Indo American News • Friday, January 07, 2011
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Friday, January 07, 2011
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Reliance Industries Embarks on 2-Year, $5 Billion Transformation
MUMBAI (HT): Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is working on an ambitious two-year plan to overhaul the global image of the textiles-to-oil conglomerate. It has appointed consulting firms AT Kearney and Booz & Co to suggest a suitable blueprint for the transformation, industry sources said. An RIL spokesperson maintained “no comments” on this development, industry sources said the company along with its consultants is finalising a $5 billion (R22,500 crore) investment plan that may begin as early as next financial year. Besides, the RIL may also look at
some consolidation, which includes selling stakes in some exploration and production blocks. Sources said RIL has revived its talks with global oil major BP and plans to sell its stake in E&P assets. The RIL spokesperson said, “Talks with BP are on but are slow.” “The investment plans of RIL could includes a $1.2 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal besides expansion of its refinery and petrochemical facilities,” the sources said. “RIL is mulling the establishment of a LNG import terminal on either the East or West Coast to meet demand at its refineries and petrochemical plants.”
RIL already has two mega world class refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat with a combined capacity of 1.24 million barrels per day. Reliance also has a strong foothold on the gas front and is already producing 60 million standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) from its KG-D6 gas field, off the Andhra coast. Setting up an LNG terminal will help the company in importing and selling gas. The company had contemplated setting up the liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal as early as 1997. However, it shelved plans for the 5 million tonnes-per-annum port terminal at Jamnagar and a plant for continued on page 26
Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani has launched a 2-year, $5 billion transformation of his conglomerate.
INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, January 07, 2011 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM
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Indo American News • Friday. January 07, 2011
in d ia
online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
Prime Minister’s New Year Resolution: Concentrate on the Neighborhood
By Indrani Bagchi NEW DELHI (TOI): After entertaining almost 25 heads of state and government in 2010, the Manmohan Singh government’s New Year resolution is to
nor the Maoists willing to work on a compromise, leaving the country with virtually no government. With a new ambassador, Jayant Prasad, ready to drive Indian policy in Kathmandu, India will try to push
Manmohan Singh with South Asian leaders is seen talking to Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan’s Prime Minister. India’s neighbors Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan are great nations to develop economic ties with for 2011
concentrate attention on India’s immediate neighbours, Indian Ocean and Africa in 2011. Top billing will be given to Nepal and Bangladesh, interestingly, not Pakistan. Nepal is in a politically catatonic state, with neither the political parties
for “free and fair” elections in the Himalayan nation -- where the Maoists contest elections after disarming, so that nobody has an unfair advantage. That has to be the crux of the political deal in Kathmandu, but it has to be done by
the Nepalis themselves. Sources said, India has been approached by different shades of opinion in Nepal asking for intervention, but India continues to hold aloof, because active intervention doesn’t make friends among the Nepalis. The foreign minister, SM Krishna is scheduled to visit Kathmandu soon __ after the Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai visits India next week. But the Indian message remains the same. Maoists have to disarm, following which there can be a political understanding. Bhattarai’s visit will be important, for first-hand assessment of current Maoist thinking. With Bangladesh, the news is a lot more positive. 2010 was a good year for the India-Bangladesh brief, largely due to the proactive role played by the Bangladeshis. In many respects, India has to step up to the plate in the coming year, follow through on the commitments made to Dhaka. Bangladesh wants greater economic openness by India, as well as an equitable agreement on border demarcation. All of this is doable, and at the highest level, the government has put the word out that Bangladesh gets priority. India is hoping to put high level visits by Krishna and perhaps even PM Manmohan Singh. Pakistan prompts only dismal head shakes in the government. PM has no real maneuvering space on Pakistan, and Pakistan is not ready to play ball either. Yet India continues to get
battered by the rest of the world to resume dialogue with Pakistan. Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is scheduled to visit India, and is likely to do so in the next couple of months. But nobody makes any promises on any substantive movement with Pakistan. Of course, another terror attack of moderate intensity will sweep all bets off the table. Manmohan Singh plans to correct his dismal record of engagement with Africa in 2011. An India-Africa summit is on the cards, though the venue in Africa is yet to be worked out, said sources. Moreover, South Africa is expected to host the IBSA (India, Brazil South Africa) summit in the coming year, and India should be able to plan a number of visits around this event.
India has hosted numerous African leaders over the past couple of years, so “now we owe everybody a visit” observed a senior official. After the Barack Obama visit, India and the US have pledged to work together in Africa. The contours of this engagement will revolve around a couple of things __ replicating India’s green revolution experience in Africa and leapfrogging Africa’s industrialization to make their exports more relevant in the 21st century. As a number of African leaders have told Singh, they didn’t want their countries to be merely sources of raw materials for industrialized nations (read China). So development of capacities, capabilities etc will all be part of India’s Africa outreach.
Bangalore Now Jewelery Capital of India
By Umesh M Avvannavar BANGALORE (Deccan Herald): Cashing in on the burgeoning middle and upper classes’ desire for yellow metal, gold retailers are crowding in Bangalore. The City boasts of more than 4,000 retail jewelers and has the largest number of national and regional brands in the market. Bangalore being the fifth-most populous urban agglomeration is a major economic and cultural hub and the fastest growing major metropolis in India. Besides old favorites like C Krishniah Chetty & Sons, Ellore Jewels, Pathi Jewelers, T Vasudevsetty and Sons, Subh etc, there are many new big jewellery brands from outside. Big names among them: Joyalukkas, Kalyan, Josco, Bhima, Malabar, etc, vying
hard to get a share of buyers’ wallet. Despite very high prices of gold the boom in jewelery sales continued last year, thanks to high disposable income of Bangaloreans. According to Vinod Hayagriv, MD, C Krishniah Chetty & Sons and Chairman for The All India Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation, jewelery sales from his showrooms were 18 per cent higher last year after adjusting for the rise in prices. Even a new comer like Joyalukkas is very happy being here. It’s Regional Marketing In-charge, Sooraj Parameswaran said in just six months after its first showroom was set up in the City sales have been growing at 25 per cent a month. “It was much beyond our expectations,” he said.
Reliance Industries Embarks on 2-Year, $5 Billion Transformation continued from page
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re-gassification of the LNG. The compelling reason for Reliance to reevaluate the prospects for a LNG terminal was its inability to use the natural gas that it produces from the eastern offshore KG-D6 field, as its twin refineries at Jamnagar have been allocated just 2.34 mmscmd out of the 60 mmscmd of gas that the government has earmarked for various users. Reliance, the source said, is buying one LNG cargo a month from Royal Dutch Shell at prices that are in double digits, as against a delivered price of $7 (R315) per million British thermal units of KG-D6 gas. Reliance had in December, 1997, got government approval to raise R1,150 crore through the issue of global depository
receipts or American depository receipts and through private placement to part-fund the proposed Jamnagar terminal. In May, 2000, RIL had signed a deal with the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) for a 7.5 million tonnes-per-year LNG plant in Iran. The company was to take a 25% equity stake in the $3.5 billion project and in return, get to take home 2.5 million tonnes of LNG. However, that plan was shelved in 2002 when Reliance discovered massive gas reserves in the KG-D6 field in the Krishna-Godavari Deepwater Basin, off Andhra Pradesh. Last year, RIL had expressed interest in taking on lease the LNG terminal adjacent to the Dabhol power plantwhen the 5 million tonnes-per-year facility comes onstream later this year.
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INdIA
Indo American News • Friday, January 07, 2011
India Car Sales Ablaze in December 2010 NEW DELHI (Business Standard): 6 carmakers sold 101,934 units in Dec, compared to 90,959 units last year. Here’s where to invest in the Indian automobile stock market for 2011. The automobile industry last month regained some of the momentum it lost in November, with passenger car sales of six leading companies growing by over 12 per cent. The six car manufacturers — Tata Motors, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Mahindra & Mahindra — sold 101,934 units in December, compared to 90,959 units in the year-ago period. Sales growth had slipped to its lowest in November on the back of a 19 per cent decline in HMIL’s overall sales and a 28 per cent drop in Tata Motors’ domestic sales. After Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), Hyundai is the country’s secondlargest car manufacturer, with a market share of around 21 per cent. Maruti, which accounts for almost one out of every two cars sold in the country, would release its sales number for December on Monday. It is closed for a week following its annual maintenance schedule. HMIL registered a marginal growth of 0.02 per cent at 47,228 units in December. While domestic sales rose 17.6 per cent to 26,168 units, exports continued to be a cause of concern, falling by 15.6 per cent to 21,060 units. Exports had declined by a whopping 52 per cent to 13,002
units in November. Arvind Saxena, director (marketing and sales), HMIL said, “The year 2010 has been positive for the industry and HMIL overall. For the first time since inception, HMIL clocked record cumulative sales of over 600,000 units and new products like the Santa Fe as well as upgrades like the ‘Next Gen’ i10 have been very well received by the market and
we continue to be a strong player in the domestic market. We expect the market to continue to grow in 2011 although the rate of growth may come down somewhat.” Tata Motors, which had taken a major hit in November, with sales dropping for most of its models, posted a 28 per cent rise in passenger vehicle sales. It sold 19,977 units in December, compared to 15,661 units a year earlier. Nano sales picked up in December and the company sold 5,784 units of it, compared to 509
units in November 2010. The Indica range, too, logged 40 per cent growth at 5,923 units. Abdul Majeed, India leader, automotive practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said “There was a negative perception about the quality of Nano due to incidents of the car catching fire. However, the company is effectively communicating and reaching out to customers. They have extended a four-year warranty on the car. Financing solutions are being made available. The mother plant at Sanand has come up and distribution is being expanded across the country. There is demand for the product and it is expected to do well going ahead.” Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) reported a 28 per cent rise in passenger vehicle sales at 15,601 units. Rajesh Jejurikar, chief executive, automotive division, M&M, said, “The month of December has been one of exceptional performance for us. Our passenger vehicles segment has also shown an impressive growth of 28 per cent. All our brands have done very well.” Two-wheeler manufacturers TVS Motors, Yamaha Motor and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) together recorded a 34 per cent rise in sales in December at 347,271 units. While TVS sold 171,790 units (42 per cent growth), Yamaha and HMSI sold 34,839 (70 per cent) and 140,642 (20 per cent) units, respectively. www.amarchitrakatha.com www.indoamerican-news.com
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Indo American News • Friday. January 07, 2011
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Indo American News
South Asia News of the Diaspora
After Vodafone, India Mulls Taxing Kraft for $19 Billion Takeover of Cadbury
By anUrag KotoKy NEW DELHI (Y!) - The finance ministry is looking into whether Kraft Foods will have to pay taxes to Indian authorities in its $19 billion takeover of Cadbury last year, in response to a public interest petition. The case is the second in recent years where questions have been raised on global firms’ tax liability in India following a blockbuster deal, adding to regulatory uncertainty for foreign companies chasing the India growth story. Indian tax authorities last year asked Vodafone to pay $2.5 billion tax on its 2007 purchase of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd’s mobile business in the country, which the company is currently fighting in court. Uncertainty over taxes, environmental clearances and other regulations, on top of a slew of corruption scandals, have eroded Asia’s third-largest economy’s appeal among overseas corporate investors. “These types of cases are something the Indian authorities have been pursuing for the past two or three years, but it is not a
widespread international practice,” said Abhishek Goenka, a partner at BMR Advisors in Bangalore. “We are expecting a number of similar cases which will obviously create an element of concern for cross-border M&A from an Indian perspective,” he added. Foreign direct investment in India fell more than 24 percent in the first seven months of the current fiscal year to $12.56 billion, and analysts have said flows were likely to remain subdued for the near term on concerns over the slow pace of reforms and political volatility in India. Weak Case? Last month, a New Delhi-based law firm filed a writ petition on behalf of a social activist Ved Prakash in the Delhi High Court, saying Cadbury evaded substantial tax liability in India, as a global deal in which U.S.-based Kraft took over Cadbury also included assets in India. “On paper, it looks weak,” N.C. Hegde, a tax partner at Deloitte Haskins & Sells in Mumbai, told Reuters on Tuesday.
Kraft’s Cadbury acquisition was global, with India just a part of the transaction, and thus should not be subject to Indian taxes, he said. The Delhi High Court asked the petitioners to make a representation before the ministry of finance.
“It seems to be very premature now. The court could not ignore a public interest litigation ... the court will ask the government to look into the matter, the government will look into if they have any kind of case against Cadbury,” Hegde said. However, Hegde said that tax experts were initially dismissive
of India’s tax claims made against Vodafone, but that case continues in court. Kraft sealed a deal last year to buy British candy maker Cadbury for about $19.6 billion to create the world’s biggest confectioner. Kraft sought Cadbury mainly because of its strong growth in emerging markets like India and Latin America. “Cadbury has not paid any taxes, nothing has come to India in this whole transaction of $19 billion. So we filed a petition in the Delhi high court,” Gaurang Kanth, managing director at Kanth & Associates, the petitioners’ counsel, told Reuters. “We could not really ascertain the exact amount as to how much will be the tax liability, because we were not really knowing the exact amount of transaction which Cadbury was undertaking in India,” he said by telephone. A letter from the finance ministry was made available to Reuters by Kanth. “Taking cognizance of the petition
filed by you, action has been initiated in the matter under the Income Tax laws,” Salil Mishra, an under secretary in India’s finance ministry, wrote in the letter dated Dec. 22, in reply to the petitioners’ letter. A finance ministry official, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters on Tuesday that the ministry had forwarded the petitioners’ letter for necessary action. “We were made aware that a public interest petition was filed in the High Court of Delhi,” a Kraft spokesman in India said. “We understand that the court has directed the petitioner to approach the government to look into the relevant issues. Kraft Foods is fully committed to complying with Indian law.” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament in November that the government was looking into at least four deals for possible tax losses, media reports said at the time. (Reporting by Anurag Kotoky and Manoj Kumar; additional reporting by Devidutta Tripathy in NEW DELHI, Rachel Armstrong in SINGAPORE, Nandita Bose in MUMBAI; editing by Malini Menon and Tony Munroe)
Tiger Art Project Show in New Delhi
NEW DELHI (IIFL HT MEDIA): Photographer Samar Jodha had put hand-prints of members of a traditional poacher community on the body of a tiger painted a shiny red. It made you pause and think. Artist GR Irinna’s tiger was wrapped in a barbed wire. Taking optimal advantage of the New Delhi winter afternoon sunshine, an outdoor event was organized a couple of weekends ago to announce a tiger sale of sorts. No, not real tigers, naturally, but fibreglass models which had been painted, decorated or generally worked upon by well known artists as well as not-so-wellknown artists. As part of the Art Tiger project, each of the 58 tigers was sold for Rs. 1,50,000 to corporations (and some individuals). The money collected will be spent on tiger conservation. The tigers-placed under the shade of trees-mostly made for a pretty sight. Some had been decorated by the artists in their signature style. Anjolie Ela Menon’s had a transparent stomach, and inside the plastic casing were stuffed-toy tigers. Very cute. It was reportedly gifted to Sonia Gandhi. There was one, bandaged up from head to tail, with blood stains and teardrops under the eyes. Very moving. Photographer Samar Jodha had put hand-prints of members of a traditional poacher community on the body of a tiger painted a shiny red. It made you pause and think. Artist GR Irinna’s tiger was wrapped in a barbed wire. Others had been decorated with beads and sequins and generally prettified-one
with a big butterfly resting on his back and dreadlocks for a mane, had the Rastafarian hippy look. Fun and not at all inappropriate. Why can’t tigers be pretty! A lady-probably in her sixties-observing a tiger through her expensive sunglasses remarked that it looked rather sad. “He is a Bengali tiger. He looks like Devdas,” she said and walked away. Swapan Seth-ad man, art collector and one of the three key organizers-was at hand but refrained from saying anything. It turned out that the sad, Bengali tigerthe tigers had been assigned to buyers by the draw of lotswas hers. This was a select gathering, comprising the organizers, buyers, some artists and a handful of media persons. The tigers were then shifted to the Rashtrapati Bhawan auditorium so that the public could take a look, but there was hardly any publicity. So, only a few stray visitors, who looked like family members of the Rashtrapati Bhawan staff, could be seen there last Saturday morning. The tigers had been placed side by side-unimaginatively and unceremoniously-in the big hall. They looked slightly forlorn in the cold white light, but not unduly troubled by their predicament. Now they will be on display at various points in Delhi depending on where their new owners choose to put them-hospitals, malls, multiplexes, Humayun’s Tomb. Hopefully more people and children will get to make their acquaintance.
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‘’Over 15 Lakh Houses Sanctioned to Poor People u under nder JNN JNNu uRM’’ PUDUCHERRY (PTI): The Centre has sanctioned more than 15 lakh houses worth over $10M to the poor people across the country till date under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Union Minister of Housing Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja said today. “We have cleared housing projects under the JNNURM worth more than $10M for the country as a whole,” she said handing over keys of free houses to 142 SC families constructedat a cost of $1.85M at Ariyur near here. She said housing needs of the poor and the downtrodden sections in the rural and urban pockets should be taken care of, as housing facilities would have spin off effect to ensure proper living conditions of the families besides causing improvement in the health and educational standards of the children in the families. Selja said the independent houses were constructed as part of the $33.5M housing project sanctioned by her ministry for the Union Territory. “The territorial government has implemented the scheme very impressively. I only wish that the scheme is taken as a model programme by other states,” she said. She said the JNNURM is the largest programme operated since 2005 across the country to meet the housing needs of the poor. Her ministry has sanctioned so far projects worth more than $7.82M for the housing facilities of the poor living in urban slums in various States. She urged the Puducherry Government to ensure that Puducherry emerged as the first “hut free state in the country as only States became hut free will the country be a hut free nation”. Puducherry Welfare Minister M Kandasamy said the monthly assistance of $13.50 now paid to the aged, destitute women and the widows would be raised to $16.30 from February. He said housing colony opened today had been named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Mukesh Ambani Named Businessman of the Year MUMBAI (IIFL): The head honcho of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Mukesh Ambani was awarded the title of ‘Businessman of the Year 2010’ by Financial Chronicle last week, unanimously voted by FC’s senior editors. This dynamic industrialist from the highly regarded house of Reliance was an obvious winner for many reasons, beating out competition from the flock of other topnotch industrialist from the country. Known, for his risk-taking abilities, head strong attitude and creating share holder values, Mukesh Ambani is a person of multiple facets. Mounting to this esteemed status due to his successful foray into retail, hospitality, telecom and broadband, and a planned plunge into other high-growth sectors of power, pharmaceuticals and education was a battle that only an epic personality like him could have undertaken with a striding and directive mind-set. He set out to venture on his own with his father’s directive principles to guide him, and today he stands as the personification of excellence and power. Mukesh Ambani has just like his father Dhirubhai Ambani always focused on creating ‘value’ over
money for not just consumers but for his employers and associates as well. Standing true to the words of trust and reliability, Reliance has led the excellence pact for many years coming out as a triumphant monolith that extends value propositions and prospect for growth. As he reaches his self actualization status, Mukesh Ambani has rigorously made efforts to associate himself more personally with the philanthropic arm of Reliance called ‘Reliance Foundation’. A humanitarian at heart, Mukesh Ambani has always supported the cause of education and empowerment for the youth. His commitment to excellence has found its way into charitable grounds and with this a hope now exists for the youth of this country to taste brilliance the Reliance way. This recognition is an appreciation of values that bind Mukesh Ambani and Reliance Industries. The mark of a successful company is when it strives for long-term sustainable growth. Even in the face of challenges, Mukesh Ambani has only grown from strength to strength, just like his company, reinforcing that; “commitment to growth carries on without hindrances.”
INdIA
Indo American News • Friday, January 07, 2011
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Amar Chitra Katha: Comics We Grew u up to Love
Amar Chitra Katha will be partnering with Indo American News to feature comics of Shikari Shambu and Suppandi, two lovable characters. The popularity of these two characters is because of their immense foolery, stupidity and
cowardice (in the case of Shikari Shambu, a hunter, who always pretends to be brave). “This will be a great way to increase readership among the kids and the youth. Comics are still a captivating medium of telling
a story,” believes Jacob David, reporter for IA News. Indo American News will be carrying these comics as a series. View it online www.indoamericannews.com in color.
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LIFESTYLE
Indo American News • Friday, January 07, 2011
Actress Bipasha Basu: Enjoy Every Bit of Living!
By Bipasha Basu
MUMBAI (NDTV): I can only tell all the people who are not into any kind of exercise that the day you really put your heart into it, it becomes an addiction and it’s only a positive thing for you. You know you will have great skin, you will look good, you will be healthy, you’ll have no diseases, no health problems. I recommend fitness, in any kind, form, whether it is a sport, whether it is going to the gym, whether its walking up the floors of your building. I think some kind of fitness is a must. I’m a morning person. The first thing I do when I wake up is have a glass of hot water with lime and I have a cup of tea and five badams soaked overnight. After that I go for a workout. I always workout on an empty stomach because the burn is more. Then I have a very, very big breakfast. That also in a span of half an hour. You have to give your body that much break between working out and eating. I have lot of egg whites, brown toast and fruits. If I’m travelling and I’m in a hotel, I get a little more luxury so I add up a chicken sausage or some juice. Sometimes you can have
some kind of porridge, or wheat flakes. So you can keep changing your breakfast everyday depending on your taste and preferences. But a
breakfast has to be a little bit heavy on the stomach because that jump starts your metabolism. An apple a day keeps the doctor away and I totally believe that. I’m a little bit low on iron, so I love apples and pears. Then there’s lunch. I keep it nice and simple. Some fish, sometimes dal, sabzi, chhapati depending on what your cook makes. Everything is made in olive oil. I don’t like too much oil in my food. But on occasions I don’t mind it. I do like pooris, and I do
like parathas. But I don’t eat them everyday. Well, I’m a Bengali and I can’t find taste in food without rice. When I started working out, just when I signed No Entry, I said I’m going to put away that one thing that’s so dear to me! I got rice out of my system. But I think wheat is great. You mix wheat with bajra, so you can have bajra ki roti soya rotis. You have to experiment with your cereals and vegetables. Me and Fitness used to be like poles apart. I had a lot of friends who were completely into fitness and they would encourage me. But it was not for me. I think awareness happens when it has to happen. Twenty people can tell you, “do it, do it” but you won’t do it unless you feel like doing it. One day, I saw myself on screen and I said, “Oh my God, I look really fat!” I read in one of the publications that Bipasha’s become fat and it became a issue and it was on the cover page of a newspaper! I was like, “I don’t like anybody calling me fat,” and that’s the day I started working out. At the time I had signed a film
called No Entry where I needed to play a dancer’s role. When you have weight on, you can sometimes cleverly dress and hide your flaws. But when you play a dancer you need to be a little fitter in terms of your stamina and things like that. So I said if I play a dancer, I need to shed this extra weight and become fit and that’s how I started getting into working out. Now it’s not for looking good at all, it’s not for any role, it’s for myself. And not just for physical health but for mental peace that I workout. Sweets and me go hand in hand. I rather not eat at times but my willpower for everything is too strong but I’m testing it for sweets for the first time. I’m a true Bengali, I love fish and I love mithai, specially the In-
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dian mithai. So I really won’t be able to help the sweet lovers! If you have a balanced diet most of the time, you can reward yourself and satisfy your cravings once in a while. You have to have a good diet pattern, eat healthy most of the time so you can binge once in a while on a festive occasion. I generally do that. I eat healthy food most of the time but whenever there is an occasion coming up I eat everything! Basically 365 days a year you need to be on guard and then only you can let go on each and every occasion! I think you should never, never cut off everything from your life. At the end of the day we are living and we are human beings. It’s not only about looking good it’s about enjoying life. You have to enjoy every bit of living.
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Indo American News • Friday, January 07, 2011
w il d life
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Hangul Deer to Get a New Habitat in Jammu and Kashmir
By Parvez Butt
SRINAGAR (NTI): The wildlife officials at the Dachigam National Park, have made special arrangements for the endangered ‘Hangul’ deer, as the Kashmir Valley is experiencing heavy snowfall. The vegetation and soil on which these deer survive are covered under thick snow, making it difficult for the animal to graze. “The herbs and other vegetables which these animals eat are covered under snow during this season. We keep these supplementary feed and mineral cakes, as this endangered species finds it difficult to find food during this lean period,” said Rashid Naqash, a wildlife warden, the Dachigam National Park. Presently, around 200 hangul
deers are surviving in the park from 3,000 in the 1940s. Forest officials collect dry willows and other herbs that are placed at strategic spots for the deers to descend down and feed. Cakes made of special salts and minerals are also scattered in the forests, as snow makes it impossible for the animal to get its supplement of salts from the soil. “These wild animals they get the required salts from the soil but during snowfall the whole region is covered with snow. So, we have to take special care that they receive adequate amount of salt,” said Nazir Ahmad, a forest guard. “For the last couple of years, we have brought special kind of salt that has over 20 other minerals and vitamins. We have placed these salt cakes
in a large area for the deer,” he added. The Hangul is the only surviving species of the red deer family of Europe in the subcontinent. Hangul stags are prized for their magnificent heads. Hangul, cervus elaphus hanglu, is a critically endangered species found mainly in Dachigam national park and its adjoining areas in Kashmir. The male is characterised by antlers and a brownish red coat. The female do not have horns. Hangul, the state animal of J&K, is the only survivor of the red deer group in the Indian subcontinent and its population has been declining over the years.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah inaugurated an international conference for the conservation of Hangul, the critically endangered Kashmir stag, in Srinagar. The conference is hosted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) in collaboration with Wildlife Institute of India and Wildlife Protection Department of Jammu and Kashmir.
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pakISTan
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Pakistan Shocked by Killing of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer By AyeshA yeshA NAsir LAHORE (Time): The citizens of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, were in shock: their governor, Salman Taseer, had been shot to death, allegedly by one of his bodyguards, while walking through a marketplace in the country’s capital, Islamabad. Minutes after the news got out, members of Taseer’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) took to the streets of the Punjabi capital of Lahore in anger. Protesters burned tires and shouted slogans against Taseer’s assassin. One man wearing the PPP’s red, black and green colors forced a shopkeeper to lower his shutters, screaming that no one would be allowed to do business on the day a party leader was killed. Besides grief, the furor stemmed from political frustration. Taseer was Punjab’s most visible member of the PPP, which, under Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, slipped into crisis with a tenuous hold on the central government just before the outspoken governor was murdered. Markets on the Mall Road and adjoining Hall Road close to Governor House, Taseer’s official residence, were shut down as PPP loyalists gathered outside to mourn. “They’ve killed a great leader, a great politician,” said Irfan Malik, 36, a PPP worker standing outside, wearing a black bandanna around his right arm as a sign of grief. “He was so loyal to Benazir Bhutto, so loyal to Zardari and so good to the party,” said Muhammed Hanif, 43, wiping away a tear from his eye, referring to the legendary party leader assassinated
A Pakistani ranger stands guard while mourners gather around the coffin of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, wrapped with the Pakistani flag, during his funeral procession in Lahore on Wednesday.
in December 2007 (the Pakistani President is her widower; their son is being groomed as his political heir). Mourning for Taseer became an occasion to express loyalty to the Bhutto dynasty. Next to Hanif, two young men with PPP flags in their hands screamed aloud, “When you kill one Bhutto, another Bhutto is born.” Chants of “Jiyo Bhutto” (“Long live Bhutto”) and “Death to Taseer’s killer” rang throughout Mall Road. Even as an interim governor was appointed, Prime Minister Gilani announced three days of mourning for Taseer; the Punjab provincial government ordered all institutions and schools shut down on Wednesday, Jan. 5. Yet despite the official mourning, many Pakistanis were not saddened by his violent death supposedly at the hands of Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, a bodyguard allegedly furious at Taseer’s opposition to a blasphemy law that would punish apostates from Islam with death. One
Shiv Sagar
caller to a live TV show declared, “It was a glorious act [Qadri] did for Islam.” A Facebook fan page for the accused was constructed within hours of the news of the assassination. Raza Rumi, features editor of the weekly Friday Times, told TIME he thought the governor’s murder would lead to a further narrowing of the liberal space in the country. “It’s becoming more and more clear that only one kind of Islam is being allowed to flourish in this country,” he said. “With Salman Taseer’s death, a voice of reason and tolerance has been silenced forever.” Shehla Akram, president of Punjab’s Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who recently held an award ceremony at Governor House, said Taseer’s murder would result in many steps backward for women’s empowerment. “He was one of the most progressive leaders of Pakistan and one who was wholly committed to improving conditions for women in the country,” she said. Indeed,
Qadri’s anger was allegedly ignited by Taseer’s championing of the legal rights of a woman named Aasia Bibi who had converted to Christianity and had been condemned to death under the blasphemy law. On Nov. 22, accompanied by his wife and daughter, Taseer visited Aasia, who sits in jail, to show his support. The gesture led to protests by conservative parties like the Tahafuze-Namoos-e-Risalat Mahnaz, which took to the streets to chant slogans against Taseer. Effigies of Taseer were burned during protests in Lahore and other cities, and slogans such as “Victory to Islam” and “Down with Taseer” were chanted on the streets. On the day of Taseer’s death, Lahore remained divided on the issue of the blasphemy law, which he called the “black law.” One of the protesters, Tariq Ali, said the blasphemy law “abused human rights and human freedoms”; another demonstrator said the law was against the principles of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. But Lahore is a stronghold of conservative Islamic and traditional values. Mullah Muhammed Amir, imam of a mosque on Mall Road, while expressing his regret over Taseer’s murder, said, “It is our job as Muslims to uphold laws that protect the sanctity of Islam. To safeguard the holy book is our duty as Muslims.” A worshipper at the mosque agreed with him. “We are defenders of the holy Koran and the words of Allah and Prophet Muhammad,” he said. “We need to condemn anyone who defiles Islam.” But the imam insisted, “The killing of any innocent man is a sin in Islam, and I
would like to express my regrets to his family.” As the country tried to take in the assassination, television channels played footage of Taseer kissing a pendant with the word Allah worn around his knee, as if to impress upon viewers the late governor’s piety. Said one of the commentators: “No mullah [should be the one to] decide if he was a good Muslim or not.” Outside Punjab, the mourning was more muted, though the political sentiments were still strong. In Sindh province, the traditional stronghold of the Bhutto family, Nadira Hanif, a resident of Karachi, the country’s largest city, said, “Taseer was doing the right thing, even though he should not have challenged the law. The law should decide, and he should have waited for the Lahore High Court’s decision. He should have hired a lawyer for Aasia Bibi. Where there are lots of extremists, you need to be more careful, especially if you take a bold position.” Others, however, were not shy about declaring that Taseer “died for his sins.” The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which recently withdrew from the PPP-led coalition, ending its fragile majority in Parliament and leading to the ongoing political crisis in Islamabad, expressed its condolences over the “martyrdom” of Taseer but made no moves to reconcile with Prime Minister Gilani. Gilani, however, received a reprieve from an imminent no-confidence vote; the chief opposition party postponed it by 72 hours to mark Taseer’s death. Meanwhile, Aasia Bibi remains behind bars, her fate in limbo now that her greatest protector is dead.
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Indo American News • Friday, January 07, 2011
s p o r ts
Kallis’ Superhuman Effort Deflates India
By George Binoy CAPE TOWN, SA (Cricinfo) Jacques Kallis was immense, for the second time in this deciding Test, using his strength of will and mastery of technique to drag South Africa out of danger and then give them the strongest advantage enjoyed by either team in this gripping contest. Kallis battled the challenges posed by India’s bowlers on a wearing pitch, and the constraints and pain of a side strain, to become the only South African to score two centuries in a Test at home. His partnerships of 103 with Mark Boucher, who was also under pressure to perform, and 54 with Dale Steyn came after India were rampant, and they put South Africa in pole position to win the series. The stand of 46 with Morne Morkel simply poured acid into India’s gaping wounds. India’s performance during the first session of this pivotal day was aggressive, but they couldn’t have been more listless in the second and third. On a pitch with cracks that were widening, rough areas that were worsening and bounce that was becoming increasingly variable, India took three wickets and conceded only 69 runs before lunch. They even picked up the sixth wicket soon after the break, when South Africa’s lead was only 128. And then they went to pot, largely due to Kallis’skill and Boucher’s grit, but also because Harbhajan Singh ran out of ideas, Zaheer Khan’s pace and fitness levels plummeted, and Ishant Sharma’s lines and lengths were atrocious. South Africa added 91 for 1 in the second session, and 129 for 3 in the last. Harbhajan finished with 7 for 120 but only after South Africa’s tailenders, Lonwabo Tsotsobe included, hit him around. Kallis began his masterpiece in the second over of the morning, after Harbhajan had spun an offbreak viciously to trap Alviro Petersen lbw on the back foot. He watched Hashim Amla deflect another offbreak off his arm onto the stumps while sweeping. South Africa had lost 4 for 14. The leg-side field was packed for Harbhajan, with fielders at short leg, leg gully, midwicket, square leg and a man on the boundary. Kallis saw empty expanses on the off side and sent the ball to the point and thirdman boundaries by reverse-sweeping Harbhajan. He was playing against the turn, against the bounce, but
had no choice but to take him off. Harbhajan continued to turn the ball, and the odd one jumped, but his attack became predictable and Boucher soon got used to it. Kallis had got used to it long ago. India’s biggest concern, though, was Zaheer, who returned for a two-over spell an hour after lunch and bowled at speeds between 115 and 120 kph. He moved the ball at harmless speeds. South Africa’s lead passed 150, Jacques Kallis became his country’s highest Kallis became his run-scorer for a three-test series. country’s highest used the stroke effectively and forced run-scorer for a three-Test series, and Dhoni to change his field. Kallis when he straight drove Ishant to the then countered Harbhajan by stay- boundary to reach his half-century, ing back, moving across, playing the Newlands crowd loved it. In the extremely late and taking the bottom first over after tea, Kallis repeated that hand off the bat while fending the ball shot against Sreesanth. Boucher had taken tea on 46, havdown on the leg side. AB de Villiers struggled to score ing scored most of his runs on the leg against Sreesanth, who operated on side through sweeps and glances. A a tight length outside off stump. Za- back-foot push off Harbhajan on the heer too kept him quiet, with balls off, though, brought up his 50 off 74 that angled in from round the wicket balls and its briskness was instrumenbefore seaming away off the pitch. tal in blunting India. It took a shooter It was the one that came back in that from Sachin Tendulkar, bowling the got the wicket, the ball uprooting off 80th over, to trap him lbw. India took the new ball immediand middle stump as de Villiers was late in pulling out of the shot. Kallis ately and Steyn mowed a short one continued to battle, the bowling and from Sreesanth over deep midwicket his injured side. When he pressed for six. The lead swelled past 250. forward to one delivery from Harb- Steyn then welcomed Harbhajan’s hajan that spat up at him, he had to new spell with a monstrous hit over jerk to fend it down. He survived wide long-on. Harbhajan eventually it, but was clutching his ribs in pain picked up his fifth wicket - Steyn - 28 and lay down on the ground. It was overs after his fourth. Kallis watched his partners clout a sight that his cheering fans at Newlands saw several times. After lunch, and go but he remained steady and Kallis continued performing with unbeaten. A non-descript single to uninterrupted resolve. India didn’t. square leg off Harbhajan brought Ishant was lucky to dismiss Prince up his 40th century, moving clear of with a short and wide delivery that Ricky Ponting’s tally of 39. Graeme was slashed to point, but it was his Smith led the cheers in the dressing lines against Boucher that marked the room, the Indians applauded and beginning of India’s slide. Boucher Newlands celebrated its superhero. glanced two deliveries down leg side Kallis took of his helmet and beamed, to the boundary and slapped a wide betraying not a trace of the discomfort ball through cover. Ishant’s lines and he was in. It was his finest moment in lengths were so erratic that MS Dhoni his finest Test.
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ACC Beats APCC in X-Mas Matches
ACC team celebrates after their series win against APCC.
HOUSTON: Absorbing days of cricket were played by two teams: Indo Pak Cricket Club (IPCC) and American Cricket Club (ACC) at Stafford cricket ground on 25th and Bush Park cricket ground on 26th. There were two matches played between the teams. In the first match, IPCC captain Ishtiaq won the toss. On a very breezy and chilly morning, IPCC chose to field, and they were rewarded with three quick ACC wickets. But then some sensible batting and a good partnership between Shahab and Hashim got them to the start they were looking for. An ideal ground was set for the later batsmen of the likes of Umair who came in and his power batting made a quickfire 40, helping ACC to reach a very commanding total of 183 in 25 overs. IPCC started off chasing 184 to win in 25 overs, but were restricted to a
124 all out in 22 overs. There was some hope given by Sheraz and Usman but it was difficult to score 184 on a windy and fiery bowling by ACC bowlers Umair and Uzair. The second match took place at the George Bush park on 26th, setting the stage for fightback for the IPCC team. Once again, Ishtiaq won the toss, but this time, elected to bat first. They scored 135 all out in the allotted 25 overs. Batting first was not easy with Umair’s timely bowling changes and ACC’s good fielding. Ultimately, ACC, chased the total in 17 overs and won the T/25 Trophy for their team. The trophy was sponsored by Pronto Prints. With the bone chilling weather on the Christmas weekend, the two teams battling it out on open ground showed their immense passion for the game of cricket.
England in Control in 5th Ashes Test SYDNEY: Alastair Cook struck his third hundred of an epic series as England closed in on a first-innings lead at the SCG to reach lunch on 5 for 277. Cook dominated the morning’s scoring as he lost the nightwatchman, James Anderson, and the out-of-form Paul Collingwood, who became Michael Beer’s first Test wicket, leaving Ian Bell to join for what could be a match-defining partnership. Cook’s ton took him past 700 runs for the series and made him the eighth England batsman to hit three in an Ashes series, but he had a nervous moment on 99. He flicked a delivery from Beer towards short leg where Phil Hughes claimed the catch and
the Australians began celebrating. Cook, though, stood his ground and TV replays showed the ball clearly bounced and Hughes was unsure before joining in with the appeal. It was the second time Beer had been denied Cook’s wicket after yesterday’s no-ball and in the spinner’s next over, Cook worked a single into the leg side to reach his hundred to join the three figure scores he made in Brisbane and Adelaide. He had a few other nervous moments, when he edged Shane Watson short of second slip on 87 then after passing his hundred nearly chipped Beer to midwicket, but it was a commanding display.
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L ife less o n s
Indo American News • Friday, January 07, 2011
How to Work Less and Still Impress By Marc Is it possible to work less and still impress your boss, wife, husband and friends? In other words, is it possible to do less and accomplish more? Everyone seeks the answer to this question. We all want to generate the greatest noticeable impact with the least amount of effort, as quick as possible. It’s the way of the modern knowledge worker. We strive to work smarter, not harder. The answer to the question is: YES! With the right combination of skills, tactics and tools, you can work less and still impress. It requires thinking outside of the box… and then implementing strategies that directly increase the visibility, impact and “wowfactor” of your labors. The list below is not comprehensive, but leads in the right direction, providing six basic strategies geared for increasing your impressiveness without increasing your workload. Learn Skills Few People Know – Find a niche function (or two) that’s currently in high demand and master it. If very few people can perform this needed function, your effective value to others will skyrocket into the stratosphere. You will become the “go to guy”. Even if it’s only a temporary gig, you will be able to make a significant impact in a short timeframe. And if you play your cards right, you will find yourself doing less actual work and getting 10 times more credit for your efforts. Provide Value from Within a Black Box – Mystery is a huge proponent of impressiveness. In
order to achieve the ultimate level of impressiveness your efforts must make someone think, “Wow! How does he/she do that?” They can easily see your inputs and your results, but aren’t 100% sure how you got from point A to point B. In other words, you have to provide (or innovate) tangible value without disclosing the specifics of the mastery. This is similar to my point on learning a rare skill, but instead relies more on emotional curiosity and less on the end result. Human beings are curious creatures. If you can give them something they want while simultaneously stimulating their curiosity, you will always be more impressive than the guy who cranks out the most widgets. Focus More on Less – A jack of all trades may do very well in life, but supreme impressiveness is achieved via specialization. Elite expertise attracts attention much faster than a run of the mill juggling act. This is because gradual increases in skill level have an exponential effect on the public opinion of overall impressiveness. Think in terms of Karate: A black belt seems far more impressive than a brown belt. But does a brown belt really seem any more impressive than a red belt? The bottom line: Society elevates experts high onto a pedestal. Hard work matters, but not if scattered in diverse directions. Focus on mastering your trade. Only Use Quality Tools – Trying to cut through a thick piece of fresh lumber with an old, dull handsaw would be a pretty foolish endeavor. You would have to work
By Marc Even in times of financial uncertainty, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. 1.You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. 2.You didn’t go to sleep outside. 3.You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. 4.You hardly broke a sweat today. 5.You didn’t spend a minute in
fear. 6.You have access to clean drinking water. 7.You have access to medical care. 8.You have access to the Internet. 9.You can read. 10.You have the right to vote. Some might say you are rich, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.
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extremely hard to make the even the slightest impact. This principle applies to everything in life. Don’t let inefficiency defeat you. If the tools in your toolbox don’t fit the requirements of the job, find someone who has the right tools and barter with them, hire them, invite them into the process. Possessing the right tools (and skills) can easily shrink a mountainous task into a molehill. Always Under-Sell to OverDeliver – The crooked salesman constantly over-sells the capabilities of his product. He sets the bar so high that the product ends up falling short of his client’s expectations. If you want to boost your impressiveness, do the exact opposite. Slightly under-sell your capabilities (or product, service, deadline, etc.) so that you’re always able to over-deliver. It will seem to others like you’re habitually going above and beyond the call of duty. Follow the 80/20 Rule – The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts. If you can identify and focus on the 20% that matters most, you can be more productive (and impressive) without increasing your workload. Try to automate or delegate the less productive 80% whenever possible. When random emails and phone calls start pushing you off course, remind yourself of the 80/20 rule and make an immediate course correction. If an emergency arises and you absolutely need to eliminate something from your schedule, make sure it’s not part of the vital 20%.
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