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Abu Dhabi for Long Term Partnerhip with India India Lobbies for Australian Uranium

JEDDAH (TOI): Indian companies and investors were invited to Abu Dhabi to set up industrial units and to take advantage of the specialized economic zones and learn more about investment prospects which are being created through Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 plan, the development of industrial

Abu Dhabi as per country of origin. India is ranked 13th among the countries that Abu Dhabi imports from. UAE is the fourth key trading partner of India after the US, Japan and China. The Abu Dhabi delegation was headed by Muhammad Thani Al Rumaithi, president of the

Mohammad Omar Abdullah, Under Secretary, Department of Economy and Planning; Mohammad Thani Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yousuf Ali M.A., Board Member of ADCCI, with other senior officials at the Abu Dhabi and Mumbai Investment Forum (Gulf News)

zones and the creation of new infrastructure links in the UAE, at the Abu Dhabi-Mumbai Investment Forum. T h e f o r u m o rg a n i z e d b y Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development reviewed the available opportunities between Abu Dhabi and India to increase the proportion of such investments and partnerships at both the economic and trade levels. The vision to encourage long term bilateral investment and trade opportunities between Abu Dhabi and Mumbai was promoted. Currently, the value of Indian investments in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is estimated at AED 123 million. This represents 0.24 percent of the total foreign investments in

Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Other members included Muhammad Omar Abdullah, Undersecretary of DED, Muhammad Hasan Al Qamzi, CEO of ZonesCorp., Khaled Salmeen Al Kawari, Executive Vice President of Industrial Zones at ADPC, Saeed Fadhel Al Mazroui, CEO of Emirates Aluminium, and Shadi Malak, Executive DirectorCommercial of Etihad Rail, besides Yusuff Ali MA, an elected Board Member, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry who is the most powerful Indian in the gulf. Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi explained that the incentives that the UAE offers included 100% transfer of capital and profits, diverse industries and non-oil sector activities, cheap energy

sources, zero profit tax, no personal income taxes, and other advantages and incentives that made the UAE’s business and work environment one of the most competitive worldwide. The UAE Ambassador to India, Mohamed Sultan Abdalla Al Owais, said that the forum has to stand for promoting interaction between business leaders from both sides, at a time when the world experiencing financial crisis and India is showing signs of strong growth, contrary to global trends, because of its own sound policies and development strategies. The session, “Issues of finance and banking” invited Indian investors and companies to play an important role in financing projects in Abu Dhabi, while the Energy Session asked both countries to take advantage of the expertise and partnerships in the sector where Abu Dhabi’s oil and natural energy resources could meet the needs of India’s energy. Tushar Jani, Past Chairman, CII Maharashtra State Council stressed the importance of converging the young generations in both countries into concrete initiatives for a long and sustainable relation. Confederation and Indian Industry and Abu Dhabi Ports Company (KIZAD) signed an Expression of Interest with the objective of promoting Indian investments particularly in Industrial, warehousing and logistics projects in KIZAD in Abu Dhabi. The forum was attended by high profile representatives from the Indian industries and Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Abu Dhabi Ports Company, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Emal, Emirates Steel, Etihad Airways, Etihad Rail, Kizad, Standard Chartered and Zones Corp.

P E RT H ( H i n d u ) : Vi c e President Hamid Ansari arrived for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on how to make the 54-nation grouping relevant in a changing world. India seemed to be using the opportunity to lobby for a change in Australia’s uranium exports policy banning sales to India, which is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The issue reportedly came up at Ansari’s meeting with Australian Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott. Abbott heads the centreright Liberal Party of Australia,

issue, . Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd argued that India’s civil nuclear power program was not dependent on Australian uranium. “If you hear an argument from an Indian businessperson that the future of the nuclear industry in India depends exclusively on access to uranium, that is simply not sustainable as a proposition. Have a look at the data,” he said at a mining industry breakfast, according to a report by Australian news agency AAP. “There is no problem in terms of global supply, let’s just be very, very blunt about this.” Ferguson also told Australian journalists that talks were on for

India’s Vice-President Hamid Ansari with Australian Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott (left) at Perth discuss Uranium imports

which favors allowing Australia — which has the world’s largest reserves of uranium — to export the mineral to India. “If the [Australian] government was serious about reducing global emissions, they would lift the ban on selling uranium to India,” he told Australian broadcaster ABC. Ansari is also likely to discuss the issue at his bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard later this week. The ruling Labor party is split on the

a large Indian investment in the Galilee coal basin in Queensland. Ahead of Friday’s inauguration of the CHOGM by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, there is a strong push among some countries for adoption of a Commonwealth reform recommendation to set up a human rights monitor. Food and energy security, the global economic situation and terrorism are likely to be other items on the CHOGM agenda, according to Ansari.

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November 4, 2011

Now Jackie Chan to the rescue of the Buddha?

KATHMANDU (TOI): He has strutted on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars. Now will the star of Rush Hour 2 and Rumble in the Bronx, stunt master Jackie Chan, parade in a different locale, the birthplace of the Buddha in southern Nepal? Nepal’s controversial new culture minister Gopal Kirati, who during an earlier stint in power triggered a storm by trying to bring the

Kirati, whose party advocated a ban on Bollywood films during its 10-year armed insurrection, is also eager to have Bollywood stars lend a helping hand. On the top of the list is Bollywood’s reigning prince Shah Rukh Khan, whose latest release Ra.One is being screened in theatres across the Himalayan republic as well. Besides King Khan, the ministry also wants ageless diva Rekha to visit Lumbini. The sacred birthplace, d e c l a r e d a Wo r l d Heritage Site by Unesco, still remains largely neglected by the Nepal government. A master plan to develop it was drawn up in 1978 by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange but could not be implemented fully due to the protracted political turmoil in Nepal. Recently, Unesco and the government of Japan began a project in collaboration to spruce Nepal’s new culture minister Gopal Kirati is up the landmarks in the all about raising awareness about Lumbini, holy area, including the the sacred birthplace of Buddha. To this pillar erected by Indian end, he is trying to get Jackie Chan to use emperor Ashok when he his star power to spread the message to get visited Lumbini to pay tourists to visit Nepal and spread Buddhism homage to the Buddha, as well in the process and the temple built to revered shrine of Hindu deity honour Maya Devi, the mother of Pashupatinath under the control the Buddha. of his Maoist party, is now keen Though the Maoists profess to be to harness Chan’s star power to atheists, they have been showing a raise awareness about Lumbini, keen interest in Lumbini of late. It the sacred birthplace. led to an international scandal this Nepal will celebrate 2012 as Visit year after Maoist chief and former Lumbini year and seeks to rope in prime minister Pushpa Kamal Chan as a cultural ambassador. The Dahal Prachanda was discovered actor, who also has a PlayStation to have given his blessings to a game modelled on him, has been little-known Hong Kong-based invited to visit Lumbini in winter. NGO to develop Lumbini without

the knowledge of the government of Nepal. Though the ensuing hue and cry made the then communistled government disown the pact, when a new Maoist government came to power once more this year, it formed a new panel under Prachanda to develop Lumbini. Now the cabinet has given its nod to Prachanda and other team members visiting New York next month to seek assistance for the project. They will reportedly meet UN chief Ban Ki-Moon who is said to have shown interest. (Destination 360): Buddhism is an integral part of the fabric of everyday life in the countries of the high Himalayas, especially in Tibet, Nepal, the tiny Kingdom of Bhutan, and northern India. Lumbini Nepal is considered the birthplace of Buddha and as such, is sacred to those of the Buddhist faith, as are Bodhgaya in India where Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment and Svayambhunath and Bodhnath in Kathmandu. It is as holy to Buddhists as Varanasi is to Hindus and the Western Wall in Jerusalem is to the Jewish people. Buddhist pilgrims embark on Lumbini travel as do Christian pilgrims to Lourdes in France (the second most visited Christian site after Rome). Tours to Lumbini are organized by numerous companies, the majority of which are located in India. These are the tour operators that most American companies utilize when they put together tours encompassing many different locations. Tours to Lumbini often include Nepal trekking, popular with young adventure travelers. While Lumbini Nepal is not directly within the Kathmandu Valley, a hub for trekkers, it does often appear on itineraries. It is almost on the

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Lumbini, Nepal is considered to be the birthplace of Buddha. For Buddhist pilgrims, Lumbini is a landmark to visit at least once in their lifetime. Lumbini is situated in Nepal but on the border of India. The great emperor Ashoka, an ardent believer, has visited Lumbini

border of India, to the southwest of Kathmandu and Royal Chitwan National Park. The history of Lumbini travel dates to long before the birth of Buddha (in 642 BC), as this site was sacred to Hindus for millennia before that time. Maya Devi, so Buddhist tradition goes, was on her way to visit her parents when she felt labor pains. Grasping a branch of a sal tree, she gave birth to Siddharta Gautama. The infant Buddha is said to have immediately announced that this was his last incarnation and took seven steps, under each of which a lotus flower bloomed. Interestingly, it was also under a tree (the bodhi tree) in Bodhgaya where Buddha became enlightened. Trees also feature in the other two sacred Buddhist sites: Sarnath (site of his first sermon) and Kushinagar where he died. In 249 BC, the great Indian Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini Nepal and erected four stupas (mound like structures containing Buddhist relics) and a pillar that still stands today. The inscriptions

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • friday, NOVEMBER 4, 2011 • WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

on this pillar were a trademark of the emperor, and are as sacred to Buddhists as the paintings and inscriptions found on the Ajanta Caves in India. Numerous monasteries and temples were built up to the ninth century, after which the site was lost for centuries. While there remains some controversy surrounding his discoveries, the site was rediscovered in 1895 by the German archaeologist Alois Fuhrer who stumbled up the pillar. Lumbini travel and pilgrimages have been popular with Buddhists ever since, and the site was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

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OPINION

November 4, 2011

L’ Affaire Bedi and Kejriwal The Rump of Anna Hazare Team Shows Unity

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By Raj Kanwar Kiran Bedi was the favorite flavor of newspaper columnists this weekend who ridiculed her bizarre defense on the matter of fudging her travel bills. Last week Bedi was accused of financial malfeasance in a front page expose by Indian Express for submitting false airlines bills and overcharging the host organizations which had invited her to deliver lectures. Karan Thapar gave headline “Beg, borrow, Bedi” to his “Sunday Sentiments” column in the Hindustan Times. He made caustic comments about Bedi’s offer to return the money to her erstwhile hosts if they demanded it back. Some other columnists too made mincemeat of Bedi’s arguments in her defense. Arvind Kejriwal, a onetime internal revenue service officer, was accused by one of his own colleagues of depositing in the account of his personal trust, Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF) nearly Rs. four million of donations received by Anna Hazare’s movement. His defense was even more bizarre. At a press conference on Sunday in the native village of Anna Hazare in Maharashtra, Kejriwal claimed that it had been decided right from the beginning that his trust would act as a secretariat for Hazare’s movement and as such all these donations were credited to the account of PCRF. Tongue-in-cheek, Kejriwal further said, “I have worked as a joint commissioner of Income Tax. If I had not indulged in corruption then, the mere thought of me doing it now just for Rs 40 lakh (four million) is nonsensical.” This of course is a serious reflection on the widespread perception that Income Tax department was corrupt, and that Rs. four millions were simply peanuts as compared to the manna he could have earned in his erstwhile department. Incidentally, his wife Sunita, a batch mate, is still serving in the Income Tax department as a senior officer. This assertion was made in what was purported to be Anna Hazare’s statement (since he is supposed to be on “Vow of silence”) and was

read out by Kejriwal. A few key members had come to Hazare’s village to be able to refute the allegations leveled against “India Against Corruption” (IAC) and to present a united front. The statement further said that, “The core committee members will unitedly face the challenges and fight back. Our fight will be on till Jan Lokpal Bill is passed. In future, a constitution will be framed for the movement… After framing the

Arvind Kumar Kejriwal

constitution, the core committee will be revamped”. Such a demonstration of unity had become imperative because one of its key members had demanded the dissolution of the core committee since many of its founder members such as Swami Agnivesh, Rajinder Singh, PV Rajagopal, Justice Santosh Hegde and a few others had already disassociated themselves from it. What is now left of the core committee is simply a rump. This statement from Anna Hazare also stated that a formal constitution would soon be drafted and then the core committee reconstituted. This stratagem was adopted in order to blunt the demand for the dissolution of the core committee. This decision to constitute this loose “movement” into a formal entity with a constitution of its own shows that so far the movement was an unorganized group comprising

Anna Hazare and those others who had drifted towards him for one reason or another; some of these people of course carried their own hidden agendas and thought it a prudent move to become a part of this movement which was at that time gathering some momentum. Taking advantage of Anna Hazare’s “Vow of silence” and his somewhat poor health, Kejriwal arrogated to himself the role of IAC’s spokesperson. Others like Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan quietly acquiesced. Some critics including those in the India Against Corruption movement have accused Kejriwal of being arrogant. He had joined the Indian Income Tax department (similar to Internal Revenue Service) in 1995 and briefly worked as assistant commissioner. Surprisingly, in January 2000, he took formal leave from his job and founded, unknown to his employers, a non-profit organization called “Parivartan”. He quietly worked for six years for this organization and then finally resigned from his government job in February 2006. It reflects badly on the functioning of the Indian Income Tax department that one of its officers had indulged in extra official activities for six years without its knowledge. All this while Kejriwal was campaigning for enactment of Right to Information Act and was presented “Ramon Magsaysay Award”. It would indeed be amusing to read what his Magsaysay award citation had stated about the achievements of an Income Tax officer who played truant from his office working underground to promote his private trust. Interestingly, three of the major players on Anna Hazare’s team namely Kiran Bedi, Rajinder Singh and Kejriwal were all Magsaysay award winners. Can one beat this coincidence? Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dun based freelance journalist and write columns on current affairs for local and newspapers. He is now writing exclusively for Indo American News here in Houston.

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INDIA WASHINGTON (HT): Rajat Gupta, former McKinsey head and founder of the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, on Wednesday pleaded not-guilty to the charges of insider trading that could put him in jail for life, if proven true. Gupta, who is now free on bail for $10 million, surrendered to the FBI on Diwali morning and was arraigned in a New York court. He is charged with five counts of security fraud and one of conspiracy, which together could get him 105 years in jail, with millions in fine. The former McKinsey chief, who was born in Kolkata and grew up in Delhi, is charged with passing insider tips to friend and founder of Galleon hedge fund Raj Rajaratnam, who has been sentenced to 11 years for insider trading. He “became the illegal eyes and ears in the boardroom” for Rajaratnam, said US attorney for Manhattan Preet Bharara, also Indian-born, whose office is prosecuting the Galleon insider trading case. Gupta’s lawyer Gary Naftalis said, he “did not trade in any securities, did not tip Mr Rajaratnam so he could trade, and did not share in any profits.” The charges brought against him are for insider information allegedly passed on by him as director on the boards of investments giant Goldman Sachs and consumer goods major Proctor & Gamble. “The Inside Information included

November 4, 2011

Rajat Gupta out on $ 10-Million Bail

confidential information about the companies’ earnings and financial performance, as well as certain corporate transactions that were being undertaken” by them, said the indictment. The tips were allegedly passed on from 2008 through January 2009. Rajaratnam was arrested in October after over a year under surveillance. His phone was tapped. Within 16 seconds of wrapping up a telephonic conference of the board on September 23, 2008, to approve a $5-billion investment in Goldman Sachs by Warren Buffett, Gupta called up Rajaratnam to tell him about it. Just two minutes before the close of the market, Rajaratnam ordered the purchase of about 217,200 shares of Goldman Sachs common stock for about $27 million, said the indictment. The speed with which other bits of information were passed on was referred to by FBI’s assistant director in charge of investigating this case, Janice K Fedaryck, as “instant messaging”. Goldman Sachs announced Buffet investment later that day. Its stocks opened for trading next morning $3 higher. Galleon offloaded all the 217,000 shares, netting a profit of $840,000. In the second instance, Gupta on October 23, 2008, called Rajaratnam 23 second after receiving information about Goldman Sachs’ negative quarterly earnings, which helped Galleon save several millions.

As a director at P&G, Gupta passed on to Rajaratnam information about negative earnings through a call on January 29, 2000. The US Securities and Exchange Commission said Gupta’s tips were worth $23 million to Galleon in profits or losses saved. In all, the Rajaratnam-owned hedge fund made $90 million from insider trading involving 15 companies. The commission earlier initiated administrative charges, but dropped them later saying it might move criminal charges when it was ready. And it did that on Wednesday, leading to Gupta’s surrender.

Rajat Gupta, Former head of global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and former director at Goldman Sachs Group

Is Nargis the 7 billionth Symbolic Baby?

By Gaurav Saigal marked the world’s population LUCKNOW (HT): As the clock reaching a record seven billion by struck midnight, doctors waiting holding ceremonies for newborns for the birth of the baby who would be the Indian symbol of the world population touching seven billion grew restive. They were told to wait - for the first girl child to be born at the community health centre in Mall village, 40 km from Lucknow. Nargis the fifth baby to be born after They waited 7 hours midnight is the chosen one to mark the 7 and 20 minutes. The billionth baby for the entire world first four babies were all boys. Nargis was the fifth to be symbolizing the milestone. While born after midnight but was still the demographers are unsure exactly chosen one. Plan India, the NGO when the world’s population will funding the festivities, crowned her reach the seven billion mark, the the India’s seven billionth baby. UN used Monday to mark the Countries around the world day.

There was more symbolism at play in UP. Mall was chosen as its 40 km off Lucknow, the capital of the country’s most populous state, with a population of 200 million. “This is our first child and my wife Vinita and I are very happy. I’ll work hard to ensure she becomes a doctor,” said Nargis’ father Ajai Yadav, a farmer. Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Centre had no plans to celebrate the birth. “What’s there to celebrate? We’ll celebrate when population stops growing,” he told HT. India has over 1.2 billion people in population and over 80% live in poverty. Every sixth person in the world lives in India, where the population shot up by an incredible 181 million - the combined populations of Spain, Germany and Italy - in the past decade.

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PAKISTAN OPINION

November 4, 2011

Sesame Street Coming to Pakistan, US Initiative of $20 Million

LAHORE (FoxNews): Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch are nowhere in sight. But there’s Elmo. And new creatures too, like Baily, a kindly donkey who loves to sing, and Haseen O Jameel, a vain crocodile who lives at the bottom of a well. The TV show has a new cast of local characters led by a vivacious 6-year-old girl named Rani who loves cricket and traditional Pakistani music. Her sidekick, Munna, is a 5-year-old boy obsessed with numbers and banging away on Pakistani bongo drums, or tabla. The U.S. is spending $20 million, hoping it will improve education in a country where one-third of primary school-age children are not able to go to afford school. Washington also hopes the program will increase tolerance among people in the world. “One of the key goals of the show in Pakistan is to increase tolerance toward groups like women and ethnic minorities,” said Larry Dolan, who was the head education officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Pakistan. The show, which started filming last week and will air at the end of November, was jointly developed by Sesame Workshop, the creator of the American series, and Rafi Peer Theater Workshop, a group

in the Pakistani city of Lahore that has been staging puppet shows for more than three decades. The American version of Sesame Street first aired in 1969, and the U.S. government has worked with

aiding insurgents in neighboring Afghanistan. Rani, the new program’s star, sports pigtails and a blue and white school uniform. Her innate curiosity is exemplified by the

importance of sending girls to school, something that doesn’t often happen in Pakistan’s conservative society, said Faizaan Peerzada, the chief operating officer of Rafi Peer and one of several family members who run the organization. “It makes the girl stand equally with the boy, which is very clear,” said Peerzada. Rani and Munna are joined by Baily the donkey, Haseen O Jameel the crocodile, and Baaji, a spirited woman who serves as a mother. Elmo, the lovable, red, child monster, is the only traditional Sesame Street character on the show, called Sim Sim Hamara. The action centers around a mock-up of a Pakistani town, complete with houses, a school and Baaji’s dhaba, a small shop and restaurant found in many places in The star of the show will be Rani who goes to school. Kids in Pakistan the country. The town also includes will now be able to get equal opportunity for education through a large Banyan tree, known as the interacting with Sesame Street puppets. This photo features kids in wisdom tree in South Asia, where India during such a show featured by Sesame Street children play under the shade. Given the intense ethnic and the company since then to produce magnifying glass she often carries regional divisions within Pakistan, shows in about 20 foreign countries, and her endless stream of questions. the creators tried to build a set including Muslim nations like She is captain of the school cricket that was recognizable to Pakistani Bangladesh and Indonesia. team and plays the harmonium, children but did not stand out as Washington has committed to an instrument used to perform being from one part of the country. spend $7.5 billion in civilian aid Qawwali music. For similar reasons, the skin colors in Pakistan over T:6” five years, despite The creators chose Rani as the of the puppets range from very light accusations that the country is lead character to emphasize the brown to orange.

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A total of 78 episodes will be aired in Pakistan’s national language, Urdu, over the next three years, as well as 13 in each of the four main regional languages, Baluchi, Pashtu, Punjabi and Sindhi. The shows will appear on Pakistan state television, and the producers hope they will reach 3 million children, 1 million of whom are out of school. They also plan radio programs and 600 live puppet performances to reach millions of kids and parents. Each episode will be based around a word and a number, like the U.S. version, and will tackle general themes like friendship, respect and valuing diversity. “There are many situations where we coexist peacefully, and that’s what we want to focus on,” said Imraan Peerzada, the show’s head writer. The program will feature holidays celebrated by Muslims, Christians and Hindus in an attempt to get children to respect the traditions of different religious groups in Pakistan, said Peerzada. American officials stressed they were not involved in creating content for the show. That will be left to the content creators in Pakistan.

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • Friday, NOVEMBER 4 , 2011• WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

SPORTS

November 4, 2011

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel Wins First Indian GP

Sebastian Vettel celebrates his win in the Indian Formula One Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit outside New Delhi, leading all the way from start to finish. Photo: Luca Bruno

NEW DELHI (AN): RED Bull driver Sebastian Vettel won the inaugural Formula One Indian Grand Prix, staying on track to equal the record for the number of wins in a season. Vettel led from start to finish, maintaining a comfortable buffer throughout to finish 8.4 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso a distant third at the Buddh International Circuit outside New Delhi yesterday. The race saw yet another collision between McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa to intensify their rivalry, with Massa in the wrong and given a pit drive-through penalty before later breaking his front suspension and retiring from the race. Red Bull’s Mark Webber was fourth, ahead of the Mercedes pair of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. Vettel has 11 wins this season and victories in the final two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi would equal Schumacher’s record of 13 wins. It was a comprehensive victory by the German, who completed the perfect race of starting from pole position, securing race victory, leading every lap and recording the fastest lap.

He made his trademark brilliant start, pushing his lead beyond four seconds after just five laps. Button cut the gap to 2.7 seconds after the second set of pitstops, when both switched to the harder tires, and looked capable of mounting a challenge but could get no closer. Webber closed within a second of Alonso on the final lap, but the Spaniard held on to claim a podium finish. Hamilton was forced to pit with damage after the collision with Massa, and that was enough to push him down to seventh. Massa made it a weekend to forget when he went too hard over a high-speed curb and snapped his front suspension - the same mistake he made in qualifying. Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari was eighth, Adrian Sutil was ninth to give Force India points in its home race and Sauber’s Sergio Perez took the final point for tenth after starting 20th on the grid. Button increased his lead in the fight for second in the championship, moving 13 points ahead of Alonso, with Webber a further six points back. (MS): Sebastian Vettel won the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit this weekend, his 11th win of the season and also

a perfect victory, as the 24-year old German left the grid from pole position, was in the lead from start to finish and also scored the fastest lap of the race. “Yes boys, yes we did, new track, new challenge!” Vettel shouted over the radio after he had crossed the finish line. His team wasn’t too happy about his pursuit to score the fastest lap during the race, but Vettel nevertheless took that fastest lap as well, although Team Principal Christian Horner tried to slow him down. Asked whether Vettel had informed the team he had set out to score the fastest lap as well, Horner replied: “Of course not, because he knows that we don’t like it!” And with a smile on his face admitted he had even tried to stop him, “We’d done our best to manage him by turning all the engine modes down, the KERS off; short of putting a cow on the circuit there was not a lot else we could do.” But he was also confident Vettel knew what he was doing, “At the end of the day we have complete trust in him, I’m sure that he still had a margin in there. The most important thing for him is to win the race, and he knows that there are no points for fastest lap. He likes that little statistic to complete a perfect weekend.”

To e-mail us local sport events at schools or college level, email us: indoamericannews@yahoo.com

Pakistan Cricketers Butt, Asif Found Guilty of Fixing Test Matches

LONDON (Cricinfo):Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were convicted of fixing parts of a test match, a serious corruption scandal to hit the sport in more than a decade. A jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court found former captain Butt and bowler Asif guilty of both counts of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments, part of a betting scam. Mazhar Majeed, the players’ agent, came out with a series of astonishing disclosures while in the dock at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday. Majeed, sitting in the dock next to co-conspirators Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, was seeking the sympathy of the judge through revealing as much of his involvement as possible to limit the length of his sentence having pleaded guilty at a pre-trial in September. Majeed’s lawyer Mark MillikenSmith QC said he was first introduced to talk about fixing by Butt, a former Pakistan captain, over dinner during the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup in England. He also revealed he handed £77,000 over to the players from the £150,000 he received from an undercover News of the World reporter. The figures he was asked to distribute were: £2,500 to Amir, £10,000 to Butt and £65,000 to Mohammad Asif. Asif was paid the larger amount to guarantee that he remained loyal to the fixing racket within the team and was not persuaded to go elsewhere. The barristers for Butt and Asif each requested that this new information be banned from release by the media, but the judge allowed it to be published but on the understanding that both Asif and Butt’s legal team’s denied these new claims. Butt and fast bowlerAsif were found guilty of conspiring to cheat and conspiring to accept corrupt payments by a jury on Tuesday. They were joined by their former team-mate Amir on the 21st day of the trial, while almost 60 people were stuffed into Court No.4. Special room was made for excess media in a space next to the jury seats. Milliken-Smith told the judge: “Majeed was having dinner with Butt during the Twenty20 World Cup in England. When having dinner Butt raised the subject, out of frustration, that other players were at it and gave

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • friday, NOVEMBER 4, 2011 • WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

examples of ownership of houses in Pakistan. “How can X and Y players have these houses when they don’t earn the same amount of money according to their (Pakistan Cricket Board) contract,” Milliken-Smith went on, speaking on the behalf of Majeed. “He told Majeed that he could even tell when players were doing it during matches. Majeed was then shocked although he knew there were rumours pervading for some time that some players he knew were doing it.” The same people met again in the West Indies during the 2010 World Twenty20 and during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, but Milliken-Smith said no fixing occurred here and they all agreed to set up some fixes for the England tour, when Pakistan would be playing Australia and England. In between the World Twenty20 and the Australian tour, Majeed visited Pakistan for the first time in 18 years to visit family and also to see players. He met with PCB officials for business reasons but also met again with Butt and the same other player, whom Milliken-Smith did not name. In Pakistan they agreed that they needed to recruit “a couple more players” into the fix. The lawyer added, of Majeed’s sentiments: “Nothing I say now can detract from the shame and regret that he feels in admitting his involvement. “He wholly accepts by his plea of guilt that the course of his actions has had a devastating effect on not only cricket itself but on the confidence of many millions who play and watch the sport. He knows he has betrayed people who have played or watched cricket. Milliken-Smith added: “The publicity, the press attention and the intrusion into his family’s lives is something he will regret for the rest of his life.” Majeed had pleaded guilty in the spotfixing case before the trial started but that fact could not be reported till today due to court restrictions. Butt, Amir and Asif were exposed by the now defunct British tabloid the News of the World in an undercover sting operation. Majeed, their former agent, was recorded by a secret camera claiming to have bribed Pakistan bowlers Amir and Asif to bowl noballs at previously agreed moments during the Lord’s Test. He was paid £150,000 to arrange a fix with the Pakistan team.

BUSINESS COVER

November 4, 2011

Along the Subarnarekha, a Rich Seam Flows by

By Dola Mitra Instead of gold, my wife brought the secret of making gold with her as dowry,” says 30-year-old Kalipada Bera, a fisherman, standing on the banks of the Subarnarekha. The river is also known by the more Sanskritised variant, Swarnarekha, which, translated into English, means the Golden Streak. Dusk is descending over the vast sandy bed of the river, now bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. “She told me that it’s not water that flows in this river,” the fisherman continues. Then, bending down to take a fistful from the surface of the river and letting it run through his fingers, he adds almost in a whisper, “What flows in this river is molten gold. You just have to know how to convert it. She taught me how to do that.” Bhabani Bera, Kalipada’s wife, should know. Hailing from the remote Nagri village in the jungles of Jharkhand—where the source of the Subarnarekha has been traced— she belongs to a community of tribal folk which has for generations made a living by selling gold collected from the river. Rich in minerals—not just gold, but silver, copper and uranium—the river has attracted the attention of mines and factories since the British period. There is a gold mine near Nagri, for instance, and a copper factory in Mou Bhandar, also in Jharkhand. Both of them are on the banks of the river.

Subarnarekha means streak of gold, a river that is full of minerals like gold, copper, silver and uranium, villagers have learned the art of extracting gold through a refining process by fire

In recent times, many of the big businesses have shut shop and fled. There are large numbers of abandoned buildings that previously housed mines or factories. “It has been easy for the Maoists to influence the local people here,” explains an elder of Amainagar village at the banks of the Subarnarekha, near the factory of Hindustan Copper Ltd, “because they have shown the villagers how big corporations are grabbing their lands and livelihoods and depriving them of their dues.” Indeed, villagers are suspicious of and resistant to outsiders. “The first thing the government will do is take over the stretch of the river where there are gold deposits and

deprive us of our right to the gold if they come to know that we are eking out a living from it. Then they will give it to a big corporation,” says Chambal Murmu of Mou Bhandar, where the copper factory has taken over vast stretches of land and usurped part of the river. “Yes, we know how to make gold, but we won’t tell you because it’s a secret,” Sushila Dheewar of Amainagar village reprimands us right away. The 35-year-old wife of a fisherman also belongs to the community of tribal villagers deep in the jungles who have for generations been selling gold collected from the river for a living. Sushila’s sister Gunni says sharing the secret of making gold

with outsiders will bring “bad luck”. “We’ve kept it hidden for generations and the only time when someone came to know about it, ill luck fell on the village.” She is referring to the crackdown on villagers, especially young boys suspected to be Maoists. Four of her own brothers have been jailed. “Business has virtually shut down in Jharkhand. No one wants to come here anymore, because of the Maoist threat,” says the owner of the Meridien, considered one of the best hotels in Jharkhand’s Ghatshila town, a salubrious tourist spot. “No one wants to take the risk.” The troubles are spreading to the clusters of villages that have sprung up along the “golden banks” of the Subarnarekha. Outlook reached these parts on the morning of October 24—coincidentally, it’s also Dhanteras, the day of wealth and precious metals. Kobita Deewar, a fisherman’s wife, allows us to follow her to the riverside. From 10 am to 4 pm, she and other women will be in the water, scraping mud from the banks, sifting the sand from the liquid which has dissolved gold and finally pouring it into metal bowls they carry with them. At sunset, they head back home. In this way, the women collect “gold liquid” for a week. Every Saturday they “make” gold. The process, it turns out, is simple. The liquid is poured into a paste made from mercury. The gold congeals;

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • Friday, NOVEMBER 4 , 2011• WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

the paste is then heated in a charcoal container. The impurities get burnt, what remains is pure gold. At the local market on Sundays, the gold is finally sold. In all, they make nine rothis of gold per week. At Rs 200 a rothi (a measure of metal), that’s around Rs 1,800 ($36) for a week’s labor. As dusk descends on the Subarnarekha, the villagers warn us that we should try to head back before it gets dark. On the way back, we have to cross the jungles of Lodhasuli, notorious for people being waylaid at night. Not many cars venture here past dusk. The area is also under Maoist control. As our car was speeding along the highway, we saw a group of about 50 men approaching us from the thick jungle cover that runs along the highway. A huge sal tree lay felled across the road before us, evidently meant to force vehicles to stop. Showing admirable presence of mind, our driver swung around the car and sped in the opposite direction. Later, we had to be escorted along the stretch by the police in an anti-landmine tanker. Little did those looters know: we were carrying back with us the traditional secret of making gold. Note: To e-mail us, please send your Letters to the Editor at: Indoamericannews@yahoo.com Subject: Letters to the Editor. To subscribe to our weekly edition, please call 713-789-NEWS (6397) to have it mailed to you.

November 4, 2011

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Indo American News • Friday, NOVEMBER 4 2011 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com