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Eva Longoria visits Taj Mahal with fiancé Details on page 43

VOL 21, No. 1109

December 25, 2015

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Periodical Postage

AI STOPS U.S.-BOUND 19 FROM BOARDING

Destination Cal varsities deny they're blacklisted HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: Air India barred 19 Indian students from boarding its flight to San Francisco so they are not "inconvenienced" after being told by the US authorities that the two universities to which they had secured admission were under "scrutiny".

The national carrier, which did not allow these students to board the flight at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has decided not to accept students headed

to these universities till the time it got clearance from Air India's US office for their travel.

However, the two universities - Silicon Valley University and Northwestern Polytechnic University - have denied they have been blacklisted. They clarified it could be because of increased security and questioning at the port of entry in view of the recent terrorist attacks in the country.

Details on page 5

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

Neetu Chandra and Tarun Mullick

Neetu Chandra making mark in US Sitcom Details on page 21

Telugu song in NY OffBroadway play Details on page 17

‘India to be fastest growing economy’ Details on page 8

Newly crowned Miss Universe nearly missed it

PM backs Arun Jaitley on DDCA charges

Details on page 50

Details on page 9

India seeks 100 armed drones from US

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

Details on page 6

Community Post -------------- 16-23 Date Book -------------------------- 47

INDIA POST SURVEY

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

survey@indiapost.com

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

This week’s question

Horoscope ------------------------- 37

Should Juveniles be tried as adults?

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

Last week’s result

H-1B cess move myopic fear of foreigners?

YES 83%

NO 17%

Life Style ----------------------- 50-52

JUSTICE SECURED: Nirbhaya's parents Badrinath Singh and Asha Devi (left) at Parliament House on December 22

Philosophy ------------------------- 53

where they witnessed the Rajya Sabha passing the Juvenile Justice Bill which provides for the trial of those between 16 and 18 years as adults for heinous offences. On right is a picture of Nirbhaya's mother a day earlier protesting at Jantar Mantar against the release by the Supreme Court of the juvenile in the Dec 16 rape case (Details on page 8)

Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 30-31 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

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day before President Obama jetted off to Hawaii with his family he was diligent enough to give the nation a report card on his achievements for the year 2015 - perhaps a softening tactic to the perennial critics of his oh-so-expensive, exchequer-funded annual family vacations.

Impressive or not, in what practically would be his last big report card, President Obama's achievements for the year are definitely diverse and tangible, in that they bring real changes to the lives of millions of Americans, even if they may be reaping the benefits of efforts that were set rolling over the past several years.

When he came into office in 2008, unemployment was the biggest challenge facing the nation. Well, it took so many years, but today Obama is proudly flaunting 13.7 million new jobs and an unemployment rate that has been cut in half, down to 5 percent.

Although still controversial, under Obamacare, 17 million more Americans gained healthcare coverage, bringing the rate of the uninsured to below 10% in the country.

Hold the applause, for here's the big shiner of the year - marriage equality.

The Supreme Court in June ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same sex couples to marry in all of the 50 states of America.

On the international front, President Obama would like to take credit for having led the historic climate change agreement. Though I wouldn't credit either Obama or the US in general for doing enough on the carbon footprint front, it is commendable nevertheless that the US and other developed nations gave the others enough space to work towards the shared goals without having to compromise on their own economic development.

But I would personally congratulate President Obama for his proactive and pragmatic approach in reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba and managing a tangible deal to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

While none of these may seem like they have made life dramatically better for Americans they do put a positive spin on an otherwise bleak world perspective.

So grant it to Obama. He has earned his fireworks on New Year's Eve.

Romesh K Japra rkjapra@indiapost.com

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Akshay the villain Bollywood action hero Akshay Kumar has been roped in play villain in Shankar's Robot 2', Tamil version, titled 'Enthiran 2'

Cover Story: Students barred Air India barred 19 Indian students from boarding its flight from Hyderabad to join two California universities

Community: Fundraiser for Chennai Top 20 organizations from Chicago organized a Chennai Flood Disaster Fundraiser which was attended by 800 persons

Pathway to citizenship More Americans favor than oppose a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who are living in United States illegally

Life style: Bollywood in Hollywood This year saw Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan bagging plump assignments in Hollywood

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India protests In the Nairobi WTO session, India registered a strong "disappointment" over the non-reaffirmation of Doha Agenda.

Konark Konark is renowned for its centuries old Temple, alluring trendy beach and the much acclaimed dance festival.

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AI stops US-bound 19 from boarding HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: Air India barred 19 Indian students from boarding its flight to San Francisco so they are not "inconvenienced" after being told by the US authorities that the two universities to which they had secured admission were under "scrutiny".

The national carrier, which did not allow these students to board the flight at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has decided not to accept students headed to these universities till the time it got clearance from Air India's US office for their travel.

"Air India received communication on December 19 from the US Customs and Border Protection agency that two universities namely Silicon Valley, San Jose,

California and North Western Polytechnic College, Fremont, CA are under scrutiny and students who arrived into San Francisco were not allowed to enter the US and were deported back to India," an Air India statement said.

"In the past, we have witnessed that students who secured admission in those institutions have been deported to India as soon as they land there. To avoid embarrassment to them and save their money, we prevented them from boarding the flight," an AI official said in Hyderabad.

Air India has offered full refund and waived all charges such as cancellation and rescheduling fee.

The airliner said it will start accepting students traveling to join

these universities, at no additional cost, as soon as clearance is received from Air India's US office.

The statement said so far 14

"In the past, we have witnessed that students who secured admission in those institutions have been deported to India as soon as they land there. To avoid embarrassment to them, we prevented them from boarding�

students who traveled on Air India flights to San Francisco have been deported. Students travel on a one-way ticket to the US and, in the event of deportation, incur huge expenditure to buy a ticket back to India on first available service. Further, seats are often not available on any airlines to travel back," it said.

"Considering the situation, as a precautionary measure and to avoid inconvenience, students booked for travel to take admission to these universities are not being accepted on Air India flights," the statement said.

US Consulate officials in Hyderabad said they are trying to gather information on the episode.

"We are indeed aware of the reports that some students were

denied entry on the flights to the US. At this time, we don't have any further information to share with you on this particular issue, but we are seeking clarity on the situation.

"As soon as we have new information, we will get back to you immediately," an email reply from the US Consulate said.

When contacted, an immigration official at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport said that clearance for boarding a flight has to be given by the airline concerned through the issuance of boarding pass.

"The students were not issued boarding passes. It is the airline's responsibility to clear passengers.

We have nothing to do with the issue," he said. -PTI

Not blacklisted, say California universities WASHINGTON: The two California-based universities have said they have not been blacklisted by the US which was cited as reasons for the recent deportation of 14 Indian students and prevention of another 19 from flying out of India.

The two universities - Silicon Valley University and Northwestern Polytechnic University - said they have been told by the US Customs and Border Protection that they have not been blacklisted by the US Government or any of its agencies.

However, the two universities said that there has been increased security and questioning at the port of entry in view of the recent terrorist attacks in the country.

As such they asked students coming to the US to have all the necessary documents in their possession before they leave their country.

"It has been brought to the attention of Northwestern Polytechnic University officials that false reports are being disseminated by certain media outlets and other groups that Northwestern Polytechnic University has been blacklisted by the United States govern"The university is reaching ment. These reports are absolutely and comout to Air India corporate pletely false," the NPU officials and US embassy said in a separate statepersonnel to resolve this ment.

Northwestern Polymisunderstanding as technic University ofsoon as possible," ficials have spoken with a US Customs and "Recently there are some ru- Border Protection representative mors on SVU has been targeting and it is the representative's unto proceed extra screening mea- derstanding that no US governsures or even alleging SVU has ment agency has blacklisted NPU been 'blacklisted'. These rumors and that there is no general order are absolutely false. SVU is valid for US Customs officers to refuse educational institution. Students entry into the US by NPU stuat SVU are not being targeted and dents, it said.

"Due to the recent attack in safe to study in the US," the Silicon Valley University said in a Paris, stricter customs screening measures are being applied to all statement.

travelers to the US," the university said.

NPU said students are specifically experiencing difficulties with Air India. "The university is reaching out to Air India corporate officials and US embassy personnel to resolve this misunderstanding as soon as possible," the university said.

"If you plan to travel by Air India, we suggest that, if possible, you postpone your trip while university officials clear up this issue with Air India," the university said.

Both the universities have asked the incoming students to have all the necessary original documents in their possession.

These include passport, visa, the university acceptance package, I-20 issued by the university, proof of financial independence or support, proof that they qualify to

study in the US, and travel documents issued by them. PTI

Silicon Valley University

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2015, a transformative year for India-US ties WASHINGTON: In the annals of Indo-US ties, 2015 would be remembered as a transformative year which set the tone for a new dimension of active engagements at the top leadership level and a growing defense partnership that is set to become an anchor of global security.

The year started with a historic India visit of US President Barack Obama wherein he attended the

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said that during the recently concluded climate negotiations in Paris President Obama and Prime Minister Modi talked regularly on new secure communications lines to find common ground and develop ways to proceed in reaching an agreement.

"What we are witnessing in the US-India partnership is the culmination of years of effort actually

File photo of US President Barack Obama & First Lady Michelle Obama being warmly welcomed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on January 25, 2015

annual Republic Day Parade in New Delhi on January 26. By this he not only became the first American president to attend the top Indian parade, but also only the first one to visit India twice.

Dismissing the security concerns of the secret service, Obama sat in an open arena for three hours watching the parade that gave him a glimpse of India's cultural diversity and its military might. His visit also resulted in resolving the contentious pending issues in the civil nuclear deal.

President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to establish a hotline between them and launch a Strategic and Commercial Dialogue and renew India-US Defense partnership agreement; thus giving a new dimension to this strategic bilateral ties at a time when China is flexing its muscle in disputed South China Sea. The results were visible by the time when curtain came down on 2015. Obama and Modi had met thrice during the year the two subsequent meetings were in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and one in Paris on the sidelines of the climate change summit.

Obama and Modi started talking frequently over the hotline, after it was established this summer. The US President has hotline or a secure line of communication only for a few world leaders.

decades of hard work that has yielded important results for both nations. This past year, in particular, was especially transformative," he said.

This Fall India and the US launched the first-ever Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, bringing a whole-of- government approach.

Currently there are 30+ working groups and government-togovernment dialogues between the two sides that have been established on everything from

two leaders spent nine hours together at a stretch last week.

Carter, who had visited India this summer to sign and renew the India-US Defense Partnership agreement for another 10 years, said the defense partnership between the United States and India will become "an anchor of global security."

Being described as a milestone, the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative has gained its own momentum as the two sides have started talking for co-operation in the field of jet engine and aircraft carriers in addition to co-development and co-production of a number of hi-tech military hardware.

Bilateral defense trade this year crossed USD 14 billion.

"Our cooperation became more regular, even routine, which had the effect not only of building a certain durability and resiliency in our relationship that is critical to moving to the next level, but also in resolving disputes," Verma says.

Agrees his Indian counterpart.

"Today, it is natural for India and the US to consult regularly on all major policy issues of the day be it security of the global commons, reform of the international economic and financial architecture or creation of an open, balanced and inclusive architecture in Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region," Indian Ambassador to the US Arun K Singh says.

"Our countries have taken their global partnership to third countries where our expertise and resources are valued," Singh observes. India and the US signed on to a common vision for the security of the Asia-Pacific.

"Our countries have taken their global partnership to third countries where our expertise and resources are valued," Singh observes.

India and the US signed on to a common vision for the security of the Asia-Pacific space cooperation, cyber security, global health security and civil aviation.

In December, Manohar Parrikar became the first Indian defense minister to visit the Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii and given a rare insight of a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter himself accompanied Parrikar to America's top nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower and give his Indian counterpart a ride on his personal plane. At the end of the day, the

Bilateral trade between India and the US is now around USD 100 billion - rising five-fold in the last decade.

Obama and Modi have set a goal of taking it to USD 500 billion in the next few years. While sharp differences between the two nations remain on some of the key trade related issues including agriculture, pharma sector, intellectual property and H-1B visas, unlike in the previous years it did not spill out in the open or threatened to challenge the bilateral relationship.-PTI

India seeks 100 armed drones from US WASHINGTON: India has sought from the US 100 latest unmanned aerial vehicles, both armed and surveillance versions, worth USD 2 billion to bolster its arsenal amid recurring incursions

by Chinese troops.

Industry sources familiar with New Delhi's interest and ongoing talks between the two governments, said India had requested for the latest Avenger drones, which is basically an unmanned combat air vehicle, and is mainly

the defense trade which would include armed drones to the next level.

"Yes, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is aware of India's interest in Predator-series Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)," Vivek Lall, chief executive of the US and International Strategic Development of General Atomics told PTI. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems produces Predator series of remotely piloted aircraft.

being sought with an eye on China.

It has also sought Predator XP category which is a surveillance version for internal security issues and terrorist threats.

According to industry sources, India is looking for about 100 drones worth USD 2 billion.

However, while talks in this regard have accelerated in the past few months, the US has not made any formal commitment or given a public indication pending India's application to joining Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Italy, which is upset with New Delhi's treatment of its marines, appears to have currently blocked India becoming a member of MTCR. However, both Indian and US officials are confident that they would be able to get through the last hurdle in the next few months, thus making them possible to take

"Due to US export laws, the US government has to approve the export of a Predator-series RPA to the Indian government.

GA-ASI remains very encouraged by the recent India-US bilateral engagements at the highest levels and we are hopeful that we can play an important supporting role in these discussions," he said.

"Predator-series RPA could provide a world-class Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability for India which would include both high-definition radar and Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) coverage along India's borders," Lall said in response to a question.

Additionally, the RPA can perform humanitarian aid/disaster relief surveillance over both land and sea, said Lall, who had previously played a key role in US sale of high tech military assets to India during his stint at Boeing. -PTI

December 25, 2015

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Afghan forces foil attack on Indian mission

India to be fastest growing economy: Harvard

NEW YORK: India, with a pro- gains in productive capabilities, jected annual growth rate of 7 per allowing it to diversify its exports KABUL/NEW DELHI: Afghan the Taliban on the incident.

Ministry Vikas Swarup in New cent, has the potential to be the into more complex products, insecurity forces have arrested a Last week, security personnel Delhi said that it once again world's fastest growing economy cluding pharmaceuticals, vewould-be suicide bomber and arrested two ISIS terrorists who shows the security situation in over the coming decade, surging hicles, even electronics," said thwarted his plan to attack the had planned to attack vehicles of Afghanistan and the need to be ahead of its South Asian economic Ricardo Hausmann, Professor of Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad ever-vigilant against such atrival China that will continue to the Practice of Economic DevelJalalabad city, bordering Pakistan, city. tempts. see a slowdown, Harvard re- opment at Harvard Kennedy second such incident within a Ata-ur-Rahman alias Hanzala In June this year, searchers said in a new forecast.

School and CID director. week. and Abdullah alias Qari Ismail Afghanistan's intelligence "India has the potential to be Hausmann noted these gains Citing Afghanistan's National were arrested with a 30-KG bomb agency had arrested a group of the fastest growing economy over in economic complexity have hisDirectorate of Security (NDS), of- before reaching to their target, Haqqani network militants who the coming decade... ficials said the forces had arrested Khaama Press reported, citing a plotted terror attack from PakiIndia tops the global list stan on a popular guest house in for predicted annual "India has made important Kabul that killed 14 people, ingrowth rate for the com- gains in productive capaIn a footage sent to media together with the cluding four Indians. ing decade, at 7.0 per The terrorists had attacked the cent," new growth pro- bilities, allowing it to diverstatement by NDS, one of the suspects guest house thinking Indian Am- jections presented by identifying himself as Ata-ur-Rahman says sify its exports into more bassador Amar Sinha was researchers at the Centhey were told to plant the landmine on the present in the compound. tre for International De- complex products, includIn May 2014, the Indian conside of the road to target vehicles of the velopment (CID) at ing pharmaceuticals, vesulate in Herat was attacked by Harvard University Indian Consulate four heavily-armed gunmen, who showed. hicles, even electronics," were subsequently killed in an "This far outpaces said Ricardo Hausmann the suicide bomber who was plan- statement released by NDS on encounter. India had attributed projections for its ning to attack the Indian Consu- December 14. the strike to terror elements "benorthern neighbor and late in Jalalabad, the capital of eastIn a footage sent to media to- yond the borders" of the war-torn economic rival, China, which the torically translated into higher inern Nangarhar province. gether with the statement by NDS, country. researchers expect to face a con- comes.

The bomber, identified as Nasir, one of the suspects identifying In August 2013, a failed bomb- tinued slowdown to 4.3 per cent "China has already realized is a resident of Tagab district of himself as Ata-ur-Rahman says ing against the Indian Consulate growth annually to 2024, the re- many of these gains, doubling per north-eastern Kapisa province, they were told to plant the in Jalalabad killed nine people, inport said. capita income in less than a deAttaullah Ludin, a spokesman for landmine on the side of the road cluding six children. No Indian South Asia and East Africa cade. We expect that India's rethe provincial governor, was to target vehicles of the Indian officials were hurt. have the greatest potential for cent gains in complexity, coupled quoted as saying by the Consulate.

The Haqqani network is "rapid growth" as oil economies with its ability to continue improvTolonews.

Indian Consulate is located blamed for several deadly attacks and other commodity-driven ing it will drive higher incomes, He said Nasir had recently close to the area from where the against Indian interests in Af- economies face the slowest positioning India to lead global joined the Taliban and confessed suspects were rounded up. ghanistan including the 2008 growth outlook, it said. economic growth over the comto his plot during investigations.

When asked to comment on bombing of the Indian mission in "India has made important ing decade," he said.

There was no comment from these arrests, External Affairs Kabul that killed 58 people. -PTI The CID data predicted that growth in emerging markets will continue to outpace that of advanced economies, though the gap is closing. CID is also bullish NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha tice," the victim's mother said af- posed law to house juveniles ac- decide whether they should be on East Africa, with Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya ranking in the released. cused of heinous crime. on December 22 approved a land- ter the bill was passed.

"There will be a review... if they top 10, with all predicted to grow The youngster convicted in "They (juvenile convicts) will mark law allowing the trial of criminals between 16 and 18 years as the gang rape and murder was be- not stay with adults in jails meant still have a criminal bent of mind, at least 5.5 per cent annually.

The growth forecast also looks adults in heinous crimes like rape, low 17 at the time of the crime and for adults... They will be kept in they will serve the complete senfavorably on Southeast Asia, tence," said the minister. was tried by the Juvenile Justice borstals.

It does not exist at three years after the brutal sexual Maneka Gandhi said juvenile where the Philippines, Malaysia, assault on a paramedic student in Board, which had handed him a present... it will be created," the crime was being en- Indonesia and Vietnam look to Delhi roused the nation out of three-year term at a couraged by the exist- drive growth well above global correctional facility. slumber. averages. ing law.

The other five However, the amended secGrowth in advanced econo"Juveniles' involvetions of the Juvenile Justice Act convicts were mies remains slow by comparison, ment in crime is inwill have no bearing on the De- handed death senthough it has risen slightly in the creasing the fastest. cember 16, 2012 case and the ju- tences by the trial Children walk into po- projections in recent years. venile convict who was released court and later upThe US is expected to grow at lice stations and say we held by the high from a care home on Monday. have murdered... send 2.8 per cent annually to 2024, with Under the new law, juveniles court. One of the us to a juvenile home," higher growth predicted in the was between 16-18 years convicted in convicts United Kingdom (3.2 per cent) the minister said. heinous crime face a maximum of found dead in Pointing out that and Spain (3.4 per cent), and seven years in jail. The bill has prison later. even children commit- slower growth in Italy (1.8 per CPM members already been passed in the Lok ted crime against other cent) and Germany (0.35 per cent). opposed to the Sabha.

The United Nations has also children, she wonchanges walked The parents of the victim - who dered: "Are we going predicted that India will continue had died a few days after the as- out of the house to protect the victim or to be the fastest growing sault by six men on a moving bus before the bill was economy in the world in 2016 and Social activists Shabana Azmi consoles Narbhaya’ s Mother Asha the criminal?"

- were present in the Upper House put to voice vote.

Devi at a program to observe the third anniversary of Nirbhaya "It (the bill) will 2017, projected to grow by 7.3 per Giving out the when lawmaker after lawmaker cut gang-rape case as Nirbhaya Chetna Divas at Jantar Mantar in stop a 16-year-old from cent next year and 7.5 per cent the details, across party lines to make emo- bill's New Delhi on December 16 saying 'I have burnt a year after amid a global order that tional appeals for lowering the age women and child jhuggi. Send me to juvenile jus- will see persistent macroeconomic for trying juveniles between 16- development minister Maneka minister said. tice (board)'. 'Or I have raped, mur- uncertainties, diminished trade Gandhi said borstals custodial The convicted juveniles will 18 years as adults in serious crimes. "I am satisfied but sad that institutions for young offenders - stay in borstals till attaining the dered, send me to JJ...'," Maneka flows and stagnant investment. PTI my daughter could not get jus- - would be set up under the pro- age of 21, and will be evaluated to Gandhi said. -Agiences

New law allows trial of juveniles as adults

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PM backs Arun Jaitley on corruption charges NEW DELHI: In a strong show of support for Arun Jaitley, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the Finance Minister will come through "with flying colors" against charges of corruption leveled against him by the opposition in a same way L K Advani did in the Hawala case.

Batting for Jaitley, accused by Congress and AAP of financial irregularities in Delhi cricket body when he headed it, Modi hit out at Congress at BJP's parliamentary party meeting for leveling "wrong and manufactured" allegations to "defame" the government.

At the parliamentary party, no reference was made to similar charges made by BJP MP Kirti Azad, who was not present in the meeting.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs

Minister M Venkaiah Naidu quoted Modi as having said that BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vasundhara Raje had similarly faced such "wrong" charges from Congress earlier.

"The Prime Minister gave the example of L K Advani. The government at that time tried to implicate him in the Hawala case.

Advani came through with flying colors and the strategy of Congress boomeranged. Same thing is going to happen regarding allegations against Jaitley... Congress is inventing issue to defame the government," Naidu said.

Advani and a number of other leaders were investigated by CBI during the Congress government headed by P V Narasimha Rao. Advani had resigned from Lok Sabha in 1996 after allegations

US welcomes India, Pak efforts at talks WASHINGTON: Welcoming the recent effort by India and Pakistan to work together to solve difficult, complicated issues, the US has said leaders of the two countries now appear to be "genuinely interested" in fostering greater understanding among them.

"We continue to welcome efforts by India and Pakistan to work bilaterally to solve these very difficult, complicated issues. And so that they have started to do that,"

out having more detail about his comments or the context in which they were made, I'd really be loath to go further than that".

He also said that for more than a decade now, the US has been talking with Pakistan on terrorist safe havens.

"We've been crystal clear for well over a decade now, bilaterally with Pakistan, about our concerns about terrorism in the region, to include the safe havens that we know terrorist organizations have along that spine between Afghanistan and Paki"We've been crystal clear stan. for well over a decade "So look, this is a now, bilaterally with Pakirelationship that remains vital to us. We stan, about our concerns don't always see eye to about terrorism in the region, eye on everything, but there's no reason why to include the safe havens we shouldn't see eye to that we know terrorist eye on the threat of terorganizations� rorism since so many Pakistani citizens and State Department Spokesman Pakistani soldiers have fallen vicJohn Kirby told reporters at his tim to it," Kirby said. daily news conference.

He added that "whether it is in "...(leaders of India and Paki- this country or many other counstan) appear to be genuinely in- tries around the world, to see that terested in fostering greater un- terrorism remains a real and chalderstanding between the two lenging threat that it behooves countries, that's welcome," he said everybody to try to get their adding that the US continues to hands around". encourage that.

Breaking the logjam in their ties When asked about reported earlier this month, India and Pakidirection by Pakistani Prime Min- stan announced that they have ister Nawaz Sharif to his ministers decided to engage in a "comprenot to make anti-India statements, hensive" dialogue that will include Kirby said "there's always a bal- peace and security and Jammu ance to be struck here. And with- and Kashmir. -PTI

were leveled against him in the hawala case. The case, however,

as Congress and AAP have tried to corner him over the issue and

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley arrives at Patiala House Courts to file a defamation case against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for their DDCA corruption allegations against him, in New Delhi on December 21

later collapsed due to lack of evidence.

BJP has rallied around Jaitley

demanded his resignation. Party chief Amit Shah issued a strong statement in his support.

A number of Union Ministers had also joined Jaitley, a key party strategist, in a court where he had filed defamation cases against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders.

Aiming to take the battle to the opposition, BJP MPs of the Lok Sabha will be spending one night in each assembly constituency in their seat to spread awareness about the "good work" being done by the Modi government and the opposition's campaign to "defame" it. This will be done in January, Naidu said.

BJP's Lok Sabha MPs will do a similar reach-out exercise in February in a neighboring constituency, Naidu said, adding that party's Rajya Sabha members will do it in constituencies where the party had lost in the general election last year.-PTI

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10 BSF men killed in Delhi air crash NEW DELHI: All the 10 people on board a small Ranchi-bound BSF plane carrying technical personnel were killed when it crashed near Dwarka and burst into flames just outside the IGI airport here shortly after take-off.

Aviation sources said the accident happened at around 9.50 am when the twin-engine Superking plane crashed into the airport boundary wall near a rail-

after the inquiry what were the reasons or lapses resulted in this incident," he added.

BSF sources said the technicians were on their way to Ranchi to repair a helicopter.

The DG-level talks between India and Bangladesh scheduled for Dec 22 in Dhaka were cancelled in the wake of the crash, according to BSF sources.

Police said six bodies have

"We saw a plane spiraling down which crashed near the wall where work was going on. I could sport one body. A laborer who was working was also injured," an eye witness Suraj said. The area was engulfed in dense smoke way track and landed in a sewage treatment plant while returning back apparently due to a technical problem five minutes after it took off for Ranchi.

The aircraft lost contact with the Air Traffic Control, at 9.50 am, they said.

"It is unfortunate that all 10 people including the pilots have died in the crash," Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said. There were two pilots on board.

"It is a matter of probe what led to the crash. We can only tell

been recovered from the crash site.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the crash.

"Pained by the loss of lives in the BSF plane crash in Delhi. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased," he said.

Eyewitnesses said the plane hit a wall outside the technical area of the airport before bursting into flames and then crashed into a water body.

"We saw a plane spiraling down which crashed near the wall

where work was going on. I could sport one body. A laborer who was working was also injured," an eye witness Suraj said.

The area was engulfed in dense smoke and fire with pieces of aircraft spread around.

Delhi Fire Service chief A K Sharma said 15 tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames.

An inquiry has been ordered by the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh briefed the Prime Minister about the crash and rushed to the crash site.

The 10 on board the ill-fated aircraft comprised the pilot, who was a second-in-command rank officer of SIB, the co-pilot, who is a Deputy Commandant, six technicians, one engineer and one crew member.

Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said authorities were in the process of setting up a Committee of Inquiry to probe the mishap.

"We are trying to identify a pilot who has flown the type of aircraft that has crashed," he said.

The victims were identified as chief pilot of the aircraft and Deputy Commandant Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt of BSF, Rajesh Shivrain- second-in-command of paramilitary SSB and co-pilot of the ill-fated flight, Deputy Com-

Hindu, Sikh groups join to protect pluralism WASHINGTON: Hindu and Sikh American groups have joined a White House-initiated interfaith coalition to celebrate and protect religious pluralism in the US, in the wake of discriminatory attacks on community members following the deadly California terrorist attack.

The coalition came in the wake of backlash against religious minorities, Muslims and Sikhs, after the California terrorist attack in which a radicalized Pakistan-origin American couple killed 14 people.

Hindu American Seva Communities is the only Hindu group invited by the White House while the Sikh American groups include National Sikh Campaign and the Sikh Coalition. Other groups are Interfaith Alliance, Interfaith Youth Core, Islamic Networks Group, Muslim Advocates, National Council of Churches, Religious Action Center, Religions for Peace USA and Shoulder to

Shoulder.

"Hate-motivated violence and discrimination deserve no place in a civilized society. They also violate our federal civil rights laws," head of the civil rights division at the US Department of Justice

Vanita Gupta

Vanita Gupta said in her address to the gathering of top faithbased leaders.

"Similar to what we saw after 9/11, in recent weeks following the terrible and tragic attacks in San Bernardino and Paris and amidst a ratcheting up of divisive rheto-

ric around religious intolerance community members and advocates have reported an uptick in hate-related incidents targeting Muslim-Americans, as well as those perceived rightly or wrongly as being Muslim.

"We have heard from Muslim parents concerned for the safety of their children being bullied in school. And we have heard about reports of criminal threats and violence against mosques, children and adults. We continue to investigate many of these incidents," Gupta said.

"This discriminatory backlash not only threatens the millions of Muslims in the US who peacefully practice their religion. It threatens all of us, because Muslims, like all Americans, work in our local businesses, teach in our schools, compete on our sports teams and risk their lives in defense of our country. America derives its prosperity, strength and security from the diversity of its people," she said.-PTI

The wreckage of a Border Security Force (BSF) aircraft which crashed near Dwarka in Delhi on December 22

mandant D Kumar, Inspector Raghvendra Kumar Yadav, Inspector SN Sharma, Sub-Inspectors Ravindra Kumar, Surendra Singh, C L Sharma, ASI D P

Chauhan and Constable K R Rawat.

The 11-seater aircraft was inducted during 1994-95 in the BSF, a force spokesperson said.-PTI

McCullum to bid adieu to international cricket CHRISTCHURCH: New its team for the World T20.

Zealand skipper Brendon "Ideally, I would have preferred McCullum has announced his re- to wait until after the Test in tirement from all forms of interna- Christchurch to make this news tional cricket after the home two- public. However, the schedule for Test series against Australia in naming the ICC World T20 squads February. means I couldn't The 34-year-old have managed this batsman will feature without causing a lot in his world-record of confusion and 100th successive speculation, someTest since debut at thing I was keen to the Basin Reserve on avoid," said February 12 and will McCullum, a day afquit after the second ter his team won the Test at Hagley Oval Test series against Sri from February 20.

Lanka 2-0.

With McCullum "I've loved my opretiring, 25-year old portunity to play for batsman Kane and captain the Black Brendon McCullum Williamson, who has Caps but all good become the topthings have to come ranked Test batsman, will captain to an end, and I'm just grateful for the New Zealand team during the the wonderful experience of playWorld Twenty20 in India to be ing for my country," added the held from March 8 to April 3. swashbuckling batsman, who beMcCullum said he wanted to came the first New Zealander ever make the announcement later but to reach the triple ton milestone he was compelled to share it now against India in Wellington last as New Zealand will soon name year..-PTI

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Hinduism has room for all forms of belief: SC SRIDHAR DAMLE

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court recently sought to dispel the notion about rigidity of Hinduism harbored in certain quarters and said it was the "collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries" even as it delivered a landmark judgment saying the state could not have a say in who should be appointed a pujari (priest) in a temple.

"Religion incorporates the particular belief(s) that a group of people subscribe to. Hinduism, as a religion, incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief," a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and N V Ramana said.

"It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Sanatan Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate," it added.

Deciding a petition by Adi Saiva Sivachariyagal Nala Sangam which had challenged a Tamil Nadu government order of 2006 deciding to take up appointment of priests to temples, the SC ruled that priests could be appointed as per norms prescribed by the scriptures so long as the selec-

tion did not violate the Constitution's cardinal non-discrimination mandate.

The bench did a tightrope walk in maintaining the sanctity of religious customs in appointment of temple priests and not getting overawed by religious sensitivity by clarifying that selection of

"It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Sanatan Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom� priests could not violate the basic constitutional mandate of non-discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed and gender.

It also said right to freedom of religion included right to observe religious practices.

Writing the judgment for the bench, Justice Gogoi said, "Requirement of constitutional conformity is inbuilt and if a custom

or usage is outside the protective umbrella afforded and envisaged

by Articles 25 and 26 (right to practice and profess any religion), the law will certainly take its own course. Constitutional legitimacy, naturally, must supersede all religious beliefs or practices."

The bench also clarified that non-interference of the government in religious practices, in this case appointment of priests, did not mean the courts could not adjudicate disputes arising on the same issue.

"The exclusion of all 'outside authorities' from deciding what is an essential religious practice must be viewed in the context of the limited role of the state in matters relating to religious freedom as envisaged by Articles 25 and 26 and not of the courts as the arbiter of constitutional rights and principles," it said.

The court examined the effect of Article 16(5) of the Constitution, which excludes application of equal opportunity in matters of public employment in connection with the affairs of religious denominational institutions, to appointment of archakas (pujaris).

It said, "Exclusion of some and inclusion of a particular segment or denomination for appointment as archakas would not violate Article 14 (right to equality) so long

No adverse impact from Paris pact: Govt NEW DELHI: The Government has assured the Lok Sabha that there would be no adverse impact on India's development due to commitments made at the Paris climate summit as the country will attain sustainable growth even while reducing its carbon emissions.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the outcome of the Paris climate summit was a victory for India and the country would reduce its carbon emissions.

"We will work on carbon efficiency path," he said in reply to questions.

Earlier this month, 195 countries reached a deal to attempt to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than two degree celsius at the climate change summit in Paris.

Whatever India has agreed to at the Paris (summit) would not have any adverse impact on the

country's development and poverty alleviation efforts, he noted.

Elaborating on the outcome of the Paris climate talks, the Minister said it has been decided that

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar

differentiated action would be taken by developed and developing countries with respect to reducing carbon emissions.

A target has been set to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to

3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in forests, he added.

Besides, efforts are being made to increase the forest cover to 33 per cent in the long term.

"We will walk the talk...

We will not stop (on our) growth path. We will attain sustainable growth," he said.

As per the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCS), India aims to have 40 per cent of total installed power generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.

The renewable energy generation capacity is projected to increase to 1,75,000 MW by 2022 from 35,000 MW as on March this year.

"India is aiming to generate 100 GW of solar power, 60 GW of power from wind, 10 GW bio-mass power and 5 GW small hydro power by 2022," Javadekar said. -PTI

as such inclusion/exclusion is not based on the criteria of caste, birth or any other constitutionally unacceptable parameter."

The Tamil Nadu government order of May 23, 2006 had said, "Any person who is a Hindu and possesses requisite qualification and training can be appointed as

It cannot even be said to have one single, supreme scripture. It has thrived and evolved over thousands of years because of its secular, global, assimilative character an archaka in Hindu temples." The court said the validity of this order would have to be decided keeping in mind the peculiar facts and circumstances of each case and it would not be appropriate to give a general finding on this issue.

It said, "Appointment of archakas will have to be in accordance with agamas (scriptures), subject to their due identification

as well as their conformity with constitutional mandates and principles."

The Supreme Court has reiterated what this paper has held as an article of faith: Essentially, that Hinduism is the longest-running socially liberal program in the world. Unlike many other religions, Hinduism has never had a 'head', which is one of the reasons why it has survived countless attacks. Those who have sought to kill it have failed to do so for the simple reason they could never find a 'head' to chop off.

It cannot even be said to have one single, supreme scripture. It has thrived and evolved over thousands of years because of its secular, global, assimilative character - one where 'anything goes', be it food, dress, language or even belief. Indeed, Hinduism has exhibited an infinite capacity to contain contradictions and implicitly granted its 'subscribers' with a democratic right to create mythological hagiographies of their own.

The recent quasi-political attempts to impose a set of rigid rules in the name of Hinduism fly in the face of its very essence of tolerance, acceptance and inclusiveness. 'Orthodox Hinduism' is oxymoronic; it should be treated as nothing more than an obscurantist branch of Hinduism.

DDCA row: Kirti Azad joins Cong against Jaitley NEW DELHI: The row over alleged financial bungling in DDCA resonated in Parliament with BJP member Kirti Azad embarrassing the ruling side by demanding timebound SIT probe while Congress pressed for resignation of Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who dismissed charges against him as "baseless" and "wrong".

Congress staged a walkout in Lok Sabha which was led by party chief Sonia Gandhi.

While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned repeatedly over the issue, in the Lok Sabha, Kirti Azad, a known detractor of Jaitley, egged on Congress to seek a time-bound SIT probe.

Congress members were already shouting slogans in the Well, demanding resignation of Jaitley, who formerly headed the DDCA. Ruling out Jaitley's resignation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said that the Fi-

nance Minister is known for his "impeccable character, honesty and maintaining high standards in public life".

Jaitley, on his part, said, "The

Kirti Azad

charges (against me) are baseless and wrong. This is all I have to say."

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) report did not find any fault with the expenditure and "accepted" the cost incurred, he said while giving a detailed account of the construction work at Ferozeshah Kotla ground which is under scanner.-PTI

Tech News Haryana to hold roadshows to woo investors CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government is planning to hold roadshows in five metros Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad in the run-up to the investors summit to be held on March 7 and 8 next year in Gurgaon.

The state through the 'Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit-2016' wants to position itself as a preferred investment destination and attract investors.

Besides, 'Pravasi Haryana Divas' is also being organized on March 9, 2016 to attract investments from such entrepreneurs from Haryana who have set up business ventures abroad and in other parts of the country and are doing exceedingly well in their respective fields.

"The main aim of organizing the Summit is to mobilize investments into Haryana by leveraging the primary focus on ease of doing business and enhancing competitiveness of industry by reducing the cost of doing business and promoting skill development, entrepreneurship and innovation under the New Enterprises Promotion Policy-2015, which was announced on August 14, 2015," the Minister said.-PTI

Electric cars await jump-start in New Jersey TEANECK, N.J.: Ask Art Vatsky about his electric car, and he'll tell you about his smooth, quiet commute from Teaneck to the Bronx, the $100 he saves each month bypassing the gas pumps and everything about its engine.

But he'll also tell you about its drawbacks: the limited range and lack of charging stations in New Jersey and elsewhere. ``For day-to-day use, it's great, but I'm not using it for a family vacation,'' said Vatsky, who leases the Honda Fit EV and teaches the next generation of mechanics how to repair these cars at Bronx Community College.

As millions of New Jerseyans hit the highway this holiday season, few will be doing so in an electric car.

Despite a break on sales tax and a recent push to install more charging stations on two of the state's busiest highways, a new report showed New Jersey lags behind on electric vehicles, compared with some other Northeast states.

There are about 2,500 electric vehicles in New Jersey among the 5.7 million registered vehicles in the state. -AP

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BSNL cuts call rates by 80% for new customers NEW DELHI: To speed up customer acquisition, state-owned telecom firm BSNL has slashed mobile rates by up to 80 per cent for the first two months under a scheme for new customers.

"BSNL has revamped its infrastructure now. We have decided to cut mobile call rates by up to 80 per cent for new customer so that they get experience of our revamped services," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI.

India expresses disappointment over non-reaffirmation of Doha round NAIROBI: India has expressed disappointment over non-reaffirmation of the long-stalled Doha Round, agreement on cotton and a few provisions related to phasing out of export subsidies.

In the concluding session here, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman registered a strong "disappointment" over the non-reaffirmation of Doha Development Agenda.

She also expressed her concern and "surprise" that a few amendments have been made in the decision and declarations adopted on cotton.

"I very clearly had mentioned under cotton that for the developing countries, we shall not accept the date. That date of 2017 has gone through, which is completely unacceptable to me ... so I would still appeal to delete the date given here," she said at the concluding session of the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference.

According to the draft decision on cotton, the members decided to phase out export subsidies for developed nations immediately, while it has been marked for developing countries not later January 1, 2017.

On the decision agreed on the phasing out of the export subsidies, Sitharaman said in some paragraphs, the "developed members" word has been replaced with "in-

clusive of developing countries" which is also "not acceptable".

As per the draft ministerial decision, the WTO members reaffirm their commitment, pursuant to the 2013 Bali Ministerial Declaration on Export Competition, to exercise utmost restraint with regard to any recourse to all forms of export sub-

of this Decision. Developing country Members shall eliminate their export subsidy entitlements by the end of 2018," the declaration said.

The members of the global trade body agreed on a commitment for giving the developing nations a right to take recourse to Special Safeguard Mechanism to

MoS for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman delivering her statement at the plenary Session of WTOs 10th Ministerial Conference, in Nairobi on December 16

sidies and all export measures with equivalent effect.

"Developed Members shall immediately eliminate their remaining scheduled export subsidy entitlements as of the date of adoption

protect their farmers - a longstanding demand of India.

Lobbying by India and other developing countries also led to reaffirmation to decisions taken earlier at WTO (World Trade Or-

ganization) on the issue of public stockholding.

"We ensured that the Bali and the General Council's November 2014 decision on public stockholding which gives protection to my farmers has been reaffirmed in no uncertain terms.

"The decisions taken here will form the part from where work will begin on it to give a permanent solution," Trade and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told PTI. According to the draft decision on cotton, the members decided to phase out export subsidies for developed nations immediately, while it has been marked for developing countries not later January 1, 2017.

Expressing her reservations against the decision on cotton, Sitharaman said, "I very clearly had mentioned under cotton that for the developing countries, we shall not accept the date. That date of 2017 has gone through, which is completely unacceptable to me ... so I would still appeal to delete the date given here."

Sitharaman also said that "India is disappointed that notwithstanding a large group - India, China, G33, African Union - all of us insisting that Doha has to be reaffirmed, the reaffirmation has been divided. We are thoroughly disappointed on this core".-PTI

Obama praises US leadership for Paris success WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has praised the US leadership for making the historic Paris agreement possible by bringing "big, emerging countries" like China and India on board as he listed his successes from the year to show "what is possible when America leads".

"In Paris, nearly 200 nations forged an historic agreement that was only possible because of American leadership," Obama told reporters at his annual yearend press conference at the White House.

The US had been "working with other countries, culminating

in the joint announcement with China, bringing in India, bringing in Brazil and the other big, emerging countries, working with the

from a "pretty chaotic process the basic principle that all countries had to participate, that we couldn't have a rigid division between de-

Listing his successes from gains against ISIS to thawing relations with Cuba, Obama said that this year, "what you really saw was that steady, persistent leadership on many initiatives that I began�

Europeans and getting this done", he added.

Obama said when he went to Copenhagen, he engaged in 24 hours of diplomacy to salvage

veloped countries and developing countries when it came to solving this problem".

"This would not have happened without American leader-

ship. And, by the way, the same is true for the Iran nuclear deal.

The same is true for the TransPacific Partnership. The same is true for stamping out Ebola something, you guys may recall from last year, which was the potential end of the world," he said.

Listing his successes from gains against ISIS to thawing relations with Cuba, Obama said that this year, "what you really saw was that steady, persistent leadership on many initiatives that I began when I first came into office".

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A320neo delivery likely to be delayed NEW DELHI: GoAir's wait to induct A320neo aircraft in its fleet may get a little longer as European plane maker Airbus has made it known that it may not be able to deliver the new fuel-efficient aircraft as scheduled from early April next year, airline sources have said.

Airbus is scheduled to commence delivery of these planes to the Wadia group-promoted budget airline from the next fiscal.

GoAir, which is mulling to hit capital market by this fiscal, had

in June 2011, placed order for 72 new A320s, valued at about Rs 32,400 crore on list price, with Airbus.

Another budget carrier IndiGo, which was also to induct A320neos in its fleet from this month, has said it did not have a clear visibility of the plane's future delivery schedule as it had received a notification from Airbus

on December 17 saying the delivery of the first A320 neos has been "delayed due to industrial reasons".

The sources said the A320neo planes to GoAir were unlikely to be delivered from April due to technical issues "which are being sorted out by the aircraft manufacturer."

The delivery of these planes may be delayed by 3-4 months, they said, adding, "In that situation induction of A320neos in GoAir fleet cannot take place before the second quarter (July-September) of FY 16."

In a regulatory filing, IndiGo had said "at this time, IndiGo does not have a clear visibility of its future A320 neo delivery schedule and the potential for additional delays exists. We are looking at mitigating the potential shortfall in capacity through other options."

Besides GoAir and IndiGo, two other domestic carriers - Air India

and Vistara are also A320 neos customers. While state-run Air India plans to induct 14 leased A320 neos from April 2017 onwards, Vistara plans to induct seven such planes through 2018.

Airbus claims that this new type of aircraft burns 10-15 per cent less fuel than the existing versions.

GoAir, which is the second profitable carrier after IndiGo, currently has 19 A320s in the fleet to operate 144 daily flights across 22 domestic destinations.

Significantly, the nofrills airline was scheduled to induct 20th plane last year as part of its 20 aircraft order at the time of commencement of operations in November, 2005.

The induction of the 20th aircraft would have made it eligible for international operations as per 5/20 norms.

The norm mandates Indian carriers to be in operation for at least five years and have a fleet of 20 aircraft to be eligible to fly on international routes. GoAir, however, has deferred the plan in view of the A320 neos delivery. -PTI

Jaitley asks banks to grant 'soft' loans in TN CHENNAI: Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has asked bankers to go "almost on a mission mode" to extend soft loans to people in the flood-affected districts of south Indian state of Tamil Nadu even as Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa urged him to release Rs 2,000 crore for sustaining reconstruction efforts.

Jaitley, in his second meeting with Jayalalithaa this year, held discussions at the Secretariat here for about 45 minutes during which she apprised him of the "calamity of unprecedented magnitude" that ravaged the Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore districts.

"We have set high targets for the banks today," Jaitley told reporters after his meeting with Jayalalithaa.

There are about 2,600 bank branches in the four affected districts and the bankers have been told that applications for soft loans have to be considered "almost on a mission mode".

"The eventual target is that almost every legitimate claimant

should be entertained. Banks have a sufficient amount of fiscal place for that," he said, adding that there will be constant review with bankers on the progress by representatives from Delhi.

Further, as many as 11,000 claims were made with general insurance companies, with 2,000 of

"In some cases, people need education loans. And these are the banking facilities which are available to people.

So, we have set high targets for the banks� them settled, said Jaitley, who had earlier met bankers and officials from the insurance sector.

"So, what we discussed at the meeting and with the chief minister is that about 2,000 of the claims have already been settled. All balance claims will be settled in four

weeks. And if there are any disputes, rather than people going to courts, each insurance company will have an ombudsman who would settle these claims," he said.

People in the affected districts have to be rehabilitated in terms of housing, housing articles and vehicles even as there has been damage to crops and MSME units, noted Jaitley.

"In some cases, people need education loans. And these are the banking facilities which are available to people. So, we have set high targets for the banks today," he said.

He said that loans could be distributed under the Mudra scheme as "we have a large amount of headspace" till the end of this financial year.

He shared similar information with the chief minister as well, a state government release said.

This was the second meeting between the two leaders this year, the first being in January. However, Jayalalithaa was not in the chief minister's chair then as she had been disqualified following her conviction in an assets case.-PTI

Chidambaram debunks Govt on capping GST rate NEW DELHI: Former Finance there should be no one per cent Minister of India P Chidambaram additional levy on inter state goods has debunked the government's movement and the GST rate stand that GST tax rate cannot be should not be more than 18 per capped and put in the Constitu- cent. tion saying there was a precedent On Jaitley's stance that the tax and made it clear that it has the rate cannot be cast in stone by inpower to impose new levies in ex- cluding in the Constitution, he said traordinary situations. there is a precedent when ProfesDismissing Finance Minister sional Tax rate of Rs 2,500 was inArun Jaitley's cluded in the charge that the Constitution.

Congress party "There is a was stalling precedent in the passage of the Constitution Goods and Serwhere the Provices Tax (GST) fessional Tax Bill for "collatrate was capped eral reasons", he at Rs 2,500. It is said the party not unprecwas ready to edented. If the cooperate with Government the government does not provide but has not a cap in the Conheard from it afs t i t u t i o n ter the meeting Amendment Bill between Prime than it must be P Chidambaram M i n i s t e r provided in the Narendra Modi GST Bill. No tax and Sonia Gandhi last month. can be levied without specifying "If the Government had con- the rate," he said. structively engaged with the ConIn case of extraordinary situagress on its three principal objec- tions like natural calamities, the tions since the beginning, the bill government always has powers to could have been passed by now," bring a new levy. Also, the income Chidambaram told PTI here. tax as well as customs duties are He said Chief Economic Advi- not being subsumed in the GST sor Arvind Subramanian's report and they can be raised to mop up on GST endorses two out of the funds for special circumstances, three demands of the Congress - he said.-PTI

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December 25, 2015

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35 companies get CII Innovation Awards India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Delhi-based start-up Right Track Admizzionz Campuz has won the top award in the start-up category in the CII Industrial Innovation Awards 2015 in New Delhi. The grand award in the regular category went to pharma major Zydus Cadila which was adjudged the Most Innovative Company of the Year.

The grand jury which decided the awards comprised Prof.

Devang Khakhar, Director, IIT Bombay; Prof. P. P. Chakrabarti, Director, IIT Kharagpur; Prof.

Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Indore; Prof. Y S Rajan, Dr Vikram Sarabhai Distinguished Professor, ISRO; Mr Prabhat Ranjan, Executive Director, Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC); Prof. H P Khincha, Adviser, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore and Prof. S.P. Kothari, Deputy Dean, Gordon Y Billard Professor of Management, Director, MIT India Program.

A total of 43 awards were given which included 25 awards in regular category; 10 in start-up category, 6 in special category and 2 awards in the grand awards category.

The awards were given at a glittering ceremony by Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Mr Amitabh Kant and Chairman of CII Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council and CoFounder of Infosys Limited, Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan.

In the regular category the awards were given to top 25 most innovative companies in India which included top companies of the country in various sectors, such as Kirloskar Oil Engines, Tata Chemicals, Tata Steel, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, JK Lakshmi Cement, Cadila Healthcare and Wipro Limited. In the start-up category the recognition was won by 10 companies, including one company in the agriculture sector - Ananya Seeds Pvt Ltd and one in financial services sector - Finmart Advisory

and honor the Indian Industry's brightest stars and to identify the top Innovative Organizations in the country. They give an opportunity to companies to shine and be known nationally and internationally for their Innovative products and services.

High quality The second edition of CII Industrial Innovation Awards this year was a grand success because of the high quality of applications, the doubling in the number of entries, the robustness and thoroughness of the evaluation pro-

Manufacturing Sector Award for Large Enterprise to Bilcare Ltd.

Pvt. Ltd. CII Industrial Innovation Awards were instituted by CII in 2014 to recognize and celebrate innovative Indian enterprises across industry segments. These premier awards seek to recognize

cess and the presence of an illustrious constellation of experts in technology, business and innovation space as the Jury.

From this year onwards, a special category of Start-ups, in addition to the regular category, was

27 lakh new assesses brought under IT net NEW DELHI: Over 27 lakh new assessees from across the country have been brought under the tax net by the Income Tax department as part of its ambitious drive to bring one crore fresh taxpayers within its ambit this financial year.

Top sources in the Finance Ministry, quoting official data, said the maximum number of new assessees have been added from the western states like Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra.

"More than 27 lakh new assessees have been identified and added to the existing tax base till recently. These new individuals and entities have been included after the department had launched a drive in the middle of this year to bring at least one crore new taxpayers under the net within this financial year," sources said.

Admitting that achieving the target was a "tough task", they said the I-T department's field offices have informed the Finance Ministry that

about 60-70 per cent of it would be reached by the set deadline.

"The western region of the country comprising Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra have taken an early lead. It is expected that other regions will get good numbers by the end of this fiscal on March 31, 2016," they said.

The department is extensively taking the help of a special electronic module called 'non-filers management' to identify and detect financial and other links to get hold of those who have the potential to pay Income Tax but are

not paying.

As part of government's initiative to broaden the tax base, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the policy- making body of the IT department, had directed all its field offices to achieve the goal with the Pune region being given the maximum target of bringing in over 10 lakh new assessees.

Pune, Maharashtra's second largest urban centre, is followed by north-western states comprising Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana with over 9.30 lakh new assessees, while the newly bifurcated states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been asked to contribute 7.93 lakh new taxpayers.

Similarly, Gujarat region had been given a target of getting more than 7.86 lakh taxpayers, Tamil Nadu over 7.64 lakh, West Bengal and Sikkim over 6.91 lakh, and Mumbai region 6.23 lakh assessees. -PTI

introduced in the CII Industrial Innovation Awards. Under startups category there were two types of awards - for Best Manufacturing Start-up and Best Service Start-up. The overall winner in the start-up category was given the Grand Award which was the Most Innovative Start-up of the Year.

In the regular category, a total of 150 entries were received this year out of which the jury selected top 25 most innovative companies. From these 25, 4 companies were given special awards under various categories. In the start-up category, the number of entries received was 50. Out of these, the jury selected top 10 most innovative start-ups. Out of these 10, 2 start-ups were given special category awards.

In the regular category, the evaluation criteria gave 40% weightage to innovation, 40% to impact and 20% to innovation framework. In the start-up category, the weightages were 40% for innovation, 30% for market opportunity and 30% for impact.

Top 10 Start-up Awards 1. Capital Numbers Infotech Pvt. Ltd. 2. AIDAIO Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 3. Right Track Admizzionz Campuz Pvt. Ltd. 4. Finmart Advisory Pvt. Ltd. 5. GT Silicon Pvt. Ltd. 6. Ananya Seeds Pvt. Ltd. 7. Yoma Multinational Solutions 8. Casa Brands India Pvt. Ltd. 9. Cyborg Cyber Forensics & Information Security Pvt. Ltd. 10. Feel Good Design Regular category 1. Arteria Technologies Pvt. Ltd. 2. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. 3. Carborundum Universal Ltd. 4. CoreEL Technologies (I) Pvt.

Ltd. 5. Cotmac Electronics Pvt. Ltd. 6. Efkon India Pvt. Ltd. 7. Elcome Integrated Systems Pvt. Ltd. 8. JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd. 9. Jyoti Cero Rubber 10. Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd. 11. L&T Electrical & Automation 12.Manatec Electronics Pvt. Ltd 13. Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. 14. Neogi Technologies and Research Pvt. Ltd. 15. Robert Bosch Engineering & Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 16. Southern Agro Engine Pvt. Ltd. 17. Sterlite Technologies Ltd. 18. Hotel Suryagarh, Jaisalmer 19. Tata Chemicals Ltd. 20. Tata Steel 21. Uflex Ltd. 22. Vedanta Ltd. 23. Wipro Ltd. 24. Zen Technologies Ltd. 25. Zydus Cadila Special category awards There were 6 awards in this segment, of which there were 4 awards in regular category (the other 3 categories in 2015 did not have any winners and there were 2 winners in the start-up category) 1. Best Start-up in Manufacturing category (Ananya Seeds Pvt. Ltd.) 2. Best Start-up in Service category (Right Track Admizzionz Campuz Pvt. Ltd.) 3. Award for Manufacturing sector - Large enterprises (Zydus Cadila) 4. Award for Manufacturing sector - Large enterprises (Uflex Ltd.) 5. Award for Manufacturing sector -Micro & Small enterprises (CoreEL Technologies (I) Pvt. Ltd.) 6. Award for Service sector Large enterprise (Robert Bosch Engineering & Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd.)

Obama praises US leadership for Paris success Cont’d from page 12

"Around the world - from reaching the deal to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, to reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, to concluding a landmark trade agreement that will make sure that American workers and American businesses are operating on a level playing field and that we, rather than China or other countries, are setting the rules for global trade - we have shown what is possible when America leads," he went on to add.

Claiming progress against the Islamic State, Obama said the terror outfit has already lost about 40 per cent of the populated areas

it once controlled in Iraq besides losing territory in Syria.

However, he did acknowledge that "it is very difficult for us to detect lone wolf plots - or plots involving a husband and wife, in this case" which he termed as a different kind of challenge as compared to al Qaeda that involved highly trained operatives working as cells or as a network.

His remarks came before departing for San Bernardino, California to meet families of the 14 victims of the recent mass shooting.

Obama was later scheduled to fly off to Hawaii for a two-week vacation with his wife and daughters in what has become a family Christmas tradition. -PTI

TechBiz Post

December 25, 2015

India Post

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Buying a car? A home? Fed hike won't matter WASHINGTON: For anyone considering whether to buy a home or car, the Federal Reserve's interest rate increase shouldn't make much difference.

The rates that most people pay for mortgages, auto loans or college tuition aren't expected to jump anytime soon. The Fed's bench-

loans and credit lines, for example, will most likely rise, though probably only slightly.

The rate the Fed controls is only one factor among many that can influence longer-term borrowing costs. And the Fed made clear it will assess the economy's health before raising rates further.

Janet Yellen

mark interest rate has limited influence on those things.

Still, the Fed's move to lift its key rate by a quarter-percentage point will raise short-term borrowing costs for banks. And that, in turn, is intended to prod banks to boost certain other rates. Rates on credit cards and home equity

``Loans that are linked to longer-term interest rates are unlikely to move very much,'' Fed Chair Janet Yellen said at a news conference. ``Credit card rates ... might move up slightly. But remember, we have very low rates, and we've made a very small move.''

Mortgage rates tend to move in sync with the yield on 10-year Treasury notes. When inflation remains as low as it is now, Treasury notes, with their modest returns, are considered a safe and decent investment. And heavy purchases of Treasurys by U.S. and foreign investors - and by many foreign governments, such as China - help keep those yields low. ``The demand for Treasurys has mushroomed,'' said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust. ``What that means is that for any given monetary policy, interest rates are still going to be lower than they would have been 10 or 15 years ago.''

The Fed's decision to raise rates is in many ways a healthy sign: It's a vote of confidence that the economy, 61/2 years after the Great Recession officially ended, can finally withstand higher borrowing costs and keep growing at an acceptable pace.

Even with a rate increase, most economists expect consumer spending to stay healthy and solid hiring to continue, perhaps even driving unemployment even further below its current low level of 5 percent. Should the economy stumble, the Fed could postpone further rate increases.

Other trends are also working in consumers' favor: Gas prices are still falling, and there are signs that paychecks are finally starting to rise after years of sluggish growth. ``These things are good for the consumer and will easily outweigh the impact of a rate increase,'' said Chris Christopher, an economist at forecasting firm IHS Global Insight.

The most visible effects of the Fed increases will probably be in

their next adjustment. Auto-loan costs may rise as well, economists said, though not as fast as the short-term rate the Fed controls.

Auto-loan rates typically follow the yield on two-year Treasurys.

Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, calculates that for a $25,000, five-year car loan, a one-quarter percentage point increase would boost monthly payments by precisely $3.

``The demand for Treasurys has mushroomed,'' said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust. ``What that means is that for any given monetary policy, interest rates are still going to be lower than they would have been 10 or 15 years ago.'' short-term borrowing. Rates for credit cards and home equity lines of credit should rise, typically by the same amount as the Fed's increase. The increases could appear as soon as one or two months after the Fed's action. Those rates are tied to banks' prime rate, which responds quickly to the Fed's changes.

Also, Americans with adjustable-rate mortgages will probably face a higher rate at the date of

``The interest rate impact on the typical household from a quarter percentage point move is almost inconsequential,'' he said. ``Most people won't even notice.''

And most people buy homes for reasons that have little to do with a slight rise or fall in mortgage rates, McBride said. They tend to buy when they feel financially secure or experience a major life change, such as having children.-AP

Desi News FIA Chicago elects new team for 2016-'17 Asian Media USA

CHICAGO, IL: The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), Chicago held its Annual General Body Meeting on December 13 at North Shore Banquet, Devon Avenue, Chicago, to elect a new team of office bearers for the year 201617.

More than 25 FIA AssociationMembers, who participated in the process, elected Minhaj Akhtar as President, Kanti N. Patel as Executive Vice President, Sanhita Agnihotri as Secretary, Girish Patel, Sathisan Nair, and Sher Muhammad Rajput as Vice Presidents, Vijay Ranjan as Joint Secretary, Ajit Singh as Treasurer, and Hemant Trivedi as Joint Treasurer.

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

16 India Post

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Human life golden opportunity to tread path of spirituality

December 25, 2015

Details on page 22

Generous response to fundraiser for Chennai flood relief

Details on page 19

New FIA schedules Republic Day event SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Federation of Indian Association's (FIA) Chicago, a leading Indian American umbrella organization of Illinois, elected its 2016 executive board at its Annual Meeting held recently at Waterford Banquets.

In the presence of several community leaders and members of different associations, Sunil Shah and Onkar Singh Sangha, founder and former presidents, announced the following line up of officers: Details on page 20

Neetu Chandra making mark in US Sitcom Asian Media USA

A group of attendees at Chennai fundraiser Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Top 20 organizations from all over Chicago organized a Chennai Flood Disaster Fundraiser on Dec 20 at the Waterford Banquet Hall in Elmhurst. It was attended by over 800 persons, belonging to different regions and religions, to show their support and solidarity to the people of Chennai.

Jeen Varghese, an organizer, said that besides 250 lives lost, 2

million people displaced, the overall damage in economic terms was heavy - USD 3 billion impact on the economy and USD 15 billion loss in infrastructure damages".

Ravi Rawat from Bombay Chopsticks observed, "What we did today is only a humble beginning; we are committed to engage in the long-term process of rebuilding of

Within no time, a whopping over $45,000 was raised at the event. The amount will be donated to Association for India's Development in order to enable it to take up relief-oriented initiatives in Chennai.

Cont’d on page 19

CHICAGO: Many Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah have made their mark globally.

They have gained wide recognition for their performances and it would not be long before they play main leads in Hollywood cinema, observed Neetu Chandra and Tarun Mullick, the lead actors in the newest primetime Hollywood Sitcom, in their interactive session held on December 15 at Mysore Woodlands in Chicago.

Bhavesh Patel of Sahil, who is considered to be one of the heavyweights in Chicago's entertainment industry, was also present at the event.

Details on page 21

the communities once the relief agencies address their immediate priorities".

Within no time, a whopping over $45,000 was raised at the event. The amount will be donated to Association for India's Development in order to enable it to take up relief-oriented initiatives in Chennai. The donors were not confined to India alone; a significant number of non-Indians too contributed to the cause.

A group of activists for Chennai fundraiser

Community Across America

December 25, 2015

India Post 17

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Telugu song in NY Off-Broadway play PM SWAMY

NEW YORK: Leading IndianAmerican theater artist Rao Rampilla is singing a Telugu song in an Off Broadway theater show 'The Mummers Play' that is running from Dec 16 to Jan 10 in New York City.

This is the first time that an Indian song is sung on a New York stage in a theater as a part of a play in English Rampilla is part of The Medicine Show Theater Company. The late artistic director Barbara Vann inducted him into the company and helped him with the plays such as Gandhi, Untouchables and Me. She passed away a few months ago.

The company inducted Rampilla to its board and revived the play 'The Mummers Play' - a medieval ritual theme involving revival of life and spring. He is being cast as King of Egypt. As part of singing several songs with chorus, he has been given a solo song as originally written in the play.

"It's a very political expose.

Given my background in writing poetry in my early college days, I was asked to rewrite it in Telugu. I couldn't transliterate it as is.

So, I did an adaptation of it in

events of 9/11. Recently, he is cast in a supporting role opposite Adam Sandler in Columbia Pictures That's My Boy. Subsequently, he was invited to Festival de Cannes and to the Sundance in recogni-

Rao Rampilla

tion of his work. He is well known for his memorable roles in independent films and his unique characters in T.V. series such as 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, Sex & the City, The Bridget Show, just to name a few.

He has a global following for his TV Show Bollywood to Hollywood on Time Warner Cable. He has 25 national T.V. commercials under his belt starting with 2002 VISA Super bowl Commercial with Kevin Bacon that gave him his acting career right after the events

The company inducted Rampilla to its board and revived the play 'The Mummers Play' - a medieval ritual theme involving revival of life and spring. He is being cast as King of Egypt.

As part of singing several songs with chorus, he has been given a solo song as originally written in the play.

Telugu, which is my mother tongue. Incidentally, I used to publish a newspaper during the Jai Andhra movement in Vijayawada in the 70's for separate Andhra movement. I used to write poems regularly," he said.

Rao is a former diplomat, an attorney and a political activist turned full-time actor after the

of 9/11.

He has studied with Alan Arkin of the Second City and Austin Pendleton of the Steppenwolf theatre besides the Juilliard, Lee Strasberg, Meisner and Adler.

Since graduating from Georgia Law, Rao N. Rampilla (LL.M.'87) has been an international lawyer, a special counsel with the Indo-

nesian Mission to the United Nations. He obtained an acting role in a Visa commercial. However, Rampilla, who immigrated to America in 1983, did not realize how special this commercial was until it aired during one of the most prestigious prime-time commercial slots - the Super Bowl. Since then, Rampilla - known as Rao Rampilla in the acting world - has had roles

in Six Feet in Seven Minutes, Sex & the City, Uptown Girls, a play and several commercials and TV shows.

He has also taken numerous speech classes to help minimize his strong Indian accent, but he said he sees his accent and ethnicity as an asset. "I try to be someone else, and it does not work," he said.

"So I give them who I am - my ac-

cent and my ethnicity. I realized acting is what is working for me, and I feel good. I am still transitioning, but I am happy being an actor."

He said acting, more than anything else, has helped him to discover who he really is. "Actors study human character and, in the process, they learn about themselves," he said.

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December 25, 2015

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N. Carolina Hindu Temple X-Men trailer denigrates consecrates deities Lord Krishna India Post News Service

MORRISVILLE, NC: Hindu Society Temple in Morrisville (North Carolina) conducted a three-day consecrating ceremony (Pran Pratishtha) of murtis - Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshana - which concluded on December 20.

The ceremony had 32 different worship events; including devotees circumambulat-

Group of deities at NC temple

ing around the Temple carrying pots of water, homams, pujas, mahadeepa lamp burning for all three-days, worship of the soil, offering of milk to deities, bathing of deities through reflection in the mirror, etc. Most of the ceremonies were open to the public.

The Temple, founded in 1976; opens 365days a year from eight am to nine pm; performs aarti daily; besides Devi Havan, Hanuman Chalisa recitation, Vishnu Sahasranama, etc., at regular intervals. It offers "Adopt The Temple For The Day" costing $1001, under which special pujas are performed to all deities in sponsor's name on that day. Temple performs car puja for $25, wedding at the premises for $251, new house puja for $151, etc.

It has a Senior Club; undertakes Hindi, Tamil, Sanskar and Yoga classes; organizes summer camps and runs a youth group called "Om Squad" to "promote a positive outlook on life". Executive Team for 2016 includes President Manoj Pandya, Vice President Shashi Mallik, Secretary Amar Singh and Treasurer Gopu Seshadri. DP Trivedi, Chetmani Rizal and Krushnakant Adhryu perform priestly services.

Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism has commended efforts of the Temple leaders and area community for installation and consecration of murtis of four additional deities.

Rajan said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this Temple would focus in this direction.

SURESH SHAH

CHICAGO: Members of Indian community at large, and principally Hindus, are upset over comparison of blue-colored villain Apocalypse with their deity Lord Krishna in the recently released official trailer of "X-Men: Apocalypse" action-adventure Hollywood superhero movie releasing in May 2016.

Lord Krishna is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing movies for mercantile greed of filmmakers, Zed, who is President of Universal So-

X Men trailer

ciety of Hinduism, pointed out.

This trailer indicated Apocalypse saying: I have been called many things over many lifetimes-Ra, Krishna, Yahweh.

Taking the lead in this matter, Rajan Zed said that such trivialization of Lord Krishna, who is highly revered in Hinduism, is quite inappropriate and disturbing to the devotees.

Madhu Patel, president of NRI Press Club Chicago, also denounced this odious comparison and alleged that it was done with an ulterior motive.

Rajan asked director Bryan Singer to delete all references to Lord Krishna from the trailer and the final movie, unless those were true to the scriptures. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees and confused non-Hindus about Hinduism.

He suggested that Hollywood executives should be sent for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of audiences and communities when creating new products.

If makers of "X-Men: Apocalypse" or other Hollywood executives needed any expertise on Hinduism related issues, he or other Hindu scholars would gladly provide the resources, Zed added.

L o r d Krishna, usually depicted as blue-skinned, is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu and subject of major Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord) and Bhagavad-Purana. There are about three million Hindus in USA and moksh (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism.

"X-Men: Apocalypse" of 20th Century Fox stars Golden Globes nominated James McAvoy, Oscar nominated Michael Fassbender and Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence. Its official website talks about Apocalypse as: Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshipped as a god.

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.

Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed noted.

December 25, 2015

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FIA Chicago elects new team for 2016-'17 Asian Media USA

CHICAGO, IL: The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), Chicago held its Annual General Body Meeting on December 13 at North Shore Banquet, Devon Avenue, Chicago, to elect a new team of office bearers for the year 201617.

More than 25 FIA AssociationMembers, who participated in the process, elected Minhaj Akhtar as President, Kanti N. Patel as Executive Vice President, Sanhita Agnihotri as Secretary, Girish Patel, Sathisan Nair, and Sher Muhammad Rajput as Vice Presidents, Vijay Ranjan as Joint Secretary, Ajit Singh as Treasurer, and Hemant Trivedi as Joint Treasurer.

FIA Executive Board

Generous response to fundraiser for Chennai flood relief

Raja Krishnamoorthy and Dr Chandrakant Modi with David Pimm, recipient of Award Cont’d from page 16

The event was started by Jassi Parmar by welcoming all and with one minute silence to pay tribute to those who perished in the Chennai disaster.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Congressional candidate for the upcoming elections, underlined the need for achieving a long-term solution to the problem of recurrent floods in different parts of India by following environmental norms of construction and a more efficient urban planning with stringent implementation. Chandrakant Modi, MD, Chairman of Asian Cremation USA said with a sense of enthusiasm: "We have taken a pledge that our efforts will not end until the affected people back

home get a new beginning."

Neetu Chandra, a global actress from India, who graced the event as Guest of Honor at no cost to it, said that natural calamities like floods are the litmus test for the communities to show to the world that they can come together in times of great crises and can help each other.

She related a story of a Hindu couple who have named their newborn after a Muslim, who came to their rescue when the crisis blew them over. "Post-floods, Chennaites occupied a special place in my heart", she added.

The instantaneous offer of Neetu Chandra to dance with anyone who donates USD 500 was not only a pleasant surprise for the audience but also turned out to

be an instant hit.

Jassi Parmar from Desi Junction and Ravi Rawat from India House Group presented a Recognition Award to Neetu Chandra for helping the Chicago for Chennai Fundraiser at her personal expense.

Chandrakant M. Modi announced the full backing of Asian Cremation USA team for this gallant cause. At this time, on behalf of ACU, an Outstanding Service to the Community award Plaque was given to David Pimm, President and Funeral Director of Bohemian National Cemetery Located in Chicago.

Jassi Parmar, Founder of Desi Junction Radio, conducted the multiple segments of the event with a professional touch and captured attention of the audience.

The new team takes over from outgoing office bearers, led by Dr. Inderjit Patel, who oversaw a vibrant period of growth at the FIA. Minhaj Akhtar, who has been serving the FIA, Chicago, for a very long time, in different capacities, extended a deep sense of gratitude to all the FIA Association-Members, Trustees, and the community at large for reposing trust in him and his team and assured them of the democratic and transparent functioning of the FIA Chicago.

"FIA Chicago is a 30-year-old umbrella organization led by many

a doyen. I pay rich tributes to them for putting their best foot forward for bringing laurels to IndianAmericans in the US", said Minhaj Akhtar.

Kanti N. Patel announced that the ensuing Republic Day celebrations will take place on January 23, 2016 at Meadows Club. He added that FIA Chicago will celebrate all events of national importance in order to ensure that the cultural flag of India flies high in the US. "We will continue to acknowledge the services of prominent IndianAmericans in different walks of life", he added.

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December 25, 2015

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New FIA schedules Republic Day event SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Federation of Indian Association's (FIA) Chicago, a leading Indian American umbrella organization of Illinois, elected its 2016 executive board at its Annual Meeting held recently at Waterford Banquets.

In the presence of several community leaders and members of different associations, Sunil Shah and Onkar Singh Sangha, founder and former presidents, announced the following line up of officers: Dhitu Bhagwakar, President; Mukesh Shah and Neil Khot, Executive Vice Presidents; Moon Khan, Shital Daftari, Manjeet Bhalla, Ali Khan, and Hitesh Gandhi, Vice Presidents; Khwaja Moinuddin, Secretary; Shalini Saxena, Joint Secretary; Payal Shah, Treasurer. Directors will be Ninad Daftari and Mona Bhalla.

While welcoming the new board members, the newly elected president, Dhitu Bhagwakar, briefly outlined the importance of working together.

"New year brings new hope and fresh challenges," Bhagwakar said. "Fortunately, we are prepared with new talents and renewed energy."

FIA has scheduled a colorful program to commemorate India's 67th Republic Day Celebration festivity on January 24, 2016 (Sunday) at Ashton Place, 341 75th Street, Willowbrook, IL 60527. Dazzling cultural events are being scheduled.

New FIA team back row, left to right: Gaurav Arora, Hitesh Gandhi, Ali Khan, Khwaja Moinuddin, Sunny Kular, Moon Khan, Ninad Daftari, Manjeet Bhalla and Mona Bhalla.

Front row: Shital Daftari, Shalini Saxena, Onkar Singh Sangha, Dhitu Bhagwakar, Sunil Shah, Neil Khot, Mukesh Shah and Payal Shah

Mombasa opens prayer hall for Hindus ARVIND PATEL

MOMBASA: Mombasa, the second largest city in Kenya, has proved once again its religious tolerance with a grand opening of a prayer hall for the followers of Swaminarayan, a great saint beloved to be incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Swamibapa Prayer Hall at Shree Swaminarayan Sidha Sijivan Mandal NyaIi in Mombasa was declared open by Acharya Swamishree Maharaj, visiting from India.

The five-hour grand opening ceremony recitation of prayers and religious discourse was attended by hundreds of devotees and area leaders,

Prayer Hall at Swaminarayan temple being declared open by Swaminarayan Swami

Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba, Mombasa businessman Abubakar Joho, Tononoka MCA Saad Faraj and former mayor Ahmed Mohdhar were among those who attended.

Swamibapa Prayer Hall at Shree Swaminarayan Sidha Sijivan Mandal NyaIi in Mombasa was declared open by Acharya Swamishree Maharaj, visiting from India

December 25, 2015

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Neetu Chandra making mark in US Sitcom Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Many Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah have made their mark globally. They have gained wide recognition for their performances and it would not be long before they play main leads in Hollywood cinema, observed Neetu Chandra and Tarun Mullick, the lead actors in the newest primetime Hollywood Sitcom, in their interactive session held on December 15 at Mysore Woodlands in Chicago.

Bhavesh Patel of Sahil, who is considered to be one of the heavyweights in Chicago's entertainment industry, was also present at the event.

The two artists mentioned that their hilarious comedy Sitcom has been filmed in Chicago over the past several weeks and will continue next year. "Even though it is a typical Hollywood production, it would be a vehicle for showcasing Indian culture too", they added.

"Even though my role in the Sitcom is quite challenging in terms of content and style, I look forward to doing an action movie too in Hollywood considering my strong credentials in martial arts", said Neetu Chandra. She added that despite her strengths in English language, she is taking classes in order to acquire and fine tune the typical American style.

Neetu Chandra said that in Bollywood the widespread perception is that one should either belong to a filmy family or have a godfather for entry into the movies.

In Hollywood however, talent alone holds the key not only for the initial entry but also for subsequent success in different departments of film making, including acting.

"No one in Hollywood bothered to enquire about my nationality, religion, family background and other demographics. Instead, they focused on the body of my work, talent, attitude, and inherent potential and evaluated them in a scientific, objective, and professional fashion. They had no hesitation in welcoming me on board with open arms", said Neetu.

She said that she was greatly impressed

by Hollywood's strong discipline in all spheres of movie making, professional attitude in conceptualization and execution of projects, deep commitment for quality, and utmost respect for timelines.

She called upon girls to come forward and take a lion's share of career opportunities on the domestic as well as global fronts.

She underscored the need for teaching martial arts to them as a part of the curriculum at the school level in order to empower them to defend themselves effectively.

Both the artists indicated they are currently acting in a number of good movies.

"Our decision to join a movie is solely based on the nature and quality of the script. A good script, rather than a great star, alone is a guarantee of a movie's success", they opined.

Neetu Chandra is the first Bollywood actress from India to hit mainstream American television for prime time ever. Similarly, Tarun Mullick is the first ever India-American to produce and be the lead actor on an American Sitcom.

Neetu Chandra and Tarun Mullick, the lead actors in the newest primetime Hollywood Sitcom Neetu with Bhavesh Patel of Sahil

22 India Post

Community Across America

December 25, 2015

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Human life golden opportunity to tread path of spirituality SWAMINI GOPESHWARI DEVI

T

here is hustle and bustle in the entire world. There has to be a reason behind this continuous running around because it is impossible to perform any action without a reason.

Every atomic particle of this universe, animate or inanimate, is continuously doing something.

Be it human beings, birds, beasts, animals, heavenly beings or the hellish beings, they are all involved in some action or the other.

'Nahi hi kashchit kshanamapi jatu tishtdhatyakarmkrit' -Gita 3/ 5 Lord Krishna says, no individual soul can remain without performing action even for a fraction of a second. Mind is such a machine that it continuously keeps working. All the Vedic scriptures declare that out of 8.4 million kinds of lives, human life is the most supreme. However, it is transient. In other words, having such a great quality it has one great disadvantage and that is we never know when death will take its toll and our life will come to an end.

Only we human beings out of

the greatest grace of God. First grace of God is to receive a human form, second grace is to have spiritual thirst to attain Divine happiness and the third grace is meeting with a God realized Saint who can easily lead us on the right path of spirituality and enable us to attain our ultimate goal of God realization.

Unfortunately, most of the individuals choose to tread on the (preya) material path. In the west we have epicurean philosophy which says; eat, drink and be merry! who has seen life after death? Exactly the same philosophy is found in the east propounded by Brihaspati Charvak.

He said, 'As long as you live, enjoy life to its fullest, beg, borrow or steal to enjoy this present life, there is only one life to live and nothing after death!'.

Nevertheless, great men like English philosopher Hobbs and French philosopher Helvetius opposed Charvak's philosophy by saying that if people would accept and follow this materially selfish philosophy, then there will be chaos in society.

They say it is okay to give im-

Three things are attained with the greatest grace of God. First grace of God is to receive a human form, second grace is to have spiritual thirst to attain Divine happiness and the third grace is meeting with a God realized Saint who can easily lead us on the right path all the living beings have the right to perform actions and get the fruit of our actions. Rest of all the living beings can simply endure the fruits of the action done in their past human lives. Either we human beings perform good or bad actions: actions we must perform.

There are two paths. One is Shreya and the other is preya.

Shreya means that, which is spiritual and helps one to attain the perfect happiness of the soul, which is God. Preya means that, which is material and pulls one towards the world, giving temporary pleasure to the senses and the body. Hence, we have one mind and two paths and we will have to tread on one path; it is absolutely impossible for anyone not to choose either one of these two paths.

The mind will have to move in one direction if not towards the shreya (spiritual) then without any problem it will automatically go towards the preya (material), because the mind being material in nature has a very old connection with the material world.

Three things are attained with

portance to your own selfishness but also live for the welfare of the others.

But then a third philosopher, Butler intervened and said, "Forget about selfishness and only live for the welfare of the others".

Giving an example of a lion that is a dangerous killer, but never kills his own cubs. Thus, give highest importance in doing well to others.

Now, the question is what is doing well to others? It is only physical. For example, feeding a hungry person, but after 6 hours he will again get hungry. Hence, intervened Bentham and Mill and they said, "We got to accept what the majority of the people say!"

What if majority of the people are fools? Because majority of the people are ignorant and if we practice what the ignorant people decide all our actions will be performed ignorantly. This way other thinkers also gave their views.

One of them said that we should follow our conscience.

However, is everyone's conscience the same? If so, then everyone should perform the same

action, then how come we see some doing good deeds and others doing bad? Why is it so? But suppose everyone's conscience is different then why is it that sometimes a person's conscience tells him to do a thing and another time negates the same action? So, this is not right either.

Then came those who believe in doing things only with common sense. But, common sense is based on an individual's experience and everyone's experience is of different class. Then, how can one conclude that the particular action is right! Thus, all of these concepts are wrong.

The Vedic philosophy is eternal and perfect. It was never written by anyone not even by God. The knowledge aspect of God is Ved. Gita- 15/15.

The Kathopanishad 1-3-14 says: 'Utthishtdatha jagratha prapya varannibodhatha' Oh! Human individuals awake, arise and attain.

The Hithopanishad says: 'Gyanam hi teshamadhiko vishesho, gyanena hinah pashubhih Samanah' Human beings have the power of knowledge, so we should make proper use of it in the right direction. If knowledge is not properly used in the right direction it will go in the wrong direction with great speed. For example, stealing, robbery, murder, rape or any other sin will be committed with great intelligence so that no one can catch the criminal.

A person with great intelligence capable of doing the greatest virtue will also be capable of doing the highest vice at the same speed if he doesn't turn the intellect towards God. Our mind can either make us or destroy us. This is why the Vedas proclaim, awake and arise. So what should one do after waking and rising?

Mundakopanishad gives the answer at 1-2-12.

One has to immediately take shelter at the lotus feet of a genuine God realized Saint, so that one

the true and actual meaning of a particular mantra is, because one mantra may have multiple meanings and there are lots of contradictory statements.

Thus, we with our material intellect we are bound to get confused and misunderstand the concepts. For instance in the

Swamini Gopeshwari Devi

Brihadaranyakopinishad 3-4-5 it is said that everyone should understand this one philosophy which is the first part of the teaching.

We are all stuck right at the entrance gate where the mantra says that, no couple loves one another for the happiness of the other, neither of the parents can do anything for the children's happiness and no child can love the parents for their happiness.

No one can love anyone for the happiness of the other until one attains the supreme spiritual happiness. The reason being everyone is putting so much effort in order to get the supreme divine happiness. The sole reason why anyone loves anyone in this world is, for their own happiness and not for anyone else.

Because in life you must have witnessed that as long as someone is in favor of you, going along with your selfish desires, the rela-

When the Divine personalities were on earth, they got insulted and abused, so much so that they were sent to exile, sentenced to jail, or even hanged to death. This is what the ignorant people do when the divine personalities are amongst us. can understand the right philosophy. One can't understand Vedic teachings just by reading them or listening on one's own. Only a God realized Saint can reveal to us what

ing their own parents, siblings, partners, children, friends, and so on. Foolishly, we seek for happiness from the material relations not understanding the truth that I am a divine soul which is a subtle shakti of the supreme divine God and hence my happiness can never be found in the material

tionship continues but as soon as one turns against you and doesn't satisfy your selfish desires, the relationship breaks.

People go to the extent of kill-

world or the worldly relations, but exclusively in God. Hence, no one in the material world can be anyone's well wisher.

There are only two personalities in the entire world who do things only for the happiness of the others.

One is God and the other is the God realized Saint because they are perfectly happy and have absolutely nothing to attain, so they work only for others' welfare. History is evidence in itself.

When the Divine personalities were on earth, they got insulted and abused, so much so that they were sent to exile, sentenced to jail, or even hanged to death. This is what the ignorant people do when the divine personalities are amongst us. And once they leave the world the world sings their praise and worships them and seeks their grace.

Therefore, we human beings should realize the golden chance that is being given to us and without any delay start practicing devotion to God. However, it is so sad that most of us simply procrastinate saying, yes I will start the practice soon, let me finish this one business and the time never comes for us to practice devotion and we die without even move closer to our true purpose of life‌ what to speak to attain the ultimate goal of God realization or perfect happiness.

Cont’d on page 23

Community Across America

December 25, 2015

India Post 23

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MKCA, USA celebrates Nathal Fest SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: The Mangalorean Konkan Christian Association (MKCA) celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, its 14th Christmas Program, with the focus on sharing and giving.

The program began with celebration of Holy Eucharist by Rev. Fr. Richard Vaz, SVD, at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Techny Towers. The MKCA choir sung Konkani and English hymns, which gave a special touch to the hymns.

Fr. Richie Vaz SVD said how Mary and Joseph accepted the great sacrifice of raising infant Jesus. By narrating a story of a beggar and Capuchin brother, he said we all should accept any small offers made by oth-

MKCA celebrating Christmas. Santa Claus arrival electrifies the gathering

All the couples present enjoyed the 'couple dance' to the smooth musical tunes provided by D. J. Joey Mendonca.

This was followed by sumptuous dinner with Dukramaas (Pork dish) with Sanna along with other mouthwatering menu items. The climax of the program culminated with Speaker at MKCA Christmas gathering Fr. Richie Vaz and President Elect, Vissia D'Souza

ers since we will not know the true spirit of a giver.

Past president Queenie Mendonca called the Executive Committee elect for the year 2016 -2017 to the altar and presented them to the attendees. President Elect Vissia D'Souza introduced the new executive committee members - Vice President Roshini Carvalho, Secretary Queenie Mendonca, Joint Secretary Mercy Concesso and Treasurer Dorothy Rego.

In her acceptance speech President Elect Vissia D'Souza, while thanking the outgoing Executive Committee for their successful tenure, also introduced the new Executive Committee members - Vice President Roshini Carvalho, Secretary Queenie Mendonca, Joint Secretary Mercy Concesso and Treasurer Dorothy Rego.

She also thanked all the members for their confidence in women and promised to stay up to everyone's expectations and asked for support and guidance going forward.

She invited the members present to take an

The program was followed by singing of Christmas Carols by the members present. As they sang "Jingle Bells", there was grand arrival of Santa Claus. active role in its future programs. The social program was held at Indonesian Hall of Techny Towers.

The President of the association, Steven D'Souza welcomed all the guests, well-wishers and members present. .

The compeer of the Program Ashok Monteiro invited the audience to savor the typical Indian appetizers and the open bar.

Human life golden opportunity to tread path of spirituality Cont’d from page 22

Oh! human beings realize the importance of this human life and immediately make a firm decision to tread on the path of spirituality as explained by the scriptures and God realized saints and make this human life

worthy of living.

Sushree Gopeshwari Devi ji is one of the foremost preachers of His Divinity Jagadguru Shri Kripalu ji Maharaj. gdidi@usbm.org She is a teacher for (JKP) Radha Madhav Dham, Austin, TX www.RadhaMadhavDham.org

singing "Loudate Dominum" by all the attendees present.

The program was followed by singing of Christmas Carols by the members present.

As they sang "Jingle Bells", there was grand arrival of Santa Claus. Children were mesmerized and happy to receive gifts from Santa Claus.

Queenie Mendoca thanked all in the audience for their gracious presence and all those who prepared the "Kuswar" Items.

The Christmas Kuswar is a typical Mangalorean Konkan Christian culture whereby families prepare Christmas goodies and share them with their relatives and neighbors during Christmas time - a mark of sharing joy.

24

India Post

Perspective

December 25, 2015

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Terror being funded through extortion in Pak TUSHAR RANJAN MOHANTY

A

t least five women were injured in a medium-intensity blast in the Mohalla Bajauri Khord area of Sarki Gate in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), on December 6, 2015. An unnamed Police official disclosed that a device weighing three kilograms was planted near the house of one Amjad Khan, a local contractor. "The windows of nearby houses have been damaged and five neighborhood women were injured inside their houses when they were hit by broken glass," the official added. The official disclosed that the contractor was constantly receiving threats and extortion demands.

On December 4, 2015, at least two houses were damaged in separate explosions in Yakatoot and Phandu areas of Peshawar. In one incident, an unnamed Police official indicated, unidentified assailants lobbed a hand grenade targeting the house of one Ahmad Khan at Madina Colony in Panj Khat Chowk of Yakatoot. Though there was no loss of life, the house was damaged in the attack.

According to the Police, "Unidentified extortionists had been demanding Ahmad to cough up (sic) Rs. 10 [PKR] million as extortion… They were constantly threatening him."

In another incident on the same day, the house of a trader, Zainullah Khan Safi, on Phandu Road was damaged when an explosive device planted near the main gate went off. Though no loss of life was reported in the attack, apart from the house, four shops were also damaged in the blast. The attack

official, on the condition of anonymity, is reported to have stated that the actual incidence would likely be much higher, because most victims don't contact the Police out of fear.

Earlier on July 16, 2015, the Peshawar

at gunpoint… Sometimes police officials, other criminals or influential people are used to finalize the payment of the ransom with the target's families," the report claimed.

Significantly, cases of Policemen's involvement in the extortion racket have come

Police had claimed an over 50 per cent drop in extortion cases in Peshawar during the first six months of the current year. According to them, 107 extortion cases were reported in Peshawar during the first six months of 2014, but the number dropped to 43 in the corresponding period of the current year.

Data collected from the Central Police Office, Peshawar, puts the annual average of extortion cases registered during years

to light recently. Three Police officials were suspended on September 26, 2015, for collecting extortion money from leather traders in the Namak Mandi area of Peshawar.

The Policemen were suspended after a video came out that showed an old man, the leather trader, handing over money to the Policemen and then leaving.

The old trader later had said that he had paid bribes to Policemen on at least eight occasions because they kept giving him trouble. The video also showed a child riding on a bicycle being kicked by a Police constable.

Unsurprisingly, local traders on July 15, 2015, had insisted that extortionists continue to threaten many of them for money, and that the situation remained far from satisfactory.

More specifically, the Peshawar Chamber of Traders and Small Industry President Ehtesham Haleem stated, on July 15, 2015, that while extortion calls from local phone numbers had declined considerably, extortion remained a worry, and that calls demanding money originating from Afghanistan were forcing 80 to 90 per cent of traders to pay to extortionists, as the Police were failing to stop such demands.

"Following abduction, the kidnappers hand their victims over to other groups to make the demand for ransom. In most cases, trained gang members are used to survey the intended target before kidnapping them at gunpoint…

Sometimes police officials, other criminals or influential people are used to finalize the payment of the ransom” is believed to be carried out by a group of extortionists.

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion took place near the house of a trader, Haji Saeed Hussain, in the jurisdiction of Yakatoot Police Station on November 15, 2015. No causality was reported in the blast. Again, extortionists are believed to be behind the attack.

On November 14, 2015, unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade targeting the house of a Customs Inspector, Muhammad Rafeeq, at Ghari Qamaruddin in Peshawar, as he had refused to pay extortionists. No causality was reported in the blast.

These recent incidents exemplify a growing trend in Peshawar. According to Peshawar Police data released on November 14, 2015, as many as 58 cases of extortion had been reported under separate Police Stations falling under three Police Circles over the preceding 10 months.

Of these, 38 were reported in the Peshawar Cantonment Circle; 14 in Peshawar City Circle; and six in the Peshawar Rural Circle. An unnamed Police

2011, 2012, and 2013 at 30 cases per year.

The data shows that while 13 cases of extortion were registered in 2011, 21 such cases were reported in 2012. 56 such cases were witnessed in 2013. This jumped to 285 in the first three quarters of 2014.

Though no current data is available in the open source, a report published in November 2013 indicated that at least 42 groups were actively involved in extortion and kidnappings for ransom in KP: "In the provincial capital, Peshawar, the number of such groups stand at 18, followed by 11 in Dera Ismail Khan, five in Kohat, five in Bannu and three in Mardan." According to the report, three types of groups were involved in extortion and kidnapping for ransom - militants, criminal gangs and individuals or groups who use abduction as means to settle their business or personal disputes with opponents.

"Following abduction, the kidnappers hand their victims over to other groups to make the demand for ransom. In most cases, trained gang members are used to survey the intended target before kidnapping them

ber 22, 2015, "These [extortionists] are local groups based in Afghanistan.

We know about them and are currently investigating the matter. Our crackdown is still under way. We are trying to target and eliminate all extortionists but it will take time." On December 13, 2014, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ejaz Khan had admitted that incidents of harassment for extortion have increased and Afghan SIM cards working on roaming were the main medium being used. He had then demanded that these mobile networks should be banned.

Violence related to extortion in Peshawar in particular and KP at large has compelled traders to move to other cities or countries.

Though no reliable data has been made available, the KP Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a statement released on March 4, 2015, had revealed that around 150 professionals had left the Province due to the fear of extortionists.

Echoing the sentiment, on the same day, Fuad Ishaq, President of the KP Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had stated that there is a constant threat of extortion to industrialists and traders of Peshawar: "This is why, Peshawar has witnessed flight of capital as well as migration of industrialists and traders to other parts of the country."

He had also disclosed that in KP, extortion cases were on the rise in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Kohat, Lakki Marwat and Bannu Districts.

Ishaq added, "If the Government is sincere to bring back peace to the militancy-hit Province of KP, it should work to restore the confidence of the industrialists and traders by providing security." He argued, further, that this would help fight terrorism as well, since extortion was the principal means used by terror groups to replenish their coffers and sustain their activities.

Regrettably, however, the Provincial Government continues to demonstrate helplessness in controlling terrorism. Provincial Minister of Industries, Shaukat Yousafzai stated, on April 27, 2014, that the Government was pinning hopes on a specialized Anti-Terrorist Force, adding, "We cannot provide a Policeman to every man. But we are trying to solve these burning issues."

He admitted that the Police had been assigned the task of fighting militancy without being adequately equipped.

Extortion has become rampant across KP

Ishaq added, "If the Government is sincere to bring back peace to the militancy-hit Province of KP, it should work to restore the confidence of the industrialists and traders by providing security." He argued, further, that this would help fight terrorism as well, since extortion was the principal means used by terror groups to replenish their coffers Significantly, the Provincial Government and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority have failed to block unregistered Afghan roaming Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), which are available easily in the local (Peshawar) market.

Significantly, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials admitted, on Novem-

in particular, and, in fact, across Pakistan at large. The failure of the state to control this menace has contributed directly to the capacities of terrorist groups to sustain their operations, undermining the security of citizens and the state across the country.

The writer is Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management

December 25, 2015

Perspective

India Post 25

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Hizb-ul-Mujahideen struggling to revive in J&K SANCHITA BHATTACHARYA

O

n December 1, 2015, Security Forces (SFs) arrested a Hizb-ulMujahideen (HM) militant, identified as Nawaz Ahmad Najar, from Harmain village, Shopian District, and recovered arms and ammunition, including two hand grenades and one Chinese grenade, among others. "The terrorist has been involved in subversive activities since August this year in Shopian area," an unnamed Army official disclosed.

On November 23, three HM terrorists, identified as Sartaj Ahmad Lone, Adil Ahmad Sheikh and Tanveer Ahmad Bhat, were killed in a joint operation initiated by the Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police in the Sulligam region of Anantnag District. Reports indicate that the militants were from the Bijbehara area of Anantnag District.

Three AK-47 rifles, six magazines, an Underbarrel Grenade Launcher with three grenades, and a pistol with a magazine were recovered from the encounter site.

Earlier, on October 26, 2015, two HM militants, identified as Afaq-Ullah-Bhat and Abdul Manan Dar, were killed in an encounter at Drabgam village in Pulwama District.

A Junior Commissioned Officer of the Army, who sustained injuries during the encounter, died later.

On October 22, two HM militants, identified as Irshad Ahmad and Adil Khanday, were killed in an encounter at Manzimpora in Shopian District. A large quantity of arms, ammunition and other war like stores were recovered from the slain terrorists.

On September 22, 2015, HM militant Muzamil Ahmad Dar was killed in a brief gunfight at Awantipora in Pulwama District.

Sources indicated that there were three militants hiding in the area and two managed to escape.

According to partial data compiled by the Institute for Conflict Management (ICM) over a time-frame of a decade (2005-2015), a total of 628 HM militants have been killed

by SFs in J&K (data till December 13, 2015), and 653 HM militants were arrested by the SFs. During the current year alone, at least 24 HM militants have been killed and another 21 arrested.

However, HM was found involved in only 58 major incidents (involving three or more fatalities) resulting in 236 deaths between 2005 and 2015. During this period, the State had recorded a total of 344 such incidents resulting in 1,572 deaths.

Out of a total of 1,316 civilian fatalities, HM was responsible for 84. Similarly, out of a total of 944 SF fatalities, HM was accountable for 108.

HM's last reported attack targeting civilians occurred on May 8, 2009, when HM militants shot dead three persons, including a woman, at Bandara village in the Gulabgarh area of Reasi District.

Similarly, it was on June 24, 2013, that HM had last targeted SFs. Eight Army personnel were killed and another 11 sustained injuries when two heavily armed HM militants ambushed an Army convoy in the Hyderpora area of Srinagar (Srinagar District). On December 7, 2015, militants, in army fatigues, attacked a Central Reserve Police

Force (CRPF) convoy along the SrinagarJammu National Highway near Semthan village in Anantnag District.

Their fire was returned by the CRPF personnel and, in the brief gunfight, seven

their directions, established the sleeper cell.

The group was planning to carry out IED [Improvised Explosive Device] blasts in the Valley, especially in Srinagar city.

According to reports, during interroga-

Group photos of new recruits of banned terror group Hizbul Mujahideen have come to light at a time when security in Jammu and Kashmir has been beefed up following reports of militants planning to target the Amarnath Yatra

CRPF men and a civilian were injured. Both HM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) separately claimed responsibility for the attack.

HM had experienced a long decline and as far back as October 2011 reports suggested that the group was slowly fading away, with its 'commanders' and cadres being taken out on a regular interval by SFs. According to estimates at that time, there were just over two dozen active militants left in the group, and even these cadres did not resort to any major action. A senior official disclosed, "They are basically reduced to throwing occasional grenades or random firing‌ even those are very rare."

There is now evidence that HM is making an attempt to resurrect its activities in J&K. On August 3, 2015, an HM sleeper cell was neutralized in Srinagar, the State capi-

tion, Baba disclosed, "Amir Khan ('deputy supreme commander' of HM) directed us to target senior retired Police officers who had played an active role in counter-insurgency operations over the years... Amir directed me to create a new module of militants in which I was advised to recruit youth who had no past links with militancy or any political party.

He further informed me that once the module was established and equipped, (he) will help in fund transfer locally". Baba was also told by his handlers from Pakistan to collect information about the activities of two middle rung All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders, both from Central Kashmir, who were working for Indian agencies. However, Baba told interrogators, he didn't get time to keep tabs on their activi-

Reports also suggest that terrorists in J&K [including HM] were now changing strategy and evolving. An August 2015 report claimed, "The commanders now don't waste time on sending youngsters to Pakistan. They first ask them to get a weapon. Then they assign them a target.

Those who clear the first two stages are recruited. tal, with Police arresting its self-styled 'commander', a UK-based Kashmiri physiotherapist, Mohammad Shaheen Baba alias Zaidbin Tariq.

One Chinese pistol with magazine, 25 live rounds, incriminating documents and a mobile phone were seized. Baba's interrogation report indicated that he was originally a resident of Chadoora, Budgam District, but had been working in the UK as a physiotherapist and living in London since 2006.

He married an American national of Pakistani origin and visited Pakistan, where he got in touch with HM 'commanders' and, on

ties.

Reports also suggest that terrorists in J&K [including HM] were now changing strategy and evolving. An August 2015 report claimed, "The commanders now don't waste time on sending youngsters to Pakistan. They first ask them to get a weapon.

Then they assign them a target.

Those who clear the first two stages are recruited. This serves an ulterior purpose: once a youngster carries out a strike, he can't go back. Loyalty is guaranteed".

In recent times, HM has established its presence in the cyber domain as well. According to another August 2015 report, a

post on Facebook titled 'Tral: The Land of Martyrs', surfaced with HM's South Kashmir 'commander' Burhan Muzaffar Wani in it. Burhan has a bounty of INR one million on his head.

Interestingly, within the first 12 hours after it was uploaded, the post drew 900 likes and more than 60 comments, all of them exhibiting awe and fawning admiration for Wani, who has emerged as the poster boy for a new generation of Kashmiri militants, credited with resuscitating a dying jihad in the Valley.

There are around a dozen Facebook pages dedicated to Wani, with titles such as 'We Love Burhan Bhai', 'Burhan Bhai Son of Kashmir', 'Lovers of Mujahid Burhan Trali', etc. Updated round-the-clock with Wani's photographs, other jihadi messages and photos from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Middle East, the pages attract a barrage of likes and comments.

HM also announced a recruitment drive from August 21, 2015, onwards, using Whatsapp. Wani's 'lieutenants' spread the word offering INR 35,000 as 'salary' to anybody willing to join HM. Only those who had cleared Class X could apply. Terrorists like Wani are now selling terrorism as a mix of employment and heroism, as he projects himself in videos in the company of youth, with fancy weapons, wandering around nonchalantly.

Unsurprisingly, a report dated November 27, 2015, indicated that the current threat perception was highest from HM and not LeT or Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) as, unlike the other two outfits, HM has tried to move away from conventional terrorism, using propaganda and social media to attract increasing numbers of recruits.

In terms of finance, reports suggest that, while Pakistan continues to be the biggest donor, HM funds have also come in from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and some Western nations.

Meanwhile, a new faction of HM, Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) has proved to be extremely violent, especially targeting mobile transmission towers and devices in the valley. Recent reports also suggest fratricidal killings within HM-LeI ranks.

In a major setback to LeI, headed by Qayoom Najjar, three of his associates identified as Amir Reshi, Ashiq Wani, and Naveed Ahmad Khan were found dead in the local orchards of Shutz Dangerpora village on the Nihalpora-Wailo Road in the Pattan area in Baramulla District on September 14, 2015. Police suspect factional rivalry behind the killings.

After its protracted marginalization among terrorist formations in J&K, HM is making a clear bid for revival. There is a new strategy and appeal in evidence, with aggressive use of social media and a direct and well funded outreach to youth, particularly in the Valley.

The group has, however, already suffered some critical losses as well as a factional split, and there are obvious opportunities for SFs to contain the danger before it rises any further.

The writer is Visiting Scholar, Institute for Conflict Management

December 25, 2015

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December 25, 2015

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India Post 27

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Gerua: Dilwale 2 Agar Tum Saath Ho: Tamasha 3 Matargashti: Tamasha 4 Deewani Mastani: Bajirao Mastani www.indiapost.com

28 India Post

December 25, 2015

5 Tumhe Apna Banane Ka : Hate Story 3 6 Pinga : Bajirao Mastani 7 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo : PRDP 8 Heer Toh Badi Sad Hai : Tamasha 9 Malhari : Bajirao Mastani 10 Prem Leela : PRDP

S

B

ollywood action hero Akshay Kumar has been roped in play villain in Shankar's Robot 2', Tamil version, titled 'Enthiran 2'. "Akshay is all set to make his Tamil debut with the film in which he will be playing the villain," a source from the film's unit said.

At first the makers planned to rope in Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger but it did not work out. A source says, "Just two days ago, talks with Arnie failed because there was extensive paperwork involved in getting the ex-Governor of California to come and work in India."

Talks were there to rope in Aamir Khan to play the antagonist but here also things did not work out. Amy Jackson plays play the female lead.

A.R Rahman will compose the tunes.

Akshay Kumar flew to Chennai to take part in the puja and meet Shankar and the rest of the cast. He then flew back to Mumbai on a private charter.

At first the makers planned to rope in Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger but it did not work out. A source says, "Just two days ago, talks with Arnie failed because there was extensive paperwork involved in getting the ex-Governor of California to come and work in India.�

B

ollywood lovebirds Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor are undergoing a rough patch in their relationship post Ranbir's film 'Tamasha' opposite his ex-flame Deepika Padukone.

Rumors are rife that Katrina was not too happy with the PDA (public display of affection) between her beau and Deepika during 'Tamasha' promotions and this has made the 'Phantom' actress insecure.

"It is not working out between them (Ranbir and Katrina). They have had differences since Ranbir went on a major publicity drive with Deepika Padukone for Tamasha," 9XE.com quoted a source as saying.

Recently, in an interview with GQ magazine for its

December edition, Katrina admitted to not being close to Ranbir's family. She revealed that her greatest fear was that her man may not love her completely if and when she gets married. She also expressed her unhappiness over Ranbir working with Deepika.

"I can't enforce my will on the people in my life. Their choices are their own. I may not be happy with them but I hope that as they mature or as they evolve, their choices will change," Katrina said commenting on her boyfriend working with his former lover.

onam Kapoor says she was under stress working in upcoming biopic 'Neerja', which is a story of a slain air hostess.

The Ram Madhvani helmed biopic is on senior flight attendant Neerja Bhanot who saved 360 lives on a Pan Am flight that was hijacked in Karachi in 1986.

Bhanot became the youngest and first woman recipient of the prestigious Ashok Chakra Award, posthumously.

"It is not about me, director and producer but about Neerja," she said.

"It is important that this story is told. This girl was the youngest civilian who got Ashoka Chakra. She was a normal girl...She did a bit of modeling. She had the courage to save the world," Sonam told PTI. The 'Khoobsurat' actress said "I hope I have done justice to her. I was stressed throughout the film hoping I have done the best job possible. I feel the reason why this film was made is to recognize everyone that it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from.

"You have to be ordinary to do extraordinary things and everybody has it in them. You need to have courage to do things." The 30-year-old actress said.

Bollywood

December 25, 2015

India Post 29

www.indiapost.com

I

t certainly seems like the adult film star Sunny Leone, who made her Bollywood debut in 2002 with Jism 2 is here to stay. With film offers aplenty, Sunny has now pipped the usual suspects Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and their likes to become the most searched Indian celebrity on google in 2015.

Interestingly Sunny has left behind even APJ Abdul Kalam, Deepika Padukone, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Kajal Aggarwal, Alia Bhatt and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi who ranks 10th on the list of Most Googled Indian of 2015.

Sunny who was last seen in the film Kuch Kuch Locha Hai will next appear in Milap Zaveri's Mastizaade. Currently the actress is working on projects Tina & Lolo and Beimaan Love.

Sunny has left behind even APJ Abdul Kalam, Deepika Padukone, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Kajal Aggarwal, Alia Bhatt and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi who ranks 10th on the list of Most Googled Indian of 2015

Mandana Karimi

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irector Anurag Kashyap has yet again fallen for a beautiful lass and this time a 22-year-old mass media student Shubhra Shetty. Shubhra is a Mass Media student from Mumbai's St. Xavier's College and she graduated from the institute last year.

43-year-old Anurag Kashyap has gone though two failed marriages (Aarti Bajaj and Kalki Koechlin) and he was also rumored to have dated for some time. Now again he has lost his heart to a new girl.

After completing studies, Shubhra joined Anurag's film production company Phantom Films and the affair started.

"She's young, feisty and extremely intelligent," a production hand revealed, adding, "There was an instant connection between Anurag and her. They spend a lot of time together and have grown very close over the past few months."

H

rithik Rosh Roshan w an fo ill recte that his r yet anot soon team her p d by S next up Even anjay G project, roject. Th with his upta, e produ fathe tor-m before wil r, R ced actor re it o right del, Sudh s inceptio l be titled 'K by Seni cently ann akesh o n i ou r Ros lead nfringem anshu Pan , 'Kaabil, aabil.' han a nced ent, s ' ran actre d nd di e y i s accus tating nto le Kare s of t e e h g cast a na Kapoo e film is that they d Rakesh al trouble r Kh yet sw nd had an Hrith other deta an is bein to be fina stolen h d Sanjay hen aci of i i l s g l k i s z s c i ing p eriod s currentl of the pro onsidered ed, it is b cript. Wh copye y bus ject a dram ile th adven ing r for th y a re e e 'Moh ture with t , 'Mohenjo shooting yet to be e role. Th ported tha f enjo e he ba t o f D i r r n est of alized Daro ckdro aro.' Set Ashuto of Po the . 'a sh i p o love i ja Hegde lso mark of the In n 2600 BC Gowarik s d ntere e , st in t who pla the Bolly us Valley , the film i r's upcom c ys H he fil w s rithik ood deb ivilizatio a romant m. ut n. ic 's

alman Khan's upcoming film 'Sultan' has been making news espe cially regarding its female cast. The wrestling-based movie has already gone on floors but the female lead has not been finalized yet.

There has been a guessing game going on with names of actress like Deepika Padukone, Parineeti Chopra and Kriti Sanon doing the rounds.

According to latest reports, the names of 'Bigg Boss 9' contestant Mandana Karimi and 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 8' contestant Scarlet Wilson are being associated with the film. The makers reportedly wanted to cast a fresh face in the Salman Khan starrer.

Scarlet was spotted interacting with the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor at an awards function.

As for Mandana, Salman has often favored the Iranian beauty on the s h o w, s o much that her co-contestants have labeled her a s Salman's favorite.

Scarlet Wilson

„

Realty Tidbits

Southern California home sales dip 19.1 % IRVINE, Calif.: Southern California home sales dropped by 19.1 percent last month - double the usual October-to-November dip and a research group says that could mean buyers are having a hard time coming up with cash or credit.

Andrew LePage, research analyst with CoreLogic, says another problem may be a low inventory after a strong summer.

CoreLogic reports that 16,122 homes and condos were sold in November in six counties.

LePage says although sales were up 2.4 percent compared to November 2014, it's still one of the slowest Novembers in the past 25 years.

Meanwhile, the median sales price for a Southern California home was $438,000 - up $3,000 from October.

Wealthier buyers had no problem, though. Homes selling for $500,000 or more accounted for some 40 percent of sales. -AP

„ 2,000 homes planned for southwest Boise BOISE, Idaho: Developers will likely break ground next year on the first phase of a 2,000-home project in southwest Boise.

Developer Michael Coughlin plans to build 453 homes on 101 acres in the first phase, The Idaho Statesman reports.

City of Boise planner Todd Tucker said that the entire development, called Syringa Valley, is expected to include 2,000 homes on 601 acres, as well as a high school, elementary school, city park and two commercial areas.

The development is expected to unfold over the next 20 years.

Coughlin has requested a ``specific plan'' for Syringa Valley.

A specific plan is used by city planners to lay out details for large phased development. The City Council must approve them and any future changes.

If approved, Syringa Valley would be the third specific plan in Boise.

The Boise Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to consider Syringa Valley on Jan. 4. Tucker said that hearing likely will be pushed back if the project runs into controversy at meetings held by the Ada County Highway District due to the request to extend a road through the development. -AP

Real Estate 30 India Post

www.indiapost.com

December 25, 2015

3 unions back NYC Mayor's housing plan NEW YORK: A trio of major New York City unions are backing Mayor Bill de Blasio's embattled affordable housing plan.

The leadership of the 1199 SEIU health care workers union, the United Federation of Teachers and the DC 37 municipal workers union backed the plan.

Their support comes the day of a hearing on the proposal at the City Planning Commission. -AP

Indian realty market regains favor of foreign investors: PwC MUMBAI: A relaxed FDI policy for the realty sector has reinforced the confidence of overseas investors and has helped India regain its place as one of the preferred investment destinations, says a recent PwC survey.

According to the global consultancy firm, the overall outlook for investments in Indian real estate market seems to be positive on account of the fact that 80 per cent of the foreign capital inflows have been all-equity buyouts by big institutional players.

It noted that even those investors who had burnt their fingers in the first round of investments in 2006-07 "are not wary of Indian markets anymore, and are willing to bet their money once again on the Indian real estate story".

"The progressive evolution of Indian foreign investment policy for the real estate sector through introduction of various liberalization measures has reinforced the confidence of foreign investors and has helped India regain favor

to be one of the preferred investment destinations in the Asia Pacific region," PwC said.

The findings of the survey showed that Bengaluru is emerging as the real estate capital of India as it overtook Mumbai in this year's rankings to become the most preferred real estate invest-

pect perspective, New Delhi ranks second and Mumbai ranks fifth in the buy recommendation rankings for industrial/distribution properties among the 22 cities covered," PwC India partner Abhishek Goenka said, citing the survey results.

"Furthermore, Mumbai ranks

ment destination in India.

"While Mumbai and New Delhi have marginally dropped in rankings, from an investment pros-

eighth and ninth, for office and residential buy recommendations, respectively. These numbers, in a way, indicate that the investment

Govt may scrap double taxation in realty NEW DELHI: The government will consider the real estate industry's demand to remove double taxation on developers who have to pay both labor cess as well as PF/ESI, Labor Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has said.

Addressing a conference organized by realtors' apex body Credai, the minister also expressed concern over huge amount of labor cess being unutilized.

Around Rs 16,000 crore is lying in the treasuries of the state governments, he added.

The industry has raised the issue of duplication of taxes for carrying out labor welfare, he said.

"We will consider the industry's demand," Dattatreya said, adding that he would call the industry representatives to discuss this issue.

He assured the developers that there would not be any inspector raj in this government,

"Construction sector is deficient of skilled people. The biggest challenge is we don't have trainers," Rudy said. He asked the industry to partner with government

but only inspection.

Dattatreya said the government wants to simplify the labor laws and plans to bring four bills in the Parliament.

Credai National President Getamber Anand said the duplication of taxes in form of labor cess as well as imposition of PF/ESI should be removed.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the construction industry is facing a gap of three crore skilled workers.

"Construction sector is deficient of skilled people. The biggest challenge is we don't have trainers," Rudy said.

He asked the industry to partner with government for skill development and training.

Nearly 11 crore additional skilled workforce will be required by 24 sectors like automobile, retail, handloom and construction by 2022, according to the skills gap report commissioned by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

-PTI

prospect rankings of these cities could move up and push into the 'top-10' bracket in the years to come," he added.

Giving city-wise observations, the survey results said that the financial hub Mumbai is on a recovery path as far as the commercial real estate side is concerned.

"On residential end, there is currently a reasonable amount of oversupply in the suburbs; however, with recent slowdown of approvals for new projects, the oversupply situation could get addressed to certain extent," it noted.

Meanwhile, the survey observed that New Delhi is expected to see the biggest pipeline, primarily due to Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Osaka and Ho Chi Minh City emerged as the top five cities in the world in terms of investment and development prospects in their respective realty markets.

The survey was conducted across 22 cities in the world. -PTI

Problems with NJ property tax credits TRENTON, N.J.: An audit finds 19,000 eligible applicants may not have received New Jersey's property tax credit.

They missed out on $10 million because they sold their homes in the year and a half it took the state to issue the most recent Homestead Benefit. The audit found people who bought the homes received the credit even though they had not paid taxes for the property in 2012.

The application instructs homeowners to work out the credit with buyers during closing or make a note on the application to receive a rebate check instead.

NJ.com reports taxation acting director Dennis Shilling has now agreed to use sales data to determine if an applicant should receive a check instead of a credit.

Overall, the state paid $365 million in credits in May. -AP

Real Estate Post

December 25, 2015

India Post 31

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Home construction recovers after Oct slide WASHINGTON: A big jump in apartment construction in the Midwest and South boosted the pace of homebuilding in November, marking a solid bounce back after tumbling in October. Construction of single-family houses also increased and reached an eight-year high.

The Commerce Department said that total housing starts - both houses and apartments - climbed 10.5 last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.17 million homes. The increase reversed much of drop in stars during October.

There has been a sharp growth in homebuilding, with starts having increased 11 percent so far this year. Solid hiring over the past two years and relatively low interest rates have buoyed the real estate market, encouraging more people to upgrade to two new houses and sign rental leases.

Single-family house construction rose 7.6 percent last month to 768,000, the best reading since

January 2008. The building of multi-family complexes, primarily apartments, advanced 18.1 percent.

The gains appear likely to con-

increase coming from apartments.

The additional permits suggest newfound momentum in construction after a choppy few months where growth appeared to be stall-

A builder works on the site of the Landmark community, a group of condos and townhouses built by Lennar Homes, in Doral, Fla.

tinue over the next few months.

Building permits rose 11 percent in November to an annual rate of 1.29 million, with almost all of the

ing. ``An upward trend in total housing construction appears to be reemerging, following the slow-

down in the summer,'' said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Still, construction is recovering from the depths of the Great Recession as starts remain short of the 1.5 million rate that housing sector analysts associate with a healthy market.

Michelle Meyer, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, estimates that housing starts will average 1.28 million in 2016 and 1.4 million in 2017. Fueling the gains will be millennials graduating college and leaving their parents' homes for rentals, while a share of owners upgrade to new houses.

New construction has increasingly focused on higher-end buyers and renters, doing little to alleviate the price pressures faced by many Americans. The median rent on a newly built apartment was $1,372 a month in 2014, about $500 more a month than what about half of renters could afford without being financially burdened, ac-

cording to a recent analysis by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

New homes sold for a median price of $281,500 in October, according to the Commerce Department. That represents a $61,900 premium on the median sales price for an existing home, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Builders are confident that demand from buyers will remain robust, although the view of the market has dimmed over the past three months.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index slipped in December to 61, the second straight monthly decline.

Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales conditions as good, rather than poor.

The index has been consistently above 50 since July last year, although it has been below that critical threshold in the Northeast for much of 2015. -AP

Real estate regulatory may Gujarat will consult lead to more JVs developers on RERA Real estate developers may have to rely more on joint ventures with land owners to build projects due to paucity of funds once the regulatory bill is passed by Parliament, according to India Ratings and Research.

The rating agency said that the new launches could come down in the short-term due to certain provisions in the Bill. It also expects consolidation in the industry, with smaller player losing ground to a few top developers with good track record of delivery and compliance.

Earlier, the Cabinet approved various amendments to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015, introducing provisions for depositing 70 per cent of the money received by builders for a project in the escrow account and punishment for violations.

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said that the Bill "if enacted could result in a higher reliance by real estate developers on joint venture projects with land owners due to lower availability of surplus cash to buy land.

The provision which prohibits presales until the land is in possession and all approvals are in place, along with the provision to escrow a portion of sales proceeds would lead to higher reliance on joint venture projects and conse-

quently the much needed elasticity in real estate prices, it added.

"The provision in the draft Bill to escrow a portion of the sales proceeds for construction purposes will ensure timely completion and stop the diversion of funds to purchase land or for the

"Consolidation may be on the horizon as smaller players lose ground to a few top developers with good track record of delivery and compliance", Ind-Ra said.

launch of other projects. The sector is now closer to getting a regulator", said Vinay Betala, Associate Director, India Ratings and Research Pvt Ltd. The escrow account would temporarily reduce liquidity and hence debt servicing capability of the real estate developers.

The agency said the cash flow cycles for developers might get stressed during the transition

phase since builders would need to await approvals prior to launch and due to the escrow provision.

"This is likely to reduce the number of project launches initially and supply is likely to come down which means lower inventory in the short run", it added.

However, the agency said that in the steady state under the new regulation, new launches would happen with developers own cashflows, resulting in a responsible industry where the financial capacity of the developers will determine the extent of launches.

"Consolidation may be on the horizon as smaller players lose ground to a few top developers with good track record of delivery and compliance", Ind-Ra said.

If the Bill gets enacted, it would lead to protection of the buyers interest and substantial increase in transparency in the real estate development sector, the agency said.

It listed out various provisions in the Bill that are beneficial and positive for buyers like prior registration of projects and agents with regulator, information transparency about booking and construction, launch of projects only post receipt of all approvals and restriction on change in plans without consent of the buyers. PTI

NEW DELHI: The Gujarat government will consult all stake holders, including developers, while constituting the state real estate regulatory authority (RERA), Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has said.

According to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015, approved by the Cabinet last week, the states and UTs need to establish the 'Real Estate Regulatory Authority' to regulate

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel

real estate transactions.

The bill is still to be taken up for discussion and approval by Parliament. "..I know our real estate developers have some issues related to Real Estate Regulatory Authority.

So our state government will consult all stake holders including developers while constituting the regulatory authority for the

Gujarat," Patel said while speaking at the Credai Annual Conclave 2015.

Patel added that the state government has addressed almost all the issues of the developers related to real estate sector and at the same time the state government has taken various initiatives to ease down the registration process.

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill is framed with aim to protect the interest of consumers, promote fair play in real estate transactions and to ensure timely execution of projects.

The Bill provides a uniform regulatory environment to ensure speedy adjudication of disputes and orderly growth of the real estate sector.

It will boost domestic and foreign investment in the real estate sector and help achieve the objective of the government to provide housing for all by enhanced private participation, according to a release.

The Bill ensures mandatory disclosure by promoters to the customers through registration of real estate projects as well as real estate agents with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. -PTI

Health

Line

Over 74,500 Oregonians enroll, re-enroll PORTLAND, Ore.: Federal statistics show 74,500 Oregonians have signed up for private health insurance plans via the federal exchange portal.

The data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid include newly insured Oregonians, as well as those who already had insurance but shopped around and actively re-enrolled via HealthCare.Gov. The figure does not include Oregonians who are insured but decided not to shop for a different plan and will be automatically re-enrolled in their current plan.

Citing heavy last-minute demand, U.S. health officials extended the deadline to sign up for health insurance coverage that would take effect Jan. 1.

The final sign-up deadline is Jan. 31, but for those who sign up after the deadline coverage will start in February. -AP

Syrian doc banned for rants against Indians LONDON: A Syrian surgeon based in Britain who launched a series of racist and abusive rants against Indian doctors, saying they should "clean toilets", has been banned from practicing medicine.

Ragneb Nouman, who also said Indian doctors would be the "downfall of the NHS" referring to the National Health Service has been struck off the UK medical register. 52-year-old Nouman also called a colleague an "Indian bastard" during an argument in front of patients at a hospital bus stop, but blamed his racist remarks on stress due to the ongoing conflict in his home country.

The General Medical Council (GMC) launched an inquiry into his comments, but when Nouman was quizzed over the phone he told an investigator that "Indians should be gardeners" and claimed Indian doctors were only complaining about him "because they are rude". A GMC Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing in Manchester concluded that his behavior had been "unacceptable". -PTI

Health Science 32 India Post

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New Autism treatment for Indian kids

December 25, 2015

Details on Page 34

FAO health workers in India turn saviors of poultry & goats JHABUA, Madhya Pradesh, India: The remote village of Sad, pronounced Saad, is happy these days. Not just Sad, but some ten villages of Rama block, nestled among the beautiful undulating hills of Jhabua, are also looking up with hope. Jhabua, in Madhya Pradesh, also happens to be one of India's most backward districts.

Most people here, like the rest of Jhabua, are tribals steeped in poverty. But a change, backed by women, is quietly reviving their bleak household economy. The change agents are murgi and pashu sakhis. Literally translated murgi means hen (fowl) and pashu animal. Sakhi means female friend.

Thanks to FAO's livestock project these community animal health workers have turned saviors of the poultry and goats reared in virtually every home here.

Sad has some 350 homes and their backyard poultry often bails them out in times of crisis. Selling a few chicken in the local market fetches good money. But then, there were waves of poultry deaths caused by viral infections leaving villagers distraught. Most often it was the viral New Castle

disease that wiped away entire flocks.

"Mortality was as high as 75 percent …Our murgi sakhis have brought it down to around 40 percent," says Prem Thakur of Sampark, that is implementing the

And we no longer have to borrow money…we sell the chicken in the local market."

Dittu Bai Parmar, of the Patelia tribe, is a much sought after murgi sakhi in Sad and neighboring areas. A "twelfth pass" she under-

Doctor On Call: Dittu Bai with her poultry 'patients'

project. Things have indeed changed since the murgi sakhis started vaccination and de-worming work about a year ago.

Pushpa, a villager says, "The deaths have gone down …I had just two murgis …I now have 15.

went a 5-day residential training along with 16 other sakhis. Dittu Bai attributes the fall in poultry mortality mainly to the vaccination and deworming work carried out by the murgi sakhis, and following a few good management

protocols.

According to her "Ranikhet", the local name for New Castle, was the most common cause of bird mortality. Now if anyone in Sad or neighboring areas has a sick fowl Dittu Bai is readily available on a mobile phone. The vaccines and medicines generally come from the government's animal hospital. " ….When I visit a village for deworming or other treatment I also tell them about the vaccination dates." Her rates for vaccination or de-worming services are as low as two rupees per fowl.

But now Dittu Bai also doubles as a pashu sakhi and can treat goats that give her ten rupees per animal treated. Earlier she and others like her would get a stipend of 1000 rupees. Now the women are on their own.

Dittu Bai earns anything between 1500 to 2000 rupees per month. Not a large sum by city standards but, as she says, "I don't have to ask the moneylender when books or school uniforms have to be bought for the children…or for treatment of small ailments."

Cont'd on Page 35

9 In 10 Cancers caused by lifestyle NEW YORK: Environmental and external factors such as smoking, drinking, sun exposure and air pollution may account for up to nine out of 10 cancers, a new study has claimed.

It was previously believed that random cell mutations played a significant role in the development of tumors, researchers said.

However, scientists at the Stony Brook University in New York now believe that outside influences have a far greater impact, meaning many cancers may be more preventable than previously thought.

The researchers said that cancer incidence is far too high to be explained away by simple mutations in cell division, 'The Telegraph' reported.

"Here we provide evidence that intrinsic risk factors contribute only modestly to cancer development. The rates of mutation accumulation by intrinsic processes are not sufficient to account for the observed cancer risks," said Yusuf Hannun of Stony Brook University.

The researchers looked at previous studies which have shown how immigrants moving from low cancer incidence to countries with high cancer incidence soon develop the same tumor rates, suggesting the risks are environmental rather than biological or genetic.

"For many common types of cancer, this study concludes that at least 70 per cent to 90 per cent of the cancers are due to external risk factors - roughly speaking, that 70 per cent to 90 per cent

would not occur if we could magic away all the risk factors," said Kevin McConway from the c.

According to the new research, nearly 75 per cent of the

Although some rare cancers can be driven by genetic mutations, the most prevalent diseases are down to environmental factors risk of colorectal cancer is now believed to be due to diet. As many as 86 per cent of the risk of skin cancer is due to sun exposure

while 75 per cent of chance of developing head and neck cancers is because of tobacco and alcohol, researchers said.

Although some rare cancers can be driven by genetic mutations, the most prevalent diseases are down to environmental factors, researchers said, adding that it is important that these 'extrinsic' factors are taken into account in cancer prevention and research.

The finding is likely to prove controversial as it suggests that people could slash their risk of ever getting cancer if they just made lifestyle changes such as keeping out of the sun, exercising or cutting down on cigarettes, researchers said.

The findings were published in the journal Nature. -AP

Health Science Post

December 25, 2015

India Post 33

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FDA approves cheaper diabetes drug WASHINGTON: Federal health officials have approved a cheaper version of the world's top-selling insulin from Sanofi for millions of U.S. patients with diabetes.

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new form of Sanofi's pen-like injector, Lantus, from drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Those companies received tentative FDA approval for their drug, called Basaglar, in August 2014. But the launch was delayed by a patent dispute with

Sanofi. The three drugmakers reached an agreement in September allowing the launch of the new drug.

Insulin is a hormone that is crucial for controlling sugar levels in the blood. People with diabetes either do not produce enough

insulin or cannot properly use it.

Lantus is the top product for Sanofi and the third best-selling medicine in the world by revenue. British research firm GlobalData says Lantus had sales of $12.4 billion in 2014.

The FDA said it approved Basaglar based on data showing it is safe and effective and works similarly to Lantus. The most common side effects reported in company trials included allergic reactions, injection site reactions, itching, rash and weight gain.

Lilly and Boehringer already sell Basaglar in several European countries. The two companies have not set a U.S. price yet, but it likely will be significantly lower than the price for the original product.

The diabetes market is fiercely competitive, and top rivals recently have been introducing new products across several classes of diabetes pills, as well as easier-to-use insulins.

About 95 percent of the estimated 29 million Americans with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Type 1 diabetes, often called insulin-dependent diabetes, typically is diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, while Type 2 diabetes typically strikes in middle age. -AP

Bihar to set up five new medical colleges PATNA: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced that five new medical colleges will be set up in Bihar as he worked to overhaul and strengthen health care infrastructure in the state.

The medical colleges would be opened as per specifications of MCI (Medical Council of India) and all of them would have nursing colleges, Kumar said while reviewing the functioning of the state health department, according to an official statement.

The Bihar government, which has prioritized health sector in its agenda, gave necessary directions to further streamline functioning of government hospitals across the state.

The review meeting was attended by Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and principal secretary R K Mahajan, among others.

The chief minister directed that free medicines should be provided to the needy without any interruption in government hospitals.

He ordered to transform four bed intensive units in government hospitals into 10bedded Intensive Care Units, the statement quoting principal secretary, health, R K Mahajan said.

Kumar further instructed that additional

primary health centers in all districts should have facility of radiology and pathology.

In a bid to enforce punctuality among doctors, he asked to constitute a state-level team to monitor attendance of doctors and paramedical staffs. Those found absent from duty should be dealt with severely, he said.

Kumar directed to open de-addiction centers in every district, which was con-

Nitish Kumar

sidered important as the CM has already committed to ban liquor in the state from April 1, 2016.

The Chief Minister ordered that landline telephone should be functional in every primary health centers and in-charge of PHCs would be held responsible in case of landline telephone connection found not functioning. -PTI

Heart disease, stroke top killers WASHINGTON: Heart disease is the biggest killer worldwide followed by stroke, according to a new report that showed 31 per cent of all global deaths were caused by cardiovascular diseases as of 2013.

One of every three deaths in US in 2013 were from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, according to American Heart Association (AHA)'s 2016 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update.

"Statistics about cardiovascular disease and stroke, and particularly the metrics about death and the factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease are incredibly important," said Mark Creager, president of American Heart Association.

Despite the progress in reducing the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke, the numbers are still too high, researchers said.

The data showed globally that 31 per cent of all deaths were from cardiovascular disease, with 80 per cent occurring in lowand middle-income countries as of 2013, strokes accounted for 11.8 per cent of all deaths, and 16.9 million people worldwide had a first stroke in 2010.

In US, the data showed that cardiovascular diseases claimed 801,000 lives, heart disease killed more than 370,000 people and strokes killed nearly 129,000 people.

Cardiovascular disease is not only the top killer in the US, but worldwide, said

David S Siscovick, chair of AHA's Council on Epidemiology and Prevention and senior vice president for research at the New York Academy of Medicine. Hypertension, obesity and diabetes are global epidemics, he said.

The findings were published in journal Circulation. -PTI

Health Science Post

34 India Post

December 25, 2015

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New Autism treatment for Indian kids LONDON: Scientists have successfully tested a new autism treatment program in India and Pakistan that could help improve the lives of millions of autistic children in developing countries.

In a world first, scientists adapted a parent-led autism therapy which helped parents interact better with their autistic children after 12 weeks of the program.

Clinical researchers from the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester in UK collaborated with colleagues in south Asia to adapt the therapy.

Successfully tested in India and Pakistan, the partnership aims to improve treatment for an estimated five million children in the region with the disorder.

Autism is one of the world's fastest growing developmental health challenges, with up to 70 million people affected, causing a severe effect on the social development of children.

In developed countries, children are able to receive specialist treatment to improve their interaction with their families, but in many lower income countries, this is not

available.

Researchers adapted a leading UK therapy method known as PACT which helps parents interact better with their autistic child.

The resulting PASS (parent-mediated intervention for autism spectrum disorder in south Asia) program was taught to nonspecialist health workers in Rawalpindi in

Chuck Palmer

lion in the first six months of 2016 with the move to privatization on Jan. 1. That's a slight decrease from the $51 million that's been publicly used for months. It's also what the Legislature used to approve its current state budget. ``I don't know that we'll go lower un-

adapted," said lead authors of the study, Atif Rahman from the University of Liverpool and Jonathan Green from The University of Manchester.

"This study is the first to have adapted a treatment so as to allow it to be delivered by non-specialist health workers in south Asian communities," they said.

"It has been outstandingly successful in showing that such adaptation is both possible and can produce changes that are equal or even better that we achieved in UK," they said. -PTI

Gut damage may cause malnutrition Pakistan and Goa in India who then worked with parents of the 65 autistic children who were recruited to the trial.

The PASS materials were all presented in the parents' first language and each period of treatment began with a session on the causes and misconceptions about the

Lower savings from privatizing Medicaid DES MOINES, Iowa: Iowa health officials have lowered the state's projected savings for switching its $4.2 billion Medicaid program to private care, saying its initial estimate was released a year ago.

Iowa Department of Human Services Director Chuck Palmer told lawmakers on the Fiscal Committee that the department now estimates it will save about $47 mil-

condition.

At the end of the 12 week period the children were assessed using recognized methods. The parents were shown to have learned from the intervention and the children were more likely to initiate communication with their parents.

"We've shown that these techniques can help children in the UK, but in south Asia, there are factors such as lack of resources, trained staff, language and cultural differences and poor access to medical centers which means that methods need to be

less there are other adjustments as we go forward,'' he said, though he added that he didn't expect them.

Department spokeswoman Amy Lorentzen McCoy said after Palmer's presentation that the $47 million figure is an estimate, and the department could still save as much as $51 million. She said the latest number is based on a combination of costs associated with payment rates for health care providers and department reserves. ``Keep in mind that the $51 million projection was a year ago, and a lot changes in a year,'' she said, noting that the initial number was based on a range of estimates provided by an actuary firm.

Sen. Joe Bolkcom, DIowa City, sits on the Fiscal Committee as well as a health oversight committee that has reviewed the privatization plans.

He said the department has not provided enough information about its savings projections. ``I have not had great confidence in many of the numbers the department has provided to us,'' he said after the meeting. -AP

WASHINGTON: Damage to the gut from infection can cause malnutrition and vaccination failure in children, scientists have discovered, offering a new strategy to improve nutrition of infants.

It has been estimated that if every nutritional measure known to be helpful were applied to every child in the world, global malnutrition would be decreased by only a third.

Food alone is not a solution to malnutrition. Nutritional therapy will need to include measures to prevent or treat the damage to the gut of infants, researchers said.

Researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the University of Vermont in US and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh have for the last four years enrolled children at birth and their parents from an urban slum in Dhaka.

The children were visited in their homes twice a week, received free medical care and were observed for the development of malnutrition. Malnutrition is measured by children becoming stunted, or abnormally short for their age.

Despite vaccination, free medical care and nutritional counseling and care, stunting increased from 9.5 per cent at enrolment to 27.6 per cent at 1 year of age.

This demonstrated what has long been known, that malnutrition is extraordinarily difficult to prevent or treat, researchers said.

"It was as fascinating as disturbing that nearly one in four children in the study developed malnutrition by their first birthday," said Caitlin Naylor from University of Virginia.

The researchers suspected that food was not being properly digested by the children

who were becoming stunted.

"We knew that the children's intestines were being repeatedly infected, on a near daily basis, in a situation completely different from infants in Charlottesville that rarely are infected and do not suffer from malnutrition," said Bill Petri from University of Virginia.

"We decided to test to see if damage to their gut from infection was causing malnutrition," he added.

The researchers in Bangladesh did the same tests on the Bengali children that are done in children in US suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. Nearly every child had abnormal results, indicating their guts were damaged.

The potentially life-saving rotavirus vaccines also are substantially less effective in these children that need the vaccines the most, researchers said.

One of the obstacles to the global campaign to eradicate polio has been the relative ineffectiveness of the oral vaccine in developing countries, sometimes necessitating upwards of 10 doses to be effective, they said.

"Since these two vaccines immunize the intestine, we tested if children with the worst gut damage also suffered from vaccine failure," said Petri.

This was found to be the case, demonstrating that a damaged gut caused both malnutrition and oral vaccine failure.

The findings were published in the journal EBioMedicine. -PTI

December 25, 2015

Health Science Post

India Post 35

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FAO health workers turn saviors of poultry & goats Cont'd from Page 32

In a way she and other women of the village now feel empowered with the knowledge they have gained and the little economic freedom it has brought. Dittu Bai's is not the only success story.

Shruti Bai's work as a murgi sakhi made her so popular with the villagers that she ran for the local polls and is now an elected sarpanch, head of the village council. Taking advantage of her poultry rearing technology her husband had bought some 400 chicks of Kadaknath, a rare indigenous breed that fetches a high price. This black chicken has unique high protein-low fat qualities and is also said to be an aphrodisiac. Selling their flock for an average of 500 rupees a piece Shruti Bai and her husband became overnight 'millionaires', earning over two lakh rupees (around $3,500).

That, in local terms, is big money.

Now, everyone in the village wants to follow Shruti Bai's example. And that includes non tribals who traditionally stayed away from poultry or goat rearing.

SAPPLPP's success is now being replicated.

From ten villages Sampark will take it to 330 villages in Rama and Petlawad blocks with the help of a new donor. This time around they will have both men and women to take care of the poultry and goats. Nilesh Desai, who heads Sampark says, "People have now begun looking at poultry as a commercial venture…After farming and labor-migration, it's become the third option for income generation."

In Jhirniya block of Khargone district in MP, some 200 kms from Indore, is SAPPLPP's goat rearing project. If Rama block is backward, Jharnia is the back of beyond. It ranks among one of the poorest blocks in the country, 90 percent of its population tribals, mainly Bhil, Bhilala and Patelias.

Here it is pashu sakhis who are rewriting the rules of the village economy. Like for poultry, the trick is the same, vaccina-

tion and de-worming of goats apart from managing a few food and health issues.

This has led to a sharp decline in goat mortality. "Before our intervention it was 35 percent…It's now down to four percent," says Bharat Mogre, who heads AKRSP (Aga Khan Rural Support Program), FAO's implementing partner.

At Saka village's primary school a meeting with a group of pashu sakhis is revealing. Neema Bai, of the Bhil community, ex-

plains how she goes about her work with the goats in the village and neighboring areas. "When a goat is sick in the village they inform me and I attend to the animal…Coming from other villages they often bring the sick animal along and I treat it," she says. She and her colleague Tulsi Bai often go around the village forming groups of the women and speaking to them about how to keep their goats healthy. "Earlier they were indifferent….But now they come and listen to us…The villagers are more forthcoming in asking for treatment," Neema Bai says.

The meeting with the pashu sakhis is interrupted by a bunch of goats being herded back home by local man Jaswant who peeps in. Does he find the pashu sakhis helpful? The villager breaks into a

Face cream ingredient may slow ageing LONDON: A common skin care ingredient used in anti-ageing creams can mimic the life-extending effect of a calorie restriction diet, a new study has found.

Calorie restriction, a reduction in calorie intake without malnutrition, has been found to slow down the ageing process in several animal models from worms to mammals, and developing drugs that can reproduce this effect, without the side effects, could have widespread human applications.

Using complex genetic data analysis and testing, scientists at University of Liverpool in UK have shown for the first time that allantoin, which is found in botanical extracts of the comfrey plant and is an ingredient of many anti-ageing creams, can mimic the effect of calorie restriction and increase lifespan in worms by more than 20 per cent.

"Calorie restriction has been shown to

have health benefits in humans and, while more work is necessary, our findings could potentially result in human therapies for age-related diseases," said Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, from the University's Institute of Integrative Biology, who led the study.

To identify potential calorie restriction mimetic compounds, the team used existing molecular signatures from human cells treated with a variety of small-molecule drugs.

Using pattern-matching algorithms to make connections between drug compounds and calorie restriction effects, eleven potential compounds were identified. Five of these were then tested in nematode worms.

The researchers found that worms treated with allantoin, rapamycin, trichostatin A and LY-294002 not only lived longer, but also stayed healthier longer.-PTI

toothy smile, "Yes…they help us with the medicines and vaccines….Now very few of our goats die." Jamuna Bai an old woman of the village agrees, "Ever since they started treatment the animals are not falling sick."

A downside of the good health and fall in goat mortality is that Neema Bai and her friends' earnings have dropped as morbidity has fallen. They earn anything between 1000 to 1500 rupees a month now. "During vaccination campaigns our earnings go up," says Neema Bai who confessed to once treating a cow's broken horn and earning 50 rupees.

W h a t about the veterinary assistants from the government hospitals? Do the villagers get any support from them? "Earlier the government veterinary assistants would come…..But now they don't need to come our animals are healthy," says Neema Bai. "But they won't go from door to door like we do," she adds.

As a result of the pashu sakhi intervention the goat population in Jhirnia has shot up. A healthy goat can fetch around 7000 rupees and comes in handy for sundry, unexpected expenses. Moreover feeding children on goat milk ensures better nutrition. For the sakhis their dependence on husbands is gone. "We're no longer begging….We stand on our own feet," that's the unanimous claim.

In the coming days the hands of these community animal health workers (CAHW) will be further strengthened as they will double as workers for both goats and poultry.

SAPPLPP is also being rolled out in Nagore district of Rajasthan where it will cover both goats and sheep. Above all, reduced mortality among poultry and small ruminants, as demonstrated, can go a long way in alleviating rural poverty not just in India but other poor rural economies as well.

-Courtesy FAO In India the SAPPLPP is a joint project of FAO and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The NGO implementing partners are Sampark Samaj Sevi Sansthan in Rama Block of Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh (MP) and the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) in Jhirniya Block of Khargone district also in MP. In Nagore district of Rajasthan the implementing partner is the Urmul Khejadi Sansthan.

36 India Post

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December 25, 2015

Horoscope

December 25, 2015

India Post

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Dec 25th - Dec31st 2015

D

o not stretch your limits and avoid lending money to a friend or extending too much credit or will have hard time recovering it.

If appearing for any highly competitive exam this week, chances are you will clear it in first shot. Things will keep improving at work and a small raise or promotion can become a reality this week.

N

o not allow heart rule over your head and do not let emotions rule when taking any decision about career. Opportunity could require relocation. Letter or mail you send out will get the things done. Very favorable time for those looking for an expansion in the family. You may get rid of some junk piling up dust in the garage.

egotiations will continue to move in right direction but final contract could take little more time to take place. Money wise you will do well and may make some quick money through a stocks transaction. You will be successful in shedding of few pounds with the help of little exercises and change of diet.

Just handle tools with care.

n overseas business trip will be finalized.

Getting irritated with people is not going to help, you should stay calm and you will end up getting things done quickly. You may plan an evening with a colleague this weekend. A child not doing so well in the past will be on the right track from now and on and will stay focused.

A

trong Venus in angle will help you resolve few tricky issues this week.

A female will be very helpful. People seeking job will be successful in laying their hands on one. Financially you will continue to grow and even start putting some money aside for rainy days.

You will study some very useful material to update knowledge.

S

Y

Y

ou will be making couple of wise decisions about career this week. Success will be instant. You may go out to the mall and buy some new cloths or perfume for personal use. Check your blood pressure and take medication on time. You may have some special prayers done at your place or visit a holy place with family this weekend.

Y

ou will reap rich rewards for all the efforts made recently. Business will pick up all of sudden. You will sign a new contract which will help you financially for a long time to come. There will be some changes at work and you may be moved to another unit. You may successfully resolve a pending issue with a government agency.

Y

ou will be making some very calculated move in career. Gamble will pay off in shape of better money and more relaxed terms. Some money will go towards legal expenses also. You may receive good piece of advice from an experienced person. Customer count will grow and you will help many people with your expertise.

ou may have to deal with some hurdles this week. An older family member may not keep well and need to have some tests done. A child may be getting ready to move away for educational purpose. You may travel to another town to attend a social event with family this weekend. Do not hesitate to buy few lottery tickets.

D

C

T

roperty deal can finalize. People in business will be able to recover major part of past dues. New source of additional income will open up. some You may drop or change your earlier travel plans. A reunion with a close family member will take place in near future. You may buy some nice furniture items for the house.

hoice will be hard to make but you will end up taking the right decision.

New venture will need little time to turn profitable.

Transit of Mars in second for some more time will keep you on the edge as far as the finances are concerned. Bachelors may travel long distance to meet some one introduced to them recently.

here will be some interesting changes in career. You will be assigned an important task and may be promoted to next level with additional benefits and help. Spouse too will have better luck with everything this week.

Some of you may start a new project in partnership with some highly intellectual people.

P

37

38 India Post

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December 25, 2015

December 25, 2015

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India Post 39

40 India Post

A

tiny location in the state of Orissa, Konark is renowned for its centuries old Temple, alluring trendy beach and of course for the much acclaimed dance festival. Konark alias ArkaTirtha is in fact a combination of Kona and Arka which means the Sun around the crook. The outstanding monuments of Konark reflect the quintessence of Oriyan architecture.

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The annual Dance Festival of Konark receives worldwide accolades. The enthralling performances of distinguished classical dancers provides a delightful feast. The Sun Temple, which makes a magnificent backdrop, adds the charm to this cultural pursuit. This five day cultural extravaganza has helped this sleepy town to become a thriving tourist destination. Besides this, Konark also holds the Sun

Festival, where the devotees take a holy dip in the sea before the sun rises and offer their prayers to Sun god.

Craft Mela and Handicraft Exhibition held as part of this dance festival lures people with its wide range of artifacts on display. The variety of handicrafts on offer make shopping a blissful experience. Commenced under the auspicious of the Department of In-

December 25, 2015

dustry from 1991, this fair is a grand show of stylish handicrafts, rural handlooms and potteries. At artists' camps expert artisans and craftsman present their adroitness in rustic surroundings.

Konark is an excellent combination of traditional architecture and stunning natural ambiance. A fabulous temple at a sauntering distance from the beach presents the sumptuousness of the conven-

tional Indian architecture and art, which holds one's breath. Situated on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, Konark's poetry carved stone temples win one's heart with their majestic charm.

Tourist Attractions ASI Museum: Situated outside the Sun temple, the ASI museum showcases some delicate models of ancient Oriyan architecture.

Cont’d on page 42

December 25, 2015

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post 41

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E-Tourist Visa registers 2713 pc growth NEW DELHI: A total of 83,501 foreign tourists arrived in the country on e-tourist visa in November this year as compared to 2,968 during the month of October 2014, registering a growth of 2713.4 per cent.

TVoA (tourist visa on arrival), enabled by Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), popularly known as e-tourist visa scheme was launched on November 27, 2014.

The UK continued to occupy

the top spot, followed by the US, France and Germany amongst the countries availing e-tourist visa facility, Tourism Ministry said in a statement.

According to the Ministry, during January-November of this year, a total of 3,41,683 tourists arrived on e-tourist visa as compared to 24,963 during the corresponding period of previous year, registering a growth of 1268.8 percent.

"This high growth may be attributed to introduction of e-tourist visa for 113 countries as against coverage of earlier TVoA (tourist visa on arrival) scheme for 12 countries," the Ministry said in a release.

The UK accounted for 23.93 percent share of availing e-tourist visa facilities during November 2015, followed by the USA (16.33 percent), Russian Federation (8.17 percent), France (7.64 percent), Germany (5.60 percent), and Australia (4.82 percent), it added.

Canada had a share of 4.71 percent, while that of China stood at 3.26 percent, Ukraine 2.03 percent and Netherlands 1.75 percent.

At present, e-tourist visa facility is available for citizens of 113 countries arriving at 16 airports in India. -PTI

Govt defers plan to impose levy on air tickets NEW DELHI: The plan to impose two per cent levy on most domestic and international air tickets from January one that will make air travel a little more expensive has been deferred by the government.

The reason cited by the Civil Aviation Ministry was that the Draft Aviation Policy containing the proposal is expected to come before the Cabinet for approval only in the middle of next month.

The draft policy unveiled by the Ministry on October 30 planned to impose the 2 per cent levy to raise funds to improve regional air travel infrastructure. The proposal was to come into effect from January one.

The Civil Aviation Ministry is preparing the draft note for the Cabinet at present, which is likely to be ready by December 25, following which it will be sent for inter-ministerial comments, Ministry sources

said.

"As per procedure, various ministries concerned including Finance, Home, Defense, Law, MEA among others will be given 15 days time for their comments," they said.

"In all likelihood, the draft note will be sent to the Cabinet for its approval around January 15 next year," they said, adding that the proposed levy is part of draft policy and hence it can't be implemented without Cabinet approval.

In the draft policy, the Civil Aviation Ministry had proposed a raft of measures to bolster regional air

connectivity, including by way of levying additional cess and providing viability gap funding.

"RCF (Regional Connectivity Fund) will be funded by a levy of 2 per cent on all domestic and international tickets from January 1, 2016 onwards. The RCF levy will be applied on all routes other than Cat IIA routes and Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) routes," according to the draft policy.

The government expects to mop up about Rs 1,500 crore annually from imposition of the levy.

-PTI

Kenya declared leading Safari destination India Post News Service

K

enya's profile as a tourism destination has been boosted having been voted World's Leading Safari Destination at the just concluded 2015 World Travel Awards (WTA) held in, El Jadida, Morocco.

The awards dubbed the Oscars of the travel industry saw Kenya clinch the coveted position for the second time having also topped in 2013.

sure travelers.

Kenya's commitment to enhancing wildlife conservation and upholding best practices in managing properties within conservation areas was rewarded through accolades in safari, eco- and green facilities.

KTB Africa's best Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) was voted Africa's leading tourist board for the fourth time in a row.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Some of the toursists who arrived on board the Seven Seas Voyager cruise ship at the Port of Mombasa. It is the third vessel to dock at the port in less than one month. Kenya has been voted the world’s best safari destination.

In Morocco, Kenya emerged the winner against country nominees of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

While announcing the awards, WTA President Graham Cooke said Kenya's win was an endorsement of the destination known as home to authentic safari.

"We congratulate Kenya on this deserving win and encourage the country to continue their commitment to preserving the unique heritage bestowed to the country for the sake of generations to come" He added.

Besides beach and safari attractions, Kenya excels in other tourism products including culture, archaeology, and palaeontology (cradle of mankind).

Furthermore, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (M.I.C.E) facilities avail tourism opportunities for business and lei-

and Diani Beach were named for the third and second time respectively as Africa's leading National Park and Africa's leading Beach destination.

In the Travel and leisure category, Port of Mombasa for the second time was voted Africa's Leading Cruise Port while, Abercrombie & Kent was Africa's best Luxury Tour Operator.

National carrier Kenya Airways became the Africa's leading Airline - Business Class.

Twiga tours The most feted Kenyan travel company was Twiga Tours who emerged victors in both World and Africa categories; it clinched World's Leading Luxury Safari Company & World's Responsible Tourism Award. It was also voted Africa's Leading Luxury Safari Company & Africa's Responsible Tourism Award.

42 India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

December 25, 2015

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Cont’d from page 40

The museum has four arcades, which exhibit about 250 odd varieties of various antiques recovered from the Sun temple. Besides, it has a rich reserve collection.

The first gallery houses the plunged monuments regained from the Sun temple complex. The renovated wall of temple, trendy stuff like celestial nymphs, janitors, stones carved with rich flora and fauna, are some of the exhibited items in the second gallery. The colossal figures of fine craftsmanship like image of Surya Narayana,

celestial goblins, and some erotic sculptures have been presented in the third gallery.

The newly constituted fourth gallery displays artifacts like part of a Surya image, man tied in the trunk of an elephant, roaring lion, erotic couples, among various other things.

Chandrabhaga Beach: Chandrabhaga beach town is 3 km from the Sun temple in Konark and is known for natural cure available here for lepers. It has numerous interesting mythological legends associated with it. Besides being rich in marine resources, a large

colony of fishermen from Andhra Pradesh that live beside the dried river mouth represents the typical tribal life of India. It should be visited by those interested in exploring the culture of the region.

Konark Beach: An unspoiled beach in unison with the emerald water and the golden sand, the exquisite beauty and elegance of Konark Beach is more visible at dusk and dawn. A pristine beach, where one can enjoy the sputter of normal seashore and the serenity of a pilgrimage site.

Konark Beach is famous for the annual Magha Saptami Mela, during which devotees undertake a holy bath and have a gaze at the rising sun.

The rambling beach at Konark is

regarded as one among the best in the eastern coastal line of India.

With a vast expanse of golden sand, it offers a calm atmosphere of relaxation. A leisurely walk by the beach side, enjoying the gentle breeze is a pleasing experience. One can also doze underneath the Sun to enjoy its relaxing effect. Though this is a perfect spot for taking a Sun bath, the presence of strong currents makes swimming hazardous. Panoramic scenery of Sunrise is the other fascinating attraction of this beach.

Sun Temple: A 13th century temple dedicated to Lord Surya, Sun Temple at Konark displays the glory of ancient Orian architecture

also for the cornucopia of sculptural vision. The edifice of the temple is in the shape of a chariot, which is driven by seven horses.

The intricately carved wheels of the chariot are a great sight. It is believed that the wheels represent the hours of the day and the shadow of these majestic wheels tell the exact time.

at its zenith. Built in the year 1250 AD, in the reign of King Narasimhadeva-I, Konark temple depicts the varied materialization of Hindu architecture. Till recently, this temple served as a navigation point to sailors. The Europeans called this temple as 'Black Pagoda' owing to its black color.

This temple was unearthed in late 19th century. The Konark temple is recognized not only for its architectural stateliness but

By Train: Puri, at distance of 31 km, is the nearest railway station to Konark. Puri is connected to all major cities in India.

By Air: The nearest airport is at Bhubaneswar, at a distance of 64 km away from Konark.

By Bus: Konark is connected to other cities in Orissa by the State Public Transport buses. Private Volvo bus services are available from Bhubaneshwar and Puri to Konark.

Best time to visit The climate of Konark consists of a seasonal blend of summers, winters and rainfall. The city can be best visited from September to March.

How to reach

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December 25, 2015

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Travel industry embraces virtual reality as marketing tool

F

rom roller coasters to cruises you can have of a place without ferent directions, you can see the to destinations, virtual real being there. It's powerful. It gets sky, the floor, down a hallway or ity is exploding as a way to people excited and engaged and around a corner. Mandelbaum said market travel. interested in having that experi- the average user spends 10 minYou can parasail and paddle- ence in real life.'' utes on a VR experience, ``an eterboard using virtual reality content Virtual reality offers immersive, nity'' in the digital world. produced by Florida's Visit St. 3-D experiences via videos and Dolly Parton's theme park, Pete/Clearwater Tourism Board. images with 360-degree perspec- Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, TenYou can land a jet on Hamilton Is- tives, using a $100 headset from nessee, created a VR experience to land in Queensland, Ausintroduce a new ride, Lightning tralia, then go swimming Rod, billed as the ``world's fastwith tropical fish in the est wooden coaster.''

Great Barrier Reef. ``You can take your phone You can watch the and spin it up and down, look opening song ``Circle of behind you, to the left or right, Life,'' recorded at a live to get an idea of what this ride Broadway performance of is like,'' said Dollywood spokes``The Lion King,'' and man Wes Ramey, comparing the peer around the theater at VR experience to looking at everything from the aisles photos or reviews before bookand audience, to the pering a trip. ``The ride will not formers and props, to the Samsung Gear VR on display during the Oculus 2 open until March, but this conductor and backbuilds buzz around it. It gives conference in Los Angeles. Samsung hopes the new model headset for viewing virtual reality stage. And even if you people an opportunity to ride it experiences will help push virtual reality into the can't afford Dubai's luxury virtually before it's completed.'' mainstream. Virtual reality has exploded as a Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hoMall of America in Minnemarketing tool in the travel industry in the last year tel, you can take a 3-D sota is launching its first VR vidor two. online tour of a royal eos this month, showing its suite, lobby, helipad, bar, spa, res- Samsung or a virtually free card- onsite aquarium, Nickelodeon taurants, marble staircase with board contraption designed by Universe theme park, Santa exhibit, cheetah-print carpet and rotating Google. You need your own a shopping wing and a choral percanopy bed. smartphone, and the $100 headset formance. Carnival Corp.'s new ``VR is taking the world by works only with certain Samsung Fathom brand, which plans storm, similar to what mobile did models. You can also watch VR voluntourism cruises to the Doseven years ago,'' said Abi videos online with a 360-degree minican Republic and Cuba, is Mandelbaum, CEO of YouVisit, view, though they're not as working on VR content that shows which has created over 300 VR ex- immersive as using a headset be- participants in onshore activities periences for destinations, from cause you're not shutting out your like planting seedlings in a reforVatican City to Mexico's Grand surroundings. estation program, reciting English Velas Riviera Maya. ``Virtual realWhichever your method, by with school children, dancing to ity is the most realistic experience moving the device or cursor in dif- Latin music and sharing a meal

Eva Longoria visits Taj Mahal with fiancĂŠ AGRA: Hollywood actress Eva Longoria, who recently got engaged to boyfriend Jose Antonio Baston, visited the Taj Mahal along with her fiancĂŠ.

The 40-year-old "Desperate Housewives" star took to social media to share pictures of her visit. The actress behaved like a stereotypical tourist as she leapt in front of the mausoleum for an Instagram post.

"Can't leave Agra without a jumping photo in front of Taj Mahal."

In another post, Longoria, who was dressed casually in a black jacket and loose pants wrote, "I'm holding the Taj Mahal! #Beauty #Love..."

Longoria and Baston got engaged in Dubai and the pair was seen doing a mock proposal outside the monument of love in Agra.

The actress was recently in Gurgaon and visited Harmony House, an NGO which takes care of the basic needs of under-privileged children.

"The Welcome greeting in India! #HarmonyHouse # T h a n k Yo u Thank you Harmony House for letting us visit!

You're doing a m a z i n g things!" she posted on Twitter. -PTI

with locals.

Because so few consumers own viewing devices, some VR producers set up at trade shows, shopping malls, pop-up stores and even on the street where they can pro-

be so satisfied by the VR experience that they won't need to see the real thing? Visitors to Seattle's Space Needle observatory sometimes focus less on real views of the city out the windows because

Anan Bishara, left, and Denise Burrell, right, both from New York, check out a virtual reality display that lets visitors explore the Pike Place Market and other attractions atop the Space Needle in Seattle. The high-tech attractions are part of an explosion of virtual reality in the travel industry.

vide the headsets. The Miamibased Newlink public relations firm created a VR experience for the Dominican Republic that can be seen on YouTube in a simple 360degree version, but the company also showed it at trade shows, supplying VR headsets so viewers could get the full effect. As a marketing technique, said Newlink spokeswoman Lourdes Perez, ``it is the next big thing.''

Is there a risk that viewers will

they're so mesmerized by virtual views on the observatory's walls, screens and videos.

But Mandelbaum's not worried.

When YouVisit set up tents in Manhattan where more than 1,000 visitors used VR headsets to experience a Carnival cruise, ``the reactions were incredible. They would say, `I didn't know I could do all that on a cruise.' Once they see what it's like, they're more inclined to book.'' -AP

Thomas Cook completes acquisition of Kuoni NEW DELHI: Travel firm Thomas Cook (India) has completed the Rs. 535-crore acquisition of Kuoni Travel (India) from the Kuoni Group.

Thomas Cook, along with its wholly-owned subsidiary Travel Corporation (India) Ltd, has completed the acquisition of 100 per cent shareholding of Kuoni Travel, it said in a BSE filing.

T h e d e a l c o m e s two days after the competition regulator CCI gave a goahead to the deal.

Thomas Cook (India) MD Madhavan Menon said: "We have successfully completed the

closure process for the acquisition of Kuoni Travel across India and Hong Kong."

He added: "This gives us significant synergies across the entire spectrum of travel services, including in-bound, MICE, outbound and domestic as also corporate travel."

On August 8 this year, Thomas

Cook had announced the acquisition of the Kuoni group's business in India and Hong Kong for Rs. 535 crore.-PTI

In Brief St. Paul council condemns Trump comments ST. PAUL, Minn.: The St. Paul City Council has voted to condemn GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump's comments about Muslims, refugees and immigrants.

The resolution passed by a 61 vote. Council member Dan Bostrom cast the lone ``no'' vote.

Demonstrators hold signs voicing their support for a city council resolution in St. Paul, Minn.

Bostrom says he may not like what Trump says, but he would not try to limit his right to say it.

Council member Dai Thao proposed the resolution. Thao originally wanted the council to say that Trump was not welcome in St. Paul. But the Star Tribune reports Thao amended his resolution to remove any reference to a Trump ban.

Thao said his resolution is not meant to limit Trump's rights but to ``stand up to hate speech.'' -AP

„ Advocates eye vigils on driver licenses ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: Immigrant advocates are planning to hold statewide vigils to push a ``two-tier'' proposal regarding New Mexico driver's licenses.

The Santa Fe-based Somos Un Pueblo Unido announced the group will hold vigils in support of a compromise passed last session by the Democratic-controlled state Senate. That bill would allow state residents to obtain federal REAL ID compliant licenses or keep non-compliant ones.

State lawmakers are expected in January to begin work on revising a state law that grants New Mexico driver's licenses to immigrants regardless of status.

The move follows a decision by the federal government to deny New Mexico an extension from imposing tougher federal requirements on state driver's licenses.

A GOP-led House proposal would grant REAL ID compliant licenses and allow some immigrant to obtain driver's permit cards. -AP

Immigration 44 India Post

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December 25, 2015

Election law trumps antiDonald resolution Details on page 46

Majority of Americans favor than oppose path to citizenship WASHINGTON: More Americans favor than oppose a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who are living in the United States illegally, a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows.

While most Republicans oppose such a path to citizenship, it doesn't seem to be a deal-breaker issue for them.

Here are some things to know about Americans' opinions on immigration policy from the new APGfK poll: MOST SUPPORT CITIZENSHIP A majority of Americans - 54 percent - support a way for immigrants who are already in the country illegally to become citizens, while 44 percent are opposed.

More than 7 in 10 Democrats are in favor, while about 6 in 10 Republicans are opposed.

Still, a significant minority of Republicans - 4 in 10 - do support a path to citizenship. Four in 10 conservative Republicans and 3 in 10 tea party Republicans favor a path to citizenship for immigrants already in the country illegally.

Six in 10 Americans, including

three-quarters of Democrats and nearly half of Republicans, favor providing immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children with a way to stay in the country legally.

NOT A DEALBREAKER FOR GOP

most still don't consider it a deal breaker issue.

The poll shows that immigration action taken last year by President Barack Obama allowing some immigrants to apply for temporary legal status is a particular sticking point for Republicans, with 73 percent of them saying they prefer to

Fatema Begum, of Bangladesh, takes the Oath of Allegiance to the United States during a naturalization ceremony in New York

The new poll shows that while tough rhetoric on immigration appeals to a majority of Republicans,

support someone who would undo those immigration steps taken by a president deeply un-

popular within their party.

But 25 percent of Republicans say they would prefer to vote for a candidate who would keep Obama's immigration actions in place. And another 34 percent say they could vote for such a candidate even though they disagree on that issue, so long as they see eye to eye on other matters.

Even among conservative Republicans, more than half say they either prefer a candidate who would keep the immigration action in place (16 percent) or that they could imagine voting for a presidential candidate who would (40 percent).

DIVISION ON OBAMA'S ACTIONS The poll shows that overall, Americans are split on what they want a 2016 presidential candidate to do about the executive action Obama took last year. Just over half (51 percent) say they're more likely to support someone who wants to keep that action in place, while 46 percent are more likely to support someone who wants to Cont'd on Page 46 undo it.

20 % jump in Indian students in US WASHINGTON: The number of Indian students studying at US colleges and universities jumped 20 per cent since July this year, with more than 1.8 lakh Indian students currently studying in the country, according to an official report.

There are currently 1.2 million international students in the US with students from China topping the list followed by India and South Korea, according to the report.

As of November 2015 there were 181,051 Indian students studying in various American educational institutions an increase of 20.7 percent than the previous report of July 2015.

This is primarily because of the new academic session that begins in August-September.

As per the report by Student

and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), 77 per cent of all international students were from Asia.

China, which still has the largest number of students, had 360,091 students studying in the US. However, it witnessed an increase of less than five per cent from the July 2015 figures. South Korea ranks third with 81,599 stu-

dents followed by Saudi Arabia with 77,486 students.

According to official data available till November 5, 2015, there are 1.2 million international students using an F (academic) or M (vocational) visa to study in the United States said the report released by Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a program

within the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

84 per cent of all F & M STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) students from India study in programs for computer and information sciences and support services, and engineering.

The report highlights November 2015 data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a Webbased system that includes information about international students, exchange visitors and their dependents while they are in the United States.

The report said the total number of active F & M students studying in the United States increased by 13.3 per cent, from 1,054,505 students in July 2015 to 1,194,780 in November 2015. -PTI

Immigration Post

December 25, 2015

India Post 45

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Obama says immigrants renew America WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has described immigration as the nation's oldest tradition and part of what makes the country exceptional, as he sought to draw a contrast with those who would seal the borders to people seeking to escape hardships or persecution. ``We can never say it often or loudly enough: Immigrants and refugees revitalize and renew America,'' Obama said.

Obama has been trying this week to reassure the public about his strategy for stopping the Islamic State group while also emphasizing that the United States is a welcoming country that promotes religious tolerance.

Obama implicitly drew a contrast with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has campaigned on a plan to wall off the Mexican border and recently called for a temporary ban

on Muslims entering the United States. Many members of Con-

gress have voiced worries that allowing more Syrian refugees into

President Barack Obama speaks during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives, in Washington. Obama spoke at the National Archives Museum, where 31 immigrants from Iraq, Ethiopia, Uganda and 23 other nations are being sworn in as U.S. citizens

the country will make the nation more susceptible to a terrorist attack.

Obama spoke at the National Archives Museum, where immigrants from Iraq, Ethiopia, Uganda and 22 other nations were sworn in as U.S. citizens. He spoke from a lectern placed in front of the display of the Constitution. He said the nation's first refugees were the pilgrims and that eight signers of the Declaration of Independence were immigrants.

Obama described various ways that immigrants and refugees contribute to the fabric of America, saying they are more likely to create jobs by starting their own businesses. He said many of the Fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants or the children of immigrants. ``Immigrants are the teachers who inspire our children and they're the doctors who keep us

healthy,'' Obama said, adding that many also serve in the military, ``often risking their lives for an America that isn't even their own yet.''

Obama also said the United States has often not lived up to its values as a welcoming nation. He recited the history of slaves and the treatment of immigrants from Ireland, China and elsewhere as examples. In one of the darkest chapters of the nation's history, he said Japanese immigrants and even Japanese-American citizens were forced into internment camps during World War II. ``We betrayed not only our fellow Americans, but our deepest values. We betrayed these values.

It's happened before,'' Obama said. ``And the biggest irony of course was that those who betrayed these values were themselves the children of immigrants. How quickly we forget.'' -AP

Immigration fuels Cruz-Rubio Republican clash MUSCATINE, Iowa: More than any other issue, immigration is driving the rivalry between Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, presidential rivals focusing on the divisive topic in their closing messages to Republican voters before the sprint to the Iowa caucuses.

Cruz, a Texas senator and tea party firebrand, sees Rubio's support for a more forgiving immigration policy as his greatest vulnerability among conservatives who overwhelmingly oppose a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally. Rubio, a Florida senator, sees Cruz's shifting rhetoric on immigration as a prime example of a larger pattern of political pandering.

Indeed, among the Republican Party's two Hispanic presidential hopefuls, few issues offer a clearer contrast in tone, if not policy. Their competing strategies played out in early voting states as the freshman senators pushed to separate themselves from the crowded GOP field six weeks before the first primary votes are cast. ``He's going to have a hard time because he's not told the truth about his position in the past on legalization,'' Rubio said of Cruz while campaigning in Iowa. ``It's not an attack. It's a fact.'' ``That is utter nonsense,'' Cruz said of Rubio's charge while talking to reporters in Las Vegas. He declined to say what he would do with the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, but accused Rubio of joining with Democrats to support ``amnesty.''

Cruz was referencing Rubio's

leading role in a bipartisan group of senators who crafted an immigration reform package in 2013 that aimed to strengthen border security, overhaul legal immigration and allow a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants in the country illegally. The Senate approved the bill, but it was blocked

by House Republicans and widely attacked by conservatives.

``I think he might be a little weak there,'' said Muscatine resident Jim Simmons, 49, who's still deciding between Rubio and Cruz.

Often playing defense on immigration, the Florida senator shifted to offense by going after Cruz's evolving rhetoric.

Rubio, who previously emphasized criticism of Cruz's national security positions, said his rival's repeated attacks on immigration left him little choice but to examine the Texan's record on the issue. ``I was attacked

by Ted Cruz on the debate stage and I responded by saying I'm puzzled by his attacks on this,'' Rubio said, accusing Cruz of using ``crafty language.'' `'He's the one that, for example, supports Presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate at doubling the number University of Colorados Coors Events Center in of green cards. He's Boulder, Colorado. the one that supOnce the bill's leading sales- ports a 500-percent increase in man, Rubio distanced himself from guest workers into the United his own plan as the presidential States, and he's the one that supcontest neared, suggesting it was ported legalization and legalizing a mistake to push for comprehen- people that are in the country illesive legislation. He's now calling gally.'' for a piecemeal approach that beCruz insisted that's not the case gins with border security and of- during Tuesday's debate, and did fers a pathway to legalization only so during a campaign stop in Minafter the influx of illegal immigra- nesota. tion is stopped. ``I oppose amnesty. I oppose In Iowa and elsewhere, Rubio's citizenship. I oppose legalization support for legalization still lingers for those here illegally. I have alin the minds of many conserva- ways opposed amnesty, citizentives. ship or legalization,'' Cruz said.

``And I will always oppose amnesty, citizenship or legalization and I encourage Sen. Rubio or any other candidate running to make that same statement, to be clear where they stand.''

Cruz has previously supported broadening legal immigration in some cases. And as part of the immigration reform debate in 2013, Cruz introduced an amendment that proposed eventual legal status for millions.

His amendment to Senate immigration legislation proposed stripping out the option of citizenship. Instead, he told the Senate in June 2013, his amendment would set up a process so that ``those who are here illegally would be eligible for what is called RPI (Registered Provisional Immigrant) status, a legal status, and, indeed, in time would be eligible for legal

permanent residency.''

While Cruz has defended that course on multiple occasions in the Senate and in interviews he said he was simply calling his opponents' bluff. ``By calling their bluff, we defeated amnesty. We beat it,'' Cruz said.

For all of the debate over immigration this week, some Republicans - and a majority of all voters - support a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally, according to a new AP-GfK poll.

The survey found that 4 in 10 conservative Republicans and 3 in 10 tea party Republicans favor a path to citizenship. That's compared to 54 percent of all Americans who support a way for immigrants who are already in the country illegally to become citizens, while 44 percent are opposed. -AP

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Election law trumps anti-Donald resolution PORTLAND, Ore.: The Portland City Council planned to pass an anti-Donald Trump resolution, but has changed it on the advice of the Secretary of State's Office.

The resolution passed by the City Council focuses more on supporting the Muslim and immigrant community. It still includes a thinly veiled reference to Trump's call for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S., but it doesn't name the candidate outright.

City officials said the Secretary of State told them a staff-prepared resolution should not use Trump's name because state election law prohibits public employee time from being used to support or oppose a political candidate.

Although Trump hasn't technically filed as a candidate in Oregon, said the mayor's spokeswoman Sara Hottman, the Secretary of State was not comfortable saying Trump is not a candidate.

The city's original resolution aimed to ``censure Donald Trump''

and referred directly to Trump using the media ``as a means of spouting vitriolic and divisive comments that have crossed the line into fear mongering and racism.''

The resolution that passed says Portland doesn't tolerate hate speech and welcomes all immigrants and refugees. It says Portland has greatly benefited from newcomers of all religious backgrounds. The resolution also calls the demands for a ban on Muslims ``unconscionable.''

Muslims in Oregon and around the nation say they have faced a backlash after the recent Islamic State attacks in Paris and the San Bernardino shootings in California, carried out by a Muslim husband and wife.

About 20,000 Muslims live in the Portland metro area, according to the resolution.

In recent weeks, a number of Republican presidential contenders have proposed restrictions on

Syrian refugees, including suggesting a preference for Christians seeking asylum.

Earlier this month, Trump called for a complete ban of Muslims entering the United States. He said

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, in Mesa, Ariz.

the proposed ban should apply to immigrants and visitors alike. The proposal was criticized by many.

El Salvador concerned over child migration to US SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador: El Salvador's foreign minister has expressed concern over a recent spike in the number of unaccompanied minors crossing into the U.S. through Mexico.

Hugo Martinez warned that if the root causes of migration don't change, there could be a repeat of the 2014 crisis when tens of thousands of children and families streamed over the border. ``Here we have a warning sign that if we do not do anything to change the structural causes of that migration, no matter what we do we will always be at risk of that happening again,'' Martinez said.

Many Central American migrants who try to reach the United States say they are fleeing rampant

violence, widespread poverty and lack of economic opportunity.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says 10,588 unaccompanied minors crossed in October and November, up from 5,129 during the same two months of 2014.

However, Martinez noted that during the October-September 2015 fiscal year, the numbers were still down about 50 percent from the previous 12-month period. ``It's something we always told the United States: `Look, sirs, we will do everything possible to reduce this flow,' and we did reduce it. ... But no measure will be sustainable over time if we do not push a medium- and long-term strategy,'' Martinez said in an interview on national television.

An initiative known as the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle, which covers El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, aims to reduce Central American migration to the United States by fostering economic growth, improving public safety and bolstering institutions and human capital in those nations.

The White House has asked Congress for $1 billion to fund the initiative, though a key Senate panel has approved only $675 million so far.

The recent spike at the border ``is a wake-up call for not only us but also for our partner, for the United States, which took on a commitment,'' Martinez said. PTI

US to raise quota of unskilled workers WASHINGTON: U.S. lawmakers have decided to increase by nearly 400 per cent the quota for H-2B visas meant for unskilled foreign workers, but will not affect Indians who do not opt for them.

The year-end spending deal includes a provision that would increase the number of guest worker visas available to unskilled foreign nationals.

"The more than 2,000 page year-end funding bill contains a dramatic change to federal immi-

gration law that would increase by as much as four-fold the number of low-wage foreign workers provided to employers under the controversial H2B visa program, beyond what is currently allowed," said Senator Jeff Sessions.

Sessions said that the H2B visas will soar from 66,000 to 250,000 because of the language in the deal.

These foreign workers are brought in exclusively to fill blue

A group of Portland faith and civic leaders have spoken against Islamophobia, bigotry and racism at a news conference in front of city hall.

Portland officials said the reso-

collar non-farm jobs in hotels, restaurants, construction, truck driving, and many other occupations sought by millions of Americans, he said.

Indians do not opt for H2B visas, which is mostly given to foreign workers seeking jobs at hotels, theme parks, ski resorts, golf courses, landscaping businesses, restaurants and bars.

The H2B visa was designed to bring in low-skilled, temporary and seasonal workers. -PTI

lution doesn't mean the city supports any particular candidate for the presidential office. It does

mean that the city opposes hate speech and the actions it could bring. ``This is a time when there is poisonous speech in national politics, and we need to stand on behalf of the values the city loves,'' Mayor Charlie Hales said.

Muslims and non-Muslims packed the city hall chambers in support of the resolution.

Imam Abdullah Polovina, an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia who leads a Muslim Bosnian congregation in Portland, told the council that area Muslims strongly condemn violence and extremism of any kind. ``We came here to move forward and build a society to love each other, accept one another and accept our diversity,'' Polovina said.

Bigotry of any kind is unacceptable, he said. ``Islamophobia and extremism are two ugly faces of the same coin,'' Polovina said.

-AP

Majority of Americans favor than oppose path to citizenship Cont'd from Page 44

Still, 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the way President Barack Obama is handling immigration, while just 38 percent approve.

BIG ISSUE FOR HISPANICS Among Hispanics, a large majority - about three quarters - support a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally.

Hispanics are far more likely to say they prefer a presidential candidate who would keep the president's immigration action in place than one who would prefer to undo it, by a 74 percent to 20 percent margin. More than half 56 percent - say they could not imagine voting for a candidate who wanted to reverse it, even if they agreed on other issues.

IMPORTANCE GOES UP Americans are slightly more likely than they were two months ago to see immigration as a very or extremely important issue, with 61 percent saying so now after 57 percent said so in October. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to consider it an important issue, 76 percent to 51 percent.

Neither party emerges as the clear winner on who Americans trust more to handle the issue.

Twenty-nine percent say they trust the Democratic Party to do

a better job and 27 percent trust the Republican Party more, while 31 percent say they trust neither party on handling immigration.AP The AP-GfK Poll of 1,007 adults was conducted online Dec. 3-7, using a sample drawn from GfK's probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.4 percentage

Hispanics are far more likely to say they prefer a presidential candidate who would keep the president's immigration action in place than one who would prefer to undo it points.

Respondents were first selected randomly using telephone or mail survey methods, and later interviewed online. People selected for KnowledgePanel who didn't otherwise have access to the Internet were provided access at no cost to them.

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December 25, 2015

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T

he following is an excerpt from a Time magazine interview of Deepak Chopra on his novel: Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment: Your Jesus story is tremendous fun to read, but where is it in the Bible?

It's not in the Bible. In the Bible, you have Jesus as a child in the nativity scenes, then at age 12 at the Temple in Jerusalem, and then you don't see him until he's 30.

Where was he for those 18 years?

O.K. Where?

There's a lot of mythology, some of it involving the East. There was a German scholar who claimed in the 1940s that Jesus traveled the Silk Road, lived in India and may have visited a monastery in Lhasa where there were Buddhist texts.

The church of St. Thomas in India's Kerala state is the only place where Christ is not pictured on a cross but in a meditative samadhi posture. I also researched that period in history for Jesus's religious context, political and cultural contexts, the Jewish sects at the time, the occupation by Rome.

Then I went into incubation, meditation, and I allowed this story to unfold. It fits into the category of "religious fiction."

Your version of Jesus' "missing years" is heavy on his search for enlightenment, on both external and internal journeying. Is that an area in which you felt the Gospels needed supplementing?

When I was growing up, I went to an Irish-Christian missionary school. I was totally fascinated by the New Testament. I must have read it a few thousand times. One day I was reading the Gospel of John 10: 30, where Jesus says, "I and God are one." The crowd immediately wants to stone him for blasphemy. But he quotes a psalm that says "You are Gods, sons of the most high," which he tells them was addressed to "those to whom

the word of God came." He clearly sees himself as equivalent to that group.

I interpreted this as "those who have knowledge of God are God." In Eastern philosophical systems there's an established idea of a path through personal consciousness to a collective conscience to a universal conscience, which people call the divine.

I concluded that Jesus must have experienced this conscious-

inspires Christ's most fervent followers: that Jesus was God's only son, who died for them and so took away sin. Isn't your premise of an acquired godhood heretical to orthodox Christians?

It may be. Fundamentalist Christians always quote Jesus in the Gospel of John saying "I am the way. I am the life. Nobody comes into the kingdom of heaven except through me." But what does Jesus mean by "I"?" In his language,

ion, but only reported secondhand by Jesus as something like a dream.

In the language of the Sermon on the Mount - if someone hits you, turn the other cheek - he's making a creative leap, and that's the death of an old way of thinking and the birth of a completely new way - or resurrection.

Chritsmas, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on December 25

MOTHER MEERA

MM: All the time. The consciousness of mankind is being prepared for great leaps and discoveries - in a gentle way wherever possible. But some things will have to be destroyed. I do not like to destroy; I like to change things.

But where there is no openness there must be destruction. However, God is giving man a great chance. Many divine persons are here. We are showing man a way out; we are offering him the divine

the Light?

MM: I have come to say that all paths are as good as each other and all lead to the Divine, and that therefore the various believers should respect each other's ways.

For example, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and other religious people can believe and follow their own faith, but should not hate or fight others' faith. People who follow any path can come to me - I help them to remember the

more quickly, providing people are open. Even if they are not open now, the pressure and power of the Light are so great that they will become open.

Q: What does it mean to bring down the Paramatman Light? Isn't Paramatman already everywhere?

MM: The Paramatman Light is everywhere, but when one needs it one must know when, where, how and for what to use it. The Light was always there; I prayed

Question: Mother, may I know Your work, please?

Mother Meera: First of all, I bring down the Light and establish Peace, also I help the people to surrender to the Divine, to remember the Divine and to be faithful and sincere to their religion or to their belief. I help people to be happy in their families.

Q: What is your main purpose?

MM: It is to help humans and to make them happy, peaceful, contented, harmonious, and loving. Happiness and spiritual growth are connected. Being peaceful and being happy form the most important foundation of spiritual practice. Then the practice goes by itself.

Q: What is your aim?

MM: To protect all aspects of the human being.

Adilakshmi: Mother Meera understands human nature totally and knows how difficult it is on Earth. She helps all types of people whatever their life situation or stage of awareness. Other incarnations tend to focus their help on those on one stage of life.

Q The work of the Mother in the world is going on all the time now, isn't it?

ness, and that he must have followed a path. The story is about that evolution.

In fact, you write "making [Jesus] the one and only son of God leaves the rest of humankind stranded."

Because we end up worshipping the messenger instead of the message and excluding all the theologies that existed before Jesus was born.

But it's also the one thing that

Aramaic, the word is translated as "the I within the I." So he may be speaking about himself as a universal spirit. In that case he can't be squeezed into a body or the span of a lifetime.

But God's crucifixion and resurrection as Jesus are all normative in Christianity.

All religions develop, become exclusive, become divisive and quarrelsome.

In your book there is a crucifix-

Jesus Christ & his journey of Enlightenment

Jesus Christ

In the language of the Sermon on the Mount if someone hits you, turn the other cheek he's making a creative leap, and that's the death of an old way of thinking and the birth of a completely new way

Happiness and spiritual growth are connected The consciousness of mankind is being prepared for great leaps and discoveries - in a gentle way wherever possible. But some things will have to be destroyed.

Light, the divine knowledge. We are bringing down into the consciousness of the Earth the divine consciousness. Now man must choose. Man is free; God will not force his children to do anything.

He wants their free love.

Q: Is there an aspect to your work other than that of bringing down

Divine, and give them peace and happiness when they are in trouble.

Q: What is the importance of the Paramatman Light?

MM: I called down the Paramatman Light. The Paramatman Light is in everything. The work of transformation will be done much

Mother Meera

to Paramatman, the Supreme Being, to be able to use it. The Light has never been USED before. Like electricity, it is everywhere, but one must know how to activate it. I have come for that.

Excerpted from mothermeera.com.

The 55th birth anniversary of Mother Meera will be celebrated on Dec 26.

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?

-Buddha What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?

-Mahatma Gandhi My people. I have given them a sense of individuality, integrity. I have not made them slaves of any god or any religion. Nor of any holy book or any priest. I have certainly not replaced their god. They are all a part of what I call my traveling circus.

-Rajneesh O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart.

Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.

-Saint Augustine Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God. -Mother Teresa We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.

-Epictetus

Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

50 India Post

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NEW DELHI: From blink-and-you-miss-it appearances to playing important and lead roles in international projects, Indian actors have come a long way as the year gone-by saw Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan bagging plump assignments in Hollywood projects.

Bollywood diva and former Miss World Priyanka, who had already made her singing debut with international artists Pitbull and Will.I.am, starred as a promising FBI recruit on ABC television thriller series Quantico, which just ended its first season in the U.S. On the show, she played the central character of Alex Parrish and her acting skills got praises internationally.

Her role also got her the nomination in the Favorite Actress in a New TV Series category of People's Choice Awards 2016.

Irrfan has been a constant Indian presence in Hollywood movies. His stint as a flashy park owner in Jurassic World, fourth installment of sci-fi adventure film, was a good start of the year.

His earlier performances in hits

December 25, 2015

like Life Of Pi, The Amazing Spiderman and Slumdog Millionaire have already made him a bankable actor in the global market. His next high profile Hollywood outing includes Ron Howard's mystery thriller Inferno, based on the novel

by Dan Brown, with Tom Hanks reprising the role of Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, slated for an October 2016 release.

Irrfan's Piku co-star and Bollywood actress Deepika also inked an international deal in superstar Vin Diesel's next installment of the XXX franchise.

Though the actress is yet to make an official statement on her debut project but her series of pictures with the Fast and Furious star on her social-networking sites have apparently confirmed her presence in Xander Cage Returns.

Deepika was apparently offered Furious 7, which she could not be a part of due to her prior Bollywood assignment.

Deepika may have missed Furious 7 but the film gave an international break to young Indian actor Ali Fazal. Though he had only three scenes in the seventh installment of action drama but it gave him the opportunity to work with Paul Walker's brothers Cody and Caleb, who joined to finish the actor's work in the film after the star died in a car crash.

Deepika's casting does not come as a surprise as Furious 7 did exceptionally well at the Indian box office where local cinema continues to rule. -PTI

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of Philippines

LOS ANGELES: Miss Universe 2015 host Steve Harvey wrongfully declared Miss Colombia the winner when she was the first runner-up.

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the contestant from the Philippines, had won the Miss Universe 2015 crown after beating 80 beauties across the world.

A contrite Harvey fixed his mistake quickly. "OK folks... I have to apologize," he told a confused crowd in Las Vegas.

"Let me just take control of this. This is exactly what's on the card. I will take responsibility for this. It was my mistake. It was on the card."

Moments before, Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez was crowned. She weaved a Colombian flag, smiled broadly and blew kisses at the audience.

When Harvey returned to the stage, Wurtzbach appeared at a loss of what to do.

Stunned, she walked to the front of the stage, where the coveted crown was taken off the head of Miss Colombia and put on hers.

Harvey later took to Twitter to apologize, but he made another misstep when he misspelled both Colombia and the Philippines in an initial tweet. That message was deleted.

"I don't want to take away from this amazing night and pageant. As well as the wonderful contestants. They were all amazing," Harvey wrote.

Indian beauty Urvashi Rautela could not make it to the final 15. It's been 15 years since India won the Miss Universe title. Lara Dutta was crowned back in 2000. -PTI

December 25, 2015

India Post 51 www.indiapost.com

Eva Longoria visits shelter for destitute kids India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Eva Longoria, the renowned Hollywood celebrity, visited Harmony House, a dayshelter for street children, in Gurgaon, near Delhi.

Established in 2009, by Britishborn Lucy Bruce and her Indian husband Gaurav Sinha, Harmony House is an independent NGO that provides free education, food, clothing, medical care and vocational training for nearly 500 children in Gurgaon.

Based in Dubai, the Founders run the charity with the support of family and friends in Delhi and across the world. Lucy is both an entrepreneur and philanthropist and runs socially responsible pre-school education institutions called Home Grown

Children's Eco Nursery with business partner Beverly Jatwani, where children in Dubai are paired with children in India as part of its CSR and Environmental mission.

Eva Longoria, who received a traditional Indian welcome at Harmony House of a garland and vermillion mark on her forehead, commented "I am so humbled to have visited Harmony House.

Lucy's vision is truly changing the trajectory of so many children's lives, most of who live in nearby slums and desperately require the education, food, medication and social services that Harmony House offer" "We were lucky to have met Eva last year in Dubai, where she comes regularly to support her philanthropic initiatives,

New stylish eatery and shopping venue NEW DELHI: A new city-based eatery conceptualized by fashion designer Nida Mahmood takes the concept of shopping to a new level by offering patrons a destination to shop while they dine.

From vintage cutlery and crockery, wallpapers, lights etc, a range of items are made available for customers at 'Junglee Billee' a new Boutique-Studio-in-Bar that opened here recently.

Designed by Mahmood the decor and wallpaper patterns keep the strong yet fluid nature of Art Nouveau in mind and the space features period furniture and light fixtures besides stylish crockery, in a meet of Bombay Velvet with modern quirk.

The concept, which the owners Amit Agarwal and Ankit Katyal claim as the first of its kind, offers stylized designer eatery and lifestyle destination dedicated to the women of modern times with products ranging from home furnishing to fashion.

"I always wanted to make a

place where people would come not just to dine but take part an experience with them. So we came up with this idea of Studio-cum boutique where people can take the warmth of the place and remember the place later.

Nida Mahmood

"People can buy anything they want to and everything has been specially designed for this pur-

pose," says Mahmood.

Everything in the Boutique Studio Bar is available for purchase including creative and stylish jewelry, customized cushion covers, portraits and many such things.

Rare photographs of divas of golden era of Hindi films like Hema Malini, Rekha, Sharmila Tagore and Helen adorn the walls of the restaurant which sports a color palette that ranges from soft blues to lemons to pale oranges, shades of greens to soft pinks, peaches and nude.

"There are various wallpapers actresses of Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore, Rekha, Helen. There are around 80-90 pictures which have been hunted down from people across the country who are collectors of these," says Mahmood.

A butter churner from the British era whose origin dates back to the 1920 and was used by British women besides typewriters of various types are for available along with table fans, telephones and perfume bottles to name a few. -PTI

to learn more about her living conditions and daily struggles.

"Eva and Pepe's genuine warmth, compassion and empathy could be felt by all of the children and staff at Harmony House. Eva's ability to make people feel special and at total ease is truly inspiring and heartwarming to watch".

Lucy Bruce has been recognized as one of the Top 50 most Influential British people in the UAE

by Arabian Business magazine and has been a relentless voice and activist for the interests of destiThe Hollywood actress and philanthropist tute children in India. praises Harmony House for their positive impact Harmony House also on the lives of hundreds of children provides rehabilitation support for abused which include The Global Gift women and a community enFoundation and the Eva gagement program for people Longoria Foundation. We be- living in nearby slums. came fortunate enough to have "Eva is a wonderful person spent time with Eva, talking who is really down to earth; she about our common interests to got engaged a few days ago in support the under-privileged and Dubai and we spoke at length empowering those who are less about her upcoming trip to India fortunate through education and - she is truly an inspiring person community support" said Lucy and we feel blessed to have been Bruce. given the opportunity to get to During her visit to Harmony know her. It's not surprising for House, Eva spent time talking to Eva to make time for those in need the children, enjoying special and it's a tribute to her as a person performances and teaching En- that the first place she visits in glish. Eva visited one of the India is actually a shelter for chilhomes in the slums of a young dren, as opposed to anything girl who attends Harmony House else" added Gaurav Sinha.

52 India Post

December 25, 2015 www.indiapost.com

Dilwale - Full on romance Hrithik named second sexiest Asian & surprising twists

D

ilwale is Raj-Simran aka Raj-Meera story against the backdrop of a Rohit Shetty film with sprinkling of cars, action and comedy. The intensity of their love, the anguish of their separation will suck you in.

Shahrukh Khan as "Kalia"/ "Raj" has yet again proved he is the king of romance - he can be the endearing, charming, romantic but also be the mature, stealthy, strong lover who knows his mean machines. Kajol as Meera is fresh, stunning, romantic, dreamy and yet strong. Together, they are the timeless on screen. For the 8th time, Raj proves on celluloid that there is no better lover than him

KAVI AGRAWAL

and no better on-screen romantic Jodi then SRK-Kajol.

Varun Dhawan, makes his presence felt with boyish charm and comic timing. The girls will swoon for him as he will make your heart melt with his older brother teaching him his stance. Kriti Sanon on her second outing after Heropanti, adds "tadka" to the film, proves she is here to stay and can act as well as look gorgeous. Boman Irani adds great coming relief in the film.

He can act, emote and make his audience laugh by just his stance.

Music by Pritam, has variety right from the foot tapping Manma Emotion and Tukur Tukur which are already topping the charts to "Dairan" a revelation and melancholic. "Gerua" takes your breath away - seeing Shahrukh Khan and Kajol romance against the stunning Icelandic landscapes ignite the silver

screen and leave you stunned at the sheer beauty. "Janam Janam"was a treat as nothing immortalizes Raj-Meera's romance then a black and white number which transports you to the Raj Kapoor- Nargis era.

Rohit Shetty's second outing with Shahrukh Khan post Chennai Express with Dilwale is full paisa or shall I saw Dollar vasool. It's a movie to be experienced on the silver screen due to the picturesque locales of Bulgaria and Iceland. Dilwale has drama, action, comedy and is full on romance not to mention the surprising twists!

So go ahead grab a ticket and some popcorn, sit back and enjoy!

Pssssst: You will walk out of the theater, find yourself humming the music and smiling at a very sweet treat at the end - especially for all SRK-Kajol fans.

B

ollywood star Hrithik Roshan has slipped one place from his last year's numero uno position in the 50 Sexiest Asian Men list, which has topped by former One Direction star Zayn Malik this year.

The long-running poll, compiled by UK based Eastern Eye newspaper, also features Pakistani singeractor Ali Zafar in the third position. Malik, 22, rose up from

ninth position last year and came out on top following millions of votes from across the globe for the 12th edition of the popular annual poll. He has also become the youngest ever to top the list.

Popular Indian TV stars Barun Sobti and Vivian Dsena round up the top five. Others in the top 10 are Fawad Khan (6), Salman Khan (7), Shahid Kapoor (8), Shah Rukh Khan (9) and Gurmeet Choudhary (10).

The highest placed newcomer in this year's list is 24-year-old Indian television actor Parth Samthaan (11). Other Bollywood names in the 2015 list include Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Rana Daggubati and Emraan Hashmi.

Kushal Tandon, Gautam Rode, Kunwar Amar, Rithvik Dhanjani, Harshad Arora, Shakti Arora, Mohit Sehgal, Shaheer Sheikh, Shabir Ahluwalia, Ravi Dubey and Gautam Gulati are among the TV actors in the list. Virat Kohli is the only sportsman to make it to the list and 50-year-old Shah Rukh is the oldest in the 2015 countdown.

Sean Penn never assaulted me: Madonna

S

Take social media with a pinch of salt: Shah Rukh

hah Rukh Khan, who re cently courted controversy with regard to his comments on intolerance, said that people sometimes use shoulders of a public figure to voice their thoughts.

While promoting his film 'Dilwale,' the 50-year-old actor said, "There is this small thing that people need a chance to give out their expressions for which they mostly use public figures." He added that years back someone told him that along with fame such talks will come hand in hand, but the weird thing is that such incidents happen mostly during the time of a film release.

The 'Happy New Year' star further said, "I think there are advantage seekers, they try and speak, but my experience from the entertainment industry and the love that I get, I have understood that such things don't make a difference to

us neither to our films." Talking about things that float on social media about him, SRK said that he has seen such photo-shopped things that have shocked him, because it is a platform that gives freedom to people to speak whatever they wish to.

Claiming that he has never used social media to clarify himself, he said that there is no point in getting into an argument with a person, who talks irrelevant, adding that one needs to take social media with a pinch of salt as you can-

not believe what comes up there.

Shah Rukh further said that being a public figure he has certain responsibility that's why he doesn't respond to advantage seeking people in the same manner, not because he can't.

LOS ANGELES: Defending her ex-husband Sean Penn in support of his defamation lawsuit against Lee Daniels, singer Madonna said that the actor has never abused her physically.

The couple had a tumultuous marriage but according to the 57year-old Crazy for You hitmaker the Oscar-winning star never "struck" her, reported E! online.

"While we certainly had more than one heated argument during our marriage, Sean has never struck me, 'tied me up,' or physically assaulted me, and any report to the contrary is completely outrageous,

malicious, reckless and false," the singer stated, per court documents.

Madonna also clarified the reports that came out in 1987 saying Penn hurt her with bat calling them "completely outrageous, malicious, reckless and false".

She called allegations that a December 1989 incident that "purportedly resulted in Sean's arrest" were also false.

Penn sued Daniels for USD 10 million in September after the filmmaker and Empire co-creator characterized him as an abuser in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. -PTI

Madonna has thrown her support behind her ex-husband Sean Penn in his defamation case against Lee Daniel.

December 25, 2015

India Post 53 www.indiapost.com

Australian food adventure series with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

NEW DELHI: From beetroot crumble to Popcorn Ice cream, Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Australian food trail brings quintessential food from the continent down under out of the conventional kitchen into a world of entertainment, travel and adventure.

Highlighting the finest food and wine experiences the new show 'Out of the World' on the Food Food Channel is set to take the viewers on a food trail across the length and breadth of Australia.

"The idea culminated when I was shooting for the series 'Out of Africa'. I had decided that my next destination will be Australia as it was not new to me. Australia is an all-in-one continent that embraces fruits, vegetables, meats and fish all throughout its land. I would say that every Indian state exists in Australia!" Chef Kapoor said.

Australia's multicultural cuisine, vibrant cities and breathtaking natural landscapes have been captured by the Master Chef in this fun-filled television series.

"We had our share of challenges in a foreign land, but most of it was an absolute adventure and all of us, including me, thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it!

From the enthralling helicopter ride

around the natural wonder of Australia, the 12 Apostle rock formations that kept us spellbound. Every moment was spectacular," Kapoor said.

He starts his journey with Brisbane followed by Gold Coast (Queensland), Sydney, Blue Mountains (New South Wales), Melbourne, Great Ocean Road (Victoria) and Adelaide, Kangaroo Island (South Australia), with each

produce, the traditional damper, cheesecakes etc," Kapoor said.

Through this show, the Chefcum-entrepreneur will savor the flavors of the country's best culinary experiences, cooking with Australian ingredients and alongside Aussie chefs.

"Kangaroo Island with the cooking session with Chef Kate was our very own Indian spot in Australia. Here I was pleasantly

destination standing out distinctly different from the other and defined by its own unique characteristics.

"Breakfast at central market in Adelaide made a huge impression on everyone. Food was seen in abundance here, be it the cheeses, meats, pork, beef, fish, fruits, fresh

surprised to see homegrown spices that are found in the Indian kitchen as well," he said.

"Seasonal vegetables, fresh produce combined as we rustled up an Australian Aubergine Halumi Cheese Zucchini Salad.

With a hungry Indian crew on hand, I played savior for Indian

Turning a hit show into a retail star LOS ANGELES: Before Fox TV's ``Empire'' was a proven success, before any product licensing deals were signed, at least one eager retailer was getting in on the act.

Shayne Oliver, the founder of clothing label Hood by Air, says he was so inspired by the drama and its strong female characters, including Taraji P. Henson's Cookie Lyon, that he had loudspeakers boom a snippet of ``Empire'' dialogue at his New York runway show last February.

Now Hood by Air is an official part of the Fox company's carefully plotted and expanding merchandising ``lifestyle'' effort for ``Empire'' - in only its second season that goes way beyond standard ``Team Cookie'' T-shirt fanwear and can take a TV show years of popularity to earn.

The younger-skewing appeal of ``Empire,'' the enthusiasm of upand-coming brands like Hood by Air and the acceleration of fashion and retailing in general have combined to make the series a retailing whiz kid. ``It just feels great to be involved with something we actu-

ally like. ... something that inspires us and we're passionate about,'' Oliver said.

Cookie, who may be TV's most influential fashion figure since the shoulder-pad-wearing women of ``Dynasty,'' has earned a ``Cookie's Closet'' blog from Fox. It dissects her wardrobe episodeby-episode so viewers know that was a $2,500 Gucci black leather dress she wore - and where they can find a $98 version.

Saks Fifth Avenue, MCM and Jimmy Choo are among the highend retailers and licensees joining the ``Empire'' bandwagon that's just getting rolling, according to the 21st Century Fox division that's orchestrating the selling of the saga about family, music and power.

There are still T-shirts to be had, from Fox's own online ``Empire'' store and in the $30 range. But go further afield and there's a $200 dress, $1,200 sport coat, $1,500 handbag and $950 high heels for fans willing to splurge to get the show's glamorous looks for themselves.

Other items under consideration by Fox include watches, fra-

grances and eyeglasses.

The series became an immediate touchstone for pop culture and style after its debut last January, said Jeffrey Godsick, president of 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, allowing the company to ``approach it as a brand, as opposed to doing merchandise for a television show.''

The rush to extend ``Empire'' from TV and into stores meant that, initially, already manufactured clothes and accessories were ``curated'' and given the drama's seal of approval. Some were put on prominent display in nearly a dozen windows of Saks' Manhattan flagship location and in its Beverly Hills store.

Long-established leather goods maker MCM was included in the windows and got the benefit of in-show product placement as well. In one scene featuring Henson and Bryshere Y. Gray, who plays Cookie's son Hakeem, their co-star was a rivet-studded MCM Berlin briefcase.

MCM had to increase production on the case to keep up with

palate holders by cooking and teaching Kate our traditional baingan bharta and kadhi too," Kapoor said.

Australia's claim to fame on the world wine map is also an integral part of the show. Primarily known for its red wine Barossa Valley played host to Kapoor and his team. The team gorged on the Roast Sweet Potato Salad made

by Chef Mark.

"Barossa carried us into a green expanse dotted with charming restaurants along the way.

Red wine, white wine, old port wine all were part of my wine tasting. Barossa Shiraz stood out as a dark red wine with an intensity of taste," Kapoor said.

With a strong presence of Indian community in Australia, the cuisine also shares common elements of Indian cuisine. The stress on the use of fresh produce and the concept of farmer's market is similar. Vegetables like aubergine, beetroot in vegetarian cooking is another common aspect.

"Cooking with onions, tomatoes, mint, lime in vegetarian cooking and the use of fish,

demand, which the company attributes in part to the ``Empire'' effect. ``The reach of the show is in the 18-to-49 demographic, our key target customer,'' said Patrick J. Valeo III, president of MCM, The Americas. ``We don't want to be your parents' or grandparents' handbag. It's about new-school luxury.''

Licensees are now selling cus-

MCM Worldwide, a collection of merchandise inspired by the looks and styles of the Fox television show, "Empire," are displayed in MCM’s SoHo store in New York

tom ``Empire'' items, including Hood by Air clothing emblazoned with images of characters and

chicken and meat in non-vegetarian cooking are seen in both Australian and Indian cooking.

Barbequed food is much in line with what we call tawa or grilled vegetables, chicken and meats," Kapoor said.

In line with the similarities between the two cuisines the chef cooked up a storm and created a fusion dish for his crew and Chef Kate.

"Kate's kitchen 'Source' in Kangaroo Island was fun as we put the taste buds of our crew to the test: Indian palate or Australian?

What championed as a 'fusion dish' was the Halumi Aubergine Zucchini Salad. Halumi tastes like the very Indian paneer or chhena and the roasted, mashed aubergine has the texture of the traditional Indian Baingan Bharta," he said.

Experimenting with Australian products like vegemite and lamingtons, the Master Chef also expressed his love for the Aussie cheese and barbecue.

"While I had been visibly cringing at the mention of vegemite and lamingtons, wondering why anyone would eat them, I have always expressed my love for Barramundi, local Australian cheese varieties and the great Australian barbecue," Kapoor said. -PTI

Deborah Lippman brand nail polishes (fuchsia Hustle Hard and glittery gold Power of the Empire among the colors).

Fox's ``aggressive'' merchandising effort reflects increased competition in the crowded media and fashion worlds, said Allen Adamson, founder of Brandsimple Consulting. ``Both industries are under pressure to say, `Hey, look at me' in a sea of increased competition,'' he said. Fox's approach also makes sense because viewers ``shift gears and channels quickly.'' ``If you're hot, you need to jump on the opportunity, seize the moment and not wait for next year, because you might be yesterday's news,'' Adamson said.

That wasn't the case with ``Sons of Anarchy,'' which was several years into its FX run before there was an expansion into ``biker culture'' ventures such as branded alcohol, Fox's Godsick said. It took ``The Simpsons'' (perhaps understandably) two decades to get a foothold in designer fashion.

The retail effort certainly is aimed at making money but is not a ``pure revenue play,'' he said. It's also intended to sustain ``Empire'' and its audience.-AP

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Modi's US policy has a sharp strategic focus

T

he US policy towards India has hardly been predictable. At the moment, the US' India policy is guided purely by its commercial and strategic regional interests. However, the New DelhiWashington bilateral has transformed from a fissured partnership to that of a solid bilateral relationship based on mutual understanding and common interests. This has been possible because of India's sharper strategic focus on the US under the incumbent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

US Policy Re-alignment In January 2014, India and the US were locked in a bitter diplomatic row. A year on, incumbent US President Barack Obama was the chief guest of India's 65th Republic Day parade.

The warm ties cultivated by the incumbent heads of governments of both countries, thanks to initiatives taken by the Indian prime minister over the past few months

This line of reasoning was illustrated in the January 2015 signing of the U.S.-India Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.

This document mentions safeguarding regional maritime security, which is a vital US national security interest in the Asia-Pacific.

Perspective from India India's has reciprocated to this gesture of the US with a combination of enthusiasm and principled reluctance.

India has maintained that it would focus on bilateral relations, thereby getting maximum advantage out of the partnership.

India's approach to such gestures shows that it both recognizes the importance placed on it as a major player in maintaining peace and security in the world, and also sidelines any push to behave as a traditional US military ally - particularly on openly posturing against China in any dispute.

India's foreign policy principle

The US will likely treat India and Pakistan based on their individual merits - a stand endorsed by the incumbent US secretary of state. This means Pakistan's significance in the US' policy formulation in the region will remain intact, at least, under the current administration cannot be underestimated. This is a clear message that the foundations of India-US relationship are strong and resilient.

The shift in Washington's policy in New Delhi's favor had much to do with its dire need to shift focus on other regions - the Asia-Pacific and West Asia.

The US views India as a regional net security provider for at least two basic reasons: first, it considers India as a responsible emerging power committed to established international laws and norms.

It also views India's democracy and political set-up as a model for the subcontinent in addition to being a regional economic powerhouse. Second, Washington seems to consider New Delhi as a potential ally for positive engagement with Beijing with a mandate to keep the sea lines of communications (SLOC) in the Indian Ocean free and safe for international trade and navigation.

India Post

MD FARIJUDDIN KHAN

has been guided by non-interference, non-alignment and non-aggression. In the post-Cold War Asian era, becoming a 'linchpin' of an entity is not a bad strategy provided that the objective and terms of becoming a 'linchpin' suits India's economic, political and strategic interests and considerations.

Yet, Modi's US policy carries a sharper strategic focus. With rising security threats posed by both state and non-state actors, India under the Modi-led government needs strong strategic partnership with the US to bolster its military capabilities.

Border disputes with two neighbors - China and Pakistan combined with asymmetric security threats posed by jihadist terrorism, the expansion of al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) in the subcontinent, among others, feed much of New Delhi's logic to push for a stronger strategic partnership with the superpower. The recent India-US defense deal

worth $2.5 billion is a case in point.

India signed a defense deal with the US based on her security needs. The New Delhi-Washington defense relations are guided by India's national interests. India might benefit more than the US if the robustness of this partnership is maintained in the future years.

We are currently in an era of the strongest India-US bilateral ties. Nevertheless, the US's constant pushing of India to abandon its policy of maintaining 'strategic autonomy' and asking to actively take a concrete stand in disputes involving US interests in Asia should be avoided.

India should be cautious enough to avoid such downsides while partnering with US. Looking Ahead In 2016, the US policy vis-Ă vis South Asia will remain dominated by its regional security interests. Simultaneously, the USIndia relationship is also guided by mutual understanding towards reaping economic benefits of the two-way trade between the two large economies.

In the post-withdrawal period in Kabul, a more intense New Delhi-Washington cooperation than before will be required to preserve and secure the shared longterm commitment to help build a secure, stable, and democratic Afghanistan.

The US will likely treat India and Pakistan based on their individual merits - a stand endorsed by the incumbent US secretary of state. This means Pakistan's significance in the US' policy formulation in the region will remain intact, at least, under the current administration.

However, Obama appears to have clearly conveyed to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif - during the latter's visit to Washington - that the US would not be able to strike a deal similar to the one with New Delhi in 2005, with Islamabad.

Regardless of assumes the presidential office the 2016 US elections, India-US relations will remain stable with greater hope to sort out the existing major constraints in the bilateral, such as nuclear liability, intellectual property rights, and so on.

The writer is Doctoral Candidate and Senior Research Fellow, U.S. Studies Program, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Religion in dialogue

U

nlike the hypocritical secularism practiced by the earlier Congress regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a practicing Hindu. He prays, meditates, does yoga and has made it a point to visit the Buddhist temples or Islamic mosques during his visits abroad. In this way he is according respect to other religions as well and by this practice he has become an example of how to live with practitioners of other religions. Because he respects his own religion, he respects that of others also. And with Pakistan also he has sprung a surprise by mixing religion with diplomacy. By emphasizing "religious tourism" with the western neighbor he is emerging as a champion of India's syncretic religious culture. In fact, religious tourism figured explicitly as one of the 12 elements identified in the "comprehensive dialogue" announced by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her visit to Pakistan earlier this month.

It has been part of Modi's diplomacy to establish people-topeople contacts especially through pilgrimage. Pakistan has decided to renovate certain important Hindu temples. India has invited Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Pakistani Punjab and younger brother of Premier Nawaz Sharif to attend the annual Urs celebration of the 14th century Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia next month.

Modi doesn't tire of praising the Sufis as the real face of Islam.

He has often argued that Sufism is the best antidote to terrorism and extremism in the subcontinent. In his address to the Diaspora at Wembley Stadium in London last month, Modi talked of the subcontinent's "Ram-Rahim" culture. He is intent on turning religion into an asset instead of a cause of division between the two neighbors. The Indian Railways are engaged in planning Sufi, Buddhist and Ramayana circuits of pilgrimages.

This reaching out to Pakistan through religion has found a response in that country too. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed his Ministers and aides not to make anti-India statements that can affect the recently resumed peace dialogue, according to a media report.

"There will be statements only that encourage the dialogue process rather than digging out the past. The Prime Minister has asked close aides and cabinet members to promote peace," a close aide of Mr. Sharif was quoted as saying.

If they are not roused by power hungry politicians and priests or mullahs, ordinary people are the best insurance against violence. The media doesn't highlight the widespread Hind-Muslim communities sharing together in bon homie their living places, businesses, education and other forms of communication. Once it is accepted the other person belongs to a different religion, it is possible to rise above religious differences to live together.

To call ordinary Indians intolerant would be the greatest lie.

And one has to admit it is largely because of the tolerant traditions of Hinduism that so many different religions and cultures thrive here. Even the Supreme Court recently commended Hinduism as "the collective wisdom‌ of centuries‌ that has no single founder, no single scripture and no single set of teachings." It gives freedom to its followers to believe or not believe or do anything they like.

It is unfortunate that a section of Hindus are copying other religions by trying to impose particular beliefs and practices. This goes against the grain of Hinduism. What to eat, what to wear is a private choice and it is rightly emphasized by Prime Minister Modi that he goes by the Indian Constitution in this respect. He has even called it India's religion.

Of late there has been a tendency to take pride in Hinduism as one's religion. It is claimed to be the best religion. Its liberality is certainly welcome but the claim of superiority is falling into a trap.

Religion is only one of the paths to spirituality for human beings.

To claim superiority is to deny that there can be other paths equally effective to reach the goal.

December 25, 2015

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December 25, 2015