Mereya: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil 2 Nashe Si Chadh Gayi: Befikre 3 Ae Dil Hai Mushkil: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil 28 India Post

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December 2, 2016

4 Kaun Tujhe : M.S. Dhoni 5 The Breakup Song: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil 6 Ude Dil Befikre: Befkire 7 Love You Zindagi: Dear Zindagi 8 Besabriyaan: M.S. Dhoni 9 Haanikaarak Bapu : Dangal 10 Bulleya: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

R

anveer Singh has always been open about his desire to get married at some point in life and the actor says he would like to tie the knot at an island with all his loved ones around having a blast.

The 31-year old actor along with his 'Befikre' costar Vaani Kapoor was launching the Bhangra wedding song, 'Khulke Dulke,' from the film.

The lead pair walked the ramp at the Embassy of France in New Delhi for a leading fashion brand sporting the same ensemble in the song which has been shot at Parisian monument, Sacre Coeur.

Ranveer said working in a romantic movie is way more difficult than a period film. "In period films with distinctive characters and all their traits, it is easy to get into those characters. Here (romantic film) you got to put in your own personality and hope that it is good enough to engage people," he said.

'Befikre' will hit the theatres on December 9.

T

en years after they made their acting debuts with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya', Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor are reuniting as an onscreen pair. RK plays Sanjay Dutt in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic on the 57-year-old actor.

In a special appearance, Sonam will step into the shoes of one of the Bollywood actresses from the 1990s that Dutt dated. "Her character is not reflective of any particular woman but is a fictional amalgamation of the many women Dutt dated through the 1980s and 90s," reveals a source.

Ranbir will undergo a complete transformation for the part. The biopic marks another reunion for RK, with his 'Bombay Velvet' and 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' co-star, Anushka Sharma, who plays a journalist.

R

icha Chadha, who will begin shooting for 'Fukrey Returns', says people have a lot of expectations from sequels.

Richa, who played Bholi Punjaban in the 2013 film 'Fukrey', is set to act in its sequel.

And she is feeling the pressure this time.

"Sequels have a lot of expectations. So, I feel the pressure this time around. When we shot 'Fukrey', we were all young and new in the business. Time has passed, we have all grown, but Bholi has gone down as one my most memorable characters," the actress said in a statement.

"So, I am more aware of my responsibility this time. After intense projects like 'Masaan', 'Love Sonia' and 'Powerplay', I am relieved to get back to my favorite genre, which is comedy," she added.

Richa, who played Bholi Punjaban in the 2013 film 'Fukrey', is set to act in its sequel. And she is feeling the pressure this time

Bollywood

December 2, 2016

India Post 29

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A

I

ndians seem to be the flavor of the season in Hollywood. After Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone set the tone right, it is Bappi Lahiri who has now decided to spread his bling in the west. The veteran composer has lent his voice for a prime character in Disney's musical anime film, Moana.

Talking to indianexpress.com from USA, Bappi said, "Working in Hollywood was an amazing experience.

I am happy that I got the opportunity to lend my voice for this beautiful Disney film. I have always been a fan of animated films and immensely enjoyed Jungle Book.

So when Disney offered me the opportunity to dub for the character of the giant crab called Tamatoa, I was excited to take it up.

Also, I got the chance to sing a song called Shona in this film.

Often called the original disco king of Indian music, Bappi is now gearing up to come out with a new single featuring him and rapper Snopp Dogg.

fter setting a Guinness World Record of planking for 60 seconds along with Kalki Koechlin, Olympian Sakshi Malik and 1623 other women earlier this month, Jacqueline Fernandez flew out to Manchester, UK, for a Bollywood make-up master class with her makeup artist Shaan Mu. "The guests got to watch a live demo of Shaan recreating some of Jacqueline's signature looks as he discussed skin, diet and a celebrity lifestyle," informs a source. The 31year-old actress even took to social media to express how proud she was of Shaan's first ever master class.

"He and I have so much fun when we do all these different looks for fashion magazines, films and red carpets. There are so many things that we have learnt on this journey and so many things that we want to share with people as well," Jacqueline said while speaking to the local press in the British metro.

"He and I have so much fun when we do all these different looks for fashion magazines, films and red carpets

H

e made his acting debut in 2000 and won hearts for performances in films like 'Guru' and 'Yuva'. But Abhishek Bachchan says one should not 'waste time' living on 'past laurels' and should, instead, look to the future.

About his 16-year-old journey in filmdom, the-40-year-old was asked in an interview if success and failure of a film affected him, Abhishek said: "Of course it does. It is like your own creative baby. You work hard on a film. When it does well, it's a great confidence booster. It's an affirmation that your belief in working hard is correct and you are going in the right direction."

"If the film doesn't do well...it tells you that you didn't get it right and you have to try to get it right. So, it's going to affect you both ways. Success and failure both affect you," he added.

"Of course it does. It is like your own creative baby. You work hard on a film. When it does well, it's a great confidence booster. It's an affirmation that your belief in working hard is correct and you are going in the right direction."

30 India Post

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December 2, 2016

NICOLA DAVIS

T

he beautiful and otherworldly development of the human embryo has been revealed in unprecedented detail in an interactive three-dimen sional atlas.

The digital models, built by a team of scientists in the Netherlands, took around 45,000 hours to produce and offer researchers an unparalleled glimpse into the first eight weeks of human development.

"Everyone thinks we already know this, but I believe we know more about the moon than about our own development," said Bernadette de Bakker, of the University of Amsterdam, who co-led the project with colleague Professor Antoon Moorman.

As de Bakker pointed out, many textbook depictions of embryo development are based on observations made many decades ago, and often contain details inferred from studies on mouse or chick embryos.

By contrast, the new resource will offer researchers the chance to explore the intricate changes occurring in the first weeks of life from a series of human specimens, aiding vital research. "It is important to understand normal human embryology to clarify how inborn defects and congenital malformations occur," said de Bakker.

Published in the journal 'Science' and available for all to view on a special website, the research involved the pains-

taking construction of 3D digital models of human embryos at various stages during the first two months of development.

Around 75 trained students were involved in analyzing digital photographs of approximately 15,000 stained sections of tissues from the US-based Carnegie Collection of embryos - an array dating from around 60 to more than 100 years ago, collected by doctors during procedures such as hysterectomies.

For each section, organs and tissues had to be carefully labeled in order to build up the digital atlas. "If you look at

total, sections from 34 embryos were analyzed, two for each of 17 different stages of development.

The resulting atlas is currently composed of interactive, 3D models of 14 of the embryos, each corresponding to a different stage within the first two months of development.

Using the tool, scientists can explore the development and changing position of different organs, as well as structures such as the skeleton or nervous system, rotate the embryo and select features of interest. Also available to view are the digital photographs of the sections used to produce the models, as well as detailed figures and tables of data conAround 75 trained students were involved taining unprecedented information on how each organ grows and in analyzing digital photographs of changes over time.

The work has already yielded approximately 15,000 stained sections of new insights. "We discovered that tissues from the US-based Carnegie some organs in humans develop [far] earlier than they first arrive in Collection of embryos chick or mouse embryos and some one section, you have to draw a line around the liver, you [develop far] later," said de Bakker. That, she have to draw a line around the kidneys, draw lines around says, is important for areas such as developthe nerves, the blood vessels - and that is done manually mental toxicology, where mouse or chick emby a digital pen and tablet," said de Bakker, adding that up bryos are used as model organisms to explore to 1,000 sections were manually analyzed for each embryo, the impact of various drugs or other chemiwith as many as 150 organs and structures identified. In cals.

3D reconstructions of a human embryo at 9.5 pregnancy weeks (15.9 mm in length).

From left to right the skin, cardiovascular system, skeleton and organs. Photograph: Bernadette de Bakker/ Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, professor of mammalian development and stem cell biology at the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the research, said that the new atlas would be extremely helpful to researchers.

Cont'd on Page 31

December 2, 2016

India Post 31

'I just connect to people, not stories' H

is glorious 25-year run in the film industry may suggest that Shah Rukh Khan has a meticulous process of choosing his projects but the superstar says his lone requirement to get onboard a film has always been to find a connect with the filmmaker.

"I don't connect to stories, I just connect to people. Ashutosh (Gowariker) is a friend, he made

'Lagaan', I could have gone ahead with it but I chose 'Swades'. I didn't choose the film, I chose him be-

cause of his feeling of wanting to make 'Swades'.

"People think 'I will make a film with him because he will make a superhit'. It is not like that, I never ever listen to stories and people think I am lying when I say it, but I am not," Shah Rukh told.

The actor says director Aanand L Rai, with whom he is collaborating next, wants to narrate him the script of the film but he has declined. SRK believes it is an inconsequential exercise since he connected with Rai already and does not need to hear the story. " I haven't e v e n heard Aanand's s t o r y.

He calls m e

shooting. I really connect to people and that is how it should be.

"Sometimes it goes right and sometimes the expectations are differed. I really believe that the film is a filmmaker's prerogative and an actor should not come in the way."

The 'Fan' star says people assume that he has achieved it all in life considering his long, continuing career, fame and success but it is not true. He says although he does not believe in planning his next move, he knows that there is so much more to do and greater things to achieve.

"I don't believe in shaping, designing my career. I just do films. I haven't seen it all and done it all.

There is so much more to do.

"The best part of being an actor is that with every passing day you realize how little you are. Every day I realize how little I know about acting. I feel the less you know, the better actor you will be."

Shah Rukh's last release 'Fan' saw the superstar play a performance-oriented role and a stark departure from his popular films, which contributed to the tag of 'King of Romance'.

His latest release is Gauri Shinde's slice-oflife film 'Dear Zindagi', in which he plays a life coach. It will Shah Rukh Khan be followed by 'Raees' where he essays the and says when should I narrate role of a bootlegger, Imtiaz Ali's the story? and I asked him to tell it next and Rai's film. to me on the sets when we begin Shah Rukh's choice of a little off-beat, author-backed films have led many to believe that he is trying to make a transition in his career, but the actor says there is no conscious thinking behind the decisions.

"Transition from what? I took up Fan because I wanted to do something challenging which I wife, Ghazala Khan, will contribhaven't done before. I thought I ute. did well. It was a very intense film In his convention speech, and after that I would have loved Khan told how his son, Capt. to do a comedy but nobody ofHumayun Khan, was killed in fered me a comedy. Then Dear 2004 in Iraq and posthumously Zindagi happened. received the Bronze Star and "Everyday you are in a state of Purple Heart. He asked Trump, mind to do a particular kind of film, ``Have you read the Constituif you are lucky and someone oftion?'' fers you that, you take it. You don't Trump, who went on to win try to plan, strategize and try to the election, criticized Khan for transit. It's not a transition phase. speaking out against his candiWhen I started off I never thought, dacy. The Khans live in Virginia.I think even less now. I feel more. I AP just need to feel happy."-PTI

Slain soldier's father writing memoir NEW YORK: Random House says it plans to publish a memoir by Khizr Khan, the immigrant from Pakistan who spoke at the Democratic National Convention about his Army captain son's combat death in Iraq and criticized the anti-Muslim rhetoric of thenRepublican nominee Donald Trump.

The company said in a news release that the untitled memoir is to be published in the fall of 2017. It also said Khizr Khan's

Evil has a new face in 2.0

A

mid huge fanfare and a cine The truth is the hero of '2.0' is not extravaganza, the filmmakers Rajinikanth but Akshay Kumar. I of 2.0 starring Akshay Kumar and would have taken that character. legend Rajinikanth, finally Hats off to Akshay, he has worked launched the first look of the film so hard." at an event in Mumbai.

Salman Khan who made an imAkshay Kumar took to his Twit- promptu appearance at the event ter handle to unveil the poster also spoke eloquently, saying with his character in the film simply tweting: "Evil has a new face!"

The truth is the hero of '2.0' Akshay is playing an antagonist called Richard, is not Rajinikanth but who turns into a Crow Akshay Kumar. I would Man after an experiment goes wrong. The make-up have taken that character. for his role reportedly took 6 hours every day - fero- Hats off to Akshay cious!

Speaking about Akshay's hard "Akshay Kumar is the only actor work and dedication, Rajinikanth who has had growth in our indussaid "In this film I am the villain. try. Rest of us are stagnant."

32 India Post

December 2, 2016 www.indiapost.com

Resort chef builds life-size gingerbread house FARMINGTON, Pa: The sweet, gingery scent wafting across the lobby of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort's Chateau LaFayette is enough to make a mouth water and a stomach rumble.

Visitors follow their noses to a vision of a walk-in bakery built from gingerbread, icing and candy.

The pastry team at the Fayette County resort, near Farmington,

has for years constructed holiday houses, a train, even a castle out of gingerbread.

Its executive pastry chef Scott

Tennant's fifth such creation and the first one large enough for visitors to enter.

They can pop their heads through a window for a photo op, purchase a sweet or spicy treat and perhaps catch a baker decorating cookies for sale.

Tennant, 43, of Uniontown and his staff of 10 partnered with the resort's carpentry shop to build a

life-size version of the traditional holiday creation.

Visitors can ``ooh'' and ``ahh'' their way through the Fat Bird

(Nemacolin's logo and mascot) Bakery - 12 feet tall, 14 feet long and 12 feet deep _ through New Year's Day. Each year during the week of Thanksgiving, the pastry chefs construct their creation in the Chateau lobby. ``Last year, we had kind of a `Grandma's house' display, a Cape Cod type (of house), but you couldn't walk inside,'' Tennant says.

The guests' inspiration led to this year's candy-coated bistrotype structure. ``Guests always come up and say that as soon as they walk into the lobby, they smell the ginger-

Sunny Leone among '100 most influential'

S

unny Leone has made it to the BBC's 100 most influential women. They are once again a mixture of high-profile and influential women including entrepreneurs, engineers, sportswomen, business women, fashion icons and artistes.

Sunny, who is celebrating her fifth year anniversary in Bollywood, started in Indian showbiz by participating in the controversial reality TV show 'Bigg Boss' in 2011.

She went on to star in Bollywood films like 'Jism 2', 'Jackpot' and 'Ek Paheli Leela'. Apart from the actress, the list also includes four Indian names - Gouri Chindarkar (Sangli), Mallika Srinivasan (Chennai), Neha Singh (Mumbai) and Saalumarada Thimmakka (Karnataka) - read a statement.

Chindarkar is a 20-year-old computer engineering student

from Sangli, Maharashtra. She is one of the first children in India to experience a unique learning experience now known as 'School in the Cloud'.

Srinivasan, 57, is the CEO of Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd. She is known as the 'Tractor Queen' of India and has grown her family company into the third largest tractor manufacturer in the world.

Singh is a 34-year-old actorwriter who founded a movement to encourage women to walk the streets in Mumbai to defy harassment.

Sunny, who is celebrating her fifth year anniversary in Bollywood, started in Indian showbiz by participating in the controversial reality TV show 'Bigg Boss' in 2011

bread and crave it. They would say, `Oh, you should be selling gingerbread,''' he says.

Some visitors can't resist trying to break off a sample from the exterior, which, Tennant says, is edible. ``Sometimes you will see a fingerprint in the piping, or candies missing and they haven't fallen onto the floor,'' he says.

Nemacolin's carpenters began working on the shop's wood base in early October. ``I just kind of give them a brief idea of what I'm thinking. They know how tall it can go, how much space they have. They take a lot of pride in what they do,'' he says.

Since Nov. 16, Tennant and his staff have worked on the bakery nightly - totaling more than 600 hours - following their regular shifts.

He anticipates using 14 50-

pound bags of flour, 18 50-pound bags of confectioners' sugar and 1,000 pounds each of gingerbread and royal icing.

Tennant and his staff baked, sliced and ``mortared'' - with stiff, white frosting - as many as 2,000 gingerbread bricks for the bakery.

Earlier, he coated the backs of round gingerbread cookies, tinted green with food coloring, with gobs of frosting and pressed them onto the bakery's frame.

Using an ordinary hand saw, he hacked notches into cookies and neatly sliced the rounds to the correct size.

Packed pastry bag in hand, he piped icing around window and doorway arches, accenting them with strips of red, white and green Nerds and red Super Ropes.

Round red- and green-striped peppermint candies were pressed into the fluffy ``snow.''-AP

3D EMBRYO ATLAS Human development seen in unprecedented detail Cont'd from Page 30

"It is a beautifully careful assessment of development through analysis of material with limited availability. It will provide an invaluable atlas to guide future study," she said.

But, Zernicka-Goetz added, the project was a dramatic reminder of how little is known about human embryology. The dearth of knowledge, she says, is down to barriers in experimental study, reiterating recent calls for a debate on the current limits on human embryo culture - an issue which came to the fore following an announcement earlier this year that Zernicka-

Goetz and colleagues had broken the record for growing human embryos in the lab.

"Currently, the widely accepted limit for human embryo culture is 14 days or in other words immediately prior to gastrulation" said Zernicka-Goetz. "Given our great ignorance of the mechanisms of human development through these stages and the great value to be gained for the understanding and treatment of developmental diseases and for stem cell biology, there is a strong scientific argument for more discussion about the possibility of extending this limit."

-Courtesy The Guardian

December 2, 2016

India Post 33 www.indiapost.com

Bharat Ratna demanded Book on Nalini of for Balamuralikrishna Rajiv Gandhi case

Balamuralikrishna

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha member T Subbarami Reddy has demanded that 'Bharat Ratna' be conferred on Balamuralikrishna,

the doyen of Carnatic music, who passed away recently.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Reddy said

Balamuralikrishna was on par with recipients of the award including stalwart musicians like M S Subbulakshmi, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan and Lata Mangeshkar.

"After 2008 when Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was honored with Bharat Ratna, no musician or singer has been honored with this award.

"He (Balamuralikrishna) was a musician who appealed to both connoisseurs and laymen alike. He used classical music to give life to the lyrics in his songs," Reddy wrote. The Congress MP said honoring the Carnatic music legend with the highest civilian honor will make millions of music lovers in the country happy.

Balamuralikrishna passed away on November 22 after a brief illness at the age of 86.-PTI

Surging numbers of foster children NEW YORK: The number of U.S. children in foster care is climbing after a sustained decline, but just five states account for nearly two-thirds of the recent increase.

Reasons range from creation of a new child-abuse hotline to widespread outrage over the deaths of children who'd been repeatedly abused. Addictions among parents are another major factor.

The most dramatic increase has been in Georgia, where the fostercare population skyrocketed from about 7,600 in September 2013 to

In Florida, for example, officials said that a crackdown on abuse of prescription drugs has prompted more parents to turn to heroin and other illegal opioids, leading to the removal of their children from home.

Florida's foster-care population increased by 24 percent between 2013 and 2015; nationally the increase was less than 7 percent.

In Georgia, parental substance abuse now accounts for about 38 percent of foster care entries. That was the focus of a recent briefing in the state Senate, where a county

The most dramatic increase has been in Georgia, where the foster-care population skyrocketed from about 7,600 in September 2013 to 13,266 last month 13,266 last month. The state is struggling to provide enough foster homes for these children and keep caseloads at a manageable level for child-protection workers.

Along with Georgia, the states with big increases are Arizona, Florida, Indiana and Minnesota.

According to new federal figures, the nationwide foster-care population went up from 401,213 to 427,910 between September 2013 and September 2015, and these five states accounted for 65 percent of that rise.

In all five, a common factor driving the increase has been a surge of substance abuse by parents.

child-welfare official reported, ``We recently rescued an 8-yearold boy who graphically disclosed being raped on a regular basis in his home where he lived with his father in a `drug house''' Georgia child welfare officials cite two factors beyond drugs.

One is a centralized statewide child abuse hotline, created in 2013 to replace the 159 different hotline numbers that were used in Georgia's counties. Since then, abuse reports have increased by 30 percent to more than 110,000 per year, and the number of abuse investigations has nearly doubled.

Another factor has been public outrage after some highly publicized cases in which children died from severe abuse even though caseworkers had prior indications that they were at risk.

Heaven Woods, for example, was the subject of an abuse report in May 2014 - the ninth involving her family in the 5-year-old's lifetime but there was only a cursory investigation, and she was beaten to death three weeks later.

Bobby Cagle, who took over Georgia's Division of Family and Child Services after that incident, toughened the procedure for investigating alleged abuse. He also helped add more than 600 new positions for his agency, but division spokeswoman Susan Boatwright said personnel problems persist because of high turnover linked in part to starting salaries for caseworkers that range as low as $28,000. ``They're leaving because they can make more money,'' she said. ``If we could hang onto people, we'd be in better shape.''

As in Georgia, the surge of the foster-care population in Minnesota is due in part to a high-profile child fatality - a 4-year-old boy named Eric Dean who died in 2013 after repeated abuse by his stepmother. In 2014, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran an in-depth story reporting how Eric's plight drew little scrutiny despite 15 separate abuse reports being lodged with social workers.AP

The book on convict in Rajiv Gandhi's assassination case was released by MDMK founder Vaiko

CHENNAI: A book on Nalini Sriharan, a convict serving life term in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, and one which deals with her 2008 meeting with the former Prime Minister's daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among others, has been released here.

The book written in Tamil titled "Rajiv Kolai: Marikapatta

Nalini Sriharan

Unmaigalum Priyanka Nalini Santhippum," was released by MDMK founder Vaiko here in the presence of various proTamil leaders including VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan.

Roughly translated into English, the title of the book means "Rajiv murder: Concealed truths and the NaliniPriyanka meeting."

Nalini, one of the seven convicts serving life term in the case, has already served 25 years in prison and is currently lodged at the high security Vellore Central jail.

She has reportedly discussed about Gandhi's assassination in the book, the events that followed including the police interrogation, and has reportedly dedicated a substantial part for her 2008 meeting with Priyanka at the Vellore prison in the almost 500-page book, compiled by Pa Egalaivan.

Nalini was arrested on June 14, 1991 in connection with the assassination of the former Prime Minister by an LTTE suicide bomber on May 21, 1991 during an election rally at nearby Sriperumbudur.

The Supreme Court had awarded death penalty to four of the 26 persons, including Nalini and her husband Murugan, found guilty in the case. It had also sentenced three others to life imprisonment.

Nalini s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Tamil Nadu Governor in 2000.

The death penalty of the three others, Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan was commuted to life by the apex court on February 18, 2014 on the ground of inordinate delay in disposing of their mercy petitions by the President.-PTI

„ Health

Line

House plea to delay health law appeal WASHINGTON: The Republican-led House of Representatives is asking the federal appeals court in Washington to delay consideration of a case involving the Obama health care law because Donald Trump has pledged to repeal and replace it when he becomes president.

The House won a ruling in U.S. district court that held the administration is illegally subsidizing medical bills for millions of people while ignoring congressional power over government spending.

The administration appealed both the substance of the ruling and whether a chamber of Congress can even mount a legal challenge.

Lawyers for the House said in their filing that the appeals court should put the case on hold because there is a ``significant likelihood of a change in administration position'' under Trump.-AP

$7 mn to promote breastfeeding in NY ALBANY, NY: The state Health Department is awarding more than $7 million to six organizations to establish breastfeeding community support networks across New York.

At the same time, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker is urging all health care providers in the

state to take steps to promote and support exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

Zucker said the goal is to make exclusive breastfeeding the norm rather than the exception. The health agency noted that breastfeeding has proven health benefits, including reducing infections, reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and obesity.

Among women, breastfeeding reduces postpartum bleeding and lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers and type 2 diabetes.AP

Health Science 34 India Post

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December 2, 2016

Centre aims 200 ODF districts by Nov next Details on Page 38

For Trump and GOP, 'Obamacare' repeal is complex and risky WASHINGTON: Here's the idea: Swiftly pass a repeal of President Barack Obama's health care law, perhaps soon enough for Donald Trump to sign it the day he takes the presidential oath.

Then approve legislation restructuring the nation's huge and convoluted health care system - despite Republican divisions, Democratic opposition and millions of jittery constituents.

What could go wrong?

With Republicans controlling the White House and Congress in January, they're faced with delivering on their long-time promise to repeal and replace ``Obamacare.'' Here are hurdles they'll face: SPEED VS DELIBERATION Trump and congressional Republicans will be under intense pressure from their core conservative supporters to repeal Obama's 2010 health care law - and fast. After all, Congress already sent Obama a repeal bill last January, which he vetoed, and many GOP voters will see no reason for delays this time.

But there probably won't be anything fast about Congress' effort to replace Obama's law, which is likely to take many months.

While the replacement effort is underway, Republicans will risk aggravating up to 30 million people who are covered by the law or buy policies with prices affected by its insurance marketplace. Democrats will be sure to accuse the GOP of threatening the health care of millions.

A SOLUTION Nothing's been decided, but here's one likely scenario: The new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, tries to quickly approve legislation repealing Obama's health care law, maybe completing it by Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration or soon after. But the repeal would not take effect until the future, perhaps a year later, to give lawmakers time to fashion a replacement. The version Obama vetoed had a two-year delay.

Seemingly acknowledging that two-step process, Vice President-

elect Mike Pence said on ``Fox News Sunday'' that Trump ``wants to focus out of the gate on repealing Obamacare and beginning the process of replacing Obamacare.''

placement, nervous insurance companies begin pulling out of markets and raising premiums. Insurers have been doing that under Obama, but now it would occur under a

Donald Trump

Because Republicans will control the Senate by just 52-48, Congress will first have to approve special budget procedures to prevent Democrats from stopping repeal legislation by filibuster. Bill-killing filibusters require 60 votes to end.

But those special rules would apply only to items that affect the federal budget. Republicans, for example, would need a simple Senate majority to end IRS penalties against

Republican government.

Another hazard: Congress' work could spill into the 2018 campaign season, when the entire House and a third of the Senate face re-election. Republicans will grow increasingly timid about anything that might anger voters. ``We want to be the rescue party instead of the party that pushes millions of Americans who are hanging by the edge of their fingernails

Virtually all Republicans want to get rid of the health law's mandates that individuals buy coverage or risk IRS fines, and that large employers insure workers. They also want to erase taxes on higher-earning people and the health care sector people who don't buy insurance but would still need 60 votes - requiring Democratic support - for other changes such as raising limits on older people's premiums.

House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, R-Ga., says that will restrain Republicans' ability to ram a ``lock, stock and barrel'' repeal through Congress.

GOP RISKS One GOP danger: Congress and Trump might repeal Obama's law, but while they're laboring on a re-

over the cliff,'' says Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who chairs the Senate Health committee.

GOP PATHWAYS Virtually all Republicans want to get rid of the health law's mandates that individuals buy coverage or risk IRS fines, and that large employers insure workers.

They also want to erase taxes on higher-earning people and the health care sector. And they'd like to retain parts of the law guaranteeing coverage for people with

pre-existing medical problems and keeping children under age 26 on family plans.

Unifying Republicans much beyond that is a work in progress.

Trump's health care views have varied and lack detail. His campaign website touts tax deductions for health insurance premiums and permitting policies to be sold across state lines. He'd also revamp Medicaid, which subsidizes health coverage for low-income people, directing fixed amounts of money to states and letting them structure benefits.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, RWis., last summer unveiled an outline of the House GOP's solution, though it lacked cost estimates and details. It would provide tax credits, impose taxes on the most generous employer-provided health care plans, revamp Medicaid and let Medicare beneficiaries pick private plans instead of today's fee-for-service coverage.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has also advanced a framework relying heavily on tax credits.

REMAINING QUESTIONS Thirty-one states - including Pence's Indiana, where he is governor - plus the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid coverage to 9 million additional people under Obama's law. Curtailing that program will divide Republicans.

Taxing the value of some employer-provided health plans, aimed at curbing the growth of costs, is ``a political land mine,'' says GOP economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin. Republicans have long resisted tax increases.

Obama's law mandates coverage for individuals because without that requirement many healthy people would forgo policies, driving up costs for everyone else and destabilizing insurance markets.

Ryan has proposed shielding people from higher premiums if they've had ``continuous coverage,'' allowing higher rates for people who have not had policies, but Republicans have yet to decide how to keep insurance markets viable.-AP

December 2, 2016

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Trump meets Indian CEO of health firm WASHINGTON: Donald Trump met here an Indian-American founder and CEO of a health policy consulting company, amid reports that the US president-elect was making an effort to replace Obamacare, one of his election promises.

"Meetings for today include Dr Seema Verma, the founder and CEO of SVC," Sean Spicer, chief strategist of the Republican National Committee told reporters.

No further details were immediately available.

Trump win sinks effort to expand Medicaid LINCOLN, Neb: Nebraska lawmakers who have fought for years to expand Medicaid coverage under the federal health care law are backing off their effort now that Donald Trump has won the presidential race and Republicans held their majority in Congress.

Trump's victory cast new doubt over the Obama administration's signature law and raised questions about whether expanding Medicaid - a key part of the package - would remain an option for states such as Nebraska that have not yet done so.

Sen. John McCollister of Omaha, who introduced a Medicaid coverage bill this year, said supporters decided not to pursue it when the 2017 session convenes in January. ``It's pretty clear from the election that Congress will be spending a great deal of time on the (Affordable Care Act),'' McCollister said. ``There's certainly a de-

fiscal grounds to leave people out of this coverage,'' he said.

Even if Democrat Hillary Clinton had won the presidency, conservative senators still would have fought any bill that expanded Medicaid coverage. Next year's Legislature will consist of 32 Republicans, 15 Democrats, one Libertarian and one left-leaning independent.

Support for the proposal doesn't fall neatly on party lines, but many of the GOP newcomers campaigned on their opposition to expanded Medicaid, said Sen. Bill Kintner, a conservative Republican. ``It had very dim prospects next year anyway,'' said Kintner, of Papillion. ``Every year, we've stopped it by a growing margin.

When you throw in the uncertainty of President-elect Trump, who ran on getting rid of Obamacare, I just don't think (the law's supporters) want to bang their head against that wall.''

Nebraska is one of 19 primaEven if Democrat Hillary Clinton had won the rily conservapresidency, conservative senators still would tive states that have rejected have fought any bill that expanded Medicaid efforts to exMedicaid, coverage. Next year's Legislature will consist pand the health care of 32 Republicans, 15 Democrats, one Liber- program for the poor and distarian and one left-leaning independent abled. Thirtyone states and sire to expand health care coverage to 97,000 the District of Columbia have agreed to the Nebraskans, but until we get some clarity expansion. from Congress and the president, I don't Nebraska has an estimated 97,000 childthink it's useful to spend much time on it.'' less adults who would qualify for coverage McCollister said he hopes Congress if the state expanded Medicaid. Those who makes changes to keep the law sustainable are affected have incomes that are too high but doesn't repeal it outright. to qualify for regular Medicaid but too low Medicaid expansion has been a perennial to receive tax subsidies available through issue during legislative sessions since 2013 the federal health care exchange. but was repeatedly blocked by conservative The coverage gap exists because tax lawmakers. Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts subsidies are only available to people with vehemently opposed such bills, as did former household incomes between 100 percent Gov. Dave Heineman. Both argued Medic- and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. aid expansion was unsustainable.

The Affordable Care Act doesn't provide Advocates for Medicaid expansion the subsidies for people who make less than touted the health care law's benefits and that because the law originally required all vowed to keep pressing the issue. states to expand Medicaid, which would James Goddard, a staff attorney for the have covered that population and made the group Nebraska Appleseed, argued that re- subsidies unnecessary. But in 2012, the U.S. pealing the entire law isn't a realistic option Supreme Court ruled that the federal govbecause it would leave millions of newly ernment can't punish states that don't exinsured Americans without coverage. Al- pand Medicaid. though it's unclear what the Trump adminThe decision not to expand Medicaid istration and Congress will do, Goddard said continues to frustrate those who fall into he doesn't believe the new federal Medic- the coverage gap, including some who left aid funding will be taken from states. their jobs so they could keep receiving the ``It just doesn't make sense on moral or benefit.-AP

According to her company's website, assistance to Michigan as they implemented Verma is the architect of Healthy Indiana their 1115 Medicaid waiver.

Plan (HIP), which has been billed as the She and SVC also supported Iowa's country's first consumer-directed Medicaid Medicaid transition to managed care, as well program. as supporting efforts Medicaid strategy efBased in Indiaforts in Maine. napolis, Verma has In 2016, Indiana supported Indiana Governor Mike through the develPence, who is now opment of the histhe US vice presitoric program since dent-elect awarded its inception in 2007, Verma the Sagamore from development of of the Wabash. the enabling legislaShe was recently tion, negotiating the selected to particifinancing plan with pate in the American the state's hospital Enterprise Institute association, develLeadership Network. oping the federal Prior to consultwaiver, supporting ing, Verma served as federal negotiations, vice-president of and leading the Planning for the implementation of Health & Hospital Dr Seema Verma the program, includCorporation of ing the operational Marion County and design. as a Director with the Association of State The meeting is seen as part of Trump's and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) in effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, one Washington DC. of his election promises.

Verma received her Masters in Public Verma has also developed many of the Health, with concentration in policy and recent Medicaid reform programs including management from the Johns Hopkins School waivers for Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and of Public Health, and her Bachelors in Life helped design Tennessee's coverage expan- Sciences, from the University of Maryland, sion proposal and also provided technical College Park.-AP

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200 million Indians have high blood pressure LONDON: India is home to about 200 million adults with high blood pressure, according to the largest study of its kind which found that the number of people in the world with high BP has reached 1.13 billion.

The study, led by scientists at Imperial College London, shows that the number of people with high blood pressure across the world has nearly doubled in 40 years.

Over half of the world's adults with high blood pressure in 2015 lived in Asia. Around 226 million people in China have high blood pressure, along with 200 million in India, the study published in The Lancet journal found.

Researchers studied changes in blood pressure in every country in the world between 1975 and 2015.

They also found that men had higher blood pressure than women in most countries in the world in 2015.

Globally, 597 million men had raised blood pressure, compared to 529 million women.

The study incorporated blood pressure measurements from nearly 20 million people, showing that while blood pressure has dropped sharply in high-income countries, it has risen in many low and middle-income countries, especially those in Africa and South Asia.

The country with the highest age-corrected proportion of men with high blood pressure in 2015 was Croatia (38 per cent of the population), while Niger had the highest proportion of women with high blood

pressure (36 per cent).

While the UK had the lowest proportion of people with high blood pressure in Europe in 2015, South Korea, US and Canada were lowest in the world.

"High blood pressure is no longer related to affluence as it was in 1975 but is now a

major health issue linked with poverty," said Majid Ezzati, professor at Imperial.

Researchers said the reason for this finding is unclear, but it may be linked to overall better health and increased consumption of fruits and v e g etables.

T h e condition is also caught more frequently and earlier, and managed with medication in high-inc o m e countries.

These factors may have helped counteract rising obesity, which is a risk factor for high blood pressure.

"Increasing evidence suggests poor nu-

trition in early life years increases risk of the high blood pressure in later life, which may explain the growing problem in poor countries," Ezzati said.

The study showed that much of the rise in the number of people with high blood pressure over the last 40 years is also due to a larger and older world population.

High blood pressure puts extra strain on the blood vessels and major organs such as heart, brain and kidneys.

It is the world's leading cause of cardiovascular disease, which leads to stroke and heart attacks, and is thought to cause 7.5 million deaths a year across the globe.

Blood pressure is defined by two numbers: systolic pressure, which represents the force with which your heart pumps blood into the blood vessels, and diastolic pressure, which is a measure of the resistance to the blood flow in the body's blood vessels.

The team explained the condition is caused by a number of factors including dietary influences, such as eating too much salt and not enough fruit and vegetables, obesity, insufficient exercise and environmental factors.-PTI

AIDS cases have come down by 54 pc NEW DELHI: The number of AIDS related deaths in the country has reduced by 54 per cent between 2007 and 2015, the Rajya Sabha was told.

Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste, in a written reply, said that as on October 2016, a total of 21,406 Integrated Counseling and Testing Centers (ICTC) and 1,636 Anti- Retroviral Treatment (ART) centers have been established in the country.

"National AIDS Control Program (NACP), which was launched in 1994, to address epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the country has achieved remarkable success in addressing the issue. The adult sero-prevalence has declined from 0.38 per cent in 2001-03 to 0.26 per cent currently.

"The number of AIDS related deaths has reduced by 54 per cent from 2007 to 2015.

As on October, 2016, 21,406 and 1,636 Integrated Counseling and Testing Centers (ICTC) and Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) centers respectively have been established in the country. There are 12.2 lakh PLHIV in active care, out of which 9.97 lakh are on ART," he said.

In addition, the program is focusing on elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and all pregnant women are being offered services for HIV testing and preventive therapy to those who are HIV positive.

"As a part of its commitment to reach 9090-90 targets by 2020, HIV counseling and

testing guidelines for community based testing and lay provider testing have been finalized to reach out to those currently not knowing their HIV status," he said.

The minister said that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country is driven through key populations and as on date 1502 Targeted Interventions program provides services to these key populations which includes female sex workers, men having sex with men, transgender and injecting drug users.

The program is also addressing sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract infection through syndromic case management and has established 1164 dedicated facilities for the same.

"The program is also promoting safe blood transfusion to prevent HIV and other infections transmittable through blood and about 80 per cent of blood collected is through voluntary blood donation," he said.-PTI

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Indian doc helps deliver baby lighter than iPad DUBAI: A team of doctors led by an Indian in the UAE has helped a woman successfully deliver a premature 'miracle baby' girl, weighing lighter than an iPad just 631 gram.

The baby girl was only 26.5 weeks old when she was delivered in Abu Dhabi, Khaleej Times reported.

plication that is accompanied by high blood pressure and potential damage to organs," Dr Govinda Shenoy, head of the Neonatology Unit of Medeor24x7 Hospital said.

The mother, who wanted to remain anonymous, was carrying a growth-retarded fetus with oligohydramnios, which creates lack of

"Timely intervention and delivery of the baby was important as the mother who had a high risk pregnancy, came to us displaying symptoms of sever preeclampsia which is a pregnancy-related com-

amniotic fluid around the fetus, and absent end diastolic flow, which is a condition that increases the risk of fetal and neonatal mortality, Shenoy said.

"The baby was successfully

delivered by a Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) procedure, after which both the mother and the infant were kept under careful observation. The baby was placed under the care of the expert neonatology team in the stateof-the-art neonatal unit," he was quoted as saying by the report.

The care of pre-term babies was critical especially for infants as young as 26 weeks and weighing under 1,000 gram, as these factors could pose several serious health risks for the child, Shenoy said.

Dr Mary Roberts, senior obstetrician at the hospital, said the mother and 'miracle baby' have so far made an extraordinary recovery.

"The mother and child have shown a remarkable recovery, with the baby's weight increasing to 2,050gm. The baby is doing really well and her parents are very grateful to the team for saving her life," Roberts said, adding that the parents consider her a miracle baby.PTI

Dengue claimed 179 lives; chikungunya none NEW DELHI: Dengue has claimed 179 lives across the country this year while no death has been reported due to chikungunya, though it affected 21,000 people, the Rajya Sabha was told.

"During 2016 (till November 13), a total number of 179 deaths due to dengue and no death due to

cases are-- water storage practices, poor solid waste management, construction activities, large migratory population, inadequate vector management and lack of protective immunity in the affected population.

Dengue claimed 33 lives in Uttar Pradesh, 28 in West Bengal and

chikungunya has been reported in the country.

"The number of positive cases for dengue and chikungunya in the country during 2016 (till November 13) are 90,277 and 21,094 respectively," Health Minister J P Nadda said in a written reply.

He said the reason behind the steep increase in the number of

22 in Maharashtra, he said.

Replying to another question on the same issue, Minister State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said the government has taken measures for prevention and control of dengue and chikungunya in the country, including in Delhi.

He said technical guidelines for prevention and control, clinical

management and vector control have been issued to states and UTs while periodic reviews have taken place.

Since January, 2016, 22 review meetings at the levels of Minister, secretary and others were held.

He said since January 12 advisories have been issued at the levels of Secretary (H&FW) and Additional Secretary while states were requested to declare dengue as notifiable disease.

"States were requested to curtail out of pocket expenditure by fixing the rate for testing at Rs 600," he said.

He said dengue and chikungunya diagnosis is provided through 542 Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals (SSHs) and 15 Apex Referral laboratories (ARLs) identified across the country.

"First version draft of 'Strategy and Plan of action for Effective Community Participation for Prevention and Control of Dengue' has been uploaded. A userfriendly App 'India Fights Dengue' has been launched while National Dengue Day has been observed on May 16, 2016 throughout the country," he said.-PTI

India has most urbandwellers without sanitation KOCHI: With the breakneck speed of expansion of cities, India has the greatest number of urbandwellers in the world without safe, private toilets and practicing open defecation though the government has made sanitation a priority, a report by a global NGO says.

"India ranks top for having the greatest number of urbanites living without a safe, private toilet 157 million as well as the most urban dwellers practicing open defecation 41 million," the report by WaterAid, a UK-based charity working in the field of safe water and sanitation, says.

The second annual analysis of world's toilets 'Overflowing Cities - The State of the World's Toilets 2016', released on the eve of World Toilet Day, also says the high population density of urban areas means that diseases spread fast in the absence of good sanitation.

The report says the problem was so big that the daily waste produced on the streets of India's towns and cities was enough to fill eight Olympic-sized swimming pools, or 16 jumbo jets with poo every day.

Noting that the country was going through the largest ruralto-urban migration of this century, it says Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign recognizes the country's health and wealth largely depends on towns and cities growing in a sustainable, equitable way.

"In today's India, 381 million people a population roughly the size of Western Europe live in rapidly expanding urban areas, and 157 million of those people have nowhere decent to go to the toilet," it says.

Even though the government has made sanitation a priority, the numbers of urbanites living without sanitation has swelled by 26 million since year 2000 as cities expand at breakneck speed, the report, which examined the problems facing more than 700 million urban dwellers around the world living without decent sanitation, says.

An estimated 100 million of these have no choice but to defecate in the open-- using road-

sides, railway tracks and even plastic bags, dubbed 'flying toilets'.

WaterAid's Director of Programs & Policy, Avinash Kumar, said India's rapid and unplanned urbanization has resulted in various developmental challenges. "... Current rates of urbanization and meeting the increasing demand for basic services may make achieving Sustainable Development Goals a problem," he said.

Kumar said there was a vital need for an integrated approach towards urban planning that prioritizes provision of basic services like clean water, safe sanitation and sustainable faucal sludge management by ensuring people's participation.

"This is the only way to create a healthier and more sustainable future," he said The Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart Cities Mission are good

government initiatives, but they need to take into account the ability of Indian cities to absorb and handle the projected population growth in urban centers, Kumar added.

The report examines the state of city sanitation around the world, an issue becoming more pressing as two-thirds of the global population is expected to live in towns and cities by 2050.

According to it, War-ravaged South Sudan, the world's newest nation, is the worst country in the world for urban sanitation in percentage terms.

An estimated 84 per cent of urbanites have no access to a toilet and every other urban-dweller there practices open defecation, it says.

Africa's biggest economy, Nigeria, is falling furthest behind in reaching its urban population with a toilet.-PTI

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Centre aims 200 ODF districts by Nov next NEW DELHI: The Centre is aiming for 200 ODF districts across the country by World Toilet Day next year, as part of its Swachh Bharat mission.

So far, 61 districts and more than 1,14,332 villages have been de-

Speaking at the Global Citizen Festival, Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer said the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is "arguably the biggest mass mobilization and social change campaign in the history of

clared Open Defecation Free (ODF).

The Centre is committed to 300,000 villages, 200 districts and six states and Union Territories being Open Defecation Free by 19 November 2017, World Toilet Day.

mankind".

"As India moves towards becoming an economic superpower, it is absolutely critical for us to rise above the practice of Open Defecation, so that our children can be healthier and achieve their maxi-

Mehbooba for strategy to eradicate drug menace JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir She also suggested undertakChief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ing counseling programs for has asked law enforcing agencies youths addicted to drugs and their to work on a multi-pronged strat- parents and called for setting up egy to eradicate the menace of of more de-addiction centers. drug abuse.

The chief minister was inShe also asked the officers to formed that police have launched take the fight against land en- a massive campaign against drug croachments in the state on mis- abuse and the numbers of cases sion mode. and arrests have gone up as comThe chief minister asked pared to previous years. deputy commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police (SPs) of She also suggested underJammu division to work taking counseling programs on a multi-pronged for youths addicted to drugs strategy to eradicate the drug menace as it and their parents and called "threatens the very sur- for setting up of more vival of our future gende-addiction centers eration".

She was speaking at a meeting with DCs and SPs to reShe was also informed that view progress of development confiscation of cannabis, brown projects and the overall law and sugar and opium have gone up in order scenario in the Jammu divi- the state. sion.

The chief minister impressed Mufti said while it was all impor- upon the DCs to monitor all detant to go after drug peddlers with velopment activities in their reall seriousness and firmness, it was spective districts. equally important to undertake "Every development work in awareness campaigns, particularly your district is your responsibilamong students, about ill-effects ity and chase it till it gets comand dangers of drug addiction. pleted," she said.-PTI

mum productivity," Iyer added.

At the same event Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government is aiming to declare Maharashtra as ODF state by March 2018.

SBM was officially launched on October 2, 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with, among others, an aim to eradicate open defecation from the country by 2019.

The program is divided into two categories Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).

The Ministry for Drinking Water and Sanitation is looking at the rural part of the scheme, and the Urban Development Ministry is implementing the program in urban areas.

For the rural program, the government is working on capacity building of key stakeholders such as collectors, zila panchayats and others.-PTI

E-pharmacy sector launches code of conduct NEW DELHI: The Indian Internet Pharmacy Association has released the 'Self-regulation Code of Conduct' for the e-pharmacy sector, an attempt to adhere to the highest professional standards and to have proper safeguards to ensure consumer's health and safety.

ner and ensure that no schedule X and other sensitive habit forming medicines are processed through their platform.

"E-pharmacy must ensure that the medicines are dispensed through licensed pharmacies only.

They must make reasonable effort to ensure that all the pharmacy

According to the 'Self-regulation Code of Conduct', E-pharmacy will process scheduled medicines only against a valid copy of prescription (physical or scanned) of a registered medical practitio-

partners (before facilitating the sale of any medicines through such pharmacy partners) are duly registered under the Drugs And Cosmetics Act/ Rules," the code of conduct said.

The player must make suitable arrangements to ensure that the medicines are packed, transported and delivered in such a way that their integrity, quality, and effectiveness are preserved, it said.

Besides, e-pharmacy players must partner with government for any recall of medicines and collect adverse events of medicines (consumer reports) and comply to submit them to National Centre for Pharmacovigilance.

It also said the online pharmacy sector must ensure a proper mechanism is in place to address any queries or grievances that the customer may have and an ombudsman commission be appointed to address any public grievance.

The Indian Internet Pharmacy Association (IIPA) is body formed by online pharmacy retailers in the country.

The code of conduct was released under the ambit of FICCI. "We need to embrace technology, in both offline and online models. There is a great opportunity to take this ecosystem ahead by leveraging the India stack using the existing infrastructure of Aadhaar and Digi-locker to maintain the repository of prescription, health records and monitor the dispensing of sensitive medicines.

"All pharmacies, online or offline, should check prescriptions on this locker," Arvind Gupta, Head of Digital India Foundation said.-PTI

Online health services see surge in traffic NEW DELHI: Online healthcare consultation platforms have witnessed a "huge jump" in the number of visitors as cash crunch in the wake of demonetization has diverted many people towards telemedicine.

Delhi-based 'Visit', an on-demand healthcare service online platform, says, its daily transaction has "spiked by 20-25 per cent".

The online platform, available through web and mobile application, at present has a pool of 500 doctors including psychologists, dieticians, dermatologists and general physicians. Besides, it maintains a pool of MBBS doctors, who through its 'Q' service, offer free medical consultation by text.

"Our 'Q' service traffic has jumped tremendously, so much so that we are now in the process of hiring more doctors.

Also, our telemedicine service for rural areas is swamping our network. Earlier we were getting 500 calls per day, which has jumped to 3,000 now," Head of Product at Visit, Anurag Prasad,

told PTI. "People are unable to pay doctors in cash, so they are looking for e-wallet options now.

Health services apps are, therefore, coming handy in this crisis situation," he said.

Vaibhav Singh, 23, head of business development at the start-up firm, said there is a "sudden increase" in the counseling vertical too, with, majority of users coming for queries related to anxiety.

"Also, since people nowadays are in a haphazard sort of situation, they barely have time to travel and wait for meeting doctors. On-demand consultation is turning out to be a boon now," he said.

South India-based 'iCliniq', another online healthcare platform, has seen a jump of "270 per cent in patient growth after November 8."

"Normally, we get around 350 new patient registrations per day from India. And, in this past 12 days, the number has mounted to 943 patients on an average every day," an official of the company said.-PTI

Datebook

December 2, 2016

India Post 39

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NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

CHICAGO

Upcoming

Upcoming

ILLINOIS

Upcoming

Upcoming

Upcoming 1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's

Haseen Shaam" - A Karaoke Event

Fri, Dec 09 • Junoon Dance Company and Learn Bhangra App Presents: BHANGRA WORKSHOP

Venue: Vara Indian Cuisine,250 E Java Dr, SUNNYVALE, CA Time: 07:30 pm

Venue: Junoon Dance Company,804 East Nerge Road, ROSELLE, IL Time: 07:00 pm

Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807

Sun, Dec 4 • Competitive Summer Pro-

Sat, Dec 17 • Chicago’s musicians pay tribute to M. S. Subbulakshmi

Sun, Dec 04 • PBA Bhangra's Sabhyacharak Mela 2016 Venue: Bordentown Regional High School,318 Ward Avenue, BORDENTOWN, NJ Time: 3:00 pm

Sun, Dec 04 • Man Jeety Jag Jeet Venue: Science Of Spirituality,15 Market Street, PERTH AMBOY, NJ Time: 10:30 am

Wed, Nov 30-Dec04 • HBO presents the 13th Annual - South Asian International Film Festival, NYC Venue:Village East Cinema,189 2nd Avenue, NEW YORK, NY

Mon, Dec 05 • NYC Wall Street & Banking Christmas & Holiday Reception Venue: Union Square Ballroom ,27 Union Square West, NEW YORK, NY Time : 06:30 pm

Thur, Dec 8 • Qawwali Night with Fareed Ayaz & Abu Muhammad

Sun, Dec 11 • The Biggest HOLI Party in New York City

Venue: Akbar Restaurant,21 Cortlandt Street, EDISON, NJ Time: 07:00 pm

Venue: Stage48,605 West 48th Street, NEW YORK, NY Time : 12:00 pm

Sat, Dec 03 • Geetmala Presents - "Ek

grams for College Success Venue: ThinkTank Learning,1528 South El Camino Real, SAN MATEO, CA Time: 03:00 pm

Sun, Dec 04 • Ventilator Marathi Movie - Brea Plaza 5 Cinemas Venue: Brea Plaza 5 Cinemass,453 South Associated Road, BREA, CA Time: 1:00 pm

Sat, Dec 10 • Outsourced Comedy Tour 2016 _ Stand Up Comedy Venue: JJ Blues ,3449 Stevens Creek Boulevard, SAN JOSE, CA Time: 7:00 pm

Sat, Dec 10 • Mr. and Mrs. Punjabi USA Pageant 2016 Venue: Golden Peakock Banquet,24989 Santa Clara Street, HAYWARD, CA Time: 7:00 pm

Venue: Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel,128 West 1st Street, ELMHURST, IL Time: 7:30 pm

ATLANTA Upcoming Thu, Dec 29 • WWE Live - PHILIPS ARENA - Atlanta Venue: PHILIPS ARENA ,1 Philips Drive, ATLANTA, GA Time: 7:30 pm

Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105

Swami Ishatmananda Sat, Dec 31 • New Year Eve in Duluth Venue: Poona Restaurant,3665 Club Drive, DULUTH, GA Time: 7:00 pm

Sat, Dec 31 • Hawaiian style Grand New Year Party 2017 Venue: Skyland 540 Access Rd, Cumming, GA 30041 Time: 8:00 pm

• Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life Venue: Public Library-95th Street 3015 Cedar Glade Rd Naperville IL 60564 Time: 1st friday of every month 7-8 pm Contact: 630-637-0662

• India Eternal: From the Vedic Age to the Present Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago 10915 N. Main Street Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 630-655-8822

40 India Post

T

hrissur, colloquially shortened from the original name Thrissivaperror (the place named after Lord Shiva), is acclaimed as the cultural and spiritual capital of scenic Kerala state of India. Ideally located at the central region of the state, Thrissur was known with

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December 2, 2016

the anglicized name Trichur, until recently.

The city of Thrissur is the home for many cultural, artistic and academic institutions. The city is scenic, showcasing the lusting green feature of Kerala and is placed around a hillock wherein a famous Vadakkumnathan temple with presiding deity as Shiva exists.

Looking back to the history of South India, Thrissur city has its own historical importance as it has witnessed the rise and fall of many kingdoms in Kerala. Perumpadappu Swaroopam, Zamorins of Calicut, Portuguese invasion and later British Kingdom, all of whom played a

major role in the history of Thrissur.

One major annual festival that draws maximum number of tourists from India and across the world is Thrissur Poonam. It is the most spectacular and colorful temple festival in Kerala. Famous for traditional and design gold ornaments, the city of Thrissur is also the most well known industrial and shopping center in Kerala. This place is the hub of Onam celebrations and Pulikali during Onam period.

Tourism is the lifeline of Thrissur. With many marvelous attractions in and out, the city hosts thousands of tourists every year with ample facilities for comfortable vacations.

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December 2, 2016

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IAF jets touchdown for opening of Expressway BANGARMAU, UP: In a first for any road launch, six fighter jets of the IAF made a touchdown barely skimming the road before taking off again to mark the opening of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway which can be also used for war-like emergency situations.

The 302-km-long six-lane expressway, which is India's longest, is expected to considerably reduce the travel time between Lucknow and Delhi which usually takes 12 to 14 hours.

The dream project of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was inaugurated here by his father and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on the eve of latter's birthday.

Three Mirage 2000 and three Sukhoi-30 jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried

out the 'touch and go' on a portion of the newly constructed Expressway which has an RCC construction and reinforced and appropriately marked to facilitate aircraft landings. The portion used for the operations is located at Ganj Moradabad in Unnao District in UP. The aim of the exercise is to check feasibility of Expressways being used as alternate airstrip in case of dire emergencies or non-availability of runways for any reason, a Defense official said.

Mulayam congratulated officials for completing the Expressway in a record two years time along with the chief minister who took personal interest in it.

"At the time of laying of foundation stone of the Expressway, I had asked as to

when it will be completed and when four years were asked for its completion I had refused to lay the foundation stone. Later, however, it was done giving 22 months for completing it. The result is before everyone to see that today the road is ready in two years," SP chief said.

"Earlier, it used to take 12 to 14 hours to reach Delhi and now the distance will be covered in far less time. It will be very beneficial for the people," he said.

Akhilesh said the project would prove to be an example before the country as no

other state had such a vast expressway.

"Samajwadis will go to the polls on the back of such great work," he stressed.

"When roads are laid they lead to development...this road will connect capitals like New Delhi to Lucknow...it will have industries, petrol pumps and mandis along the route...on returning to power in UP, the SP government will take this expressway further till Ghazipur and Ballia in record time...it will connect one end of the state to the other," he said.

Thanking IAF officials, Akhilesh said this is the first road in the country on which any aircraft can land and take off.-PTI

Foreigners a harried lot post demonetization NEW DELHI: American tourist Rhett arrived with his friends in Delhi on November 8 to "experience India" but instead he was left with a wad of obsolete domestic currency notes that disrupted his travel plans in the country.

"We arrived here last Tuesday and got our dollars converted to Indian currency but later we realized that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were not being accepted. Our hotel did not accept the big notes, and neither did currency exchangers.

We were left a harried lot," he told PTI. Rhett, who is leaving India in few days,

says, "We had so many plans, but all got thwarted." "However, we gave away the big Indian notes at an Indian wedding that we attended," he said with a smile.

Scores of foreign tourists, who are in India, shared the problems they are facing in the wake of the major economic move that has left the country grappling with a cash crisis.

Patricia Hames from Bristol, the UK, who is visiting Delhi for the first time along with her two sisters-in-law, is running short of cash, and finding it hard to get taxis or make purchases at shops.

"We are making do with credit cards as

much as we can.

But, getting a small thing like a cup of coffee or buying a small decorative or handicraft item from a local market is becoming a hassle.

"I know we can pay through cards at Starbucks and other jazzy shops, but we didn't come here to experience what we already have in England. We wanted to experience the raw India and plastic money is not the way to that," she rued.

"Last time, I had come to Goa, and we had such a fabulous experience. We came this year to experience India, but this India has changed a lot," she said.

Besides, accessing short-distance transport services, foreign tourists are also finding it hard to visit monuments, or withdraw money from the ATMs with the long queues becoming a major deterrent for them.

Brazilian Octavio Franco who is travelling to India with his mother, says, "The 'cambistas' (money exchangers) are out of cash and queues at ATMs are very long. In our country, it is very easy to withdraw money but after this demonetization move, it has caused a lot of problem for us."

"We were in Agra recently, and we could not get proper currency to pay for the ticket fee for seeing Taj Mahal. So, after trying in vain with regular routes, we got our foreign notes exchanged through touts in the streets, suffering a bit of financial loss," Franco said. -PTI

Tourist season in Rajasthan takes a hit JAIPUR: The Centre's demonetization of high-value currency has come as a blow for Rajasthan's tourism industry as it has coincided with the peak tourist season in the state.

Industry stakeholders, who are bracing for poor business this time, say hotels, restaurants, taxi operators and vendors have all taken a hit following the move to scrap 1,000 and 500 rupee notes.

The flow of tourists coming under organized packages and groups, however, has not been affected, but many of those who do not plan their stay in advance have can-

visitors has been recorded in the last few days. A large number of casual travelers, mainly from Delhi and Gurgaon, come to Jaipur over the weekend but this time the number has been low," Amit Kothari, Operations Manager, Comfort Inn Safari, told PTI. He said that besides tourists, people who come from different states for business purposes have also postponed their visits.

"The currency crisis has hit the tourism season hard. The number of travelers in organized trips has not been affected much because their hotels and taxis are booked in advance.

celled their trips.

Those touring the state, especially foreigners, also complain of difficulties in getting their currency exchanged.

While hotel room bookings have seen some cancellations over the last few days, the number of individual travelers have declined by 30 to 40 per cent.

"A 30 to 40 per cent decline in the flow of

However, they are short of valid notes to pay for tips and shopping of local products, besides day-to-day needs," a tour operator said.

"Foreigners are also facing a crisis of valid notes and they need separate counters for currency exchange. They have limited cash," he said, adding that the number of casual travelers has been low this time.-PTI

42 India Post

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December 2, 2016

www.indiapost.com Cont’d from page 40

The religious and spiritual attractions, the natural scenic locations and modern artistically built water theme parks are all options for tourists visiting Thrissur. Cultural institutions like Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi are important places for the cultural tourists.

Tourist Attractions ATHIRAPALLY FALLS: Athirapally Falls, a popular picnic spot, is located 78 km from the buzzing town of Cochin in Kerala.

Boasting of being 80 ft in length, the waterfall is a haven for flora and fauna alike. This gushing waterfall has its source in Chalakudy River.

Being home to some of the most endangered species of flora, the waterfall is also a quiet refuge for the endangered species of Hornbill. The cool ambiance and the tranquility felt in this place acts as a remedy for the exhausted souls. The waterfall is calm, peaceful, wild and challenging.

HERITAGE GARDEN: Heritage Garden is located in the heart of the city, just on the southern side of Shakthan Thampuran Palace. Recently, the garden was established to preserve and exhibit valuable indigenous trees as well as flora of Kerala.

VAZHACHAL FALLS: Sourcing its origin from the Chalakudy River, Vazhachal Falls are scenically located just 3 km from the Athirapally falls in the Thrissur district of Kerala. Classified as one of the finest waterfalls in India, Vazhachal Waterfall cascades on the edge of the Sholayar forest range in Kerala.

Gurgling down with great speed, the view of this waterfall is just splendid. The nearby Vazhachal Forest is a good place for enjoying the flora and the fauna of the surrounding.

ARATTUPUZHATEMPLE: Arattupuzha Temple with presiding deity Lord Ayyappa is a famous temple near Thrissur city. Annual Arattupuzha Pooram festival attracts thousands of people to this temple town. It is the oldest Pooram festival in Kerala.

SHANKARA SAMADHI: The Samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya, the renowned Advaita philosopher, is located in the close vicinity of Thrissur. It is a highly revered place for Hindu religious pilgrims.

THIRUVAMBADI KRISHNATEMPLE: A renowned temple dating back to many centuries, Thiruvambadi Krishna Temple is one of the famous Vishnu temples in Kerala.

The temple enshrines a beautiful Krishna Idol and it has been also mentioned in many historical books as well as folk arts. Popular among Krishna devotees, the temple is one

Thiruvambadi Krishna Temple

THRISSUR

Cultural and spiritual capital of scenic Kerala

Vazhachal Falls

of the major attractions in Kerala.

VADAKKUNNATHAN TEMPLE: Vadakkunathan Temple is the most famous temple in Thrissur. Thrissur owes its name to Sri Vadakkunathan, the Lord Shiva. Located in the heart land of Thrissur, the prime deity in the temple is Lord Shiva with many other idols placed in and around. Placed in a picturesque hillock, the temple has beautiful surroundings and is one of the oldest

Tomb of Shakthan Thampuran

temples in Kerala.

TOMB OF SHAKTHAN THAMPURAN: Tomb of Shakthan Thampuran, an erstwhile ruler hailing from Kochi kingdom, is located in Thrissur and is a major tourist attraction, especially for tourists with interest in history. Shaktan Thampuran was the most powerful Kochi King who ruled the regions covering Thrissur.

Best Season to visit Thrissur is from August to April.

How to reach

By Train: Thrissur is a major railhead in Southern Railway.

Thrissur is well connected by trains to all major stations in India.

By Air: The nearest airport to Thrissur is Nedumbassery International Airport at Kochi, at a distance of 85 km.

Heritage Garden

By Bus: Frequent bus services are available from all cities in Kerala to Thrissur.

Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses connect Thrissur with other cities.

Private bus services are available locally in the city for easy travel. Super deluxe buses connect Thrissur with other important cities like Kochi, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Palaghat, Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and

December 2, 2016

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Kerala voted top destination Special Tourist Police for Amritsar for honeymooners THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Famous for its tranquil beaches, placid backwaters and rolling hills, Kerala has yet again been recognized as the 'Best Honeymoon Destination in India'.

The honor, based on the results of a readers' poll by Travel + Leisure India and South Asia, was announced at the fifth edition of the magazine's annual 'India's Best Awards' gala.

Kerala shared the award with Rajasthan after both states garnered the most votes.

Kerala Tourism Additional Director-General D Balamurali collected the award at a ceremony in New Delhi.

"Kerala is renowned for its magical experiences, its rustic

charm and the beauty of its diverse landscape, all of which has made the state the go-to destination for honeymooners from across India and the world," according to A C Moideen, Kerala Tourism Minister.

The awards, which feature the biggest names in Indian tourism, facilitation and hospitality industries, showcase the best travel opportunities available around the

world and in India and anoint the best service providers, preferred places to stay and the destinations Indians most love to visit, according to a release.

Kerala has been a fixture at the awards, which cover nearly 50 categories across the tourism sector.

This year's function was the cul-

mination of a five-month digital poll on the magazine's website which saw robust voting by thousands of discerning travelers.

"The award reaffirms our reputation as the top destination for newlyweds in India. From the extended coastline to the mistshrouded Western Ghats and the legendary network of lagoons and estuaries, the romantic getaways on offer here are as unique as they are exotic," said Dr Venu V, Principal Secretary (Tourism), Government of Kerala.

"The quiet, unhurried pace of life adds to Kerala's allure," he added.

Other big winners of the night were Singapore (Best Country), Hong Kong (Best City), and Switzerland (Best Family Destination), to name a few.

France and South Africa shared the award for best international honeymoon destination.

This is a significant award for Kerala since it is based on the visitors' assessment of the on-theground situation at destinations across the state and included stringent parameters and criteria, the release said.

The honor reflects the varied experiences on offer here and forward-thinking practices implemented from the policy to the product levels, U V Jose, Director, Kerala Tourism.

Asian-themed casino off Las Vegas Strip LAS VEGAS: An Asian-themed property catering to Chinese gamblers and guests has become the first new casino-hotel to open in nearly six years along the Las Vegas Strip.

The Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino began operations in what officials characterized as a soft opening, ahead of a Dec. 3 grand opening, KSNV-TV reported.

With about 200 hotel rooms, the

property just off Sahara Avenue is small by Las Vegas standards. The casino has more baccarat than blackjack, and only about 300 slot machines, compared with thousands at most Strip resorts.

The Las Vegas Sun reports the center of the casino surrounds a 15-foot, 1.25-ton glass sculpture of a dragon, and the food court was built to resemble Asian night markets with multiple restaurants and

street food vendors.

Dave Jacoby, chief operating officer, told KSNV the Lucky Dragon aims to attract overseas tourists and local residents looking for authentic Asian cuisine and popular games.

Guest signs are in Chinese and English, and the hotel elevator doesn't list a fourth floor because the number is considered unlucky in some Asian cultures.

The Sun reported that when the resort won final Nevada Gaming Commission approval last month, General Manager Matthew Harkness said it will market to Asian customers in Las Vegas, Southern California, the Pacific Northwest U.S. and Vancouver, British Columbia.

The casino was financed with money from Chinese investors and developed by privately held Las Vegas Economic Impact Regional Center through the EB-5 visa program, which grants green cards to foreigners in return for investments of at least $500,000 on job-creating projects.-AP

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has given the nod for the deployment of 'Special Tourist Police' to ensure security and safety to tourists visiting the holy city of Amritsar.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister, while presiding over a meeting of the Amritsar Culture and Tourism Development Authority (ACTDA) at his residence, said an official release here.

Chairing the meeting, he said, "These special police personnel would be deployed from the regular police force and would be tasked to help the tourists visiting the holy city."

Emphasizing on the need to impart specialized training and orientation courses for these officers to help them discharge their duties efficiently, Badal said, "This force will be a catalyst in ensuring safety, security and comfortable stay of the tourists."

The ACTDA has been constituted under the administrative aegis of the State Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department, he said.

"It will take care of all the newly created tourist facilities in the vicinity of Harmandir Sahib,

Durgiana Mandir, Ram Tirath Complex, Town Hall, Gobindgarh Fort and Urban Haat at Amritsar," Badal informed.

Approximately 500 to 750 mt area around Darbar Sahib, Gobindgarh Fort, Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirath Complex would be under the jurisdiction of said authority, the Chief Minister said.

The ACTDA has been autho-

rized to execute development works related to maintenance, cleanliness, electricity, monuments-lighting, sanitation, upkeep of roads, solid waste management and other related works in this area, the release said.

"The inauguration of various new projects in Amritsar has been instrumental in boosting tourism in the holy city," he said, adding the new projects have given a new look to the city while preserving its old and ethnic look.

He directed the ACTDA to ensure proper maintenance of these projects.-PTI

J K mulling safari services in city forest SRINAGAR: To give fillip to adventure tourism and attract wildlife lovers to the state, the Jammu and Kashmir government is mulling to introduce safari services in the city forest areas.

The Department of Forest, Environment and Ecology is proposing to launch the wildlife safari services in city forests to promote adventure tourism, Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology Choudhary Lal Singh said here.

He said he has directed officials of the department to make necessary surveys and studies for successful implementation of the project.

Launching of Safari services in city forest areas will give boost to adventure tourism in the state, Singh said.

I have asked the officials to make necessary arrangements and studies in this regard, he said.

The minister said tourists visiting Srinagar can explore this eco-tourism site in wildlife safari service.

The introduction of wildlife safari buses in Srinagar will help restrict the movement of private vehicles to eco-friendly areas and the tourists and locals would get a best view and sight of the areas and its wildlife and their habitat, he said.-PTI

Tech News Positive for stock broking biz: Zerodha KOLKATA: Demonetization will come positive for stock broking firms as informal out-of the market 'dabba trading' gets a jolt with the action, encouraging people to come under formal trading route, an industry official said.

"Post-demonetization, there will be a decline in people opting for dabba trading firms," online brokerage firm Zerodha CoFounder & Head of Trading Nikhil Kamath has said.

Settlement for dabba trading involves unaccounted cash transactions.

"Once demonetization is through, people will not go to dabba traders for using the unaccounted wealth. They would prefer people for low charges from formal brokers like us," Zerodha AVP Sales Shubhayu Bhol said.

According to Kamath, the company has earlier this year launched a multi-lingual web and app based lite trading platform 'KITE' in Bengali and other few regional languages which has driving healthy 30 per cent growth in clients.-PTI

GST: Centre to compensate states every quarter NEW DELHI: Indian states will receive provisional compensation from Centre for loss of revenue from implementation of GST every quarter but the final annual number would be decided after an audit carried out by CAG. The compensation would be met through levy of a cess called 'GST Compensation Cess' on luxury items and sin goods like tobacco, for the first five years.

Any excess amount after the end of five year tenure in the 'GST Compensation Fund' so created, would be divided between Centre and states, said the draft GST compensation law made public by the Centre.

Half of the excess amount would go to the Consolidated Fund of India and would form part of the overall tax kitty, which as per statute, is divided in a fixed proportion between the Centre and states. The remaining 50 per cent would be disbursed among the states in the ratio of their total revenues from SGST in the last year of the transition period.

Any compensation paid to a state found to be in excess of the amount actually due to them after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit would be adjusted against next year's compensation, the draft law said.-PTI

TechBiz 44 India Post

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December 2, 2016

Jan Dhan deposits soar by over Rs 27,000 cr NEW DELHI: Deposits in Jan Dhan accounts soared sharply by around Rs 27,200 crore in just 14 days after the announcement of ban on old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.

Total deposits in 25.68 crore Jan Dhan accounts crossed Rs 70,000 crore mark and were at Rs 72,834.72 crore on November 23.

As of November 9, total deposits in these accounts were Rs 45,636.61 crore.

After the surprise demonetization of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, deposits in Jan Dhan accounts have increased sharply to 27,198 crore.-PTI

Tips for NRIs to deposit demonetized currency they are holding RAJESH H DHRUVA

O

n the 8th of November 2016, Government of India demonetized high value currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 with the intention of curbing the menace of fake currency which was being used for anti-national and illegal activities by terrorists and anti-national elements, and also to curb hoarding of black money. This demonetization of Indian currency notes, called specified cash currency, has serious repercussions not only for Indians residing in India but a pinch is also felt by Indians residing abroad.

It is quite normal for NRIs to leave India with a few 1,000 and 500 unspent Indian Rupee specified currency notes after a tiring shopping fiesta or as a small change left in the pockets or purses. But in a few cases NRIs do have specified cash currency of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 being with-

drawn from banks for celebration, same will include balances of or marriages, etc. and not being de- out of: posited in bank for want of time or 1. Currency notes withdrawn so. from bank account during visits Now these to India. specified cash 2. Currency currency of Rs. notes withdrawn 500 and Rs. 1000

by Power of Atshould not torney holder to cause a great meet domestic worry as the Inexpenses and dian Governdisbursements. ment and Re3. Gifts reserve Bank of ceived during India (RBI) have visit to India addressed such from close relaissues allowing tives e.g. Diwali NRIs to freely gifts to children deposit any by uncles and amount of legitiaunts.

Rajesh H Dhruva mate Rs. 500 and 4. Currency Rs. 1,000 specinotes received fied currency notes in their Non from sale of miscellaneous assets Resident Ordinary (NRO) account. such as second hand furniture, fixAlthough the Government has tures, motor car, etc. not defined legitimate balance, the 5. Currency notes received on sale of foreign currency to bank or authorized money changer etc.

Copy of proforma Authority Letter is posted herein for convenience No doubt Reserve Bank of Inand RBI's FAQs can be read at https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/ dia has clarified that NRIs can deFAQView.aspx?Id=119 posit currency notes in NRO accounts and the Finance Ministry AUTHORITY LETTER has also clarified that cash curI the undersigned (NAME IN FULL) a Non Resident Indian of rency deposit to the extent of Rs. Indian Origin holding (………………COUNTRY) Passport No. 250,000 by housewives and oth………………………………( PASSPORT NUMBER ) residing outers will not be reported to tax auside India and having address at ………………………………(OVERSEAS ADDRESS IN FULL) & Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card Number ………………………………….(PAN CARD NO.) hereby authorize Mr. / Mrs………………………….( NAME IN FULL OF AUTHORIZED PERSON) having address at …………………………

(ADDRESS IN FULL) and having PAN Card / Driving Licence / Passport Number …………………………( INSERT NUMBER OF THE PAN , DL or PASSPORT AS CASE MAY BE) to deposit Indian specified cash currency of Rs. 500/- and Rs. 1,000/- owned and held by me which has been demonetized on the 8th November 2016.

I understand that vide Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q. no.

19, 20 and 21 of Reserve Bank of India dated 25th November 2016 , in case of NRIs authorized person can deposit legal specified Indian currency notes in my NRO account and being outside India I am eligible to authorize such person in India.

Specified cash currency notes are to be deposited in my NRO account number (PLEASE MENTION NUMBER) held with (NAME OF THE BANK) at (BRANCH DETAILS).

I affirm and confirm that Indian specified cash currency deposited by authorized person is legally owned by me and comprises of ……………..(NUMBER) notes of Rs. 500/- and ……………..(NUMBER) notes of Rs. 1,000/-.

Date: _____________ Place (NAME IN FULL)

convenience to travel he can authorize any person to deposit such currency in his NRO account.

The authority letter in original should ideally be notarized or should be signed in presence of Overseas Banker who should affix Bank seal.

If the specified cash currency is in India, then the NRI's problem can be solved by visiting India or authorizing an Indian resident.

However if the specified cash currency is abroad, bringing the same into India can create dicey issues.

The Law of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and Customs provides for carrying of Indian currency outside India up to Rs. 25,000 only by an NRI or Resident of India. Therefore traveling by an NRI himself for depositing an amount of Rs. 25,000 or less will be a costly affair and may not cover the cost of travel which will be more than such balance.

On the other hand presently there are no specific provisions for import of currency into India by an authorized person i.e. a person other than NRI. Having specified cash currency abroad is going to be a challenge for quite a few NRIs which needs to be addressed and the

Ideally the NRI himself should visit India and deposit the cash currency in his NRO account.

However, if he does not have the convenience to travel he can authorize any person to deposit such currency in his NRO account thorities.

However this should not be taken casually and even for deposit of amount below Rs. 250,000, supporting evidences for withdrawal will be appropriate.

If one does not have such evidence bank may be requested for certificate of withdrawal. The withdrawal will be reflected in the Bank passbook or statements.

Ideally the NRI himself should visit India and deposit the cash currency in his NRO account.

However, if he does not have the

Government of India should allow an authorized representative to travel with an NRI's specified cash currency for depositing into NRO account.

Reserve Bank of India has clarified that in case one cannot deposit the currency before 31st December 2016, he will be given an opportunity to deposit and exchange the same at Reserve Bank of India's offices up till such time as notified by Reserve Bank of India.

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TiE chief impressed by Modi move WASHINGTON: The demonetization move by the Indian government would reduce the role of black money and will lead the country towards a digital economy, but moving to a cashless system will take some time, a leading Indian-American entrepreneur has said.

"This is a massive step (towards fighting black money and digital economy). The foundation of which was laid by Aadhar, Jan Dhan Yojana and direct benefit transfer," Venkatesh Shukla, a venture capitalist and president of TiE Silicon Valley.

"Those are the foundations that have already been laid. And universal payment interface is another brilliant that the government of

India is working on," Shukla told PTI. "I think, the move to cashless economy can't come soon to India. It is unfortunate that people are going through so much of pain. But there is absolutely no doubt that this is the right direction to go.

"The sooner the economy moves to a digital economy there will be less wastage, more productivity, more evolution and less of black economy," Shukla said.

"It (moving towards a cashless economy) would take a while, but infrastructure is in place," he said in response to a question, adding Indian-American entrepreneurs are highly impressed by this move of the government.

"The sooner the economy moves to a digital economy there will be less wastage, more productivity, more evolution�

"I have not run into a single person who criticizes this. We are overwhelmingly in favor of this," he said.

"What is not to like about this," he questioned when asked about criticism to the demonetization plan of the Indian Government.

RBI promises to ease citizens' pain 'at earliest' MUMBAI: Terming demonetization as a "once in a lifetime event" that requires mammoth logistics, Governor Urjit Patel has said RBI is taking all necessary actions to "ease the genuine pain of citizens who are honest and who have been hurt" and hoped things will normalize at the earliest.

banks every day. They are telling us that the situation is gradually easing. The queues in branches and ATMs are shorter and the markets are starting to function, and there are no reported shortages of daily items of consumption.

"Also, about 40-50,000 people

Urjit Patel

Speaking for the first time after the decision to withdraw old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, Patel who has been facing criticism for keeping silent, also said the situation is being monitored on a daily basis while printing presses have started to rebalance the production of new notes towards Rs 100 and Rs 500 bills.

Giving details of the steps being taken by RBI, he said, "Both RBI and government have been getting the printing presses to work at capacity to get the new notes available to meet demand.

"RBI is interacting with the

were deployed to refit the ATMs. Currency is available and banks are working in a mission mode to lift currency and take them to their branches and ATMs. The staff members of all banks have worked very hard, and we all owe them our gratitude," Patel told PTI in an interview.

On why there have been long queues and a reduction in trade and business, Patel said, "This is a once in a lifetime event. It is very rare to remove 86 per cent of the currency in circulation in one go.

The logistics of such an operation is mammoth."

"And yet for withdrawal of legal tender status to be effective, complete secrecy was required.

So, it is difficult to get all banks ready and fully prepared in 24 hours for a big step like this. Obviously, this has caused some dislocation. That is why we request support from all Indians for the larger cause of fighting tax evasion and the black economy," he said.

Against the backdrop of criticism directed against Patel, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said earlier it is an "unfair attack" and politicians should refrain from making comments on those who cannot defend themselves.

"An unfair attack by Jairam Ramesh on the RBI Governor.

Must politicians attack those who can't defend themselves in the same tone?" Jaitley said in a tweet.

Congress spokesperson Ramesh had alleged that Patel is either guilty of misleading the nation about RBI's preparedness on demonetization or has sacrificed the autonomy of RBI. "Either way, he should resign," Ramesh had said.

Patel also urged people to start using cash substitutes like debit cards and digital wallets, saying it will make transactions cheaper and easier and in the long term and it will help India "leapfrog into a less cash-use economy at par with more developed nations".

"We are also urging banks to make a big push with PoS (Point of Sale) machines with traders so that debit card use becomes more prevalent," Patel said.-PTI

Venkatesh Shukla

"I am not the one who is suffering and I am not on the street (for changing / depositing money). But if you look at it from a strategic perspective... people who are outside India had complained over the past 70 years that people just did not have the political will to do those things in India.

"Here comes a politician who first recognizes what is the right

thing to do and has the courage of conviction to pull it off," he said.

"His (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's) focus on startups as engine of job growth, unfortunately for India is 70 years late. But at least he started the process. I wish the first prime minster of India had focused on entrepreneurs not with suspicion and distrust, but with confidence and trust," Shukla said.

The head of the Silicon Valley chapter of TiE said that "this incremental trend putting disincentive to the cash economy is the right thing to do."

Putting disincentives to use of cash in large transactions, political parties not accepting cash donations and rationalizing this stamp duty nonsense for property transactions, rationalizing tax structure to encourage people to be complaint would be helpful in fighting black economy, he said.PTI

46

TechBiz Post

India Post

December 2, 2016

www.indiapost.com

Bribe giving normal, says India Inc call to cut corporate tax Indian bureaucrat LUCKNOW, India: The engineer was in the middle of his evening meditation session when a colleague called and told him to turn on the television. The prime minister was saying most of India's cash would hold no value by morning.

The objective was to rid the country of illegal ``black money'' for which taxes had not been paid.

Money often associated with illegal activity such as bribery.

Money like the 4.8 million rupees ($70,000) stashed in a steel trunk,

have bank accounts, it also wiped out legally collected savings. ``With this decision we have, in one stroke, hit at the root of the sources of corruption,'' Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told TV channel Doordarshan a day after Modi announced the demonetization. ``We have freed up the country from these sources of corruption.''

Demonetized currency can be deposited in banks, but immediate access to those funds is severely limited and the government

“What I get as bribe is nothing compared to what others take,'' he said, noting the palatial homes near his more modest house in an up-market Lucknow neighborhood. ``I have a small hatchback car while others roam around in sedans and SUVs” under a makeshift settee, in the engineer's bedroom. ``For first few minutes I could not understand,'' the engineer said, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of prosecution.

The engineer, employed by the public works department of northern Uttar Pradesh state, and many of his colleagues had amassed piles of cash by taking bribes for public contracts - a practice so common it has become accepted by many as part of the price of doing business in India. They felt

confused - even betrayed - by the government cracking down. ``A bribe is not a taboo in a government job,'' the engineer said.

Modi, in his Nov. 8 televised address, announced the demonetization of India's 500- and 1,000rupee notes, which made up 86 percent of the country's currency.

He said it would wipe out rampant corruption, though in a country of 1.3 billion where most people don't

said it will severely penalize those who deposit amounts that don't match their income. Anyone depositing more than 250,000 rupees ($3,700) over the next two months will be flagged for tax inspection.

On the phone with friends, the engineer said, ``I sensed desperation in their voices. I knew they also had bribe money'' in amounts high enough to raise red flags.

Did he feel shame, or guilt? No. ``Taking this extra money as commission is a necessity'' just to meet expected payments and to advance in one's field, he said while

calmly sipping whisky and adjusting the light from an overhead chandelier by remote in his home in Lucknow, the state capital.

Each festive season, he said he's expected to offer costly gifts like wristwatches, fine suits and gold pendants to his superiors, and even their sons. ``One needs to keep them happy. ... but would you expect me to give a gift from my salary? No, never.''

The engineer said the bribes he accepts are most often already written into price estimates for projects like road construction as a so-called commission. ``You do not have to ask for it,'' he said.

Illicit money changes hands at nearly every project stage, from the public tender to completion.

Almost everyone benefits from the ``commissions,'' from the highest ministers to the rank and file, he said. ``What I get as bribe is nothing compared to what others take,'' he said, noting the palatial homes near his more modest house in an up-market Lucknow neighborhood. ``I have a small hatchback car while others roam around in sedans and SUVs. Don't our superiors notice this?''

Graft in India is so accepted that it is out in the open. On Sept.

4, another Uttar Pradesh bureaucrat named Ashok Kumar told reporters in the town of Basti, southeast of Lucknow, that he was giving up on becoming a district magistrate because he did not have 7 million rupees ($103,000) to pay the bribe. Kumar was suspended from his job in the National Integration Department after making the statement, though he never revealed who would have been taking that bribe.

The fight against corruption has been frustrating for retired bureaucrat S.P. Singh, who spent more than 30 years in India's civil service trying to rid government departments of graft. ``The tendency to take bribe stems from a desire to have best in life,'' he said. ``The lure of lucre is so intense.''

Part of the problem, he said, was that politicians were in cahoots with bureaucrats to keep bribery schemes secret. ``A bureaucrat helps an illiterate politician in making money by bending rules. Acting as conduit, he ends up thinking, if a minister can make money why not he,'' Singh said. ``The rot has set in.''

There are doubts about whether the demonetization drive will truly make an impact on corruption and tax evasion. India's underground economy is so big it accounts for up to a quarter of the country's gross domestic product.

And many of those possessing piles of black money have come up with ways to save much of it without drawing government attention.-AP

NEW DELHI: Indian industry Ficci President Harshvardhan has asked the government to take Neotia recommended increase in steps for improvement in produc- personal income tax slab and retivity and consumption as demon- duction in MAT. etization of 500 and 1,000 rupee CII suggested divestment/ notes will have an impact on the privatization of 100 companies ineconomy in the short term. cluding the 74 identified by NITI It also suggested that the gov- Aayog by December 31, 2017. It ernment accelerate PSU disinvest- also proposed that corporate tax ment; reduce corporate tax to 18 be brought down to 18 per cent per cent including all surcharges including all surcharges and cess. and cess; and cut in minimum al"In return we can remove all tax ternate tax. incentives, concession and need These issues among others no grandfathering of previous inwere raised during the pre-Budget meeting between Finance Minister CII suggested divestment/ Arun Jaitley, industry privatization of 100 compachambers and exporters.

"Demonetization is- nies including the 74 identisue was discussed in fied by NITI Aayog by the meeting. We need to make sure that the in- December 31, 2017 convenience that some of the people are facing must get centives," it added. better and I am sure they (governAssocham said the demonetiment) are working on it. zation move now needs to be fol"I think the government under- lowed up with stronger reforms on stands (the situation) and they well the taxation side and with steps to recognize that in short term there improve the investment cycle. will be some pain ... What more can "Due to the disruption from the be done to enhance consumption, demonetization drive, GDP growth production and investment. Those rate in FY'17 may dip a little comdiscussions have taken place," in- pared to the last 2 years, but even dustrialist Rajan Mittal told report- then India is likely to outpace most ers after the meeting. other major economies," it said.

He said this is the time to bring The tax net should be widened. down corporate tax.

Corporate tax rate be reduced to Exporters body FIEO President 25 per cent. To fuel consumption, S C Ralhan suggested creation of income tax rates can be rationalexport development fund to boost ized under revised slabs," it shipments. added.-PTI

Tips for NRIs to deposit demonetized currency they are holding Cont’d from page 44

RBI FAQs The following is reproduced from RBI FAQs on Withdrawal of Legal Tender Character of the existing Bank Notes in the denominations of 500 and 1000: 1. I am right now not in India, what should I do?

If you have Specified banknotes in India, you may authorize in writing enabling another person in India to deposit the notes into your bank account. The person so authorized has to come to the bank branch with the Specified banknotes, the authority letter given by you and a valid identity proof (Valid Identity proof is any of the following: Aadhaar Card, Driving License, Voter ID Card, Pass Port, NREGA Card, PAN Card, Identity Card Issued

by Government Department, Pub-

lic Sector Unit to its Staff) 2. I am an NRI and hold NRO account, can the exchange value be deposited in my account?

Yes, you can deposit the Specified banknotes to your NRO account.

3. I am a foreign tourist, I have these notes. What should I do?

You can purchase foreign exchange equivalent to 5000 using these Specified Bank Notes at airport exchange counters, provided you present proof of purchasing the Specified Bank Notes. Foreign citizens will be permitted to exchange foreign currency up to 5000 per week. Necessary entry to this effect will be made in their passports. https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/ FAQView.aspx?Id=119 Rajesh H Dhruva is a Tax Consultant &Chief Executive femaonline.com, Rajkot, India.

TechBiz Post

December 2, 2016

India Post

47

www.indiapost.com

Rajat Gupta now chairman of non-profit NEW YORK: India-born former Goldman Sachs Director Rajat Gupta has assumed a new role as Chairman of a US-based non-profit organization, a gradual return to a normal life after completing a twoyear prison term on insider trad-

The non-profit was founded in 2013 by a group of alumni from IIT, all prominent entrepreneurs and financial executives.

A source told PTI that Gupta assumed the role of Chairman in October this year.

Rajat Gupta

ing charges.

Gupta, 67, is Chairman of the WHEELS Global Foundation (WGF), a nonprofit organization focused on applying technology to uplift rural communities and provide technological solutions to global challenges in six areas; water, health, education, energy, lifestyles, and sustainability.

Gupta s name appears under the list of WGF s Board of Directors with the title of Chairman on WGF's web page.

According to his profile on the WGF website, he "serves on its board as a key strategist in defining direction and focus of the nonprofit organization." It said Gupta brings his "considerable skills to

WGF, along with his leadership associations and advisory roles to many other non-profits such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria."

His profile further adds that the IIT-Delhi and Harvard Business School alumnus and former McKinsey head is a "leading Indian-American businessman and philanthropist" and is "widely regarded as one of the first Indians to successfully break through the glass ceiling, as the first Indianborn CEO of a multinational corporation (not just a consultancy)."

Gupta was one of the highestprofile defendants convicted in the government s crackdown on insider trading and was sentenced to two years in prison.

He served his term in a federal prison in Ayer, Massachusetts and walked a free man in March this year after completing his sentence.

Prosecutors had accused Gupta of passing confidential boardroom information about Goldman Sachs to now jailed hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam.

Gupta is still fighting in an appeals court to have his insidertrading conviction thrown out.

Resources for social sector increasing: Jaitley NEW DELHI: Emphasizing that inclusive growth is high on government's priority; Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the allocation of resources to the social sector is increasing.

The government wants to make an extensive social welfare system with focus on better education system and effective healthcare especially for the children, women and senior citizens of the country, he said at pre-Budget consultations with the representatives of different Social Sector Groups here.

As the allocation of resources to the Social Sector is increasing, the need of the hour is to bring substantial changes through better policies and timely implementation, he said, as per a Finance Ministry statement.

Jaitley further said that the inclusive growth is high on the priority and the Government will take adequate measures to ensure social security for all especially for

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

the vulnerable section of society including the children, women and senior citizens of the country.

Most of the Social Sector representatives gave different suggestions to the Finance Minister for the forthcoming Union Budget 2017-18 including higher allocation to social sector schemes and a mechanism be established to monitor proper implementation of all such schemes.

It was suggested to monitor to ensure that the schools have ac-

cess to safe drinking water & sanitation and allocation for healthcare for the workers especially those working in mining sector etc should be increased.

Various suggestions came about increasing allocation on education and healthcare sectors in the upcoming General Budget 2017-18.

It was also suggested that all the tobacco products should be highly taxed primarily because of health concerns.-PTI

Sterling’s Natasha Mudhar honored with Sikh Award India Post News Service

LONDON: Natasha Mudhar, CEO and MD of the award winning UK and India based international business and brand consultancy Sterling Group, was presented the prestigious People's Choice Award at the 7th annual The Sikh Awards 2016 on 20th November at Park Plaza Hotel, London.

The Sikh Awards recognise the pivotal contributions made by the Sikh community across a variety of fields, from business, charity, education, entertainment, professional services, seva (selfless service), and sport, with winners selected across the globe from Asia, USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In previous years, very high profile individuals have been award recipients including former UK Prime Minister David Cameron for his contribution to the British Sikh community. The coveted accolade, chosen by the community through the online voting process, recognises an individual who has had a positive impact on people's lives and has great admiration from others.

Sterling was launched in 1995 by Sikh property-film entrepreneur Teji Singh, arguably the first Sikh to set up an international communications agency in the UK. The company represents countries, corporates, celebrities, charities, global thought leaders, governments and is renowned for its unique expertise in convening governments, corporates, talent and media to create value for its clients.

Whether she is listing companies on the London Stock Exchange or brokering relations between government leaders, in the last 10 years, Natasha has spearheaded the company's global strategy. Campaigns have included being appointed by President Barack Obama's office to direct the launch of the GODAN Summit 2016 to end hunger, investor relations strategies to launch a $9trillion bauxite project in New Guinea, launching iconic brands like Aston Martin in India and Harrods in the Middle East, and representing Hollywood stars such as Al Pacino and Salma Hayek to Bollywood talent such as Akshay Kumar and The Bachchans.

Natasha was brought in to manage the international campaign for Richard Curtis's organisation "Project Everyone" which aims to popularise the United Nations'

Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty by 2030. Natasha works closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office to direct the project's India strategy. A strong crusader for female empowerment, she strategized the global launch of the Victoria Beckham endorsed short film promoting girls and women rights 'What I Really Really Want' which broke the internet with over 150million views.

Natasha was also appointed the India and Africa Director of the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, to address the double nutrition burden affecting children in

Natasha Mudhar

developing nations.

Natasha's People's Choice Award follows her successful win at the Asian Media Awards in October this year, where she was awarded Creative Media Award for the viral #WhatIReallyReallyWant campaign. On being recognised for the award, Natasha Mudhar said: "I am humbled to be here, amidst the most extraordinary personalities of our generation, who have each shown us that the power of grit, determination and steely resolve can change the world. Through my various campaigns, I have had the opportunity to experience first-hand the power of communication to instigate change. I take with me tonight, along with this award, the audacity of hope. Hope from our generation, and inspiration for our future."

Horoscope

48 India Post

December 2, 2016

www.indiapost.com

Dec 2nd - Dec 8th 2016 Please send your birthday, place of birth and time, so I can give you your zodiac sign, according to Vedic astrology. Send to Jaysastrology@gmail.com

P

rofessional matters are ok. Promotions/recognition may be delayed. The students need more efforts. The health of father needs extra care. It is better to avoid haste and conflicts. Avoid unnecessary driving and take care of your health. Manage obstructions with patience.

Patience is the Mantra for you up to September 2017.

Strengthen your birth planets through a Special Power

he professional matters need care, focus on work and avoid confrontations. The business income is likely to be delayed as Mars is in a bad house. Social interaction and communication is reduced. The health of the parents needs care Due to transit of Saturn. Avoid conflicting situations up to February 2017, and take due care of your health.Exercise patience.

T

he professional matters need care. Manage obstructions with patience.

Keep new ventures pending.

Avoid manipulations. Some of you may plan a journey.

Child may need help, focus on their needs Avoid haste, speculation, aggressive behaviour and unnecessary driving. Enemies are likely to trouble.

Conflicts will put you to harm. Be vigiliant on what you say and do remedy is stay calm.

he professional matters are looking good.Those who have strong planets in their birth charts are likely to get a prom otion or recognition.Take care of your health. Focus on child needs extra care.The sleep is likely to be disturbed.

Some losses and extra expenses are likely.It is better to avoid unnecessary driving or risky activites

T

T

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he professional matters look ok. The promotion is likely if birth planets are strong. Some additional expenses are likely. Stay away from manipulations, or people trying to advantage of you. It is better to avoid new ventures at present time.The child may cause concern, focus on them see what the problem is. Some journey may be in the offing.

T

rofessional matters look better.Those of you who have strong birth planets may get promotion. Some gains are likely in property matters, if you want to sell time is right. Better to avoid unnecessary driving. The transit planetary influences caused

by Rahu/Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree is around 13 or some planet is around 13 degree in odd signs.

he professional matters look good.Avoid haste and conflicts.Students and those who are appearing in selections have better chance of success. Week is good most part, just focus on basics. The transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree is around 13 or some planet is around 13 degree in odd signs.

T

he professional matters look good enjoy this week at work. The mental peace and patience help in managing the situation. Stay away from manipulations, people trying to cheat or take advantage of you. Avoid speculation or gambling.

Some additional expenses are likely. Silence is golden for you. Better to avoid conflicts.

Romance faces emotional issues, partners take is easy.

T

T

T

T

T

he professional matters look ok. Work with patience and avoid conflicts.Keep new ventures pending. Your health needs attention, Get regular physical check up. The week may involve some additional expenses. Avoid haste, aggressive behaviour, conflicts, unnecessary expenses and driving/travel. Handle obstructions and relationship matters with care.

he professional matters look better. Those who are appearing in selections have a fairly good chance of success. Additional expenses are likely. Child may bring happiness. The new business opportunities should be put on hold up to January, 2017. The week is good for students. Avoid speculation.

Always invest in safe assets.

Patience is the best medicine up to January, 2017.

he professional matters look better.The new opportunities should be properly examined. Delays are likely in the sources of income.

Manage obstructions with patience. It is better to avoid manipulations, people trying to take advantage of situation. Avoid Markets and gambling. Avoid unnecessary driving, risky adventures being in wrong areas of town.

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

Take care of your health, get a regular physical check up.

It is better to avoid driving, risky behavior, wrong places to avoid trouble. Manage things with patience. Obey the law, heart and digestion problems may arise. Look after fathers health. Relationship wise is good, some may get interested in coworkers.

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

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

December 2, 2016

India Post 49 www.indiapost.com

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Realty Tidbits

Opponents sue to overturn mall redevelopment MONTPELIER, Vt: Opponents of a voter-approved redevelopment project in downtown Burlington have sued to have the Nov. 8 referendum declared invalid.

John Franco, an attorney representing two residents and a group called Coalition for a Livable City, announced that they had filed the lawsuit. ``There was a big rush to judgment in this administration to push this thing through and they didn't do it right,'' Franco said in an interview. ``Sometimes touchdowns get called back for illegal procedure.''

The lawsuit said the ballot question exaggerated how many properties would have their taxes earmarked to pay back a nearly $22 million bond aimed at helping the Burlington Town Center mall redevelopment.

The mall sits on a prime piece of real estate on the city's Church Street pedestrian retail district. The city vote was to put $21.83 million of borrowed money toward street improvements around it.

Tax-increment financing allows cities and towns to earmark new taxes generated by improvements to private property in specially designated districts toward paying off debt on public improvements the city made to support the projects.-AP

„ Family sues over tower construction ORLANDO, Fla: A South Florida family that is refusing to sell a vacation townhouse to one of the world's largest timeshare companies is suing Orange County in an effort to stop the company from continuing construction on a timeshare tower just 12 feet from the townhouse.

The family of Julieta Corredor said in a lawsuit that the plan to build the timeshare tower under construction by Westgate Resorts violates the county's comprehensive plan. A comprehensive plan for a municipality or county guides development and sets standards for things like utilities, transportation and housing.

The lawsuit demanded that the county revoke its approval for the Westgate project, seeking to stop construction on the 80-unit timeshare structure located in the heart of Orlando's tourism district. ``Mrs. Corredor has already and will continue to suffer injury and damage ...'' said the lawsuit filed at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando.-AP

Real Estate 50 India Post

www.indiapost.com

December 2, 2016

SW Florida's housing pace surges SARASOTA, Fla: The boomers are blowing up the new home market in Southwest Florida.

The Herald-Tribune reports housing starts surged to the fastest rate in a decade during the third quarter, and the demand from new and upcoming retirees will continue to grow, according to a new report by data supplier MetroStudy. Builders broke ground on 1,488 single-family units in the region during the July-September period, a 14.5 percent gain over the year. -AP

US home sales reach strongest pace in nearly a decade WASHINGTON: Americans bought homes in October at the fastest pace in nearly decade, helped out by low mortgage rates that have since started to climb following the presidential election of Donald Trump.

The National Association of Realtors said that sales of existing homes rose 2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.6 million. Sales reached their strongest pace since February 2007, a sign that the market is still healing from the collapsing prices and foreclosures that ignited the 2008 financial crisis.

A stable job market and historically cheap borrowing costs have spurred demand from homebuyers this year. But sales growth has been tempered somewhat by accelerating prices and a shortage of properties on the market. Sales gains could possibly slow in the coming months as rising mortgage rates are making home loans more expensive. ``Clearly, the market continues to underestimate just how much demand for homes is out there, even in the face of tight inventory

and rising existing home prices that are now the highest on record,'' said Svenja Gudell, chief economist at the real estate firm Zillow.

Falling mortgage rates helped boost sales for much of the year, but rates surged following this month's presidential election. The

budget deficit to rise in a Trump administration, causing the yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes to reach roughly 2.3 percent.

The rising interest rates trickled into the housing market. The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage climbed to nearly 4 percent from less than 3.5 percent at the

increase means that yearly debt payments for a median-priced home would increase by more than $500 on average for people attempting to buy homes in November and December.

Investors expect the federal

end of October. Few housing experts say that higher rates at this stage will fully disrupt sales, although it might cause some existing homeowners to stay in place rather than upgrade to new homes and costlier mortgages.

The impact of higher rates could be offset if wages accelerate strongly during a Trump administration, giving Americans higher incomes.

Still, the supply crunch of the past year shows little sign of reversing itself.

Sales listings have fallen 4.3 percent over the past year to 2.02 million homes. The shortage has pushed up the median sales price of existing homes 6 percent from a year ago to $232,200.

The low mortgage rates aided buyers with solid credit, although tighter lending standards appears to have hurt potential sales.

An analysis by the Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank, found that there could have been an additional 1.1 million mortgages issued in 2015 if traditional lending practices had been in place that put less emphasis on stronger credit scores above 700.

The tighter credit standards have helped foster a housing market that prefers cash buyers and investors who may be more likely to rent homes to tenants than live in them.-AP

Bangalore, Mumbai on global funds' radar SINGAPORE: India has emerged as a new destination for property investors with Bangalore and Mumbai topping the list of real estate markets for investment and development, according to a report.

"India is on the radar of fund managers for good growth potential. Large institutional investors believe in long-term growth potential," said John Fitzgerald, chief executive of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

This year's Investment Prospects survey shows a strong shift away from last year's favorites, which featured core markets in Japan and Australia. Instead it favors emerging-market destinations, with two Indian cities topping a list which also includes Vietnam, the Philippines and Shenzhen (in China), said the report pre-

pared by ULI along with PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC).

Bangalore has emerged first in investment and development for 2017, it said.

"The big story for investors has

There is a huge demand for space as both domestic and international companies flock to open both call-in and research-and-development centers, it pointed out.

Mumbai was second in invest-

long been the city's role as India's main hub for the business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT industries," said the report.

ment, third in development out of the 22 Asian cities.

A major road and rail infrastructure program in Mumbai will allow

easier access to the centre from outlying areas, with most construction scheduled for completion before 2019, said the report, adding that Mumbai was previously considered most expensive and slow growing city in India.

Bangalore and Mumbai also emerged as first and second in 'Historical Investment Prospect Rankings' for 2017, shooting up from 12 and 13 positions in 2016.

New Delhi was ranked 10 in development and 13 in investment for 2017. The capital city was also ranked 13 under the Historical Investment Prospect Rankings for next year.

Following the removal of various regulatory stumbling blocks, there appears to be real motivation at the central government level to make a deal happen, the report said.

Cont’d on page 51

Real Estate Post

December 2, 2016

India Post 51

www.indiapost.com

Govt approves 12.83 lakh SC orders status quo in Taj hotel auction affordable houses NEW DELHI: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has said the Modi-government has so far approved construction of over 12.83 lakh affordable houses for urban poor, crossing the 12.41 lakh mark approved under the 10-years of previous government.

Naidu also noted that withdrawal of high value currency notes announced by the government would have a "positive im-

(JNNURM) -- the scheme of UPA government, Naidu said that as against investment of Rs 32,717 crore approved under JNNURM, a huge investment of Rs 70,145 crore has already been cleared under PMAY (Urban).

While Central assistance of only Rs 17,405 crore was committed during the previous 10-years, Rs 19,009 crore has already been approved under the NDA

Venkaiah Naidu

pact" on real estate sector, saying it will "ultimately benefit the sector and all stakeholders".

He said the demonetization also had a positive effect on Urban Local Bodies with record increase of 268 per cent growth in property tax collection at Rs 13,192 crore in November over Rs 3,607 crore over the same month last year.

Comparing performance under NDA government's PMAY (Urban) scheme and Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission

government's scheme, he added.

"I am happy to announce that with these approvals this Government, in just two and a half years has done more than what the previous UPA Government has done in ten years, for the urban poor," he said.

Naidu said that his ministry has cleared construction of over 1.97 lakh houses for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in seven states.

"This speed, scale and spread of reaching out to urban poor in a short time since the launch of PMAY (Urban) in June last year is an evidence of government with a difference and it speaks volumes about the sense of urgency that this government is according to make a difference to urban sector, which is the need of the hour," he said.

The Minister stated that Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal are "good performing" states under PMAY(Urban) so far in terms of starting construction work under approved projects.

Noting that Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, which account for about 25 per cent of housing shortage for urban poor, have not sent any proposals to the Centre for the scheme, he said Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Daman & Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are still to send housing proposals under PMAY (Urban).

On impact of demonetization on real estate sector, he said it will lead to stabilization of prices and result in a "new normal" in the sector and added that he would soon have a meeting with sector representatives to hear their point of view.

States sanctioned affordable houses by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation are Tamil Nadu-1,13,327 houses with an investment of Rs 3,714 crore, Karnataka- 31,880 (Rs 1,186 crore), Gujarat-18,248 (Rs 1,096 crore), Madhya Pradesh-16,448 (Rs 813 crore), Punjab-16,187 (Rs 447 crore), Rajasthan-1,280 (Rs 50 crore) and Meghalaya-32 (Rs1 crore).-PTI

Real estate rules framed for Delhi NEW DELHI: The Urban Development Ministry has finalized rules under the Real Estate Act for Delhi which provides for a regulatory authority to undertake third party quality audit of real estate projects to ensure quality of construction.

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Vice Chairman Udai Pratap Singh has been designated as interim regulator.

"The Real Estate General Rules and Rules for Agreement for Sale for the NCT of Delhi has been finalized by the Ministry as required under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016," an official release said.

Regarding publication of litiga-

tion details pertaining to any promoter on website, the rules specify that details in respect of litigations disposed of by courts in the past five years in respect of projects developed or being developed may be published on website.

"This has been considered since a promoter may not have complete information about various cases filed, at the time of providing such information to the Regulatory Authority," the release said.

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu approved these Rules, which have been formulated after consultations with the Delhi Government, New Delhi Municipal Council,

three Municipal Corporations of Delhi, Delhi Development Authority and other stakeholders.

The Real Estate rules applicable to Delhi are same as notified on October 31 this year by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation for the five Union Territories without legislatures.

"Till a full-fledged regulator comes into being, Vice-Chairman of DDA, acting as an interim regulator, would undertake preparatory actions like setting up website and putting in place required institutional mechanisms so that the multi-member Regulator can start functioning as and when it is established," the Ministry said in a separate release.-PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed that status quo be maintained with regard to New Delhi Municipal Council's auctioning process of the iconic Taj Mansingh Hotel here, run by Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL).

A bench of justices P C Ghose and U U Lalit, which is hearing IHCL's plea against a high court order allowing its auctioning, also refused NDMC's prayer that the hotel should be restrained from taking any fresh booking.

The court said "it's very difficult to restrain the fresh bookings for a running hotel. Everything will be decided when we hear the matter."

T h e b e n c h posted the matter for further hearing on the second week of January.

IHCL, which runs the Taj Mansingh Hotel in the national capital, had on November 8 approached the apex court against the Delhi High Court order that cleared the decks for auctioning of the iconic property.

The firm had challenged the October 27 verdict delivered by a division bench of high court which had dismissed IHCL's petition challenging the move by New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to auction the property.

The high court, in its verdict, had dismissed IHCL's plea saying the company has "no right" for renewal of the license period and

the NDMC was "within its power" to secure maximum consideration for grant of license for the property situated at the prime location of 1, Man Singh Road in Lutyen's Delhi.

IHCL had moved the division bench of high court against the September 5 judgment of a single judge who had not acceded to the firm's request for renewal of license for a further period, saying it was not entitled for the extension.

The property, owned by NDMC, was given to IHCL on a lease of 33 years. The lease had ended in 2011 and the company was given nine temporary extensions since then on various grounds, with three of them granted last year itself.

NDMC had in January this year said it was in the process of assessing the assets of the hotel in preparation for the much-delayed auction.

IHCL had earlier approached the single judge bench seeking a decree of permanent injunction restraining the NDMC from interfering in any manner with the possession, right to operate, run and maintain the hotel premises.-PTI

Bangalore, Mumbai on global funds' radar Cont’d from page 50

As ever, however, resolving bureaucratic issues in India can be complex and time consuming, it pointed out.

While managers at domestic and foreign investment funds active in India were positive about the prospects for a working REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) framework to emerge within the foreseeable future possibly the next 12 months a raft of issues

remains to be addressed, it said.

These range from resolving ongoing regulatory disagreements between central and provincial authorities, to overcoming obstacles posed by the standard use of a lease rent discounting model to obtain bank financing, to listing REITs at cap rates that will be appealing for retail investors.

"Again, how long these will take to resolve remains an open question," said the report.-PTI

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Philosophy

December 2, 2016

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis MAURICE FRYDMAN

T

he first step towards the real lies through the full awareness of the unreal. Or, in other words, one cannot know the true without knowing the false.

That by which the false is known is also the means of knowing the true. Or again in different words, the knowledge of the false is the first intimation of the real that we can have. For after all, knowledge is of the true or it cannot be properly called knowledge.

The taking of the false to be true is a state of ignorance, not knowledge. Knowledge presupposes insight into reality and insight into the falseness of the false is obvious by insight into the reality of a situation. We cannot be wrong in knowing that we are wrong; there is something unmistakable in the perception of a mistake.

Therefore J. Krishnamurti is tireless in repeating that our perception of the real grows with our recognition to the false as false. As long as we take the false to be true, we are just stupid and reality is definitely not for the fool.

So this is our problem: how to put an end to our stupidity. We are stupid when we take the false for true, the unreal for real. We do so because our minds are clothed with ideas and ideals, jealousies and ambitions, loves and hatreds.

JEFF FOSTER

A

and B are walking together in their local park. It is a beautiful sunny day.

A: Hey, look over there. Do you see it? What a beautiful tree!

B: STOP RIGHT THERE! There is no 'tree'! There is no 'beauty'!

Both 'tree' and 'beauty' are merely concepts appearing in space-like, ever present awareness! Don't settle for mere concepts, A! Don't buy into the ignorance of the mind!

End seeking once and for all, here and now! All words are merely pointers! Discard the pointers!

A: Er…. yeah. Of course. I get that. I was just saying…

B: STOP! There is no 'I' to 'get' anything! And nothing to get!

And no 'saying'!

A: Yes. I know. I SEE that.

B: WHO sees that? WHAT is there to see? WHO sees WHAT? There is nobody there seeing! Ask yourself the question 'WHO SEES'?! There is only clear, spacelike seeing with no person doing anything! There is no duality!

There is only non-duality! Duality is an illusion! Only non-duality is real!

A: I was just saying….

B: WHO was saying? WHAT is

We meet life and face facts through a thick layer of personal, national and racial memories, we are all those memories and we act from them, not from the reality of a given situation.

Every moment of life contains its own challenge and its own way of meeting it; but we are blinded by our memories and expectations and act as we feel and not as life demands.

We fall out of tune with the situation, with the laws of our own being and suffer in consequence; and there can be no relief for us, except in seeing our mistakes and undoing them.

than to be engrossed; but we get engrossed by habit and it is hard to break a habit of a lifetime which was never questioned before.

Influenced by the precept and example of others we have created a 'self" as 'me' a concept: 'I am so and so; the 'so-and-so' including all that we can bring out from our past as well as all that is there in the unconscious. All the mistakes made.

All the right responses missed, all the misunderstandings and misbehaviors of the past are contributing to the building up of the 'I', which is the distilled essence of our stupidity, of all the failures

like all opposites they contain and merge into each other. The man guided by the pleasure-pain reaction will run in circles and reach nothing in the end.

The question: what is there to reach in life? Is not easy to answer for all our possible and imaginable answers are in terms of escape from pain and attainment of pleasure.

We should look for the answer to our question in the state of being which lies beyond both; a state in which they may be present but do not matter, for they are short-circuited in what may be called ecstasy, but which is really high intensity of thought and feel-

You can't know true without knowing false All the right responses missed, all the misunderstandings and misbehaviors of the past are contributing to the building up of the 'I', Maurice Frydman

which is the distilled essence of our stupidity

All that is needed is a tendency towards impersonal awareness operating constantly and spontaneously. It is neither painful, nor does it demand much effort; it is, in a way, more natural to be aware

of the past to meet life squarely and rightly.

Pleasure and pain are incidents in living but they cannot be the laws by which to live. Life contains both and goes beyond both;

ing and bold immediacy of action and response.

Excerpted from the essay 'Truthfulness' in the book 'The Mind of J.Krishnamurti' edited by Luis S.R.Vas

there to say? And to WHOM? A: Look, are you going to let me speak at all?

B: WHO would let WHO speak?…

A: Jesus, B, I knew you were going to say that! You know, you've become so predictable since you got into this Advaita stuff. Look, all I wanted to say is that the tree over there is… lovely. Beautiful.

NICE. And yes, I know that ultimately those are just concepts,

of ignorance! You have not yet woken up to your true nature!

A: Wow. Okay, okay, you seem pretty worked up about this….

B: No! There is NOBODY HERE getting 'worked up'! 'Worked up' is merely a conceptual overlay appearing in awareness! It is all simply your perception, a projection of your own ignorance. There is still the belief that you are a timebound self…

A: Okay! Okay! Whatever, B. I

There is NO past! Only the eternal present! Only NOW! A: B, can I be honest with you?

Since you've, well, in your own words, 'recognized your true nature', all the joy seems to have gone out of you. I'm sure you've found some clarity in one way or another, but it's almost like you've lost the ability to, well, relate as a human being to me.

You always seem to feel the need to shoot everything and everyone

Conversation with a seeker (aka the Advaita trap) You know, you've become so predictable since you got into this Advaita stuff. Look, all I wanted to say is that the tree over there is… lovely. Beautiful and the word is not the thing, and there is no separate 'tree', blah blah blah. But can't I just say that it's a beautiful tree? Am I allowed to say it? I mean, come on, it's beautiful, don't you think it is?

B: No! There is NOBODY HERE who thinks! You are lost in a world

give up. I just thought it was a nice tree. I wanted to share something with you. I don't know. Just to share something. Something... beautiful. That's all. No more, no less. If you don't like that, fine. I give up…

B: You're referring to the past!

Jeff Foster

down, even when they haven't actually asked for your help or advice. It's like you always need to play the teacher. You're trying to teach me when I don't need to be taught.

Excerpted from Stillnessspeaks.com

Why do you weep? The Source is within you and this whole world is spring up from it.

-Rumi What is the most hold Truth? asked Emperor Wu. Vast emptiness. No holiness. replied Bodhidharma At the end of the road is freedom. Until then, have patience.

-Buddha Everything is emptiness.

Everything else, accidental. Emptiness brings peace to your loving. Everything else, disease. In this world of trickery, emptiness is what your soul wants.

-Rumi If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

-Matthew 6:22/23

Because the Beloved wants to know, unseen things become manifest.

Hiding is the hidden purpose of creation.

-Rumi The one that you are looking for is the same one who is doing the looking.

-St. Francis of Assisi Change is an illusion because we're always at the place where any future can take us.

-Alan Watts

Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

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An opportunity to bring heart back to Kashmir LT GEN (RETD) SYED ATA HASNAIN

S

omething that escaped most observers even as queues at ATMs increased and worries about the next purchase of vegetables kept attention focused, is the sudden quieting of the situation in the Kashmir Valley. In ferment since 8 July 2016, when Burhan Wani was killed, stamina just collapsed after the Durbar moved to Jammu for the winter.

Perhaps it was realized well in time that demonstrations and stone throwing are supposedly instruments to communicate collective negative emotions and angst.

However, when there is no government to paralyze, no tourists to harass and no minorities to intimidate, there is not much point in protesting. That is the phenomenon that always takes place around the end of the year in the Valley.

No doubt this year the demonetization exercise is contributing to ensure that professional stone throwers cannot earn their bread nor the smack, ganja or other drugs because there is no cash

the plight of those in the Valley who want to be delivered from the control of the young vigilantes and stop becoming a mirror image of Pakistan with radical faith dictating their lives.

Scratch and scratch hard, because under the surface, there is a public awaiting a kind word and a change of heart.

The Army has been the quickest to realize it, as usual, sensing an opportunity. Throughout the summer and the autumn, it doggedly continued its counter-terrorism campaign without getting involved with too many stone throwers and demonstrators.

As Headquarters Northern Command made available two brigades to 15 Corps, the challenge was in understanding, evolving, communicating and executing the concept of operations.

The demonstration of its concept is best exemplified not by its operations on the LoC, which have been professional no doubt and not by the quick control it established over the so called

The State Government must take ownership of this success; it is not the Army's success alone because through and through it would have been discussed at the frequent Unified Command meetings and the Chief Minister would have been well aware of it around with the organizers.

There is an opportunity beckoning here that needs to be grabbed. The emerging window is one in which the missing outreach can be restored.

There has been much public debate through the summer such that awareness levels on the real problem of J&K have risen considerably. Everyone blames Pakistan for creating the mayhem on the streets and the strife. But equally after many years there is a majority consensus that the governance and outreach deficits are as much to blame.

It is long since any commentaries have appeared blaming Article 370, the failure of ensuring conditions for safe return of the Pandits or even the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Jammu has approached the problem with sincere maturity through the last many months, without raising a voice of protest despite that there has been reason to feel slighted.

There cannot be a better time than now to demonstrate how the Establishment can empathize with

fedayeens who were threatening to go out of control at a point in time.

Instead, it is demonstrated by the runaway success of the most innocuous of all things - a program called 'School Chalo' (Let us go to School), once again confirming the immense role of military soft power.

Readers would be aware that schools in the Valley have been shut for the last four months. An atrocious program of burning of schools has been undertaken by unknown elements that are antinational in character.

The Separatists perceive that a way of preventing the return of normalcy is to ensure schools remain closed. The young vigilantes in the rural areas, the ones controlling the stone throwing and holding their parents and elders to ransom, also have no wish to return to school.

However, a vigorous social media campaign run by the Army in South Kashmir to bring home the message of its support to elders and parents, resonated splen-

didly in the hearts of the weary population.

Schools reopened, the examinations drew 98 per cent attendance and the enthusiasm as per ground reports, was palpable.

This is one of the major successes of the Army employing a combination of ground campaign and social media outreach. It gives an indicator that more than anything else, the Army has simply to lead the way in outreach, social engagement and restoration of confidence.

The State Government must take ownership of this success; it is not the Army's success alone because through and through it would have been discussed at the frequent Unified Command meetings and the Chief Minister would have been well aware of it, making it her success.

What does this signify? For those observing the virtual great game in the Valley, it should send home the lesson that a weary population needs to be handled with a heart and requires its hearts to be touched.

This is a hearts game waiting to be played all over again. Restoration of self-esteem is the need as much as weeding out of rabble rousers.

A degree of reverse vigilantism on the mosques; facilitation of the movement and meeting of political representatives with their constituencies; energetic return of governance demonstrated by good administrative performance against the vagaries of the expected severe winter; and domination of the social media space by positive messaging, will communicate the State Government's will and capability.

The Army must assist in this energetically and whole heartedly.

Just remember, it is all about 'whole of government approach' which will turn the tide and the Army must guide the government through with all its experience and knowledge of conflict.

The concept of Moral Dominance of the narrative remains the job of the Army, just as I strongly advocated in September 2016 when two infantry brigades were moving into deployment in South Kashmir.

That is the way forward. Subsequently, build on it next summer.

India will yet mainstream the Kashmiri populace - the Awam.

The writer is Member, Governing Council, IPCS, & former GOC, 15 Corps, Srinagar

India Post Immoral vs Corrupt T

he immoral is preferable to the corrupt. Particularly in governance. Thus goes the argument by Dr. Joseph D'Souza, president of the All India Christian Council, in an article sent to us for publication a few days before the US Presidential elections.

We did not give much attention to it at that time but the triumph of Trump forced us to take a second look at it. Obviously he had characterized Trump as "immoral" and Hillary Clinton as "corrupt" and strongly argued in favor of Trump in the article titled as "Why a corrupt politician is worse than an immoral one." Citing a Gallup poll which said only 42 percent of Americans had some level of trust in political leaders, he felt "at the heart of this dissatisfaction is one candidate's clear track-record of immoral behavior and the other candidate's ever-surfacing links to questionable business dealings and political favors. “Speaking objectively, neither of these qualities are positive.

Both are destructive and even - in some respects - related to each other. Yet, in terms of electing a president, accusations of corruption carry greater consequences than accusations of immorality."

How did he come to this conclusion? He opines, "While immorality destroys the reputation of an individual, corruption not only erodes the individual, but the governing system as a whole."

Hereafter he goes on to compare the performance of past US Presidents by his measuring scale of "immoral" or "corrupt."

"John Kennedy," he says, "was accused of at least a dozen extra-marital encounters before and during his presidency. Franklin Roosevelt had a well-known affair that spanned decades. And Chester Arthur, though having lost his wife to pneumonia before taking office, was rumored to have had a mistress. All in all, 14 U.S. presidents - practically a third of all commanders in chief in U.S. history - have been accused, in varying degrees, of moral misconduct."

Dr Joesph makes it clear that he doesn't condone this behavior for "it harms individuals and families and does not model an ideal leader. Yet it does not erase the remarkable service these men gave to the U.S. at critical moments in its history." And how was that?

"Kennedy, who was tragically deprived of serving a full term in office, played a role in half-a-dozen of the most important events of the 20th century, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Civil Rights Movement. Franklin Roosevelt remains as one of the most respected figures of the 20th century and is credited with seeing America through the Great Depression and World War II. And Chester Arthur, though often overlooked in the annals of history, signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which clearly stated that positions in the federal government should be awarded on the basis of merit and not party membership. He is perhaps the most tangible example of a president who failed morally yet stood resolutely against corruption."

As for the "corrupt" past presidents in his list, he goes on to say, "the record stands clear that America will not tolerate a man - or potentially, a woman - who will use authority for personal gain.

Richard Nixon, the paragon of political folly and deception who barely escaped impeachment, stands as the best example of how corruption seeps through the echelons of governmental power and, consequently, paves the way for outright criminal action. Yet, today, Richard Nixon's actions would not have received the same scrutiny and outrage."

Dr Joseph insisted that as in India, political "corruption" is the issue in America, but Americans will not use the word. In this context he had a word of praise for India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi who he claimed had come to power precisely because he ran on an anti-corruption platform, and "he has done a commendable job at it."

Let us hope then that another "immoral" president, according to Dr Joseph's classification, will bring laurels to crisis-ridden America.

December 2, 2016

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