Voice of Asia Aug 23 2013 by VoiceOf Asia

OP-ED/OPIONS/VIEWS

VOICE OF ASIA 2

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REPORT

Young ‘Dreamers’ push for US immigration reform by Ramon SAHMKOW

ith immigration reform facing an uncertain fate in Congress, young people brought to the United States as children are pushing to win residency papers in the country they consider home. They are known as the “Dreamers” -- after the DREAM Act that would have given them citizenship had it passed Congress -- and now there’s a chance their dreams will become true. President Barack Obama has put a temporary system in place to accord them work papers, and 430,236 people qualiﬁed to take advantage of it, out of 573,404 who applied. To qualify for the pilot scheme they had to be under 31, have arrived in the US before they were 16, have graduated high school, have a clean criminal record and pay a $426 processing fee. Now they want Congress to pass a law making the arrangement permanent, and they’re not shy about leading their own attention-grabbing campaigns to promote it. Decisions. “They are really helpful at making the immigration cause more palatable, and the more acceptable it is to general Americans, the more likely that Congress would be to eventually vote,” he said. In 2011, young, undocumented immigrants called on US President Barack Obama to stop deportations and change the American immigration system under a bill called the DREAM Act, which would have provided a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brought to

the US as children. A year later, the revamped version of the measure gave Dreamers work permits and protection from deportation. Now, as a more ambitious bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants makes its way through the Republican-led House after passing the Senate, the Dreamers are stepping up their noisy public campaign. Activists delivered hundreds of cantaloupes at the beginning of the month to Republican lawmakers. The stunt followed Republican Congressman Steve King’s assertion that for every undocumented immigrant who is a valedictorian there are another hundred with “calves the size of cantaloupes” hauling marijuana across the desert. Earlier, in July, nine young, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US by their parents as children demonstrated against immigration law by attempting to re-enter the US from Mexico. They were arrested at the border then released on parole and now await possible asylum. The Dreamers’ “highly visible and controversial tactics could help mobilize favorable opinion and pro-migrant movement participants,” said Matthew Ward, an immigration specialist at the University of Southern Mississippi. “It’s easy for the public to treat undocumented aliens as if somehow they are wildly different from other Americans, and these young people just want to get a driver’s license and go to college,” Segura said.

Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $30 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074 It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or conﬁrmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. - The Publisher

1. On the eve of the 66th anniversary of our Independence, I extend warm greetings to you and to all Indians around the world. 2. My thoughts turn first towards the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who shaped our liberation struggle and the martyrs who made supreme sacrifice for the freedom of our country and great patriots whose relentless struggle liberated our motherland from the colonial rule of nearly two hundred years. Gandhiji sought freedom from both foreign rule as well as the indigenous social chains that had imprisoned our society for long. He launched every Indian on a path of self-belief and hope for a better future. Gandhiji promised Swaraj- self-rule based on tolerance and selfrestraint. He promised freedom from want and deprivation. For nearly seven decades now we have been masters of our destiny. This is then the moment to ask: are we heading in the right direction? Gandhiji’s vision cannot be turned into reality if we spurn the very values that were compulsory to his cause: sincerity of effort, honesty of purpose and sacrifice for the larger good. 3. Our founding fathers created the first oasis in the desert of a colonized world nourished by democracy. Democracy is much more than the right to vote every five years; its essence is the aspirations of the masses; its spirit must influence the responsibilities of the leaders and duties of the citizens every day. Democracy breathes through a vibrant Parliament, an independent judiciary, a responsible media, a vigilant civil society, and a bureaucracy committed to integrity and hard work. It survives through accountability, not profligacy. And yet we have allowed unbridled personal enrichment, self-indulgence, intolerance, discourtesy in behavior and disrespect for authority to erode our work culture. The biggest impact of the decay in the moral fiber of our society is on the hopes and aspirations of the young and the poor. Mahatma Gandhi had advised us to avoid, and I quote, “politics without principles, wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, and worship without sacrifice”, (unquote). We have to pay heed to his advice as we work towards building a modern democracy. The ideals of patriotism, compassion, tolerance, self-restraint, honesty, discipline and respect for women have to be converted into a living force. 4. Institutions are a mirror of national character. Today we see widespread cynicism and disillusionment with the governance and functioning of institutions in our country. Our legislatures look more like combat arenas, rather than fora that legislate. Corruption has become a major challenge. The precious resources of the nation are being wasted through indolence and indifference. It is sapping the dynamism of our society. We need to correct this regression.

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee’s address the nation on the eve of Independence Day

ance has to be maintained. We need a Parliament that debates, discusses and decides. We need a judiciary that gives justice without delays. We need leadership that is committed to the nation and those values that made us a great civilization. We need a state that inspires conﬁdence among people in its ability to surmount challenges before us. We need a media and citizens who, even as they claim their rights, are equally committed to their responsibilities.

grains production. We are the largest exporter of rice and second largest exporter of wheat in the world. The record production of 18.45 million tonne of pulses this year augurs well for our march towards self-sufﬁciency in pulses. This was unthinkable just a few years ago. This momentum has to be sustained. In a globalized world, with increasing economic complexities, we have to learn to cope better with adversities, both external and domestic.

6. A re-ordering of the society can be brought about through the educational system. We cannot aspire to be a world class power without a single world class university. History records that we were the cynosure of the world once. Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Valabhi, Somapura and Odantapuri comprised the ancient university system that dominated the world for eighteen hundred years beginning Sixth Century BC. They were a magnet for the ﬁnest minds and scholars in the world. We must seek to regain that space. A university is the banyan tree whose roots lie in basic education, in a vast network of schools that build the intellectual prowess of our communities; we have to invest in every part of this knowledge tree, from seed, root and branch to the highest leaf.

10. At the dawn of our Independence, we lit the glowing lamp of modernity and equitable economic growth. To keep this lamp aﬂame, our highest priority has to be the elimination of poverty. Though a declining trend in the poverty rate is clearly visible, our ﬁght against this scourge is far from over. India has the talent, ability and the resources to overcome this challenge.

7. There is a direct relationship between a successful democracy and a successful economy, for we are a people-driven nation. People serve their interests best when they participate in decision- making at the level of panchayat and other forms of local government. We have to rapidly empower the local bodies with functions, functionaries and ﬁnances to improve their performance. Faster growth has given us the resources, but larger outlays have not translated into better outcomes. Without inclusive governance, we cannot achieve inclusive growth. 8. For a developing country of more than 1.2 billion people, the debate between growth and redistribution is vital. While growth builds the scope for redistribution, redistribution sustains growth over time. Both are equally important. A disproportionate emphasis on any one, at the expense of the other, can have adverse consequences for the nation. 9. The last decade has seen India emerge as one of the fastest growing nations in the world. During this period, our economy grew annually at an average rate of 7.9 per cent. We are today self-sufﬁcient in food

11. Reforms that have enabled us to come this far have to be pursued at all levels of governance. Favorable demographic changes over the next two decades can pay us handsome dividends. It requires industrial transformation and rapid creation of employment opportunities. It also requires an orderly urbanization process. Several initiatives taken by the Government in the recent past including the New Manufacturing Policy, the renewal of urban infrastructure and the ambitious skill training programme will need close monitoring in the coming years. 12. We have given our citizens entitlements backed by legal guarantees in terms of right to employment, education, food and information. We now have to ensure that these entitlements lead to real empowerment for the people. We need robust delivery mechanisms to make these legislations work. New benchmarks of efficient public service delivery and accountability have to be established. The Direct Benefits Transfer Scheme, launched earlier this year, will bring in greater transparency, enhance efficiency and eliminate wastage of precious resources. 13. In our race for development, we must be careful not to disturb the balance between man and nature. The consequences of such imbalance can be disastrous. My heartfelt condolences to the many who lost their lives, and the innumerable who suffered in Uttarakhand; and my salutations to those brave personnel of our security and armed forces, government

5. Our Constitution provides a delicate balance of power between various institutions of the State. This bal-

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and NGOs who did so much to alleviate suffering. This tragedy owes as much to the avarice of human nature as to the rage of Mother Nature. This was nature’s wake-up call. And it is time to wake up. 14. We have seen in the recent past grave challenges to our security, internal as well as external. The barbaric face of Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh led to a loss of many innocent lives. Despite India’s consistent efforts to build friendly relations with neighbours, there have been tensions on the border and repeated violations of the Ceaseﬁre on the Line of Control, leading to tragic loss of lives. Our commitment to peace is unfailing but even our patience has limits. All steps necessary to ensure internal security and protect the territorial integrity of the nation will be taken. I applaud the courage and heroism of our security and armed forces who maintain eternal vigilance and pay homage to those who have made the supreme sacriﬁce of the most precious gift of life in the service of the motherland. 15. There will be a general election in our country before I have the privilege of addressing you again on the eve of our next independence day. This great festival of democracy, is an opportunity for us to elect a stable government which will ensure security and economic development. Every election must become a crucial milestone in our nation’s journey towards greater social harmony, peace and prosperity.

16. Democracy has given us an opportunity to re-create another golden age. Let us not squander this extraordinary opportunity. The journey ahead calls for wisdom, courage and determination. We must work on across-the-board revival of our values and institutions. We must realize that rights go with responsibilities. We must re-discover the virtue of selfscrutiny and self-restraint. 17. Let me conclude by quoting from the great classic Bhagvad Gita where the Teacher propounds his views and then says, and I quote, “yatha icchasi tatha kuru” “even as you choose, so you do. I do not wish to impose my views on you. I have presented to you what I think is right. Now it is for your conscience, for your judgment, for your mind to decide what is right.” (unquote) On your decisions rests the future of our democracy. JAI HIND!

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 4

The People’s Lawyer

FRIDAY, August 23, 2013

Swami Mukundananda enthralls Children during Q&A session our actions. Reincarnation also provides answers to several questions related to child prodigies, etc,.”. Children asked several other questions following that discussion. Swamiji conveyed a powerful message in the end stating that “knowing your goal early in life helps advance in the spiritual world even faster”.

www.peopleslawyer.net Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

House remains separate property after marriage Q. I own a house. If I marry I believe that my home is still mine in case of a divorce. Is that true? A. Your understanding of the law is correct. In Texas, property is considered “separate,” or, “community.” Separate property is owned solely by one while spouse, while community property is owned jointly. If there is a divorce, the court will divide the community property between the spouses, but separate property goes to the spouse who owns it. All property acquired after a marriage is considered community property. Property owned before marriage, such as a house, remains the property of the spouse who owns it. In other words, unless you wanted to give your spouse an interest in your house, it will remain your separate property and would not be divided if there was a divorce. Q. I moved into a complex and was shown a model unit. Much to my surprise and disappointment my unit is nothing like the model. What are my rights? A. Texas has a consumer protection law called the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Under this law, commonly referred to as the DTPA, a person or business is responsible if it makes any misrepresentations about what is being sold or rented. If someone violates this law, he may be liable for three times your damages plus attorneys’ fees. In most cases, a misrepresentation takes the form of an oral or written statement about the goods. For example, it is a misrepresentation to say, “The apartment has new carpet,” when it does not. But a misrepresentation does not have to be expressed in words. A misrepresentation also can arise in other ways, such as showing someone a model apartment, and leading him or her to believe his or her apartment will look substantially the same as the model. In my opinion, if the apartment you were rented is not substantially the same as the model you were shown, the landlord has violated the DTPA. I suggest you let him know you know your rights, and ask for a new unit, repairs to your current unit, or the right to terminate your lease. Q. I own a timeshare in another state. I can no longer afford the payments and want to get rid of it. The company will not take it back and says I have to continue to pay or they will sue me. Can I force them to take it back? A company contacted me and told me that for $3,000 they would find a technicality and get me out of the contract. A. As you are discovering, it is very difficult to get out of an obligation for a timeshare. Unlike personal property, you cannot just throw away real estate or abandon it. As long as you own it, you have an obligation to pay. As a first step, you may want to let the company know you are going to stop paying and ask if it will agree to let you out, for a small fee. You may be able to negotiate your release. If you do, be sure to get any agreement in writing. There also are companies that sell timeshares. I actually sold a timeshare about three years ago. I would not, however, pay anyone in advance to sell or get out of a timeshare. Finally, look at the debt collection section on my website below, to see what might happen if the company does try to collect. In many cases, there is not much a creditor can take to collect even if it sues. That is why the company may settle the matter with you once you let it know you are no longer able to pay. Q. I was sexually assaulted in the laundry room of my apartment. I am very scared to live there and asked the landlord if I could terminate my lease. He said if I left early I would be breaking the lease and would continue to owe rent. Do I have the right to leave? A. As far as the law is concerned, you generally do not have the right to terminate your lease simply because you do not want to live there. But since 2010, the law has been changed to allow a tenant who is the victim of a sexual assault to terminate the lease with no further liability. I suggest you let the landlord know you know the law, and you are terminating your lease. Do you want to know more about your legal rights? Check out my website, www.peopleslawyer.net

Swami Mukundananda during the Q & A session in Houston

Swami Mukundananda is a world renowned spiritual teacher from India. He is the founder of JKYOG and is an authority on Hindu Philosophy and has inﬂuenced thousands of people all over the world. Please contact www.jkyog.org for more information about Swamiji’s programs and activi-

agadguru Kripaluji Yog (JKYog) and Arsha Vidya Satsanga (AVS) Houston jointly organized a Q&A session for youth with Swami Mukundananda on Sunday, August 18th 2013. At this house event in Katy, Swamiji addressed a group of children of various ages ranging between 6-16 yrs. in a 1 hr. interactive session. This session was intended for youth to take interest in spirituality in the early years and reach extraordinary levels of contentment and happiness in their lives. Swamiji started off explaining questions such as “Who am I?”, “What is my goal in life?” and “How do I attain that goal?” in the most fundamental way that is comprehensible to young children. Addressing a question related “is learning of re-incarnation useful?”, Swamiji explained that “knowing that you have another life

Children and adults seen interacting with Swami Mukundananda . makes you responsible and ac- ties. countable for your actions. You AVS Houston group under will be more cautious in your the guidance of Jayakumar behavior knowing that any bad Srinivasan offers Sunday spirideed never goes unpunished tual classes for small children and a good deed never misses (between 5-9 yrs.) called “Baabringing positive fruits either lika” and for youth (10-16 yrs.) in the current or in your future called “Taruna”. Please contact re-births. This also conﬁrms www.avshouston.org for more that god is fair in dealing with details about these classes.

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US artist turns dumpster into a home by Robert MACPHERSON

root at Boneyard Studios (www.boneyardstudios.com), showcasing the possibilities of small-is-beautiful housing in the heart of the nation’s capital.

here’s nothing trashy about Gregory Kloehn’s Brooklyn pied-a-terre: a live-in dumpster that sleeps two with ease, hosts impromptu barbecue parties and sports its own sundeck.

“It’s not for everyone by any means,” said Jay Austin, whose 140-square foot home at Boneyard Studios, the Matchbox, is totally off-grid, self-sustaining and carbon-neutral.

It’s the California artist’s tin-can contribution to the tiny-house movement that’s prompting many Americans to ask if bigger really is better when it comes to having a roof over your head.

In New York, the city’s museum is showing off a 325 square foot microapartment boasting all the features of a unit twice its size -- and it’s invited a lucky few to try it out for size by spending the night in it.

“On the street, when it’s all closed up, if you don’t know about it, you think it’s a garbage can,” said Kloehn, 42, as he invited AFP to step inside for a house tour.

“I actually could see myself living here,” museum intern Taylor Jones told the New York Times after a sleepover this week, although she worried how cluttered such a compact space could become.

“They don’t know I’m in here sleeping... Even with the barbecue going outside, chicken wings grilling, people just walk by. They don’t see it as a home.”

Not content with making a dumpster just for himself, Kloehn has used found materials -- a fridge door here, some castaway lumber there, topped with a ﬁberglass hood from a pickup truck -to create a “debris home” on wheels for the homeless.

Kloehn had already turned 20-foot shipping containers into housing units when he thought up the idea of doing likewise with the steel garbage receptacle known to Britons as a skip. “What I did is that I bought a brand new dumpster and just started going to town,” he said. “I was going to make it a little rougher at first, but then I started and I thought, ‘Let’s put in some granite counter tops. Let’s put in some hardwood floors. Let’s really make it luxurious and liveable -- really take everything a regular home has and throw it into this small a space.” You enter Kloehn’s dark-green crash pad -- his home back in Oakland is rather more conventional -- through a Dutch door with an affixed minibar that is well-stocked with whiskey and vodka. To the right is the galley-style kitchen with smooth granite countertop, sink, single-burner gas stove, concealed icebox and a hood fashioned out of an old wok. Running around the edge is a cushioned sofa, upholstered in black vinyl, with backs and seats that lift off to reveal storage space and a marine toilet connectable to a city sewage system.

Greg Kloehn lying inside the home he made from a dumpster, pictured August 15, 2013 in New York (AFP, Stan Honda) There’s deﬁnitely no room to swing a cat, but twist a crank and up goes the ceiling to reveal a pair of eyebrow windows to provide natural light and some welcome headroom.

Mitchell, who blogs about tiny-house design and construction at www.thetinylife.com.

Welded onto the exterior is a shower and the gas barbecue. Electricity comes from whatever socket happens to be nearby -- what Kloehn calls “living off somebody else’s grid.”

In a nation where the average home is 2,600 square feet (241 square meters), tiny houses -- typically 186 square feet, but going up to 400 square feet -- are fetching more attention, not least from aging baby boomers looking to downsize in their retirement years.

A descendant of Civil War president Abraham Lincoln who, according to legend, grew up in a log cabin, Kloehn paid about $1,000 for the dumpster, known in the trash business as a sixyard humpback.

“There are more builders. There are more people seeking to live in tiny houses,” Mitchell told AFP by telephone from North Carolina, where he is completing his own diminutive dwelling.

He spent another couple of thousand on ﬁttings and insulation -- about as much as one month’s rent for a cramped Manhattan studio.

There would be even more tiny homes, he said, if if local zoning regulations and housing codes were not so restrictive.

“It’s actually kind of neat, considering what he built it out of,” said Ryan

In a back alley in Washington, a fourunit tiny-house community has taken

He’s also tinkered with barbecue and salad bars on bicycle frames, documenting them on his www.gregorykloehn. com blog. Back in Brooklyn, where he’s in the early stages of turning four 20-foot shipping containers into an “interactive sculpture” literally a stone’s throw away, Kloehn climbs atop his dumpster’s sundeck and casts an eye over his neighborhood. Over here, there’s the cavernous artists’ loft whose owner kindly lets him keep his dumpster in the back yard. In front, the abandoned yet majestic New York Dock Company warehouse. And over there, the gleaming white Queen Mary II that just sailed into town. “The bigger the home, the bigger the problems,” Kloehn mused.

An outdoor shower on the home Greg Kloehn made from a $1,000 trash dumpster,.

“There’s more overhead, more things to go wrong, more yard to take care of.” And, he shrugged, “your’re going to ﬁll it up eventually with junk.”

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VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, August 23, 2013

BOLLYWOOD MASALA

FRIDAY, August 23, 2013

Friday, August 23, 2013

Section 2

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Vidya Balan is a hit at the India Day Parade in NY!

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Tel: 713-774-5140

Anil Kapoor unveils first look of 24 on Twitter

ollywood actor-producer Anil Kapoor unveiled the ﬁrst look of his debut television production 24, which is a suspense drama series based on the American series of the same name. The 56-year-old actor, who recently joined microblogging website Twitter, shared the photo on his account page. “First look of 24 India! The teaser looks great. Can’t wait to show it to you guys,” Kapoor wrote. The Slumdog Millionaire actor was part of the eighth season of the US version of the action series. The Indian version of the show is written by Rensil D’Silva and directed by Abhinay Deo. Besides Kapoor, the show will also star Mandira Bedi, Tisca Chopra. Actor Anupam Kher will do a cameo as a Research and Analysis Wing ofﬁcer in the series. 24 will premiere this October on Colors channel.

Anil Kapoor in 24 India!

Priyanka Chopra: Give the daughters of India a chance Vidya Balan leads the India Day parade

by Bhagyashri Pawar he Dirty Picture actor led the largest Indian Independence Day celebrations in the US with over two lakh people saluting the tricolour in various ways. Unlike at Cannes 2013, VB impressed us at this event Vidya Balan’s Cannes ﬁlm festival 2013 fashion disaster was quite fresh in our minds, so we had our ﬁngers crossed for her appearance at the India Day Parade in New York a couple of days ago. However, we were in for a pleasant surprise with Vidya’s choice of

clothes and accessories. The pretty lady grabbed eyeballs in an Asmita Marwa kalamkari lehenga. The Kahaani actor carried off the peacock green blockprinted lehenga teamed with a bronze dupatta and mustard yellow choli with great poise and pomp. We especially loved the sexy plunging back of her choli – that is a VB favourite, we know. The heavy border of the lehenga and the gold edge of the dupatta added that dress-up factor to her outﬁt. Simply beautiful, we must say!

Vidya’s choice of accessories was spot on: minimal. She wore heavy gold earrings and a gold kada. She looked radiant, despite opting for the natural look with very little colour. Her elegantly styled hair sent her score soaring high and we bet the fashion police will forgive her for all the fashion faux pas of the past… We’re glad that Vidya ditched her Sabyasachi Mukherjee creations this time. It was certainly a welcome change. Don’t you agree? Priyanka Chopra is the ambassador of the NDTV-Vedanta Our Girls, Our Pride campaign.

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riyanka Chopra, the ambassador of the just-launched NDTVVedanta Our Girls, Our Pride campaign, spoke today about her experiences as a child helping her parents conduct health clinics in rural Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka’s parents, both army doctors, conducted the health camps from out of an ambulance helped by a nurse, Priyanka and her brother Siddharth. Priyanka, whose job it was to package up the prescribed medicines, said at the launch of the NDTV-Vedanta campaign in Delhi: “Since then, I’ve seen so closely what hap-

pens in a lot of rural India and, now that I’ve come to know, in a lot of urban India as well - the mindsets that people have towards the girl child, how she’s looked upon as a burden.” Priyanka, who describes the campaign as one close to her heart, has already worked with UNICEF against female foeticide and infanticide in 2008. She said: “Our future is in the hands of our children and our girls are a huge part of that. We are one of the youngest nations in this world and I think it’s high time that we take charge of this nation.” Priyanka said this about the Our Girls, Our Pride campaign:

“With this initiative we aim to change the lives of many girls and provide them with basic necessities to be able to lead a quality life.” She urged Indian parents to give their daughters a chance. Priyanka also congratulated Meenum and Razia Sultana, special guests at the launch of the campaign, on their efforts to encourage education for young girls. Meenum, the ﬁrst girl in her village to go to school, persuaded the parents of 25 other girls to send their daughters to school with her. Razia, all of 15, is the recipient of a special United Nations award for helping 50 girls enroll in school.(NDTV)

ENTERTAINMENT

VOICE OF ASIA 20

FRIDAY, August 23, 2013

Comcast’s Internet Essentials Continues To Gain Momentum, Connects More Than 220,000 Families Or 900,000 Low-Income Americans To The Power Of The Internet At Home

iami, FL – August 13, 2013 – With the start of the new school year, Comcast is re-launching Internet Essentials, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption initiative for low-income families. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Miami Dade County School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Miami Dade League of Cities President and Miami Beach Commissioner Deede Weithorn, and Comcast Executive Vice President David L Cohen, along with civic and community leaders, today kicked off the program’s third year and announced that, in about 22 months, more than 220,000 families, beneﬁtting an estimated 900,000 lowincome Americans nationwide, now have a broadband connection at home. This includes nearly 18,700 families in the South Florida area, and nearly 30,000 in the state of Florida. Today’s event in Miami is one of the ﬁrst in a series of back to school events Comcast is hosting in 23 states across the country to raise visibility about bridging the digital divide in America and connecting more fami-

Comcast, Congresswoman Wilson, Miami Dade County Schools, and the Miami Dade League of Cities Ofﬁcially Kick Off Year Three of National Program to Bridge the Digital Divide Comcast Announces Another Speed Increase, More than Tripling Download Speeds for Customers Since the Program’s Launch lies to the Internet. “For school students today, digital literacy is no longer an option, it is a necessity,” said Carvalho. “Our curriculum and informational systems are all rapidly moving to the digital world, which means getting students connected to the Internet becomes a more critical task.” “Thanks to community leaders and schools nationwide, more than 220,000 families or 900,000 low-income Americans now have the opportunity to use the power of the Internet at home to get ahead in work, education, and life, just by doing things online that many of us take for granted, such as completing homework, applying for a job, researching a health condition, or paying a bill,” said Cohen. “Together, with cities like Miami, we are making real and signiﬁcant prog-

ress in closing the digital divide in America.” The momentum of Internet Essentials continues to increase. Since the program’s launch in August 2011, Internet Essentials has enrolled upwards of 50,000 new families every six months. In the last six months alone, 70,000 new families have signed up. In addition, Comcast has distributed more than 18,000 subsidized computers; trained nearly 20,000 people; publicized the program in more than 4,000 school districts and more than 30,000 schools; broadcast nearly 2 million public service announcements and partnered with nearly 7,000 community based organizations, agencies, and ofﬁcials to help spread the word about the program. 2013 Internet Essentials Enhancements:

To increase enrollment and continue to help close the digital divide in America, Comcast continues to enhance Internet Essentials. This year we have: • Increased Speed - For the second time in two years, Comcast has increased its broadband speeds for Internet Essentials customers up to 5 Mbps downstream and up to 1 Mbps upstream. On September 1st, Comcast will have more than tripled the download speeds for Internet Essentials customers since the program’s launch. • Streamlined Enrollment – Comcast has further streamlined the enrollment process by expanding the instant approval process to eligible families that attend schools with 70 percent or more National School Lunch Program participation. An esti-

Online video forces change on TV industry by Sophie ESTIENNE

EW YORK CITY, August 14, 2013 (AFP) - Having turned print media upside down, the Internet now is disrupting television, forcing broadcasters to adapt to tablets and video-on-demand to hold onto views and advertisers.

For the ﬁrst time this year, however, American adults are spending more time with the Internet than in front of television sets -- about ﬁve hours a day compared to 4.5, according to a study in eMarketer this month.

The formula is favored by youngsters who relish cartoons on their tablet devices and TV binge-viewers who watch multiple episodes of their favorite shows in one sitting. Internet giant Google has joined the party with Chromecast, a device that plugs into the HDMI input of a TV set to provide streaming video. Apple is meanwhile consistently rumored to be developing online television services. “There will still be some linear real time viewing of TV for the Super Bowl or breaking news events ... but entertainment-based video will move to more on-demand,” Nail said.

• Created an Online Application Tool – On InternetEssentials.com, it is now easier and faster for a family to apply for Internet Essentials. This convenient online tool can be used by families on computers at community centers, local libraries or at a friend’s to request an application. • Introduced Internet Essentials Opportunity Cards – Our community partners are now able to help connect low-income families to the Internet by purchasing Opportunity Cards that can be used toward the cost of paying for Internet Essentials service. In Florida, Comcast is working with 150 community-based organizations, including 40 in Miami, to spread the word about Internet Essentials and provide digital literacy training. These organizations include: The Miami Public Library System; Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Greater Miami and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Miami. Internet Essentials from Comcast is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program. It provides low-cost broadband service for $9.95 a month plus tax; the option to purchase an Internet-ready computer for under $150; and multiple options to access free digital literacy training in print, online, and in-person. A household is eligible to participate if it has at least one child eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), is located where Comcast offers Internet service, has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days, and does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment. Families that enroll in the program can continue to enjoy the service as long as one child eligible to participate in the NSLP is living in the household.

Viacom, Time Warner, Disney, 21st Century Fox, CBS -- the second quarter results of the big US media groups conﬁrmed that cable networks remain their cash cows.

That doesn’t stop a group like Netﬂix, which offers ﬁlms and original programming on demand, from growing and spawning imitators such as Amazon’s online streaming service.

• Expanded Eligibility – Comcast has expanded program eligibility criteria for the second time, to include parochial, private and homeschooled students. Now, nearly 2.6 million families nationwide are eligible for Internet Essentials.

About Internet Essentials:

“The gap between what consumers want and the way the industry is delivering it has grown so big that the industry now has to start to make some moves,” Forrester Research analyst Jim Nail told AFP.

The independent market research ﬁrm notes that users sometimes use the Internet and watch television at the same time -- and that video represents only part of online consumption.

mated 4,600 additional schools located in states where Comcast provides service are now eligible for instant approval. This is on top of the 20,000 schools that are already approved for instant approval.

People walk past the entrance to the Time Warner center in New York City. The media company reported a 87 percent jump in second-quarter earnings of $771 million, compared with $413 million in last year’s same period. (AFP) “If you own a TV station, you are in the same position as a newspaper. There will be other ways to watch content and you’re going to be very challenged,” he explained. On the other hand, “if you are the content owner, you should not worry at all.” You might have to abandon cable distribution and get a slot on Netflix, but content is in such high demand “that you will be able to make money... It really shouldn’t change your financial outlook or your survival.” Media groups see the risks in relative terms. Time Warner chief executive Jeff Bewkes, whose corporation includes HBO and CNN, told financial analysts in a conference call that he regards Internet streaming as complementary

to broadcasting -- something that adds value to programming. Viacom talks about adapting to changing public behavior. “Certain kids are going to consume content on tablets, and if you want your content to have a shot at being consumed you have to have it on a tablet,” its chief operating ofﬁcer Tom Dooley said. Viacom is “aggressively” positioning itself in the tablet market with distribution partnerships like the one it forged with Amazon for such children’s shows as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Dora the Explorer.” It has also launched what Dooley called a “phenomenally successful” mobile app for Viacom’s Nickelodeon children’s channel. “Streaming continues to be a ter-

rific growth driver for us,” affirmed CBS chief Leslie Moonves, whose network has struck an exclusive deal with Amazon guaranteeing the profitability of its summer series “Under the Dome,” based on a Stephen King novel. Viacom and CBS have seen their income stemming from program distribution rights leap 28 and 22 percent respectively, due in part to the Internet effect. For those who own content, the multiplication of online video services can have a favorable effect by bidding up the money they can get from selling distribution rights. In Nail’s opinion, there is “a lot more to do before (television companies) meet consumer demand and create the new business model they need to profit” from Internet-driven change.

For more information about Internet Essentials visit InternetEssentials. com for English and InternetBasico. com for Spanish. Educators or thirdparties interested in helping to spread the word can ﬁnd more information at InternetEssentials.com/partner. Parents looking to enroll in the program can call 1-855-846-8376 or, for Spanish, 1-855-765-6995. About Comcast Corporation: Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation’s largest video, highspeed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates 30 news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

HEALTH, SC & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 22

Tech experts debate the smarts of the ‘smartwatch’

EOUL, August 21, 2013 (AFP) - News that Samsung will unveil a “smartwatch” next month has sent rumour mills into overdrive within the tech community as it second guesses what the much-hyped gadget will offer. Wearable computing, including Google’s smart glasses, is considered the next frontier in consumer electronics following smartphones. Apple has long been rumoured to be working on introducing an “iWatch” and Samsung is reportedly looking to steal a march on its arch rival by launching its “Galaxy Gear” smartwatch at the IFA industrial exhibition in Berlin in the ﬁrst week of September.

cialist tech websites ﬁlling the vacuum with speculation and informed guesswork based on sources at application development ﬁrms who have apparently been sent prototypes. Initial reports suggested the watch would allow users to make calls, access e-mail and surf the Internet. The Verge website cited one source who insisted it would not be a self-contained “watchphone” in the sense of a unit with its own SIM card, cellular radio, and data connection. Instead it will be a device that “works with phones” using bluetooth technology to pair with a user’s smartphone, the source was quoted as saying.

Samsung has steadfastly declined to conﬁrm or deny its intentions and has offered no insights on the design or technical speciﬁcations of the new digital device.

The website GigaOM cited various sources as saying the Samsung device would have a camera integrated into the strap and tiny speakers in the clasp of the watch.

That has not stopped spe-

This was partly supported by

details provided by local South Korean website Moveplayer of a patent for “Samsung Gear” that was approved by the South Korean patent ofﬁce in May. The patent design shows what looks like both a tiny microphone and/or speaker as well as a USB port embedded in the wrist clasp. It also suggested a curved screen that would make up the watch’s main display. GigaOM’s sources said Samsung had seeded various different designs to developers but with some common characteristics including a 2.5 inch OLED screen. The watch will boast a builtin “accelerometer” that makes it possible to switch it on when it is moved up towards the eye, the sources said, adding that the screen would support the usual touch, swipe and select type gestures -- but not text-input given the size constraints. Phil Libin, the CEO of app developer Evernote, told

GigaOM that smartwatch technology remained experimental despite its rapid development. “None of this is going to be super mainstream in six or 12 months, but I think it’s going to be in the next two or three years,” Libin said. “It’s going to go faster than people expect.” The idea of the connected watch has been around for at least a decade: Microsoft had one in 2003. And some devices are already on the market including from Sony, the crowdfunded maker Pebble and Italian-based ﬁrm i’m Watch. Up to now, smartwatches have been able to connect to phones wirelessly to give users signals about new messages, and allow some limited Web access. But analysts say once they gain traction, app developers can come up with new functions, possibly drawing on health and ﬁtness monitoring devices now in use.

Facebook chief in bid to widen global Internet access

by Rob Lever (AFP) WASHINGTON — Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a campaign Wednesday with global technology giants to connect billions of people worldwide who lack access to the Internet.

SAN FRANCISCO - Google said Tuesday it began integrating into its online maps features from the Waze traffic app it acquired earlier this year in a deal said to be worth some $1 billion. “No one likes getting stuck in traffic. That’s why the Waze and Google Maps teams are working together to harness the power of Google technology and the passion of the Waze community to make it easier to navigate your daily life,” said the tech giant’s Brian McClendon in a blog post. “Users of Google Maps for Mobile will now benefit from real time incident reports from Waze users,” he added. McClendon said “Wazers” reports on accidents, construction, road closures and other issues will appear on the Google Maps app for Android and iOS in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Switzerland, Britain and the US. In June, Google announced plans to buy the crowd-sourced map app Waze, which was launched in Israel to help users of Apple and Android smartphones. In addition, the Waze Map

They also want to develop lower-cost, higher-quality smartphones and partnerships to more broadly deploy Internet access in underserved communities. Zuckerberg insisted in an interview with CNN that the project was not simply aimed at generating more customers.

“There is no guarantee that most people will ever have access to the Internet. It isn’t going to happen by itself,” Zuckerberg, the 29year-old billionaire founder of the popular social network said in a statement.

“If we were just focused on making money, the ﬁrst billion people we’ve connected have way more money than the rest of the next six billion combined. It’s not fair but it’s the way that it is,” he said.

“But I believe connectivity is a human right, and that if we work together we can make it a reality.”

Today some 2.7 billion people,

Waze trafﬁc app integrated in Google Maps

more efﬁcient and improve telephone components and networks so they perform better while consuming less energy.

The project is entitled Internet. org and its goal is to extend Internet access to ﬁve billion people by cutting the cost of smartphonebased Internet services in developing countries.

Other partners in the project are Finland-based Nokia, Sweden’s Ericsson, Samsung of South Korea, US-based Qualcomm, MediaTek of Taiwan and Norway’s Opera. US-based social networks Twitter and LinkedIn are also due to sign up.

FRIDAY, August 23, 2013

CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Facebook’s corporate headquarters in Menlo Park, California on June 20, 2013 (AFP/File, Josh Edelson) just over a third of the world’s population, have access to the Internet, and the number of new users is growing only slowly each year, organizers said.

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everyone that the connected third of the world has today,” they said in a statement. The seven founding partners are going to develop joint projects, share knowledge and mobilize governments and industry to bring the world online. Speciﬁcally, they want to simplify mobile apps to make them

The partnership resembles one launched by Facebook in 2011 called Open Compute Project, which aims to improve the materials used in call centers and make them less energy-hungry.

Editor now includes Google Street View and satellite imagery to make it easier to correct map errors reported. “We’ve incorporated the power of Google Search to the mix,” a Waze blog post said. “Google Search joins a host of other search providers featured on Waze, from Foursquare to Yelp, making it easy to find favorite businesses, home addresses and more.” Google’s upgrade of its maps comes as it ramps up efforts against Apple and other rivals to be at the heart of mobile Internet lifestyles, particularly when it comes to providing advertising or services relevant to where people are at any moment. Satellite tracking technology commonly built into smart phones lets Waze automatically measure traffic flow while simultaneously verifying or modifying public street information in its database. Drivers can upload comments, along with pictures, from along their routes to alert fellow “Wazers” to anything from accidents or detours, to a favorite place to grab a cup of coffee. Waze also provides users with turn-by-turn directions. support for scientific research. The new thrust comes at a key time for tech groups. Mature markets are saturated, while poor regions have vast and growing reservoirs of potential new customers. “The Internet not only connects us to our friends, families and communities, but it is also the foundation of the global knowledge economy,” Zuckerberg said. “By bringing everyone online, we’ll not only improve billions of lives, but we’ll also improve our own as we benefit from the ideas and productivity they contribute to the world.” His comments were echoed by heads of other companies taking part in the initiative.

That project was originally met with skepticism but has gradually won over the major players in the computer industry.

“We are committed to shaping the Networked Society -- where everyone and everything will be connected in real time; creating the freedom, empowerment and opportunity to transform society,”Hans Vestberg, president and chief executive of Ericsson, said

The latest plan marks an expansion in Zuckerberg’s interest in public policy, months after he launched the advocacy group Fwd. us to lobby for US immigration and education reform along with

MK Tsai, chairman of MediaTek, said: “Global Internet and social media access represent the biggest shift since the industrial revolution, and we want to make it all inclusive.”

BUSINESS

FRIDAY, August 23, 2013

Friday, August 23, 2013 by Marcus Chan (Bloomberg) Aug. 20, 2013

s the fate of the H-1B visa program rests with the U.S. Congress, a lot of Indians -- at least 168,367 of them -- are losing sleep over proposed changes to the guest worker rules.

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

VOICE OF ASIA 23

Tel: 713-774-5140

Biggest Brain Drains: India Gets Nearly Two-Thirds of U.S. H-1Bs

US expats ﬂee taxman’s reach by giving up citizenship by Jeremy TORDJMAN

That’s the number of Indians whose H-1B visa petitions were approved in the year ending in September 2012, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. While it’s no surprise that India gets the lion’s share of these visas designed for skilled workers such as engineers, the latest ﬁgure represents 64 percent of the total, up from 58 percent the year before. In other words, the H-1B stakes are only growing for Asia’s third-largest economy. The U.S. Senate passed an immigration bill in June that would increase the annual H-1B cap, but also raise the visa cost by thousands of dollars, which could hit India’s big outsourcing ﬁrms. That’s causing many restless nights for foreigners who are banking on employment in the U.S. and the money that’s sent back home. Tighter rules could sap up to $8 billion from India’s teetering economy, JPMorgan Chase estimated.

Employees at a food court in Bangalore, India, on Feb. 4, 2013. Photograph by Sanjit Das/Bloomberg

Still, what the ﬁnal law will look like and when it might happen aren’t yet clear. House Republicans have delayed consideration of immigration bills until the fall.

grew in 2012, while the next nine countries topping the list shrank, compared with the average over the previous three years, according to Bloomberg Rankings.

Regardless of the outcome, the latest data point to India’s ever-growing stake in H-1Bs. Its share of the visas

Here’s a look at the top 10 countries contributing to the U.S. brain gain. The ﬁrst set of numbers shows the total

number of H-1B approved petitions for 2012 (% of total). The second set shows the annual average of approvals for 2009-2011 (% of total). 1. India: 168,367 (64%); 120,762 (54%) 2. China: 19,850 (7.6%); 20,581 (9.1%)

3. Canada: 7,999 (3%); 8,742 (3.9%) 4. Philippines: 5,304 (2%); 7,479 (3.3%) 5. South Korea: 4,579 (1.7%); 6,427 (2.9%) 6. U.K.: 3,535 (1.3%); 4,219 (1.9%) 7. Mexico: 3,047 (1.2%);

3,150 (1.4%) 8. Japan: 2,542 (1%); 3,293 (1.5%) 9. Taiwan: 2,387 (0.9%); 2,838 (1.3%) 10. France: 2,232 (0.9%); 2,374 (1.1%) Source: Department Homeland Security

WASHINGTON, August 19, 2013 (AFP) - The decision was not easy for the Gulf War veteran. After 20 years living in Switzerland, Scott Schmith renounced his American citizenship, to escape the obligation to report his income and assets to the US government despite living overseas. “I have nothing to hide. But I don’t want to be punished because I chose to live outside the US,” said the new Swiss passport holder, a photographer who lives near Zurich. Schmith is just one of a rising number of Americans giving up their citizenship to avoid the increasing efforts of US authorities to collect taxes on its citizens who keep money offshore, even those who live and work outside the country. Starting next January, the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act -- now known worldwide as Fatca -- has required banks in a rising number of countries, including Switzerland, to report to US authorities all accounts held by Americans. Americans discovered to be not reporting their offshore accounts, and not paying taxes on them where due, face stiff penalties. The US is the only major country that requires its citizens resident abroad to report their income to their country’s tax authority, the Internal Revenue Service.

Iraq PM heads to India for investment and trade by Prashant RAO

AGHDAD - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is to visit India, ofﬁcials said Wednesday, to push for investment in much-needed reconstruction, as New Delhi looks to secure critical energy supplies. The premier’s three-day trip to New Delhi and Mumbai, the ﬁrst by an Iraqi leader since a 2003 US-led invasion ousted president Saddam Hussein, comes on the heels of a visit by Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid to Baghdad in June. But the prospects of luring foreign investment to Iraq have been complicated as the country has been hit by its worst violence since 2008, with the interior ministry describing Iraq as a “battleground.”

Maliki will set off on Thursday with a delegation including the ministers of oil, health and agriculture, the head of Iraq’s national investment commission and several advisors. He is due to meet with his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh, as well as President Pranab Mukherjee and other top ofﬁcials and leaders, according to Suresh Reddy, India’s envoy to Baghdad. “It is a very important visit,” Maliki’s spokesman Ali Mussawi told AFP. “It will mark a major change in relations between Iraq and India, a big step forward.” Mussawi said discussions would focus on energy, but also housing, healthcare, education and railways.

“Naturally ... economic considerations would be a big part of bilateral discussions,” Reddy said. “Since energy is of critical importance to Iraq, and India being dependent on imported energy, so energy would constitute a very important component of the discussions.” “But it’s not just trade alone.” Reddy said Indian exports to Iraq totalled around $1.3 billion in 2012, up from $740 million in 2011. Baghdad’s exports to India -- the vast majority of which were oil -- totalled more than $20 billion last year, compared with around $9 billion in 2011. Iraq, which currently exports around 2.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, is looking to dramatically boost its energy

output, with ofﬁcials aiming for overall production capacity of 9 million bpd by 2017.

an agreement on energy cooperation and water resources management.

Baghdad is almost entirely dependent on oil sales for income, and while efforts to boost energy production have resulted in a signiﬁcant increase in output, steps to diversify the country’s economy have sputtered.

“We hope these agreements will be signed during the visit of the Iraqi premier,” Kumar said in New Delhi.

India has made clear its requirement to secure energy supplies to drive economic growth and development, with its dependence on Iraqi exports increasing as sanctions have limited Iran’s oil sales. Mridul Kumar, a joint secretary in India’s foreign ministry, said the two sides had ﬁnalised

While in Baghdad in June, Khurshid insisted that India also wanted to promote investment in other ﬁelds in Iraq. But whereas ﬁrms from the West, Turkey, South Korea and China have sought to win major government contracts in Iraq as Baghdad looks to restore its war-battered infrastructure and dilapidated economy, Indian companies have been noticeably absent.

Kumar said India was now keen to “reverse the trafﬁc” by building Iraq’s infrastructure and investing in roads, power lines, telecoms and other key sectors. “We are looking to move from a buyer-seller relationship to a broad-based one,” he said. Considerations of investment in Iraq have been complicated by a marked spike in violence in recent months that authorities have failed to stem. More than 1,000 people died as a result of violence last month, the United Nations said, the highest such ﬁgure since 2008, and more than 400 have been killed already this month, according to an AFP tally.

FEATURE

VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, August 23, 2013

Your Horoscope

Indian cancer patients find uncertain shelter on street

(For week beginning Friday, August 23, 2013)

Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

As per Indian Vedic Astrology the Moon sign is considered, in which every Rashi has control over certain letters, which are initials of your name. Whereas in Western system of Sun Sign, all the people born in one month belong to the same sign. For example, every year approximately around 21 of March to 20th April, the Sun is moving in the Aries Constellation. So all the people born in that month belong to the Sign of Aries. If you were born in between those two dates then you are a Aries born.

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Put your efforts into your career. Spend time catching up. You will accomplish the most if you are willing to present your ideas and follow through on your promises. You can make career changes that will help turn your ﬁnancial situation around. Believe in yourself and so will all those you encounter. You should start your own part-time business. Don’t make decisions without running your ideas past the people you are close to. Be careful. You may feel like eating hot spicy foods, but be prepared to pay the price if you lack moderation. You may detect a level of impatience. The need for such services is only set to grow in the huge nation, where more than half a million people died of cancer in 2010. - AFP pic by Rachel O’BRIEN

ith just a patchwork of colourful plastic sheets to shield patients from the heavy monsoon rains, a Mumbai street acts as an unofﬁcial ward to one of India’s top cancer treatment centres. Every year, the Tata Memorial Hospital draws tens of thousands of cancer sufferers thanks to its heavily subsidised medical care. But the city’s steep hotel and rental prices force scores to sleep on nearby pavements. “There’s rats, mosquitoes and dirt,” said farmer Suresh Patidar, who stays with his wife Leela, 55, as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer. “We tried to settle on the other side of the street but the police didn’t allow it. “A hotel is very costly. It’s impossible,” he told AFP. With their home in the central state of Madhya Pradesh at least 12 hours away by train, the Patidars’ cheapest option has been to sleep on the roadside for the past month, despite the regular torrential downpours. The bandages and surgical masks worn by others on the street betray their common suffering. The Tata centre offers some free or cheap rooms around the city to poor outpatients, and more are being added, but numbers are difﬁcult to manage as Indian cancer cases increase. “There will always be more people,” said hospital spokesman S.H. Jafri. “Many NGOs give them food and things on the footpath, so because of that they tend to stay there.” The pavements have offered such patients and their families a temporary home for years, but there are signs that local residents are growing impatient over their sick neighbours. At the nearby police station, Senior Inspector Sunil Tondwalkar said he had written to

Mumbai’s municipal authorities asking them to move the sick street-dwellers to more suitable lodgings. Locals have complained they are blocking the pathways, and that “they’re eating and going to the toilet on the footpath and the streets. It’s not hygienic,” Tondwalkar said. He also wants the streets cleared because he says hospitals can be a “soft target for terrorists”, while “anti-social elements”, such as thieves or beggars, can inﬁltrate the patients. Despite their uncomfortable lodgings, the families for now have little alternative. Few Indian hospitals offer the range of cancer care and cheap costs of the Tata centre, where 60 percent of about 50,000 yearly patients are subsidised and 14 percent are treated for free, according to Jafri. Those on the street said they were contributing to their medical costs, and had sold their land or livestock to help fund their treatment. “People living on the streets are people who earn daily, eat daily, so they aren’t people with long-term savings,” said H.K. Savla, founder of the Jeevan Jyot Cancer Relief and Care Trust. His charity feeds 600 patients and their families in Mumbai twice a day, and he said 150 to 200 people were usually camped outside the Tata hospital. “They have to save whatever they have to manage their treatment,” he explained. A hotel is an extra cost that could be more effectively spent. Now a government-run centre, the Tata hospital began life in 1941 as a philanthropic venture by the industrialist Tata family after a relative died of cancer, despite going to Britain for expensive treatment. “They said, what about the poor patients in India? So they

started this,” said Jafri. The need for such services is only set to grow in the huge nation, where more than half a million people died of cancer in 2010, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal last year. Pankaj Chaturvedi, a professor and a head and neck surgeon at the Tata hospital, said cancer is a rising blight as Indian society becomes more afﬂuent. While breast and cervical cancers are the most common among women, lung and mouth cancers are the biggest killers for men owing to the widespread use of tobacco -especially chewing tobacco -across the country. “Increasing tobacco and alcohol use, unsafe food and lack of exercise -- these are the four factors that lead to an increase in non-communicable diseases of which cancer is a top one,” he said. On top of these factors, improvements in medical science mean people are living longer, and “the longer you live, the higher the chance of cancer”. For some however, it still strikes early. Ponmuth Rajaram Haridas, 22, has been camping outside the Tata centre for four months with his parents while he is treated for blood cancer, having sold off all the sheep on their farm and taken out a loan. On doctors’ orders that he eats home-cooked food, his small and spritely mother makes him simple meals of rice, dahl and vegetables on a tiny stove in a corner of their makeshift tent. Speaking through a surgical mask to keep out the germs, he said he hopes to return to their village in another couple of months after he ﬁnishes two more sessions of chemotherapy. “I can’t get to sleep here. The atmosphere is much better at home,” he said.

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You will be charmed by someone. You may be led astray if you listen to a big talker. Do a little research before getting involved in a ﬁnancial venture. Situation that may be risky. Sudden romantic infatuations may throw you for a loop. Take your time if you wish things to work in your favor. Be honest and direct for best results. Romantic opportunities will develop. Be careful not to let colleagues get the wrong idea. You can help others make wise choices when it comes to their personal ﬁnancial position. Partners will be full of enthusiasm, but they will also be overly emotional.

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Continue your habit of dreaming big. Looking ahead at opportunities that can and should result in greater gains both in matters of spirit and health, wealth should be your main focus. Avoid loud aggressive people who would try to bully their views on you and others. In fact feel free to confront them head on. Don’t waste time on distractions focus on what the goals are. You will ﬁnd yourself will allies you did not know you had. Be brave go forward! Soft-peddle issues, especially with elders and parents of any sign, Long talks appear to ﬁx an old problem.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July You need to feel like you belong to a family. Look for activities that will please your whole family. Organize social functions or gatherings. You need to get back to basics and family values. You can make physical changes to enhance your appearance. Get into a ﬁtness routine, or start working on that new image you’ve wanted to project. What a great time to make those changes you’ve been thinking about. You need an updated image that will help you present yourself and your goals with more conﬁdence. Love interests will develop through connections made at work.

Leo(M) 23 July to 22 August Opportunities to get ahead that are evident, if you follow through on your instincts. Go after your dreams. Make your move regarding a romantic connection. Be open and honest and you’ll do just ﬁne Your emotional attitude toward colleagues may lack professionalism. Don’t become involved in legal battles concerning the personal lives of others. Opportunities to get ahead ﬁnancially are evident. Your luck will run high. Taking advantage of moneymaking investments will prove lucrative. Hidden assets are likely to be cashed in.

Virgo(P) 23 August to 22 September Opportunities to get ahead that are evident, if you follow through on your instincts. Your need to beautify your surroundings by renovating or redecorating. If you ﬁnd that your plans will cost more than you had wanted to spend, try to do the work yourself. Property investments will be fruitful, but don’t be pushed into joint ﬁnancial ventures with someone who is not completely trustworthy. New romantic relationships will develop through group activities. Don’t expect everyone you work with to be on your side. Talk is cheap, and someone may try to lead you astray

Libra(R,T)23 Sept to 22 Oct Positive changes that will bring new enthusiasm to your life. It’s back to the drawing board to make changes to that important proposal you have been working on. You may run into past acquaintances through work-related functions. Be polite. You should extend a helping hand to friends or relatives having trouble updating their personal investments or papers. Your kind gesture will be handsomely rewarded. You will explode if you are forced to deal with relatives who don’t see your point of view. Make ﬁnancial investments with extreme caution.

Scorpio(N,Y)23 Oct to 21 Nov Mingle with those around you. You can learn a lot if you listen to the words of those who are experienced in your ﬁeld. Take time to plan your actions. You need to be positive that you are headed in the right direction. You need to put your talents on display. Don’t be afraid or too shy to show others how valuable you are. You’ll be surprised how many people are willing to pay for your work. Get together with friends you don’t see that often. Don’t hesitate to sign up for courses that will bring you additional work skills. Money can be made if you are quick to react to an amazing deal.

Sagittarius(BH,F,DH,TH)22 Nov to 21 Dec Negotiations with clients will lead to new and interesting developments, listen and learn. Don’t let dilemmas in your personal life result in problems with your productivity at work. You may be competitive, but if you take on unreasonable challenges you will feel restricted. Try to make arrangements to spend some time with your mate to clear up any misunderstandings you might have. Make your plans carefully and be sure to include a romantic touch to everything. Travel for business or pleasure will bring successful results. A very busy and demanding week is indicated

Capricorn(KH,J)22 Dec to 20 Jan This is a highly intuitive, insightful period which brings favorable relations and concord with others in your work and home environments. Go with the ﬂow. Resistance will only result in needless effort on your part. At the end of the day your path will be clear and you will ﬁnd your balance. How you handle any humiliation or adverse situation which occurs at this time may well be crucial to future success. Your insights are sharp with others and your surroundings but they are limited to/with certain members.

Aquarius(G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 Feb Carefully assess the cost of your actions and decisions at this time, as you are prone to be overconfident, inflated, or foolishly optimistic. Try to instill more self-sufficiency on the part of your dependents to take some of the pressure off you. Sharing the workload will save the day. You may need to reach out and meet your partner halfway or lower your expectations, if necessary, in order to avoid serious confrontations. You may need to draw upon all of the patience, will power, and determination that you can muster to meet the obstacles you face.

Pisces(D,CH,Z)20 Feb to 20 March

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Taurus(B,V,U)21 April to 20 May

You have to deal with criticism regarding the way you handle your obligations and domestic responsibilities. Take it in stride. Opportunities for friendship, pleasant associations, and enjoyable social interactions occur now. Personal relationships are rewarding. You might have to administer a little tender, loving care to yourself before attending to the needs and responsibilities of those in your care. You are forceful and can drive yourself too hard and overtax your physical and emotional reserves. Find a way to escape from the stressful situations for a spell. Focus and attention straight through is almost a bold faced “demand,” with a close eye on problem solving, success with ﬁnancial outcomes and patience with youth, especially over educational, sports/hobby or any ﬁnancial dealings. Travel, domestic upgrades, streamlining, remodeling and vehicle replacement or repair expense is likely. Enjoyable gatherings are indicated.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

VOICE OF ASIA 26

FRIDAY, August 23, 2013

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES & ORGANIZATIONS OF HOUSTON - call Voice of Asia 713-774-5140 Sri Krishna Vrundavan Houston

7889750 or Swapan 281 3820348 or visit www.hindi.org

Prog: Aradhana Mahotsava of Shri Raghavendra Swamy on August 24th, Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM Location:10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498. Phone: 832.541.0059. Website:ww

Indo-American Charity Foundation

Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation Prog: Bhoomi Pooja of Sringeri Sadhana Center on Sunday, Aug 25th 2013 at 8.30 am to 12 noon by Padmashree Dr. V. R. Gowrishankar. Location: Intersection of Clodine & W. Belfort Ave, Richmond, TX ContactVBFHouston@gmail. com or 1-800-45-HINDU or 281-710-7196 Website: http://svbf.org/Houston/

Hare Krishna Dham (ISKCON) Prog: JANMASTAMI celebrations on Wednesday, Aug 28 from 6:30 to midnight. Artis at 7pm and Abhshekam at 7:30 Pm. Everyday, 7 Aratis and bhoga offerings daily. Sunday Festival: 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Location: 1320 West 34th St, Houston, TX 77018. Contact:281-433-1635/E-mail harekrishnadham@gmail.com Website: www.iskconhouston. org

Prog: Silver Jubilee Celebrations at Hilton Americas on Sept. 21st, 2013. For more information, call Gala Chair Ramesh Cherivirala at 713-875-4336.

India House Prog: Free Yoga classes every Tues, Thurs, & Sat Free Dance classes every Sun Free Computer classes every Mon, Wed, & Thurs Medical Clinic every Sat Cultural Library every Sun For info call 713-929-1900 Email: info@indiahouseinc.org Website: www.indiahouseinc.org

Chinmaya Mission Prog: Location:10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498. Phone: 832.541.0059. Website:www.chinmayahouston. org.

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya Temple Hrs: 9 am to noon and 5 to 9 pm. Sri Astalaksmi puja: 7 pm. Sri Laksmi Archana will be performed on request all day. Location:same as Chinmaya Mission. Website: www.saumyakasi.org;

Shri Radha Krishna Temple

Hindu Temple of The Woodlands

Prog: Janamastami Celebration on August 30, 2013. Bollywood Style Dandiya Raas with DJ Nish from 7:30PM to 11:30PM.Kirtan will be 11:30PM to 12:00AM. Location:11625 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77072 Phone: 281-933-8100 Website: www.SRKT.org.

Prog: Location: 7601 S. Forest Gate Drive at Woodlands Parkway, Spring, TX 77382. Contact: info@woodlandshindutemple.org, 832-585-0001 Website: www. woodlandshindutemple.org.

International Hindi Association (IHA) Prog: 16th Biennial Hindi National Conference on August 30, 31 and September 1 (Labor Day weekend) at VPSS Haveli, Houston. Workshops, seminars, Hasya Kavi Sammellan and music. For registration contact Sangeeta 281

VSNA, Houston Prog: Monthly Mahamane event. Puja, Vachana Sahithya discourses, Aarthi and Prasad Contact: vsnahouston@gmail. com/832-545-1185 (Jyoti Biradar) Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/VSNA.HOUSTON Website: https://sites.google.

com/site/bsusorg/home

BAPS Prog: Location: 1150 Brand Rd. Stafford, TX. Contact: 281-765-2277 Web:

Sri Meenakshi Temple Prog: Location: 17130 McLean Road Pearland, TX 77584 Contact: (281) 489-0358

Arsha Vidya Bharati Prog.:Sanskrit classes and special worship sessions for all ages Location: 2918 Renoir, Sugar Land, TX 77479 Contact: 281-606-5607 or AVB. Houston@gmail.com Web-site: https://sites.google. com/site/avbtexas/classes

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitus Samee Mosque Prog: Friday Prayer - 1:30 PM Children’s Classes | Interfaith meeting | Location: 1333 Spears Rd, Houston, TX 77067 Imam - Mohammed Zafarullah Contact : Work: 281-875-3400 | Cell: 713-874-4363 Zafarullah_Hanjra@hotmail.com www.Alislam.org

Ashirwad - A Blessing Temple Prog: Regular prog :Sloka Classes for kids and teens. Location: Katy, Hwy 249 & Sugar Land. Contact: 281.995.0930/ 281.808.2159

Vedanta Society of Greater Houston Prog: Vedanta teachings Sundays at 10:30 AM Location: at 14809 Lindita Dr. Houston, TX -77083. Website: www.vedantahouston. org

ISSO Prog: Darshan daily from 7.30

a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.; Aarti daily from 7.45 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Location: 10080 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: 281-530-2565 Web:

VPSS Houston Prog: Location VPSS Vallabh Hall, 11715 Belfort Village Dr. Houston 77031. Contact:713-530-2900 Website:www.vpsshaveli.org

Shri Satyanarayan Sai Puja Darshan Prog: Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Every Thursday Abhishek Location: 16338 Kensington Dr, Ste 110, Sugar Land 77479. Phone: 713-933-8821 / 9359.

Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston Prog: Sundays Dewan 10:00 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Langar Location:14811 Lindita Drive, Houston, TX 77083 Phone: 281-498-5200 Website: www.gurdwaraswh.com

Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple Prog: Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra Parayanam: daily 6.30 p.m. Location:10098 Synott Road. Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: 281- 498-2344 Website: www.ashtalakshmi.org

Hindu Worship Society Prog: Open all days except Thursdays (by appt). Regular Puja and Prasad. Sunday Service 11:30 AM to 1:30 Location: 2223 Wirtcrest Lane Houston TX 77055.

Barsana Dham Houston Chapter Prog: Satsang every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Location: India House, 8888 West Belfort 77031 Phone: (713) 855-9818 for details Website: www.jkphouston.org Weekly Radio Program-1460 AM Saturdays 10-11 a.m.

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Prog: Location:3845 West Bellfort, St., Sugar Land, TX 77498 Website: www.babamandir.org

Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Prog: Every Friday Satsangh from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. Bhajans and Devi Puja, Discourses. Location: 12530 Ann Louise Road, Houston, 77086. Phone: Contact Vishnu at (832) 309- 7181.

JVB Preksha Meditation Center Prog: Annual Family Camp “Understanding Joy & Sorrow” on March 29 - 31, 2013 (Good Friday Weekend) Bellville, TX. Location: 14102 Schiller Road, Houston TX 77082 Phone: 281.596.9642 Website: www.jvbhouston.org

Patanjali Yogpeeth Center Prog: Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun from 8 am to 9:30 am Location: Arya Samaj @Schiller Road. Contact: 281-579-9433. Websites: www.pyptusa.org

Jain Center of Houston Prog: Location: 3905 Arc St. Houston, TX 77063 Contact: 281-606-JAIN; Email: ecjsh@jain-houston.org Website:www.jain-houston.org

Durga Bari Society Prog: Sandhya Arati at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 9:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. Location: 13944 Schiller Road. Contact: 281-597-8100 Website:www.houstondurgabari. org

Gayatri Pariwar of Houston Prog: Sundays Satsang, Bal-Sanskar Shala, from 11am to 1pm. Location: 5645 Hillcroft, Suite # 307, Houston, TX 77036. Website: http://www.gayatripari-

warhouston.org/ “

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple Prog: Bhajans: Sat.7:00 -8:00 p.m.; Sundays 9:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.Location: 1620 Ormandy Street, Houston, TX 77035 Contact: 713-729-8994

Govindaji Gaudiya Math Prog:Satsang every Sunday evening from 5 - 7 p.m. Vedic heritage classes for kids 5-14. Location: 16628 Kieth Harrow blvd. Houston, TX 77084 Contact: 281-499-3347/281-4914114.

Sathya Sai Baba Centers Prog: Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at two locations Locations: Contact: (North) 832-418-3842 or (South) 281-788-4786. Website:www.saicenterofhouston.org

Telugu Christian Fellowship Prog; Every third Saturday 6:30 PM. Worship is in English Location: The Triumph Church, 10555 West Airport Boulevard, Stafford, TX 77477. Contact:713-301-6444 Website:

Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center Prog: Daily classes in Raja Yoga Meditation To register call or email. Contact:832-379-8888/ Email: houston@bktexas.com Website: bktexas.com

Bethesda Houston Tamil Church Prog: Prog: Sundays Tamil Worship: 5 – 7pm Sunday school : in English. Bethesda Family Fellowship: in English 10.30 am-12.30 pm Free Tutorial for all children Mondays & Wednesdays 5-6 pm. Ladies Bible Study: Thur 9 am. Location: 1092, Suite F&G, Stafford. Tex 77477 Tel:281-317-7331 Contact: 281-317-7331 Website:bethesdahoustontamilch urch.org

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