The Indian Panorama

www.theindianpanorama.com 2 Gourmet’s Delight: Goan Food Festival in New Jersey VOL 3 ISSUE 27

NEW YORK

DEC 10 - DEC 16, 2009

3 Shanti Hiranand gives an Evening of Music to Cherish Tel: 646-247-9458

23 Biel’s tip for men editor@theindianpanorama.com

More Indian Americans get involved in Rotary International: Hicksville South and Jericho Sunrise Rotary Clubs Launched NEW YORK (TIP): Rotary International added two chapters and 100 members to its large family of 33,000 clubs and 1.2 million members across 200 countries worldwide in New York on December 1. Rotary International President Nominee for 2011-12 Kalyan Banerjee and New York Rotary District 7250 Governor Ravi Bhooplapur presented the charter to the new clubs-Hicksville South and Jericho Sunrise and inducted members at a glittering ceremony in the presence of over 200 persons, most of whom were Rotarians from other chapters at the plush Garden City Hotel in Garden City. The occasion will be remembered for two very remarkable reasons. One, the Jericho Sunshine Rotary Club is contd on pages 16 & 17

Over 100 new members were inducted into Rotary International Tuesday, and the historic occasion also saw two new Rotary ClubsHicksville South and Jericho Sunrise in Long Island-getting chartered together in the presence of Rotary International President Elect for 2011-12 Kalyan Banerjee and District Governor Ravi Bhooplapur.

Manmohan govt blinks, signals splitting Andhra for Telangana NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD (TIP): Eleven days after TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao began an indefinite fast for Telangana, the Centre on Wednesday announced the process of formation of a separate state was being set into motion and that a resolution to this effect would be moved in the Andhra Pradesh assembly shortly. Though he did not specify the timing, there is speculation that it may be tabled as early as Thursday. contd on Page 9

FREE-FOR-ALL IN PUNJAB ASSEMBLY CHANDIGARH (TIP): Legislators from the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and the Opposition Congress traded blows and abuse in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, as tempers rose over the recent incidents of violence in Ludhiana city.

Trouble began immediately after question hour when Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon allowed Deputy Chief

Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who also holds the Home portfolio to make a statement on the Ludhiana episodes. Led

by Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Congress MLAs demanded the restoration of zero hour or discussion allowed over the adjournment motion submitted on the issue. contd on Page 9

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Gourmet’s Delight: Goan Food Festival in NEW JERSEY Ashok Ojha

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ (TIP): Punjim Cutlet, Goanchi Dal, Shrimp Xeque, Bebanca and a variety of Goan dishes was displayed at the inauguration of month-long food festival at Raagini, an upscale Indian restaurant in Mountainside, New Jersey. The festival is held to showcase food from the tropical beaches and green fields of the former Portuguese colony of Goa, a well known tourist destination in India.

"Celebrating food is a great way to bring the peoples of India and the USA closer. India's diverse food culture serves as a bridge of friendship between the two countries", commented Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula in his inaugural speech at the event.

Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, Consul-General of India in New York, who was the Guest of Honor at the kick-off event, said that the Indian American community played a vital role in presenting the Indian culture in USA. "The community is extremely enterprising that takes pride in practicing its culture in the land of opportunities", he said with a smile.

The function was attended by leading Indian American community members, including Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad, Edison Councilman, H. R. Shah, Chairman, TV Asia and Bipin Patel, Chairman, Indus American Bank as well as patrons of Raagini.

"Raagini is committed to introducing foods from different parts of India", said Dr. Harmesh Mittal, its owner-partner.

"Because of its diverse culture and life-style, India boasts of a wide range of dishes that are cherished in America. We want to celebrate our culture and share our traditions with our friends who belong to different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We plan to host similar festivals to celebrate the cuisine of various regions of India during the year 2010."

"Goan food is considered spicy-red chilies, garlic, and local vinegar are important ingredients of its dishes that are best enjoyed with plain boiled rice", said Kamal D'Costa, Raagini's Executive Chef. Some of the dishes that Kamal presented were, Shrimp Rissole, Panjim Cutlet, Shrimp, Xeque, Bebanca and Dodal.

Ram Bisht, Manager-Partner of Raagini, organized a variety of drinks based on coconut water.

Raagini is a full-service restaurant, offering dining,

Photo Caption: New Jersey Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula making his inaugural speech at the launching of Goan Food Festival at Raagini Restaurant in Mountainside, New Jersey. (L to R): HRShah, Chairman TVAsia, Consul-General Prabhu Dayal, Mr. Chivukula and Edison Councilman Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad catering and to-go service, with ample parking just off Route 22 East in Mountainside. The interior of the restaurant comprises a tastefully decorated dining hall with see-through kitchen, a party room and an expansive bar. A rich collection of artistic wood crafts along with brass hangers illuminated by dazzling chandeliers offers a glimpse of authentic artistic tradition of India. The mission statement of the restaurant places great emphasis on presenting Indian heritage to the

mainstream America through all aspects of life style. The brainchild of a practicing Cardiologist Harmesh Mittal, 'Raagini' is a showcase of India's richness in culinary art with a touch of India's architect, history, music and culture.

Raagini is located at 1085 U.S. 22, Mountainside, NJ 07092. The phone no. is 908-789-9777. The Raagini website www.raagini.com has a lot of information to offer. The email is info@raagini.com

Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano Meets with Real Estate, Professional Sports, Media and Financial Leaders NEW YORK (TIP): Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano met with private sector leaders in the real estate, professional sports, media and financial industries during her visit to New York City this week to discuss the importance of protecting the nation's critical infrastructure and the shared responsibility of building a national culture of readiness and resiliency.

"The majority of America's critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector," said Secretary Napolitano. "DHS is committed to building meaningful partnerships with businesses across the country to secure the infrastructure vital to the safety of our citizens."

In a series of three roundtable

discussions on Thursday, Secretary Napolitano underscored her commitment to ensuring the security of the nation's vital assets and gathered input on ways to increase engagement with these partners.

She discussed the Department's major efforts to protect cyber and physical infrastructure and facilitate private sector security efforts-including the Risk SelfAssessment Tool, which assists private sector leaders in identifying ways to improve the security and resilience of their facilities.

Secretary Napolitano also highlighted the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)-a DHS-led national approach for public-private partnerships around the country

and across government to protect critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR).

Today, Secretary received a security briefing at the New York Stock Exchange, toured the trading floor and met with leaders from the financial sector to discuss best practices to protect the critical assets and resources that ensure America's national security and economic stability.

CIKR includes physical and digital assets, systems and networks that play significant roles in America's safety, economy and public health. Their incapacitation or destruction could debilitate the overall stability of the United States and threaten national security.

CIKR is comprised of 18 unique sectors-the vast majority of which

are owned and operated by the private sector, representing key areas such as food and water, manufacturing, energy, communications and transportation systems, and emergency services.

DHS coordinates security efforts with the full range of CIKR partners-state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector-via a network of Government and Sector Coordinating Councils.

In addition to her visit to the New York Stock Exchange today, Secretary Napolitano joined U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas to naturalize more than 100 citizenship candidates from more than 40 countries at Ellis Island and toured a U.S. Secret Service-led Electronic Crimes Task Force

Janet Napolitano facility.

While in New York, Secretary Napolitano also delivered remarks to the America-Israel Friendship League, visited regional Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and USCIS offices, and appeared on The Colbert Report.

(Based on a Press Release)

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Shanti Hiranand gives an Evening of Music to Cherish Shanti Hiranand casts spell

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 3

CRIME FILE

Bronx Woman Gunned Down in Front of her Two Young Daughters Mohammed Jaffer NEW YORK (TIP): In a broad daylight gruesome murder, a mother was gunned down in front of her two little girls as she was taking them to school Monday morning, police said.

Laikisha Scriven was loading her children into her Ford Explorer for school when a gunman came from behind and shot her in the back of the head, police said. There was no immediate motive for the crime, and the girls told police they didn't recognize the gunman.

Scriven, 30 was pronounced dead at an area hospital about an hour after the 7:15 a.m. shooting. Her daughters, aged 5 and 8, were unharmed but traumatized, police said.

They were under observation at a hospital before being released to family members.

Police were searching for any leads as they combed the blood-spattered SUV for evidence, hauling it away in a tow truck. The area remained blocked off Monday afternoon.

The shooting rocked the quiet Bronx street in the Wakefield neighborhood.

Scriven investigated charges of child neglect as a child protective specialist supervisor for the city's child welfare agency, the Administration for Children's Services.

She was first hired there in 2005 and promoted in 2007 to her most recent post. Her co-workers released a statement offering their condolences.

U.S., Russia enter endgame stage in arms reduction talks NEW YORK (TIP): Indian Consulate in New York hit upon a bright idea to bring to Indian Americans the brightest Indian jewels in the field of arts. Very appropriately it was christened "Jewels of India".

As part of the Jewels of India series, the Consulate had on December 4 the renowned singer Padmashri Shanti Hiranand who enthralled audiences with her melodious voice. The event was cosponsored by The Indian Council for Cultural Relations and The Roger Smith Hotel, New York. About 120 guests attended the event.

Welcoming the guests, Prabhu Dayal, Consul General of India recalled Shanti Hiranand's previous performances and stated that the Consulate was very privileged to have her here.

A disciple of the legendary Begum Akhtar, Shanti Hiranand first sang for All India Radio in 1947. Over the years her style of Ghazals, Thumri and Dadra has become synonymous with an unforgettable kind of magic that leaves the audience enthralled.

She was the first female Indian artist to be sent by the

Government of India to perform in Pakistan in 1981. She won over the hearts of Pakistanis with her music.

Shanti Hiranand has performed all over the world and her performances have been significant milestones in propagating the traditional style of Hindustani light classical music abroad.

Before starting her performance Shanti Hiranand thanked the Consul General for giving her this opportunity to sing in front of a New York audience. She started the evening with a Thumri sung in the traditional style of Begum Akhtar. She followed it up by a famous Dadra originally sung by Begum Akhtar called "Jiya Mora Lehraye". Then followed the stream of Ghazals and Shanti sang on to requests from the guests. Shanti Hiranand mesmerized the audience with her excellent rendering of traditional Hindustani music. She was given a standing ovation by a very appreciative audience. She was accompanied during this concert by Vinay Kumar Mishra on the Harmonium, Manoj Nagar on the Tabla, Prakash Kumar Thakur on the Tanpura and Ghanshyam Sisodia on the Sarangi.

The appreciative audience

The United States and Russia have agreed on the core of a new strategic arms reduction deal to replace the expired START 1 treaty and need only a few final touches to conclude the talks, the U.S. State Department said.Moscow and Washington have been in intensive negotiations since July, when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama agreed the new treaty's outline, which included cutting nuclear arsenals to 1,500-1,675 operational warheads and delivery vehicles to 500-1,000."The vast majority of the text is already agreed on, but we do have some of these final issues that we need to work out," Ian Kelly, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, told a daily press briefing on Wednesday.He said the U.S. and the Russian negotiating teams were working hard to finish the preparation of the draft document by the end of the year. "For our part, of course, our real priority here is to get a good treaty that meets our national security interests. We want to have more predictability and stability in our nuclear relationship, and we also want provisions in this accord that ensure effective verification of the treaty's obligations," Kelly said.

WANTED An experienced

PRINCIPAL with Punjabi/English background for the weekend Punjabi School at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Kaur in Glen Cove, New York Please email your resume to

mannysethi@gmail.com

4 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

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Pakistan Detains Five Americans in Raid Tied to Militants WASHINGTON (TIP): — Five young Muslim American men from the Washington suburbs who disappeared late last month were detained in Pakistan on Wednesday in a police raid on a house linked to a militant group, American and Pakistani officials said.

One of the men had left behind an 11-minute video calling for the defense of Muslims in conflicts with the West and suggesting that “young Muslims have to do something,” said one person who had seen the video, describing it as a farewell of sorts.

Another person who viewed it called the video “disturbing,” though he said it was not a martyrdom video of the kind sometimes made by extremists planning suicide attacks.

The five young men were detained at a house in Sargodha in Punjab Province that was occupied by Khalid Farooq, the father of one of the young men, Umer Farooq, according to an official familiar with the case. The elder Mr. Farooq is believed to have ties to Jaish-e-Muhammad, a banned Pakistani militant group, a government official said. Pakistani news reports also said security officials linked the house to the militant group.

The men, ranging in age from the late teens to early 20s, were not accused of any crime; their intent remained mysterious, and both American and Pakistani officials emphasized that they were still gathering facts. One of the men, Ramy Zamzam, 22, is a dental student at Howard University, where he received an undergraduate degree this year with a major in biology and chemistry, according to his Facebook page. But their disappearance and

resurfacing in Pakistan came amid broad concern in the United States about a rash of terrorism cases that appeared to be homegrown.

Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group that is working with the families of the young men, cautioned against hasty conclusions about the episode during a news conference in Washington with other Muslim leaders.

But Mr. Awad, who said he had seen the video, and the other leaders said that the case — along with the recent recruitment of young SomaliAmerican men in Minnesota by a violent group in Somalia — suggested that at least a small number young American Muslims were drawn to extremist views. They pledged to start a nationwide campaign to counter such attitudes.

The five men, some of whom knew one another from their mosque in Alexandria, Va., disappeared from their homes in late November, officials said.

Concerned family members contacted local imams and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.Officials with the group met with the families on Dec. 1 and put them in touch with the Federal Bureau of Investigation the same day, said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the group.

Mr. Hooper said neither the mosque — the I.C.N.A. Center, associated with the national Islamic Circle of North America — nor the Virginia families supported extremism or violence. “The Muslim community has taken the lead on this case in terms of taking it to law enforcement,” Mr. Hooper said.

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Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 5

Top 10 Cities for Employment in 2010 NEW YORK (TIP): BusinessWeek.com collaborated with Moody's Economy.com to find out where the best cities for employment are for 2010. Some may come as a surprise while others are obvious hot beds of activity. Take a look below to see if your city made the cut or to find the place where you'll be moving to shortly:

1. Mount Vernon, Washington With its close proximity to Seattle, Mount Vernon is not a surprising spot for jobs. Located a mere 60 miles from the rainy city, Mount Vernon is quickly turning into a town with the best of both worlds. It's close enough to the city for weekend getaway and quaint like a rural town without the downfall of being in the middle of nowhere.

2. Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is one of the two hot spots in Alabama for jobs. Nicknamed "The Rocket City" for its involvement with space programs, Huntsville is experiencing

exponential growth, thanks to the addition of 10,000 jobs due to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) going on at the Redstone Arsenal.

3. McAllen, Texas McAllen is the first of four cities in Texas on this year's list and for good reason. McAllen is experiencing growth thanks to wealthy Mexican homeowners choosing it as their new hometown. Located only 10 miles away from the Mexico border, McAllen's international trading port is assisting in boosting the weak dollar and is also experiencing growth on the real estate side.

5. Auburn, Alabama

8. Laredo, Texas

Another city in Alabama to watch this year for job growth. This small town is dominated by Auburn University, a large employer protecting Auburn (and other college towns) from the doom and gloom of the recession.

Laredo, known as the "Gateway City" because it's one of the busiest entry points in the United States from Mexico, is the last Texas City on the top 10. Thanks to crossborder trading, Laredo is experiencing much growth and is another city assisting with strengthening the dollar.

6. Lawrence, Kansas With the average median salary being over $50,000 a year, it's no wonder Lawrence is on this list. Like Auburn, Lawrence is a college town (home to the University of Kansas) and is quickly becoming the place to be, thanks to its progressive and cultural offerings.

4. Brownsville, Texas

7. Dallas, Texas

The Port of Brownsville, an international seaport, is the reason why Brownsville is moving high up on the list. The seaport assists with strengthening the weak U.S. dollar and will hopefully give a muchneeded boost to exporters in 2010.

At number six, Dallas is still a busy and profitable city to move to for work. Major corporations like J.C. Penney, ExxonMobile, and TXU Energy have their main headquarters located there, meaning this city did not falter much during the recession.

9. Las Cruces, New Mexico Home to the University of New Mexico, Las Cruces is the place to be if you want a great job in a growing city. Not only is the school a popular place to work, Las Cruces has also been voted by numerous magazines as the best small metro town for starting a business.

10. Billings, Montana Closing the top 10 cities is Billings. The largest town in Montana, Billings has a diverse economy fueled by a variety of industries from agriculture to education.

Still not convinced that Montana's where it's at? The median household salary of $49,386 could change your mind.

6 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

UK tightens visa rules for Indian IT professionals LONDON (TIP): Britain has tightened immigration rules from January for Indian IT professionals seeking to move to the UK under inter-company transfers.

From next year, workers in this category will need to have 12 months experience instead of six months as at present with their employer before they can be transferred to the UK, official sources said.

The immigration category will be closed as a route to permanent settlement in the UK. This means that IT professionals who come to the UK under inter-company transfer will not be allowed to settle here permanently even after the mandatory stay of five years.

Immigration officials also denied reports that the Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) category of the points-based system was providing a loophole for Indian IT companies to bring foreign workers into the UK. Under an intra-company transfer, an employer can fill vacancies in its UK operations by bringing across some of its existing foreign-based staff.

It has been claimed that this enables jobs in the IT and other sectors to be taken by migrants who are paid less than resident workers.

The Home Office, however, said that this was not true. "Workers coming to the UK in the Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) category must be paid the going rate", it said.

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Headley denies role in 26/11 attacks CHICAGO (TIP): Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, the LeT operative arrested by FBI, has pleaded not guilty before a US court to all the charges filed against him including that he conspired in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

49-year-old Headley, arrested in October this year, also pleaded not guilty to the charge of plotting terror attacks in Denmark against a newspaper that published cartoons of Prophet Mohammed. The next hearing of the case will be held on January 12.

He was charged by the FBI on Monday in a 12-count criminal information with six counts of conspiracy to bomb places in India and Denmark and for providing material support to terrorist plots.

Talking to reporters after the arraignment, Headley's attorney John Theis said, "David Headley is charged with certain acts arising out of things that happened in Denmark and India.

These are very serious charges and we are taking them very seriously. I want to remind everyone that he is presumed innocent of these charges against him," he said.

On whether Indian authorities could get a chance to interrogate Headley, Theis said, "That is something we will have to look at. I have no

idea of assessing the chances. If they make any such requests, we will look at it when it comes," he said adding that as of now no requests have been made to him regarding interrogation or extradition.

He was also charged for providing material support to Lashkar, and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens in India. If convicted, Headley could face the "maximum statutory penalty" of life imprisonment or death.

Appearing before US District Judge Harry Leinenweber for his arraignment at the court here, a clean-shaven and tall Headley wore an orange jumpsuit with white long-sleeved undershirt and blue sneakers.

He was shackled at the ankles. The arraignment hearing lasted for about five minutes during which Headley responded in a quiet voice to the questions posed by the Judge.

Headley had made five trips to Mumbai from 2006 to 2008, taking pictures and making videotapes of targets, including those attacked.

After every trip that Headley took to India between September 2006 and July 2008, he allegedly returned to Pakistan, met with other co-conspirators and provided them with photographs, videos and oral descriptions of various locations.

The charges also allege that in March 2008, Headley and his co-conspirators discussed potential landing sites for a team of attackers who would arrive by sea in Mumbai, and he was instructed to take boat trips in and around the Mumbai harbor and take surveillance video, which he did during his visit to India starting in April 2008, the charges allege.

The terror case spanning three countries has caught the attention of the media and public alike. Apart from city-based TV channels and newspapers, reporters from across the US were present to cover Headley's first appearance in court. Headley was escorted into the courtroom by federal marshalls. He appeared calm but his face looked thinner as compared to his plump image, extracted from copies of his passport, the world has seen.

Headley also waived his right to be indicted by a grand jury, which means he waived his right to have prosecutors present their evidence against him to a grand jury and obtain an indictment. Leinenweber scheduled Headley's next status hearing for January 12.

Theis said over the next several weeks and months he and his co-counsel Robert Seeder would review evidence and allegations against Headley.

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Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 7

Headley's cellphone, Another "Sikhs for Justice" a US based Indian apartment in dead human rights group demands student persons' name attacked in judicial inquiry into Ludhiana killing-declares launching of Australia "Sikh Insaaf Lehar"

WASHINGTON (TIP): LeT operative David Headley's cellphone and his Chicago apartment were registered in the names of dead persons and investigations have found that he was leading a double life under directions from the Pakistanbased terror outfit, according to the FBI. Headley changed his name from Daood Gilani in 2006 to further his cover, the FBI said.

A team of officials from FBI and the Justice Department headed for Pakistan from Delhi to follow up on leads after briefing Indian authorities on its investigations into the conspiracy involving Headley, a Pakistani-American, and his Pakistani-Canadian accomplice Tahawwur Rana, in the Mumbai terror attacks.

"We have been having close consultations with Pakistani authorities in this investigation and the joint FBI-Department of Justice team will meet officials of various government agencies," US Embassy spokesman in Islamabad Rick Snelsire said.

In New Delhi, Home Secretary G K Pillai said the terrorists were working on new strategies and the time has come to "think the unthinkable".

"As we have seen from the Headley case that one can still slip through the radar...Because nobody will look for a US citizen with an American passport and a business visa," he said.

MELBOURNE (TIP): In yet another attack on Indian students in Australia, a 23-year-old youth was stabbed in the chest by unidentified assailants here on Wednesday, police said.

The student, who was also a cabbie, was attacked and left to bleed on a Brunswick West street, police said.

The victim parked his taxi outside his girlfriend's home on Collier Crescent in the wee hours and rang her to bring his dinner outside when someone approached his vehicle, The Age reported.

His girlfriend heard the driver scream out over the phone as he was attacked, police officer Greg Johnson was quoted as saying by the paper.

The woman ran outside and found her boyfriend lying outside the car, bleeding with a single stab wound to the chest. Police do not believe the attack was racially motivated or an attempted robbery as the man still had cash in his pocket and his mobile phone, the paper said.

Investigators are examining whether another car was involved. The taxi has damage to the rear of the vehicle and bits of a broken front headlight were found near the scene.

"That is certainly one of the lines of inquiry we'll be looking along, that it could be a road rage incident," Johnson said.

NEW YORK (TIP): Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Legal Advisor to Sikhs For Justice demanded that high level judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court Judge should be conducted into the December 5 Ludhiana incident in which one Darshan Singh was killed and many Sikhs were injured by the firing of the Punjab Police.

Attorney Pannun further demanded that Punjab Government should be immediately dismissed and fresh elections should be held as present government has lost the confidence of the people of the state of Punjab.

Sikhs For Justice and Karnail Singh PeerMohammed, President, All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) decided to launch "SIKH INSAAF LEHAR" to highlight the injustice done to Sikhs and the failure of the successive governments to protect the interests of Sikhs and Sikhism from Anti-Sikh elements.

Sikhs For Justice, Coordination Committee Members Avtar Singh Pannu, Barjinder Singh Brar, Charanjit Singh

Harnampuria, Dr. Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, Master Mohinder Singh, Sukhwinder Singh Sidhu and AISSF President, Karnail Singh PeerMohammed stated that starting in April 13, 1978 when 13 Sikhs were massacred by the Nirankaris with the support of the Government headed by Parkash S Badal and this support to Anti-Sikh elements continued to Gurmeet Ram Rahim and now to Ashutosh. The support and protection to these anti-Sikh elements is a result of dirty politics of garnering votes from these Deras while thousands of Sikhs were massacred under the cover of wiping out the militancy, Actually this is a nefarious design of the Government to wipeout Sikh religion and make the community weak and dependent, so that Sikhs do not raise voice for their fundamental rights.

Under "Sikh Insaaf Lehar", AISSF & Sikhs For Justice decided to organize an "Insaaf" March from Gurudwara Alamgir Sahib to Lohara where Bhog ceremony of Darshan Singh will be held on December 14, 2009.

8 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

EDIT

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

AS I SEE IT

COMMENT

JUSTICE A FAR CRY IN INDIA

Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja

Shame on Punjab Legislators

W

e carried in our last issue dated December 3 an article by a former Director of CBI, Joginder Singh on the unparliamentary behavior in Legislatures in India. The article began with the words "It has happened again". I shall replicate the sentence here, "It has happened again". This time, it is Punjab legislature. On December 8th, legislators were to address the issue of violence in Ludhiana. They were to express their views on maintenance of law and order in Ludhiana, in particular where large scale violence had taken a heavy toll of life and property and, in Punjab, in general. They were to tell people not to take law in their hands. But what they did in the Assembly was just the opposite and came as a rude shock. Three legislators had their turbans tossed around while another had a bleeding nose. What a shame! It is not the first time such an incident has taken place in the Assembly.

Earlier too, such incidents were witnessed. One can only pity these law makers who would not discipline themselves. They have certainly set a bad example and brought discredit to their tribe.

In the face of violence in the Assembly, the issue of violence in Ludhiana could not be taken up. The opportunity to address the serious issue was lost. The time lost meant loss of money too.

Legislators have no right to waste the tax payers' money. It is time to tell our lawmakers clearly and in unequivocal terms that their tantrums hurt the people of India and soil the image of India and Indians abroad. Let all political parties sit together and frame guidelines for a decent conduct in legislatures. If they would not do something in time, people will lose patience. And they should. We do not want legislators who consider themselves above the law. We are a democracy and we want obedience to law, and, first, from lawmakers.

Getting back to Ludhiana incident, the government of the state is squarely to blame. The misgovernance is so obvious. It was the Akali government in Punjab when on April 13, 1978 a clash between the Nirankaris and Akalis took place in which 12 lives were lost. The clash sowed seeds of militancy in Punjab. It is the Akali government in 2009 again which has allowed a clash between the followers of Ashutosh and the Akalis. The issue in 1978 was Nirankari disrespect for the Sikh Gurus and the Sikh tenets and the issue in 2009 is no different. I am not drawing any conclusions. I am speaking about the possibility of history repeating itself. No Punjabi can afford the luxury of getting in to the same situation in which Punjab burned for more than a decade, starting with the gory incident of April 13, 1978.

Let Prakash Singh Badal see the writing on the wall. If he did not act and act wisely in time, Punjab may once again become a furnace for Punjabis. And Badal will be responsible for it.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA A Weekly Publication of Indo-US Media, Inc Vice President/ Publisher Lovllien Kaurr Chief Editor: Prof Indrajit S. Saluja Associate Editor: Rajinder S. Taggar Assistant Editors: Chitagam Graphics Director: Om Parkash Malik Director Administration Gauri Beri Director Marketing Karan Beri Contributing photographers Jaffer/SnapsIndia Shiv Chander Baldev Singh Vaaho Photographers IndianEra.com Distributor Sukhwinder Singh Correspondents Sacramento :Parminder S. Aujla

Fresno: Tarlochan Singh Atlanta: Gurbhej Virginia: Paul Chhabra New York : Girish Overseas Correspondents Delhi Bureau Chief: Ashishpal Singh Chandigarh: Manjit Sidhu Ludhiana: A.S. Arora R.P.Sharma Patiala: Bhupinder Batra Ropar: Paramjit Singh Simla: Chandan Agra: Pramod Aggarwal Ahmedabad: Rajiv Sethi Nagpur: Charanjit Patron : Dr. Navin Mehta, Pam Kwatra Advisor: Master Mohinder Singh Published weekly by Indo-US Media, Inc. P.O. Box No. 190067, South Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Tel: 646-247-9458 Email: editor@theindianpanorama.com www.theindianpanorama.com

Joginder Singh. IPS (Retd.)

I

t is very difficult. and in many cases impossible, for a nation to maintain the rule of law if its citizens do not respect law. Unfortunately, the king of all- law, in India, has been replaced by spiders' webs, which will entangle and hold the poor and weak while the rich and powerful easily break through them. Only the small flies are caught and the big ones manage to break through, or at least dodge laws for a long time to come.

The Capital of the Nation is the classic example in more than one aspect of how the mighty and rich use law not only to violate it but also take the subterfuge under the rule of law to get away.

According to a report, the development and land owning agency known as Delhi Development Authority (DDA) acquired a disputed land in 1980 in Delhi. Then followed a prolonged legal battle with its 'proprietor', who had reportedly occupied the land illegally. The buildings on the land had come up 15 to 20 years ago without proper permissions. A sports complex named Shanti Sports Club, with a swimming pool, a badminton court, a tennis court and a cricket field, was built on it, along with duplex bungalows which were let out to diplomats from Pakistan and Australia.

The Delhi High Court had ruled in DDA's favour in 2002 in the litigation.

The Supreme Court of India gave its verdict on the appeal on August 25, 2009, and gave the litigant three months to clear out. For once, the Delhi Development Authority acted promptly and cleared the land.

Corruption is one factor, which is responsible for illegal activities going on in all sectors. Bu this is not the whole story. When the Supreme Court took an adverse view of the illegal constructions, the Government brought Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006, providing legal cover to the capital's illegal constructions, which included 40,814 commercial establishments which had given an undertaking to close shop by June 30, 2007.

The sealed properties had to be desealed in pursuance of law passed by the

Parliament. However the Supreme Court said, "The two directions issued by the government in the notification dated May 20, 2006 are stayed. This included a direction to local authorities to de-seal premises which had been sealed as directed by this court and the other permitting those who had given undertaking to move out, to continue.

On 27th August, 2009, the Supreme Court of India again observed; "In most of the cases of illegal or unauthorized constructions, the officers of the municipal and other regulatory bodies turn a blind eye either due to the influence of higher functionaries of the state or for other extraneous reasons" Indeed on reason for the rule of law to be observed more in breach than in compliance, apart from the influence is the rampant corruption and multiplicity of laws, which give room for soft pedalling or turning blind eye to the violation.

India is still perceived to be one of the most corrupt countries by the Transparency International in its annual corruption perceptions for the year 2009.

India has been ranked 84th in the list of 180 countries, with 34 marks out of 100, in terms of corruption. In the latest report of doing business with India, the following figures compiled by the World Bank for 2009 and 2010 speak for themselves.

Ease of Doing Business 2010 rank 2009 rank Change in rank Doing Business 133 132 -1 Starting a Business 169 166 -3 Dealing with Construction Permits 175 174 -1 Employing Workers 104 102 -2 Registering Property 93 92 -1 Getting Credit 30 27 -3 Protecting Investors 41 38 -3 Paying Taxes 169 171 +2 Trading Across Borders 94 97 +3 Enforcing Contracts 182 182 0 Closing a Business 138 142 +4 Justice in India is open to everyone, in the same way as any five or seven star hotel, as long as you can pay. But can you really get justice in India, and get your grievances redressed?

The answer to this question, was given by the Chief Justice of India in August 2009, when he said that courts do not have a "magic wand" to do away with pendency of cases. The Supreme Court, after examining figures for both civil and criminal cases over seven years, has for the first time assessed that the judiciary needs "1,547 High Court judges and 23,207 subordinate court judges, only to

clear the backlog in one year."

This requirement took into account vacancies that existed on January 1, 2009, both in the High Courts and subordinate courts. Also factored in was average disposal of cases per judge.

Against a sanctioned strength of 886 High Court judges, the working strength was 606 - 280 vacancies. For a subordinate court judge, the average rate of disposal was 1,138 cases per year. On the basis of cases disposed last year and the working strength on December 31, 2008, it was calculated that 23,207 judges would be needed to clear the backlog in subordinate courts. At present roughly 32 million cases are pending in the court, with about 50000 cases in Supreme Court and 3.9 million in High Courts and the rest in subordinate courts. A report of Delhi High Court for the year 2008 shows that 3,32,141 cases that came up before the High Court during 2007-08, each case barely received five minutes of hearing (4 minutes 55 seconds, to be precise). Each minute of court's time cost Rs 6,327 to the exchequer.

The Chief Justice of Delhi High Court added that it would take 466 years for the High Court to clear its backlog of cases entirely. The report adds that the rate of disposal of criminal cases in the year worked out to be 0.5 case per day.

The total expenditure incurred by the court last year was Rs 42.45 crore for 213 working days. "The average cost of listing each case before a judge worked out to Rs 1,297 and the average court expenditure per minute by the court was Rs 6,327 or Rs 19, 93,180 for each working day," the report said. Good governance does not come through big speeches and tall promises, which have remained a chimera. Successive governments have promised to ensure justice for all but in practice; the tall claims have been short on performance.

What is required is action and not just declarations and assertions. Everything is possible if the Government has the determination and is willing to do its best.

(Author is a distinguished Retired Indian Police Service officer who has served in various capacities with different Government departments. He was a Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the premier investigating agency of India, akin to FBI in the US. Author of a number of books on diverse subjects, he is a prolific writer and contributes regularly to The Indian Panorama, besides many other newspapers, journals and magazines worldwide. He can be reached at jogindersinghfdips@hotmail.com)

Readers are requested to send in their valuable views on various issues of interest and concern to them and comments on the contents of

THE INDIAN PANORAMA Send in your opinion and comment today.

E-mail to editor@theindianpanorama.comMail to P.O. Box 190067 South Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Speak with the Indian Panoramaat 646-247-9458

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

PERESPECTIVE

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 9

Dinner Diplomacy and Indian Americans

Dr. Amrik Singh

P

resident Barack Obama's first State dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on November 24, 2009 became a star attraction of worldwide media. Besides people of fame and pageantry, the sight of the first lady in a hand woven silken gown from India compelled the fashion industry to alter meanings of beauty. Party crashers jolted not only the secret service, but also exposed how vulnerable the president and prime minister were to the captivating charms of a lady in the red sari. However, one can safely say all is well that ends well.

For Indo-American community, the honor was historic as well as a productive achievement.

Indo-American partnership in the emerging global leadership was never as strategic as it is today.

Owing to the history of more than a hundred years, Indo-American community has been playing a significant role in restructuring of international relations. Early pioneers, who set foot on this land, brought with them their culture of hard work, spirit of sharing, human rights' awareness, and commitment to the best thought and practiced in the world. American Revolution had fired their imagination and they embarked on a mission to free their land from the British occupation.

The efforts of less than five thousand people in 1913-1914 had international implications. The British colonialists lobbied to secure United States' military support to suppress German alliance in World War I. The English succeeded in getting American Foreign policy amended accordingly and held San Francisco conspiracy trials in 1917 to prosecute activists of Ghadar movement and their German allies.

Scholars view Americans' uncritical tilt towards the United Kingdom in 1917, as a major drawback of their foreign policy.

Ghadar created a culture in which freedom of spirit became necessary.

Efforts of early pioneers continued until after the World War II. A battle for American citizenship was won a few months before India got freedom. Earlier, United States had bluntly told the British to negotiate with Indians about granting their freedom. The British duplicity, however, was exposed as they tried to influence President Roosevelt's decision against freedom of India.

A confidential memo by Ambassador William Phillips, the US special envoy to India in 1943, had created a media sensation as its leakage bewildered the US State Department, and frustrated the British efforts in maligning freedom fighters. The story in Washington Post was path breaking for activists of Indian freedom. It came to light that the President Roosevelt had made British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to consider questions of withdrawal from India and form an interim government until the complete withdrawal. The US had advanced such an argument for India's full participation in war efforts.

Harold A. Gould's book: Sikhs, Swamis, Students, and Spies: The

CONTD FROM PAGE 1

Free-for-all...

As Badal continued to read out the statement, the Congress MLAs rushed to the well of the House and were seen jostling with the watch and ward staff. Raising slogans against the government, they approached the seat of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal. Heated arguments turned into mutual abuse. This was followed by jostling, pushing and punching leading to a free-for-all. In the melee, turbans of Congress MLAs Kewal Singh Dhillon and Darshan Singh Brar as well as Akali member Virsa Singh Valtoha were removed, while some others received punches and scratches on their faces.

Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah and senior Congress leader Brahm Mohindra fell down.

Subsequently, the Speaker adjourned the House till the afternoon of Wednesday. Earlier he had adjourned the proceedings for an hour. The Congress members staged a noisy demonstration when the House re-assembled. Amid the din, the report of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), was accepted by a voice vote.

Terming the developments as “most painful and a disgrace to democracy in the country,” the Chief Minister said that he still could not understand the reason for which the Congress chose to disrupt a statement on the very issue which they wanted to raise

Indian Lobby in the United States, 1900-1946, highlights how seeds of freedom sown by Punjabi pioneers grew into so big a campaign as to make the US presidents plead their cause from 1943-1946. The ethnodemographic base of these early pioneers, according to Gould, was "a mélange of South Asians who had found their way to the United States by diverse routes. They were scattered all across the country but, as noted, the bulk of them at first were concentrated on the Pacific coast, in California, Oregon and the state of Washington. Most were Sikhs but there were also Hindus and Muslims plus a few Parsi Zorastrian and Indian Christians as well."

A few thousands have grown into a mass of 2.7 millions. Their influence is seen in almost every field of American life. Congressman Dalip Singh Saund brought laurels to the community in 1950's; Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Mayor Kashmir Singh Gill are heroes of today. The social, economic and political clout has increased many times. But something is missing that early pioneers had in abundance: their commitment to serve the country of their origin according to the best ideals of human potential. Today, Indo-Americans sequester themselves in mutually exclusive groups and take refuge in their own superiority.

It appears as if they have no regard for those who kissed noose in the hope of a dream for their country. Early pioneers like Kartar Singh Sarabha wanted nothing except an honorable place in their countrymen's memory. Their dream never translated into reality. Rather its murder was celebrated on the intervening night of August 14th &

15th 1947. No lessons were learned from blood that streamed in the Indus through its five tributaries. A fence was again erected. Seeds of poison on both sides have grown into a bumper crop. Both sides want to profit from it, but marketing skills of the one are the ruin of the other.

Indo-American community is afraid to go back to the roots. All efforts end in frustration as very few share pioneers' vision. Indo American community's time is either spent in securing US visa for discredited leaders like Gujarat CM Narendra Modi or celebrating the Independence Day by flaunting national flags in the face of some on the side of the street. People who might have emotional ties with such events have to participate in a different way. Black flags in their hands are interrogatives which remained unanswered for one quarter of a century. IndoAmericans have never joined heads to tell modern politicians of India what early pioneers had dreamed about their country. Why Amnesty International has to write to President Obama to speak to the Indian Prime Minister about what happened in November, 1984? Why couldn't Indo-American community question Prime Minister to invoke law of the land against perpetrators of mass murders? Any step in this direction would have honored those who paid the price of their lives to just secure a place in the collective memory.

The red carpet welcome to India's Prime Minister has undoubtedly provided a momentary relief from painful memories of November. Dr. Singh expressed his confidence in President Obama's leadership in operationalizing Civil Nuclear Deal he entered with former President George W. Bush. He also resolved

in the House. They could have offered their criticism after listening to the statement, he said.His son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also president of the Akali Dal said the real issue was the factional strife within the Punjab Congress. “To take away the spotlight from the road show by Amarinder, the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Bhattal devised a floor show,” he said, alluding to a tour launched by the former Chief Minister in Gurdaspur district.

Meanwhile, Ms. Bhattal has said that a Congress delegation would apprise the Governor of the developments. In a letter to the Speaker, she demanded an unconditional apology from the Chief Minister and expulsion of some Akali members.

Manmohan govt...

Life has thus come full circle: the state of Andhra Pradesh was carved out of the erstwhile Madras Principality in 1953 following a fast-unto-death of Potti Sreeramulu in 1952, another fast that has endangered the life of KCR is set to result in the state being split up.

Emerging after a late-night meeting at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence, Union home minister P Chidambaram made the announcement, adding that the Centre had requested Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah to withdraw cases against leaders, students and those associated with the separate Telangana agitation. He also appealed to KCR

to jointly end terrorism that threatened the civilized world.

President Obama expressed that Al Qaeda's effectiveness had to be dismantled. While welcoming Dr. Singh, President Obama used Hindi greetings and mentioned celebration of Guru Nanak's birthday in the White house. He also honored M.K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King in fighting for civil rights of the downtrodden. United States sought India's partnership in educational exchange, knowledge initiatives, intelligence sharing and fight against infectious diseases.

Obama-Singh negotiations have been described as meeting of minds.

Obama's joint statement with China had created feverish nervousness in Indian circles. Doubts were expressed about a halfhearted treatment to the Indian Prime Minister. But the glitz, glamour and gaiety at the party have squashed all premature reactions.

The mood at the First banquet was celebratory as well as thought provoking. Obama's presidency seems to be all set to follow a crucial path of making the world a friendlier place. The president asserted that United States stood committed to work with India for a better world. The lavish American hospitality to the Indian PM would have upset China, had Obama not made it to Beijing earlier. In that case, it would have some serious consequences for the struggling economy of the United States as China is a tremendous partner in all efforts for recovery and growth.

(The author is based in Sacramento, California and writes on diverse issues. He is a regular contributor to The Indian Panorama)

to call off his fast.

There was no announcement on what would happen to Hyderabad, but KCR's son, K T Rama Rao, told Times Now that Telangana without Hyderabad was unimaginable. However, he said that KCR would end his fast shortly.

Earlier, the deteriorating health condition of the TRS chief as well as the worsening law and order situation in Andhra Pradesh mounted pressure on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and PM Manmohan Singh. A Congress core group that reviewed the situation claimed Maoists and those keen on dislodging the Rosaiah government may be fanning the movement.

The Congress was also vertically split on the issue, with those opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh stepping up their resistance. Sources said 24 Congress MPs from coastal and Rayalaseema regions wrote to Sonia for a "united Andhra". But ultimately, it was decided that the decades-old movement should not be ignored any longer.

Telangana region accounts for 119 of the 294 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 17 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats.

TRS, which was formed in 2001 on the plank of a separate Telangana by Rao after he quit TDP, was part of the UPA after the 2004 elections. It parted ways with the Congress in 2006, saying the UPA was doing nothing on its demand.

While in the 2004 elections his party won 5 Lok Sabha seats, in 2009 it managed only two seats and suffered severe erosion in the Assembly elections too.

10 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

WORLD

UPA’s emission intensity target a tall order: World Bank COPENHAGEN (TIP): A World Bank study, done on India's request, has contradicted the UPA government's claims made last week while pledging a voluntary emission intensity target of 20-25% below 2005 levels by 2020.

Contrary to the government's claims, the WB study has estimated that the country would have to make substantial financial investments in order to reduce its emissions. It has estimated that just the capital costs in setting up cleaner grid power could rise by 15-25%. Capital cost is just one of the several cost factors.

The government has claimed, based on homework done by the Planning Commission, that meeting the 20-25% emission intensity cut target would be easy and that the country could, in fact, look at a more ambitious target.

Significantly, the report, though commissioned by the government, has yet not been approved even though it is to be released in Copenhagen on December 11. The report also indicates that even if the government was to undertake no new targets and

just implement the existing plans, its emission intensity would continue to drop regardless and remain well below that of most developed and developing countries. This, despite the fact that it is already 20% below the world average, the study states.

A synopsis of the report also points out that several of the major proposals that India has now suggested it would undertake under the 12th and 13th Five-Year Plan to meet its target would cost massive amounts.

The study calculated the cost of each type of action at the current state of technology and found that moving towards cleaner coal technologies itself would be the most expensive proposition. Several critics had raised questions whether the government had assessed the costs different sectors and segments of the economy would have to bear and others that would gain from the moves before it suddenly unveiled the 20-25% emission intensity cut target.

India has already undertaken a roughly Rs 75,000 crore solar mission target, the decision triggering a

controversy about the diversion of limited resources to a renewable energy source that is right now prohibitively costly in relation to traditional sources such as coal.

The report warns such subsidies (required to promote costly renewable power) run counter to the general prescription for economically efficient energy pricing and compete with other priorities for scarce resources, including expanding the availability of modern energy services for the poor.

The report concludes that by adoption of various measures, India can lower its GHG emission trajectory compared to business-as-usual, but cannot, under any scenario of increasing living standards to their poorest, stabilize by 2030 with current available technologies, and institutions.

The report also indicates that overall emissions of the country would have to increase substantially if the poorest two-thirds population has to be provided a reasonable level of assured electricity and yet India would have a much lower level of access to energy than the industrialized world.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

Small islands group force break in climate talks The G77+China group on Wednesday got its biggest jolt with small island country members, led by Tuvalu, sounding the first bugle of rebellion and forcing suspension of talks as the group fought doggedly with countries like India and China.

Many members of the Association of Small Island States -- a subgroup within G77 -- on Wednesday got up one after the other to demand the creation of a new protocol under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In a move that is bound to dilute the talks on stronger commitments from the industrialized countries under Kyoto Protocol, to the consternation of the developing countries, the Danes came forward to back the AOSIS against India and China, helping further the rift.

The move took G77 members, including India and China, by surprise. While they made a counter-strike to ward off any window being opened for a new debate that would marginalise the Kyoto Protocol, the negotiations had to be suspended for two hours as the acrimony in the G77 group and the meeting became obvious.

G77 and China have held a clear line so far demanding that talks must focus on enhanced commitments of the rich countries under Kyoto Protocol and inclusion of the US -- which refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol -- through another long-term agreement. It has put its resources and negotiators on full gear so far to prevent any dilution of this agenda set by the Bali Action Plan in 2007.

But on Wednesday, Tuvalu, speaking on behalf of the AOSIS group, demanded a contact group -- jargon for a set of negotiators getting into a smaller huddle on the issue -- be formed to discuss the creation of a new protocol that would help prevent global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degree above preindustrialised levels.

While the AOSIS group has been vocal in its criticism of the large economies within G77 in closed door meetings, this was the first time the convention saw divisions within the developing country bloc spill out in the open.

India was the first one to notice a concerted attempt being made by the AOSIS countries to set a different course for the negotiations. It pointed out that the talks had to focus on the two decided tracks and that Kyoto could not be weakened. But the chair, held by Danish climate and energy minister Connie Hedegaard, supported the formation of a contact group. China and Saudi Arabia too got up to oppose such a move.

But indications that the fissures were worse than immediately perceivable came with select African members of the G77 also supporting AOSIS while South Africa and Brazil -- two of the four big economies in the bloc -- staying quiet.

Tuvalu is one of the 14 countries that the UK has supported through the creation of the Vulnerable 14 group of countries, funding and supporting meetings of the group.

While the AOSIS was setting the stage for a rebellion, the chair of the G77 group, Sudan, accused the Europeans of playing the divide and rule game, saying it was a game they had mastered since the 16th century but this time it was about the new global resource -- carbon space.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

COPENHAGEN (TIP): The climate summit was thrown into turmoil on its second evening as developing countries came together to condemn a Danish draft of the final Copenhagen declaration.

The existing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol (KP) place the onus of mitigating emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) squarely upon industrialised countries, as almost all the GHG, mostly carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere now has been put there by them.

But in a significant departure from that, the Danish draft proposal asks developing countries, except the least developed countries, to "commit to nationally appropriate mitigation actions, including actions supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacitybuilding."

Condemning the whole idea, Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, Sudan's ambassador to the UN, said here that the Danish proposal "merges the UNFCCC and the KP and destroys both...It creates new sets of obligations for developing countries...it tries to have finance flows from South to North." Sudan is now the chair of the Group of 77 countries, which, together with China, negotiates climate treaties as

WORLD

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 11

Talks in turmoil over Danish proposal a bloc on behalf of almost all developing countries.

The Danish proposal "tries to divide vulnerable and culpable countries in the developing world to preserve the economic supremacy of advanced countries," Di-Aping charged while addressing a press conference.

"It robs developing countries of their just, equitable and fair share of atmospheric space." India has also been quite upset with the Danish proposal, which was circulated Nov 27. Reacting to one point in the text that sets a date by which major developing countries would start reducing their GHG emissions, the so-called "peaking year", Environment Minister had threatened that India and other developing countries would walk out of the summit if any attempt was made to push this through.

Together with China, Brazil and South Africa, India had promptly cobbled together a counter-proposal,

the so-called BASIC text.

The Danish government had seen the reaction to its proposal and had decided to disown it. Denmark's Environment Minister Connie Hedegaard had said Monday that it was not a proposal but a "discussion paper that had been withdrawn". The UNFCCC secretariat has also been at pains to point out that this was not a proposal submitted to it officially.

A member of the Indian government delegation said in a presummit meeting here last week, "numbered copies" of the Danish proposal had been circulated to some countries and then taken back after the meeting, a highly unusual move.

Di-Aping said G77 would not walk out of the summit over this issue. "However, we'll not sign an inequitable deal, we won't accept a deal that condemns 80 per cent of the world population to further suffering and injustice."

New climate-change index unveiled

Scientists on Wednesday unveiled a Dow Jones-style "climate-change index" aimed at showing in userfriendly form the perils posed by man-made global warming.

The index takes a basket of complex factors - carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature change, sea level and sea ice - and distils them into a single figure that is more easily understandable for the public, they said.

In 1980, the index stood at 34, its creators, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said. But from 1997, the barometer leapt suddenly, adding dozens of points each year as evidence of climate change accumulated. As of 2007, the index stood at 574. "We felt people outside global-change research are not clear about the scale of the changes scientists are witnessing," said IGBP executive director Sybil Seitzinger, who presented the index on the

sidelines of the summit.

Warming to displace 1 bn people Climate change and environmental degradation will force as many as one billion people to migrate over the next four decades to southeast Asia, central America and parts of west Africa, world's leading migration agency has said. A International Organisation for Migration (IOM) report, said between 25 million to 1 billion people could be displaced by climate change by 2050.

It also identified Afghanistan, Bangladesh, most of central America and parts of west Africa and southeast Asia as "future hotspots" where large numbers of people are expected to flee as a result of climate pressures. However, it found that few of the "climate refugees" are able to leave their countries due to lack of the means and the ability to travel to wealthier places.

12 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

T

MISCELLANY

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

Copenhagen: A bad deal is worse than no deal

he cat is out of the bag. However, the leaked political draft agreement crafted by the Danes holds few surprises.

There is nothing in the draft that was not known before. Indeed the direction has been obvious since the G-8 meeting in L'Aquila.

The desire for a new agreement that negates historical responsibility, diluting obligations to provide finance and technology, dividing the developing world into new categories, requiring peaking of emissions by the more developed developing countries, and the review of domestic actions by international standards - all these have been on the table for some time.

The truth is that in our laudable effort to remain engaged, we have been afraid to call a spade a spade. China, India, Brazil and South Africa (the BASIC bloc of four) can't claim to not have seen the Danish draft before. In fact, the BASIC draft version of the political outcome of Copenhagen was crafted in Beijing by them in late November as a response to the Danish draft.

The agility of the BASIC group in coming up with an alternative must be commended.

India's proactive stance is in line with our

Prime Minister's direction to be part of a solution. Indeed, India must not just be seen to be part of a solution, but should take the lead in crafting such a solution because there is no other country or region in the world that will suffer as much as India because of climate change.

However, India's position is unique even within the BASIC group. India must give full expression to this difference within the bloc as failure to do so might alienate a wider constituency within the G-77 grouping. But before we get into that, it must be pointed out that India is already a part of the solution to climate change.

Between 1990 and 2007 the developed world with a population of the same order as that of India has grown its annual emissions by over 2.2 gigatons despite an obligation under Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions. India's absolute annual emissions during the period have grown by less than half that while delivering a GDP growth rate that's twice as high! It can be said that India is on a sustainable development path while the rich countries have still not managed to peak their emissions.

Coming to our differences within the BASIC, India is bang in the middle of a group of 81 countries that had a 2005 PPP-GDP (GDP calculated not at the official exchange rate but based on purchasing power parity) of $4000 or less. This group accounted for almost half of the then global population but was responsible for less that 9% of the global energy-related rise in CO2 concentrations from 1990 to 2005!

Importantly, most of India's socio economic comparators and its Human Development Index lie within this group. So do India's vulnerabilities to climate change - only on a much larger scale! China, Brazil and South Africa are not part of this group. Their PPPGDP in 2005 was 2.1 to 3.6 times that of India.

Brazilian and South African per capita emission levels are already close to European levels and China will reach those levels well before 2020. India's likely per capita emissions in 2020 will be about 30% of current European levels.

So, India is the natural leader of the bottom 50% of the world. This is the coalition of the low emitters who will suffer the most due to climate change. Indeed, India has the moral

authority and hence the moral responsibility to deliver an equitable solution to this bottom 50% of the world. India is uniquely endowed with the capacity to craft an equitable solution within this group.

India's solution must protect every provision of the Framework Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Action Plan. India's solution must also protect the right to development that is enshrined in these legally binding agreements and it must ensure that rapid development of the bottom 50% of the world is accepted as the best form of adaptation that the rich can deliver against the consequences of climate change.

India deserves a place at the high table. But India will never win the argument by donning a tie on a torn shirt and trying to gate-crash the party of "haves" with Savile Row suits. India must never forget her great son who got us on the high table clad in his dhoti and a walking stick. A 21st century variant of that approach is our only hope to avoid a bad deal.

Copenhagen should be seen as a process and not as an event that is an end in itself because a bad deal is worse than no deal at Copenhagen.

Coming, energy-efficiency Narrow escape for Prez norms for industry NEW DELHI (TIP): India is quietly raising its stake in the global green game, even as leaders haggle over global warming in Copenhagen. The government is expected to clear on Thursday a proposal to put in place a market-based mechanism to force industry and commercial establishment to improve energy use, a move that will automatically lower emissions and narrow the power supply gap.

The proposal is to introduce tradebale 'Energy Savings Certificates' for energyintensive industries such as steel plants and other major commercial consumers like hotels, malls and theatres etc. Before the certificates come about, the government will prescribe how much energy an industry can use for each unit of production - say, a ton of steel, manufacture a car or refrigerator. Energy consumption will be measured in 'units' in terms of MTOE (per metric ton of oil equivalent). Those who meet the norm - or consume even less energy than is prescribed - will earn the certificates in proportion to the saving.

Those who fail, will have to buy such certificates in proportion to the excess power or energy they consume. ''This will lead to a revolution and transform the manner in which we use energy, particularly electricity. India wastes 20% of energy, particularly electricity, due to inefficient usage. About half of this can be saved through rightful ways of electricity use in the next few years.

That means availability of 10% more power at no extra cost and will automatically lead to an enormous reduction in emissions,'' said R V Shahi, former power secretary who had drawn the blueprint for star rating for electrical appliances.

The amendments also suggest bringing existing commercial buildings such as office complexes or hotels and malls etc within the ambit of energy efficiency norms.

Any existing building with a consumption of 500 kw (kilowatt) or a contract for supply of 600 kva (kilo volt ampere) will be included for energy rating. So far, the rating norms applied to only new buildings.

BHUBANESWAR/PURI (TIP): Barely days after she became the first woman president to do a sortie in a Sukhoi fighter jet, President Pratibha Patil had a narrow escape on Wednesday evening when the IAF chopper she was in hit a building at the Biju Patnaik airport. She was shaken for a moment but not hurt. Her husband Devisingh Sekhawat and Orissa governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare were among those on board.

According to officials, Wednesday's accident happened when Patil's helicopter was taxiing after landing at Biju Patnaik Airport. At 4.40pm, the main rotor hit the wall of a building housing the meteorological office, eyewitnesses said. The impact was so severe that sparks flew and chunks of concrete shot out in all directions. ''A piece of debris hit an assistant sub-inspector of police in the chest,'' a source said. Three rotor blades were badly damaged. The President was returning from her trip to Puri and Konark. Two other helicopters carrying some of her relatives, Rashtrapati Bhavan officials and securitymen landed safely. Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who accompanied Patil at Jagannath Temple and Sun Temple, preferred to return to Bhubaneswar by road.

Officials are surprised that the accident took place despite the pilot making several dry runs in the last few days, and two on Tuesday. ''We could not believe our eyes. It happened in a split second. There was a big noise and I saw sparks shooting out,'' said an official present at the old airport building. ''For a moment the helicopter was unstable. She is fine and not worried,'' said the President's press secretary, Archana Dutta, terming it a ''minor incident''. The IAF has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

INDIA

IAF continues to lose pilots to commercial airlines New Delhi (TIP): IAF continues to hemorrhage from the exodus of its pilots seeking the much-greener pastures of civil aviation sector, which promises more stable and lucrative careers for them.

"Around 101 IAF pilots have applied for grant of premature retirement (PMR) during the last one year," defense minister A K Antony told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

"The broad reasons furnished by the applicants for grant of PMR are supersession, lack of career progression and medical/compassionate grounds," he added.

Over 500 IAF pilots have ditched their uniforms to join the civil arena since 2002.

Worried at this exodus, IAF has been forced to "tighten controls" on "premature release" of its pilots but is still around 300 pilots short of its total sanctioned strength of 3,278 pilots, half of whom are into active operational flying.

IAF does not have much of a problem if pilots who have put in over 20 years leave the force but is extremely reluctant to part with those who are younger. It, after all, takes around Rs 11 crore to train a fighter pilot and around half that amount to train a

transport or helicopter pilot.

"The money invested in them is recovered if they serve for at least 20 years.

Military flying comes down drastically after one crosses 40. A commercial pilot, conversely, can fly till 61-62," said an officer.

IAF pilots, on their part, eye the civil aviation sector with a lot of glee. While an "operational" IAF pilot now gets gross monthly salary of Rs 65,000 to 80,000 depending on rank after the 6th Pay Commission, a civilian pilot can easily notch up anything around Rs 3 lakh, or even higher.

"Another big factor for pilots to leave IAF is that they want stability in their family lives after some years, with good education for their growing children. In the armed forces, one gets posted from one place to another every two-three years," said another officer. Outlining the various measures taken by IAF to meet the shortfall, Antony said short-service commission for the flying branch has been modified to make men also eligible for induction in this branch. "Implementation of the recommendations of 6th Pay Commission will also go a long way in attracting youth," he added.

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 13

Bhagwat shows `politically correct' face at EU lunch NEW DELHI: He arrived in western clothes and did not utter a word out of place. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, an unusual guest of European Union ambassadors, left his hosts and audience wondering whether he was indeed the head of the RSS with its radical Hindutva agenda.

As part of its outreach in India, the 27-nation EU regularly invites leaders, opinion-makers etc to interact with it. The effort is "internal", EU diplomats said, and they have had many shades of Indian opinion represented at their tables.

Since Sweden holds the presidency of the EU until January, it was the host at Wednesday's lunch.

In the context of the troubles in BJP, the rekindling of the Babri masjid issue, Bhagwat's own comments about politics and BJP, he was a logical choice. The least the ambassadors expected was a "candid" articulation of Bhagwat's known views.

They were disappointed. According to sources, Bhagwat's khaki pants were not showing at all. Dapperly dressed, the RSS chief was the epitome of political correctness.

No, the RSS did not have a political agenda, it was only a cultural organisation, he insisted. No, there was nothing called a "Hindu" terrorist, there may be some misguided people, but that was it. No, the RSS did not control the BJP, but only gave "constructive" suggestions if needed.

Not that the questions were mild. Nobody was sparing in their questions to the chief of the right-wing outfit. But according to sources, Bhagwat refused to rise to the bait.

The lunch meeting was attended by representatives of all EU missions as well as the EC delegation.

14 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

MISCELLANY

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

Masked Genocide and Posturing for Peace Dr. Amrik Singh

T

he ruling Congress is overwhelmingly convinced that Jagdish Tytler is no embarrassment, but a zealous soldier of the party. It doesn't matter if law makers in the parliament once forced Dr. Manmohan Singh's government to dispense with his tainted services in the Union Cabinet. Tytler has greater resilience to bounce back. Though a shoe missile had hit him in the eye, Tytler startled the civil society again with his appointment as chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee. It seems Sonia Gandhi can go to great lengths to accommodate his interests. Dr. Manmohan Singh can imperil his own fair name for the sake of the like of Tytler and suggest to the Sikhs to forget the past. Home Minister P. Chidambram endured the slight of the shoe but did not miss defending Tytler. What a shame for a sovereign India that one of its top dignitaries could be arrested in London for murders committed in Delhi 25 years ago!

Vir Sanghvi of Hindustan Times had reacted to shoe fiasco in a questioning way. He wondered why Congress issued tickets to Tytler and Sajjan Kumar in the first place.

Then why had it withdrawn their names after Jarnail Singh's BEIJING: Despite China's pledges to improve energy efficiency, its carbon emissions could double by 2020 as compared with 2005 levels, surpassing limits seen as key to fighting global warming, experts say.

As officials in Copenhagen discuss how nations can share the global burden of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, experts are crunching the numbers to determine the future level of emissions by China, the world's top polluter.

Even if China keeps its promise to reduce carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 40 to 45% by 2020, and if its economy grows by just eight%, its gas output could still double, they say.

"With eight% growth, emissions will increase by 74%," said Emmanuel

impatience stared in its face?

Sanghvi knows quite well that the politicians who become an eyesore for minority politics are in fact trump cards for majority politics.

Mainstream media that Sanghvi represents does not stand up for the muffled people. When Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi declared in tandem that Dr. Manmohan Singh was their candidate, think tanks of the party negated his Sikh credentials by purposely issuing tickets to Tytler and Kumar who clearly are champions of turban terminators. Congress' think tanks were sure of Sikhs' protests and that was what they needed to stir the nerve of the Hindu majority rule in the ensuing elections. In their view, it was a device par excellence.

Rewarding mass murderers has been in vogue since ancient times.

Shudras suffered wrath of marauding mobs at different times.

Convinced of their status at "the holy feet of Brahma", they had no language, no myth, no religion that could liberate them from their subjugation. Those who aspired to a better life were either absorbed in the Vedic dharma or were torn from the community they vowed to serve.

Deprived and depraved of any life affirming forces, Shudras' highest pleasure was to serve their masters without question. That was the only condition of peace in the Brahmnical order.

Buddhists once embarked on a path to reverse the said dictum of peace. A systematic invasion continued until Buddhists stopped claiming their religion as separate from Hinduism. In the early seventeenth century, when Shudras' voice found a parallel status with all other spiritual traditions in Aad

Granth, an earthshaking paranoia seized the top tier of Brahman hierarchy. It erupted in an organized plot against the Holy text and the Harmandir built to preserve it.

Armed with all arts, knowledge and occult mantras, Brahmins found allies in rulers of the time. They aligned all their goals with those of the rulers with a view to decimate emerging Dharma. Any attempts to empower Shudras over and above Vedic edicts amounted to blasphemy. The West believes that occult Brahmins are unparalleled in smearing campaign. Pandits' slander follows uninterrupted path until a majority becomes polarized to their opinions.

That precisely is the signal for henchmen "Strike when the iron is hot." Blue Star operation came after a consistent campaign of projecting the entire Sikh community as violent and bloodthirsty. In November, Indira's India rose to rid the land of "Sikh demons". The message traveled with equal emphasis to the executive, the judiciary and the parliament to suspend their operation completely for 72 hours and partially thereafter. Earlier in June 1984, the Indian Military was given 48 hours to finish everything in the Golden Temple. The symbolic sweep of secretive messaging affected all political parties. The 1985 parliamentary elections ratified genocidal hunger in the shape of 他 majority to Indira Gandhi's Congress. Her party won 408 parliamentary seats to convince the world how necessary it was to kill Sikhs in free India. The largest democracy in the world set new precedents: bash minorities to save democracy.

Orwell's 1984 is so true in case of

Sikhs' persecution. Totalitarian regimes' guiding principle is 'who controls the past, controls the future.' In Orwell's novel, Ministry of Truth is engaged in altering old poems to the spirit of party's ideology. In the similar fashion, the Indian Army ransacked Golden Temple reference library at the behest of Indian Big Brothers. Their attempt to control the Sikh past is quite obvious in sheltering anti-Sikh spiritual traditions and fearless interference in the practice of their religion. All pervasive surveillance, mind control strategies, and voiding of citizenship rights are themes of George Orwell's novel 1984 that he wrote in 1948.

Orwell had served in Indian Imperial Police for five years from 1922 to 27 and had remained the BBC Talk Producer for India in 1941. Thus, he had witnessed the alliance of the British with Occult Brahmins as sure steps towards totalitarianism. Orwell's vision is often referred to Stalinism, but his oblique references to the desire of the British and Brahmins to control religious, social and the political life of people round the globe are often ignored.

True to Orwellian vision, Sikhs are target of all pervasive government surveillance, mind control strategies through diversionary techniques, and voiding of their citizenship rights. So far they demanded justice for 3000 murders in the Capital of the country. A greater number of Sikhs were killed in other cities, for which even victims have not raised their voice yet.

In the month of November, Indira Gandhi's death anniversary and Sikh pogroms evoke mixed memories.

Congress makes every effort to laud Indira Gandhi role in Indian politics and ignore Sikhs' demand for justice. Some gestures sound satirical, deliberate and depressive for victims of anti Sikh violence.

For instance on November 15, 2004 "Seavey Awards" was given to Delhi police for 'High Quality Enforcement Through Community Policing.' In November, Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development worth 25 Lac Rupees is given to renowned national and international figures. Among 22 recipients, Jimmy Carter, Bill Gates, Mikhail Gorbachev, Kofi Annan are few of prominent personalities.

Director Krishna Shah has announced making a film in English on Indira Gandhi that will be shot in India, U.K. U.S.A and Russia.

Madhuri Dixit has agreed to play the role of Indira Gandhi. The Film "Mother: The Indira Gandhi Story" will probably constitute a myth of Indira's greatness in quelling Sikhs' seditious intents.

With 22 recipients of Indira peace awards, a film in English shot in most influential countries of the world, and a Sikh prime minister at the helm of affairs will establish Indira's credentials for peace and non-violence. Sikhs with their selfcontradictory statements, and murky politics of Delhi and Amritsar Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees will probably indulge in selfdefeating posturing to lay blame somewhere else.

(The author is based in Sacramento and writes on diverse subjects. He is a regular contributor to the columns of The Indian Panorama)

China emissions could double by 2020: Experts Guerin, a climate analyst at France's Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI).

"China, having emitted 7.2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2005, will spew out 12.6 gigatonnes in 2020," he told AFP by telephone from the Danish capital.

"That is one gigatonne too many, according to the scenario laid out by (leading climate change expert) Nicholas Stern, who put the range at 7.9-11.6 gigatonnes."

The estimated total emissions by China is also equal to nearly 29% of the worldwide goal.

"With a view to limiting global warming to two degrees, the world

should not emit more than 44 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020," he said.

Another study by a panel of European experts says China's total emissions could be even higher.

"Chinese carbon emissions will double by 2020," a member of that panel said on condition of anonymity, confirming a similar estimate given by Australian academic Frank Jotzo.

Taking into account China's stated goal to reduce carbon intensity, "emissions will 'only' double," Jotzo, deputy director of the Climate Change Institute at Australian National University, said after Beijing's announcement.

The European expert, calculating from a different 2005 base figure, said if the Chinese economy grew by eight% annually, total greenhouse gas emissions could nearly double in 2020, reaching a high of 10.7 gigatonnes.

According to his calculations, the Chinese increase in gas emissions would be three or four times higher than the combined cuts promised by the United States and the European Union.

At that rate, China -- which says it lags far behind the developed world in terms of tonnes of emissions per capita -- would in fact bypass France on those terms in 2012 or 2013, and the

entire European Union between 2018 and 2020.

"This hypothesis is based on European emissions reductions and Chinese emissions increases," said Wang Ke, a professor in the school of environment and natural resources studies at People's University in Beijing.

"But the question is: under what terms will the EU manage its reductions?"

The European Commission, which says it has not calculated China's future emissions levels, hailed Beijing's stated goal to slow emissions growth, but said there would be more work to do.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

INDIA

Visa on arrival for tourists from 5 nations NEW DELHI (TIP): In a major boost for Commonwealth Games 2010, the government has introduced for the first time `visa on arrival' scheme for tourists from five countries from early next year.

Tourists from Singapore, Finland, New Zealand, Luxembourg and Japan will be given visa on arrival facility on a pilot basis for a period of one year, Sujit Banerjee, tourism secretary, said. The scheme will be applicable in airports as well as ports across the country.

The decision was taken after tourism ministry had sought introduction of the scheme for tourists coming from these countries which are potential source markets for India. Keeping in view present-day threat perception, the ministry has suggested that citizens from nine countries including Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Finland, Netherlands, Laos, Japan, Cambodia and South Africa be allowed to avail this facility.

"We will pursue extending the VoA facility to the remaining four countries as well,'' Banerjee said.

Visa on arrival facility is offered by several southeast Asian countries and proves popular with foreign tourists looking for a short break.

Germany and Japan are among the top 10 source countries for India while Brazil and Netherlands have shown encouraging growth over the last year.

The modalities of implementation of the scheme are being worked out with all the stakeholders and will be notified very shortly, Banerjee said. The visa on arrival scheme is expected to provide a quantum jump in foreign tourist arrivals to India from these countries.

"We hope that visa on arrival facility will give a fillip to foreign tourist arrivals. We have kept security concerns on mind before restricting the facility to these five countries,'' a ministry source said.

Incidentally, India has already introduced long-term multiple entry visa for 18 countries including France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Vietnam in 2006.

Due to security reasons, countries like the US, UK and Pakistan are out of the list of nine countries that will be accorded the facility, officials said. But this could change once airlines offer advance passenger information.

Bangla terror outfit eyeing Mumbai?

MUMBAI (TIP): Intelligence agencies are working on inputs that members of the Jamaatul-Mujahideen (Bangladesh) may be in

Mumbai and Hyderabad to work on terror plots in these two cities.

The Indian Mujahideen and the Deccan Mujahideen have been on the local security agencies' radar for some time, but this is the first time that the Bangladesh-based outfit has emerged as a possible player in Mumbai.

The JMB, officials said, had been facing problems ever since the change of government in Bangladesh. ''The Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League has shown much greater sensitivity to India's concerns than the previous Bangladesh Nationalist Party of Begum Khaleda Zia. Reports here indicate that the JMB is trying to expand operations to western and southern India because it is under intense pressure in its homeland,'' a senior home department official said. The organization was banned in Bangladesh in 2005 (after it was found to be responsible for 500 blasts all over Bangladesh in one day), before the Hasina regime came to power, but an ''all-out crackdown'' came only after a change in government.

Security agencies have also received intelligence inputs that some JMB cadres have been pushed to Sri Lanka, from where they plan to enter India by sea. ''Increased surveillance and cooperation by Indian and Bangladeshi forces along the border is forcing them to look for other routes to enter India,'' an official said.

The Intelligence Bureau, in an alert, has said at least 30 suspected JMB cadres had reached the Negombo area in Sri Lanka and were being assisted by narco-peddler Jaleel alias Ravi.

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 15

Gene map shows Indians more vulnerable to cancer CHENNAI (TIP): The first human genetic mapping of an Indian by scientists at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, has given the first microbiological indication that Indians are more susceptible to not just heart diseases, but certain kinds of cancer and mental disorders as well. The DNA mapping of a 52-year-old man from Jharkhand has found marked genetic variations that suggest vulnerability to cardiovascular disorders, colorectal cancer and schizophrenia. While scientists say it's not yet time to generalize, the finding calls for genetic sequencing of more people across the country.

The institute plans to map the DNA of ten Indians from different states soon. ''The findings will definitely be a hypothesis for future genetic studies. If more Indians show similar variations, it could establish a clearer pattern,'' said Sridhar Sivasubbu, who led the project along with Vinod Scaria.

It primarily took two dedicated men and a machine for India to crack the human genome in 45 days - a feat that took 13 years for scores of scientists from six developed countries.

Aiding scientists Sivasubbu and Scaria in mapping the 310 crore base pairs that constituted the Jharkhand man's DNA was a supercomputer the institute had acquired in 2006. While the two scientists toiled for long hours, the supercomputer analysed data at the speed of four trillion operations per second.

Gene mapping promises predictive

healthcare by identifying specific vulnerabilities of a population to certain diseases and developing new methods of prevention and targeted treatment.

Though the human genome project was completed in 2003, region and community specific mapping helps identify susceptibilities of different populations. Indians are found to be genetically more vulnerable to diabetes and heart diseases. ''Since the genome technology was readily available to us, it took us much less time,'' says a modest Scaria from his lab at the IGIB. ''The first time is always tough, as every attempt is involves trial and error,'' he says about the first human genome project in which scientists from the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan and China worked from 1990 to 2003.

But it wasn't easy for the two scientists who worked up to 18 hours a day in the lab. ''We'd never been there, never done it. The biggest challenge was that it took a totally new set of analytical and computational skills. Once we attained that, there was no looking back,'' says Sivasubbu. Although the supercomputer speeded up analysis by more than 500 times compared to ordinary computers, scientists had to perform the manual work of immobilising the sample on glass slide, adding one nucleotide at a time and photographing it using a high-resolution digital camera. Each nucleotide was identified by peculiar color it emits.

16 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

NEW YORK

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

CONTD FROM PAGE 1

More Indian Americans get involved in Rotary International: Hicksville South and Jericho Sunrise Rotary Clubs Launched

Kalyan Banerjee delivers his address

Consul General of India in New York Prabhu Dayal was conferred Honorary Membership of Rotary Club. Kalyan Banerjee inducts him by pinning the Rotary badge on to coat lapel

Ravi Bhooplapur speaks

Oath-taking by members of Hicksville South predominantly women's club, the kind of which is very few. Secondly, it is a rare occasion when two chapters are presented charter at a single ceremony.

Governor Ravi Bhooplapur, one of the most dynamic and successful Rotary Governors, played a pivotal role in the creation of the two clubs.

Kalyan Banerjee in his speech said of Ravi Bhooplapur, "When Ravi Bhooplapur wants to do a thing, he gets it done".

In an informal chat with the editor of The Indian Panorama, Ravi said he wanted more Indian Americans to join the world's largest and the best service club. He said soon more Rotary chapters will be created in his District to involve Indian Americans in social service projects. He said he was deeply impressed with the desire of the Indian American community to play its role in serving the community Ravi said, "I am impressed with their commitment", Kamlesh Mehta, a diamond merchant and publisher of The South Asian Times, is President of Hicksville South while Vimi Sikka, an educationist and a dedicated social worker, is President of Jericho Sunrise, In his presidential address, Kalyan Banerjee, Rotary International President Nominee for 2011-12 who is a leading businessman based in Gujarat and only the third Indian to

Oath-taking by members of Jericho Sunrise rise to the very top in Rotary International, termed Rotary as the "world's greatest service and friendship organization". He said such is the standing of the 105-year old organization that even Bill Gates Jr. would not hesitate to give it $255 million of his own money to help it eradicate polio. inspire the new members, Banerjee quoted Past Rotarian President Bob Barth of Switzerland, "You see this pin I wear on my lapel.

Well, when I am wearing this, I'm telling my community that I am available, I help others, I serve, I care, I give my time‌." Indeed, it's not that Rotarians always do

extraordinary things. But they do ordinary things extraordinarily well."

Pleased with the large number of women among the two new clubs, Banerjee invoked Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister, "If I want something said, I ask a man to do it.

If I want anything done, I always ask a woman." The President Elect then added his own observation: "The best clubs that I've seen are always run with feminine instinctswith understanding, with care, with love, with compassion, with passion, with simplicity, with sincerity."

Ravi Bhooplapur in his address told the new Rotarians, "Tonight is the beginning of your journey. This is not a journey of time and space but of service to others and selfdiscovery. I remember 29 years ago in India, my personal journey began.

I could never have dreamed it would lead me here tonight, among some of the very finest people with whom a man can surround himself. I can only hope your journey will be as rewarding as mine."

He said Rotary is open to all.

"Invite your friends, invite your coworkers, include your family, and invite your business partners to attend a meeting. Rotary offers so

many avenues of service. There is a place for everyone. If you seek a place for Rotary in your life, you will find Rotary shall improve your life." He then exhorted the new members to "always uphold the very highest of ethical standards in your profession. We have a high opinion of you and we expect you to have the same of yourself."

Bhooplapur concluded by saying, "Remember my friends, The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands", which is the Rotary International theme for 2009-10. The Consul General of India in New York, Prabhu Dayal was made an honorary member of contd on Page 17

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

NEW YORK

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 17

The First ladies and their husbands. (L to R): Binota Banerjee, Jaya Bhooplapur, Ravi Bhooplapur and Kalyan Banerjee contd from Page 16 Rotary Hicksville South on the occasion for his vision, commitment and leadership he has provided for the community wherever he has served. He said he felt honored to be made an honorary member of Rotary Club.

The Consul General appreciated playing of national anthems of the two countries at the ceremony and spoke of growing ties of friendship between India and the United States that stood shoulder to shoulder and were now travelling together.

He spoke about the commonalities between India and the U.S. Both are democracies, one the largest and the other, the oldest. Both are multi-ethnic and multi-cultural societies. Both

are combating terrorism.

Prabhu Dayal was appreciative of the Indian American community. He appreciated the role of Indian Americans in bringing the two countries closer and strengthening their relationship. He alluded to the fact that it appeared to be an all India affair, as the new members were predominantly Indian Americans and presenting the charter were Bhooplapur, also an Indian American, and Banerjee, an Indian. A short documentary on Rotary International's Polio eradication project was exhibited on the occasion.

The two new Presidents and the charter members were profusely felicitated on their induction.

Phone : 718-651-8825 Fax: 718-651-8897

18 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

INDIA

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

BJP dubs Liberhan report `dubious' NEW DELHI (TIP): A day after heated exchanges in Lok Sabha, BJP launched a trenchant attack on the Liberhan Commission report, calling it a "national joke" and a rambling collection of unsubstantiated charges while Congress and Samajawadi Party sought to pin down the saffron party for the Babri demolition.

While leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley focussed on dismissing the report as non-serious and "dubious", Left parties urged the government to club all cases related to Babri masjid demolition and bring them before the Supreme Court to expedite them.

Jaitley suggested that Justice Liberhan may not have actually authored the report as he credits one Harpreet Giani with helping with the analysis, conclusions, editing and language. Calling it the "Liberhan-Giani" report, the leader said it was full of "factual hallucinations" like the incorrect date of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, inclusion of Left leaning historians like R S Sharma and D N Jha as Ayodhya protagonists and mention of Veer Savarkar as founder of RSS. In keeping with BJP's bid to erode the credibility of the commission, Jaitley said Liberhan had been "picked" for the job as "there are two kinds of judges, those who know the law and those who know the law minister". He then pointed to the commission itself recording lack of evidence nailing BJP

leaders but still indicting them.

Jaitley countered home minister P Chidambaram's claim that BJP's vision of India had been rejected, saying the essential question whether a temple existed before 1528 AD had been answered by ASI digs and a long record of struggles to restore the "janmasthan". If respect for minorities was essential for secularism, "reverse discrimination" which denied the religious aspirations of the majority community was not inclusiveness.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer and Congress

Congress gives clean chit to Vajpayee in Babri case NEW DELHI (TIP): In a move that puts L K Advani and other BJP leaders in the dock, Congress today gave a clean chit to Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the conspiracy to demolish Babri masjid in the discussion on Liberhan Commission report in the Lok Sabha, while the BJP dubbed it as a "political document full of grave errors".

"Vajpayee's name was not in the conspiracy, his name was only there in one of the lists," Union Minister Salman Khurshid said intervening in the day-long discussion which saw the BJP going hammer and tongs against the report which it alleged failed to come out with truth despite spending 17 long years.

BJP, whose President Rajnath Singh led the defence of the party, said the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya was a result of public anger and asserted that it would build a Ram temple at the same site for "national justice". Congress, on the other hand, said BJP had used the Ayodhya movement to gain power misusing the name of Lord Ram. Samajwadi Party, BSP and JD(U) attacked both the BJP and the Congress for the developments that led to the demolition on December 6, 1992. While Mulayam Singh Yadav targeted the Congress saying facts have been concealed in the report to save P V

Narasimha Rao, Khurshid said the Congress government's only fault at that time was that it trusted the then Uttar Pradesh government, led

by Kalyan Singh, and the BJP leadership.

MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi termed BJP as "hypocratic", blaming it for diverting from the main issue as to who was responsible for the demolition of the mosque.

"These mistakes are only lanes and by-lanes where Opposition members are getting lost.

The issue is who demolished the Babri masjid, how did they do it and why did they do it," Singhvi said, adding that it was a "carefully conceived and calibrated conspiracy... enormous pre-planning was involved".

He said BJP wanted others to believe that pulling down the mosque was a spontaneous

issue. "They (BJP) think they eat grain while rest eat grass," said the Congress member.

Although the SP blamed both BJP and Congress for demolition of the mosque, the party appeared more direct in its charge against the Congress when its leader Amar Singh minced no words while blaming the then prime minister P V Narashimha Rao for the incident Initiating the debate, Singh said, "The strategy of segregating Rao from Congress will not work. How can you throw away Rao's legacy. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is his greatest legacy."

Referring to the commission naming former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Singh said the leader could not be spared for the incident as he gave a speech a day before the demolition where he told kar sevaks that "land should be leveled". Urging government to club all cases related to Babri masjid demolition together and bring them before the Supreme Court to expedite them, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said, "Justice delayed is justice denied... it took 17 years for the report to come out. The report legally confirms that the attack was preplanned and executed meticulously and was not an act of spontaneous reaction. Now the government must do everything so that the faith in the system is not broken And the first thing it must do is to expedite the judgment in the case."

PM apologizes for Cong MP's remarks against Vajpayee NEW DELHI (TIP): Prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday apologized in Lok Sabha for the offensive words used against Atal Bihari Vajpayee, putting a lid on the controversy generated by Congress MP Beni Prasad Verma during the debate on Liberhan Commission report.

Sloganeering marred home minister P Chidambaram's reply to the debate as BJP sought a categorical apology from Verma to let the House run normally. While the MP stuck to his guns even a day later, the PM called it "undesirable developments".

Singh told Lok Sabha, "A member of our ruling coalition said something which was not appropriate and with regard to Vajpayee those words were used. I, on behalf of our government, apologise to the House that those words should not have been used."

Lest the apology dilute Congress offensive on BJP, the ruling party "condemned" BJP's "unparliamentary behaviour" on Tuesday as a "black mark". AICC spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters, "Liberhan Commission examined one of the most heinous crimes in political history. It is important for the nation to be aware of the full contours of the debate... the only parliamentary way would have been to raise the issue under rules with consent of the Speaker."

Congress feels while PM apologised to ensure that Parliament functioned peacefully, it should not be seen as soft on BJP on Liberhan issue which is important for its "secular" positioning. The aggression is seen as placing it stronger than Samajwadi Party, with whom it is contending for minority attention. The AICC also rolled back accommodation of BJP's grievance over Vapayee's indictment by Liberhan for Babri demolition, after minority affairs minister Salman Khursheed made the gesture. Abhishek Singhvi, speaking in Rajya Sabha, went to the point of saying that if Vajpayee was aggrieved over the report, he could get it expunged from court.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

INDIA

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 19

Krishna reiterates India’s stand on Chinese visas NEW DELHI (TIP): India will never accept China's attempt to issue visas to its Kashmiri residents on a separate format, avoiding stamping their Indian passports.

Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna stated this while replying to a day-long debate on Indo-China relations in the Lok Sabha here today.

He said, "We have reacted to the Kashmiris' issue as a strong nation, that anything not stamped on the Indian passport will not be treated by India as a valid visa. So how can you say we are a soft state? We are not going to compromise on the visa policy."

Replying to the Opposition charge that China was constantly raising objections to the visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Krishna said, "Much has been made out of this here that the Dalai Lama should not go to Tawang, or the Prime Minister should not go to Arunachal Pradesh. Didn't the Prime Minister go there? Didn't Dalai Lama go there? Even my predecessor (former External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee) went to Arunachal Pradesh."

The Minister told Parliament today, "Let me reiterate that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India," but added, "We must learn from the past and realise that conflict is no solution to any problem."

Expressing confidence in China's assurance of its commitment to the principles of Panchsheela, the Minister

said, "Recently when Chinese Foreign Minister met me in Bangalore, he only reminded me of the five principles of co-existence. I was surprised and also impressed."

While admitting that incursions are taking place along the Indo-China border, Krishna declared, "We will remain vigilant on our borders and our armed forces are patrolling the IndiaChina border. As many as 13 meetings have taken place between Indian and Chinese representatives and more are in the pipeline."

Earlier BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi initiated the debate, recalling how India had to face a conflict with China because of the Indo-Chinese border dispute on Arunachal Pradesh. He also mentioned how the Chinese were planning to construct a dam on

Brahmputra river, on China objecting to our construction of road in Ladakh near the Indo-China border and its objection to the Dalai Lama and Prime Minister's visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

Interestingly, successive speakers like Shailendra Kumar (SP), Vijay Bahadur Singh (BSP) and Jagtanand Singh (RJD), not only stuck to Joshi's line of argument but even repeatedly mentioned him by name during the course of their speech, demonstrating a new understated, subterranean affinity developing between the BJP and nonCongress, secular formations like the SP, BSP and RJD and even the Left parties on issues other than communal.

However in this case expectedly the Left came out strongly in support of the government which was defending moderation towards China.

RANGANATH RECOMMENDATIONS

15 pc education, job quota for minorities Proposal says 10 pc of it should go to Muslims NEW DELHI (TIP): Two years after it was submitted to the government, report of the National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities is ready to be tabled in the ongoing session of Parliament.

The assurance came today from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after pressure mounted in the Lok Sabha from several Dalit-based parties, including the Samajwadi Party, to present the report in Parliament.

Constituted to assess the status of minorities and suggest ways of improving their lot, the commission, headed by Justice Ranganath Misra, has recommended 15per cent reservation in non-minority educational institutions and central and state government jobs for all religious and linguistic minorities.

Out of the 15 per cent earmarked seats in education institutions, Muslims should be given 10 per cent reservation (commensurate with their 73 per cent share in the total minority population in India) and the remaining 5 per cent to other minorities, states the report.

It adds that if Muslim candidates are not available to fill 10 per cent seats, the remaining vacancies should go to other minorities and in "no case to the majority community."On employment front, the report argues that since the minorities, especially Muslims, are much underrepresented in government jobs, "we recommend they should be regarded as backward in this respect within the meaning of that term as used in Article 16 (4) of the Constitution."

Accordingly, the recommendation is to reserve 15 per cent of posts in all cadres and grades under the Central and state governments for the religious and linguistic minorities. Of this, 10 per cent quota is recommended for Muslims and the rest for other minorities.

The report, co-authored by Tahir Mahmood, also recommends the inclusion of Muslim and Christian Dalits in SC list, something the National Commission for Minorities has also been supporting.

Mechanism to clean Ganga may get Cabinet nod NEW DELHI (TIP): Government seems serious in its effort to clean up Ganga with the Union Cabinet on Thursday expected to okay a proposal for fast-track mechanism for clearance of projects to speed up "clean Ganga" program.

Though Centre is working on a comprehensive river basin management plan for the river, the attempt is to put existing sewage treatment projects on fast track.

Sources said all projects under National Ganga River Basin Authority will be put on the fast track.

States have also been asked to formulate detailed project reports for new projects in critical pollution hotspots and major towns along the river.

In the Authority meeting, it was decided to constitute a standing committee headed by the finance minister that would meet more frequently and review implementation of the Mission.

"An empowered steering committee, to be headed by the environment secretary, will be set up for fast-tracking clearance of projects," an official said.

The Authority, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has cleared an ambitious plan to prevent discharge of untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluent into the Ganga by 2020.

An estimated investment of Rs 15,000 crore over the next 10 years will be required to create the necessary treatment and sewerage infrastructure for Mission Clean

Ganga. The resources will be provided by the Centre and states over a 10-year period to be shared suitably after consultations with the Planning Commission.

The government is also

negotiating with the World Bank for a $1 billion long-term loan for the purpose.

Currently, there is a sewage treatment capacity of only about 1,000 mld as against 3,000 mld

sewage being generated in towns along the Ganga. As much as 75% of the pollution is caused by untreated sewage discharge while industrial waste accounts for the remaining 25%.

20 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

INDIA

China makes economic inroads into Sri Lanka NEW DELHI (TIP): It is clearly not a case of Chinese Whisper anymore. The Finance Ministry has raised a red flag over "overwhelming" economic control China now exercises over Sri Lanka.

In a report to the mandarins of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) sent recently, the Finance Ministry has "warned that if timely steps were not taken, it would create an untenable situation for the country."

The report - contents of which have been accessed by The Tribune - states that the Chinese have upped their presence in all vital Sri Lankan financial institutions - including the stock market - by almost 40 per cent in the past two years.

The Sri Lanka Government is more than happy to play ball with the Chinese as these economic incursions come with the attached sop of cheap arms, says a senior Finance Ministry official. "The Chinese are not exactly overcome by scruples when it comes to even kickbacks and payouts, especially when it comes to winning friends and influencing India's other neighbors," he says.

Unlike the United States that holds companies paying bribes overseas to get business liable to be punished, the Chinese have no such constraints to hold them back.

For the past two years, the Chinese have taken a quantum jump in increasing their presence in Sri Lanka. From investments in private companies to takeovers of financial institutions, strategic aid and investment, it has been a calculated project to put itself at the heart of the Sri Lankan economy.

The Chinese presence has caused "deep consternation" in the highest echelons as comes amidst a deliberately ratcheted up design to rattle India.

This seems to involve using all instruments available to the state, such as protesting a World Bank loan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang Monastery, stamping Kashmiris' visas passport on a loose sheet and stopping road construction in Jammu and Kashmir. Says former national security advisor Brijesh Mishra, "The Chinese don't do anything by accident. There is a deliberate plan to get together with Pakistan and encircle India.

We have faced them separately alone but now they are working in sync. I hope we do have the strategic depth to take them on because this is vital in the national interest.''

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

India flexes Moscow muscle, snubs US N-suppliers NEW DELHI (TIP): After inking a path-breaking civilian nuclear pact with Russia, New Delhi has shown the proverbial cold shoulder to a visiting US nuclear mission of 50 companies eager to do business in India.

Officials and ministers in the Prime Minister's Office, it is learnt, were discreetly advised not to meet the delegation ostensibly on the plea that it comprised junior-level officers.

However, the real reason is that New Delhi wants to leverage its deal with Russia to push American companies into pressurizing the US establishment to expedite the ongoing negotiations on enrichment and reprocessing agreement to facilitate the full implementation of the Indo-US nuclear pact.

These negotiations were slated for completion before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's November visit to Washington but the two sides were unable to arrive at a mutually acceptable text for setting up of a dedicated reprocessing facility in India. This a key requirement under IAEA safeguards for the implementation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal signed last year. American companies cannot do nuclear trade in India unless all these procedural wrangles are out of the way.

Highly placed UPA sources admitted that since America was dragging its feet

on this issue, New Delhi had not just inked a civil nuclear deal with Russia but made it a point to tout it as a "major improvement over the 123 agreement" signed with the US. This pact will give Russian companies a clear head start in India.

While Russia is setting up four additional reactors in Kudankulum and has been allotted a site in Haripur in West Bengal, two sites have been earmarked for the US in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

"We had deliberately delayed an announcement of the two sites chosen for the US reactors. Now that the reprocessing agreement is still to be finalized, it was decided to keep the American companies on tenterhooks," a senior UPA minister disclosed.

India believes that American companies eager to do business here will exert necessary pressure on the US establishment to wrap up all paperwork expeditiously so that they do not lag behind their Russian and French rivals.

The civil nuclear agreement finalized during PM Singh's visit to Moscow allows for uninterrupted uranium fuel supply from Russia and ensures that no ongoing nuclear power project is affected even if the bilateral cooperation between the two countries is terminated.

The Indo-French nuclear cooperation

agreement also contains a similar clause.

On the other hand, the 123 agreement signed with the US lays down that India would have to return the fuel and equipment in case their bilateral agreement is terminated.

National Security Advisor (NSA) M.K. Narayanan had told mediapersons on return from the US that negotiations on a reprocessing agreement were in the final stages and would be completed within ten to 12 days. "We have arrived at the last stage of negotiations...only one issue remains, that of finalising the legal text," he had said.

The two sides had resolved two key issues on whether one or more dedicated facility should be set up and the level of security at these reprocessing unit installations.

India wants the US to set up more than one facility on the ground that it would benefit the US once it sets up nuclear plants in India. It was agreed that one dedicated facility would be set up initially but a provision would be made for more as and when required.

As for security, it was agreed that the facilities will be protected on the same lines as the US, the sources said. The third sticking point was whether reprocessing should be suspended and under what circumstances and conditions.

LAND SCAM

Four Generals among nine indicted Army promotions, postings under scanner CHANDIGARH (TIP): The count is now four Generals and five other officers who have been held blameworthy for alleged collusion and lapses to lease land near Siliguri to a group of businessmen to build an educational centre adjoining a sensitive Army establishment.

Sources close to the investigation said the COI has recommended disciplinary action against at least five officers and administrative action against others.

As a fallout of this, the court of inquiry (COI) that investigated the matter has recommended that the recent promotions and postings of certain officers based at various places be

investigated. The COI, headed by Lt Gen KT Parnaik, General Officer Commanding 4 Corps, Tezpur, concluded on December 3, sources said.

The senior-most officer to be blamed in this matter, Lt Gen Avdesh Prakash is the Military Secretary at Army Headquarters and responsible for the officer cadre management, including promotions and postings.

Sources said the opinion was that some promotions and postings could have been manipulated to benefit certain officers for their alleged acts of omission and commission.

Besides General Prakash, the other

officers held blameworthy include Lt Gen PK Rath, the commander of 33 Corps who was to move as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff at Army Headquarters before his posting was cancelled.

The other two Generals include a corps commander in the western sector and a Major-General on staff appointment at Headquarters Western Command. Both had served in the northeast before their promotion.

The findings and recommendations of the COI are now before the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Lt Gen VK Singh for further

action.

The number of officers that finally face disciplinary action and administrative action would depend on a review of the COI proceedings at command headquarters and the directions of the GCO-in-C thereof.

Sources said that a separate COI has also been recommended to investigate some similar lapses pertaining to military land in the area near Gangtok in Sikkim, which also comes under the territorial jurisdiction of 33 Corps.

Given its history and location, Sikkim is extremely sensitive politically, diplomatically and militarily.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

INDIA

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 21

Blame game thrives after fiasco in Punjab Vidhan Sabha

PNB sells 26% in housing finance arm to Destimoney

Statesmanship takes back seat

MUMBAI (TIP): The country’s second largest state-run lender Punjab National Bank (PNB) has agreed to sell 26% stake in its wholly owned housing finance subsidiary, PNB Housing Finance (PNBHFL), to the US-based Destimoney Enterprises.

The US company was earlier known as Dawnay Day. Though the stake sale announcement was done on Wednesday, the decision by the bank's board on the move was taken in May. The bank would sell 78 lakh shares of PNBHFL at Rs 101.5 each.

PNB chairman & managing director KR Kamath told FE, “The total value of the deal was Rs 217 crore. While the sum of Rs 79.16 crore has been paid to the bank by the company, the balance of Rs 137 crore would be converted to unsecured loan."

"The idea was to grow our housing finance arm into a bigger company as we have got a much better vision for the company," he said. Accordingly, the definitive agreements in this regard have been executed by the bank, PNBHFL and Destimoney Enterprises (the investor). Destimoney Enterprises also has an option to increase their shareholding in PNBHFL up to 49% of the share capital of PNBHFL. This debt will get converted into equity at Rs 101.50 per share as per the capital requirement of the housing finance company over a period of two years. Therefore, Destimoney will increase its stake up to 49%. However, PNB will retain majority share holding at 51%. Destimoney is a specialised retail financial services company headed by its CEO Vivek Vig.

CHANDIGARH (TIP): True to the adage accusations aggravate acrimony, reactions to unruly scenes witnessed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha's darkest hour ever are adding fuel to the fire. Demands varying from imposition of the President's rule to summoning at Akal Takht all those involved in yesterday's turban fiasco have been made to the great dismay of those who believe in adhering to healthy parliamentary practices for the sake of a throbbing democracy.

They hold that difference of opinion is the essence of democracy, but throttling strong parliamentary conventions, irrespective of the intensity of the provocations, cannot be condoned. They wondered if taking turns on speaking on an important issue like law and order can flare up passions so much, then how would the present-day legislators respond to sensitive or emotive issues.

Statements from leaders of both the ruling alliance and the Opposition parties even today smack of blame game only.

Even Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, known to be a mature and seasoned peacemaker, has held the Opposition responsible for yesterday's fiasco.

Statesmanship appears to have taken a back seat as confrontational politics has been at the centre stage. Throughout the 15-minute chaotic drama, no senior political leader from either the treasury benches or the Opposition tried to play the peace card. The only exception perhaps was Punjab Transport Minister Mohan Lal who was seen separating the warring legislators, urging them to return to their seats.

Abrupt disappearance of peacemakers in the Vidhan Sabha became noticeable only yesterday when almost everyone,

including the Leader of the House as well as the Leader of Opposition, remained mute spectators to the developments. At one stage, before the well turned into a free combat zone, Chief Minister Badal was seen gesticulating to his party legislators not to come to him and return to their seats. But once it started, there was no stopping anyone.

"Proceedings of the Vidhan Sabha for those 15 minutes in which the decorum was shredded to bits is in fact a true reflection of what is happening in the rest of Punjab," is how senior Communist leader Joginder Dyal sums up the darkest chapter of the Punjab legislature.

President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna went to the extent of suggesting that all those involved in the turban fiasco should be summoned at Akal Takht as the 'turban was the pride of a Sikh'.

Ludhiana violence sparks exodus of migrants CHANDIGARH (TIP): After Maharashtra, migrants from Bihar are feeling the heat in Punjab.

Following the recent violence in Ludhiana, hundreds of labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (UP) have begun leaving the industrial hub of Punjab. Worried over the development, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has dispatched a team of senior officials comprising joint labour commissioner RP Mandal and deputy labour commissioner AV Singh to take stock of the situation. The officials have been camping in Ludhiana for the past two days, interacting with various groups of migrants and state government officials.

They studied the events that led to Friday's violence and imposition of curfew subsequently and wanted the Punjab government to take immediate steps to restore confidence of and provide security to Biharis.

The reports of Bihari migrants leaving Ludhiana have spread panic among industrialists already reeling from recession.

Apex Chamber of Commerce & Industry president PD Sharma said the industry was facing its toughest challenge in recent times. "The unrest among migrants could spell doom for the industry in Ludhiana."

He said migrant workers were feeling insecure because of the rising

incidents of looting at nights. "The police are not helping," Sharma said.

When trouble broke out on December 3, locals in some pockets sided with police against migrants.

"Migrant labourers were beaten up and their shanties set ablaze," Sharma said, demanding a secure environment for migrants to save the state's economy.

"Agriculture is also highly dependant on migrant labour. The state

government must not only ensure security to migrants but also to industrial plants," he said.AN Mishra, president of Akhil Bharatiya Purvanchal Vikas Parishad, suggested industry leaders step in and promise migrant labourers safety. "There are about 7 lakh migrant workers in the city. If they returned home, it will give rise to unemployment and law and order problems in their native states.

The situation calls for immediate intervention by the city's industrialists," he said. Avtar Singh, general secretary of Chamber of Industrial & Commercial Undertakings, Ludhiana, said the industry was already facing a labour shortage of 25% as many migrants who returned home after the recent violence had not returned. "The chamber will try and persuade city industrialists to visit the 'vehras' of

migrant workers and promise them protection from anti-socials. It's also the duty of the state government to ensure the safety of life and property of workers from Bihar and UP," he said.

Migrant workers are the backbone of both industry and agriculture in Punjab.

On an average, factory workers earn Rs4,000 to Rs6,000 a month and live in dingy rooms in groups of eight to ten to save money.

22 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

BOLLYWOOD

HRITHIK’S HAIR SCARE Morning my malai sandwiches! Moi’s back after the break, to drive away your Monday morning blues with your dose of daily goss. So rise forth and shine, and read on to find out what everyone in tinsel town is talking about in hushed whispers.Oi oi.. what is this I’m hearing subah subah? A jasoos from Juhu has dropped in to give me some andar ki khabar about Hrithik Roshan. He claims that Duggu boy has sworn never to cut his hair short. And if a role demands that he crop his lambe baal, then the actor would rather wear a hairpiece instead.

Yeh kya baat hui, I scolded my khabru.

But he protested that the abhineta’s resolve has a very valid reason.

According to him, Duggu boy’s hair is thinning and at quite a considerable speed. Jasoos claims that Hrithik’s hair at the back of his head has thinned to the extent of baring a pingpong-sized roshan spot.

Duggu, who is currently shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, will only go for a trim the next time he steps into his hairstylist’s salon, says my informer. He adds that the actor has decided to keep his hair long enough to cover the thinning patch.

So much mach mach, I tell you. Duggu might as well take some tips from Salman Khan, who seems to have finally got the right hair-weaving job done. So what if it happened after all those bad hair years.

Duggu just needs to pay a visit to the place Sallu bhai went the last time.

Hai na?

T

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

Salman’s problematic security

alking of Salman Khan, my Rapchik Rajni is vehemently voicing her grouse against him.

She feels he should teach his security guys how to behave with the media. Nah, it’s not about Shera this time, but about Raju, the star’s make-up artist who has started his own security agency.

I’m told this Raju’s employees were hired as security personnel at the wedding reception of Pankti Mehta — daughter of Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision head honcho, Dhillin Mehta — on Saturday evening at Chitrakoot Grounds, Andheri.

Seems star guests were being nice to the press photographers, but the security didn’t approve. So even while Katrina Kaif and Aftab Shivdasani were posing for pictures, the guards began to push and even beat some of the lensmen.

Since they couldn’t risk damaging their expensive equipment, the photographers opted to register a complaint at the nearest police station.

Of course, the cops too agreed with their viewpoint and sounded off the security in-charge for the maara-maari. Rajni says that the lensmen have made up their minds to take up the issue with Sallu and tell him to put Raju and his men in place.

Hmm, baat mein dum to hai. What say Sallu?

Ranbir-Deepika:

AD LIBBING N

ow a birdy from Bandra has dropped in to ask what is wrong with Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.

Ab kya hua, I wonder and he says that the two expremis seem to be in a race for more media attention. Huh? Tweety says that Ranbir is flagging off a motorcycle rally today at 10.30 a m at Bandra Kurla Complex. And around the same time, Deepi will be launching a fairness product at Grand Hyatt hotel. So? So tweety reasons that when the two were a couple, one would wait till the other’s event got over, but that’s not the case anymore. She claims that Dee pi and Ranbir have scheduled their events around the same time today to see who’s the bigger media puller of the two. Really now!

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

HOLLYWOOD

BIEL’S TIP FOR MEN A

ctress Jessica Biel has doled out advice for men finding it hard to find a date. “No cheesy lines,” the actress said in a video interview in Los Angeles.

“A cheesy line is ‘Do you have a mirror in your pocket because I can see myself in your pants?’,” Biel said, as reported by the Daily Telegraph. Biel’s latest movie is the animated family comedy, Planet 51, featuring an all-star cast of voice talent such as John Cleese, Gary Oldman, Justin Long, Dwayne Johnson and Sean William Scott.

Penelope’s memory lapse A

ctress Penelope Cruz has revealed that she has no recollection of the Academy awards night because she had almost fainted with tension.

“I feel frustrated that I can’t remember anything about that evening. All I felt was that I was on the border of passing out from tension.

That I remember very well,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted Cruz as saying.

Earlier this year, Cruz had won the Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

“All I remember is thinking was ‘What am I doing here? How did this happen?’” she added.

Despite her glowing movie career, the 35year-old starlet still has problems with her selfesteem.

“I have always been very self-critical. It’s one of those things I don’t feel I should try to change,” said Cruz.

Justin longs for drew’s company

A

ctress Drew Barrymore and actor Justin Long are getting serious about each other. Long made some quick moves to show his support for his lady love when a scheduling conflict landed both of their premieres (he is in the upcoming Serious Moonlight and she is in Everybody’s Fine).After Long walked the red carpet for his flick at Cinema 2 on the upper East Side with co-star Meg Ryan, the bubbly blond asked the actor if he was coming with her inside the theatre.

However, Justin whispered to her, “I’m being Mr. Hollywood tonight... I have another premiere to go to!”

Shortly after that, spies further downtown at the Loews Union Square, where Barrymore’s premiere was taking place, saw Long sneak on in.

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 23

Daniel to bare it all A

fter stripping on stage for his part in the play Equus, actor Daniel Radcliffe will be seen baring all in the next Harry Potter movie.

The actor will surprise fans when he gets close to Emma Watson’s character Hermione Granger during a fantasy sequence in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, reported femalefirst.co.uk.

“There are a couple of scenes in the new film in which he will undress, but we’re still thinking about how we present it,” said director David Yates.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is being split into two installments and the first is due for release next year. It is unclear in which parts the nude scenes will appear.

24 THURSDAY, DEC 10, 2009

RELIGION & SPRITUALITY

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

Stay steadfast on the path of 'Dharma'

O Pyramid meditation

I

n today's world of stress and tension, there are many South Mumbaiites who turn to meditation to help them keep their cool.

But, Shreyans and Pinky Daga of Breach Candy believe that pyramid meditation that is practicing meditation under a specially-built pyramid greatly enhances its benefits.

28-year-old Shreyans says, "It's a scientific fact that the geometric structure of the pyramid collects and radiates energy. So, when one meditates under a pyramid, the energy power of the practitioner increases. Not just that, things kept under a pyramid similarly get energized and their freshness remains for a long time."

Shreyans and Pinky Daga claim to be the only teachers of this technique in downtown. They have been teaching pyramid meditation from their residence since the last five years. Shreyans is also the founder-president of the Mumbai Pyramid Spiritual Society.

It has recently started the construction of a pyramid in a village near Thane. Pinky delves into the history of pyramid meditation.

"In Greek, pyramid means 'in the middle of fire' (pyro= fire, amid= in the middle). Of all the four elements, fire represents universal energy and power. About 10,000 years ago, the Egyptians built the Great Pyramids at Gizeh as store houses of universal energy. The power of the pyramid was obtained through a blending of the radiated cosmic energy with that of the gravitational force of the earth," she explains.

The Dagas add, "Many believe that the Great Pyramids at Gizeh, one of the seven wonders of the world, was originally built to balance the energies of the earth. It's located at the exact centre of the earth's land mass. Scholars have also confirmed that the pyramid was built as an instrument of initiation into altered and higher states of consciousness."

Today, that same ancient wisdom and science is creating modern-day store houses of energy. "Many people have built pyramids which fit the size of their homes and offices, for meditation purposes. Pyramid meditation has revealed manifold benefits. It's been proven that it preserves fruits, milk and other perishables. An apple kept under a pyramid will not rot even after 10 days. Used razors and knives get sharpened. Many people have reported using the same blade for over a year when stored under a small pyramid.

Pyramid meditation is also supposed to have healing properties. By practising this technique, wounds, boils, and bruises heal quicker; it ensures weight loss, and increases resistance to diseases. It has been known to cure asthma, toothaches, migraine, common cold, high blood pressure, arthritis, epilepsy and insomnia. Drinking pyramid energised water cures conjunctivitis, helps digestion, and gives the skin a healthy glow.

"By meditating under a pyramid, our whole being is revitalized; the mental, intellectual capacities are increased, and the energy centers gets activated easily," says Pinky.

Pyramid meditation and usage of pyramid power is becoming increasingly common in many places. The Pyramid Spiritual Society has built close to 14 pyramids nationwide, with the largest 1,000-person capacity pyramid being built in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.

nce there was a king. He was a strong spiritualist, a dharmik.

Whatever he said he did and whatever he did he said. One day the king declared that he would buy anything that remained unsold in the village market. People flocked to the market.

A sculptor brought an idol of the goddess Alaksmi, which negates wealth.

Who would want to keep an idol Alaksmi in their house? Nobody bought it. In the evening the sculptor came to the king and said: "Please take this idol and be true to your words." The king bought it.

Alaksmi entered the palace. At midnight the king heard a woman weeping. He approached her, asking, "Mother, why are you weeping? What is the matter"? "I am the goddess of wealth, Rajyalaksmi", she replied. "Now that Alaksmi has entered the palace, how can I live here?" The king said, "Very well, for the protection of dharma I have to keep Alaksmi here. If you do not want to live here, you may go". So the goddess of wealth left.

After some time the Raja heard the

A

beautician has offered tips on how the shape of eyebrows can gain an insight into somebody's personality.

Chernae Silk, called the "brow whisperer'', learnt the art of facereading in Europe and claims she can reveal insight into a person's character.

The 31-year-old crowned Australian model Jennifer Hawkins for having the most fashionable brow shape at the moment.

"Jennifer's shape is the new celebrity brow, which I've named `the oracle'. It starts full and thick, then tapers towards the temple", the Daily Telegraph quoted her as saying.

"Jennifer has a brow shape that has changed since her cheerleading days, and the new style she is sporting will help her with her business pursuits,'' she added. The beauty therapist further said those with naturally low-set brows, for example Arnold Schwarzenegger, were good at controlling their feelings but often had a restricted point of view. Speaking about people with upward-growing brow hair, such as cricketer Shane Warne, she added: "Those who have stand-up growth at the front of the brow like Shane don't like to live a quiet life; they love to be entertained. He enjoys a challenge and has a brave heart.''

sound of footsteps. He saw a man and asked, "Who are you?" The reply was: "I am Narayana." The king asked: "Where are you going?" Narayana replied: "Laksmi has left the palace, so I shall not live here." The king said, "To protect dharma, I have to keep Alaksmi, and so if you want to leave the palace, you may go; what can I do?" Narayana left. After that all the gods and goddesses left the palace. The king said, "If you all so desire you may go". In the end a glorious personality appeared. "Who are you?" asked the king. The reply was" "I am dharma raja, the king of dharma. As all the other gods and goddesses have left the palace, I am also leaving." The king replied, "It cannot be. To protect dharma I kept Alaksmi. Oh Dharmaraj, how can you leave me?" Dharma Raja said, "You are right. I will not leave."

Since Dharma remained there, Narayana slowly entered through the back door. The king said to him, "If you wish you may come." Laksmi followed him, covering her face, because she did not dare to show her face to the king.

Then all the gods and goddesses started entering. They said "Where there is

dharma, where there is Narayana and Laksmi, we shall also go and remain."

Dharmabal is the biggest force. For those who have such a force, the worldly force is meaningless. You were with Dharma, you are with Dharma and you will be with Dharma. Don't fear anybody. We should move on the path of Dharma even if Lakshmi leaves. Those who oppose Dharma will be destroyed.

There are three stages of people: Uttam or superior, madhyam or middle standard, adham or inferior. The adham people always think, "Can I do that great work, can I do? Shall I do? No, perhaps, I won't be able to do great work." They always avoid such work. The madhyam people come forward, associate them to do great work but when obstacles come, they dissociate themselves from the great work. The uttam people always participate in great work. Such people cannot come from the path of Dharma because there are impediments on that path. They will be victorious. So you must be adhering to Dharma. Victory is in your pocket. You shouldn't cry for victory. You shouldn't run after victory; rather victory will seek you out.

Your eyebrows are a window

TO YOUR CHARACTER

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

HEALTH & FITNESS

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 25

Is snoring good for health?

It might be frustrating for the partner, but it seems snoring is actually good for health. That's the controversial suggestion

emerged from a For years, the condition, which causes interruptions in breathing during sleep,

has been linked to high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks.

But the Israeli study of 600 people over the age of 65 has claimed that the risk of early death in people with moderate sleep apnea was less than half that of people with no history of snoring, The Daily Mail reported.

The study also found that the risk of early death for those with a severe form of the condition was the same as a healthy control group, when it was expected to be higher.

"One theory is that the constant breaks in oxygen and blood supply to organs, caused by the pauses in the breathing, somehow strengthen the heart and brain; this means that if a heart attack or a stroke occurs, the body is better able to deal with it," said the report.

However, Professor Jim Horne, head of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, said: "It is better to get heavy snoring treated rather than assume it will prolong life."

Sleep apnea can result in the airways in the throat collapsing, cutting off the air supply for about ten seconds a time.

Turmeric, pepper help keep breast cancer at bay

S

pices like turmeric and pepper contain compounds that have the potential to prevent breast cancer by limiting the growth of stem cells, the small number of cells that fuel a tumor's growth, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.

The researchers found that when the dietary compounds curcumin, which is derived from the Indian spice turmeric, and piperine, derived from black peppers, were applied to breast cells in culture, they decreased the number of stem cells without affecting normal differentiated cells.

"If we can limit the number of stem cells, we can limit the number of cells with potential to form tumors," said lead author Dr. Madhuri Kakarala.

Cancer stem cells are the small number of cells within a tumor that fuel the tumor's growth.

A

n apple a day may keep the doctor away, but eating homegrown vegetables will make you live longer.

So say the residents of the sleepy English village of Montacute, who have just been found to have the longest life expectancy in Britain.

An analysis of more than three million pension records shows 65year-olds living in Montecute can expect to live for an average of 25

chemotherapies do not work against these cells, which is why cancer recurs and spreads.

According to researchers, eliminating the cancer stem cells is key to controlling cancer.

In addition, decreasing the number of normal stem cells - unspecialized cells that can give rise to any type of cell in that organ - can decrease the risk of cancer.

In the current study, a solution of curcumin and piperine was applied to the cell cultures at the equivalent of about 20 times the potency of what could be consumed through diet. The compounds are available at this potency in a capsule form that could be taken by mouth.

The researchers applied a series of tests to the cells, looking at markers for breast stem cells and the effects of curcumin and piperine, both alone and combined, on the

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Garlic, chilli 'ineffective' against A/H1N1virus

arlic and chilli, which are traditionally thought to keep flu at bay, are ineffective against A/H1N1 influenza, experts have claimed.

The price of garlic in China has increased by more than 500 percent this winter. Seemingly, the public is buying more because of the fear of the spread of the deadly virus.

However, Wu Jiang, head of the immunity division under the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has tried to break the myth.

Wu said during a live web cast on Qianlong.com, the municipal government-run news portal: "There is no scientific proof that either garlic or chili is effective against the flu." He added: "The two ingredients may work for people to improve their digestive functions and stay healthy, but they are definitely not useful for curing the flu."

Garlic has been currently priced at 7.40 yuan per 500 g at the Xinfadi market, the largest vegetable market in Beijing, reports the China Daily . The rate is excessively high as it cost less than 1 yuan per 500 g before the H1N1 outbreak.

Liu Tong, head of Xinfadi''s market department, insisted the price would soon drop, the Beijing Times reported.

She said: "It is pure rumor that red pepper farmers and sellers are stocking up on the ingredient and waiting for the prices to soar like garlic.

"The price is rising because it needs to recover from a major drop earlier this year amid the economic slowdown." "Pet owners should pay attention when playing with them. I would suggest people not to kiss their puppies during this particular period," Wu said during the web cast.

stem cell levels.

They found that piperine enhanced the effects of curcumin, and that the compounds interrupted the self-renewal process that is the hallmark of cancerinitiating stem cells.

Besides, the compounds had no affect on cell differentiation, which is the normal process of cell development.

"This shows that these compounds are not toxic to normal breast tissue. Women at high risk of breast cancer right now can choose to take the drugs tamoxifen or raloxifene for prevention, but most women won't take these drugs because there is too much toxicity. The concept that dietary compounds can help is attractive, and curcumin and piperine appear to have very low toxicity," said Kakarala. The study is the first to suggest these dietary compounds could prevent cancer by targeting stem cells.

Secret of long life: grow your own veggies more years, taking them up to 90.

In contrast, 65-year-olds living in some other parts of England can expect an average of 17 more years.

Residents say the key to long life is growing your own vegetables, eating an onion a day, drinking locally-sourced spring water and walking.

Britain's state-funded healthcare

system, which is free for the aged and the poor, also came in for praise.

All Montacute villagers have their own little allotments - garden patches - where they grow vegetables such as onions, potatoes, spinach and beans.

"People are happy. We were always happy -- poor," said one resident, 90.

The study, carried out by actuaries

at the international business consultancy Watson Wyatt, focused on men only. The company said the evidence was that it would hold true for women too, who would typically live two years longer than men.

The Guardian reported: "Bill Dufton, 83, was to be found on top of a ladder, restoring the window frames of his 500-year-old home."

26 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

FOOD

Badam Padpe Uppukari

Ingredients ( Serves 4 ) Mola-keerai (cleaned, washed & chopped) 500 gm Onion sliced 160 gm Crushed whole garlic 12 flakes Red chilli whole 5 nos Green chilli (pounded coarsely) 6 nos Urad dal 10 gm / 1 tbs Mustard seeds 10 gm / 1 tbs Cumin 10 gm / 1 tbs Curry leaves 1 sprig Oil 90 ml / 6 tbs Almonds (blanched and split) 140 gm / 1 cup Salt to taste

Method Heat oil in pan and add red chilli, urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves. Saute till mustard seeds splutter. Add sliced onions, crushed green chilli, crushed garlic, chopped molak keerai and split almonds.

Cook, stirring continuously till water evaporates and the greens are cooked.

Add salt and check seasoning.

Serve hot.

Here's why men cheat on women

WOMEN & HEALTH

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

Will your marriage survive?

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hat's love got to do with it (the 'it' being marriage)?

Not a whole lot, apparently.

At least if you believe this Australian study which states that factors like kids, age, money and err‌ smoking habits had a lot to do with whether a couple stayed married or not.

Factor #1: Chances of divorce double in a marriage where the husband is nine or more years older than his wife.

Doc-speak: A couple that has been married for some time can develop better and higher understanding for each other it's not very difficult. In case of such an obvious age difference, a wife must connect with her husband emotionally more and than physically.

A husband, even if he is nine or more years older, can indulge his wife and keep her emotionally satisfied. Regular communication and going out for walk and sharing with each other on a regular basis, is the key to avoid divorce.

Factor #2: Chances of divorce double in a marriage where the husband tied the knot before turning 25.

Doc-speak: It's not always the case, unless the husband's concept of marriage is just pleasure-seeking opportunity and the wife is treated as a plaything. Otherwise, he can be a responsible husband and can take care of his wife.

Factor # 3: One in five couples who have children before marriage, or from a previous relationship, are more likely to part.

Doc-speak: Marriage needs constant nourishment on a day-to-day and on-going basis. If anything from the past is allowed an unduly important role in current life, then the marriage may suffer. A child from a previous marriage may unknowingly play this role if the parents don't fulfill their roles responsibly.

There is a dire need to strike a balance between current responsibility and the past.

Factor # 4: Women who want children more than their husbands are more likely to divorce.

Doc-speak: At times, women can be impulsive or hasty in having children and do not allow their husbands to emotionally and financially prepare for the

responsibility. When a wife lacks sensitivity towards her husband or vice versa, they refuse to discuss and understand each other's point of view, that's when divorce can occur. Otherwise, healthy communication and sensitivity towards each other, as well as a natural desire and need, will certainly prevent divorce.

Factor # 5: Relationships where only one partner smokes or where the wife is a heavier drinker, are also likely to end.

Doc-speak: In a marriage, each partner has to sacrifice, adjust and accommodate each other. It's a joint effort for each other's enjoyment. Follow this principle so your marriage can progress and you can remain happy.

Factor# 6: Couples (16 % of

respondents, in the case of the study) who live on a low income, or where the husband is unemployed, are likely to go their separate ways.

Doc-speak: Marriage means responsibility toward each other, and making sure that the house runs successfully and satisfactorily. Every wife wishes that her husband will provide security by maintaining the home.

But there are times when the husband is sincerely trying to get a job or is in between two jobs. It's up to the wife to treat the situation with delicacy and not let her husband feel burdened or guilty; otherwise he will feel disenchanted of her.

A tough situation need not necessarily lead to divorce, provided a couple is willing to work on their relationship!

ANGRY WOMEN 'LOOK MANLY' The allegations of extramarital affairs are often associated with men who are perceived to be promiscuous. However, a Wake Forest University researcher debunks the stereotype with his new finding. According to Andrew Irwin-Smiler, majority of boys and men prioritize and value emotional connection to their partner."As a culture, we have a perception that men just want sex and that all men are promiscuous," said Smiler.

But the research shows that while men do have more partners than women, most men only have one partner at a time as majority of boys and men seek emotional connection with their partner.Smiler's research also shows that the popular media fuels the perception that men are promiscuous with television characters such a Fonzie in Happy Days, Hawkeye Pierce in Mash, Sam Malone in Cheers, Joey Tribbiani in Friends and Charlie Harper in 2 ½ Men. The high-profile scandals involving public figures only add to the common misperceptions of men's sexual behavior.

When women get angry they look masculine, claims a new study.

The study claimed that the association between anger and men and happiness and women is so strong that it can influence the decisions about the gender of another person when that person is viewed briefly "Why is it that men can be bastards and women must wear pearls and smile?" wrote author Lynn Hecht Schafran.

In two studies, researchers asked subjects to identify the sex of a series of faces. In the first study, androgynous faces with lowered eyebrows and tight lips (angry expressions) were more likely to be identified as male, and faces with smiles and raised eyebrows (expressions of happiness and fear) were often labeled feminine.

The second study used male and female faces wearing expressions of happiness, anger, sadness, fear or a neutral expression.

Overall, subjects were able to identify male faces more quickly than female faces, and female faces that expressed anger took the longest to identify. "The present research shows that the association between anger and men and happiness and women is so strong that it can influence the decisions about the gender of another person when that person is viewed briefly," said Dr. Ursula Hess, from the Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Montreal. According to the report, the findings from this study as well as others lead to the idea that "the face is a complex social signaling system in which signals for emotion, behavioral intentions and sex all

overlap."

Hess said that the same cues that make a face appear male - a high forehead, a square jaw and thicker eyebrows - have been linked to perceptions of dominance.

Similarly, features that make a face appear female - a rounded, baby face with large eyes - have been linked to perceptions of the individual being approachable and warm. "This difference in how the emotions and social traits of the two sexes are perceived could have significant implications for social interactions in a number of settings. Our research demonstrates that equivalent levels of anger are perceived as more intense when shown by men rather than women, and happiness as more intense when shown by women rather than men.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA HAWA MAHAL - built in 1799, by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, is the most recognizable monument of Jaipur. The 5 storied stunning semi-octagonal monument having 152 windows with over hanging latticed balconies is a fine piece of Rajput architecture. Originally designed for the royal ladies to watch and enjoy the processions and other activities, on the street below. Now it houses a well laid out museum. The display "Jaipur past and present" is the special feature of this newly setup museum. Timing 10.00 to 16.30 hrs, Entry Fee Rs. 5.00: Phone: 2618862 JANTAR MANTAR (Observatory) - built in 18th century by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the huge masonary instruments were used to study the movement of constellations and stars in the sky. Enormous sun-dial still provide accurate time, which are subject to daily corrections. Timing 9.00 to 16.30 hrs, Entry Fee Rs. 10.00, Phone: 2610494 CITY PALACE AND S.M.S. II MUSEUM - situated in the heart of the old City, it occupies about one seventh of the old city area. The palace is a blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture, it houses a Seven storeyed Chandra Mahal in the centre, which affords a fine view of the gardens and the city. Diwan-EAm (Hall of public audience) has intricate decorations and collection of manuscripts, Diwan-E-Khas (Hall of private audience) has a marble pawed gallery Mubarak Mahal has a rich collection of costumes and textiles. There is a Clock Tower near Mubarak Mahal. Sileh Khana has a collection of armory and weapons.

Timing 9.30 to 16.45 hrs. Entry Fee for Indians Rs. 35.00 and for foreigners Rs.150.00 inclusive of entry to Jaigarh fort, Phone: 2608055 ISHWAR LAT - 'Swarg Suli' or 'heaven piercing minaret', the tower, near Tripolia gate, built by Maharaja Ishwari Singh (1744-51). It offers one of the most breathtaking view of the city.

CENTRAL MUSEUM - situated in the Ram Niwas Garden. This graceful building was founded in 1876 by Prince Albert (also known as Albert Hall). It has a rare collection of archaeological and handicraft pieces. Timing 10.00 to 16.30 hrs, Entry Fee for Indians Rs. 5.00, for foreigners As. 30.00, Phone: 2570099 DOLLS MUSEUM - a collection of beautiful dolls from all over the world, it is situated on Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg. Timing 10.00 to 16.00 hrs, Phone: 2619369 BIRLA PLANETARIUM - It offers unique audio-visual education about stars and entertainment with its modern computerised projection system. Entry fee As. 20.00 show timings: 11.00, 13.00, 15.00, 17.00, 18.00, 19.00 hrs. Phone: 2381594 JALMAHAL - (6 kms) on the way to Amer, this small palace is set in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. Renovation around the lake is in progress.

GAITOR - (6 kms) At the foot hill of Nahargarh stands the memorials to the former rulers of Jaipur the place has some gracefully carved cenotaphs in white marble.

JAIGARH FORT - (15 kms.) standing on a hilltop, overlooking the palaces and city of Amer. The world's biggest cannon on wheelsthe Jai Ban is positioned here, built during reign of Maharaja Sawai Jaisingh. It has a twenty feet long barrel and pumped in the cannon for a single shot. Timing 10.00 to 16.45 hrs, Entry Fee for Indians Rs. 15.00 & for foreigners Rs. 20.00, Phone: 2630848 NAHARGARH FORT - (15 kms.) cresting a hill about 600 ft. above the city, the fort was built in 1734. The walls of the fort run along

TRAVEL

the ridge and within are architectural beauties like Hawa Mandir and Madhvendra Bhawan.

Timing 10.00 to 16.00 hrs, Entry Fee Rs. 5.00,

Phone: 5148044 GALTA - (10 kms.) This holy pilgrimage centre has a temple dedicated to the Sun God

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 27

(Which is the only one of its kind in this part of the country) and natural spring. It crests the ridge over a picturesque gorge and provides an impressive view of the city. As the legend goes, sage Galav performed a difficult penance here.

MOTIDOONGARI - perched on a hill top on the southern horizon. It is a replica of a Scottish castle.

LAXMI NARAYAN TEMPLE - is situated just below the Moti 000ngri, known for the intricate marble carvings in white marble, popularly known as Birla Temple.

MAHARANI K! CHHATRI - The funeral place for the royal ladies, marked by some wonderfully carved cenotaphs.

SISODIA RANI GARDEN - (5 kms.) on the road to Agra, the magnificent palace garden was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1710 for his queen. Timings 8.00 to 18.00 hrs.

Entry fee Rs. 5.00, Phone: 2680494 VIDHYADHAR GARDEN - (5 kms.) on the way to Agra, built by Viyadhar, the chief architect and town planner of Jaipur. This beautiful terraced garden has several galleries and pavilions decorated with exquisite murals, depicting Lord Krishna. Timing 9.00 to 18.00 hrs, Entry Fee Rs. 5.00 KANAK VRINDAVAN - (6.5 Kms on the way to Amer) This newly restored temple and garden, near Jal Mahal, has beautiful gardens and is popular picnic place. This is also beautiful location for film shooting. Entry fee Rs. 4.00 & Timings 8.00 to 17.00 hrs, Phone: 2634596 AMER - The old capital of the Kachhwahas stands atop a range of craggy hills. The fort is remarkable as much for the majestic grandeur of its surroundings as for its sturdy battlements and beautiful palaces. It is a fine blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture. The solemn dignity of it red sandstone and white marble pavilions, when reflected in the lake at the foot hill, is a sight to behold. The original palace was built by Raja Man Singh, the additional extensions were built by Maharaja Mirja Raja Jai Singh and Sawai Jai Singh lIthe last Maharaja of Amer, who built a new city called Jaipur, where he shfted his capital in 1727.

28 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

LITERATURE

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

Freedom movement, a holistic feat Multiple layers of nationalist consciousness add to dynamism and complexity

T

his volume is another significant addition to the ICHR's project of documenting India's freedom movement as a holistic struggle for both political independence and "social justice, economic empowerment against exploitation, and cultural autonomy." Professor Panikkar competently collates a range of hitherto little used official and non-official sources, mostly in English, for four crucial ingredients of nationalist politics of 1940 - the Second World War's impact on Indian politics; constitutional deliberations; individual satyagraha; and the rising tide of communalism.

Responses

The first chapter highlights the diverse political responses to the World War. While the Raj wanted the subcontinent as "a war base," the Congress, unequivocally opposing fascism, refused to rescue, what Jawaharlal called, "a tottering imperialism." The Congress condemned Britain's declaration of India as a "belligerent country" without its consent, and resented London's refusal to promise India's independence after the war.

The Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha, however, supported the British war effort, seeking furtherance of their sectarian interests. The League sought colonial trust in its Muslim leadership; the Mahasabha saw the war as an opportunity for "Hindu militarisation" and the country's industrialisation. M.N. Roy's League of Radical Congressmen supported the British, but stressed that fascism's defeat was indispensable to international anti-colonial struggle. For the Communist Party of India, the war was a manifestation of the contradictions within international capitalism.

Panikkar speaks about the support for Indian

EMPIRE OF THE MOGHUL - Raiders from the North: Alex Rutherford; Hachette India, 612/614 (6th Floor), Time Tower, M.G.Road, Sector 28, Gurgaon-122001.

H

istory has its heroes - warriors with flashing blades and piercing eyes; men who look adversity in the eye and often pillage and plunder when a note of mere admonishment might suffice. But how do you write about a warrior with the heart of a poet? A man who could traverse a thousand kilometres to keep aloft the family banner, yet just long for the simple joys of Samarkand fruits? A Muslim king who held wine parties and wrote about them too in his memoirs, being honest enough not to hide uncomfortable facts from posterity?

Yes, the inscrutable Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, here in Alex Rutherford's 430-odd page essay, gets a lavish spread, the author's fine comb not leaving many strands unexplored.

Rutherford is selective, and prefers subtleties when candour would have been better. But that is the way he writes; very little spade-forspade talk here. Euphemism is his durable companion. But he retains the essence as he seeks to give an account of Babur's life, not so much as a political figure, but as a man whose interests went beyond the usual.

Fine account

nationalism from such British academics as Lasky, Needham, and Robinson, who exposed Britain's double standard of fighting fascism in the name of democracy, but denying independence to India.

The second chapter highlights the complexities of constitutional negotiations.

Viceroy Linlithgow's proposal for 'Dominion Status' of the Westminster variety fell far short of the Congress' demand for a Constituent Assembly and "independence pure and simple." The Muslim League saw in the Viceroy's proposal the threat of a Hindu majority rule, and launched the Pakistan movement. Only the Hindu Mahasabha welcomed the Viceroy's offer. Increasing nationalist frustration at the British refusal to constitute a national government and withdraw restrictions on civil liberties made Gandhiji launch individual satyagraha and call for people's non-involvement in war efforts and participation in khadi, village uplift, and communal amity. The Communists, despite reservations about satyagraha's effectiveness, supported the movement to transform it into a "No Rent, No Tax and General Strike." The individual satyagraha, initiated by Vinobha Bhave, strengthened the "anti-colonial consciousness," although the liberals and the Muslim League thought its timing was "inopportune."

The fourth chapter ably documents this satyagraha, particularly highlighting the information culled from official fortnightly reports on the Press and the movement itself.

Subhas Bose-led Holwell Satyagraha in Calcutta and the shooting down of the former Punjab Governor, O'Dwyer in London also feature in the collection. Nehru justly wrote: "If the British are still imperialistic…no one

can save them."

The concluding part unfolds the growing communal divide. Both the Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha viewed Hindus and Muslims as exclusive categories. While the former used this hypothesis to claim a separate homeland for Indian Muslims, the latter advocated the Hindu right to rule India because "scientific and natural nationalism is the nationalism of the dominant religious community." B.R. Ambedkar hoped that Pakistan's creation would make the Muslims concerned more about their improvement than about the "salvation of Islam."

M.N. Roy considered the Pakistan question "a scarecrow" and a "distant issue." The present exercise, however, convincingly demonstrates that not all Indian Muslims accepted Jinnah's two-nation theory. The Kerala Provincial Political Conference, the All-India Azad Muslim Conference, and the South Indian Nationalist Muslim Association viewed the Pakistan proposal "un-Islamic" where religion was being used to mislead the Muslims and help British paramountcy. The All-India Muslim Independent Conference pleaded not for a Hindu or Muslim or Sikh Raj, but for a Panchayati Raj. The Momins opposed the Pakistan scheme because it would leave Muslims in a minority province unprotected, and the Islamic holy places, key industries and natural reserves in "Hindu states."

Resistance

There is an interesting excerpt from Tarikh Shia, calling for the demolition of those mosques and temples that promote communalism. The Sikh and Christian leaders, too, disputed the League's claim to represent all minorities. But, as Panikkar

TOWARDS FREEDOM - Documents on the Movement for Independence in India 1940 (Part-I): Edited by K.N. Panikkar; Oxford University Press, YMCA Library Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi-110001. notes, resistance to communal mobilization was inadequate to counter the growing HinduMuslim tensions, amply documented in the volume.Underpinning this collection are the multiple layers of nationalist consciousness that imparted nationalist politics dynamism as well as complexity. The meticulous arrangement of the documents and an excellent explication, in the Introduction, of themes testify to the editor's mastery of the historian's craft. As with other volumes, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya's Editorial Preface adds to the value of this collection.

A warrior with a poet’s heart An account of a Muslim king, not so much as a political figure, but as a man whose interests went beyond the usual And, what a fine account of the man who laid the foundation for the mighty Moghul Empire in India, yet almost did not! Babur grew up listening to tales of heady triumphs of Timur, for whom the world was not big enough and he wanted to revive the days of glory. When he did become the destiny's chosen man for the revival of the glory of the Moghuls, he was young, actually too young.

Predictably, in came formidable women, his grandmother and mother, who cajoled, admonished, and guided him often, but almost always used him.

Rutherford's premise lends itself to a fine, fetching novel. In fact, his craft may just lend itself to a cinematic essay another day. He begins with young Babur's introduction to his heritage in a dusty Central Asian fortress, how the past was better than the formidable present.

However, it is no vain exercise in nostalgia, as the seed is sown in the young man of a doughty warrior then and there. If there is a little personal accident at the beginning, there

is one at the end too, as Babur prays for the life of his favourite son, Humayun, who is seriously ill. And ends up paying with his own life. It is a well documented fact of Babur's life.

But the joy in this book lies not in the destination but in the journey. Along the way, Rutherford gives us durable insights into Babur's life; the important role that women played in his life, his ability to record history as it unfolded around him, his language that was always precise and honest, and his love for things Central Asian. He fought hard on the plains of India, laid the foundation for an empire, yet at the height of his powers wondered if it was all worth the effort!

As Rutherford notes, "If Humayun died… it would be God's way of saying that everything Babur had striven for, everything he had achieved, had been for nothing…that he would never found an empire or a dynasty to prosper in Hindustan…that he should never have come - or, at the very least, not tried to outdo Timur by staying on."

Fascinated Rutherford is not the first to be fascinated

by Babur. Just a couple of years ago, Dilip Hiro rummaged through Babur's memoirs for his own version of Babur Nama. Rutherford, however, takes the liberty of omitting or overplaying certain aspects of the emperor's life. Even as he talks in detail about the father-son bonding and even mother-son relationship, he has lesser patience for manman bonding.

That Babur was fascinated by Baburi, a handsome young man who rose to heights because of the relationship, is well documented. But Rutherford merely skims the surface, his sieve coming in handy for him. Of course, he allows himself to say, "Though the loss of Baburi had felt like the death of part of himself, that had been a personal loss. If Humayun died it would…be something more too." That is a bit underwhelming in a novel that otherwise keeps its sanity all through. It is an engrossing first effort in what is going to be a quintet on the Moghuls.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

BUSINESS & FINANCE

End of the road for Bajaj scooters NEW DELHI (TIP): For Bajaj Auto, it's a case of looking to the future rather than the past. But consumers who remember India before liberalization will probably feel pangs of nostalgia at the announcement that Bajaj Auto is set to stop making scooters.

Many can still recall the days when waiting lists for Bajaj scooters stretched into years, with people willing to pay a premium equal to the original cost to get hold of one. The sturdy vehicles were much sought after as wedding gifts; strings were often pulled and quotas invoked to speed up the allotment. Once the world's biggest player in scooters, selling over a lakh units monthly in its heyday, Bajaj's long-running advertising campaign described 'hamara Bajaj' as the symbol of a resurgent India.

But rather than look into the rearview mirror, Bajaj Auto is focusing on the road ahead. Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj announced on Wednesday that the company was all set to bid adieu to the segment as it concentrates on

motorcycles, in line with its ambitions of emerging as the world's biggest bikemaker ahead of Honda. ''We have an opportunity to shoot for something... to be the

l a r g e s t motorcycle maker in the world,'' Bajaj said as he announced growth plans for the

motorcycle segment.

While the greater potential in the motorcycle segment may be one of the reasons prompting Bajaj to exit the scooter market, the company's listless performance in scooters would certainly be among the other compelling reasons behind the withdrawal, expected by the end of this fiscal.

Bajaj has seen its scooter volumes drop to barely a couple of hundreds per month. The company, which dominated the scooter market with geared brands like Chetak and Super, suffered in the 1990s with the coming of motorcycles in the market that were not only more stylish and appealing but they also offered greater mileage.

"We want to become a motorcycle specialist and do not want to distract ourselves by scooters and mopeds... we cannot get greedy and try to do everything," Bajaj said. "We are not developing scooters. We have no scooter on the drawing board."

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 29

Car sales surge to 6-year high NEW DELHI (TIP): With the economy back on a roll and disposable incomes rising, car sales are soaring. The positive environment saw car sales register their highest growth rate in nearly six years in November as sales were up a massive 61%, though a lower base also contributed to the numbers.

According to data released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, car sales in November stood at 1.33 lakh units in the domestic market, up from 83,121 in the same month last year. Demand has been helped by the surge in the stock markets as well as lower interest rates.

The rise in auto sales on a large scale depended on the launch of new models and lower tax on manufacturing, that was cut as part of government stimulus packages during the peak recession late last year.

Fifteen of the 16 carmakers reported a rise in November sales, Mahindra-Renault being the sole loser with a continued fall in demand for its no-frills sedan Logan. The growth in November sales is the largest increase since a 73% rise in February 2004.

"People are buying new vehicles and there is healthy demand in the market," said Vaishali Jajoo, automobile industry analyst at Angel Broking. Jajoo said the lower interest rates, higher liquidity and the pick-up in economic activity were leading the charge. "However, we have to remember that the high growth is also due to a lower base," she added.

Car sales had dipped as much as 19% in November last year when the global recession hit the Indian economy, raising the spectre of massive job losses and pay cuts.

Encouraged by the positive numbers, SIAM has said it will be revising upwards its forecast for car sales for this fiscal to double digits.

Two-wheeler sales also remained robust in the month and so was the demand for commercial vehicles, where volumes have been on the up for at 98% in November.

experience 718-659-5700 Cell 917-216-1300 24 hrs : 917-440-4440

30 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

SPORTS

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

YUVI MAY LOSE KING’S XI CAPTAINCY Tiger’s earnings NOT THE PRINCE ANY MORE may suffer after revelations

CHANDIGARH (TIP);: Yuvraj Singh is set to lose the captaincy of the King’s XI Punjab IPL team, a high-level source within the team’s management structure confirmed. “The management wants Yuvi to concentrate more on his game and it’s a thought that he should be relieved from the burden of the captaincy,” the source said.

“However, nothing concrete has been decided yet.” The team representative, who would not say anything on the record, insisted that Yuvraj’s removal from the captaincy had nothing to do with his form or leadership.The team owners believed Yuvraj’s services would be better utilised as a playing member if he concentrated on contributing more with the bat.

The source also denied reports that that Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara was the likely replacement. For his part Sangakkara has already made it clear that he had no ambitions of leading the IPL team. “I already have my hands full as the captain of the Sri Lankan team.

RAHUL DRAVID: After a disastrous first season Vijay Mallya quite publicly sacked Dravid as captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Dravid never made a public statement about the move, but flourished with the bat both under Kevin Pietersen and later Anil Kumble.

Yuvraj Singh may not lead the Kings XI Punjab next season.

SOURAV GANGULY: John Buchannan’s fancy theory on multiple captains did not work out, but Brendon McCullum replaced the much-loved Ganguly as skipper of the Kolkata Knight Riders. A nightmare season followed. Later, Buchannan has been sacked and Ganguly reinstated at the helm.

VIRENDER SEHWAG: One of the few captains to step down from the top job, Sehwag felt that the time had come for Gautam Gambhir to lead the team. The Delhi Daredevils have had strong results in both tournaments and there certainly doesn’t seem to be any bad blood over the captaincy.

VVS LAXMAN: After a poor first edition Laxman was quietly eased out as skipper, along with some of the coaching staff. Adam Gilchrist took over the captaincy of the Deccan Chargers and completely turned results around as the team won the second edition in South Africa.

The management wants Yuvi to concentrate more on his game and it’s a thought that he should be relieved from the burden of the captaincy source from kings XI

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PCB requests ICC for matches against India Karachi: The cashstrapped Pakistan Cricket Board has requested the ICC’s special task force to arrange a series matches for its national team against India and a World XI at neutral venues to raise much needed funds. The proposal was made by PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt during his meeting with the ICC task force members in Dubai last week.

Tanvir signs up with Victoria Bushrangers Melbourne: Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir today replaced Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan as one of the two foreign recruits in the Australian state side Victoria Bushrangers for the upcoming KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. “The 24-year-old Tanvir, 24 joined West Indian Dwayne Bravo as the two international signings for the tournament, following the withdrawal of Sri Lankan spin king Muttiah Muralidaran, who has scheduling conflicts,” the Bushrangers said in a statement.

Tiger Woods LONDON (TIP): The amount of money Tiger Woods, the world No1 golfer, earns from his product endorsements could be at risk after the series of revelations about his private life has lowered his standing with the public.

Woods had been ranked as the sixth most valuable endorser according to the Davie-Brown Index used by marketers and advertising agencies to determine the influence of personalities on consumer behaviour. However, he has now fallen to 24th on that list, according to Bloomberg.The golfer earns a reported $110m (£67.5m) annual income from his endorsements and appearances at tournaments. Forbes magazine ranked him as the fourth highest-paid celebrity for the 12 months leading up to the end of June this year. However, despite Forbes also reporting he was the first athlete to top $1bn in career earnings, his income may fall in the wake of the recent scandals.Not one of Woods's sponsors has aired an advert featuring the golfer since 29 November, two days after the car crash that sparked the revelations. The Davie-Brown Index tracks 2,800 celebrities and was created as a means to measure personalities' influence over consumer spending.

Gatorade drops tiger’s drink Gatorade is discontinuing its Tiger Woods drink but says it made the decision before the golfer's car accident led to a media firestorm surrounding his personal life. The decision to drop the drink, called Tiger Focus, was first reported by trade publication Beverage Digest in an issue dated Nov. 25, two days before the incident at Woods' home. The publication’s editor, John Sicher, said he learned of the decision the week of Nov. 9. The brand a unit of PepsiCo Inc. - says the decision does not have to do with recent events.

Sehwag back in top-five of Test rankings Dubai: Riding on his match-winning 293 in the third Test against Sri Lanka, Virender Sewhag stormed into the top-five while his opening partner Gautam Gambhir continued to lead the charts in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings for Test batsmen. It is the first time since October 2006 that Sehwag has returned to the top five. From the Mumbai Test alone, the 31year-old from New Delhi has gained 91 points which makes him one of the six batsmen above the 800-point mark.

IPL may not take many Englishmen: Morris London: English cricketers are unlikely to find many takers in the third Indian Premier League next year as they would be unavailable for most part of the cash-rich Twenty20 event, says Rajasthan Royals franchise CEO Sean Morris. “I don’t think there will be that many more England players involved. Teams have worked out that to have Australian or English players coming and going doesn’t necessarily make for the best structure of a side,” he said.

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Nasa's eye in the sky to scan for objects posing threat to Earth LOS ANGELES (TIP): Nasa's latest space telescope will scan the sky in search of never-before-seen asteroids, comets, stars and galaxies, with one of its main tasks to catalog objects posing a danger to Earth. The sky-mapping WISE, or WideField Infrared Survey Explorer, is scheduled to launch before dawn on Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the central California coast aboard a Delta 2 rocket.

If all goes as planned, WISE will orbit some 325 miles above the Earth and produce the most detailed map yet of the cosmos. It is designed to detect objects that give off infrared light or heat. Infrared light is ideal for uncovering dusty, cold and distant objects that often can't be seen by optical telescopes.

The mission is expected to find millions of hard-to-see objects, said principal investigator Edward Wright of the University of California, Los Angeles. "It's really a mission to survey everything that's out there," Wright said. "What we're trying

to do is make a map of the universe."

Scientists estimate it will take six months for WISE to peruse the entire sky.

The spacecraft will circle the Earth 15 times a day and take about 7,500 images a day in four infrared wavelengths. WISE

will catalog the locations and sizes of nearEarth objects such as asteroids and comets that could threaten Earth. The $320 million mission should help current and future spacecraft zero in on the most interesting objects for detailed studies.

Greenhouse gases endanger human health: US WASHINGTON (TIP): The Environmental Protection Agency took a major step Monday toward regulating greenhouses gases, concluding that climate changing pollution threatens Americans' health and the environment.

The announcement came as the Obama administration looked to boost its arguments at an international climate conference that the United States is aggressively taking actions to combat global warming, even though Congress has yet to act on climate legislation. The conference opened Monday in Copenhagen.

The EPA said that the scientific evidence surrounding climate change clearly shows that greenhouse gases ``threaten the public health and welfare of the American people'' and that the pollutants, mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, should be regulated under the Clean Air Act. "These long-overdue findings cement 2009's place in history as the year when the United States government began addressing the challenge of greenhouse-gas pollution,'' said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at news conference.

The action by the EPA, which has been anticipated for months, clearly was timed to add to the momentum toward some sort of agreement on climate change at the Copenhagen conference and try to push Congress to approve climate legislation.

"This is a clear message to Copenhagen of the Obama administration's commitments to address global climate change," said Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat and lead author of a climate bill before the Senate. ``The message to Congress is

Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 31

US approves 1st 'ethical' human stem cell lines WASHINGTON (TIP)US government approved the first 13 batches of human embryonic stem cells, enabling researchers using them to get millions of dollars in federal funding as promised by President Barack Obama in March.

The batches, known as lines, were made by two researchers at Harvard University and Rockefeller University using private funds, said Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health. "Today we are announcing the approval of the first 13 stem cell lines," Collins told reporters.

In March, Obama lifted restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research imposed by his predecessor, George Bush. He could not lift a restriction set by Congress, called the Dickey-Wicker amendment, that forbids the use of federal money to make the stem cells, which require destruction of a human embryo. But the decision made it possible for researchers to use federal funds to work with cells that others have made.

The NIH set up a panel to decide which stem cell lines met strict ethical restrictions. The cells, for instance, have to have been made using an embryo donated from leftovers at fertility clinics, and parents must have signed detailed consent forms. Stem cells are the body's ultimate master cells. They make up days-old embryos and have the power to give rise to all the cells and tissues in the body. Scientists hope to use them to transform medicine by growing new tissue and repairing damage. Opponents say it is wrong to destroy human embryos for any reason.

But Collins said the NIH-approved lines represent an acceptable compromise. "I think the broad consensus among most of the public ... is that stem cell research of this ethically acceptable kind should go forward," he said.

"These were derived from embryos derived under ethically sound consent processes."

2009 one of world's hottest years since 1850

crystal clear: get moving.''

Under a Supreme Court ruling, the socalled endangerment finding is needed before the EPA can regulate carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases released from automobiles, power plants, and factories under the federal Clean Air Act. The EPA signaled last April that it was inclined to view heat-trapping pollution as a threat to public health and welfare and began to take public comments under a formal rulemaking. The action marked a reversal from the Bush administration, which had refused before leaving office to issue the finding, despite a conclusion by EPA scientists that it was warranted.

Business groups have strongly argued against tackling global warming through the Clean Air Act, saying it is less flexible and more costly than the cap-and-trade bill being considered before Congress. On Monday, some of those groups questioned

the timing of the EPA's announcement, calling it political. ``The implications of today's action by EPA are farreaching...individual Americans and consumers and businesses alike will be dramatically affected by this decision,'' said Charles T. Drevna, the president of the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. Drevna, in a statement, said ``it is hardly the time to risk the remainder of the U.S. industrial sector in an attempt to achieve a short-term international public relations victory.'' Any regulations are also likely to spawn lawsuits and lengthy legal fights. The EPA and the White House have said regulations on greenhouse gases will not be imminent even after an endangerment finding, saying that the administration would prefer that Congress act to limit such pollution through an economy-wide cap on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

COPENHAGEN (TIP): This year is likely to rank as one of the "10 warmest" since 1850, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Tuesday in a report providing further evidence that the world is heating up. The report by the Geneva-based organization also found that the current decade was already warmer than the 1990s, which were in turn warmer than the 1980s. "Large parts of southern Asia and central Africa are likely to have the warmest year on record," the report said. And while a few weeks remain of 2009, data collected by the WMO between January and October suggests that average global temperatures were already 0.44 degrees Centigrade above the annual average for the 1961-1990 reference period.

"Warming is not uniform - there will still be cold winters and summers, but what we are talking about is a trend," WMO Secretary General Michel Jarraud said at the launch of the WMO report at the UN climate change conference underway in Copenhagen.

"Cold waves will become less frequent, and heat waves more frequent," he added. While above-normal temperatures were recorded in most parts of the continents, the US and Canada experienced conditions that were cooler than average, the UN agency said. China had its "thirdwarmest year in the last 50 years," Jarraud said, also mentioning "heatwaves in much of central and southern Europe" over the summer.

Australia also had its third-warmest year while in Africa, Burkina Faso, Zambia and Namibia were hit by floods affecting nearly one million people. El Salvador was also hit by intense storms, while severe flooding plighted India after a weak monsoon season.

32 Thursday, Dec 10, 2009

PICNEWS

THE INDIAN PANORAMA

Globosat Entertainment (Sahara One) organized a Holiday Party at Bombay Palace in Midtown Manhattan, New York on December 8th. The party was largely attended. The gathering included Consulate General of India staff, including the Consul General Prabhu Dayal and his wife, Chandni Dayal, media bigwigs and eminent Indian Americans from all walks of life, besides non Indian Americans.

In the picture are seen Rajan Singh, Executive Vice President for Sony Entertainment Television Asia (extreme left) Sudhir Vaishnav, President and CEO, Globosat Entertainment , Consul General of India Prabhu Dayal and his wife Chandni Dayal, and Darshan Jariwala, actor, Gandhi, My Father (at extreme right), besides others. at the Globosat Entertainment (Sahara One) Holiday Party in New York on December 8th . The party was largely attended.

Photo/ Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

Arvind Sanger Chairman Pratham USA, and Matthew Bishop, "The Economist" NY Bureau Chief during Pratham 2009 Gala at "The Pierre Hotel" New York on December 3rd Photo/ Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

Models at the "Mandap" during the Indian American Bridal Show in New Jersey on December 6th Photo/Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia The decorated and lit Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center in New York is a great attraction during the Holiday season. Thousands visit the place every day and enjoy the sight they would remember the whole life Photo/Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

Rickshaw for the Just Married at the Indian American Bridal Show in New Jersey on December 6th Photo/Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

Vijay Amritraj, legendary Tennis Player and Brand Ambassador IREO, Anurag Bhargava Chairman IREO, Louis Klein and Steven Wisch founding partners IREO show the model of IREO project in Pune. at a press conference in Manhattan, New York on December 6th. IREO currently has housing projects in Pune, Gurgaon and Ludhiana Photo/ Mohammed Jaffer-Snapsindia