hi INDiA East Coast Edition 01.02.15 by hi INDiA Weekly

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

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2014DROPS In RetRospect MAHI A BOMBSHELL ‘MODIFICATION’ OF INDIA-US TIES | TWO OF A KIND IN BOLLYWOOD Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni sent world cricket into | MODI ERA: DIPLOMACY AT ITS PEAK | TAMIL NADU IN FLUX | TOPSYa tizzy by announcing retirement Test cricket, making way TURVY YEAR FOR INDIAN CRICKET |from IT INDUSTRY DONS INNOVATION >>Page for talented Virat toBAZAARS.. take charge PAGES 6 | E-TAILERS STUNKohli INDIAN >>INSIDE

MIDWEST EDITION | EAST COAST EDITION | Volume 6 • Issue No.293 JANUARY 2 2015 | THE COMMUNITY FIRST

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INSIDE

Defense on priority list Big boost for armed forces’ modernization with the allocation of `1.23 trillion/$19 billion; some gaps special report remain

BHARAT RATNA Defense on priority list FOR VAJPAYEE, MALVIYA

Big boost for armed forces’ modernization with the allocation of `1.23 trillion/$19 billion; some gaps remain VISHNU MAKHIJANI, NEW DELHI

2014 IN RETROSPECT

odernization of the armed forces got a whopping `1.23 trillion/$19 billion boost in the year just ending, but worrisome gaps — the failure to close a deal to replace a combat jet inducted in the 1960s and a crippling shortage of “fighting-rank” officers — remain. That the funding came in the first six months of the new BJP-led government was indicative of its determination to overcome almost a decade of sloth caused by A.K. Antony’s bid to keep his image “clean” while he was defense minister (till May). The funds were cleared by five meetings of the Defense Acquisiton Council — four chaired by

Arun Jaitley when he held additional charge of the ministry and one by Manohar Parrikar. The monies will go towards the purchase of six stealth submarines (`500 billion), “Spike” Israeli antitank guided missiles (`32 billion),

India has for long been working on a missile defence shield and this would get a further boost with the construction, under wraps at Visakhapatnam, of a stealth vessel armed with an Aegis type system. two midget submarines (`20.17 billion), 12 Dornier maritime reconnaissance aircraft (`1,8.50 billion), 363 BMP-II infantry combat vehicles (`1,8 bn), shipborne Russian Uran missiles (`1,4.36 bn), 1,768 railway wag-

Children targeted living dangerously for Pakistan

Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. Other positives during the year included raising the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defense sector from 25 percent to 49 percent, the indigenous nuclear pow-

ered submarine INS Arihant heading out for sea trials, and beginning of series production of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft. Once INS Arihant is commissioned about two years from now, it would complete India’s nuclear triad of strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). India has for long been working on a missile defense shield and this would get a further boost with the construction, under wraps at Visakhapatnam, of a stealth vessel armed with an Aegis type system that employs powerful computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets. As for the combat jet, it was in 2012 that the Indian Air Force (IAF) zeroed in on French

aviation major Dasault’s Rafale after a six-aircraft competition for a $20 billion deal for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to replace its Soviet-era MiG-21 jets that have been crashing with maddening regularity. The tender itself was floated in 2007 and the six aircraft shortlisted in 2010, but there has been concrete action only in the last two years due to protracted price negotiations and differences in calculating life-cycle costs and factoring in the cost of transferring technology. “It’s not just a case of depleting squadrons. The Rafale dates from the mid-1980s and even assuming the deal is clinched this year, by the time the last of the jets are inducted, the technology will be more than 40 years old,” said an officer involved in selection process.

A prominent victim was Karachi’s counter-terrorism chief Chaudhry Aslam Khan, killed in a blast on January 10. But in a case of rare bravery, 14-year-old Aitzaz Hasan — late for school in KhyberPakhtunwa’s Hangu — January 9 sacrificed his own life to stop a suicide bomber at the gate, saving hundreds of his schoolmates inside. The June 8 Karachi airport attack led to operation “Zarb-eAzb” in North Waziristan against the Nobel Peace Prize (awarded IANS, ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) jointly with Indian rights activist and other terrorist groups. The rom a teenaged schoolboy Kailash Satyarthi). TTP retaliated with the NovemTerrorism continued to wreak who gave his life to stop a ber 2 Wagah bombing, leaving at suicide bomber to the havoc right from the year’s first least 60 dead, and the December dozens of young boys and girls day. Everyone was a target — pil16 Peshawar school massacre gunned down in their Peshawar grims in Quetta, pro-government which left 141 dead, including school — children increasingly tribal elders in Khyber Agency, 132 children aged 8 to 18, and of students became terror targets in Pakistan, soldiers in Bannu, the general thousands acutely traumatized. which continued to reel under headquarters in Rawalpindi, polio Termed “Pakistan’s 9/11”, it attacks, political turmoil and nat- vaccination teams in KhyberPakhtunkhwa, a court in Islamwas the country’s worst-ever terror ural catastrophes in 2014. attack , surpassing the 2007 But one youth who made news abad, the Jinnah International Karachi attack on Benazir Bhutfor the right reasons was feisty Airport in Karachi, the flag-lowerto’s motorcade when 139 teenager Malala Yousufzai, who ing ceremony at Wagah and finalhi INDiA weekly newspaper distribute free copies for readers, community for benefit of our readers as well as advertiser. hi INDiA reserves it’s right to distribute copies limited to 1 free copy per reader became the us youngest of lysend Peshawar’s Armythe Publiccopies School. via mail or deliver to you @ $2.00 per copy. were We killed. distribute our which is available in the stores near to your area, However if you need more copies, reader can call andrecipient we will you copies only at major Indo-Pak stores, where we have obtained the permission from the owner of the location. We reserve the right to protect our copies from illegal activities like, picking up more than one copy for other than reading purposes. We watch our inventory at the stores constantly and we will notify authorities of any and all illegal activities as well as will file law-suite for the punitive damages.

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ons (`7.40 bn) and 1,761 vehiclemounted radio relay containers (`6.6 bn) crore, among others. Much of this, for instance the submarines and the Dorniers, will be made within the country and will majorly take forward Prime

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

EAST COAST EDITION special report

SPECIAL REPORT

Defense on priority list Big boost for armed forces’ modernization with the allocation of `1.23 trillion/$19 billion; some gaps remain VISHNU MAKHIJANI, NEW DELHI

Children targeted living dangerously for Pakistan IANS, ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI

rom a teenaged schoolboy who gave his life to stop a suicide bomber to the dozens of young boys and girls gunned down in their Peshawar school — children increasingly became terror targets in Pakistan, which continued to reel under attacks, political turmoil and natural catastrophes in 2014. But one youth who made news for the right reasons was feisty teenager Malala Yousufzai, who became the youngest recipient of

the Nobel Peace Prize (awarded jointly with Indian rights activist Kailash Satyarthi). Terrorism continued to wreak havoc right from the year’s first day. Everyone was a target — pilgrims in Quetta, pro-government tribal elders in Khyber Agency, soldiers in Bannu, the general headquarters in Rawalpindi, polio vaccination teams in KhyberPakhtunkhwa, a court in Islamabad, the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah and finally Peshawar’s Army Public School.

special sports report EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

SPECIAL REPORT

Mahi drops a bombshell Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni sent world cricket into a tizzy by announcing retirement from Test cricket, making way for talented Virat Kohli to take charge IANS, MELBOURNE/MUMBAI

S Dhoni, dubbed Captain Cool, brought his Test tenure to an end with immediate effect after India failed to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here, citing strain of playing all three formats of the game. Kohli, who captained the side in the first Test in Adelaide, will now lead India in the final Test in Sydney starting from January 6. Dhoni was in an upbeat mood when he faced the media after play despite the result, but he made no reference to his future in the game. Around 45 minutes after his press conference concluded, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a statement announcing his retirement, sending shockwaves in the cricket fraternity. What has irked most cricket puritans has been the timing of Dhoni’s retirement — in the middle of a Test series against Australia even though it is a lost cause. Kohli’s aggressiveness, sometimes bordering on brash and go for the kill attitude in Adelaide gave a glimpse into life beyond Dhoni. Former cricketers from all over the globe praised Kohli’s captaincy and how team India went for the win instead of being defensive and

just making the numbers. Dhoni’s sudden decision was surely swayed by Kohli’s performance in the first Test and with another overseas Test series defeat concluded, his stand probably became all the more easy. India’s most successful captain has had a torrid of late and has been criticized for his poor overseas record. Trailing 02 in the fourmatch Test series, the third match here on December 30 ended in a stalemate. India’s poor run in Tests overseas continued, prompting Dhoni, who guided India to most number of Test wins as captain (27), to quit the five-day format. In a statement issued in Mumbai by BCCI, secretary Sanjay Patel said the board respected the 33-yearold Dhoni’s decision and thanked him for his “enormous contribution to Tests cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India”. “M.S. Dhoni has chosen to retire from Test Cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on ODI and T20 formats,” said BCCI.

QUOTE UNQUOTE “well done on a wonderful career in test cricket @msdhoni. Always enjoyed playing together. Next target 2015 WC my friend!!,” Sachin Tendulkar in a tweet. “MSDhoni’s retirement in midst of test series leaves lot of us perplexed! But that’s his prerogative.I’d like 2 wish MSD Happy Retirement!!,” Bishen Singh Bedi “A great competitor, and someone who I think Indian cricket owes a lot to,” former Australian captain Ricky Ponting wrote on Twitter.

Career highlights Matches Innings

Highest

90 144 224 Centuries Six Catches:

256

Captaincy

2008-2014 - 60 matches, 27 wins, 18 losses, 15 drawn

Not to be missed... 60: Led India in most number of matches 27: Most number of matches won by an Indian captain. His winning percentage of 45.00 is the best. 18: Most number of matches lost by an Indian skipper. n Dhoni also is the first Indian batsman to complete 10,000 runs or more as captain in international cricket, joining Ricky Ponting (15,440), Graeme Smith (14,878), Stephen Fleming (11,561) and Allan Border (11,062). n Dhoni (eight catches, one stumping) became the first Indian wicketkeeper to effect nine dismissals in a Test match in Melbourne, in the third Test, Dec 26-30, 2014. n His aggregate of 3,454 (ave.40.63), including five hundreds and 24 fifty-plus, in 60 Tests is an Indian record by a captain, bettering the 3,449 (ave.50.72) in 47 Tests by Mohd. Azharuddin. n His best series in terms of run-aggregate is 349 (ave.34.90), including four 50s in five Tests vs England in England in 2014. n His career-best is 224 vs Australia at Chennai in 2012-13. n Dhoni is the only Indian wicketkeeper to have aggregated over 4,000 runs (4,876) and effected 250-plus dismissals (294 - 256 catches + 38 stumpings) or more. His dismissals’ tally is the highest by an Indian wicketkeeper in Tests. n Dhoni is the only Indian wicketkeeper to effect eight or more dismissals in a Test match four times.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

india news EAST COAST EDITION

INDIA NEWS

J&K: PDP claims support of 55 MLAs Party president Mehbooba Mufti has not specified if BJP, with 25 legislators, is supporting her; PDP and BJP have 53 MLAs IANS, NEW DELHI

DP president Mehbooba Mufti told Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra on December 31 that her party had the support of 55 legislators in the 87-seat assembly to form a stable government. Mehbooba Mufti did not specify if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with 25 legislators, was supporting her but made a pointed laudatory reference to former prime minister and now ailing BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader met the governor for about 90 minutes at the Raj Bhavan in this winter capital, official sources told IANS. Mehbooba Mufti later told the media: “We have the support of 55 MLAs. It is our intention that a stable government is formed to

Jharkhand gets new BJP CM

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti addressing the media in Srinagar.

address the huge problems faced by the people in the state. “We want that the agenda of development and peace should be carried forward. We want Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s peace process (with Pakistan) to be carried to its

logical conclusion,” she added. She, however, did not specify if a PDP-BJP alliance will take office in the state although most pundits believe that will be the case. The PDP and BJP together command 53 legislators.

RANCHI: Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raghubar Das took oath here on December 28 as Jharkhand’s 10th chief minister, the first non-tribal to do so. The 60-year-old Das, who will head a two-party coalition, made it to the venue to wild cheering by thousands of supporters after offering prayers at a Hanuman temple and a Shani temple. But the crowds thronging the Morabadi football ground here were disappointed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to make it to the event because he couldn’t take off from New Delhi due to bad weather. A thick fog in northern India also prevented BJP president Amit Shah, party veteran L.K. Advani and Home

Minister Rajnath Singh from making it to Ranchi. Governor Syed Ahmad administered the oath of office and secrecy to Das and four ministers - three from the BJP and one from the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU). This is first time a non-tribal will lead the government in Jharkhand. All previous nine chief ministers were tribals. A five-time legislator, Das was elected the BJP legislature party leader on December 26 after the BJP won 37 seats in the 81-member assembly. Das joined the BJP in 1980, the year it was formed following the break-up of the Janata Party. He has been the Jharkhand BJP president twice.

Amit Shah discharged Microsoft sues Indian tech company in Gujarat shootout case ARUL LOUIS, NEW YORK

MUMBAI: BJP president Amit Shah on December 30 got a major relief when a special CBI Court discharged him in the alleged staged shootout case related to Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kauserbi Sheikh and witness Tulsiram Prajapati in Gujarat. Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge M.B. Gosavi ruled that there exists “no case” against Shah and that he (Shah) was implicated in the case for “political reasons”. “Amit A. Shah is discharged from the case,” the judge ruled, ordering the dropping of charges pertaining to murder, criminal conspiracy and other sections against the BJP chief in the cases dating back to 2005-2006. The judge said the CBI’s inference was not acceptable as there was no case against Shah when the entire records were considered in totality. He concurred with the contention of Shah’s counsel S.V. Raju that the BJP chief who was then Gujarat home minister — was falsely implicated in the case for political reasons. Sohrabuddin’s brother Rubabuddin Sheikh on

December 30 cried foul, and accused the CBI of being “sold out”. He said he would challenge the matter in the Bombay High Court. A CBI spokesperson said it would study the court order before taking further steps in the matter. The case dates back to November 2005 when Sohrabuddin, a small-time criminal and his wife Kauserbi, were allegedly picked up by the Gujarat Anti Terrorism Squad when they were traveling from Hyderabad to Sangli in Maharashtra.

ome international fraudsters are exploiting the tech-savvy reputation of Indians to trick computer users into giving them access to their machines by pretending to be from Microsoft. Now the technology giant is fighting back suing several companies, including an Indian one, alleging they falsely claimed to be Microsoft-affiliated technical support. “In its first big strike against technical support scamming companies,

Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in the central district of California against Omnitech Support and related entities for unfair

The Microsoft suit filed recently said that 3.3 million Americans fall victim to technical support scams every year.

and deceptive business practices and trademark infringement,” a Microsoft spokesperson told IANS on December 30. One of the companies named in the case filed is CCubed Solutions Private Limited, which the court papers said is “a private business company formed under the laws of India” that operates the mail server through which “fraudulent technical support businesses communicate with customers”. The suit said that 3.3 million Americans fall victim to technical support scams every year.

Young India defend ‘PK’; protests on IANS, NEW DELHI/MUMBAI

ollywood and young India on December 30 passionately defended Aamir Khanstarrer PK even as Hindu rightwing groups continued their protests alleging that it defamed Hindu religion. Producers, directors and actors as well as movie buffs IANS spoke to were unanimous that the Hindi film no way hurt Hindu interests and that the protests were unacceptable as it had cleared the censors. But the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) reiterated its demand that the film, one of the biggest hits from Bollywood, be banned or at least what it said were the offending parts be deleted

immediately. PK, which released on December 19, shows Aamir as an alien who is fascinated by India. The film, which takes a swipe at godmen, also stars Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani and Sushant Singh Rajput. VHP and Bajrang Dal activists demonstrated at the Delite cinema in Old Delhi and at PVR Priya in south Delhi besides Kanpur, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar. At all places, the protesters tore up the film’s posters. The VHP said the screening was halted at the two theatres in the capital. The industry admitted that the protests had slightly affected the box office collection of the film, which has grossed `2.46 billion in less than two weeks in the country.

diaspora

DIASPORA

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

Microsoft eyes ‘Digital India’ Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is the third tech executive to meet Modi, after Amazon's Bezos and Facebook's Zuckerberg IANS, NEW DELHI

lobal IT giant Microsoft's chief executive officer Satya Nadella on December 26 met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here. He is the third tech giant executive to meet Modi, after Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. Earlier in the day, Nadella said the company is looking forward to partner with the 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' program of the Modi government. “It's always fantastic for me personally to be in India and the conversation I had with the minister was wide ranging,” Nadella told media persons after meeting Communications and IT Minister Ravi

NRI couple charged with insider trading

Shankar Prasad. “I have an aspiration that in this mobile and cloud world, we can empower every individual citizen of India and every business organization and institution in India to be able to try with new technology. So, I am looking

I am looking forward to be a part of both the 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' forward to be a part of both the 'Digital India' and 'Make in India',” he added. The Hyderabad-born Nadella said: “We are making huge investments in our data centers in particular, which we think can empower organizations in this country to be

world class with the access to great technology.” Prasad said: “I have requested him to consider electronic manufacturing in India. I have also requested that Microsoft has a great profile in the field of social services, (and) digital literacy can be promoted. We had a very purposeful exchange. I am very happy and I warmly welcome him.” “I have suggested to him that we are keen if there are certain suggestions to give to further improve the Digital India concept. We are quite willing to accept. We are talking about the concept of other products that they are going to launch in India, including from digital locker to cloud to data centers. I have requested him to consider electronic manufacturing,” the

Communications and IT Minister Prasad added. With the aim to turn the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy,

Kerala to set up NRI grievance panel IANS, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

K WASHINGTON: The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged an Indian-American couple with insider trading on confidential information obtained from a corporate client. California-based attorney Shivbir Grewal and his wife, Preetinder Grewal, sold all of their Spectrum Pharmaceuticals shares last year after getting a non-public information from company officials who sought advice of Shivbir's law firm before announcing a significant decline in expected revenue, a litigation release by the commission said. The day after Grewals sold their stock, Spectrum issued a press release revealing the expectation of decreased sales of the drug Fusilev and the consequent expectation of reduced revenue. Spectrum's stock price fell more than 35 percent. Shivbir Grewal and his wife avoided losses of nearly $45,000 by selling ahead of the bad news. The Grewals agreed to pay $90,000 to settle the charges.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

erala will set up an NRI commission to help resolve problems faced by the diaspora, a minister said. Following numerous complaints from the Kerala diaspora, regarded as the backbone of the state economy on account of their remittances, the Oommen Chandy government is to set up a NRI Commission before which the diaspora can approach with all issues they face in Kerala, Minister for Home Ramesh Chennithala told IANS. The minister that he has already spoken about this to State Diaspora Minister K.C.Joseph and in the coming week they will sit down with officials to work this out. The commission would be a

Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy

quasi judicial body. “This will be put before the Cabinet on January 7. Punjab is the only state in the country where such a commission exists and it is working well,” said Chennithala.

“I have been flooded with requests from the diaspora community about the various problems that they face in Kerala. Most of the complaints pertain to boundary disputes on their property...,” added Chennithala. The most recent study conducted by K.C.Zachariah and S.Irudayarajan of the Centre for Development Studies reveal that the number of Kerala emigrants as on 2014 was 2363,000. During the 12-month period ending March 1, 2014 the total remittances stood at `726.80 billion. Remittances were 1.2 times the revenue receipt of the state, 4.9 times the money that the state got from the Centre as revenue transfer and 1.5 times the entire government expenditure.

Drug combo slows heart decline in muscular dystrophy IANS, WASHINGTON

team led by an Indian-origin scientist has found that early use of heart failure drugs slows the progressive decline in heart function before symptoms are apparent in boys and young men suffering from muscular dystrophy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder in which the body lacks dystrophin, a protein that helps keep

muscle cells intact. It causes muscles to rapidly degenerate and weaken. DMD predominantly affects males. A majority of patients develop heart or respiratory failure, surviving into their 20s or early 30s. Subha Raman, a cardiologist and professor at the Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, led a team in a clinical trial that tested the combination of eplerenone and either an ACE inhibitor or an

Indian-origin Subha Raman

angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) to decrease the progression

the Modi government has envisaged `1000 billion Digital India project. Make in India is a national programme to transform India into a global manufacturing hub.

Infosys to spend $5 mn on CSR in US

BENGALURU: Infosys Ltd. on December 30 announced a $5-million annual outlay for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in the US through its not-for-profit trust Infosys Foundation. “We will focus on making computer science education accessible to communities in the Americas,” the software major said. The company appointed Sudha Murthy, Vandana Sikka and Sandeep Dadlani as trustees of the foundation in the US.

of heart muscle disease — a leading cause of death in boys and young men with DMD. “We believe this research offers evidence that supports the early use of these readily available medications,” said Raman. Raman and her team based this trial on their earlier lab findings that showed this combination of medicines reduced muscle damage and preserved function in an animal model of DMD. In this trial, researchers enrolled 42 boys with DMD who also showed evidence of early heart muscle damage by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

inTERnATiOnAL EAST COAST EDITION

INTERNATIONAL

THE WORLD

from ians newswire

AirAsia crash: wreckage found AirAsia Flight QZ8501 lost contact with the air control tower 42 minutes after taking off from Indonesia's Surabaya city for Singapore; officials sy sonar has detected wreckage at the bottom of the Java sea IANS, JAKARTA

escuers on December 30 saw a shadow believed to be part of a plane around the waters where an exit door, several objects and six bodies were found in the Java Sea, and have been confirmed as parts of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501. Bambang Sulistyo, head of Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, said that he was 95 percent sure that the findings belong to the missing AirAsia plane that lost contact with the air control tower 42 minutes after taking off from Indonesia’s Surabaya city for Singapore Sunday morning, Xinhua reported. The Airbus A320-200 had 162 passengers and crew on board. Dwi Putranto, an Indoneisan Air Force senior officer, said that objects were found some 190 km from Pangkalan Bun of Central Kalimantan province in Borneo island. A pilot conducting the search operation said that he had seen bodies and wreckage also in the same

(Left) AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes in Jakarta; (Above) Family members of people on missing AirAsia flight weep at Juanda airport in Surabaya.

Major aviation disasters of 2014

Narendra Modi offers condolences NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30 offered condolences to the families of those on AirAsia flight QZ8501 after the airlines confirmed that its debris had

been spotted in the sea. “Our thoughts are with the families of those on Flight QZ8501. We offer our condolences and stand firmly with them in this hour of grief,” said Modi.

area. AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said that his heart was filled with sadness for all families involved in Flight QZ8501. “On behalf of AirAsia my condolences to all. Words cannot express

how sorry I am,” he tweeted. Objects resembling an emergency slide and plane door have been spotted during an aerial search east of where the aircraft was last detected, says a media report.

1 Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: March 8: Aircraft, with 239 passengers and crew onboard, disappeared on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. No trace of the aircraft has been found. 2. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17: July 17: Plane crashed in eastern Ukraine while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 aboard. Reports suggest that the aircraft was shot down by a Soviet-era missile. 3. TransAsia Airways flight 222: July 23: Aircraft crashed into buildings during approach to land in Taiwan’s Penghu Island killing 48 people. 4. Air Algérie flight 5017: July 24: Aircraft was on its way from Burkina Faso’s capital city of Ouagadougou to Algiers when it crashed in Mali, killing all 116 aboard. 5. AirAsia flight QZ8501: Dec 28: Aircraft was on its way from the Indonesian city of Surabaya and was to land at Singapore’s Changi Airport with 162 people aboard. Pilot sought an unusual route due to thunderstorms between Kalimantan and Belitung, before the aircraft lost contact with the air traffic control.

SOuTH ASiA Former Pakistan Air Force junior official hanged

Lakhvi (C) was detained late on December 29 after being booked in abduction case.

Mumbai attack mastermind Lakhvi detained again in Pak IANS, ISLAMABAD

umbai terror attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was sent to two day judicial remand in a fresh case on December 30, a day after India protested his imminent release. Lakhvi was detained late on December 29 after he was booked in the abduction case, a media report said. He was produced in a court here. During the court proceedings, the prosecutor sought seven day judicial remand, which was not acceded to by the judge who remanded him to two day’s judicial custody, Geo TV reported. Lakhvi was said to be involved in

the abduction of a man named Anwar, Dawn online said. Lakhvi was arrested in February 2009 for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that left 166 people dead. He was indicted with six others on November 25, 2009 on the basis of the confessional statement of the lone surviving attacker Ajmal Kasab, who was executed in India on November 21, 2012. The fresh First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against Lakhvi for his involvement in the abduction case. Lakhvi was taken into protective custody at the Shalimar police station in Lahore as there was no suitable place for him at the Golra police station.

ISLAMABAD: A former Pakistan Air Force (PAF) junior technician, convicted in former president Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf assassination attempt case, was executed on December 31, a media report said. Niaz Mohammad was hanged at the Peshawar Central Prison, Dawn online reported. He was sentenced to death for attempting to assassinate Musharraf in Rawalpindi in 2003. He was a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa S Swabi district. He was kept at the Haripur Central Prison until Tuesday, from where he was shifted to the Peshawar Central Prison in a helicopter. Earlier, the administration had deployed police and army personnel in and around the prison amid terrorist threats. The Sher Shah Suri Road, where the prison is situated, had already been closed to the traffic on December 30 night.

Suu Kyi calls for talks in Myanmar in the talks if called. YANGON: Chairperson of The proposal was put forMyanmar’s opposition ward by a parliamentary memNational League for Democber of the ruling Union Solidarracy (NLD) Aung San Suu ity and Development Party Kyi on December 30 called (USDP) last month calling for for multi-party talks to settle six-party talks involving the the country’s political issues, president, the defense chief, agreeing to a recent proposal to the parliament to hold Aung San Suu Kyi Suu Kyi, the speakers of the lower and upper houses of the parliasix-party talks as soon as possible. ment and one ethnic representative. Suu Kyi, who is also chairperson of The six-party talks will be a follow-up the lower house’s Committee of Rule of Law and Tranquillity, told a press conof five-party talks involving the governference at her party’s headquarters in ment, parliament, parties, the military Yangon that she was willing to take part and Union Election Commission.

Taliban claims victory in Afghanistan KABUL: The Taliban on December 29 claimed victory following the end of the 13-year-long combat mission in Afghanistan led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Sunday formally ended its 13-year-old combat mission in Afghanistan. “We have not been defeated, we have not signed any agreement with the United States to conclude the war. So where is the sense that America put an end to the war? This means that the US and its allies have been completely defeated and are fleeing from the battlefield,” Taliban spokesman Zabiul

Mujahid said. The ISAF mission, which began after the invasion that ended the Taliban regime in 2001, came to a close after the death of 3,485 soldiers, 2,356 of them Americans. A ceremony in Kabul on December 28 marked the completion of the gradual withdrawal of international troops and transfer of security to the Afghan army and police.

South Special EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

SOUTH INDIA

Terror returns to Bengaluru NIA probe can be ordered, says Home Minister Rajnath Singh; one person dead in the ‘terror’ attack IANS, NEW DELHI/BENGALURU

`1 million offered

n the wake of the low intensity blast in Bengaluru, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on December 29 said if required the case could be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Rajnath Singh said that the central government is waiting for details about the incident from the state government. “Intelligence agencies are working on this case. If required, the case could be handed over to the NIA,” he said. A woman died and three persons were injured in the blast near a restaurant in Bengaluru on December 27. Earlier, the home minister reviewed the Bengaluru blast situation with the heads of security and intelligence agencies and senior home ministry officials. He also

as reward for clues BENGALURU: Karnataka Police on December 29 announced a `1-million reward for credible information on people behind the blast in Bengaluru that killed a woman and injured three other people. “We have decided to give `1million as reward to anyone giving credible information, useful tip-offs or clues leading the arrest of the suspects

NIA officials visiting the site of December 28 blast that rocked Bengaluru’s Church street on December 29. (Photo: IANS)

spoke with Karnataka Chief Minister S. Siddaramaiah on December 28 night immediately after the Bengaluru blast and assured him of all help.

No Pakistani stalls at Hyderabad’s ‘numaish’

Rajnath Singh on December 29 met Union Minister for Law and Justice D.V.Sadananda Gowda and Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar here and

Gold smuggler invested in properties in Goa: ED

IANS, HYDERABAD

IANS, PANAJI

here will be no Pakistani stalls at the all-India industrial exhibition — popularly known as ‘numaish’ — beginning here from January 1. The event, which completes 75 years, will be the first event after formation of a separate Telangana state. “No traders from Pakistan have applied for setting up stalls,” said D. Gangadhar Rao, vice president, Exhibition Society, the organizers of the annual exhibition. The traders from Pakistan decided to skip the event due to the bitter experience they had in the previous edition.

T About 12 Pakistani traders had to abruptly wind up their stalls in January this year when Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and some groups staged a protest over the killing of two Indian soldiers on the border by the Pakistan Army. The traders from Pakistan had returned to the exhibition after a gap of a few years.

‘Police assaulted journo for speaking Hindi’ PANAJI: A journalist working for a local news channel has accused two Goa Police officers of assaulting him because he spoke in Hindi. In his police complaint, Mukesh Kumar, who works for Prudent Media, said that he was targeted late Saturday by Inspector P.K. Vast and SubInspector Vikram Naik for speaking in Hindi. He said he was also slapped on his head within the Panaji police station premises. “The police officers targeted me because I was speaking in Hindi and therefore believed I was not from Goa,” Kumar told IANS. On December 27 night, Mukesh Kumar was speaking to his wife in Hindi on the mobile phone in Panaji’s Mala area, when four or five people who appeared out of the darkness started shoving him

discussed the situation in the aftermath of the blast. “We will decide once we have all the information. The intelligence agencies are playing a very active role at the moment and a final decision will be taken after consulting them... At the moment, I cannot

he head of a gold smuggling syndicate operating between Goa-Bhatkal and the Middle East countries has invested heavily in properties in Goa, according to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). ED officials, who booked two Goa-based persons and three others on December 29 night in Bhatkal in Karnataka for money laundering, claimed that the leader of the ring Shaikh Javid had been booked by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs and Central Excise for trying to smuggle in 19.49 kg of gold in Goa worth `50

million in July. “Shaikh Javid is the mastermind behind the gold smuggling at a Goa airport and had attempted the same exercise on earlier occasions also. Javid is in possession of several properties in Goa which are suspected to be earned through smuggling activities,” the ED said.

behind the explosion,” Commissioner of Police M.N. Reddi told reporters. “We are seeking public support, as we alone can’t do everything due to resource constraints and the surprise element of the perpetrators.”

give a reason behind the attack and also the terrorist organization behind it...” he added. After meeting officials of the investigating agencies at his office, he said: “I appeal to all state governments to install CCTV cameras in all mega cities at the earliest.”

Police-Maoist gun battle in Telangana HYDERABAD: Police in Telangana’s Khammam district had a gun battle with the Maoists after foiling their attempt to set afire a communication tower on December 28 night but there were no casualties, the state police chief said. Director General of Police Anurag Sharma told reporters here on December 29 that the gun battle lasted for an hour. Personnel of anti-Maoist force Greyhounds are still combing the area for any extremists. “The extremists opened fire and police retaliated. The exchange of fire lasted for an hour. The extremists fled leaving behind petrol cans and their material including three guns,” the DGP said.

A slice of Goa in a Konkan Railway train MAYABHUSHAN NAGVENKAR, PANAJI:

around. He called the police and they took him as well as the accused to the Panaji police station. “To my surprise, the police were speaking politely to the accused and instead started badgering me. The police inspector even slapped me on the head,” said Kumar, who has also used his mobile phone to partially record the incident.

holiday ride to Goa from Mumbai by train will now come with a touch of Goan luxury. From December 30, the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) introduced a thrice-a-week luxury train from the commercial capital to India’s best known beach-holiday destination, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar told IANS. The train, according to the minister, would have Goan design elements incorporated into its carriages to give travellers a look and feel of the former Portuguese colony. “Holidayers will be able to get a feel of Goa, while travelling here, on board

the train itself even before they reach sengers will at least manage to here,” Parulekar said. enjoy a three-star experience for “The concept is similar to that now,” Parulekar claimed. The Decof the Deccan Odyssey, but the can Odyssey, also called the ‘Blue train will reach that class gradually. limousine on rails’ is a luxury train The interiors have a Goa ambience with 21 imperial compartments, that may not be of five-star quality which include a dining lounge and rightaway, but we are hoping pas- a health spa et al.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

EAST COAST EDITION special report

SPECIAL REPORT

A day ahead of their birth anniversaries, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the late freedom fighter-educationist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya were named for India’s highest civilian honor — the Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratna

for Vajpayee, Malaviya IANS, NEW DELHI

Former US President Bill Clinton with then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi on November 21, 2003. (Photo: PIB)

day ahead of their birth anniversaries, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the late freedom fighter-educationist Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya were named for India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna. “The president has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said on December 24. Incidentally, both Vajpayee and Malaviya were born on December 25 — the former in 1924 and the latter in 1861. Their birthday has also been declared as “Good Governance Day” by the government. The honor for Gwalior-born Vajpayee, who was the country’s prime minister first in 1996 and then again from 1998 to 2004, came after years of demands from people across

Both Vajpayee and Madan Mohan Malaviya (in picture) were born on December 25 — the former in 1924 and the latter in 1861.

party affiliations and the public at large. The 90-year-old veteran politician had re-started the Bharatiya Jan Sangh as the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980 and was the first head of gov-

ernment from outside the Congress party to serve a full five-year term. He served the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, for 10 terms that began in 1957 and concluded in 2009. An orator par excellence, Vajpayee had earned much fame as India’s external affairs minister in Prime Minister Morarji Desai government during which tenure he delivered a widely acclaimed speech to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi. Allahabad-born Malaviya was the president of the Indian National Congress for two terms and was also among the first leaders of the right-wing Hindu Mahasabha. Besides being a freedom fighter and politician, he was also an eminent educationist. The Banaras Hindu University was founded by him way back in 1916. Malaviya breathed his last a year before India’s independence on August 15, 1947.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Apostle of peace, humanity personified ASHOK TANDON, NEW DELHI

28-year-old dhoti-kurta clad young man was jostling to push his blanketwrapped baggage into the unreserved compartment of a passenger train at Delhi Railway station on May 8, 1953. It was a send off for Shyma Prasad Moookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (predecessor of the present day Bharatiya Janata Party), on a mission to enter Jammu & Kashmir defying the entry-permit order of the government and demanding full integration of the state into the Indian Union. On the call of duty was a journalist-turned hitherto unfamiliar political secretary to Mookerjee — Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Mookerjee was arrested on May 10, 1953 on the J&K border while entering the state and was taken to Srinagar jail. He sent Vajpayee back to Delhi with a message for the party rank and file to continue the agitation

Left: AB Vajpayee with Narendra Modi. (Top right) Former Prime Minister Vajpayee welcoming the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair in New Delhi on October 6, 2001. (Photos: PIB)

against what he then termed “Ek desh mein Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan, and Do Nishan Nahin Chalenge” (in one country there can’t be two constitutions, two prime ministers & two flags). Mookerjee died under mysterious circumstances while in custody in Srinagar on June 23, 1953. And young Vajpayee, with his oratorical eloquence relentlessly went on to spread his political mentor’s mes-

sage across the country and made an indelible mark as a debutant on the political scene of independent India. Vajpayee entered the Lok Sabha from Balrampur in UP in the second general elections in 1957 and his maiden speech earned him laurels from many contemporary veteran parliamentarians, including the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who, while introducing Vajpayee to a visiting

foreign dignitary once said “this young man one day will become the country’s prime minister”. Vajpayee remained a member of Parliament for 47 years, elected 11 times to the Lok Sabha, and twice to the Rajya Sabha. But the issue of Jammu & Kashmir always remained foremost in his mind. He was a staunch critic of Nehru’s Jammu & Kashmir policy. A poet by heart, Vajpayee articu-

lated poetry as one of the means of expressing himself in any given situation. He would often recite one of his poems during the course of his speeches to convey his message for the occasion and enthral his audience. One of his poems on Jammu & Kashmir “Mastak Nahi Jhukega” sums up India’s position on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir. As external affairs minister in the 1977 Janata Party government, Vajpayee pursued the policy of friendly relations with India’s neighbors, including Pakistan, on the principle of peaceful co-existence & mutual respect. His famous quote “you can change friends but not your neighbors” went on to become a dictum in the Indian foreign office establishment. Resolving all the outstanding issues with Pakistan in a peaceful manner through bilateral dialogue without any third party intervention was Vajpayee’s mantra when he became the prime minister, first for 13 days in 1996, then for 13 months in 1998 and again for a full five-year term in 1999.

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

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EAST COAST EDITIONIndIa-us tIes 2014 IN RETROSPECT: INDIA - US TIES 2014 In RetRospect:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

A ‘warm’ White House dinner and Obama vowing to ‘chalein saath saath — together we go forward,’ the India-US ties are set to touch a new high in 2015

‘Modification’ of India-US ties ARUN KUMAR, WASHINGTON

rime Minister Narendra Modi hobnobbing with Russian President Vladimir Putin and doing “business as usual” with Moscow, signing deals including one for 12 Russia-built nuclear units when the landmark India-US nuclear deal still remains stalled, made the US unhappy. The American media too raised questions about how India could be “BFF” with both the US and Russia, but President Barack Obama was unwilling to spoil the party with an “important partner” and stuck to his plans to make a “historic” visit to India as guest of honor on its Republic Day and build on Modi’s “hugely successful” US visit in September. At the turn of the year, in the midst of a major diplomatic row over the arrest and alleged strip search of an Indian diplomat in New York, US diplomats were still tying themselves in knots over how to deal with an ascendant BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. It was only in mid-February

KEY EVENTS l Year begins with India-US ties at a low over the Khobragade affair l US makes first overture to Modi with then US ambassador Nancy Powell visiting him in mid-February l Obama cuts the visa knot with a May 16 congratulatory phone call to Modi on BJP’s “success in India’s historic election” and an invitation to visit Washington l Obama calls again the day Modi takes up the mantle of prime minister with a pledge to work closely together “for years to come” l Defying prophets of doom, Modi makes a “hugely successful journey” to Washington in September hitting it off with Obama l Modi also praises Indian Ameri-

long after all its Western allies had read the writing on the wall that US Ambassador Nancy Powell chose to travel to Ahmedabad to meet the man whom the US had denied a visa for nearly a decade over his alleged inaction during the 2002 Gujarat riots. In the end it just took a May 16

cans who give him a rock star like reception in New York l Obama-Modi summit ends with a pledge to “chalein saath saath — together we go forward” to realize the full potential of a renewed US-India partnership l Modi plays another diplomatic card inviting Obama to join India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guest next year l US is upset over India doing “business as usual’ with Russia, but Obama makes no change to his plans to visit India.

congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama to Modi on the BJP’s “success in India’s historic election” with an invitation to visit Washington “to further strengthen our bilateral relationship” to cut the visa knot. As a somewhat wary US began wooing Modi in right earnest with

Obama again calling Modi the day he took up the mantle of prime minister with a pledge to work closely together with him “for years to come”, the media also discovered a ‘new fashion icon’ in the new Indian leader. Modi reciprocated in equal measure and came calling in September-end for what he himself later called a “hugely successful journey”. Breaking the ice at a ‘warm’ White House dinner, a fasting Modi, sipping warm water and

talking yoga, and an indulgent Obama vowed to “chalein saath saath — together we go forward” to realize the full potential of a renewed US-India partnership. If Narendra Modi promised to take their stalled landmark civil nuclear deal forward and invited US defense companies to invest in India, the US committed to make joint and concerted efforts with India to dismantle terrorist safe havens, including four Pakistanbased groups.

More power to Indian diaspora in United States ARUN KUMAR, WASHINGTON

otching successes in fields as diverse as poetry and politics, some three millionstrong Indian Nikki Haley Richard Rahul Verma Satya Nadella American comKamala Harris Amiresh ‘Ami’ Bera munity packed envoy from the community to more power and influence far beyond their numbers in the ernor Jerry Brown, while Rohit victories in the states with 23-year- New Delhi. Vivek Murthy became ‘Ro’ Khanna nearly upset seven- old law student Niraj Antani, a the youngest US Surgeon General year gone by. A record 30 Indian Americans term incumbent Mike Honda in a Republican, creating history by win- and the first of Indian descent after jumped into November’s electoral Democrat versus Democrat House ning a House seat in Ohio to cooling his heels for more than a become one of America’s youngest year for Senate confirmation as battle with Republican Nikki contest in Silicon Valley. ‘America’s doctor’. Amiresh ‘Ami’ Bera, the lone lawmakers. Haley and Democrat Kamala HarSoftware giant Microsoft named President Barack Obama, whose ris handily winning back their jobs Indian American in the US House as South Carolina governor and of Representatives, repeated histo- administration has more Indian Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella as California’s attorney general ry by winning a tight California Americans than any other before, its new CEO in place of Steve respectively. But Republican Neel House race two weeks after the added many more, including for- Ballmer, making him perhaps the Tushar Kashkari lost an uphill bat- elections as he had four years ago. mer key Hillary Clinton aide most powerful Indian-born tech Eight Indian Americans scored Richard Rahul Verma as the first executive in the world. tle against California’s popular gov-

IN A NUTSHELL l Record 30 Indian Americans jump into November’s electoral battle l Republican Nikki Haley and Democrat Kamala Harris handily win back their jobs as South Carolina governor and California’s attorney general respectively l Amiresh ‘Ami’ Bera, the lone Indian American in the US House of Representatives, repeats history with a narrow win l Eight Indian Americans win in the states l Niraj Antani, 23, creates history by becoming one of America’s youngest lawmakers in Ohio. l Former key Hillary Clinton aide Richard Rahul Verma is confirmed as the first Indian American envoy to New Delhi.

x 2014 IN RETROSPECT: TERRORISM

2014 In RetRospect: teRRoRIsm

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

In one of the cruelest attack on humanity as we enter New Year, terrorists slaughtered 132 kids in an Army Public School in Peshawar

Where have all the flowers gone? SAEED NAQVI, NEW DELHI

ver since U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage threatened to bomb Pakistan to the stone age unless it joined the post 9/11 global war on terror, Pakistan has faced an existential tragedy of choice. It was being called upon to kill the very mujahideen it had trained to become hardened Islamic fighters, also at America’s behest, to help expel the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. Some in the Pakistan Army got into the drill, led by the Americans, to eliminate the mujahideen; some did not. The world’s mightiest power and the world’s only nuclear

Islamic state have been fighting the Al Qaeda, Taliban, Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP), one mutating into the other, for the past 13 years without any conclusion. Every year, specifically since 2010, the US threatens to leave Afghanistan but finds itself

heaped such brutality on the families of school children in Peshawar as to leave human beings everywhere numb and speechless. Immediately after the carnage in Peshawar, Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif and ISI

The world’s mightiest power and the world’s only nuclear Islamic state have been fighting the Al Qaeda, Taliban, Tehrik- e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP), one mutating into the other, for the past 13 years without any conclusion. unable to. Islamabad and Kabul are both obliged to fight a continuous war against their own people. To get even in an asymmetrical war, a faction of the TTP has

chief Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar flew to Kabul for an emergency meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. They also met NATO commander Gen. John

Campbell. There is no Afghan counterpart to Raheel yet in harness. What would they have discussed? Hot pursuit of Maulana Fazlullah, the faction of the TTP allegedly responsible for the massacre? Can Ghani, who held onto the presidentship only by the skin of his teeth, oblige? His political rival and the CEO, Abdullah Abdullah, has already raised the bar for both sides. There is no such thing as a good Taliban as opposed to a bad Taliban, he says. The implication is to have no talks with Taliban — which knocks out the Pakistani expectation to have a structure in Kabul which is leavened by Talibani presence. Remember the spells of Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani opposite

A woman mourns the death of her child during a memorial ceremony in Peshawar, Pakistan. (Photo: IANS)

numbers. When they coordinated action against the Taliban, Pushtoon nationalism grew in geometrical progression. Among the numerous flip flops of the Americans in Afghanistan has been their inability to have a consistent policy on Taliban. Initially, the Taliban had to be destroyed. Then they had to be only weakened. This latter line suited Kabul’s calculations. A weakened Taliban was useful so long as it expanded horizontally. The Pushtoons in control in Kabul believed Taliban expansion was Pushtoon expansion which, in the long run, was in their interest.

Sanctions against terrorists ineffective: India ARUL LOUIS, NEW YORK

nited Nations: The killing fields of Peshawar inspired anew an international resolve at the Security Council to combat terrorism by adopting a resolution urging nations to choke the flow of resources to the extremist organizations and to increase cooperation to fight them, even as India criticized the ineffectiveness of sanctions against them. During the debate leading up to the resolution speaker after speaker invoked the massacre of the innocents this week in Peshawar and Pakistan vowed to go after the “jugular” of the terrorists. “Pakistan mourns today but we will, Insha’Allah, ensure the total annihilation of terrorists and their twisted ideologies,” Sahebzada Ahmed Khan, its Deputy Permanent Representative, declared.

A child attends a protest to condemn the Taliban attack on the Army public school. (Photo: IANS)

With his country reeling from the Taliban killing 132 schoolchildren, Khan admitted that states bore

the primary responsibility for tak- crucial to ing effective measures against ter- fighting terrorism, he said. Bhagrorism. Bilateral, regional, and want S. Bishnoi, India’s Acting Perinternational cooperation, includ- manent Representative, criticized ing exchange of information, was Council’s Sanctions Committee as

ineffective the in dealing with the “open and brazen violations” of the Council’s sanctions against terrorist organizations. He said that putting a group on the list of terrorist organisations “is supposed to lead to travel bans, freezing of assets and an arms embargo. In other words, cutting off the lifeline that sustains terrorism. This unfortunately, does not always happen.” He cited the example of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, which is on the roster of terror organizations and whose role in the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat in May had been documented in the latest report of UN’s Al Qaida/Taliban Monitoring Team. “Lashker-e-Tayyaba obviously does not live on love and fresh air.,” Bishnoi said. He referred to the international web of crime, trafficking and ideology that sustains organizations like the ISIS, Al Shabaab, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, the Taliban and the Al Qaida.

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EAST COAST EDITION south 2014 In RetRospect:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

2014 IN RETROSPECT: SOUTH

The year gone by can be described as one of rapid change for Tamil Nadu — most of it owing to court decisions — with political big-wigs staring at uncertainty

TAMIL NADU IN FLUX VENKATACHARI JAGANNATHAN, CHENNAI

he state saw the exit of J. Jayalalithaa as chief minister following her conviction in a corruption case, the appointment of finance minister O.Panneerselvam as the new chief minister, the Supreme Court deciding the Mullaperiyar Dam case in Tamil Nadu’s favor, the expulsion of M.K. Alagiri from the DMK and former union minister G.K. Vasan reviving the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) after quitting the Congress. The year also saw Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK bagging 37 of the state’s 39 seats in the April-May general election and the Vaiko-led MDMK walking out of the BJPled National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over its Sri Lankan policy. “It is a year of rapid turbulence for the state’s political scenario. There was greater uncertainty for the actors in the political arena. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced the Congress in the state as a national party,” Ramu Manivannan, professor of political science in the University of Madras, told IANS. On September 27, Jayalalithaa was sent to the Bangalore Central

The arrest of former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa and the expulsion of M.K. Alagiri from the DMK were two key events of the year.

Jail after being sentenced to four years in prison and fined `1 billion for corruption, dealing a huge blow to the charismatic former actor who, ahead of the general election, had dreams of becoming prime minister. As a consequence the 66-yearold former movie star was disqualified from being a member of the Tamil Nadu legislature and lost her chief minister’s post. Pronouncing his verdict on a legal battle that began in 1996, judge John Michael Cunha held

Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. The other three are long-time Jayalalithaa associate V.K. Sasikala, now disowned foster son V.N. Sudhakaran and former aide J. Illavarasi. All three were also sentenced to four years in prison and fined `100 million each. The convictions came under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. Subsequently, the apex court

released Jayalalithaa on bail. It was certainly a big blow for Jayalalithaa who was basking under two major glories — winning the Lok Sabha elections and the apex court allowing an increase in the storage level at the Mullaperiyar Dam. The Supreme Court May 5 decreed in favor of Tamil Nadu and permitted the state to raise the water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam to 142 feet from 136 feet. Though the dam is located in Kerala it is owned, maintained and operated by Tamil Nadu.

For the other major Tamil Party, the DMK, the year began with the suspension of party president M. Karunanidhi’s son and former union minister Alagiri for continuously criticizing party leaders and also defaming the party. In the general election, the DMK and its former ally, the Congress, drew blank. In order to protect his turf with his Congress party drawing blank in the general election and no one to ally with former union minister, Vasan floated his new party in November.

Chandy had a whale of a time in 2014 SANU GEORGE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

ust as 2014 began when Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy saw the withering away of the Left-sponsored protest against what is known as the Solar scam, the year is coming to a close with a morale-boosting victory over his state party president V.M.Sudheeran when the liquor policy was tweaked. Overall for Chandy, it was more or less a roller coaster ride with the pendulum of fortune swinging back and forth — and whenever it mattered, it really swung his way. The trouble was at its peak for Chandy over the Kasturirangan report that sought to bring just 37 percent of the Western Ghats under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) zones — down from

the 64 percent suggested by a previous panel. The report rocked the hilly districts of Idukki and Wayanad districts since November 2013 and this peaked when the present year began. The report was cleared by the union environment and forests ministry. Vested interests jumped in too, adding fat to the fire by suggesting that the “unfriendly” recommendations made in Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen the report, if implemented, would make life miserable in the 123 vil- Chandy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on October 16. lages in these districts. Acting under duress, the Chandy government raised this istry to re-look the report, eventuissue at the highest-level involving ally clearing it, in the nick of the both the then prime minister time before the Lok Sabha polls. The Lok Sabha polls was yet Manmohan Singh and the United Progressive Alliance chairperson another acid test for Chandy and Sonia Gandhi, forcing the min- with the BJP under Narendra

Modi swamping the Congress across the country, in Kerala, despite a vociferous Left opposition election campaign, Chandy managed to cling on with respectability by winning 12 out of the 20 seats. In the process, Kerala became the second state after Karnataka to send the maximum number of

Congress Lok Sabha members. The highly image-conscious Sudheeran started giving Chandy sleepless nights by forcing him to come out with a non-practical policy, which, at one stroke, permitted only bars in five star hotels to operate, resulting in the closure of close to 700 bars in August.

x 2014 IN RETROSPECT: SPORTS

The Year In reTrospecT: sporTs

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

Controversy shrouds Indian cricket in 2014; the only silver lining being Indian batsman Rohit Sharma who smashed the highest score ever in ODI

Topsy-turvy year for Indian cricket I SAYAN MUKHERJEE, NEW DELHI

ndian cricket went through another tumultuous year on and off the field with a controversy that shook the very foundation of the game’s governing body in the country — the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) — that refused to die down and spilled over to the New Year after raising several tough questions for its beleaguered president, N. Srinivasan. Srinivasan was under the spot-

light, for all the wrong reasons, throughout the year, as his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was implicated by the Mudgal Committee report in the IPL betting and match-fixing scandal. He himself faced several embarrassing, potentially imagedamaging questions before the Supreme Court and was forced, after seeking the apex court’s permission, to postpone the BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections till Jan 31, 2015. He also faced the uncomfort-

HIGHLIGHTS l Mudgal Committee on betting and match-fixing in the 2013 IPL implicates BCCI president N. Srinivasan’s son-in-law and asks the president to explain his stance in the conflict of interest issue l West Indies controversially pulls out from its India tour l Sachin Tendulkar releases his autobiography Playing it my Way l Rohit Sharma sets the record for the highest individual score — 264 — in ODIs l ‘Big five’ omitted from 2015 World Cup probables squad l Tragic death of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes after being hit by a bouncer.

able task of addressing the contentious ‘conflict of interest’ issue since he continued to defiantly hold on to the BCCI post as well as owning the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL team. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s name also cropped up in the report after his deposition to the committee was found to deviate from reality as Meiyappan was a prominent team official and not just a ‘crick-

et enthusiast’. While off-thefield events kept the BCCI busy, its team’s on-field performance also began on a wrong note, losing its away two-match Test series against New Zealand 0-1 and the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series 0-4. The team’s form nosedived further in the Asia Cup final in Bangladesh and the subsequent Twenty20 World Cup, getting

outplayed in the final by Sri Lanka. The lucrative IPL gave players and the fans the option of forgetting their sorrows with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), lifting the trophy for the second time. The hurriedly arranged fivematch ODI series with Sri Lanka not only eased BCCI’s financial loss but also helped the team return to winning ways as it thrashed the admittedly underprepared visitors 5-0. Indian batsman made merry to topple several records, the prominent of all being batsman Rohit Sharma’s 264 in Kolkata, the highest individual score in an ODI. The series whitewash restored the team’s confidence before their tough away series Down Under, succeeded by the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

ISL gives Indian football a re-launch pad SANTOSH RAO, NEW DELHI

ootball in India will never be the same again and Indian Super League (ISL) can take all plaudits for this monumental change in the country’s sporting culture. The inaugural ISL — a tournament borrowing on cricket’s incredibly popular Indian Premier League (IPL) concept — has managed to recapture the imagination of football fans and effected a dramatic turnround in it, shattering old biases. Football had largely become a ‘sofa sport’ in India — fans sitting at home watching and debating about European leagues rather than going out to watch Indian players. ISL, however, managed to turn these couch potatoes into stadium goers and this was clear from the average attendance of the tournament being the fourth highest of all leagues in the world. The average match attendance for the tournament since its commencement on October 12 is

Atletico de Kolkata players with the trophy after defeating Kerala Blasters in the ISL final in Mumbai. (Photo: IANS)

24,357, the highest across Asia, and according to the organizers the league trailed only Germany’s Bundesliga, the Barclays Premier League and Spain’s La Liga. The tournament kicked off with 65,000 people attending the opening game between Atletico de

Kolkata and Mumbai City FC October 12. Only in its nascent stage, the football league definitely has had its fair share of issues but when a country, which is ranked 170th in the world, has a league that has an attendance more than the Italian Serie A and

French Ligue 1, there is little you can fault ISL with. The league also recorded over 16 million online video views through the course of the tournament. Additionally, the official ISL online channel registered 28.7 million visits. On social media

too, the ISL captured the minds of football fans, recording over 1.8 million conversations, 10 billion impressions and 275,000-plus unique authors. ISL’s football semi-final clash between Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC recorded the highest number of online video views — 1.1 million — ever witnessed in India for any single sport game. These numbers indicate that football has managed to create a huge fan following across India and is a step closer towards its ultimate goal of placing India on the global football map. Besides making football popular again, the most important thing ISL did was to make young footballers see the sport as a viable career and this in turn is expected to increase the pool of players and improve the quality of the national team. One of the many attractive features of the tournament was the constant presence of Bollywood celebrities.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

EntErtainmEnt

ENTER

EAST COAST EDITION

2014 has been great for me: Surveen Chawala

Sushmita likes shopping online

MUMBAI: Actor Surveen Chawala, who made her debut in Bollywood with the erotic thriller Hate Story 2 this year, says she had a great start to her career. “The year 2014 has been great for me and I am already feeling that I have been welcomed into the industry,” said Surveen who was first seen on the small screen. She did shows like Kahiin to Hoga, Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Kaajjal. Asked about her future projects, the actor replied: “After Hate Story 2, my next film is Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly. It is releasing on December 26, which was supposed to be my debut venture, but due to some reasons Hate Story...’ was released earlier. Then I am doing a special song with John Abraham in Anees Bazmee’s Welcome Back.” She has a few more projects lined up.

NEW DELHI: Former Miss Universe and actor Sushmita Sen says shopping online helps her find a variety of brands within no time and that the e-commerce world has enabled local creative talent of the country to get a global reach. The 39-year-old was here recently to announce and promote the second edition of Jabong Online Fashion Week. “One of the greatest things about online shopping is that there one can find designers that we couldn’t reach out to (earlier), and I’m not taking about the mainstream big brands, but the ones coming out of small regions,” Sushmita told IANS. “The best part about it is that I can find anything that I want on a single website in the least possible time.” “Everytime an Indian artist, designer or photographer makes his presence felt globally without really going there, I feel that by doing that, they are really putting India back on the map,” she added. Sushmita enjoys online shopping. What’s her favorite purchase been? “I’m actually looking out for a bag similar to the one which I had lost earlier. But it’s my hard luck that I haven’t found it yet. Apart from that, I like to buy belts, jewellery and shoes online,” said the Bengali beauty. She lauded the Jabong Online Fashion Week.

Aayush wants to act, says Arbaaz Khan MUMBAI: Arbaaz Khan says his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma, who recently married his sister Arpita Khan, aspires to become an actor. However, the actor-filmmaker doesn’t know when and how it will happen. Asked if Arpita’s husband is interested in joining the film industry, Arbaaz said: “Aayush is a very handsome boy. He is interested in films and he wants to be an actor. How and when he will be launched, we don’t know. I wish him luck. Let’s see.”

Nargis Fakhri on a historical mission

Sunny’s date with 100 lucky contest winners

NEW DELHI: Actor Nargis Fakhri, who loves travelling and clicking selfies, says the country is full of locations worth capturing. On a recent trip to the capital, Nargis clicked her selfies with the Lodhi tomb in the backdrop as part of the Romancing India with Lumia 535 campaign. She was thrilled to be part of it as it brought together two of her passions — travel and selfies. “There is so much to capture across the country, from the historic India Gate and Taj Mahal to evergreen popular haunts such as Leopold café and Koshy’s.”

MUMBAI: As many as 100 men dined and wined with actress and adult star Sunny Leone as part of the grand finale of Mankind Pharma’s AdictionDeo Contest. The brand launched its three-month online contest on the two variants of the deodorant — Greece and Brazil — proposing that 100 lucky winners would get a chance to dine, interact and know more about their favorite star. The contest commenced on July 1 and lasted till October 8. In the scratch-and-win contest, the winners were chosen every day and the names were announced on the brand’s official Facebook page.

cinema news

RTAINMENT

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

Omung to begin filming his next by October

Mallika uncomfortable with Om Puri?

The Murder fame actor is pairing against veteran actor Om Puri in her latest film ‘Dirty Politics’, directed by K.C. Bokadia IANS, MUMBAI

ctor Mallika Sherawat has done bold scenes for various films in the past, but she says she was not at ease performing bold sequences with veteran actor Om Puri in Dirty Politics. The Murder fame actor was present at the trailer launch of the film on December 21, with the entire cast. Asked how comfortable was she while doing bold scenes with Om Puri, she said: “I was not at all comfortable, but he made me comfortable.” Directed by K.C. Bokadia, Dirty Politics is said to be based on the Bhanwari

‘Happy New Year’ a click away IANS, NEW DELHI

‘PK’ — provocative, yet gentle and cute Film: ‘PK’; Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma; Sushant Singh Rajput; Director: Raj Kumar Hirani; Rating: ****

fter making a mark with the worldwide theatrical release, Shah Rukh Khanstarrer Happy New Year will now be available for the international fans to view directly online. The movie will use the directto-fan (DTF) model so that fans in unconventional distribution markets are able to view it as well. The idea behind the development, by Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt. Ltd., is to make the film reach the maximum amount of people. “We at Red Chillies have always taken pride in establishing new trends and delighting our fans. Along these lines we bring

MUMBAI: Mary Kom fame director Omung Kumar says he will start shooting his next film, based on World War II, by mid-October 2015. Kumar told IANS: “It’s a period film and I feel their stories haven’t been told on screen. I will shoot in some real locations and also create a set. I will start shooting by mid-October.” The period film, which will also touch upon emotions and love, is tentatively titled War. Kumar said it will be a multi-starrer film with one lead actor. “I haven’t locked anyone for the film yet. Talks are on. I need good actors for the film. I don’t believe in A-listers and B-listers.”

Devi sex scandal. Om Puri plays a politician in the film. Talking about her character in the film, Mallika said she essays an ambitious woman who uses her sex appeal to move up in life. “I play a character called Anokhi Devi in the film and she is very greedy kind of woman and very ambitious. She can do anything to get her ambitions fulfilled,” the actress said. “She is from a poor family. So, when she is noticed by this politician, she does not leave the opportunity as she wants to move up in life and she uses her sex appeal to dominate the politician to go up in her life.”

N the biggest entertainer - ‘Happy New Year’, directly to our fans through online streaming for the first time ever,” Venky Mysore, CEO, Red Chillies Entertainment. While the traditional distribution markets like India and China enjoy a wide release of a Hindi film, DTF will release in other countries.

I was guided by Anurag: Ronit MUMBAI: Happy and working with Kashyap. excited that his long-pend“I’ve worked in an ing film Ugly will hit the Anurag Kashyap producscreens before 2014 ends, tion Udaan before. But I actor Ronit Roy says that had not been directed by while shooting the movie, Anurag before. So I was he felt like a little boy who very excited. He adopted a was being guided by unique method of working. director Anurag Kashyap. He didn’t give any of the Ronit, who was last actors a script. I was a bit Ronit Roy seen as Arjun Kapoor’s puzzled. autocratic dad in 2 States, says he “When I’d call to ask Anurag about has a complex and tough role in Ugly, the script, he wouldn’t listen. ‘Just which is a mystery and thriller movie. come on the set on and we’ll see,” the But he enjoyed the experience of actor said.

oticed how the word god rhymes with fraud? Tired of anaemic films in 2014? Then here comes the year-end heartwarmer about the fraud that’s pulled on unsuspecting humanity in the name of that overworked miracle-maker called god. PK is a film designed to warm the cockles of the heart. And I use the word ‘designed’ on purpose, and with emphasis. Many times you feel that the aura of childlike innocence that emanates from Aamir Khan’s character, is deliberately manipulating our feelings by questioning the sacred cows and haloed institutions in that tone we often hear little children adopt in ads for insurance schemes. Let’s straightaway say this. Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi’s writing is smooth, skilled and sexy....Quite like what Katrina Kaif achieved in her “Chikni chameli” item song. You can see the words being polished, sparkled and flaunted, just like Katrina’s waist line. She gyrated with her hips. Aamir does from the lips. In his state of innocence, accentuated by his Dr. Spock ears, Aamir looks as spaced out as Munnabhai on speed. And that is not an undesirable thing at all. The film requires

Many times you feel that the aura of childlike innocence that emanates from Aamir’s character, is manipulating our feelings. the outsider to be chronically bewildered by all the things that we earthlings take for granted. Why do we depend on god-men to take us to god when god is supposed to be omnipresent? This is not the first time that theological ques-

tions have been raised in a satirical film. Umesh Shukla did it with a lot of....to use a a term from Haider....chutzpah. PK does it with a lot more tenderness. In fact, the mood gets perceptibly treacly specially towards the end when our alien hero turns all moony-eyed over the televisionjournalist. He’s in love although he thinks it’s ‘bhest of time’. It tells us, life is beautiful even when it seems to suck. Provocative and yet gentle, evocative and quite often, heartbreakingly artless, PK is just what the healers ordered after the savagery in Peshawar.

FRIDAY, JANUARY26, 2, 2014 2015 FRIDAY, DECEMBER

18 2

EAST COAST EDITION

COMMUNITY NEWS

SHIAMAK WINTER FUNK SHOW TAKES US BY STORM BY A STAFF WRITER

EW YORK -- Enthusiastic students lined up at the Memorial Auditorium at Montclair State University for their first dance performance as a part of the Shiamak Dance Academy on December 6. Participants, aged four to 84, dressed in colorful costumes, were ready to embody the academy’s motto, Have Feet. Will Dance. Millions of students across India, Canada, Australia, the UK and the UAE have learnt at the world’s biggest dance academy, performed on stage and experienced the joy of being stars. The movement that has now reached New York and New Jersey has been the latest buzz among the South Asian community and the fans of Bollywood dancing. Shaimak Davar, founder and artistic director of the academy, is the most sought-after choreographer in India and is referred to as the Guru of Dance. With the festive season, the show took Santa on a dance through Bollywood. From

Shyamalan’s ex-aide admits to $15-k theft

M. Night Shyamalan

BY A STAFF WRITER

EST CHESTER , PA -- A once-trusted aide to “The Sixth Sense” director M. Night Shyamalan faces possible prison time after racking up $15,000 in unauthorized charges on a company credit card. Shyamalan’s former house manager Selma Nolan Cody pleaded guilty last week to a single count of theft by unlawful taking. The third-degree felony carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for February 4. Cody, 34, was accused of making 195 personal purchases from Amazon, Netflix and other outlets on a card Shyamalan and his psychologist wife gave to her for houserelated items.

Store owner pleads guilty to illegal use of food stamps

BY A STAFF WRITER

RIDGEPORT (CT) -- A grocery store owner has pled guilty in federal court for illegal use of customer’s food stamp benefits Wednesday. According to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office, 46-year-old Khalid Aboutayeb exchanged the food stamp benefits for ineligible items, such as alcohol and tobacco, as well as cash. Investigators found that more than $285,000 worth of illegal food stamp benefits were redeemed at the M&J Deli Market, which Aboutayeb operated. He was indicted by a grand jury back in May, charging him with engaging in food stamp fraud. He will return to court for sentencing on March 11 when he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine, and a restitution of nearly $200,000.

the Christmas-inspired decoration in the lobby to a visit from Santa himself, the audience had a great time clicking photographs even before the show started! The show, hosted by Monty Lokesh Kataria, kept the audience engaged and entertained throughout. From current hits to retro, divas of Bollywood to the biggest heroes, tribute to stars and covering different eras of Indian Cinema, the show was a complete Bollywood cinematic journey. The highlights of the show were the stars of tomorrow, kids between ages four to six

who had the audience on their feet. A first-ever performance by the Shiamak Dance Team- USA gave a glimpse of the training and expertise of the dance academy’s faculty. ‘The Winter Funk show was a true showcase of all that the students have learnt, cultivated and experienced through the classes,’ said Deeba Patel, senior manager with the Shiamak Group. The chief economic development officer of Choose New Jersey, Michael Chrobak, addressed the audience and commented, “I believe Shiamak Davar is the biggest Bollywood

choreographer and Shiamak classes are in five countries and more. I’m glad Shiamak has brought his classes to New Jersey so the community can come together to stay connected to this rich culture of India and Bollywood through Dance!” Instructors Bhuvan Sharma and Devashree Pande trained the students for 15 classes enabling them to perform on stage for the big night. Their energy reflected in each of the performer that took to the stage. ‘You are making history today by being part of the very first Winter Funk show here in the USA’, said Bhuvan and received a thunderous applause from the audience. Devashree was extremely pleased with the students and knew that ‘all the students from Jersey City, Edison, Paramus, Queen, Manhattan will perform like rock stars on stage!’ The show ended with a high-energy performance on Indiawale, the biggest current hit from Bollywood. Students are looking forward to the next batch of classes starting on January 11.

NY seniors mark 40th event with melody of music BY A STAFF WRITER

EW YORK – The 40th event of the Greater New York Seniors was organized by Shashikant Patel/Gopi Udeshi at Hindu Temple Community Center, 143-09 Holly Avenue, Flushing, New York – 11353 on December 14. The full-house show was a smash hit with music director and versatile singer, Bhappi Lahiri, dynamic singer with golden voice, Rakesh Raj, and Sarvari rocking an audience of 700 people. US Congresswoman Grace Meng highly appreciated Patel and Udeshi for their selfless service towards the Greater NY Seniors community and praised the highlydeveloped, strong ties of the loving members now in the winter of their life.

Bappi Lahiri with Dr. Rajeev Garg, Meenaben Garg, Shashikant Patel, Gopi Udeshi and community leaders

Patel thanked the delegates of various organizations and community leaders for

their support. The engrossing program ended with vote of thanks by Udeshi.

Dentist may lose license as patient dies BY A STAFF WRITER

ARTFORD (CT) -- Dr. Rashmi Patel, whose patient died after developing complications while getting 20 teeth pulled and several implants installed, will not be allowed to work until after a comprehensive review of his practice. The Connecticut State Dental Commission recently voted 5-0 to suspend the license of Patel, who has offices in Enfield and Torrington, after finding that he didn’t properly care for two patients, including the woman who died in February. The 45-year-old Patel, of Suffield, denied wrongdoing in both cases. His license was temporarily suspended in April pending a final determination by the commission. Under the discipline, Patel’s license will be suspended until he successfully undergoes a review of his practice by the American Association of Dental Board, which may take several months. He also will be permanently banned from performing conscious sedation, and he will be on probation for five years after the license suspension is lifted. David Tilles, a lawyer for the state Department of Public Health, recommended that Patel’s license be

Dr Rashmi Patel revoked, telling the commission that Patel’s practice “was and is a threat to the safety of his patients.’’ Patel’s lawyer Paul Knag told the commisison: “Based on the evidence, these charges should have been dismissed. He didn’t act in a reckless manner. He acted based on what very distinguished experts thought was appropriate.’’ The commission found that Patel improperly cared for 64-year-old Judith Gan of Ellington at his Enfield office on February 17, when he was to extract 20 teeth and perform six implants. Officials said Gan’s oxygen levels dropped during conscious sedation after her teeth were pulled and she later died at a hospital.

The commission ruled that Patel failed to properly respond to Gan’s decreasing oxygen levels, her respiratory distress and her cardiopulmonary distress. The commission also found that Patel should not have attempted to perform so many procedures on Gan in one office visit, given that her medical history included a heart attack six months before the visit, two strokes within the previous two years and medication that could have affected her response to the sedation. Patel also violated care standards in December 2013 when another patient under conscious sedation to have teeth extracted inhaled a piece of gauze called a “throat pack’’ designed to protect him from swallowing foreign objects, the commission found. The patient began flailing, his blood pressure became high and he was rushed to a hospital, but recovered. The panel also concluded that Patel on several occasions improperly delegated sedation to assistants not trained for such a procedure. Richard Kenny, a lawyer for Gan’s husband, Michael Gan, said his client wanted Patel’s license revoked, but believes the discipline handed down on December 17 was severe and addressed the problems. Kenny said Michael Gan plans to sue Patel over his wife’s death.

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY,FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015 26, 2014 DECEMBER

COMMUNITY NEWS

2 INDIAN FAMILIES BACK HOUSTON VARSITY PROJECT

Khaira sisters show the way

Khaira Sisters

BY A STAFF WRITER

The Mehta family (back row, L-R Dharmesh, Jay, Rahul and Nisha Mehta;( front row) parents Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta.

BY A STAFF WRITER

OUSTON -TX -- Two prominent Indian American families have provided ‘crucial financial support’ in the current construction of a new $51-million “Multidisciplinary Research and Engineering Building” at the University of Houston (UH). Work began in the fall, with occupancy expected sometime in 2016. The two families are University of Houston engineering graduate Durga Agrawal and his wife, Sushila; and siblings Dharmesh, Jay, Rahul and Nisha Mehta--all alumni of the UH Cullen College of Engineering--and their parents, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta. Each family will have a floor dedicated in their honor. The ground floor, to be named the Mehta Family Engineering Research Center, will house a high performance computational center, five wet labs, a new mass spectrometry lab, a large multipurpose room, a conference room and a student lab. The second floor, designated the Durga and Sushila Agrawal Floor, will include offices for the Division of Research’s high performance

computational center, engineering wet labs, a conference room, a lounge area and a break room. UH president Renu Khator said the gifts illustrated UH’s global student population. “The enlightened generosity of the Mehta and Agrawal families is helping to build a world-class facility that allows UH to remain a welcoming and innovative place for this important work,” she said. Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta flew to Houston to take their son home, but a meeting with people on campus changed their perceptions. Not only did Rahul stay at UH, but Jay left the Indian Institute of Technology to enroll. Eventually, the four siblings, who all still live in Houston, graduated from the Cullen College of Engineering. Their parents later joined them in Houston and the family formed the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation in 1998. “UH gave us the environment, our parents gave us the values and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Jay Mehta said. “My dad never had a chance for an education.

G N I M O C P U

Sushila and Durga Agrawal He said that all his life, he had a dream; he wanted to provide the opportunity for the best education for his children. He determined that was UH, and he spent his last penny to send his four children here.” Rahul Mehta founded NuView, Inc., when he was an undergraduate, Jay and Rahul founded tech firm Software Interfaces, and Jay founded production animation firm Case Services (acquired by Weatherford International in 2005). Agrawal has both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from UH, but he had no idea Houston would become his home when he arrived in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Delhi College of Engineering. The Agrawals’ eldest daughter, Anu, who has an engineering degree from UH, is a member of the Engineering Leadership Board at the Cullen College of Engineering. A member of the UH System Board of Regents, Agrawal was on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board when the new building was approved. The couple was the first donor to the building before it was officially sanctioned.

OS ANGELES (CA) -Indian American sisters Staff Sgt. Balreet and Sgt. Jasleen Kaur Khaira of California Air National Guard were part of a 12-soldier contingent at the recent Yudh Abhyas 2014 exercise, which took place at Ranikhet Cantonment in India. The sisters not only served on the staff for the exercise, but also acted as interpreters and cultural liaisons helping US and Indian soldiers overcome language barriers and find common ground. Balreet Kaur Khaira was enlisted in the California Army National Guard at age 17. During her military career, she was deployed to Iraq, while also managing to complete a bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Riverside. Her long-term goal is to enter medical school and become a physician. Jasleen Kaur Khaira followed in her sister’s footsteps and was enlisted in the Cal Guard as a medic while a student at U.C. Riverside. On the civilian side, she was recently hired as a registered nurse at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and is studying to be a nurse practitioner.

EVENTS

in the Mid West area

Science of Spirituality Satguru Ki Mahima; Jan 4, 10:30 a.m “to host following events in January: Satguru ki Mahima: Jan 11, 10.30 a.m ‘Karmon ka Vidhan’ : Jan 11, 10.30 a.m

lTelugu Fine Arts Society to host Sankranthi Celebrations 2015: Jan 25, 9:00 a.m at Sri Venkateswara Temple Auditorium, 1075 U.S 202, Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Music Waves NJ presents ‘Tribute to Jagjit and Chitra’ Dec 26, 8:00 p.m at Edison Hotel. 3download050, Wodbridge Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837 Music Waves-NJ

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents ‘Treasures from India- Jewels from Al-Thani from Collection’ Through Jan 25,2015 at Gallaery 464, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York Featuring Friday Focus talks by Michael Spink

The Impostor Indian Culture Society Presents ‘The Imposter’: An adaptation of Moliere’s Taratuffe” directed by Dr.Farley Richmond, Dec 14, 6:00 p.m at North Brunswick High School, 98 Raiser Road, North Brunswick , New Jersey email indiaculturalsocietynj@ gmail.com

Masters of Dance Jan. 10, 2015 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue, New York.

2014 In RetRospect: cInema EAST COAST EDITION

2014 IN RETROSPECT: CINEMA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

Aamir Khan starrer Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial ‘PK’ and Salman Khan’s ‘Kick’ were the two biggest blockbusters in 2014 in an otherwise lackluster year

Two of a kind in Bollywood HIGHLIGHTS

UMA RAMASUBRAMANIAN, MUMBAI

l Overall, a disappointing year for Bollywood boxoffice. l Films featuring young talent like Tiger Shroff, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor surprised with their profit and performances, giving the year a decent headstart. l Salman Khan’s Kick turned out to be the biggest grosser so far. It made over `2 billion l Only seven of the approximately 180 films were `1 billion grossers. l November turned out to be a dampener with most big ticket releases bombing at the box- office. l Movies like Mardaani, Queen, Mary Kom, Highway, Dedh Ishqiya and Revolver Rani were noteworthy, and gave a fillip to the trend of women-centric movies. l Differentiated content and performance-oriented movies like Citylights, Hawaa Hawaai, Jal, Lakshmi and Haider were a welcome addition to the year’s big screen Hindi entertainers. l There were high expectations from Aamir Khan-starrer PK. And Aamir has not failed to stand up to the expectations of his fans.

he year started on a positive note with young guns bringing in the moolah, but overall, 2014 has so far turned out to be a disappointing one for the Bollywood box office, say trade gurus, pointing out at how only seven of the nearly 180 releases surpassed the `1 billion ($16 million) mark in the Hindi film industry, which has grossed an estimated turnover of `23.5 billion so far. Then Aamir Khan turned the table at the fag end of the year like he did in 3 Idiots. The most successful movie of the year came at the end in the form of PK. Whether it was Tiger Shroff’s Heropanti, Sidharth Malhotra’s Ek Villain, Varun Dhawan’s Main Tera Hero, Alia Bhatt’s Highway or Alia and Arjun Kapoor-starrer 2 States — they set the stage for a decent year in the first six to eight months, by not just recovering their money, but also making profits. But the “second half was a major disappointment and most of the films didn’t live up to expectations,” Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines told IANS. “This year was very bad...so far,” he added. Terming 2014 an “average year”, trade analyst Komal Nahta told IANS: “The start of 2014 was good, but towards the end there was a downfall. November was the worst month for the film industry in the last 15 to 20 years. All the films, including Happy Ending, The Shaukeens and Kill Dil bombed.” Thadani estimated that instead

of adding to the list of movies making their way into the `1 billion club, November’s releases contributed to a loss of `1 billion at the box office in the month. Box office-wise, the sunshine in the gloomy year was brought by seven films — Jai Ho (approximately `1.1 bn), Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (`1.1 bn), 2 States (`1 bn), Kick (over `2 bn), Bang Bang (`1.45 bn), Happy New Year (`1.88 bn) and Singham Returns (`1.40 bn). Trade expert Vinod Mirani

IANS: “Raking in `1 billion is not a benchmark anymore in this industry. Besides, the films that have crossed `1 bn were made on a huge budget, so they have not made any profit.” Hindi filmdom forms a major chunk of the globally popular Indian film industry, estimated at a little over `12.50 bn in 2013, according to the FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2014.

Content-wise, some womencentric movies like Mardaani, Mary Kom, Queen, Highway, Dedh Ishqiya came to the fore, as did films like Citylights, Hawaa Hawaai and Haider which found critical acclaim. “Few women-centric films have done well and that’s certainly a great change,” Manoj Desai of Gaiety Galaxy told IANS.

Role reversal of fashion and films in Bollywood NIVEDITA, NEW DELHI

ilms and fashion go hand in hand and their relationship went a step forward in the year gone by,with designers going behind the camera to make movies and film stars taking to scissors and measuring tapes to showcase their expertise in designing. If Vikram Phadnis crossed over to direct a film, Deepika Padukone also did so to reveal her creativity with fabrics. Phadnis, who will celebrate 25 years in the entertainment indus-

try in 2015, announced his big Bollywood directorial debut with Nia, starring Bipasha Basu and Rana Dagubatti. To be shot in Australia, the film will go on the floors in January 2015. Excited about his new venture, Phadnis said that Nia is a great subject that touches an emotional chord. Ace designers Manish Malhotra, Rocky S and Sabyasachi Mukherjee are also interested in the movie business and if things go as planned, they would soon announce their projects. While some will choose to

Lara Dutta

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Karan Johar

direct a film, others would start their production ventures. Rocky, who is behind some of the oh-so stylish appearances of Bollywood divas like Bipahsa and Shilpa Shetty, owns production banner E-Sense Motion Pictures and may soon launch a movie. The evolving Indian fashion industry is estimated to be worth `7.2 billion ($114 million), while the Indian film industry is estimated at `125.30 billion the creative crossover may spell profits. The credit for this migration largely goes to Muzaffar Ali: he was perhaps the first designer to wield the megaphone and his effort, titled Umrao Jaan, a period drama starring stunning Rekha in a never seen before avatar, was a huge success.

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

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EAST COAST EDITION 2014 In RetRospect: cInema

2014 IN RETROSPECT: CINEMA

While Bollywood enthralled viewers by its offerings, actors too impressed the audience by donning diverse roles — from ostentatious to serious to comic. They took various roles and enhanced the movie-viewing experience

Striking gold at box office Best actors: Bang, bang Actresses who enjoyed performances of the year primacy this year 1. SHAHID KAPOOR: His role in Haider can be described as the best performance of his career. Shot in the Kashmir valley, the quintessential Vishal Bhardwaj directorial was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Apart from doing good business at the box office, the film was well received by critics, who were enamored by Shahid's work. 2. RANDEEP HOODA: Imtiaz Ali's Highway featured the off-beat pair of Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda. This however did not stop the film from making an impact on the audience. Mostly shot in the scenic locales of northern India, it presented Hooda as a goon who kidnaps the protagonist, and he breezed through his role. A classic example of Stockholm Syndrome, the film gathered much critical acclaim following its release in February. Apart from Highway, Hooda also appeared in a pivotal role in Salman Khan starrer Kick and he lived up to the expectation of his fans in the commercial drama. 3. NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI: After giving extraordinary performances in the past years, Nawaz yet again exhibited his talent in Kick, a masala movie, and then wowed with his performance in indie movie Liar's Dice, which was India's official Oscar entry for the best foreign language film category. 4. RAJKUMMAR RAO: He played Vijay in Queen and Deepak Singh in CityLights and proved his versatility through the lucid roles. The former was a women centric drama and Rajkummar created the perfect contrast for the protagonist. CityLights, directed by Hansal Mehta, saw him in the much central and serious role. Centered on urban-rural migration, the film, an adaptation of a British movie Metro Manila, saw the actor giving his best. 5. SALMAN KHAN: Although the Bollywood superstar did not feature in any movie in 2013, Salman has had two releases this year, Jai Ho, which also stars Daisy Shah and Tabu, and Kick. While his performance has always allured the audience, his films have also ranked well at the box-office blockbusters list. Kick, which released ahead of Eid, crossed the `1-billion mark on the fifth day after its release. 6. HRITHIK ROSHAN: Although Hrithik's action-thriller Bang Bang! didn't appeal to the critics, the film did exceptionally well at the box-office, crossing `1.5 bn in India, and took the worldwide box office collection to close to `3 billion. The superficial action sequences and Hrithik's trademark dance catapulted the movie to the top of the charts. 7. AKSHAY KUMAR: With the comic Entertainment and action-thriller Holiday under his belt, Akshay entertained his fans thoroughly. He plays a soldier in A.R. Murugadoss's Holiday, which minted `1.03 bn in three weeks.

1. KANGNA RANAUT: Her heartfelt performance in the women-centric melodrama Queen earned her a lot of kudos from critics and viewers alike. The film turned out to be a success at the box office as it bagged `550 million despite its modest budget. She appeared in two other films this year — Revolver Rani and Ungli — both of which did not perform very well, but her performance was lauded. 2. Alia Bhatt: Her sheer frivolity in 2 States and her portrayal of a vibrant, free-spirited girl who develops an affectionate relationship with her kidnapper in Highway, has landed Alia amid a mound of praise. With three films this year, the actress made her presence felt in the cinematic world with Imtiaz Ali's Highway, which raked in `300 million. The 21-year-old also appeared in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, which received a lukewarm response. 3. Priyanka Chopra: The former Miss World and National Award winning talent showcased her versatile acting talent with Mary Kom, a biopic on Indian boxing champion MC Mary Kom. The film collected around `540 million and further secured Priyanka's place among top actresses in present-day tinsel town. 4. Rani Mukerji: Her personification of the aptly labelled Mardaani police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy, and her raw, unswerving and invincible rage against the child trafficking mafia attracted humungous praise from noted critics and movie-goers. Mardaani, directed by Pradeep Sarkar, was a low-budget film but it minted `400 million. 5. Deepika Padukone: The exuberant role that Deepika played in Happy New Year, which earned `1.88 billion at the box office, appealed to the audiences, who were also excited to see the Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika pair onscreen after they were last seen together in Chennai Express. Happy New Year is the flamboyant actor's third hit with SRK following Om Shanti Om and Chennai Express. 6. Shraddha Kapoor: After Aashiqui 2, which released in 2013, Ek Villain and Haider turned out to be great projects for Shraddha Kapoor this year. While Ek Villain collected over `960 million, Haider minted `500 million. 7. Anushka Sharma: With the release of Aamir Khan-starrer PK, it seems like she saved herself for the last, only to emerge as a promising wild-card entry to the bevy of actresses who dominated the year. Her pixie look in the film have received as much accolades as has Aamir’s ‘alien' character.

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

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2014 IN RETROSPECT: BUSINESS

EAST COAST EDITION busIness FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015 2014 In RetRospect:

Though the first half of the year was challenging for the industry, the sentiment turned around and has been upbeat for the past six months, especially in the post-elections phase with stable government in New Delhi

IT INDUSTRY dons innovation FAKIR BALAJI, BENGALURU

ecovering from a slowdown and sustaining a double-digit growth, the $120-billion Indian IT industry had a remarkable 2014, consolidating operations and using disruptive technologies, which ensures innovation to shed the old and adapt to new products and services. Though the first half of the year was challenging for various reasons beyond the industry’s control, the sentiment turned around and has been upbeat for

the past six months, especially in the post-elections phase, with a stable central government in place, stakeholders said. “We have seen enterprises and product firms stabilizing, delivering more business value and bringing transformation to their clients overseas, using disruptive technologies such as cloud, big data, analytics, mobility, social media and the Internet of Things,” a top official of Nasscom told IANS. “There is a dramatic shift in sentiment, as evident from positive perception of India abroad. Embracing new

A SUCCESS STORY l Industry recovers from slowdown; sustains double digit growth l Adopts disruptive technologies and new models of engagements l Turnaround in sentiment and upbeat mood l Industry’s perception turns positive overseas l Re-structuring to keep pace with

new technologies and demands l Software exports poised to touch $100 billion in 2014-15 l Braces for Digital India programme and Make in India campaign l Generates 150,000 direct and 450,000 indirect jobs l Infosys co-founders exit, make way for new CEO.

platforms, using different business models and competing with global firms has enhanced our indus-

The $120-billion Indian IT industry comprises small, medium and large firms, including

No spice in the sky ROHIT VAID, NEW DELHI

ndia’s civil aviation industry faced turbulent weather in 2014 even as two new airlines with foreign collaborators joined the five scheduled operators to trigger a price war that squeezed margins further, with falling fuel costs giving some respite in later months. The Tatas-promoted AirAsia, in collaboration with the Malaysian budget carrier and Delhi-based entrepreneur Arun Bhatia’s Telstra TradePlace, took wings in June as a regional carrier, while Vistara, again a Tatas ven-

try’s value proposition,” said Nasscom president R. Chandrashekhar.

try was saddled with high interest cost in 2014, which stretched the bottom lines further, with high fuel cost adding to its woes for the bulk of the year save from midNovember when the global crude prices started to plummet. Between January and October, the latest month for which data is available, state-run Air India and private airlines ferried 55 million passengers, which was a healthy growth of 8.61 percent over the 50 million in the like period of the previous year. Yet, as per industry estimates, the carriers are expected to log a collec-

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR ture with Singapore Airlines, secured air operator permit. This apart, AirCosta, led by Andhra Pradesh-based industrialist L.P Bhaskar Rao, saw its first full-year operation. But these new entrants apart, the aviation indus-

l Hits high growth trajectory returns after two years of slump l Nearly 60 million passengers ferried between January and November l US regulator downgrades flights of Indian carriers into US l Airport privatization plans stalled l Nod for 50 new low-cost airports

l Six new applications approved for new airlines l SpiceJet faces financial meltdown, attrition l Air India joins Star Alliance l IndiGo places order for 250 Airbus aircraft l Tata’s Vistara gets flying license

global software majors like TCS, Infosys captive units of multinationals and sectors providing software, hardware, process management, engineering, research and development, and innovative products. “The industry is restructuring to keep pace with the new wave of technologies. The outlook is good, especially overseas, thanks to the optimism in the US economy,” said Chandrasekhar, adding the American market still accounts for some 60 percent of India’s software exports. As the IT-BPM industry’s representative body has projected 15 percent export growth for this fiscal (2014-15) as against 13 percent last fiscal. tive loss of more than $2 billion in the current calendar year. The passenger load factor, which is a key indicator of operational efficiency, varied between a low of 63.3 percent and a high of 85.9 percent. “We are trying to review the policies to make it easy for the sector. We have a draft policy and we are considering a couple of reforms to help the industry. But there is much to do and we in the government know it,” Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapati told IANS. But experts said mere talk will not help. “Good days ‘Acchhe Din” appear far away. The Indian aviation industry is in ICU. It needs an urgent shock therapy,” said Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defense at global consultancy KPMG. “Indian aviation has survived on hope for a very long time. It’s time for the government, given its huge mandate, to finally do some long term corrections.”

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2014 in retrospect: diplomacy EAST COAST EDITION

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

2014 IN RETROSPECT: DIPLOMACY

Narendra Modi has pulled off a kind of diplomatic coup in getting President Barack Obama to accept his invitation to be the chief guest at the R-Day in 2015

Modi era: Diplomacy at its peak RANJANA NARAYAN, NEW DELHI

After Modi was installed at the immediate neighbors and also helm, the outreach with the US reassured them of the new govstarted in earnest, culminating in ernment’s intentions. his visit to America, a country While the Modi government’s that had declared him a pariah outreach to neighbors appears to over the 2002 Gujarat riots. have worked well to assuage the Before Modi came to power, concerns of most, in the case of India had two important guests - Pakistan the blow hot, blow cold Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo relations between the two continAbe as chief guest of the Republic ue, despite the early promising Day parade and South Korean noises in the wake of the ModiPresident Park Guen-hye, who vis- Nawaz Sharif handshake and the

A Pakistan court’s decision last week to grant bail to 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi came as a shocker, and India will have to wait for three months to know if the Lashhkar-e-Taiba terrorist will get off the hook or Islamabad will heed India’s concerns and bring him and other perpetrators of the 26/11 carnage to book. In the over six months that

President Barack Obama welcomes Narendra Modi at the White House dinner in Washington, D.C.

ndia’s foreign relations appear on a humming, happy front as 2014 draws to a close, with attended several bilateral and multies with many countries, tilateral summits. Among the mulincluding the US, China and Rustilateral summits are: South Asian sia, on the uptick, especially after Association for Regional Cooperathe Narendra Modi government tion (SAARC) in Kathmandu, the kicked off a blitz of active foreign G20 in Brisbane, Australia, the policy engagement since it took Association of Southeast Asian over in May. Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit in Myanmar, and the The year 2014 began with first India-South Pacific Island India-US relations on the ebb, nations forum summit in Fiji - all with the bitter hangover of the Modi, who initially started off in Hindi but has began addressing Devyani Khobragade episode diplomatic gatherings in English with the aid of teleprompters, has in November, and the BRICS summit with Brazil, Russia, China and very fresh. The arrest and strip got the eyes and the ears of the international community. South Africa in Fortaleza, Brazil. search of Indian diplomat in New York in late 2013 continued to Modi, who initially started off ited in the second week of January. shawl-sari and twitter diplomacy. Modi has been in power, he has in Hindi but has since began reverberate in early 2014. Abe was the first Japanese The relations with Pakistan, in met all the Permanent Five mem- addressing diplomatic gatherings Both sides made serious efforts for a patch-up, with then foreign prime minister to grace the fact, witnessed a major downslide bers of the United Nations — in English with the aid of minister Salman Khurshid break- Republic Day and his visit helped after the continuous border firing U.S., Russia, China, Britain and teleprompters, has got the eyes ing ice with US Secretary of State reinforce India-Japan ties that got incidents and after India called France — some more than once, and the ears of the international John Kerry and India’s new envoy an even higher trajectory under off the foreign secretary-level including U.S. President Barack community with his promise of talks over Islamabad dabbling Obama, Chinese President Xi Jin- the ease of doing business S. Jaishankar moving actively to the Modi government. The new government launched with Kashmiri separatists. smoothen the ties. The US also ping and Russian President in India. The horrific Peshawar school Vladimir Putin. moved quickly to recall then US its foreign policy with a bang — His invite to US President envoy Nancy Powell, who was by inviting eight South Asian terror attack last week helped The prime minister, who visited Barack Obama to be chief guest perceived to be unfriendly neighbors, including Pakistan, to bring both neighbors together in Bhutan in his first bilateral outing, for the Republic Day parade on towards the Modi juggernaut that the swearing in. It gave Modi an sharing concerns over terrorism has since visited Nepal, Myanmar, January 26 is being viewed as a was surely headed towards Delhi. opportunity to get to know his and sympathy over the great loss. Australia, Fiji, the US, Brazil and diplomatic masterstroke.

From right, Narendra Modi with French President Francois Hollande; with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Xi Jingping in 2014 (Photos: IANS and PIB)

EAST COAST EDITION FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015

EAST COAST EDITION